Sports by Schmucks Podcast - Episode 21 (April 15)

On the 21st edition of the Sports by Schmucks podcast, the guys talk about The Masters and what's next for the Maple Leafs.

I Believe in Masai, I Believe He Can Touch the Sky

Toronto Raptors GM, Masai Ujiri has made moves this season that most thought to be impossible. Large contracts such as Rudy Gay's two-year, $37.2 Million contract was easily shed by the first year general manager. Gay, moved to Sacramento alongside fellow former Raptors Aaron Gray (C) and Quincy Acy (F), provided Toronto with a huge opportunity to make a splash this upcoming free agency with plenty of high-end players becoming available this off-season. Adding to the freed up cap space, Toronto was able to bring in what Sacramento's GM claims to be the four best "people" from their roster. Greivis Vasquez (G), Chuck Hayes (F/C), Patrick Patterson (F) and John Salmons (G/F) have given these new look Raptors a well needed morale boost.  Coach Dwayne Casey (seen below speaking with Raptors star Demar DeRozan) has his team working well together, and has Toronto currently sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference, first in the Atlantic Division and - for the first time in four years - above .500 with a 16-15 record this late into the season.

                                      

Winners of eight of their last 10, the Toronto Raptors have provided a fan resurgence for the city. Playoffs are most definitely in the realm of possibility with this team, and the test to how deep these youthful Raptors can make it in the post-season can not solely be based on these past few games. Overcoming opponents such as Oklahoma City, Dallas, New York, Chicago and first place Indiana don't prove that we have the best team overall. What it does show Toronto Raptor fans is a team has been built to win.  There is no abundance of superstars on this roster at all. However with a solid game plan in place and the right cast of players to execute Casey's plan, beating the top tier NBA teams is no longer just a dream for Raptors fans. 

The Raptors are currently on a five game winning streak, and will try to extend it to six as they take on the Miami Heat this tonight at 6 p.m.

A King's Ransom?

Earlier this afternoon, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Los Angeles Kings agreed on a trade sending Jonathan Bernier to the Leafs in exchange for Matt Frattin, Ben Scrivens, and a second round pick in either 2014 or '15. Let's break it down.



In Jonathan Bernier, the Leafs get a goaltender with tremendous upside and a very strong hockey pedigree. He's won a QMJHL Championship with the Lewiston MAINEiacs, World Junior Gold Medal for Canada, and Stanley Cup (as a back-up) last year with the Kings. In the juniors, he won the playoff MVP during the MAINEiacs' championship run. In 2009-10, Bernier won the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award for outstanding AHL goalie. Oh yeah, he was also the 11th overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

While all of that sounds nice on paper, he's also put up some respectable numbers so far during his short time in the NHL. Bernier has only had a goals-against average of more than 2.40 once in his career: his first four games in his rookie season in the NHL, winning one of them.

The main question is how he will respond to potentially being the starting goalie for a full season. In two full seasons in the AHL, Bernier posted GAAs of 2.40 and 2.03 and 53 total wins. How will that translate to the NHL? It will take some time to tell, but he's had success at every level he's played.

For the Leafs, it will give a lot of flexibility in net. They must hope that James Reimer and Bernier will push each other for the starting spot. If Reimer responds well, then the team has two quality, young goalies. If he doesn't, he becomes a trade asset for the team. Either way, it's a win-win situation.

As for the Kings, Bernier wasn't going to get any playing time behind former Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Quick. With Bernier's impending restricted free agent status, it made sense to get a quality and inexpensive back-up goalie. According to CapGeek.com, the Kings will be $2 million under the cap next season, without having restricted free agent Kyle Clifford and unrestricted free agent Rob Scuderi signed.

Photo from cbc.ca

Ben Scrivens will be a nice fit for the Kings to back up Quick. He's making just over $600,000 next season, has NHL experience, and led the Toronto Marlies to the Calder Cup in the 2011-12 AHL campaign. Scrivens has shown some promise for the Leafs, but he couldn't challenge James Reimer for the starting job. However, he'll be a great fit for the Kings in their defensive system.

Photo from ourhometown.ca

Matt Frattin has been a very inconsistent pro. He was very hot for the Leafs at the beginning of the year, but fizzled out by the end. Frattin is still probably recovering from a knee injury suffered in the final game of the AHL Conference Finals, but what is his ceiling? Personally, I see him ending up as a third liner, nothing more.

So, who do I think won the trade? Well, if you couldn't tell by now, it was the Leafs. They added a potential franchise goalie for a back-up and third line forward. It makes sense for LA based on cap situation, but I feel like they could've held out for more. There were multiple teams interested in the services of the former first round selection.

What are your thoughts us in the trade? Let us know in the comment section or on Twitter.

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Brett's 2013 NHL Playoff Conference Quarterfinals Predictions

About two weeks ago, I wrote my predictions for the 2013 NBA Playoffs and - apart from Denver - so far, so good.

Now, the NHL regular season has wrapped up and the playoffs are upon us. The Toronto Maple Leafs broke a nine year playoff drought. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Detroit Red Wings continued their impressive run in the post-season, making the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 22nd year in a row. And that's not even talking about the impressive seasons that the Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguin, and Anaheim Ducks have completed. Who will win? Here's my take:

Eastern Conference
(1) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (8) New York Islanders
The good news for the Penguins is Sidney Crosby has been practicing with the team, wearing a funny looking jaw protector. Crosby, who broke his jaw at the hands of a Brooks Orpik slapshot in a game against the Islanders, is still waiting to be cleared by doctors before returning to the team. Pittsburgh won the season series between the two teams, including four straight wins. However, I don't believe that will be the main factor in the Penguins winning the series. They have an excess in playoff experience, adding even more after acquiring Jarome Iginla and Brenden Morrow. While it will be nice to see Islanders star John Tavares in the playoffs, it won't be a long visit. The Penguins have a lot of expectations and a lot to prove after last year's debacle.
Pittsburgh wins series 4-1.

(2) Montreal Canadiens vs. (7) Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators won their final game of the season to cement this match-up in the first round. Not only will this be a great series, but it guarantees a Canadian team in the second round. Anyways, on to the series: this is a close one. Being division rivals, these teams are very familiar with each other. They split the season series, and I see more of the same coming. The Senators received a boost with the unlikely return of reigning Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson. The 22-year-old defenceman recently came back after a nasty Achilles injury suffered at the hands skate of Matt Cooke. However, they don't appear to be getting centre Jason Spezza back any time soon. When it comes down to it, I trust Canadiens goalie Carey Price in a seven game series more than Senators goalie Craig Anderson. Also, expect a double-OT game in this one.
Montreal wins series 4-3.

(3) Washington Capitals vs. (6) New York Rangers
These two teams have met in the last two playoffs. Last year, they met in a seven game thriller in the second round. While the Rangers came out on top last year, I think the Capitals will get the job done this time around. Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin has been the hottest player in the second half of the season, storming past Steven Stamkos to lead the league with 32 goals. Plus, he's scored some fantastic goals against the Rangers in his playoff history. Now, New York won't just lie down for this series. They have arguably the best goalie in the league in Henrik Lundqvist, who was responsible for 24 of the 26 games the Rangers won this year. He'll steal them a couple of games, but the offense isn't there for New York, which was surprising after they acquired Rick Nash from the Blue Jackets in the offseason. Ovi and the Caps will use their firepower to get by a stiff test from the Rangers.
Washington wins series 4-2.

(4) Boston Bruins vs. (5) Toronto Maple Leafs
It seems fitting that the Leafs would play the Bruins in their first trip to the playoffs in nine years. It was just three and a half years ago that Toronto gave up two first round picks for winger Phil Kessel. Of course, those picks ended up being Tyler Seguin and Dougie Hamilton, both of whom will play this season. This series will be a defining moment in Kessel's young career. In two series with the Bruins, Kessel was a point-per-game player in the playoffs. While he has been a very nice addition for the Leafs, he can't find his game against the Bruins. In his career against his former team, Kessel has nine points in 22 games. If Toronto has any hope of winning this series, Kessel will have to get back to his point-per-game level. However, even if that happens, it doesn't look good for the Leafs. Since the Kessel trade, Boston is 15-4-3 against the Leafs. The Bruins also won't be intimidated by the physical game Toronto likes to play with players like Zdeno Chara, Shawn Thornton, and Milan Lucic. Not to mention the offensive ability of Seguin, Patrice Bergeron, Jaromir Jagr, and others. As much as it pains me to say this, it will be a quick series for Boston. Toronto wins one at home, but that's it.
Boston wins series 4-1.

Western Conference
(1) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (8) Minnesota Wild
Many, including myself, believe that the Minnesota Wild won the 2012 offseason by signing both Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to identical 13-year, $98 million deals. While some questioned the contracts, it was apparent they would help the team during the 2012-13 season. And it helped to some degree. For the first time in five seasons, Minnesota made the playoffs - barely. They needed all 48 games, but they edged the Blue Jackets. Their reward: drawing arguably the best team in the league in the first round. Chicago has been on fire this season, winning the President's Trophy this season. Led by their two young stars Patrick Kane (55 points) and Jonathan Toews (48 points), the Chicago offense was clicking all year. The Blackhawks also finally got some solid goaltending this year from Ray Emery and Corey Crawford. Chicago is just too good for the Wild.
Chicago wins series 4-0.

(2) Anaheim Ducks vs. (7) Detroit Red Wings
It's not strange to see a first round series between the Ducks and the Red Wings. However, it's not too often that Detroit is the seven seed in the series. The Ducks have been strong all season after missing the playoffs last year. It's just so hard to go against Detroit, especially with the talent that takes the ice night-in and night-out. They have seemed to been getting their game back together later in the season. It was a big adjustment for the Wings this year, losing former captain Niklas Lidstrom to retirement. This will be another close series, and my gut is telling me to go with history. It doesn't hurt that history has players like Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, and Jimmy Howard.
Detroit wins series 4-3.

(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) San Jose Sharks
I think this series wil be closer than most people expect. San Jose has been one of the best teams at home this season, losing only twice in regulation. They still have most of the veteran core of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Dan Boyle. Logan Couture will have to have a great series to knock off the Northwest Division Champions. Speaking of the Canucks, the season has been followed by the Luongo vs. Schneider storyline. With Schneider looking to be the starter heading into the playoffs, it will be interesting to see if he can rebound after last year's shaky performance against the Kings. Offensively, Vancouver has the spark and talent with the Sedin twins, Ryan Kesler, and even Alex Burrows. It just didn't seem to click this season, as the team only scored 122 goals. If they are able to rebound, the Canucks win the series. Too bad for San Jose that Game 7 will be on the road.
Vancouver wins series 4-3.

(4) St. Louis Blues vs. (5) Los Angeles Kings
In another rematch of last year's Conference Semifinals, the Blues host the defending Stanley Cup Champions. It's been an up and down season for both teams. For a while, Brian Elliott couldn't get things done in net. Heading into the playoffs, he's the NHL's second star for the month of April. Defense hasn't been a problem for the Blues, but scoring has been an issue: only three players had more than 10 goals this season. As for the Kings, they swept the Blues last year during their march through the Western Conference. Much of their team remains unchanged from last year, but Jonathan Quick hasn't shown the second gear he demonstrated last year. Los Angeles seemingly found their game again at the end of the year. They'll be able to take care of Blues again, except less dominant.
Los Angeles wins series 4-2.

Well, those are my predictions for the first round of the playoffs. Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments below.

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An Event 9 Years in the Making

I had to let this sink in for a while because I almost didn't believe it. Part of me had to wait until that magnificent little "x" appeared beside their name on the standings page of NHL.com. It took nine years, but it finally happened again. The Maple Leafs are in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

R.I.P. Playoff Drought (2004-2013)

I'll add here that I am a Leafs fan. My dad told me when he moved to Canada from Aberdeen, Scotland, my grandfather had a choice of hockey teams between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs. They went with the blue and white, and it's been in my family ever since.

Now, I thought of doing a post about all the things that were different about my life and hockey in 2004. That would be the easy way out, not to mention done to death. Granted, I was in Grade 10 the last time the Leafs qualified for the postseason. After the Flyers eliminated the Buds in Game 6 the Conference Semi-Finals, I told my 15-year-old self that there's always next year.

But the lockout followed after after my proclamation. Then, the losing kept happening. I kept waiting for things to turn around. Draft picks were made - some were traded away. GMs were brought in with the promise of bringing a Stanley Cup contender to the city and not wanting to compromise the future to sneak into an eighth place spot. And fans of other teams relished in the fact that the Leafs again missed the playoffs, adding to the longest-running Stanley Cup drought in the NHL. It got worse when teams like Chicago and Boston won their latest Cups, ending their long droughts.

Then, a magical thing happened. There was a second lockout! This led to the shortened season we are in now and cut out the worst part of most Toronto seasons: the second half. And now we're in the playoffs thanks to a core put together by the recently-fired Brian Burke. Led by players like Joffrey Lupul, an emerging Nazem Kadri, and netminder James Reimer, the city is buzzing with playoff aspirations.

Photo credit: theleafsnation.com

Reimer will be the key to the series against any team the Leafs draw in the first round, whether it be Montreal (Yes please!) or Boston (Dear God, no!). The team has been drastically shot all year, especially in games down the stretch. Although most of the shots have been from non-scoring areas, it just takes one to trickle in or take an awkward bounce off of a skate to destroy the confidence of a goalie. The pressure will already be high on the Manitoba-native as he will have two withstand nine years of pent-up playoff pressure.

Now, the fans of other teams can't let us Leafs fans live in the moment. It's not unusual to get bombarded with statements that we won't make it out of the first round, it's only a shortened season, or we shouldn't be celebrating something that 53% of teams in the league do. No matter how many things you say, no one can take away the fact that the Leafs made the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Sure, they might get knocked out in the first round, but the Leafs were there.

My message to them: let us be. Do some of us have high expectations? Sure. It's really hard to look at the standings and the schedule and think, "Hey, that second seed isn't out of the question." But is it realistic? Of course not. Just let us be happy with our drought being over. Small victories. And, if you're right about us not going far, you won't hear from us again until the offseason when the team gets attached in rumours to every player out there. You'll also get to keep saying that we haven't made the playoffs in a full 82-game season since 2004.

Until then, please let us have our moment. We've let you have yours for nine years.

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Revamping the Dunk Contest

It's been just over a week since Raptors' rookie guard Terrence Ross won the 2013 Slam Dunk contest during All-Star Weekend in Houston.



As dunk contests go, it was pretty good, but there wasn't much that made me jump out of my seat. There were some creative dunks, but a lot of missed attempts watered down the proceedings. I started thinking about some ways that the NBA could improve their annual contest.

More Stars
This is one of the most obvious remedies. First, it would attract more fans to watch the event if the main event is a Blake vs. LeBron finale. There was a rule put in place a while ago which only let players compete if they were in their first three NBA seasons. Regardless, bigger names would make the contest more attractive and add a nice closing to Saturday night. The likeliness of this happening is very slim. Most of the biggest stars want the time off to relax and play in a light-hearted game on Sunday night.

Raise the Rim



Dwight Howard literally raised the bar with this dunk. He showcased his athleticism in a unique way. Sure, he's listed as 6'11". I'm sure other dunkers have tried this. Why not bring this out for the whole contest? Many of the contestants have tremendous leaping ability. We've seen this time and time again when players are dunking in-game with their heads already about the rim. The NBA should want to show this off on the grand stage. It would also make many of the dunks the players try more impressive. Imagine Terrence Ross' first dunk being done on an 11-foot (or even 12-foot) rim. The fans would be out of their seats and some excitement would be back. Or, how about this: first round of the contest is on the regulation rim and no one is eliminated. In the second round, the rim is raised to 11 feet and two are eliminated. The final round has a dunk-off on a 12-foot rim. That would be good TV.

Penalize Missed Opportunities
The dunks were impressive this year. It just took too long to complete the majority of them. The dunkers received multiple opportunities to complete their dunks to what seemed like zero penalty. For example, on Ross' first dunk, he was awarded a score of 50 from the judges even though he missed on what seemed like 10 attempts. Take points off for that. Sure, the dunks wouldn't be as creative since players would be afraid to bring something out they were unsure about. But the surprise would still be there. By the time Ross made the dunk, the buzz in the arena was gone. Everyone knew what he was trying to do. Taking points off for misses would keep the spontaneity up.

Time/Attempt Limit
The league has already tried this: a dunker gets unlimited attempts for 1:30. That's still too long. Cut this down to 45 seconds. Either that or give the dunkers three attempts. If you can't do the dunk in three tries, it's not as special. Sure, it'll look good. Just think about all those great dunks from the past completed on the first try.

Cancel the Contest
This might not be the most popular solution, but it could benefit the contest in the long run. Give fans the chance to miss the contest. Every year, people are trotted out to perform in the contest. To be completely honest, there isn't much left for the dunkers to do. The originality now comes from whatever props each person can bring out. Giving the dunk contest some time off would make the contest fresh again. The dunkers would be able to think of new things to pull out in front of the fans. Plus, they'd appreciate it more after some time off, like sleeping in your own bed after a vacation. You don't realize how much you like it until you go without it.

Anyways, those are just a couple of opinions. Leave a comment with some feedback or your own suggestions to improve the contest.

Raptors/Grizzlies/Pistons Trade

Before Toronto's game against Atlanta tonight, the Raptors acquired Rudy Gay from the Memphis Grizzlies as part of a three-team trade. So, here is the breakdown:

• Raptors receive:
• Rudy Gay
• Hamed Haddadi
• Grizzlies receive:
• Ed Davis
• Tayshaun Prince
• Austin Daye
• Raptors' 2013 2nd-round pick
• Cash considerations
• Pistons receive:
• Jose Calderon

One of the easiest ways to evaluate a trade is deciding who received the best player of the deal. At this point in time, it seems like the Raptors got the best of the deal.

But did they?

Gay will help the Raptors' line-up immediately. He'll push DeMar DeRozan to the shooting guard position, which adds instant athleticism to starting five. With Calderon gone as well, it looks like it will consist of a Lowry-DeRozan-Gay-Johnson-Gray combination until the team gets healthy. Andrea Bargnani and Jonas Valanciunas will likely start again when they resume play.

Gay also helps the Raptors in the fourth quarter, who haven't been able to close out games successfully - just like tonight. I know, I know. DeRozan was fouled. But doesn't that prove the lack of respect the officials in the NBA have for the only Canadian team? Gay has closed out games, especially against the Raptors.

However, the Raptors take a lot of money in the deal. Gay will be paid over $19 million in 2014-15. According to HoopsHype.com, he'll make more than Amir Johnson, Landry Fields, Valanciunas, and Terrence Ross combined (at the time of writing, the site did not have DeRozan's extension included in the cap).

It might not be as bad if they can unload Bargnani, which has been rumoured when he gets back from injury. Toronto has been more successful with "Il Mago", and he is starting to wear out his welcome with the fans. The former #1 overall selection has shown flashes of potential, but is it enough to get a deal done?

Many articles I have read consider this a salary dump for the Grizzlies. They get some nice pieces back for their part in the trade. Ed Davis was starting to come in to his own with more playing time in the depleted Raptors' front court. Davis averaged 33.5 minutes per game in January, putting up 14 points and 8 rebounds a game. He'll be a nice depth addition for the Grizzlies with the chance to develop into a fantastic player.

Calderon heading to the Detroit Pistons as a result of this might pain many fans. The Spanish point guard has played his entire career in Toronto and has done everything asked of him, whether it was coming off the bench of being part of the starting five. Calderon will help the development of Rodney Stuckey and Brandon Knight in Detroit.

In the long run of this trade, I believe the Grizzlies will be the winners of the deal. They have gained some financial stability AND added talent to the roster. The Pistons also come out ahead with experience in the back court. The Raptors appear to be the losers of trade, despite getting the biggest name. The ESPN Trade Machine agrees with me.

The one time the Raptors close something out, they may end up regretting it.