Article:Random Thoughts and Brutal Honesty 4/11/08

We're on the verge of the end to a thrilling NBA season. We've just caught our breath from a thrilling national championship game. And MLB is in full swing. Thus, I believe it is time to dish a heavy dosage of brutal honesty, realness, the truth and nothing but.

- I like Roy Williams. He is an exceptional coach and one of the great basketball minds you'll ever meet. However, I could not help but think WTF  when he was seen in the crowd during the national title game Monday wearing a Kansas Jayhawk sticker on his shirt. I said about that much while I was live-blogging with SSReporters and other alums Monday. Many have griped about him being there in the first place. That's not the issue. He's a grown man and can go where he wants. There are those who don't see it as a big deal because of his long tenure with the Jayhawks and it is understandable to look at this from such a perspective. But my first initial reaction was to think of current and former UNC alums, alums that banked on North Carolina being on the podium raising the NCAA title and who are still good and pissed over the shalacking and beatdown served to them by...Kansas. And now while they are still fresh and pissed, they are witnessing their head coach dawning apparel in full support of the team that just beat handed them their rear end two days ago!!!! Obviously, Roy Williams meant no harm or ill will and will always have a connection with Kansas. But out of respect for his former employer, he shouldn't have dawned any apparel and he should have been there as a neutral bystander. I can't imagine the amount of H-E-A-T  that the average coach would have caught if they did the same.

- While we're in the subject of breaking taboos, Robbie Mcallister, a wrestler currently employed in the WWE was captured in the audience of an TNA event during it's live TNA broadcast on Spike TV. This was during Wrestlemania weekend!!!! Now that deserves a big WTF!!

- I find it amazing that finally the NY Jets are  NOW  becoming spendthrifts. If only they had caught on to this revelation a few years back when Pennington was in his prime..... Alan Faneca, Calvin Pace, Kris Jenkins, and now the long-term signing of Kerry Rhodes for 5 more years. With the possibility of Chad Pennington and Dewayne Robertson being cut, they'll have more cash at hand. Now if they can only get Mcfadden... Herman Edwards must be indeed green with envy only wishing that Mike Tannenbaum was there when he was.

- This is going to be an unreal draft. Michael Beasley, Derrick Rose, O.J Mayo, Eric Gordon,  the Lopez Brothers and many, many more names will be dawning their NBA franchise caps and taking their pictures with David Stern. The NBA draft lottery is on the 20th of May. As a Knick fan who has become disgusted to the point that he'd rather watch reruns of "Friends",  I'm contemplating fasting in order for the Knicks to nab the #1 pick. And if fate should find myself so fortunate, the Knicks should waste no time drafting Derrick Rose. Yep, Derrick Rose. I know Michael Beasley is everyone's #1 pick and will fill the needs of many teams including the Knicks. But the point guard position is on fire in the NBA. Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Baron Davis, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash and more. The Knicks need a floor general, a faciliator of the offense who will know when to get his teammates involved and then when to take over. That is their more pressing need. And while we're at it, the Knicks need to take a serious look into hiring Mark Jackson. Scott Skiles has been a name thrown around as a possible successor to Isiah. He's a solid coach and will bring discipline and accountability immediately. {and he should not have been fired by Chicago}   But I think with the Knicks being as sorry and pathetic as they have become, they need a total outsider and great basketball mind like Mark Jackson to take over. He needs some excellent assistant coaches around him, of course. Would it be an unconventional move? Yes. But this is an unconventional franchise in unconventional times. So why not?

- And if the NBA draft lottery should go to another team other than the Knicks, at least let it go to an Eastern Conference team!!    There needs to be some parity between the conferences in this league.