Conor Garland Will be the Best Player in Blockbuster Trade

 The Canucks made a huge splash Friday when they parted ways with the ninth overall pick and sent it to Arizona in exchange for Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland. 

As surprising as the move was, the move is fitting as the team tries to bounce back from a disappointing Covid season. 

This move signals that the Canucks want to make the playoffs during the upcoming season. I don't think the Edmonton bubble was good enough to prevent fans from being thirsty to taste post season hockey. By next April it will be seven years since Rogers Arena hosted a playoff game. 

The other part to remember is that the Canucks got two key parts back in the deal which is important as it won't be judged just on one player. Honestly, I think Conor Garland has a chance to be the best player that comes out of this trade. 

For one, the three roster players that were sent to Arizona are all on expiring contracts next summer and Arizona isn't expected to make the playoffs next year. 

The three picks that went Arizona's way is where the risk lies but Vancouver might have dodged a huge bullet when when Kent Johnson was off the board at #5. Dylan Guenther could easily become a good player but that is an if at this point. The second rounder is important to remember that it's a 2022 pick and if the Canucks make the playoffs the pick should be in the range #48-64 and not at #41 as it was on Saturday. The seventh round is almost a throw in as very little seventh round picks make the NHL. 

I believe this deal is way less risky than the J.T. Miller deal and that trade ended up well. The reason it's less riskier is when we traded a 1st round pick that day, there was a chance that 1st, may have turned into a 1st overall in the 2021 draft and we would have lost out on Owen Power. 

Since Jim Benning has been in charge he has been active on three Draft Weekends. 2014, 2019 and now 2021. The two previous times they have made the playoffs. I'm hopeful that he can go 3/3. 

I give the trade a B-. Vancouver took advantage of a team that had to overpay for a Top 10 pick after getting their's forfeited because of combine regulations. The only reason it doesn't get a better grade is because all three expiring contracts only had one year left and OEL's play has dropped off as of late. 

Anything but the playoffs will be heartbreaking next year but I love how the team is coming together. 

Who Will the Canucks Pick Tonight?

 The NHL Draft is here and the Vancouver Canucks find themselves back in the Top 10. This time around feels different. The last two times the Canucks have picked in the Top 10 they have gotten steals with Quin Hughes and Vasili Podkolzin. 

I have a good feeling about this draft. Picks 3 through 9 seem like a crapshoot. This means Vancouver will have a crack at whoever falls out of the Top 8. 

Looking at previous drafts and there usually is someone in the Top eight that drops down. 2017 Gabriel Vilardi fell from 7th to 11th. 2018 Quinn Hughes fell from 5th to 7th. 2019 Cole Caufield fell from 7th to 15th. Last year it was Marco Rossi that fell from 7th to 9th. 

It is interesting, all mock drafts have different results everywhere. I have seen Luke Hughes between 4th and 8th and Dylan Guenther between 3rd and 9th. Vancouver is going to get a good player tonight. 

The players that I want I don't expect to be at 9th. I will be happy with Johnson or Kent. 

Here is my mock draft. 

1. Owen Powers 

2. Matthew Beniers

3. Luke Luke Hughes 

4. Mason McTavish 

5. Simon Edvinsson

6. Dylan Guenther

7. Brent Clark 

8. William Eklund

9. Kent Johnson 

Hopefully The Best is Yet to Come

 As a Suns fan, the last four games were tough to watch. I didn't have the courage to write until now as the 12 hours following Game 6 were hard. I didn't sleep much two nights ago. 

Instantly after the game I was wanting to trade Booker for the #1 overall pick next week. Emotions were flying high. As of now I have calmed down have realized that 28 other teams would have loved to have the season we just had. 

The pain comes from not knowing what the NBA will look like next year. Klay Thompson will likely be back for Golden State and if the Lakers add a star to their lineup than things could get scary. We need a plan at Point Guard if Chris Paul leaves. Even if he stays, we need a plan for who will replace him when the time comes. 

Booker might be here for awhile but which is tremendous but we need to replenish the talent as best as we can as soon as it leaves. 

For me, I'm curious how long Curry and Durant can be the face of the NBA and will they pass the touch to Booker or will Trae Young and Ja Morant surpass Booker and make it even harder for the Suns to get back to this level. 

If anything, with the Milwaukee Bucks winning, this might slow down these super teams from forming in Brooklyn. This might make the NBA easier to win it all for teams like Phoenix. 

From 1989 to 2010, the Suns had one of the best 21 year stretches for a sports franchise that had never won a NBA Title. Lets hope that this is the start of another 21 year run. 

As for the draft, I would love for us to grab Tre Mann, Jared Butler, Joel Ayayi, Ayo Dosunmu or Herbert Jones. These players should be on the board when the Suns draft 29th. We have Jalen Smith from last year where I hope he can make strides and I would rather get size and toughness that can make a difference next year in free agency. We need guard depth in case Payne wants too much money next year. 

I'm proud of this team and I hope we can finish this off in the next couple of years.

     

I'm Devastated

 I was very frustrated with the Phoenix Suns Game 4 loss last night over the Bucks'.  It has came to a best of 3 now and the longer this goes now the higher chances that it will come down to the little things which Milwaukee has been doing well. 

I still like Phoenix in the series but only if they win Game 5. That would guarantee them at least going to seven. A lower scoring game I still think favors the Suns but on the other hand having it go to a game where the margins are slim isn't fun. 

Hearing Bucks in six makes me sick. As if they have something against us. They need thicker skin. Suns in 4 really only applies to the Denver series. The last two series its been used just because.  

Game 5 is bigger than 7 right now because of the fear of losing four straight. If we get to Game 7 and we lose well it will sting but at least we can say we gave it our all. I'm not ready to go there yet. We showed enough last night to keep me confident for Saturday but Middleton scares me more than Giannis at this point. 

I am having a hard time writing anymore at this point. I want to remind fans however enjoy this next week. Your lucky as a sports fan if you get a ride like this every decade. The ride is what fans get jealous of when their team is losing. I got jealous of Golden State and Oklahoma City when they marched their way to the Finals in this last decade. For Golden State, winning the Title was just a formality. Especially the second and third time. 

But I understand the pain and suffering. The dark moments will make the great ones special.  

The Big Event in Sports on Tuesday

 Well, I'm on summer vacation and don't have any work for over seven weeks. I have always wanted to be off work and the chance to reflect on where I am, where I was and where I want to be. 

I want to help people but I struggle to know where to start. This world amazes me how so many people can be so dialed in on so many levels and some people can be so lost. 

Sports are a great equalizer for me. I think its great how so many inspirational stories can come from sport. When I'm watching sports or looking up sports facts I don't notice my disability. This is important because I need to do anything in my power to have my disability be non existent. 

People that say that is impossible don't really have a understanding of how flexible life can be. The goal of life should be to have as much fun as possible and being the least stressed as possible. As long as you can be happy, the amount of money someone has is meaningless. 

Chase your dreams and be happy. All it takes is one good break in your life to set your whole life up for success. The key is to flush out all the negative people that think your going to fail. I have been there and its one of the worst spots to be in. 

Something that takes my mind off those struggles in soccer and in particular the UEFA Champions League. With over 1000 soccer teams in Europe, being part of the Champions League should be special. The Group Stage isn't what it used to be but the way that its set up now should create more potential with the Europa Conference League will be fun. 

Team 1	Agg.	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
Fola Esch	1	Lincoln Red Imps	2–2	13 Jul
Slovan Bratislava	2[A]	Shamrock Rovers	2–0	13 Jul
Malmö FF	3	Riga	1–0	13 Jul
Bodø/Glimt	4	Legia Warsaw	2–3	14 Jul
Connah's Quay Nomads	5	Alashkert	2–2	14 Jul
HJK	6	Budućnost Podgorica	3–1	13 Jul
CFR Cluj	7	Borac Banja Luka	3–1	13 Jul
Shkëndija	8	Mura	0–1	13 Jul
Teuta	9	Sheriff Tiraspol	0–4	13 Jul
Dinamo Tbilisi	10	Neftçi Baku	1–2	14 Jul
Maccabi Haifa	11	Kairat	1–1	14 Jul
Ludogorets Razgrad	12	Shakhtyor Soligorsk	1–0	13 Jul
Ferencváros	13	Prishtina	3–0	13 Jul
Žalgiris	14	Linfield	3–1	13 Jul
Flora	15	Hibernians	2–0	13 Jul
Dinamo Zagreb	16	Valur	3–2	13 Jul

  Second legs of the first round of four rounds to get to the Group Stage. Most of these teams wouldn't have a chance in the group stage but the attempt is fun to see how it unfolds. 

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What will Determine the NBA Finals?

 The NBA Finals are set to begin in Phoenix on Tuesday night. I have been a Suns fan since 2014 and was frustrated when they started to tank in 2015-2016. Getting to the Finals seems like something from a video game system. 

If the Suns win this year, we could see a change in the way that GM's go about their business. In my 22 years of watching the NBA its been a trend where if you don't have one of the three best players, your chances of winning are almost nothing. 

The Bucks will pose the greatest threat for the Suns so far this season. As long as we can steal one in Milwaukee than we should be in business. 

I think the series will come down to health of Gannis Antententkompo. Jrue Holiday and Khris Middletown are playing too well right now for them to lose if Antententkompo is healthy. The last three years the Bucks have been a very dangerous team and this might be there year. Their three point shooters scare me which may cancel out one of the Suns best strengths. 

I would almost be more comfortable if the Bucks had home advantage. Holding serve at home might be tough. Here are a few things to keep in mind. If it goes seven, Game 7 will be a really low scoring game. This is what gave Cleveland a big advantage in 2016. This should favor the Suns. 

The fact that both games were decided by one point makes me feel like all games will be close. The Suns have won a lot of games close this year but I'm wondering if that trend can continue for one more series. 

Lastly, if we can exploit the Bucks defensively than we have a shot. Game 1 is a must win as not winning Game 1 will put a lot of pressure on the Suns. Experience is with the Bucks but the margin is small. The thing of hope that I'm clinging on too is that if the Bucks were so unstoppable they would have won the last two years. This means that we aren't dealing with a juggernaut and we do have a shot at this.  

Canada Basketball Needs More Culture and Less Talent

 Another heartbreaking loss for the Canadian Men's basketball team has put fresh salt in a old wound that just won't close. 

Not even eight NBA players playing in their own country could get it done. To say that I'm surprised wouldn't be accurate as this is more of a rules thing than anything else. If we played the NBA rules I think we are the much superior team and Canada goes on to win by 30. The FIBA rules closes the talent gap between teams and creates for a much more competitive game. 

To add insult to injury, there is just not the opportunity for our players to get the FIBA experience they need. This likely won't change either. The NBA owners won't let their players go on international breaks like FIFA and this new format only works if its best on best. 

Canada was ranked 21st coming into the tournament and I would be shocked if that number goes higher. I for one haven't figured out how the rankings work. People shrug this off but this is how we ended up with a Group of Death in China and this weekend. Our group would have been harder if it wasn't for hosting this tournament but easier if we weren't ranked so low.. 

 By 2023 there could be 25 NBA players from Canada. Again, that doesn't mean anything if you don't have the right players. I'm not sure there was anything Nick Nurse could have done better. Canada just wasn't able to drive inside as much as they wanted to because of the Czech Republic size. 

The format was also altered which I believe put Canada at a huge disadvantage. Most likely, the old format which would have been the 2019 FIBA Americans in where Canada would have probably battled Argentina for the last Olympic berth. Not sure if Canada is better than Argentina but it would have been nice to find out.    

The pain is real but there is two things that are holding the Canadian Men's team back. One is experience and the other is the depth around the globe. Lithuania, Serbia and Croatia all were bronze medal contenders all also failed to make the Olympics. 

We are too guard orientated to win short tournaments like this. I wish I had the answers as well. I would be all for having every Province go to FIBA rules but I don't know much of a difference that would make. Canada produces talent but it isn't producing enough B-talent. The problem with this is if the A talent aren't committed to playing for the National team than there is a big drop off. 

To add to this, Canada hasn't developed the culture that some European countries have. This will be hard for Canada to develop. 

Look at USA, they win because they almost make it so relentless that it leaves who there playing with no margin for error. If Canada can't get to that relentless level than we need FIBA Experience. 

I hated the new format six years ago and I still hate it. Qualifying for the Olympics through how well a team does at the World Cup is not how things should be done.