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Picks with my odds starting soon.
Some deserve a sprinkle for top five finishes also.
Biggest odds for Golfers firstly,
Mike Weir 61 to 1 (Keeping it Canadian, good value and he is due)
Trevor Immelman at 51-1 (Coming off the big win, feels healthy)
Anthony Kim 31 to 1 ( Was my favorite to win at first glance, still good odds)
Adam Scott 29-1 ( should show solid)
Miguel Angel Jimenez 26 to 1 (a good pick with still good value)
There is my Top five, that would pay for a nice vacation if all ended in the top five.
Best of luck and feel free to email or comment below with your picks before or during the British Open.
Taking place in Athens is the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Mens Basketball from the 14th until the 20th of July. Team Canada had their opening match with Slovenia, which beat the only other team in Group C winning 88-76 over the Koreans to put themselves in good position to get into the Quarter Finals.
Players of note in this one are the newly acquired Rasho Nesterovic form the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers center Samuel Dalembert, unluckily for both they are matched up against one-another, both are steady influences on defense, with good back to the basket games.
No commentary in the game I am watching masked by all the shoe-squeaks picked up by the floor-mic.
Carl English is a player I wanted to see, I havent seen him since his Hawaii Rainbow Warrior days. Also included was his subsequent summer league tryout for the Pacers way back. A side note Hawaii has now dropped the Rainbow part in their nickname I am told.
A Uros Slokar sighting a late 2nd round draft pick for the Toronto Raptors. Slokar came over after a year playing pro-ball to fine tune a few things. The Raptors drafted Uros instead of fan favorite pick Juan Mendez out of Canada. Slokars status is unknown but he did not impress early as an energy guy looking overwhelmed by the NBA.
A great story in Joel Anthony for team Canada now playing for the Miami Heat, at 69 with a wingspan of 74 is a hardworking post player with good touch and continues to get better each and every day. For Canada to compete they will need Sammy D and JA to be firing on all cylinders. I cant help but wonder whether some of these guys could be going for a spot in the NBA with all the summer league action going on. Everyone wants to represent their country but this would mess with their livelihoods.
A quick recap of the first quarter, Canada was unable to setup their interior game the Slovenians kept them on the perimeter where Canada seems to lack playmaking ability in traffic, 27-22 Slovenia at the end of one.
I was under the impression that Andy Rautins was an off-guard, but he mans the point. I am sure that coach/father Leo Rautins sees him as an extension of himself and lets not kid ourselves without Steve Nash at the point team Canada do not have a solid PG. Andy will be returning to Leos old stomping grounds for Syracuse. He is rebounding from knee-surgery to help the Orange after losing the likes of Donte Green to the NBA.
To start the 2nd qtr. Slovenia seems to be taking control with smart decisions. But Canada battles back late with some lucky buckets and key turnovers. Joel Anthony, the lone bright spot for the Canadians. The lefty is too mobile for Rasho and too strong for the smaller guys displaying a soft touch from 15-18 feet out.
Commentary glitches back on just in time for the commentator to miss-name a Canadian as Alex English, the old Denver Nugget legend and current Assistant Coach of the Toronto Raptors. Its CARL! I may be one of the only people who realize this mistake but I can take solace in that fact.
Anthony forces his game but Nesterovic gets a block and steal on consecutive possessions as Canada halts and ends the half losing 41-34. Rowan Barrett the 35 year old veteran now has his shots but for team Canada, just looks like he should be playing at the next level.
In the third Q now, I havent ever seen Rasho that irritated at an official that altercation coming due to a botched out of bounds play ending up as a layup at the other end for CAN.
Finally the announcer figures out that he has been calling Carl Alex English all game and apologizes accordingly, a savvy guy. Ewwohh! Unlucky as #10 Rautins gets blocked but hits #15 Miha in the Zupans, very unfortunate as Andy catches Zupan with his off-hand.
Perfectly diagrammed play giving SLO the 3pt shot at the third period buzzer, 64-49 Slovenians. I cannot remember the last time I have seen so many steals by players who just slap down on the ball. It makes team Canada look almost amateurish. Settling for long jumpers has been Canadas Achilles heel, just have not brought it this morning. Dalembert was invincible getting dominated by Rasho. Canada with the full court pressure gets some quick steal to bring this one closer.
Nesterovic checks out with 3:15 left in the fourth a job well done as the captain of his side. Sam checks out just after looking dejected on the bench. This game a foregone conclusion with SLO up by over a dozen with two minutes left. SLOVENIA WINS!!! 86-70, Canada must beat Korea to get into the Quarter Finals. With this win Slovenia gets to the Qtr. Final.
An inside look into a struggle of a game for Mens basketball in Canada. Thanks for reading this was written by Scott Penny.
-Top 10 pack of summer league intrigues
Summer League Action at its best chronicling the standouts and most notable recruits from years past who basically will not make NBA squads due to the fact of other players guaranteed contracts. The headline was misleading as when I heard that Bobby Brown helped the New Orleans Hornets beat the Charlotte Bobcats in summer-league action July 13th. I quickly realized the error in judgment on my part, but I was unsure at first glance whether it was Mr. New Edition or maybe Whitney Houstons son. I did recall seeing the son of Brown on an upstart rock star contest for celebrity offspring a while back, what was his name?
Thus here is a brief bio for the player to be nicknamed later who does resemble the old-school singer.
Bobby Brown stands at six-foot-two was born in 1984 and came out of Cal-State Fullerton. This would be his rookie season if he were to make the Hornets. Brown played over in Germany last year with powerhouse Alba Berling.
Interesting note Ndubi Ebi is back in the NBA for the moment as he is on New Orleans summer-league team. He was a draft choice of Minnesota 26th pick in 2003 regarded as one of the many mistakes that Kevin McHale has made as GM. Now 24 years of age he signed with the NBDLs Fort Worth Flyers in 2007. I have had him in my sights as he (I believe) is of British decent. Playing for the Hornets in the Vegas league he is also listed for the new Oklahoma City ToBeNamedLaters in the Orlando Pro summer league. Ebi just needs a shot as his tweener frame gives matchups nightmares. Shot-blocking and spot up jumpers are intact.
Demetrius Nichols is still yet to find the right opportunity. As a rookie he was moved twice becoming a member of the Knicks, Cavs and Bulls in his first year. Out of Syracuse I think he may have left for the NBA to early a year pro or in the NBDL would have served him best to bring his game to the professional level. It will take some work to adapt his skills to the NBA game. I am still pulling for him as many from the Orange begin to have prosperous careers in the NBA.
Another Cal-State guy who has the heart of steel still making a go at his NBA career after breaking his neck in a Toronto Raptors summer league game a few years back Pape Sow has a lifelong fan in me. At 610 he was once touted as a poor mans Ben Wallace by a popular basketball site, currently playing for the Mavericks summer team.
Elton Brown from Virginia just needs a chance to get groomed behind a solid frontcourt player. Comments seem good as he is likely to get an NBA contract this season if all goes well.
Dahntay Jones a solid swingman who came into the NBA with the exact same skill-set of Vince Carter, though Carter worked on his shot and other aspects while Jones struggled with his shooting touch. I was sure that he would be a good addition to the Celtics last season but that did not last. Something I just realized, Jones played at Rutgers before going to Duke.
What player was signed and waived by the Denver Nuggets a few times last season? What Supersonics draft pick has a worse FT% than Shaq? He was named All-NBDL 3rd team in 2008, give up? It is Jelani McCoy a long lost solid rebounding center from UCLA. He gives you all a team needs if you give him the role he relishes. McCoy filled in admirably for the Toronto Raptors at one point and started well for the most part while the raps had their issues in the middle a few years back and I was sure that he would stick but it didnt happen becoming unsigned after the season. Back with the Nuggets summer team.
Loren Woods is a massively lengthy undersized big man. Solid in stretches and can hit the open J. He will continue getting his shot in the NBA as teams need that third center or sixth big-man. Woods came out of Arizona and also played at Wake Forest. Has moved from Lithuania to Turkey and signed a 10-day contract with the short Houston Rockets in March 2008. He did moderately decent and signed a second one in April. He actually won the Lithuanian League with Zalgaris Kaunas in 2007 no stats available. Back with Rockets summer team.
Interesting, they list a player as A power forward in a small forward's body. Guess what they have him listed as a shooting guard-SG, man that is worth a chuckle. Of course I am talking about the diminutive PJ Tucker, drafted by the Toronto Raptors in the second round a couple years back at #35, which should be a good guess. Everything about this I love, he can believe it or not stretch the defense with his shaky jumper at times, his real talent as your 12th man. The Raptors hurt his stock making him go out in there shot-happy offense at the time where he would have to create anything hed get. His shots should come from pounding it into him with undersized threes. At only 65 he is a solid tweener and can play the four-spot if you have a bigger center to make up for it. A true favorite of mine and the player the fan just wants to cheer for.
Last and certainly least (no disrespect) meaning little Yuta Tabuse at 59 a just over 100lbs soaken wet. For fans we first saw him make his debut with the Phoenix Suns as the first Japanese-born player to ever to make the NBA. He is and was a speedy PG who needed to slow the game down in his mind to make better passes. Tabuse quickly was hurt by teams lagging of him to give him free open long-range shots, which he was less than stellar at. That spelled the end of his brief NBA stint. If he can harness his skill and have a veterans presence to his playmaking ability, watch out his lightning quick first step leaves no doubt of his skill.
So that is it, my top ten must-knows of 2008. In this years NBA summer league action. For any information needed or any other players you would like to know of their whereabouts feel free to comment below and one of the writers for this site, myself especially will respond as soon as possible, thanks for reading.
This has been written by Scott Penny
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I will run down the next part of the lottery picked players, up until the fourteenth pick, imparting my knowledge on select players and teams.
# 6
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I think I have learned my lesson and will try and shy away from the over/unders of the MLB. Baseball is enticing, but pitchers show up or fall apart and I am doing well picking winners, but those late comebacks or complete games are killers.
Also explaining my title, I tried to place a bet or at least see the line for the Toronto Blue Jays game versus the Seattle Mariners and betting was closed. I think Seattle is still undecided or not telling who their starting pitcher will be. On Canada's Day the one Canadian baseball team is unavailable. So below are my picks for todays action in the WNBA and National league
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Id like to post about the previously finished NBA Draft. A lot of trades were completed/proposed making this years draft exciting and noteworthy. In this first post I will be going through the top five picks and thereafter with updates and all you need to know up to the minute stats and transactions.
Lets get this post draft analysis going with the first overall pick for the Chicago Bulls DERRICK ROSE. Rose out of Memphis has a solid NBA body and can take the punishment as a player in the paint. He will mold himself into whatever type of player his team needs him to be as evident by the video below. He is one of the most ready-type players to enter the league. A truly solid addition to any team, kind of makes me think of the miss of Jay Williams. In which whom the Bulls took as the savior type PG years ago before he had his motorcycle accident stifling his promising career. With this pick Chicago puts themselves back into contention for a playoff spot in the East
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In this action film James McAvoy stars as Wesley Gibson a guy who hates his predictable life and just wants to find himself. McAvoy shines through this movie and makes me want to see some of his earlier stuff I may have missed.
Timur Bekmambetov directed this visually stimulating, sound-provoking bullet-torquing film, his first american film. Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie are solid if yet unspectacular. Jolie's presence reminded me of her performance in 'Gone in 60 Seconds', being eye candy and keeping the male audience stimulated enough to buy her as a significant character
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Comment by Spennies
on July 11th PICKS
Record Reviews
Bet Shrink
The Dissident
Film Reviewer
Toronto Raptors
London Knights
Also the Total is at 11? Wow Under all the way today boys and girls. Also sprinkled on the Half-full with a Tie/Jays score.