Bleacher Report - Articles by Ryan Hartung

NBA Baller Quiz: Find Out Which NBA Baller Your Game Most Resembles

Ryan Hartung — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:53:17 -0400

Do you ever wonder which NBA baller you most resemble in style of play? Well, I have created a quiz that will answer that question. All you have to do is rate yourself on the following attributes from 1-5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest.

Please be honest in your ratings if you want a successful answer.

1. Offense—How good is your overall offensive skill?

2. Three-Point Shooting—Can you drain the trey?

3. Mid-Range Shooting—Can you hit from mid-range?

4. Post Offense—Are you unstoppable in the post?

5. Passing—Can you throw the behind the back right on target?

6. Ball Handling—Are you a wizard with the ball in your hands?

7. Defense—How good is your overall defensive skill?

8. Shot Blocking—Do you block anything thrown near the hoop?

9. Stealing—Can you pick anyone's pocket?

10. Rebounding—Are you a glass cleaner?

11. Speed—Do you beat everyone up and down the court?

2008-2009 NBA Eastern Conference Preview

Ryan Hartung — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:37:51 -0400

Eastern Conference Standings

1. Boston Celtics

They still have way too much fire power. After one year of playing together, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett should gel even more which would be scary. I believe Rajon Rondo could become an All-Star point guard next year depending on how hard he works over the offseason.

Losing James Posey will definitely hurt them, but it won't make a huge difference. J.R. Giddens will become a superstar in this league. They are my favorite to win the title.

2. Orlando Magic

The Magic are solid at every position. Jamaer Nelson will be one of the best guards this year. The addition of Pietrus will definitely help them defensively. Last year Hedo Turkalu turned into one of the best scorers in the league. Rashard Lewis is a great three point shooter. Howard is just a beast.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers

LeBron James will lead this team past the Pistons and will win the MVP. They still need one more player to be legitimate Finals contenders. Their trade at the deadline last year really helped them, but they are still a question mark at the point guard position.

4. Detroit Pistons

They are growing in age and aren't as good as they used to be. The Magic and Cavaliers are getting better and the Pistons haven't really improved. They are still finals contenders because of their experience. The would shoot back up to number two if they picked up Josh Smith or Al Horford.

5. Toronto Raptors

Bosh and O'Neal are going to be a dynamic big man duo. They have been lingering around the bottom of the Eastern Conference. They are the team of the future in the Eastern Conference. Two years from now they will be at the top.

6. Washington Wizards

They have tons of talent, but haven't been able to put it together. If Arenas stays healthy they could upset some team in the playoffs. This team could be at the top, but injuries have plagued them.

7. Philadelphia 76ers

With the addition of Elton Brand they will be able to maintain their seventh spot. They are too young to beat teams like the Celtics or Magic. If they can pick up a center before the start of the season they will be contenders in the playoffs.

8. Chicago Bulls

They are a young team with tons of talent. Atlanta will lose Josh Smith and Al Horford so they have no chance of making the playoffs. Gordan and Deng will eventually lead the Bulls to a title. Rose will help to.

Do you agree with my predictions?

The Red Sox' Problem Positions

Ryan Hartung — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:31:07 -0400

In my opinion, the Red Sox have three positions that are left as question marks for next year. The three positions are catcher, shortstop, and center field.

Jason Varitek hasn't been producing like he has been these last couple years. Sure, he can call a great game, but hitting .215 just can't cut it.

Over the offseason, I wouldn't be surprised if the Red Sox tried to get a decent, young talent to back up Varitek. This would put pressure on V-Tek to produce, and if he doesn't, he doesn't get to play.

Julio Lugo being hurt this year is probably the best thing that could happen to the Red Sox. This allowed Jed Lowrie to get playing time. During his playing time, Lowrie has stepped up in pressure situations and produced. I am almost positive that Lugo will not be on the roster next year and Lowrie will have the starting job.

Jacoby Ellsbury and Coco Crisp have split time in center field this year. Next year, I believe Jacoby will take over the starting position. I wouldn't be surprised if the Red Sox deal Coco over the off-season for a lefty reliever.

Manny Ramirez's Future in the MLB

Ryan Hartung — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 08:20:58 -0400

In my opinion Manny Ramirez's stay in LA won't be long. After this year he will be a free agent and he will be looking for big bucks. This will be his last chance at a huge contract.

Manny will need to play in the AL for the DH rule because, lets be honest, he is a below average outfielder without much speed and is aging. Now at 36 years old his skills have noticably declined.

year	team	G	AB	R	H	2B		HR	RBI				BA	OBP	SLG

2004	BOS	152	568	108	175	44	43	130	.308	.397	.613
2005	BOS	152	554	112	162	30	45	144	.292	.388	.594
2006	BOS	130	449	79	144	27	35	102	.321	.439	.619
2007	BOS	133	483	84	143	33	20	88	.296	.388	.493
2008	BOS	100	365	66	109	22	20	68	.299	.398	.529
2008	LAD	3	13	4	8	1	2	5	.615	.615	1.154

I think that Manny will be able to get a two year deal worth around 40-45 million. Some people think that the Yankees will be in talks with Manny. I believe this won't happen. The Yankees have five starting outfielders in Nady, Melky, Damon, Hideki, and Bobby. They will not spend 40 million to get Manny.

Some possibilities for Manny next year include:

1) Tampa Bay Rays: This year the Rays have been legitimate contenders in the East, but I don't think they have what it takes to go far in the postseason. Manny would be the veteran bat they need to make it to the World Series. They have the cap room.

2) Minnesota Twins: The Twins need a big bat in the middle of their line up to bring them to the top. They have come close the last couple of years and Manny could be the missing piece in their World Series quest.

3) Detroit Tigers: They have already spent big bucks to try to buy a World Series ring this year, but that hasn't worked for them. So I wouldn't be surprised if they went out and got Manny.

I would love to hear what you think about Manny's future!!!

Paul Pierce Says He is the Best Player in the World, is that "The Truth"

Ryan Hartung — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 13:49:32 -0400

The Boston Celtics small forward recently was asked by a Spanish reporter if he thought Kobe Bryant was the best player in the world. Pierce said "no."

The MVP of the 2008 NBA Finals stated that he was "best player." He later added, "There’s a line that separates having confidence and being conceited. I don’t cross that line, but I have a lot of confidence in myself."

Call me crazy, but I don't believe it is an overstatement to call Paul Pierce the best player in the world.

If you watched the NBA Finals, you saw Paul Pierce absolutely dominate the NBA's "best player" Kobe Bryant.

Last year, if I were to write this article, I would completely disagree with his statements, but he worked hard over the off-season and made himself one of the best defenders in the league.

Pierce is a 6-foot-5 small forward with the build of a power forward. He has bigger shoulders than some centers, this allows him to drive the lane, take contact, and finish the layup. He can score at will.

If there is a bigger player on him, he will take him out on the perimeter and blow by him. If he has a smaller defender on him then he will take him down on the block and go to work or take his trademark turnaround jumper.

Pierce has tremendous ability to drive to the hoop or to pull up and hit the 15 footers. He can also hit the three.

Winners and Losers of the MLB Trading Deadline Deals

Ryan Hartung — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 06:09:35 -0400

Winners

1) Brewers: C.C. Sabathia will make them legitimate contenders for the NL Wild Card. They addressed a big need by adding another ace to help Ben Sheets. They stood no chance of making the playoffs without making this deal. Not much was given up to get him either.

2) Dodgers: Manny Ramirez is the big bat in the middle of the line up the Dodgers needed to win the very weak NL West. They didn't even have to give up much to get him.

3) Red Sox: It is hard to believe that trading away Manny Ramirez can make you a winner, but it was something they needed to do. They received a younger and cheaper Jason Bay who can get the job done. This will also free up cap space to make a big deal in the off-season or at the deadline next year.

4) Yankees: They made numerous deals this year. They received Xavier Nady, Marte, and Pudge. They addressed a need by adding a catcher, but they gave away their most consistent reliever. Next year it will be interesting to see what they do with all their outfielders and catchers.

5) Cubs: Acquiring Rich Harden solidifies their rotation and almost ensures them the NL Central Title. The funny thing is that they wouldn't have made the deal unless the Brewers made their's first.

Losers

1) Pirates: They pretty much just gave away Xavier Nady, Jason Bay, and Marte. If you're trying to rebuild your team at least get some good prospects in return. They will be in the basement for years to come.

2) Marlins: Sure they received Rhodes, but they missed out on a chance to get one of the best hitters in the league in Manny Ramirez. They didn't accept the deal for Manny because they thought they should get 1 more prospect. No playoffs for the Marlins this year.

3) A's: They traded away both Joe Blanton and Rich Harden for Absolutely nothing. If the A's keep trading away all their good pitchers they won't be in the conversation of the playoffs for years to come.

4) Indians: One year removed from the AL Championship game and they trade away one of the best pitchers in the game for practically nothing. It just doesn't make sense to me.

5) White Sox: They picked up Griffey, but I don't think that will help their team. They are going to have him start in center field which he hasn't done in two years and I believe he is way to old for that. He has an endless list of injuries so they are taking a huge risk, especially with the gigantic price tag he carries.

Manny Ramirez Makes Debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers

Ryan Hartung — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 03:09:44 -0400

Manny Ramirez made his Los Angeles Debut last night against The Big Unit, Randy Johnson. I really wanted him to go zero for four with four strikeouts, but Manny is too good of a hitter to let that happen.

In his first at-bat, he was first pitching, swinging, and grounded out hard to the shortstop. He actually hustled down the line.....

In the second at-bat, he had almost the same exact hit, but this time, it got through, his first hit for the Dodgers. His third at-bat was pretty funny to me. He hit a little soft ground ball down the first base line and sprinted to beat out the throw, where was that in Boston.

There were two Manny being Manny moments. One was when there was a line drive that hit the infield dirt and rolled all the way to the wall because both Manny and Andruw Jones were jogging to the ball.

The other being when Manny grounded into a double play to end the game.

Manny's stand up thing before the game was a joke. Ya, I love the fans from Boston...seriously Manny cut the crap. We traded you for a reason.

Don't even mention our fans or our organization because we treated you like a king and apparently that wasn't good enough for you. Just try to produce in LA and keep yourself out of trouble.

So the Dodgers sold out the game, cheered him on every play up until he grounded into a double play to kill a potential rally and end the game.

USA Basketball: Just Give Them the Gold

Ryan Hartung — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 02:34:13 -0400

The USA's two exhibition games have looked like a one-sided All-Star game. If you saw any of the game against Turkey, I can guarantee you that you saw at least two alley-oops.

USA has made Canada and Turkey look like small town YMCA teams. I don't think they will have any trouble winning gold if they continue to play defence and attack the paint.

Last year, the only times USA got in any trouble was when their defence slacked or they got into a three-point competition with much better-shooting teams. I don't think that Coach K will let that happen this year—he is way too good of a coach.

Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade are names that most foreigners are probably in awe of. When USA Basketball is warming up before a game, the other team is probably more worried about getting autographs than preparing for that game.

No way can any foreign team have any chance of beating the USA—not with the talent and knowledge the team now has.

If you think there is a team that can beat the USA, I want you to tell me!

Jason Bay Is a Great Pick-Up By the Boston Red Sox

Ryan Hartung — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 02:10:39 -0400

The Red Sox completed a huge trade with Manny at the deadline yesterday. What does this mean for the Red Sox? Well, Jason Bay might not be the power hitter that Manny was, but he is a better fielder, younger, cheaper, faster, and will always hustle. The Red Sox also removed a problem player from their clubhouse.

It will be interesting what the Red Sox's lineup looks like over the next week. I believe it will look something like this:

1) Ellsbury

2) Pedroia

3) Ortiz

4) Lowell

5) Drew

6) Bay

7) Youkillis

8) Varitek

9) Lowery

The Red Sox could potentially have their one through seven hitters hitting over .300.

The trade might not help the Red Sox very much this year, but it leaves great potential for a blockbuster next year. The Red Sox will no longer be carrying Schilling or Manny's enormous salaries.

Over the offseason, don't be surprised if the Red Sox go after a big-name catcher or shortstop. Some names to throw out there are Jorge Posada or Ivan Rodriguez, the Yankees won't keep both. Depending on the Astro's finish, Tejada might be on the market.

In the long run, the Red Sox got rid of a declining clubhouse problem and received a hard-working guy that will go out, day and night, and give you nine good innings of work.