More early 2008 NBA roster analysis

By Rick Morris

Here's more great analysis from our Senior Editor Jason Jones as he dissects all 30 NBA rosters in the aftermath of this past week's draft. Note that with his roster rankings, he lists a few of the key players on each team. Bear in mind also that the statistical rankings relate to Part I of his post-draft analysis in the column posted just below this one.

Gut Check Roster Rankings
1	BOS	KG, Pierce, Allen, Rondo
2	PHO	Nash, Amare, Shaq
3	DET	Billups, Rip, Prince, Sheed
4	DAL	Dirk, Kidd, Josh, Terry
5	POR	Oden, Roy, Bayless, Webster
6	LAL	Kobe, Gasol, Bynum, Odom
7	NJN	Carter, Yi, Lopez, Harris, Krstic
8	SA	TD, Parker, Bowen, Manu
9	LAC	Brand, Maggette, Egordon
10	ATL	Johnson, Smith, Bibby, Horford
11	DEN	AI, Melo, Camby, Nene, JR
12	UTA	Boozer, Deron, AK47, Koufos
13	MIA	Wade, Beasley, Marion, Mario
14	PHI	Iguodala, Miller, Carney, Speights
15	TOR	Bosh, O'Neal, Bargnani, Calderon
16	MEM	Conley, Gay, Mayo, Darco
17	CLE	Lebron, Boobie, Z, Ben, West
18	CHI	Rose, Hughes, Deng, Gooden
19	HOU	T-Mac, Yao, Battier
20	NO	Paul, Peja, West, Peterson
21	MIN	Love, Jefferson, Brewer, Foye
22	CHA	Felton, Richardson, Wallace
23	SEA	Durant, Green, Westbrook
24	MIL	Redd, Jefferson, Villanueva, Bogut
25	GS	Davis, Ellis, Jackson, Harrington
26	ORL	Howard, Lewis, Nelson
27	WAS	Arenas, Butler, Jamison
28	SAC	Martin, Artest, Miller
29	IND	Ford, Rush, Granger, Hibbert
30	NYK	Marbury, Crawford, Gallinari, Curry

Statistical Rankings by Roster
1	PHO	Nash, Amare, Shaq
2	DAL	Dirk, Kidd, Josh, Terry
3	DEN	AI, Melo, Camby, Nene, JR
4	MIA	Wade, Beasley, Marion, Mario
5	LAC	Brand, Maggette, Egordon
6	DET	Billups, Rip, Prince, Sheed
7	MEM	Conley, Gay, Mayo, Darco
8	BOS	KG, Pierce, Allen, Rondo
9	NJN	Carter, Yi, Lopez, Harris, Krstic
10	NO	Paul, Peja, West, Peterson
11	UTA	Boozer, Deron, AK47, Koufos
12	HOU	T-Mac, Yao, Battier
13	TOR	Bosh, O'Neal, Bargnani, Calderon
14	POR	Oden, Roy, Bayless, Webster
15	ATL	Johnson, Smith, Bibby, Horford
16	SAC	Martin, Artest, Miller
17	CLE	Lebron, Boobie, Z, Ben, West
18	LAL	Kobe, Gasol, Bynum, Odom
19	MIL	Redd, Jefferson, Villanueva, Bogut
20	SA	TD, Parker, Bowen, Manu
21	ORL	Howard, Lewis, Nelson
22	WAS	Arenas, Butler, Jamison
23	MIN	Love, Jefferson, Brewer, Foye
24	IND	Ford, Rush, Granger, Hibbert
25	CHI	Rose, Hughes, Deng, Gooden
26	PHI	Iguodala, Miller, Carney, Speights
27	SEA	Durant, Green, Westbrook
28	GS	Davis, Ellis, Jackson, Harrington
29	CHA	Felton, Richardson, Wallace
30	NYK	Marbury, Crawford, Gallinari, Curry

2007-08 Final Team Rankings
1	BOS	KG, Pierce, Allen, Rondo
2	LAL	Kobe, Gasol, Bynum, Odom
3	DET	Billups, Rip, Prince, Sheed
4	NO	Paul, Peja, West, Peterson
5	SA	TD, Parker, Bowen, Manu
6	ORL	Howard, Lewis, Nelson
7	UTA	Boozer, Deron, AK47, Koufos
8	CLE	Lebron, Boobie, Z, Ben, West
9	HOU	T-Mac, Yao, Battier
10	WAS	Arenas, Butler, Jamison
11	PHO	Nash, Amare, Shaq
12	TOR	Bosh, O'Neal, Bargnani, Calderon
13	DAL	Dirk, Kidd, Josh, Terry
14	PHI	Iguodala, Miller, Carney, Speights
15	DEN	AI, Melo, Camby, Nene, JR
16	ATL	Johnson, Smith, Bibby, Horford
17	GS	Davis, Ellis, Jackson, Harrington
18	IND	Ford, Rush, Granger, Hibbert
19	POR	Oden, Roy, Bayless, Webster
20	NJN	Carter, Yi, Lopez, Harris, Krstic
21	SAC	Martin, Artest, Miller
22	CHI	Rose, Hughes, Deng, Gooden
23	CHA	Felton, Richardson, Wallace
24	LAC	Brand, Maggette, Egordon
25	MIL	Redd, Jefferson, Villanueva, Bogut
26	MIN	Love, Jefferson, Brewer, Foye
27	NYK	Marbury, Crawford, Gallinari, Curry
28	MEM	Conley, Gay, Mayo, Darco
29	SEA	Durant, Green, Westbrook
30	MIA	Wade, Beasley, Marion, Mario

Assumed Team Movement
1	ATL	None
2	BOS	None
3	CHA	? About S. May and R. Felton
4	CHI	Hinrich and Thabo may be available
5	CLE	Exp Contracts, look for a big trade
6	DAL	Desperately need a real Big Man
7	DEN	Need Defense BADLY
8	DET	Could move any of the big 4
9	GS	Still need a real Center
10	HOU	Must stay healthy…that’s it
11	IND	Rebuilding might not be done
12	LAC	Health is an issue, otherwise nice
13	LAL	Need Andrew Bynum for a real shot
14	MEM	Building for the future, nicely
15	MIA	Need a big, but sexy 1-4
16	MIL	Rebuilding, Redd could be out (cle)
17	MIN	Nice little team, but far away
18	NJN	Deepest team, go 11 deep
19	NO	Much better than on paper
20	NYK	TRADE SOME PG's!!!!!!
21	ORL	Need one more significant player
22	PHI	Growing slowly, could surprise in 08
23	PHO	Dead after the starting 5+Barbosa
24	POR	If in the east, a sure playoff team
25	SA	May need to rebuild by 2010
26	SAC	Artest is gone, need 3 more players
27	SEA	A real big away from being serious
28	TOR	Very young, could be a sleeper
29	UTA	Very nice s5, just wait for Koufos
30	WAS	Arenas is gone, so are the Wiz

2008-09 Tier Groupings
	tier one	Elite, for now
1	BOS
2	PHO
3	SA
4	DET
5	DAL
	tier two	The Next Elite Group
6	LAL
7	NO
8	CLE
9	HOU
	tier three	Look Out, 'Cause They're Coming
10	POR
11	NJN
12	MIA
13	UTA
14	LAC
15	MEM
16	SEA
17	MIN
	tier four	Overrated
18	DEN
19	WAS
20	ORL
21	ATL
22	GS
	tier five	Still a Little Ways Away
23	PHI
24	CHI
25	TOR
26	IND
27	CHA
	tier six	Dude, It's Time to Start Over
28	NYK
29	MIL
30	SAC

2008-09 Preliminary League Projections
1	LAL	Bynum will be the difference
2	BOS	Still very very good
3	PHO	They will find a way to be relevent
4	NO	Chris Paul carries the team again
5	NJN	Depth pays off
6	CLE	Lebron, Lebron, Lebron
7	DAL	Still decent but not great
8	HOU	If healthy, they'll be in it
9	MIA	Huge turn around in the East
10	SA	Falling with each passing minute
11	UTA	Very solid nucleus
12	DET	With players moved, they will fall
13	POR	Growing into a West Conf playoff team
14	PHI	Exciting but not there yet
15	MEM	Growing into a West Conf playoff team
16	CHI	Growing pains, but still fun to watch
17	LAC	If healthy, they'll be in it
18	ATL	Team needs to gel with consistancy
19	ORL	Still a prime time player away
20	TOR	Getting better, but still very young
21	DEN	Melo+AI=No Defense
22	GS	Fast and fun, but not good enough
23	MIN	Growing nicely, but need time
24	SEA	Nice pieces but still not there yet
25	WAS	No Arenas, just decent
26	IND	Rebuilding, don't expect much
27	CHA	Jordan and Brown will need time
28	SAC	No Artest, no chance still need players
29	MIL	Rebuilding, don't expect much
30	NYK	A team of PG's can't win games

2008-09 Very Preliminary Playoff Rankings
	Eastern Conference
1	BOS	Still Very Very Good
2	NJN	Like BOS, will win…often
3	CLE	Top 4 team, without Redd
4	MIA	Huge improvement in a lesser Conf
5	DET	With changes, they will be just OK
6	PHI	Strong team tough to defend
7	CHI	Growing but still a second tier team
8	ATL	Will win games, but not a contender
	Western Conference
1	LAL	Bynum is the difference…period
2	PHO	Will find a way to win games
3	NO	How does Chris Paul do it?
4	DAL	Dirk and Kidd are good enough for 4
5	HOU	T-Mac/Yao healthy, they're in
6	SA	Getting older will hurt their chances
7	UTA	Coming into their own for the playoffs
8	POR	Will be a juggernaut in time
	Eastern Conference Finals
		BOS vs. CLE
	Western Conference Finals
		LAL vs. NO
	NBA Finals
		LAL vs. BOS
	NBA Champions
		Los Angeles Lakers

Roster analysis, post-NBA Draft

By Rick Morris

Our Senior Editor and Chief NBA Draft analyst Jason Jones has come up with a tremendous breakdown of team rosters, post-draft. He projects the depth charts and assigns scores to all players on the roster. Here is the scoring system:

10: Future Hall of Famer
9: Perennial All-Star
8: Occasional All-Star
7: Fringe All-Star
6: Legitimate Starter
5: Rotation Contributor
4: Role Player
3: Situational Player
2: Bum
1: NDBL Player

Now, this is only one way to evaluate the overall strengths and weaknesses of the teams in the league, but I find Jason's analysis fascinating.

Atlanta
PG	M. Bibby	A. Law
SG	J. Johnson	S. Stoudamire
SF	J. Smith	J. Childress
PF	M. Williams	S. Jones
C	A. Horford	Z. Pachulia

Three 7s, Two 6s, Three 5s, Two 3s: Average 5.4

Boston
PG	R.Rondo	T. Allen	G. Pruitt
SG	R. Allen	J.R. Giddens
SF	P. Pierce	J. Posey	Bill Walker
PF	K. Garnett	L. Powe	G. Davis
C	K. Perkins	P.J. Brown	S. Erden

Three 10s, Two 6s, Three 5s, Two 4s, Four 3s: Average 5.5

Charlotte
PG	R. Felton	D.J. Augustine	K. Weaver
SG	J. Richardson	M. Carroll
SF	G. Wallace	J. Dudley	A. Morrison
PF	E. Okafor	S. May
C	A. Ajinca	N. Muhammed	O. Harrington

One 7, Three 6s, Four 5s, Three 4s, One 3, One 2: Average 4.4

Chicago
PG	D. Rose	K. Hinrich	JamesOn Curry
SG	L. Hughes	B. Gordon	Thabo Sefolosha
SF	L. Deng	A. Nocioni	Demetrius Nicols
PF	D. Gooden	T. Thomas	Cedric Simmons
C	J. Noah	A. Gray	Omer Asik

One 8, Four 6s, Four 5s, Four 4s, One 3, One 2: Average 4.8

Cleveland
PG	D. West	D. Jones
SG	D. Gibson	S. Pavlovic
SF	Lebron	W. Szczerbiak
PF	B. Wallace	J. Smith	J.J. Hickson
C	Z. Ilgauskas	A. Varejao	D. Jones

One 10, One 8, One 7, One 6, Four 5s, One 4, Two 3s, One 2: Average 5.3

Dallas
PG	J. Kidd	J. J. Barea
SG	J. Stackhouse	J. Terry
SF	J. Howard	E. Jones
PF	D. Nowitzki	J. Howard
C	E. Dampier	B. Bass

Two 10s, One 7, One 6, Four 5s, One 4, One 2: Average 5.9

Denver
PG	A. Iverson	C. Atkins	T. Green
SG	J.R. Smith	Y. Diawara	S. Weems
SF	C. Anthony	L. Kleiza
PF	K. Martin	Nene
C	M. Camby	S. Hunter

One 10, One 9, One 8, Three 6s, Three 5s, Two 4s, One 3: Average 5.9

Detroit
PG	C. Billups	R. Stuckey	D. Washington
SG	R. Hamilton	A. Afflalo	W. Sharpe
SF	T. Prince	A. Johnson	W. Hermann
PF	R. Wallace	J. Maxiell	T. Plainsted
C	A. Mcdyess	C. Samb

Three 9s, One 7, One 6, Four 5s, Four 4s, One 3: Average 5.6

Golden State
PG	B. Davis	C. Watson
SG	M. Ellis	M. Belinelli	R. Hendrix
SF	S. Jackson	K. Azubuke
PF	A. Harrington	A. Randolph	B. Wright
C	A. Biedrins	M. Pietrus	K. Perovic

One 8, Four 6s, Three 5s, Two 4s, Two 3s, One 2: Average 4.5

Houston
PG	B. Jackson	R. Alston
SG	T. McGrady	L. Head	S. Francis
SF	S. Battier	D. Greene	C. Hayes
PF	L. Scola	J. Dorsey	M. Leunen
C	Y. Ming	L. Woods

Two 10s, Four 6s, Five 5s, Two 3s: Average 5.5

Indiana
PG	T.J. Ford	R. Murray	T. Diener
SG	B. Rush	S. Graham
SF	D. Granger	M. Daniels	S. Williams
PF	T. Murphy	D. Harrison
C	R. Hibbert	J. Foster

Seven 6s, Two 5s, Two 4s, One 2: Average 5.1

LA Clippers
PG	S. Livingston	B. Knight	S. Parker
SG	E. Gordon	C. Mobley
SF	C. Maggette	A. Thornton	Mike Taylor
PF	E. Brand	T. Thomas	N. Fazekas
C	C. Kaman	D. Jordan

One 10, One 7, Six 6s, Two 5s, Two 4s, One 2: Average 5.6

LA Lakers
PG	D. Fisher	J. Farmar
SG	K. Bryant	S. Vujacic	C. Karl
SF	L. Odom	L. Walton	T. Ariza
PF	P. Gasol	R. Turiaf	J. Crawford
C	A. Bynum	C. Mihm	D. Mbenga

One 10, One 9, Two 7s, One 6, Four 5s, Two 4s, Two 3s, One 1: Average 5.3

Memphis
PG	M. Conley	K. Lowry	J. Crittendon
SG	O.J. Mayo	J. Carlos Navarro	M. Jaric
SF	R. Gay	A. Walker	G. Buckner
PF	H. Warrick	D. Arthur	A. Brown
C	D. Milicic	J. Collins

One 9, One 8, One 7, Six 6s, One 5, Two 4s, Two 3s: Average 5.6

Miami
PG	M. Chalmers	M. Banks
SG	D. Wade	D. Cook	B. Ahearn
SF	M. Beasley	R. Davis	D. Wright
PF	S. Marion	M. Blount	D. Jackson
C	U. Haslem	E. Barron

One 10, One 9, Two 8s, Four 6s, Two 5s, Three 3s: Average 5.7

Milwaukee
PG	M. Williams	C. Bell
SG	M. Redd	D. Mason
SF	R. Jefferson	J. Alexander
PF	C. Villanueva	L. Mbah A Moute
C	A. Bogut	D. Gadzuric

Two 8s, One 7, Three 6s, One 5, Two 4s, Two 3s: Average 5.3

Minnesota
PG	R. Foye	S. Telfair
SG	R. McCants	K. Snyder	Nikola Pekovic
SF	C. Brewer	M. Miller	R. Gomes
PF	K. Love	C. Smith	C. Richard
C	A. Jefferson	M. Madson	J. Collins
			B. Cardinal

One 9, Two 7s, Three 6s, Two 5s, Five 4s, One 3, One 2: Average 5.1

New Jersey
PG	D. Harris	M. Williams	M. Ager
SG	V. Carter	C. Douglas-Roberts	T. Hassell
SF	Y. Jianlian	B. Simmons
PF	N. Krstic	J. Boone	R. Anderson
C	B. Lopez	S. Swift

Two 9s, One 8, Two 7s, Two 6s, Three 5s, Two 4s, One 3: Average 6.1

New Orleans
PG	C. Paul	J. Pargo
SG	M. Peterson	M. James
SF	P. Stoyakovic	J. Wright	R. Butler
PF	D. West	M. Ely	C. Anderson
C	T. Chandler	H. Armstrong

One 10, One 8, Two 7s, One 6, Four 5s, Two 4s: Average 5.5

New York
PG	S. Marbury	N. Robinson	M. Collins
SG	J. Crawford	J. Jeffries
SF	D. Gallinari	Q. Richardson	R. Balkman
PF	Z. Randolph	D. Lee	M. Rose
C	E. Curry	J. James	R. Morris

Two 7s, Three 6s, Three 5s, One 4, Two 3s, One 2, Two 1s: Average 4.3

Orlando
PG	J. Nelson
SG	C. Lee	K. Bogans
SF	R. Lewis	M. Evans
PF	H. Turkoglu	B. Cook	T. Battie
C	D. Howard	J. Augustine	A. Foyle

One 9, One 8, Two 6s, Three 5s, Two 4s, Two 3s: Average 5.2

Philadelphia
PG	A. Miller	L. Williams
SG	R. Carney	W. Green
SF	A. Iguodala	T. Young
PF	M. Speights	J. Smith	L. Amundson
C	S. Dalembert	S. Randolph	C. Booth

Four 7s, One 6, Two 5s, One 4, Two 3s, One 2, One 1: Average 4.7

Phoenix
PG	S. Nash	D. Strawberry
SG	R. Bell	A. Tucker
SF	B. Diaw	G. Hill
PF	A. Stoudemire	M. Hairston
C	S. O'Neal	R. Lopez

Two 10s, One 9, Two 7s, One 6, One 5, One 4, Two 3s: Average 6.4

Portland
PG	J. Bayless	S. Blake
SG	B. Roy	V. Wafer
SF	M. Webster	T. Outlaw	D. Miles
PF	L. Aldridge	C. Frye	J. McRoberts
C	G. Oden	J. Pryzbilla	R. LaFrentz

One 9, Four 8s, Two 5s, Three 4s, Two 3s, One 2: Average 5.4

Sacramento
PG	S. Singletary
SG	K. Martin	Q. Douby	J. Salmons
SF	R. Artest	F. Garcia
PF	S. Williams	M. Moore	S. Abdur-Rahim
C	B. Miller	S. Hawes	K. Thomas

One 8, Two 7s, Two 6s, Five 5s, Two 4s, One 3: Average 5.4

San Antonio
PG	T. Parker	D. Stoudamire	G. Hill
SG	M. Ginobli	G. Dragic
SF	B. Bowen	I. Udoka	B. Jones
PF	T. Duncan	M. Bonner	J. Gist
C	F. Oberto	I. Mahinimi

One 10, Two 9s, One 7, Three 5s, Two 4s, Two 3s, Two 2s: Average 5.2

Seattle
PG	R. Westbrook	E. Watson	L. Ridnour
SG	J. Green	D. Wilkin
SF	K. Durant	A. Griffin	R. Dupree
PF	N. Collison	D.J. White	C. Wilcox
C	J. Petro	D. Hardin	S. Kahn
			S. Ibaka

One 9, Three 6s, Five 5s, Three 4s, Two 3s, One 1: Average 4.7

Toronto
PG	J. Calderon
SG	J. Moon	C. Delfino	J. Graham
SF	A. Bargnani	J. Kapono	J. Garbojosa (FA)
PF	C. Bosh	K. Humphries	M. Baston
C	J. O'Neal

Two 9s, Three 6s, Three 5s, One 4, Two 3s: Average 5.5

Utah
PG	D. Williams	R. Price	J. Hart
SG	R. Brewer	K. Korver	M. Almond
SF	A. Kirilenko	M. Harpring	C.J. Miles
PF	C. Boozer	P. Milsap	T. Dragicevic
C	K. Koufos	M. Okur	J. Collins

Two 9s, One 8, One 7, Five 6s, Three 4s, Two 3s, One 2: Average 5.5

Washington
PG	G. Arenas	A. Daniels
SG	D. Stevenson	N. Young
SF	C. Butler	O. Pecherov	D. McGuire
PF	A. Blatche	D. Songalia
C	B. Haywood	J. McGee	E. Thomas

One 8, One 7, Three 6s, Five 5s, One 3, One 2: Average 5.2

Tribe overrated -- who knew? We did!

By Rick Morris

One of the biggest collapses of the 2008 Major League Baseball season has belonged to the defending American League Central champions, a team up 3-1 in the 2007 American League Championship Series. Yes, the Cleveland Indians are absolutely El Stinko this year, and although I as a lifelong fan am frustrated by the fact, I am equally amused by the "This is Absolutely Unthinkable" refrain from the team's slavish Enabler Caucus.

Dumbos like Diatribe are hilariously posing the question right now: who knew this could happen? Well, if they'd pull their nostrils from the tuckess of Mark Shapiro and turn their attention to this here FDH Lounge, they'd be aware of this: WE KNEW!

Actually, now's not the time for me to start being unduly modest. Not only did we know, but we called it way ahead of time and we chastised the ownership-enabling homers for taking their 30 pieces of silver from Larry Dolan and trying to brainwash the populace into thinking that this was a legitimate World Series team. And for any misguided souls looking to label me a basher, consider this: even I was way too optimistic! I put this team down for 88 wins and a second-place finish in the division this year!

When everyone else was caught up in the heat of the moment about the ALCS meltdown last year, I correctly pointed out that the team had not choked away a 3-1 lead; the law of averages had merely caught up to them in a harsh and decisive manner as an infinitely superior team blew past them (if you don't believe me, check the records for Boston and Cleveland this year). Even going into the playoffs last year, when even sober media figures were losing their heads in the rush to proclaim Mark Shapiro (by the way, the true pronunciation is Sha-PIR-o -- folks don't realize that Sha-PIE-ro is his kayfabe name) the greatest GM in sports history, I exposed the truth about the fact that the organization hadn't proven anything of note yet.

Oh, and because those who shilled for the front office and proclaimed them above public accountability aren't going to be accountable for their own complicity in this season's disaster, I'll provide this compendium of their heinous apple-polishing before their masters in the organization. The doofus who repeats the lies about how Jim Thome snubbed the Indians is particularly laughable.

Now, before any remaining Kool-Aid drinkers get their unmentionables in a wad, I'll concede that the team isn't as bad as they presently look. Injuries have played a part in the team's demise, although the brass can certainly be held accountable for wheeling out a half-dead Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner for months at a time, hoping that somehow playing would be therapeutic in the healing process! So no, the team is not really this bad. But I was right about the fact that they weren't really that good last year when they caught fire, won most of their games against a horrific division and fooled the world into thinking they were really a 96-win caliber team. And ultimately, if they're not really as great as they convinced people they were last year, who really cares if they're a 75-win team or an 85-win team? Since when are Indians fans supposed to be satisfied with willful mediocrity?

My FDH Lounge and SportsTalkNetwork.com colleague Tony Mazur and I stood up repeatedly to the disinformation campaign of Diatribe and the other Shapiro coddlers and pointed to the vast amount of work to be done if this organization was to change its approach and get serious instead of just talking that way. For that, we were labeled haters by our STN colleague James Bridges (who is actually a friend of mine and a great guy, although I'm going to give him a hard time here), who bought the spin every step of the way. Tony and I each love this team and both of us have so many fond memories of watching Tribe games with our families when we were growing up in the area. Nobody ever has the right to tell us that we shouldn't expect a team's front office to reward our fan loyalty with the utmost possible efforts to put a winning team on the field. The consequences of enabling a front office that will only do as much as the public pushes it to do are now painfully obvious.

Who knew? We freaking did!

How to deal with Iran

By Rick Morris

Rumors have run rampant for years now that the Bush administration plans an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities before it leaves office in January 2009. Certainly, the move by the mullahs to acquire nuclear weapons is a frightening one that should be focusing our energies on how best to protect our interests in the Persian Gulf.

But military intervention is not the only avenue open to us in the area. My longtime friend Scott Pullins has announced that his Pullins Report is part of a wide coalition dedicated to pursuing other means of addressing our very real issues with the regime in Tehran.

Ironically, while I'm a bit unsure as to the utility of free and unfettered talks with Iran right now, I support Scott's general efforts 100%. As with his stance on the treatment of detainees, I may differ with him here and there, but I think his general focus is exactly right.

He and I have traveled down parallel political paths, which helps me to understand and to support his present direction a bit better. We were both of college age at the end of the Cold War and we were both very hawkish given the realities of the day. Essentially, while shooting in that war was rare and generally confined to proxies (i.e. Vietnam, Afghanistan), it really WAS a war and we needed to be on a war footing when dealing with a grim enemy which hungered for nothing less than world domination. Ronald Reagan's method of confronting the Soviets directly, which was totally unprecedented, was appropriate and it worked -- and Scott and I supported him.

But we are now in a different time. The conservative movement long ago fractured into the (completely dominant) neoconservative wing and my paleocon wing. The neocons never moved from the "war footing" mentality and seemed well before 9/11 to be searching for any excuse to project American military might upon the world. For all the talk about how Eeee-Vil Republicans tried to destroy the Clintons with the impeachment saga, the neocons stood behind Bubba steadfastly as he wagged the dog with a completely unnecessary war in the Balkans in 1999.

George W. Bush, about whom I can honestly say I was skeptical from the very beginning given my aversion to Republican Establishment figures, came to office promising a humble, respectful foreign policy. But, as the cliche goes, "9/11 changed everything."

The foreign policy "realists" that Scott and I scorned in our youth were wrong then -- I will always believe that. But, given today's circumstances, they are right in this climate.

I have said on The FDH Lounge program that George W. Bush and Bill Clinton each accomplished the same dubious action -- by opposite means. Clinton destroyed American deterrence in the '90s by turning a blind eye to each successive attack by bin Laden and establishing us as a paper tiger. Bush destroyed American deterrence by getting us bogged down in Iraq from the end of the first phase of the war in April '03 until he FINALLY delivered the surge in 2007 -- thus reestablishing us as a paper tiger after restoring our global prestige by winning swiftly in Afghanistan in late 2001. Imperial overreach and pacifism both lead to disaster and to America's enemies licking their chops.

The neocons are right in the very narrow sense about staying on the offensive against Al Qaeda worldwide and this is a job that our special forces should continue to be pursuing in every nook and cranny of the globe regardless of who gets elected president in November (although I'm admittedly scared that Barack Obama will not agree with this basic common-sense point). But starting full-on conflagrations against other governments without fully thinking through the consequences -- haven't we been here before? Every Deskbound Rambo who proclaimed in 2002-2003 that Iraq would be a cakewalk should be permanently prohibited from being taken seriously.

George W. Bush and Karl Rove, who openly dreamed of creating another longstanding Republican dynasty in the mold of William McKinley, have seen their dreams die in the sands of the Middle East much in the same way that Jimmah Carter's aspirations did. To the extent that their militaristic brand of neoconservatism is left to define the Republican party and the broader American Right, then the party and the movement will never recover. That's why, in addition to personal friendship, I support Scott's efforts as strongly as I do. The school of thought about what's best for this country, as well as the country itself, is too important to be left to the rotting corpse known as GOP leadership. Whether you support every individual thread of anti-neocon policy, it's time to get with the program and work for the clear best interests of this country. If opposition to rampant militarism is ceded to the peaceniks and pinkos, we all lose.

Farewell Will Leitch Deadspin era

By Rick Morris

Anyone participating in New Media, especially any projects that are sports-oriented (or partially sports-oriented, as this one is) has to take notice of something that happened Friday. It was something that would inaccurately be called the end of an era -- because it was just the end of the beginning.

Will Leitch, who piloted the biggest sports blog of all time (by a wide margin, I might add), Deadspin.com, moved on this past week to pursue other opportunities at New York Magazine and The Sporting News. Over the past three years, Deadspin has been a revolutionary force in sports media and also in New Media as a whole. It operated from a very basic premise, one that was sadly a revolutionary one in this pre-packaged fake world we live in: that sports coverage should be packaged in a way that entertains the average fan.

Under Leitch's leadership, Deadspin hammered away at the pomposities that flow from blowhard institutions like "The Worldwide Leader" and delivered material on a daily basis that made you laugh and, at the same time, did enlighten about different parts of the sporting universe. And they also helped change the rules of engagement for athletes and sports-oriented celebrities once and for all -- get hammered in a bar and make a fool of yourself, and you WILL end up with your pictures on Deadspin, courtesy of a dude with a camera phone who then shoots the goods to Leitch's inbox. Jock enablers in the media are especially incensed about this development.

But Deadspin is about more than goofy pictures of this sort or salacious posts about hoops players and their baby mamas or anything like that -- it is about helping fans to be able to laugh at (and thus enjoy) the absurdities of the sports world in this crazy new millennium. It helps us be able to deal with the big-money circus that our sports have devolved into and for that we owe all the contributors to the site many thanks. I'm not ashamed to count Deadspin as an influence for what we do at FDH, much as I have previously cited Tony Bruno. Life is too short to look at sports without a healthy amount of laughter and for that reason, Deadspin will live on. As I stated above, Leitch's departure (as he himself noted) will not be the end of the site by any stretch of the imagination. Having said that, I hope that he is granted a "Tom Brokaw role" which would entitle him to pop back in as a contributor as circumstances warrant.

I should add on a personal note that, for one of the most accomplished writers anywhere on the Internet, Leitch is also one heck of a nice guy. I had the pleasure of interviewing him once on The SportsTalk Network and I found him to be such a nice and respectful guy. With everything that he has done already and everything that he has left in front of him, I would sure love the opportunity to interview him in The FDH Lounge. I wish him all the best in his future endeavors and I look forward to the opportunity to read him in other venues.

Pass The Bucks

By Tony Mazur

Good day to you, fellow FDH Lounge Blog readers. After a 2 1/2 month hiatus, I am back to posting my random thoughts here in this blog.

Anyways, today is Draft Day in the National Basketball Association. Just as we see every year in the NBA and NFL, the week leading up to the draft gets hectic for us sports talk show hosts because of trade rumors, mock drafts, etc.

Although I am supposed to be an unbiased sports talker, I will always be a Cleveland Cavaliers fan. I always have and always will support them, through thick and thin. I want what's best for them and the city of Cleveland.

While flipping through Cleveland area terrestrial radio stations, they're all proclaiming Ohio State's Kosta Koufos as the Cavaliers' first-round pick. Mind you, I am typing this at 4:00 p.m. EST on June 26th. Personally, I'm not bent of Koufos. If it were up to me, college basketball players must attend at least two years of school. That way, you can tell if a player is the real deal or just an aberration. Kosta Koufos did not impress me in his only year as a Buckeye. Now, maybe if he played a sophomore, we could see what he's really about. The same goes for the Lopez twins. Koufos joins a long list of freshman entering tonight's draft.

If I were Danny Ferry, I would go for a big. Specifically, Georgetown's Roy Hibbert. In his tenure with the Hoyas, Hibbert has shown great hustle and has grabbed some tough rebounds.

UPDATE 12:14 a.m.: The Cavs picked J.J. Hickson out of North Carolina State 19th overall. Let the insanity begin.

In related news, the Milwaukee Bucks will be sending Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Richard Jefferson.

How does this trade relate to the Cavaliers?

Two things.

With the Bucks acquiring Jefferson from New Jersey, will Michael Redd stay put in Milwaukee, or go elsewhere?

Conversely, with Jason Kidd long gone, Richard Jefferson in the Midwest, and the career of Vince Carter on the decline, does that mean the Nets are freeing up cap space for....LeBron James? Food for thought.

Looking At Tonight's NBA Draft

By Jason Jones

Happy NBA Draft Day to all of you reading this - yes, the rumor is true - I suddenly realized that this blog thing still works and has been waiting for me to get back into the groove.

So with that, I am going to give you a few quick/random thoughts on tonight's NBA draft - just the 1st three picks and a thought or two on the Cleveland Cavaliers. I think it is a classic 'no-brainer' that the Chicago Bulls will select Memphis PG Derrick Rose. This has all the makings of a great story - the hometown kid gets selected by the hometown pro-team and leads the franchise back to glory. The Bulls are coming off of what has to be regarded as a tremendously disappointing 2007-08 season. Lots of hopes and expectations went down the drain and in a hurry as far as the Bulls are concerned.

Give Rose some time - it takes AT LEAST 1-2 seasons for an NBA point guard to develop and become something extraordinary. This 19-year-old has all the tools, gifts and talents to give the Bulls something they desperately need - leadership and hope.

With the second pick of the NBA draft, the Miami Heat select... who? TONS of speculation regarding the selection (or non-selection) of Michael Beasley. Don't buy into what you are hearing - Pat Riley WILL draft Michael Beasley. Now, will he KEEP Beasley or trade him away? That's the question you should be asking.

As for the third pick in the draft, it doesn't get better than OJ Mayo. In my opinion, he is the best at what's left in the NBA draft. Athletic, great size and great ability, I think he may be the most NBA ready player in the draft lottery. The alleged USC violations aside, Mayo has the best chance to make the biggest impact in my opinion.

The Timberwolves would be wise to select Mayo and build a team with him as their cornerstone.

Looking down the draft to the Cavaliers... I think the two most immediate needs for the team are at shooting guard and at a big man. Ilgauskas is an NBA veteran and I am not too sure how many quality years he has left in the tank.

It is odd to make this statement after seeing 'Z' come off what I consider to be one of his finest seasons as a pro. Looking at the power forward spot - I like Joe Smith - but he is a veteran backup that can deliver a quality 15-20 minutes a night. Ben Wallace is a fraud. He has his big money contract and it is apparent (at least to me) why the Chicago Bulls fans hated him with a passion.

He 'got paid' and now is doing the least amount of work as possible to stay in the league. Anderson Varejao? I don't plan on seeing him too much longer in a Cavaliers uniform. How these two needs get addressed will be interesting to watch... GM Danny Ferry can go free agency or via the draft, but at #19, finding a player that can address one of the two needs immediately will be difficult. That leaves free agency... Michael Redd is on the fan's (and Cavaliers') radar but I don't see it happening.

Here's hoping I am wrong.

Don't forget the FDH/DRAFTOLOGY/STN NBA Draft Guide is available for immediate download via this link - http://www.fantasydrafthelp.com/2008HoopsDraftologyGuide.pdf - it's all you need to follow and understand tonight's draft.

Finally, sportstalkNETWORK.com will have complete LIVE coverage of tonight's NBA Draft starting at 7p Eastern featuring Ben Chew, Rick Morris, Jason Joes, Tony Mazur and Paul Belfi.

FDH Insider/Goon Squad June 25

By Rick Morris

We've got another really varied and thorough FDH Wednesday night lineup coming your way this week on SportsTalkNetwork.com.

On THE FANTASYDRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER (7-9 PM EDT), we go long-form with comprehensive themes by hour. In Hour One, we start to get into fantasy football big-time as we examine some of the conventional wisdom of 2008, comparing and contrasting to our UQB statistic that we will be unveiling for this season for the first time. Also, our Senior Editor Jason Jones has started drafting teams in various leagues already (he's one of the only guys I know who's a bigger draft degenerate than me!) and he'll share his early observations. In Hour Two, we preview the NBA Draft in detail, including a live mock draft between Jason and myself. [SIDE NOTE: FDH comes your way with live NBA Draft coverage Thursday night on SportsTalkNetwork.com! It's become and FDH and STN tradition. Catch Jason and myself and some of our special guests as we break down the proceedings for you live and in living color!]

On THE GOON SQUAD (9-10 PM EDT), we review the NHL Entry Draft. Click here on our friend Russ Cohen's Hockeyology site for the first round results. We'll also preview the beginning of free agency, which will be two days underway by the time of our show next week.

Don't forget also to download our our HOCKEY DRAFTOLOGY and HOOPS DRAFTOLOGY guides, both completely free of charge!

FDH Lounge Show #31: June 22, 2008

By Rick Morris

Don't stop believin' that another great edition of THE FDH LOUNGE is coming your way Sunday night (8-11 PM EDT on SportsTalkNetwork.com) with longtime Journey drummer Steve Smith!

One of the greatest drummers of all time, and a man who effortlessly spans diverse genres such as jazz and rock, Smith has an incredible story to tell and he's touring the US this summer presenting outstanding educational drum clinics. We'll be breaking format to have him on at the top of the show to talk about his life in music.

From there, we hit The Opening Statements of The FDH Lounge Dignitaries before we get into our political roundtable towards the end of Hour One. Obama's now looking for the caysh just like Montel Vontavious Porter. Will he pay a price for his nine figures in campaign mo-nay (hey, if Michelle Obama is allowed to bring the fist-bump into parlance for the campaign, we're not being insensitive if we join in the spirit of things!)? Does John McCain need to swing for the fences with every decision the rest of the way? And does he have a winning issue with the Democrats' extreme resistance to tapping America's immediate energy needs by tapping our resources at home?

Later in Hour Two and for the first part of Hour Three, we bring you our second annual FDH Hot Dog Eating Fantasy Draft! When the world's greatest competitive gorgers in the world converge on Staten Island for the 4th of July festivities, we'll all have a rooting interest, and we'll show you how to do so as well!

In Hour Three, we welcome Fran Stuchbury from ArenaFan.com to discuss the upcoming AFL playoffs and what has been another interesting regular season in this unusual sport. We end the show with a look at the NHL Entry Draft with a man who was there, one of our favorite guests, John Kreiser from NHL.com.

As always, we're all over the map on tonight's show, from rock and jazz to presidential politics to competitive eating to indoor football to the world of hockey. Whatever your interest, we'll find a way to entertain and inform you on THE FDH LOUNGE, only on STN.