Early 2018 Red Sox Plans

It's been awhile since I last wrote about baseball. I've been on a Celtics kick this years, as well as wrestling. I'm back with baseball however and it's about the good old Red Sox. Currently the Red Sox sit in first place in the AL East but only by half a game. They only made one big move at the trade deadline but boy has it been a good one. They brought over Eduardo Nunez from the Giants and he is currently batting .500. They also called up top prospect Rafael Devers, who has also better than expected. There is however plenty of concern about the rest of the season. I have faith that they will keep first place and make a deep playoff run. The offseason has many question though. What do they do about extensions for Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley? Who's going to play first base? Do they need bullpen help? Then the big one, what to do with David Price? We'll start with Price because that could lead to everything else being solved.
David Price has been disappointing and a bad teammate to say the least. He has a large contract and it would be tough to move him. I do have an idea however. Package Price with Eduardo Rodriguez, Sam Travis and Michael Chavis for Freddie Freeman of the Braves and a player to be named later. Possibly throwing in an extra prospect or Brock Holt or a bullpen arm. With the Braves mainly using Matt Adams at first base and their desperate need for pitching, that could make it easier to part with him. Freeman would bring a big left-handed power bat that the Sox desperately need. He easily would slot right into the cleanup spot. He is also under contract until 2022. That would solve two big problems for the Red Sox.
Next is the bullpen. To me that's simple. Just wait until next year. With Craig Kimbrel and Joe Kelly already dominating, they will add Carson Smith and Tyler Thornburg who are both fantastic strikeout pitchers. Add a solid Matt Barnes, lefties Robbie Ross and Robby Scott and long reliever Brandon Workman and you have potentially the best bullpen in baseball.
That brings us to the extensions. This should be fairly easy. Mookie Betts is the Red Sox MVP so I'd give him the best deal, likely a seven year contract. Bradley and Bogaerts are great as well but aren't quite at his level. I'd say each get five year deals with Xander getting slightly more money. For Jackie I believe that there should be incentives in his contract for if he wins the Gold Glove.
Now with the big problems all fixed up there may be slight issue with the rotation. Chris Sale is the number one but Porcello and Pomeranz are both number three pitchers in my opinion. While that's not bad I believe an extra arm will help. That's when they sign hometown boy Alex Cobb of the Rays. Cobb is 28 and plus pitcher. He has a good strikeout rate, a plus ERA and a solid WHIP. All of those make him quite enticing. Plus since he's from Boston that could be an incentive to sign for less money. A four or five year deal should be perfect.
Everything should look like this
Batting order

1. Mookie Betts
2. Andrew Benintendi
3. Dustin Pedroia
4. Freddie Freeman
5. Hanley Ramirez
6. Rafael Devers
7. Xander Bogaerts
8. Christian Vasquez
9. Jackie Bradley

Rotation

1. Chris Sale
2. Alex Cobb
3. Drew Pomeranz
4. Rick Porcello
5. Steven Wright/Brian Johnson/Jalen Beeks

Bullpen

1. Craig Kimbrel (CL)
2. Joe Kelly
3. Carson Smith
4. Tyler Thornburg
5. Robbie Ross
6. Matt Barnes
7. Robby Scott
8. Brandon Workman

Bench

1. Brock Holt
2. Sandy Leon
3. Rusney Castillo/Bryce Brentz

If you ask me that's an elite Red Sox team not seen since 2003-2004. Being able to bat Devers sixth take a lot of pressure off a 21 year old. Rusney Castillo has been great in AAA and I believe he can translate that to the big leagues now being a solid situational bat. If Steven Wright comes back the way he was last year he could easily be the number two on the staff. If not both Brian Johnson and Jalen Beeks look ready to take that spot. 

Building a Pacer Super Team

The Indiana Pacers were swept out of the playoffs by the Cavaliers, leading to a lot of offseason questions. How will Larry Bird's exit affect them in both the long and short term? Do they trade Paul George and rebuild? Or do they build a super team? I've come up with a crazy yet realistic way to make them a super team.
The first step is not trading Paul George. Despite the fact that George can opt out after next season, the Pacers should bet on him staying. He's one of the best two way players in the NBA and one of the few people who have had some success guarding LeBron. So keeping Paul George is a must.
Second is signing Kyle Lowry. The Raptors were also swept by the Cavaliers and they may face even more uncertainties than the Pacers. Kyle Lowry is one of them. The Pacers should jump at the chance to sign him. With all the surprisingly good contracts on the books they have enough to offer a max contract to Lowry. With Lowry they have a Point Guard they have a player who can take pressure off Paul George, shoot 3s at a high percentage and assist as well as Jeff Teague. If my information is correct Lowry will cost between 26 million and 30 million. The Pacers have about 36 million to play with.
The third step is doing a sign and trade with the Clippers for Blake Griffin. Now this sounds like it would be impossible given that they just signed Kyle Lowry to a max deal. That's why it has to be a sign and trade. The Clippers are in need of an overhaul and Griffin, in my opinion is the odd man out. The Clippers need more of a stretch 4 with DeAndre Jordan on the team. Plus they intend to sign Chris Paul to a max contract as well. So I have the Pacers packaging Thaddeus Young, Monta Ellis and next years 1st Round Pick for Blake Griffin. Young and Ellis is would add up to about 26 million of the 30 million needed to acquire Blake Griffin on a max contract. They Pacers can either dip into the little money they have left or decline Lavoy Allen's 4.3 million team option. I'm going with declining Allen's option for now. I may change my opinion. Why would the Clippers take on that salary though? So that they can slip Ellis to the Knicks in a package for Carmelo Anthony.
The final step is filling out the roster. C.J, Miles is a very important part of the roster, but he has a player option for 4.7 million. Miles had a great season as the sixth man for the Pacers, so I believe he can make much more money on the open market. If the Pacers explain the plan and ask him to stay he just might. Waiting on Miles decision will determine their next move. If Miles stays, I have the Pacers drafting a Point Guard like Juwan Evans or Andrew Jones to backup Lowry and having Glenn Robinson start at Shooting Guard. If Miles leaves, I have them drafting Luke Kennard and having him start. If they draft Kennard I think they should re-sign Aaron Brooks or Rodney Stuckey to a veterans minimum. Then they can pair with Lance Stephenson off the bench. Either way they will have 13 players on the roster.
The team should look something like this.
Starters

1. Kyle Lowry
2. Glenn Robinson
3. Paul George
4. Blake Griffin
5. Myles Turner

Bench

1. Evans/Jones
2. Lance Stephenson
3. C.J. Miles
4. Kevin Seraphin
5. Al Jefferson

Reserves

1. Rakeem Christmas
2. Joe Young
3. Georges Niang

Or it will look like this.

Starters

1. Kyle Lowry
2. Luke Kennard
3. Paul George
4. Blake Griffin
5. Myles Turner

Bench

1. Brooks/Stuckey
2. Lance Stephenson
3. Glenn Robinson
4. Kevin Seraphin
5. Al Jefferson

Reserves

1. Rakeem Christmas
2. Joe Young
3. Georges Niang

The Pacers may want to add one or two more veterans to sure up the roster but I think they should keep it like this. Now doing all this will risk them losing Paul George after next season. However it is a risk worth taking because if they lose him then Kennard and Turner will take up a bigger offense role and they can signing a cheaper defensive small forward. Can this team beat the Cavs and Warriors? I'm going with absolutely.

Celtics Trade for Carmelo Anthony

The latest rumor in the Carmelo Anthony drama has the Celtics linked to the All-Star forward. At the trade deadline Anthony was seemingly willing to waive his no-trade clause because of the tension between him and Phil Jackson. Boston was linked to him then as well. Boston General Manager was not willing at the time to trade significant role players or draft picks to the Knicks, despite Boston's coaching staff's desire to acquire him. Now with the playoffs in full effect and the offseason looming, the rumor is back. Should the Celtics trade for Carmelo though? That is genuinely a tough question. If the Celtics do trade for him, neither of Brooklyn's draft picks would be involved. That doesn't seem to be a big issue due to New York's desire to move on from Carmelo. The Celtics would however have to trade Jaw Crowder and likely Terry Rozier or Marcus Smart. My proposed trade is Jae Crowder, Terry Rozier, two 2nd Round Picks and sign and trade Kelly Olynyk for Carmelo Anthony and Willy Hernangomez. New York will be wary of trading Hernangomez but with bad contract of Joakim Noah and the desire to move Carmelo they will likely give in.
Financially this should work out and give the Celtics room to sign their stash players and their 1st Round Pick. RealGM estimates the Celtics max cap space will be around 35 million. Max cap space being after renouncing rights to free agents and waiving non guaranteed contracts. Carmelo is making around 26 million next season and Hernangomez about 1.5 million. That gives the Celtics about 7.5 million to play with plus the 7 million moved to New York from Jaw Crowder and 1.5 million from Terry Rozier. That leaves Boston about 16 million before signing their picks. If the Celtics get the number 1 overall pick that will cost about 6 million. Signing Guerschon Yabusele would be around 2.5 million, Ante Zizic about 2 million and Abdel Nader about 1 million. That doesn't leave much left but the can use their room exception to bring back Gerald Green and keep Demetrius Jackson and Jordan Mickey instead of waiving them. The Celtics will likely have to add one more veteran player to help develop and take the pressure off the young players, They'll have a room exception so that likely won't be a problem.
The Celtics team would look something like this.
Starters

1. Isaiah Thomas
2. Avery Bradley
3. Carmelo Anthony
4. Al Horford
5. Willy Hernangomez

Reserves

1. Marcus Smart
2. Markelle Fultz
3. Jaylen Brown
4. Guerschon Yabusele
5. Ante Zizic

Bench

1. Gerald Green
2. Abdel Nader
3. Jordan Mickey
4. Demetrius Jackson

Carmelo brings a player who can create his own offense, scoring multiple ways and play small ball. He also takes a lot of pressure off Isaiah Thomas. Hernangomez brings desperately needed rebounding and post presence. On the negative side Carmelo can be streaking and isn't as good of a defender as Jae Crowder. Carmelo does however bring a the veteran leadership and a desire to win that Boston needs.  So should the Celtics trade for Carmelo? I say yes.

Making the Boston Celtics a Super Team...Now!

It's trade season and the rumors are starting to heat up. The Celtics are seemingly connected to most of the rumors. With their assets, expiring contracts and flexibility it's time for them to build the next super team. There are two big trades that I'm proposing to make them the new team to beat.
First let's begin with Jimmy Butler. If the rumors are to be believed then Butler is on the block and the Celtics are the most likely to acquire him. I have the Celtics sending Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart, Amir Johnson and their 2017 1st Round Pick for Butler. Remember the Celtics have the rights to swap with Brooklyn and Brooklyn has the highest chance to win the lottery currently. Now the Bulls may need more in return so the Celtics could always send a pair of 2nd Round Picks or one of their stash players. Bringing in Butler would elevate the Celtics to the second best team in the East, moving them past the Raptors. Moving Smart and Crowder would free up playing time for Terry Rozier and Gerald Green as well. When Rozier plays more than 20 minutes he's averaging over 8 points and 4 rebounds. As for Green, since his been getting more playing time he's been averaging around 10 points in only about 12 minutes. Give them both 20 plus minutes off the bench and they'll be a great backcourt second unit.
The other trade is for Paul Millsap. Now I'm going to be honest but I'm wary of pairing Millsap and Horford together again. I really like Horford playing Power Forward and the pairs rebounding was a problem against the Cavs in Eastern Conference finals. With Butler and Bradley averaging career highs in rebounding I believe they can make up for the pair. Anyways, acquiring Millsap won't cost nearly as much as Butler. Sending Jaylen Brown, Jonas Jerebko and the Nets 2018 pick should be enough. I think the Celtics should throw in Demetrius Jackson in order to also acquire Thabo Sefolosha. With Brown going to the Hawks, the Celtics will need a backup Small Forward. Sefolosha's defense and rebounding will play great with the Celtics style. As for Millsap, I believe he is the second best defensive Power Forward in the game only behind Draymond Green. The difference is he is a better offensive player. With Bradley, Butler and Horford the Celtics have four of the best two-way players starting for them.
The Celtics should look like this after the trades.
Starters

1. Isaiah Thomas
2. Avery Bradley
3. Jimmy Butler
4. Paul Millsap
5. Al Horford

Reserves

1. Terry Rozier
2. Gerald Green
3. Thabo Sefolosha
4. Jordan Mickey
5. Kelly Olynyk

Bench

1. Tyler Zeller
2. James Young
3. Abdel Nader

With Isaiah Thomas becoming, in my opinion one of the top 5 players this season leading the offense, this Celtics team would soar past the Cavs and become the best team in the East and maybe the NBA.

Boston Celtics Big Man Options 2

The Celtics are finally healthy and playing like most people expected them to. They however still have a rebounding problem. Now I have another handful of big men the Celtics should target at some point this season. This time they will strictly play Center.
First off I have Omer Asik. With small ball taking over the NBA and Anthony Davis able to play both Power Forward and Center, Asik doesn't see too many minutes. Like Nikola Vucevic in my previous article, Asik is a professional rebounder. In his first season with New Orleans he averaged 3.2 offensive rebounds and his offensive rebound percentage sat at 14 percent in 26.1 minutes. This season he hasn't seen nearly as many minutes but the rebounds are still there. He's averaging 1.7 offensive rebounds, which is good for 10.2 percent in only 18 minutes. Give him about 22 to 24 minutes a game and he'll be back to 3 offensive rebounds a game. Another plus is he's a legitimate 7 footer, making it easier for him to box out shorter centers. Getting him should be pretty easy since the Pelicans kind of want to move him. Send Amir Johnson over for Asik and a future 2nd Round Pick.
Next is Nerlens Noel. Rumor has it that the 76ers prefer to move him over Jahlil Okafor and the Celtics had been linked to him all offseason. Noel is plus defender and a good rebounder. Among the players on this list he is the weakest on the offensive boards. His shot blocking, on ball defense and boxout game should make up for his fewer offensive rebounds. He hasn't played this season so I'll use his career stats. In 30.1 minutes Noel is averaging 2.4 offensive rebounds per game on an 8.3 percentage. He also averages 1.8 steals and 1.7 blocks per game. He likely won't play 30 minutes but more likely 25. I think Demetrius Jackson and two or three 2nd Round Picks would suffice. The problem that the 76ers have then belongs to the Celtics in that they have too many big men. They would likely have to send Zeller or Johnson away to another team for a veteran guard. Maybe Jose Calderon of the Lakers.
Next I have the return of Sully, Jared Sullinger. Like Noel, Sully has not played this season. I've always been a huge fan of his and was very sad to see him go. I believe that he would fit this team even now than before. Last season he averaged 2.4 offensive rebounds a game and had a 10.6 offensive rebound percentage in 23.6 minutes. His career percentage is a little better at 11.5 so anywhere being that would be where he'd sit. He is an undersized Center at only 6'9" but he's strong and a good on ball defender. If Brad Stevens has him stick to low post offense and mid range jumpers he should also be better on the offensive game. To get Sully they'd likely just have to send Johnson over. Both men are on one year deals so money likely won't be an issue.
The final player to target is Enes Kanter. Unlike the others on this list, Kanter is a plus offensive option. He's been came off the bench last and has been so this season as well, so I'm going to use his starter stats from the two season ago. In 28.5 minutes for the Thunder and Jazz he averaged 3.7 offensive rebounds and a 14.6 offensive rebound percentage. Plus he averaged 15.5 points per game. Getting him will be more costly than the others however. His 17 million dollar contract is the main issue. The Celtics would have to send Amir Johnson and his 12 million dollar contract over in any deal. So I have Amir Johnson, Kelly Olynyk, Demetrius Jackson and the Celtics 2018 1st Round Pick for Kanter and Anthony Morrow. The Thunder might want to send over another player instead of waiving one. I would say Nick Collison but the Thunder are very loyal and might not want to move him.
To me these option are more realistic than in the previous article and possibly better option. I am also going write an Anthony Davis trade article despite the fact that the Pelicans won't trade him.

Boston Celtics Big Man Options

To be fair I am probably overreacting by writing this article. The Celtics are 3 and 4 but are without Jae Crowder and Al Horford. Those two leave two huge holes on both sides of the court. The problem however is in the rebounding game. Even with Crowder and Horford back they are still very poor when it comes to offensive rebounding. Tyler Zeller has been fine on the glass but Amir Johnson has been underwhelming. So I have three big men in mind for the Celtics to targets. Initially I had five targets. Derrick Favors of the Jazz and Anthony Davis of the Pelicans. The Jazz are winning and Trey Lyles is not ready to take over for Favors. As for Anthony Davis, expect an article about him soon.
The first target I have in mind is Kenneth Faried. I have mentioned the idea of acquiring Faried before and now looks like the perfect time. The Nuggets have a very crowded front court and Faried has been pushed to the bench. His rebounds have not suffered however. He's averaging 9.0 rebounds, 3.6 offensive rebounds in only 23.9 minutes. His offensive rebound percentage is well above average with 16.9 percent. His defense is lacking but with Al Horford and Jae Crowder should make up for his shortcomings. The Nuggets have several power forwards but no pure backup center. So I have the Celtics sending Amir Johnson and their two 2017 2nd round picks for Faried. That should be enough to land him. If not send their 2018 1st round pick instead. I'm willing to do that because the Celtics will still have Brooklyn's pick.
The next guy on my list is Nikola Vucevic. The Magic have been disappointing so far and with Bismack Biyombo on the team Vucevic may be available for the right price. Vucevic is a professional rebounder on both the offensive and defensive end. He's averaging 11.1 rebounds, 3.5 offensive rebounds in 28.3 minutes. His offensive rebound percentage is not as good as Faried but is still above average at 12.7 percent. He's also a plus passer and has a great mid range game. Like with Faried he isn't the best defender but the others can make up for it. He will be more costly than Faried but not out of the Celtics price range. Give them Amir Johnson, Demetrius Jackson and the Celtics 2018 1st Round pick for Vucevic and Damjan Rudez. Rudez gives them an extra wing/stretch forward.
The final target is Zach Randolph. The Grizzlies have also disappointed and push Randolph to the bench. Randolph is also in the last year of his contract with the Grizzlies. He has always been a great rebounder and has improved on defense with the Grizzlies. He also know how to play in the playoffs. He's averaging 8.0 rebounds, 1.8 offensive rebounds in 21.5 minutes. His offensive rebounds percentage isn't nearly as good as the other two but is still far better than anything the Celtics have. The flexibility of his contract makes it worth it. The Celtics will probably have to give up Tyler Zeller and two 2017 2nd round picks. James Young and Troy Daniels could be in the mix as well.
The Celtics are desperate for rebounds and these guys could save them.

Boston Celtics Offseason: Scenario Number 2

The 2016 Draft is done, free agency is cooling down and the Summer League is on going. All three of which have been a success for the Celtics. Al Horford signed a max deal, Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko had their contracts guaranteed and Jaylen Brown was drafted with the number 3 pick. Jared Sullinger and Evan Turner also left for other teams. With all that there is still work to be done according to Isaiah Thomas and GM Danny Ainge. One rumor in particular is what I want to talk about today. That rumor is a trade for Clippers All-Star Blake Griffin. The trade is speculated as being a three team trade that also includes the Kings. The Celtics would send Jae Crowder to the Kings and Picks to the Clippers, the Kings would send Rudy Gay to the Clippers and the Clippers would send Blake Griffin to the Celtics. There would likely be other pieces as well. I am against trading Jae Crowder in general but I would do this deal if the Celtics got Paul Pierce as well. He would be the sixth man and mentor Jaylen Brown. I don't think we have to give up Crowder however. I have a trade where the Celtics wouldn't have to give up Jae Crowder.
This would be a trade between the Celtics and Clippers straight up. The Clippers would get Jaylen Brown, Kelly Olynyk, the Nets 2017 Pick and a 2017 Second Round Pick for Blake Griffin and Paul Pierce. Brown is an upgrade from Wesley Johnson and Kelly Olynyk is the stretch the Clippers need next to DeAndre Jordan. The Nets 2017 Pick is the big piece of course. Blake Griffin has the inside game the Celtics need. His rebounding percentages have declined since DeAndre Jordan started playing big minutes but they should go way up next to Al Horford. As for Paul Pierce he brings leadership and playoff experience that is much needed on this Celtics team. Not to mention it'd be nice to have him finish his career back in Boston. The line up would look like this
Starters

1. Isaiah Thomas
2. Avery Bradley
3. Jae Crowder
4. Blake Griffin
5. Al Horford

Reserves

1. Marcus Smart
2. Young/Hunter
3. Paul Pierce
4. Jonas Jerebko
5. Amir Johnson

 Of course Marcus Smart would have to improve his percentages and Pierce would have to play better than last year. I don't think Pierce would be an issue because the Clippers were never the best fit for him. I'd say that is easily the second best team in the East. In my opinion the best in the East.

Boston Celtics Offseason: All Defense Scenarios

Being the night before the draft, the Celtics are still looking for a partner to trade the 3rd pick to. In these scenarios I have the Celtics trading the 3rd pick to build a defensive juggernaut. One scenario has Kevin Durant coming to Boston, one does not have him coming to Boston. I'll start with the one without Durant.
There are a few teams I think need a rebuild. One of those teams is the Hawks. Earlier today they traded away Jeff Teague in a 3 team trade and acquired the 12th pick. This allows them to use Dennis Schroder as their starting point guard. I believe they need to rebuild the team completely around Dennis Schroder and a few other players. So that means I have them not re-signing Al Horford and trading Paul Millsap. I can think of a couple other teams I'd trade Millsap to, but this is a Celtics article. In the trade I have Jared Sullinger, Terry Rozier, the 3rd Pick and the right to swap picks with Brooklyn in 2017 for Paul Millsap. Sullinger would bring an offensive rebounder with a great mid range jumper, similar to Horford, on a smaller salary. Terry Rozier is plus defending point guard who can rebound and will get better as he puts on muscle. The 3rd pick can grab them Jaylen Brown to take over at Small Forward. For the Celtics Millsap brings another defensive force to the team. The Celtics still needs Center however. I don't have them signing Al Horford however. I don't like the pairing of him and Millsap because of the lack of low post offense and rebounding. I have them bringing Hassan Whiteside. I believe with the right pitch Whiteside would definitely come to Boston. It wouldn't hurt to offer him a max deal in this scenario either. The two other moves I have the Celtics making are re-signing Evan Turner and guaranteeing Jonas Jerebko's contract. Turner has been great for the Celtics, doing anything they've asked him to do and he has said he'd take a hometown discount to come back. Jerebko brings energy and the ability to stretch the floor off the bench. He paired well with Kelly Olynyk and did great when inserted in the starting lineup during the playoffs. Bringing him back would also allow Jordan Mickey to continue his development. So here is what the Celtics would look like in this scenario.
Starters

1. Isaiah Thomas
2. Avery Bradley
3. Jae Crowder
4. Paul Millsap
5. Hassan Whiteside

Reserves

1. Marcus Smart
2. R.J. Hunter
3. Evan Turner
4. Jonas Jerebko
5. Kelly Olynyk

In my opinion that's an absolute defense that every team will hate playing. I do believe this trade will be harder to accomplish than the Durant scenario trade.
For the Durant scenario the trade I have to acquire Paul Millsap is Jae Crowder, the 3rd Pick and the right to swap with Brooklyn in 2017. I could also have them adding the 16th pick or a young player like Rozier or James Young. After the trade the Celtics would sign Hassan Whiteside for slightly less than max. The Celtics would have to sign him first in order to lure Durant to Boston. I would have them bring back Evan Turner here as well but not Jonas Jerebko, because of their need for cap space. Here is what the Celtics would look like with Kevin Durant.
Starter

1. Isaiah Thomas
2. Avery Bradley
3. Kevin Durant
4. Paul Millsap
5. Hassan Whiteside

Reserves

1. Marcus Smart
2. R.J. Hunter
3. Evan Turner
4. Jordan Mickey
5. Kelly Olynyk

This team would be a nightmare on both ends of the floor. With a quality bench like this it makes it even worse for opposing team. I believe this team could outplay the Cavs and Raptors next season. On another note I realize I said bringing back Jerebko would allow Mickey to develop more but he's already a plus defensive player with good low post offense. His mid range game has improved dramatically and he has the ability to hit 3s. Give him time in the rotation and he'll flourish.
So let's see what Danny Ainge can do before or on draft night. I have faith in him.

Unlikely Money In The Bank Predictions

So WWE Money in the Bank is this Sunday and it should be pretty good. The MITB Ladder Match will most likely steal the show. John Cena vs. AJ Styles could be a classic, maybe even a 5-Star Match. The Main Event is being billed as a WrestleMania quality match. I disagree because Roman Reigns has to be carried through matches for them to be good. If Seth Rollins knee is one hundred percent he should be able to carry Roman. I have predictions that are almost guaranteed not to happen. Let's start with the not so crazy predictions.
In the U.S. Title match I have Titus O'Neal going over Rusev. I think after the silly suspension and the fact that it's Father's Day, Titus will get his first major singles title. I also have a feeling it will be a Zack Ryder like reign unfortunately.
Next Apollo Crews will go over Sheamus, probably on the pre-show.
Natalia and Becky Lynch will probably go over on Charlotte and Dana Brook in order to build more tension between Charlotte and Brook.
For the Fatal Four Way Tag Team Match for the titles I have the New Day retaining. I think Xavier Wood will play a big part and give them the win. I would like the Club to win but I think WWE is saving that for Summerslam.
Now for the crazy predictions.
The Miz comes out to brag about his latest movie and that he's much too tired to defend his title. Then Shane or Stephanie comes out and tells him he has to defend his title or he'll be striped of it. Miz says he'll beat anyone they throw at him. Music hits and out comes Shinsuke Nakamura. After a good match and end of the match beating by Nakamura, there is a new Intercontinental Champion. I have Nakamura coming up because of the upcoming draft and so Nakamura and Finn Balor can feud over something and so they don't have to work both main roster and NXT.
Next is the Money in the Bank Ladder Match and the Main Event. As the six men make their entrances, Shane or Stephanie come out again to announce a seventh participant. Out comes Bray Wyatt. For this I have two outcomes, both I would be fine with. First Bray goes over and wins the briefcase. Second Dean Ambrose goes over and with the briefcase. The only other person in the match that I believe is ready for a main event push is Kevin Owens, but I don't think WWE is ready to push him. Regardless of who wins I have both men cashing that night. If it's Dean, I have him turning the match into a triple threat and being pinned by Rollins. That way Reigns still looks unbeatable (Which he shouldn't) and Dean can put them over...again. If Bray wins, I have him and the Wyatts attacking Roman after he wins. Bray hits Sister Abigail to become the NEW WWE champion.
Finally we come to John Cena vs. AJ Styles. I'll start with what I think will happen. I believe at towards the end of the match the Club will run out but only as a distraction. Then Finn Balor will appear from the crowd and take out AJ Styles. John Cena hits the AA for the win. Balor Cub beats down AJ before Cena makes the save. I have two crazier outcomes in mind. First after the bell rings, the Club immediately runs down. AJ tells them to wait before laying down in the ring. John Cena makes the cover and they join forces. The other outcome has a great match between Cena and Styles before the Club runs down. The jump in the ring and betray Styles.  The ref calls the DQ and Cena pushes Gallows and Anderson away then begins stomping out Styles. This should be a successful double turn meaning the much awaited John Cena heel turn. Cena gives Styles the You Can't See Me and they leave him a crumbled mess.
That's what I want Money in the Bank to go, but of course I'm just a crazy fan.

Boston Celtics Offseason: Scenario Number 1

This is the start of a series of post about Celtics offseason moves. Some moves are very realistic and some moves are very unlikely. I'll start by saying I have a couple of Kevin Durant scenarios but don't make a significant move right away, they have no chance of getting Durant. Also I have the Nets draft pick that the Celtics owns being the third overall pick. The draft lottery could fall in the Celtics favor by giving the first or second pick, but they are more likely to get the third. First let's talk about the Celtics needs. The first is they do not have a superstar player. Isaiah Thomas led the Celtics in points per game, assists per game and free throws per game. He was an All-Star for the first time and he did all that at 5'9". He may be an All-Star but there are too many things he can't do. Getting another scorer on the team would take the pressure off Thomas and he'd end up taking more high quality shots. In my opinion however that is not the Celtics biggest problem. They have three bigger problems that need addressing in order to get a superstar. Those are 3-point shooting, offensive rebounds and rim protection. This scenario will cover all of those problems. Also this scenario does not end with the Celtics getting Kevin Durant. That's for another time. I'll start with the three trades. The first target is Jimmy Butler. The Bulls are a team that I believe should start the rebuilding process. Jimmy Butler will net them enough draft pick and players to accelerate the rebuilding process. Danny Ainge is very crafty and knows the relationship between Jimmy Butler and the Bulls head coach isn't the best, so I believe he won't have to give up an arm and a leg to get him. I see him trading Avery Bradley, James Young, the Nets pick & the Celtics pick for Jimmy Butler. The Bulls will ask for Jae Crowder but I believe they will give in if this is the deal.
Next is a trade for Kenneth Faried. Faried was had the second most offensive rebounds per game this season only behind Andre Drummond. The Nuggets have a lot of holes they need to fill but also a lot of draft picks. I believe they can package Danilo Gallinari with pick they can get the superstar they need. They'll need role players to surround that superstar with though. So the Celtics would trade Marcus Smart, Jared Sullinger and the right to swap with Nets in the 2017 Draft for Kenneth Faried. This fills the fixes the offense rebounding problem the Celtics have.
The last trade is pretty minor. Since they trade Marcus Smart away, Terry Rozier would move in as the back up. I'm not sure how I feel about that so I have the Celtics trading R.J. Hunter and a second round pick to the Knicks for Jose Calderon and cash. This helps with shooting off the bench and he's a better at the assist than Marcus Smart. With those trades there are still holes to fill but letting Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko go would allow for one more big contract and a medium contract. They start with Al Horford. If the Hawks are smart they will not resign Horford. He's great on defense and a great mid range and perimeter shooting. His rebounding and lack of low post skills is a huge problem for a team like the Hawks. If you pair him with Faried however you have a devastating combination. The medium signing is of course Evan Turner. His ability to do everything well and his love of Boston makes it almost impossible not to re-sign him. There are also a handful of smaller signings that would help and provide insurance. Re-Signing Tyler Zeller for a two year deal would be beneficial. If he asks for too much money however, they can sign someone like Kendrick Perkins. He loved playing in Boston and would come back if Danny called. Now the Celtics also have the Mavs pick to fill a few other roles. I'd also be happy to see Paul Pierce come back if he doesn't retire. So let's at the line up.
Starters

1. Isaiah Thomas PG
2. Jimmy Butler SG
3. Jae Crowder SF
4. Kenneth Faried PF
5. Al Horford C

Reserves

1. Jose Calderon PG
2. Terry Rozier SG/PG
3. Evan Turner GF
4. Jordan Mickey PF
5. Kelly Olynyk FC

With Brad Stevens defensive coaching style and ability to make adjustments depending on opponents and situations, these Celtics could challenge the Warriors and Cavs for the NBA Title.

The Disaster That is WrestleMania 32

WrestleMania 32 will be my first WrestleMania since I started watching wrestling again. This WrestleMania may get me to stop watching again. The passed two WrestleManias the WWE has tried to push a garbage main event on the fans but bailed themselves out at the last minute. At WrestleMania 30 when Daniel Bryan won the right to make the main event a triple threat and at WrestleMania 31 when Seth Rollins cashed in Money in the Bank. This year the WWE had another chance to fix the mess they made with Roadblock. Make the matches the fans want and cut out the crap. They could've even compromised with the fans. Make Dean Ambrose the WWE Champion going in and have him lose to Roman Reigns at Mania. Instead we Triple H vs. Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose vs. Brock Lesnar. Every match announced for the card makes me not want to watch. If I didn't have the WWE Network, I wouldn't spend money on this event. Why? It is because WWE is pushing everyone the crowd dislikes. That is not an exaggeration. Let's look at the matches.

1. WWE Champion Triple H vs. Roman Reigns
2. Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon in Hell in a Cell
3. Brock Lesnar vs. Dean Ambrose in a Street Fight
4. Kevin Owens defends his IC Title in a multiman ladder match (Rumor)
5. US Champion Kalisto vs. Ryback
6. WWE Tag Champs the New Day vs. League of Nation in a 4 on 3 tag match
7. WWE Divas Champ Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks
8. AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho
9. The Usos vs. the Dudley Boyz
10. Andre the Giant Battle Royale

Let me start with the IC Title Match. Why is this the ladder match? WWE could have easily made this a triple threat between Kevin Owen, AJ Styles and Chris Jericho. This match could've been AJ's big WrestleMania moment or Jericho's tenth IC Title Reign. Instead we get match where Owens will lose it to Ziggler or Miz or Zayn or Sin Cara. He could retain it, which is my preference, but I bet Ziggler wins to stick it to the Authority.
The Kalisto/Ryback match will be announced on the March 17th edition of Smackdown (Spoilers.) I understand that this is to build up Kalisto as the next Rey Mysterio but why can't this be the multiman ladder match. Stick Ryback in the Battle Royale until they can come up with a good gimmick for him.
The New Day vs. League of Nations is a thing still. Let me start by saying I love the New Day as heels. They are really good at it. So let's turn them face and have them face the most boring stable in WWE. Who the hell is booking for the WWE? Is Vince the head booker now? I'm not even done with all the matches and I'm annoyed. Anyways, a handicap match for the titles is something I've never seen, at least not recently. This could have been Enzo & Cass' big chance to win gold, but no we get the League of Nations. The Bullet Club could've debuted and brought chaos, but no we get the League of Nations.
AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho, this match just doesn't make sense to me unless they're burying Styles on the grandest stage of them all. I love heel Jericho but I just don't care about this match again.
The Usos vs. the Dudley Boyz, I'm just going to say no thanks and move on.
The Divas Title Match, may be the show stealer. The three best woman on the main roster battling for gold on the biggest Pay Per View of the year, this match screams great. Any outcome would be fine with me but I'd prefer Sasha Banks come out as champion. I love Becky Lynch and would love her as champ too. Charlotte is kind of getting old and I'd like to see her fight her way back up. This will be match of the night.
Brock Lesnar vs. Dean Ambrose in a street fight. I know exactly how this is going to end. Dean's going to kick out of the second F-5, but finally gets pinned after a third one. Brock Lesnar picks him up and raises his hand earning the Beast's respect. Then they're both attacked by the Wyatt Family before they carry Brock away. The Wyatt's don't have a match for WrestleMania and will probably compete in the Andre The Giant Battle Royale. The Wyatt's could also cost Lesnar the match and Dean could win that way but either way this match is lame.
The Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon is another match just to get people to buy tickets. Shane is going to lose. It's as simple as that. WWE isn't going to make the Undertaker lose at Mania again.
Then there is the Main Event. Roman Reigns challenging Triple H for the Title. As predictable as they come. Roman Reigns is the new John Cena, minus the fact John Cena is good on the mic and some fans actually like him. This will be the first WrestleMania that will end in boos, beers being thrown from the crowd and the Champ being rushed to the back so he isn't attacked by fans. Triple H will have to win after big interference for the crowd to put this match over.
This may go down in history as the worst WrestleMania yet. They've had some bad ones but this one could take the cake. You've been warned.

How I Would Book the Bullet Club in WWE

I am not very happy with the WWE right now. It is mainly due to WWE shoving Roman Reigns down our throats. I honestly don't hate Roman Reigns, but I don't want him as my number one contender and I certainly don't want him as my champion. WWE however doesn't care. Roman Reigns is going to win the title at WrestleMania against Triple H. Sorry to Dean Ambrose, unfortunately you are probably going to lose at Roadblock. WWE also has no plans for turning Roman Reigns or Dean Ambrose heel. This leaves a big hole for a new heel to take on Reigns for the title after WrestleMania. I would love Bray Wyatt to do so, but that probably won't happen. The Raw after WrestleMania sees Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose celebrating in the ring when they are confronted by Finn Balor and the debuting Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson. That's right the Bullet Club or in this case the Balor Club. Before I go further they could also use AJ Styles for this role if they want to keep Finn Balor as NXT Champion. Balor challenges Reigns for his title and when Ambrose tells him to get in the back of the line, Gallows and Anderson attack them. After a bit of a stalemate the main event is book for Reigns and Ambrose in a tag match against Gallows and Anderson. During the main event Gallows and Anderson control the majority of the match, but when Reigns finally fights back Finn Balor interferes and the referee calls a DQ. The Balor Club proceed to beat downs Reigns and Ambrose before stealing Roman's title. The next several weeks have Roman Reigns trying to get his belt back from Finn Balor, who keeps escaping with it until the week before the PPV after WrestleMania. (I honestly have no idea which one that is.) Finn Balor tells Roman Reigns he can have it back if he beats him at the PPV. Reigns says if Balor Club can beat his team he can have the belt. Balor Agrees and the Balor Club begin their beat down on Reigns and Ambrose until the returning John Cena makes the save. The three stand tall as the Balor Club live to fight another day. When the PPV rolls around, footage is shown of John Cena being attacked before the match. Reigns and Ambrose decided to go on with the match and have it be a handicap match instead. The Balor Club control the whole match but towards the end Reigns mounts a comeback. He takes out Gallows and Anderson, but is blindsided by Finn Balor. Out comes John Cena, miraculously healed and jumps on the ring apron reaching for Reigns to tag him in. Reigns fights Balor off long enough to tag Cena in. Cena stares down Balor, but quickly turns and F-U's Reigns. Notice I said F-U and AA. Balor proceeds to cover Reigns 1-2-3. Balor grabs the belt and a microphone and hands them to Cena. Cena holds up the belt and declares, "The Champ is here!". Now because a John Cena heel turns is like an urban legend, no one will see this coming and the crowd will be left in shock. This will be the birth of Hollywood Cena. In my opinion this would increase viewership tenfold. People have been wanting a John Cena heel turn for a while now. This could also build up for Seth Rollins' return as a face and could lead to a Shield reunion in an attempt to take out the growing Balor Club, which will not be renamed Cena Club. It could also lead to a completely dominant run that leads to an implosions. Now I know people say a Cena heel turn will never happen because it's bad for business, but what would WWE rather have? A face that some people will pay to see win or a heel that everyone will pay to see lose?

Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Let me start by saying that I do not believe the Pirates are going to be a bad team this year, however they didn't make significant additions but lost key players like Neil Walker and Pedro Alverez. I believe they are going to be the third place team and I apologize to all Pirates fans. Don't worry they'll be back in the spot light soon. Now onto the battle for first place.
The Cubs are the favorites to win the NL Central and the World Series. Now if you've read my blog before you'll know I am a Cubs fan. I'm going to stay as unbiased as I can because the Cardinals are a good team. So let's start with the additions, subtractions & re-signings for both teams.
Cubs Additions & Re-Signings

1. Jason Heyward OF
2. Ben Zobrist 2B
3. John Lackey RHP
4. Adam Warren RHP
5. Rex Brothers LHP
6. Trevor Cahill RHP

Cubs Subtractions

1. Dexter Fowler CF
2. Starlin Castro SS/2B
3. Chris Denofia OF
4. Austin Jackson OF
5. Dan Haren RHP
6. Tommy Hunter RHP
7. Jason Motte RHP
8. Fernando Rodney RHP

The Cubs additions are significant, especially for the Cardinals. They pouched the Cardinals two best players from 2015 in Heyward and Lackey. Adding Zobrist as well gives them a switch hitting On-Base threat that can play almost every position. The addition of Adam Warren will have him competing with Kyle Hendricks for the fifth starter spot. He did very well for the Yankees in an AL hitter friendly ballpark. I believe Warren will end up taking the fifth spot at some point. The subtractions are also fairly significant. Dexter Fowler was a great lead off hitter but a bad defender. His lose is a win-lose, but the addition of Heyward makes it lean towards a win. The lose of Starlin Castro was had me fairly disappointed. He was a fan favorite of mine and going to the Yankees makes it cut a little deeper. Javier Baez' transition to the outfield this winter will make up for the loses of Denorfia and Jackson. He's should play better in the outfield with his range and throwing arm. John Lackey is a vast improvement over Dan Haren and they already have a stacked bullpen to make up for those loses. I would have liked them to have added another lefty in case Brothers falters. The Cubs still have plenty of prospects to add if someone gets hurt.
Now to the Cardinals.
Cardinals Additions & Re-Signings

1. Jedd Gyorko 2B/3B
2. Brayan Pena C
3. Mike Leake RHP
4. Jonathan Broxton RHP
5. Adam Wainwright RHP (Return)

Cardinals Subtractions

1. Jason Heyward OF
2. Mark Reynolds 1B
3. Jon Jay OF
4. Pete Kozma 2B
5. Peter Bourjas OF
6. John Lackey RHP
7. Steve Cishek RHP
8. Randy Choate LHP
9. Carlos Villanueva RHP
10. Lance Lynn RHP (Tommy John) 

The Cardinals additions are not significant but their loses are huge. The return of Wainwright to replace Lackey is an improvement at the top of the rotation. I have previously stated that I don't think Cardinals pitching is very good. I predicted it would be their downfall in the NLDS against either the Cubs or Pirates because of their WHIP. I was right. Wainwright makes a big difference because Lackey's WHIP is not good for a number one especially compare to Wainwright. Mike Leake as the replacement was not my favorite move. I Cardinals missed out on David Price, but I was disappointed that they didn't have a better back up plan. Leake has the same problem the rest of the Cardinals rotation have and that's a high WHIP. If the bullpen fixes that it won't be as problematic. I did however have trouble building the deeper part of their bullpen. Tyler Lyons and Tim Cooney break the bullpen but they are primarily starters so they'll have to make a transition. Jordan Walden and Miguel Socolovich didn't pitch at much last year and will need to prove they still can go. Then there is Sam Tuivailala. He's flame throwing rookie who had is cup of coffee last season. He also has a big WHIP issue but he's young and will make adjustments. The rest of the bullpen I have issues with, mainly WHIP like I've been preaching. Trevor Rosenthal is a good closer, but he get's in jams too often and it will come back to haunt him. I like Kevin Siegrist as a set up man, but I don't like Jonathan Broxton for the 6th or 7th inning. He did better for the Cardinals than the Reds so it's a wait and see for him. The rotation is still an issue for me as well. You guessed it, WHIP. I believe Michael Wacha's will go down as he gets older. I prefer him as a three but he's a fine two. Mike Leake is their three and Carlos Martinez is probably their four. Jaime Garcia did well in his return from injury but got lit up in the NLDS. He can be a good three but will have to work his way back up.
To finish this off let's highlight strengths and weaknesses.
Cubs Strengths

1. Power Hitting
2. On-Base Percentage
3. Clutch Hitting
4. Starting Pitching
5. Bullpen
6. Management

Cubs Weaknesses

1. Outfield Defense
2. Reliance on the Long Ball
3. Striking Out
4. Experience

Cardinals Strengths

1. Clutch Hitting
2. Lead Off Hitting
3. Number 1 Starter

Cardinals Weaknesses

1. Power Hitting
2. Starting Pitching
3. Bullpen
4. Management

Let me clarify a few things. Strength and Weakness not listed for one team means it's neutral. A good example is the Cardinals On-Base Percentage. It's fine probably middle of the pack or a little higher. As for management, I don't like Matheny. He doesn't like change and doesn't make enough adjustments when it comes to young players.
 The Cubs have more strengths than the Cardinals and a little of that is probably bias, but the Cardinals are neutral in a lot of category. So I have the Cubs winning the NL Central. I have the going to the World Series. I believe they can win, but the defending champion Royals, the youthful Astros, the revamped Red Sox and power hitting Blue Jays can give them trouble. Plus the Mets stopped them last year before they could reach the World Series. With all that said, Go Cubs Go!!

Boston Celtics Double Blockbuster Trades

The Celtics have 13 of their last 17 games before the All-Star break. While this makes me quite happy I am skeptical that they can keep it up. So I've come up with a double trade that could push them to become the best team in the Eastern Conference.
First is to acquire Dwight Howard from the Rockets. This shouldn't actually cost the Celtics a lot in all reality. Dwight Howard is going to opt out of his contract with the Rockets at the end of the season and he will likely do so with any team that acquires him. I do believe that if the Celtics make run or even reach the Finals that he'd likely come back. So the Celtics would give up David Lee, Tyler Zeller, their 1st Round Pick and Dallas' First Round Pick for Howard. Lee and Zeller are both expiring contacts and trading Lee would also absorb some of Howards contract. As for the picks, neither are in the lottery but the Rockets could flip the picks with their own for a lottery pick or better players.
Second is to acquire Carmelo Anthony from the Knicks. Carmelo has a no trade clause and believes in New York, but the appeal of winning a title and playing for Brad Stevens could make him waive it. This trade would require the Celtics to give up more talent. They would give up Amir Johnson, James Young, Marcus Smart and Brooklyn's First Round Pick for Carmelo and Jose Calderon. Giving up Amir Johnson is mainly to absorb some or Carmelo's contract, plus he has a none guarantee for next year. Marcus Smart has a very high ceiling and already is a plus defender. I also believe James Young has an equally high ceiling. He's barely 20 and is already a great shooter. He really just needs more consistent playing time. Then of course there is Brooklyn's unprotected pick. Brooklyn is the third worse team in basketball and that pick has a legitimate chance of becoming the first pick. That pick could land them Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram who are both going to be elite NBA players, in my opinion. As for the Celtics they will also acquire Jose Calderon. Calderon is a better facilitator than Smart and is a better shooter. He also plays the same amounts of minutes and would make the bench better offensively.
With Carmelo Anthony I believe he is having one of the better seasons of his career when it comes defense and sharing the ball. His scoring is a bit down, but he's taking less shots however he's finding his teammates and making them better. Dwight Howard is in a similar situation when it comes to taking less shots. The difference is James Harden is a ball hog and takes a lot of bad shots. Howards offensive production is up despite taking less shots this year. He's averaging 12 rebounds a game and is still a great defender who would flourish in Stevens system.
So the Celtics would look like this.
Starters

1. Isaiah Thomas          32.5   21.5/3.0/6.6 (2.0 3PTM)
2. Avery Bradley          33.1   15.1/2.7/2.1 (1.6 Steals, 2.1 3PTM)
3. Jae Crowder             32.1    14.1/5.6/1.9 (1.8 Steals, 1.7 3PTM)
4. Carmelo Anthony     34.8   21.4/7.9/4.0
5. Dwight Howard        32.3   14.6/12.0/1.5 (1.3 Blocks)

Bench

1. Jose Calderon           27.6   7.5/3.1/4.1 (1.3 3PTM)
2. Evan Turner             27.1   9.9/4.7/4.4
3. Jonas Jerebko           13.8   3.9/3.4/0.7
4. Jared Sullinger         23.4   9.9/8.5/2.3
5. Kelly Olynyk           20.3   10.1/4.3/1.6 (1.3 3PTM)

Now Crowder and Bradley will likely take less shots and Carmelo and Dwight will play slightly fewer minutes in Brad's system because they have such a strong bench. A bench that will get even better with Jared Sullinger on it. Both Sullinger and Olynyk have surprisingly great defensive ratings. Evan Turner plays a facilitator roll at the small or two guard, which would give Calderon the ability to shoot more. I truly believe this team would beat the Raptors and the Cavaliers to make the Finals. Can they beat the Warriors? Well, anything can happen is sports.

Why I Stopped Watching Wrestling and Started Again.

Now I never intended on talking about professional wrestling on this blog but I recently got back into it and decided I give it a shot. First I'm going to explain why I left and why I came back. I got into wrestling around 2005. It wasn't the greatest era for professional wrestling but it sucked me in none the less. I loved the violence, the over the top storylines and the ridiculous soap opera-ness of it all. Plus it didn't hurt that the WWE Champion at the time was billed from the town next to mine. That's right I was a John Cena fan. I started watching every week and eventually bought my first pay per view event, WrestleMania 22. It was a grand spectacle with the Money in the Bank Ladder match, flaming tables, the Ultimate Underdog Rey Mysterio winning the World Heavyweight Championship and John Cena defeating Triple H in the Main Event. From then I would get every pay per view, sorry Dad. After awhile I started to branch out and came across TNA, Total Nonstop Action and was immediately hooked on that. Then when WWE decided to go from TV-14 to PG for business reason and because TNA was getting really big, I jumped ship. By 2009 I put all my faith into TNA. I stopped watching WWE all together, stopped ordering their pay per views and was loyal to TNA. It didn't hurt that their pay per views were ten dollars cheaper. Then 2010 rolled in and so did Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Eric Bischoff and several other legends who wanted to build the next big wrestling company. In my opinion however they ended up killing the company I had put all my faith in. I realized this when Hulk Hogan got rid of TNA signature six-sided ring. The thing that made TNA unique from the other American wrestling companies was gone. From then on the storylines were pretty lame, personas didn't match wrestlers and I had lost faith. By 2011 I stopped watching wrestling altogether. I did read what was going however. I was happy when one of my favorites would win a title. This year was different. I was reading what was going on and said to myself, I'm watching the Royal Rumble. The Royal Rumble was always my favorite pay per view, next to TNA Lockdown because I was there when Samoa Joe defeated Kurt Angle at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell. Anyways, I ordered the Royal Rumble and I honestly had fun with it. The triple threat match for the WWE Title between John Cena, Seth Rollins and Brock Lesner was great. The other matches were decent and the Royal Rumble match itself could only be describe with one word, disaster. It was incredibly predictable. The crowd turned on the match relatively early. The ending was very lackluster and boring. Even the Rock couldn't save it. It was back to back years of really bad Royal Rumbles, but I still decided to watch Monday Night Raw the next night. I continued watching from there almost entirely because of one man. The Eater of Worlds, Bray Wyatt. Not since Raven, my favorite wrestler, had I seen someone that fun to watch. He is unmatched on the microphone and unorthodox in the ring. His storylines a breath of fresh air in a stagnant company. The fact that he has never won a title makes my legitimately angry. While Bray Wyatt kept me convinced to keep watching RAW, it was the developmental show NXT that made me started really loving wrestling again. Only an hour each week, they put on better matches and have better promos than the main roster. It becoming so popular that the indie circuit wrestlers are finally coming to WWE. The men Vince McMahon refused to acknowledge are main eventing his development show. Plus their woman can actually wrestle and aren't used as objects instead of athletes. Now that I'm back into wrestling I may or may not post some of my crazy ideas. Most likely I will but we will see. Thank you for reading this crappy post and see you soon.

Knicks Mid-Season Trades

My fascination with the New York Knicks has continued this season, more so than before with Kristaps Porzingis exceeded expectations. So I thought it would be appropriate to look at how they can improve this season and possibly make the playoffs. We are almost at the halfway mark of the season so trades are going to start heating up. Now if we look at the Knicks they been quite surprising. They haven't been great but they haven't been bad either. The main issue they are having is their guards. Arron Afflalo is their lone bright spot, with Lance Thomas being able to switch between small forward and shooting guard. The play of their point guards however has been lousy. Jose Calderon has good field goal percentage and 3 point percentage. Unfortunately he doesn't take enough shots or get enough assists. Rookie Jerian Grant hasn't adjusted to the NBA level yet and the Knicks are paying the price. Then there is Langston Galloway, who was promising early but has dipped significantly in field goal percentage and assists. So what the Knicks need to do is trade for a starting point guard and preferably trade for a backup combo guard. Let's start with the point guards. Four names come to mind for trade targets. Ty Lawson, Jarrett Jack, Brandon Jennings and Ricky Rubio. If this was a free agency list I would have Rajon Rondo or Mike Conley at the top. Realistically Ty Lawson would be the cheapest option. The Knicks would really only have to give up Calderon and maybe a throw-in like Kevin Seraphin or Cleanthony Early. Ty Lawson is having a poor season but I blame that almost entirely on James Harden. He's been a plus assist man in the past, including last season. He does have off court issue and playing in New York might not help that so the Knicks need to be cautious.
Jarrett Jack is the type of player that I believe would fit well with the Knicks style of play. His field goal percentage is lackluster and he can't shoot 3s consistently, but his mid range jumper and ability to make assists is really what the Knicks need. Even with his below average season and because Brooklyn is not tanking, he would be more expensive. Jose Calderon would go in the deal and maybe Derrick Williams or Lance Thomas plus a throw in.
Brand
on Jennings would be an interesting pick up. He has yet to play an NBA game this year but has play a game in the D-League. He seems very eager to get back on the court but Reggie Jackson is clearly blocking him. If Jennings can bounce back he brings the assist the Knicks desperately need, explosiveness and the ability to hit 3s. He is very streaky however and is not know for his field goal percentage. I do believe that his style of play would fit nicely with the Knicks. He may also be expensive with the Pistons looking to grab a playoff spot. Jose Calderon would be a good backup for them as well as Langston Galloway to fill in for the injured Jodie Meeks. Throw in Kevin Seraphin and you have a deal.
Ricky Rubio is the most unlikely to get traded. The Timberwolves still have high hopes for him. The Knicks also don't have much to offer because the lack draft picks. Phil Jackson is crafty and the Wolves like Zach LaVine who has vastly improved and in my opinion has outplayed Rubio.
As for their choice in combo guards/backup shooting guards I can really only see one good fit and that's Jamal Crawford. He's not having the best season, especially shooting the 3 but a change of scenery from the fluctuating Clippers might be just what he needs. His experience and clutch scoring are what the Knicks really need coming off the bench. He shouldn't be too expensive either. He's going into free agency and the Clippers are very crowded in the backcourt. Trading Kevin Seraphin, Derrick Williams (Who I want the Knicks to keep) and a future pick should land them Crawford. Galloway might have to go as well if they haven't already traded him.
With additions to the team I believe the Knicks can sneak into the playoffs, if not they can definitely play spoilers to teams who are trying to.

Why the Cardinals Won't Make it Past the NLDS

With the MLB Playoffs coming up the St. Louis Cardinals have the best record in baseball. That's because, like the New York Yankees, they know how to play regular season baseball. Let me get out of the way that I think their offense is overrated. They are eleventh in runs scored and eleventh in home runs. They know how to walk and hit doubles, but also strikeout a fair amount as well. But it's not their offense that is going to be their downfall. It's their pitching. The team has one of the best team ERA I've seen in recent years with a 2.91. That's not the problem however. It's the teams WHIP. In my opinion they have survived on an easy schedule and dumb luck. The fact that they walk too many and give up a ridiculous amount of hits does not work in the playoffs. Let's look at their five starters ERA and WHIP respectively.

1. John Lackey       2.69 ERA/1.21 WHIP
2. Michael Wacha  3.15 ERA/1.19 WHIP
3. Lance Lynn        3.16 ERA/1.36 WHIP
4. Carlos Martinez 3.01 ERA/1.28 WHIP
5. Jaime Garcia*    2.36 ERA/1.01 WHIP

Other than Jaime Garcia's WHIP, which is above average, that's terrible. Michael Wacha can get away with that WHIP more often than not but John Lackey and Lance Lynn are going to be lit up. They are actually lucky that Carlos Martinez was shut down for the year. Plus they don't have any way to move Lance Lynn to the bullpen. Their only other starter is Tyler Lyons and his WHIP is just as bad as Lynn's. This rotation reminds me of three Mark Buehrles and a sleeper ace (Jaime Garcia). Mark Buehrle is notorious for having a high WHIP and a decent ERA. Three of those are going to go bad fast.
It gets worse from there. Several members of their bullpen have terrible WHIPs including their closer. Let's take a look starting with their closer.

1. Trevor Rosenthal    2.13 ERA/1.26 WHIP
2. Kevin Siegrist         2.13 ERA/1.16 WHIP
3. Seth Maness           4.35 ERA/1.43 WHIP
4. Carlos Villenueva   3.00 ERA/1.17 WHIP
5. Randy Choate*       3.67 ERA/1.26 WHIP
6. Matt Belisle            2.76 ERA/1.47 WHIP
7. Jonathan Broxton   2.45 ERA/1.31 WHIP
8. Steve Cishek           2.18 ERA/1.11 WHIP

As someone who relies on statistics this baffles me. I don't understand how they can have low ERA when they give up that many hits and walk that many. This will not translate against playoff teams, especially hot teams like the Pirates, Mets and Cubs. Not really worried about the Dodgers, but I'll get into that another time. So one of two things are going to happen. They are either going to shut everyone out or they'll be swept in three games. There is no even medium for this. I wish the Cardinals good luck, but I don't think it will help.

Red Sox Blockbuster Trade

Let me start by saying there is almost no way this could happen, however the Red Sox pulled off the Adrian Gonzalez/Josh Beckett/Carl Crawford trade, so anything is possible. This trade once again involves the Reds. The Red Sox would be acquiring Johnny Cueto, Aroldis Chapman AND Joey Votto. I have the Red Sox giving up seven players total. If I could have them trade draft picks as well I would, but that's not something you can do in Baseball. The players I have going over are Allen Craig, Blake Swihart, Joe Kelly, Henry Owens, Manuel Margot, Rafael Devers & Sean Coyle. Allen Craig and Joe Kelly would fill the void left with Votto and Cueto gone. Henry Owens reminds me of a lesser Clayton Kershaw, someone I don't want to give, but would. Rafael Devers gets comparisons to Robinson Cano with his bat, but he play Third Base not Second. This would give the Reds flexibility to move Todd Frazier to First Base in the future. Sean Coyle is one of the many undersized second basemen the Red Sox have stockpiled. His bat reminds me a lot of Reds second basemen Brandon Phillips. He'd need to work hard to have as good of a glove as Phillips but his 20-20 ability and ability to draw walks makes him a great replacement when Phillips gets hurt or hangs up the cleats. Manuel Margot is the one player I haven't seen much of, but I do know he's very fast, has a good glove for any outfield position and has gap power that could evolve home run power. He could take over batting second behind Billy Hamilton in the near future. The other benefit for this trade would allow the Reds the ability to sign a big free agent during the next offseason.
So let's look at the Red Sox line up after the trade.

1. Mookie Betts CF
2. Dustin Pedroia 2B
3. Joey Votto 1B
4. Hanley Ramirez LF
5. David Ortiz DH
6. Pablo Sandoval 3B
7. Xander Bogaerts SS
8. Ryan Hanigan C
9. Brock Holt/Shane Victorino RF

I have Ortiz moving to fifth in the order to let him see more pitches before he gets up to bat and take some pressure off. He's so close to reaching the 500 home run mark and he has to do it this year, so less pressure and preparation should help him get the next nineteen. Also I like the idea of Dusty batting third but with Votto there it's okay.
Now for the rotation.

1. Clay Buchholz
2. Johnny Cueto
3. Wade Miley
4. Eduardo Rodriguez
5. Rick Porcello

I hope that Buchholz is going to be back shortly. He has no structural damage in his elbow but is on the DL so you never know. Cueto can take over as the number one while he's on the DL. If you take away Wade Miley's second start he has a mid to low 3 ERA. So that's three plus pitchers right there. You throw in Rodriguez who is competing with Mookie for Red Sox Rookie of the Year and you have a playoff rotation.
My main concern is that the Yankees know how to play regular season baseball better than anyone. Something that they can't translate into playoff baseball in the passed few years. So to me that's a waste of a playoff spot. The AL East is shockingly the weakest division in baseball with all the teams at most four games out of first. It will be close through the whole season but someone will pull away.
My only comment about the bullpen is that we should only trade for Chapman if Koji is okay with moving to the set-up roll. He has earned the closer roll and it should be up to him to give it up.

Phoenix Suns Remaining Offseason Part 2

So I'm disappointed to say the Suns missed on LaMarcus Aldridge. I'm not surprised, I'm not devastated but I would have liked to see the Suns get him. But since they missed him I said I had a Plan B. Well I have a Plan B and C.
I'll start with Plan C because they did what I wanted them to do. They signed Mirza Teletovic earlier today. I was hoping they could pry him away from the Nets, but the Nets made it easy by not making Teletovic a restricted free agent. Teletovic is, in my opinion, a better Ryan Anderson. He's shorter but quicker and a better rebounder. So Plan C is have Teletovic as their starting Power Forward with Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, P.J. Tucker and Tyson Chandler. That's a speedy team, minus Chandler, that can defend. It should look like this.
Starters

1. Eric Bledsoe
2. Brandon Knight
3. P.J. Tucker
4. Mirza Teletovic
5. Tyson Chandler

Reserves

1. Ronnie Price
2. Archie Goodwin/Devin Booker
3. T.J. Warren
4. Markieff Morris
5. Alex Len

A great young, explosive bench that has the potential to be the best bench in Basketball. I expect Morris to start over Teletovic because he did it all last season. I do think Teletovic is a better starter however.
The Plan B team is the all offense team. I had this team lined out before the Teletovic signing so he's on the bench for this. The major difference in this lineup is T.J. Warren. I look at Warren as a young Carmelo Anthony and the Suns just haven't realized it yet. He's fast, explosive and can flat out score. He could easily win Sixth Man of the Year, but if he started he could win Most Improved just as fast. The only knock is he isn't a 3-Point shooter yet. Carmelo Anthony wasn't at this stage of his career either. So I say start him.
Plan B should look like this.
Starters

1. Eric Bledsoe
2. Brandon Knight
3. T.J. Warren
4. Markieff Morris
5. Tyson Chandler

Reserves

1. Ronnie Price
2. Archie Goodwin/Devin Booker
3. P.J. Tucker
4. Mirza Teletovic
5. Alex Len

Tyson Chandler will be the primary rebounder on the team, but both P.J. Tucker and T.J. Warren can get about six a game to go with Chandler's ten and Morris and Teletovic six or seven. Bledsoe's leaping ability also allows him to rebound well. Don't count the Suns out. They have all the pieces, it's all about chemistry now.

Phoenix Suns Remaining Offseason

The Suns are one of the teams that really let me down last season. They had a great three man rotation of Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe and Gerald Green. They for some reason needed to add Isaiah Thomas to that mix. Isaiah is a great player and it worked out in the end for my Celtics but it was a silly signing. This offseason looks different however. They've already re-signed Brandon Knight, swiped up Tyson Chandler and moved Marcus Morris to clear cap space and prevent anymore off court trouble. There are still a couple moves left to make, one of which is entirely up to luck at this point.
First move they should make is actually not a move. It's keep Eric Bledsoe. Bledsoe plays very well as a duo of point guards. Dragic and him were dynamic and played off each other great. We didn't see that with him and Knight because Knight only played eleven games for them. The two of them should make an equally effective backcourt.
Next is of course sign LaMarcus Aldridge. This looks like it's fifty-fifty right now. Reports say he is torn between the Suns and the Spurs. The Mavs appear to still be in the running too. But I like the Tyson Chandler pairing better than the Tim Duncan pairing because Chandler is younger. That's not a knock on Duncan, he just can't do it forever.
The next moves are minor but even minor moves can make big impacts. With P.J. Tucker likely starting at Small Forward for his defense, they'll need a spark off that bench. Obviously bring back Gerald Green. He is one of my absolute favorite players right now, who I wouldn't mind signing with the Celtics or Warriors. The Suns should be the team he goes with however. They traded for him and he rewarded them with two great scoring seasons. His dunks and 3 pointers make him so fun to watch. They also need to get an insurance backup Point Guard. I think Cory Joseph would be a good fit. He's a restricted free agent (I think) but I don't think the Spurs are going to bring him back. He has proven to be very productive when he's needed.
So if everything works out the Suns should look like this.
Starters

1. Eric Bledsoe
2. Brandon Knight
3. P.J. Tucker
4. LaMarcus Aldridge
5. Tyson Chandler

Reserves

1. Cory Joseph
2. Devin Booker/Archie Goodwin
3. Gerald Green/T.J. Warren
4. Markieff Morris
5. Alex Len

I didn't mention T.J Warren yet. He should be the alternative to Gerald Green. He's an amazing scorer and would pair great with Devin Booker or Archie Goodwin as a bench force. Not to mention Markieff as another great bench scorer.
So if the Suns miss out on LaMarcus I'll give a part two article.