He's gone. He's finally gone. For the first time in nearly four years, I can finally screw the cap onto my bottle of Advil without thinking twice, knowing I won't have to open it for a long, long time. Alex Rodriguez has finally left the New York Yankees. At least it appears so. Sunday night, the eminent Yankees third baseman and finicky agent Scott Boras made an announcement?deliberately during the last innings of the final game of this year's World Series no less?that A-Rod would be opting out of his record-setting, 10-year, $252 million contract that he signed with the Texas Rangers back in 2000, for, you guessed it, another record-setting contract. Rodriguez, of course, was traded to the Yankees in February of 2004 in what at the time some called the biggest deal for New York since acquiring that Ruth guy from Boston.
Hardly. A mere four years later, A-Rod's legacy in the Bronx has been set in stone: billions of headaches cast over Yankees fans, four disappointing postseasons, one false personality, and the clincher: zero championships. For a guy who was supposed to be the missing link to ending New York's championship drought of three years back in '04, it's now safe to say that Alex Rodriguez's tenure in the Bronx was one that reeked of both unparalleled potential and incalculable disappointment. Sure, he is likely to capture his second MVP in pinstripes sometime in the next few weeks, but from the day he was crowned savior, he just never really fit in, nor did he ever look comfortable playing in Gotham. And while I admire his talent, which at this point still is unprecedented, and even his humility in leaving a situation he knew would never work, I can never admire what he did for the franchise that I have loved passionately for my entire life. So be it the Dodgers, Angels, Cubs, Mets, Marlins, Giants, or even the Red Sox that lay the next journey ahead for A-Rod; as long as he's not a Yankee, life is exceptionally good. As a Yankees fan, I am incandescently happy, and my new bottle of Advil is filled to the brim for the first time in four years.
But enough about losers. It's time to predict the winners and top 10 storylines for the 2007-2008 NBA season, already underway.
10. The Timberwolves will be the league's worst team.
I feel bad for this franchise. Vice President of Basketball Operations Kevin McHale had his hands tied this summer when he halfheartedly shipped superstar/face of the franchise Kevin Garnett to Boston for a handful of prospects including Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, and Ryan Gomes that could actually amount to something someday...just not today. In addition to having arguably the most inexperienced squad in league history, fans in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area also will be burdened with the shot-happy, wiggle-dancing presence of Antoine Walker (and Mark Madsen, too, I guess). Oh, and the team's brightest upcoming star, Randy Foye, is already out indefinitely with a knee injury. Full moon or not, the basement will be the Wolves' home for most if not all of this season.
9. The Bucks will be a dark horse.
Not that they'll actually change their team's name to that but you know what I mean. They would have been one last year, too, had team captain Michael Redd not succumbed to a near season-ending knee injury early on. The Bucks have an exuberant front five led by Redd (26.7 ppg), Mo Williams (17.3 ppg), and Australian big man Andrew Bogut (12.3 ppg; 8.8 rpg), not to mention a decent bench led by Bobby Simmons and, much to his chagrin, rookie Yi Jianlian, officially confirming Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Chinese government's least favorite city in the world.
8. The Suns will realize signing Grant Hill made very little sense in the first place.
They may have brought him on for more leadership, but regardless, the 35-year old's career is definitely on the decline. He put together a reasonably solid season last year in Orlando (14.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.1 apg), but struggled from beyond the arc (that is, when he shot the ball), going just two for 12 from behind the three, joining a club this season that lives on the rainmaker, and thus making Hill a walking anachronism. Hill certainly won't start, but that doesn't mean that Phoenix, who loves to run, won't be relying on him to be a big contributor off the bench, which isn't great news for a guy who's already experienced some back spasms in the preseason.
7. The Bulls will run away with the East.
You can give me the newly galvanized Celtics, or the irrepressible team play of the Pistons, but neither club will be able to fly as high as the young guns from the Windy City. Kirk Hinrich (16.6; 6.3 apg), Ben Gordon (21.4 ppg), and Luol Deng (18.8 ppg, 7.1), head a youthful, well-balanced squad that play extremely tough defense and, believe it or not, they actually box out (yeah, I know?shocking). Ben Wallace and Mini-Me rookie Joaquim Noah will start off the year with minor injuries, but once fully healed, Chicago will finish with the East's best record...that is, for the regular season, anyway.
6. George Karl will be the first head coach fired this season.
After the Carmelo/Iverson tandem fails to keep up with the Suns, Spurs, and Mavs, Karl will get the boot from a team that has more individual talent than any other lineup in the league. But it won't be his fault; no one (and I mean no one) can play alongside A.I.?not even Todd McCullough.
5. LeBron will be LeBron, his Cavs, the Cavs.
That is to say that LeBron's dominance as one of the league's greatest players will continue to grow, as will the rest of his teammates' mediocrity. Shooting guard Larry Hughes has been a bit of a letdown thus far in his attempt to be King James' version of Scottie Pippen, and power forward Drew Gooden leaves a lot to be desired on both sides of the ball. The Cavs are also atrocious from the charity stripe, with no one in the starting lineup shooting over 80.7 percent last season (Ilgauskas?yeah, he's a center!). All things considered, Cleveland will still make the playoffs thanks to No. 23, even if they do have a point guard named "Boobie."
4. The Lakers will trade Kobe Bryant...to the Wizards.
Lately there has been speculation that Bryant will be shipped off to the Bulls in exchange for a package of players (Loul Deng being one of them) and draft picks, but a migration to the nation's capital makes the most sense for the three parties: Kobe, the Lakers, and the Wizards. Bryant would be able to reunite with a now much improved Caron Butler, an experienced point guard in Antonio Daniels, and do what MJ could not: win in Washington. In exchange, the Lakers would probably receive Antawn Jamison, a draft pick or two, and of course, Gilbert Arenas, a native of So. Cal. Doesn't that deal just make you want to scream "HIBACHI!"?
3. Ray Allen will win the MVP.
The forgotten one of Boston's new Big Three won't be so overlooked by season's end. Garnett will get the boards and blocks, Pierce the assists and clutch buckets, but Allen will be the prime scorer...and oh, how the points will roll in. And while it won't be enough to get the Celtics back to the finals, Allen will give fans a season reminiscent of the days of Jesus Shuttlesworth.
2. The Spurs will beat the Pistons to win the NBA Finals...again.
Yeah, it's a boring pick, I know?but it's also the right one. And let's stop hating on Tim Duncan, huh? So he uses the glass every time he shoots. Is there really a more respectable all-around player/person in the league? Okay, besides Stephen Jackson.
1. The Knicks will make the playoffs.
Okay, they probably won't. I mean, as a unit they guard about as well as Eagles O-Lineman Winston Justice. And they have a head coach who was recently found guilty of sexual harassment and an owner who all but sanctions it. But this opportunity was too good to pass up for the second year in a row. Eighth seed at best, but, sadly, it's not going to happen.