The Lebrelo Sweepstakes: Dissecting the 2014 NBA Off-Season

CLEVELAND SCENARIOS
The draft is a day away and this team has no idea what they're doing because... Cleveland.

2014 Mock Draft

They have multiple trade offers already on the board, including one that they offered themselves and have been eagerly pushing the Timberwolves to accept. Here are some scenarios...

1. Trade the pick, SG Dion Waiters, and C Anderson Varejao to Minnesota for PF Kevin Love. Minnesota would take SG Andrew Wiggins. Kevin Love has already stated that he wouldn't re-sign with Cleveland BUT Love would be the move that makes Lebron nod his head and shake hands with team owner Dan Gilbert.
2. Trade the pick to Utah for #5 overall and PF Derrick Favors. Utah would then select SF Jabari Parker, forcing Milwaukee to take SG Andrew Wiggins. Philly would take PG Dante Exum. Orlando would stick with Aaron Gordon and Cleveland would panic and take Julius Randle. Confused yet? Good.
3. Trade the pick to Orlando for #4, #12, and SG Arron Afflalo. Orlando would probably take SF Jabari Parker as well, Milwaukee - Wiggins, Philly - Exum, Cleveland? They'd panic again and end up with some combination like PF Julius Randle and SG Gary Harris.
4. IF they take SG Andrew Wiggins, they have a chance at landing a Carmelo Anthony as Wiggins isn't ready just yet and Melo could probably wait a year or two to become a serious contender. Parker would still go #2 to Milwaukee and the Sixers would sigh deeply and take Exum even though they already have Michael Carter-Williams. Carter-Williams would then be on the trading block.
5. IF they take SF Jabari Parker, a more finished product, Lebron would face a difficult decision between Miami and Cleveland that would take a couple of weeks for him to figure out. No, there wouldn't be another ESPN special in this scenario. Milwaukee would be pissed off and all of their fans would feel sad as they usually do around draft-day as the team would take a less-guaranteed-to-like-it-in-Milwaukee Andrew Wiggins.
6. IF they take C Joel Embiid, they'd lose all-star PG Kyrie Irving and Cleveland things up by not landing any free agents.
7. Finally, if they take PG Dante' Exum, I would be happy since I'm probably one of three people on planet Earth who has this happening.

There are countless other scenarios that could happen and are probably on the Cavaliers draft tables right now but these are the seven most-feasible.

Carmelo Anthony
There is a 0.00001% chance Carmelo Anthony returns to a Knicks team that is trying to free up cap-space for him (or other mysterious Zen-master reasons) as we speak.

Carmelo is planning on visiting the Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, and Houston Rockets once free agency begins. NOT Miami and NOT Cleveland. Clearly, all of these teams would love a Carmelo Anthony addition... or would they?

1. Houston adds Carmelo Anthony - This makes the Rockets one of the all-time worst defensive teams. James Harden, Jeremy Lin, and Dwight Howard had enough problems last year. If Daryl Morey lets this happen, the Rockets deserve whatever non-championship result happens to them.

2. Most likely result & what I believe happens: Chicago signs Carmelo Anthony - This would take a ton of pressure off of Derrick Rose and his legs.

3. Melo to Mavericks? - It would make sense in him fitting in the line-up but what would happen to Shawn "The Matrix" Marion? Would he just move to the bench or would he draw interest from other teams like Brooklyn (who has no cap space but might quietly lose Paul Pierce)

Lebron-a-thon 2
I think I've covered this pretty well already but just in case you've forgotten...

It's Cleveland if they get Kevin Love or Carmelo Anthony.

It's a tough-decision if Cleveland gets Jabari Parker.

It's Miami if Cleveland doesn't end up with any of those three players.

There are no other options that he'd consider. It's Miami or Cleveland.

Kevin Love
Boston? no. Cleveland? he doesn't want to go there. Miami? no. Lakers? no. Suns or Clippers? That'd be cool but no. Chicago? They'll probably take Melo instead. So, what exactly is left for Kevin Love if Cleveland can't land him? There's always returning to Minnesota and waiting for the Trade Deadline next year.

So anti-climatic!

One Trade That's Definitely Done, Already

+NBA on ESPN 

One Rumor That's Definitely Out There, Already
Pat Riley wants a lineup of:
PG - Shabazz Napier (They don't have the trade assets to do this)
SG - Dwyane Wade (He needs to be a 6th man)
SF - Lebron James
PF - Chris Bosh
C - Kendrick Perkins (HOW IS THIS MAN GOING TO STILL BE A STARTER IN THE NBA NEXT YEAR!?)

That's all according to ESPN's Chris Broussard.

Why are you doing this to me, Dante'!?
FoxSports Adrian Wojnorowski reports that Dante' Exum didn't get on the plane that Cleveland sent for him to come work-out for them and possibly become the #1 overall pick. This has some weird parallels to the series finale of Friends except I'm more sad than I was then.

#StaySwag

Nick "Swaggy P" Young has opted out of his contract with the L.A. Lakers. I don't think L.A. will be able to attract any free agents in 2014 with Kobe's and especially Steve Nash's contracts and injury-risk lurking around for another year. Without attracting any other new "stars", the Lakers will have to settle for a new Swaggy P contract where he should thrive as a sixth man.

Congratulations, Lakers.  

Lance'll Make 'Em Dance

The maniac who tried blowing in Lebron's ear and threatened Dwyane Wade with injury only to get injured himself is out on the market this off-season as well and it will be very intriguing to see which team takes a chance on the NBA's biggest head-case. Stephenson's original team, Indiana, has a very important decision. Do they keep him on the team and hope for a better result than last postseason or do they let him walk and basically walk away from the short-lived Hibbert-George-Stephenson era.


The Quietest Free Agents

No one is talking about Paul Pierce or Greg Monroe. There's no reason for Pierce to return to Brooklyn other than the unknown commodity that is Brook Lopez's future (he could be healthy and greatly improve the team or it could just be more of the same with Lopez being a huge financial road-block for Mikhail Prokhorov). So, if 36 year-old Paul Pierce is a free-agent, what teams come knocking and how much does he get paid? Is Boston a possibility again? SO MANY QUESTIONS!!! Greg Monroe is one of the most intriguing free agents as he could play out the rest of Andrew Bynum's career if Bynum could have stayed healthy. Detroit is a disaster and Monroe will leave at the first chance he gets but sadly for him, he is only a restricted free-agent. Still, I see someone offering a lot more money for Monroe than the Pistons are willing to pay to miss the playoffs again potentially.

What Are The Final Results?
Sidenote: Sorry about the twisted format here. Something happened with the spacing and it's irreversible.
Italics = Not on roster as of 6/26/14
Atlanta - tons of cap room and not a whole lot of possibilities except for the inkling of hope they have in 
acquiring Lebron James.

2014-15 Starting Line-up: PG Jeff Teague, SG Rodney Stuckey, SF Luol Deng, PF Paul Millsap, C Al 
Horford

Boston - If they pick Embiid like I think will happen, Rondo is gone to some other far-away land 
(Sacramento) in a mega-trade. This team is going to be in tank-mode AGAIN. Note: Jeremy Lin will also end up on this team.

2014-15 Starting Line-up: PG Isaiah Thomas, SG Avery Bradley, SF Paul Pierce, PF Jeff Green, C Joel 
Embiid (once healthy)

Brooklyn - No cap-space but Brook Lopez is returning. Should the fans be excited? No. Paul Pierce is
going, going, gone.

2014-15 Starting Line-up: PG Deron Williams (they're not finding a trade-suitor for this guy), SG Joe
Johnson, SF Andrei Kirilenko, PF Kevin Garnett, C Brook Lopez

Charlotte - This team is on a major up-swing and Michael Jordan might not even find a way to screw this
up!

2014-15 Starting Line-up: PG Kemba Walker, SG Gerald Henderson, SF Doug McDermott, PF Josh
McRoberts, C Al Jefferson

Chicago - All Tom Thibodeau rumors will be long-gone once this off-season is over.

2014-15 Starting Line-up: PG Derrick Rose, SG Jimmy Butler, SF Carmelo Anthony, PF Carlos Boozer,
C Joakim Noah

Cleveland - I blame Mike Brown for this somehow.

2014-15 Starting Line-up: PG Kyrie Irving, SG Dion Waiters, SF Marvin Williams (this is not an ideal
scenario but, that's what happens when you take Dante' Exum #1 overall in my completely hypothetical
world I've created), PF Tristan Thompson, C Anderson Varejao

Dallas - Hopes for Melo, Kyle Lowry, or Dwyane Wade will be dashed early.

14-15 Line-up: PG Ramon Sessions, SG Monta Ellis, SF Alan Anderson, PF Dirk Nowitzki, C Tyson
Chandler

Denver - Another team with open cap space and not a whole lot to do with it just yet.

14-15 Line-up: PG Ty Lawson, SG Arron Afflalo, SF Wilson Chandler, PF Kenneth Faried, C JaVale McGee

Detroit - This team needs to panic & will.

14-15 Line-up: PG Brandon Jennings, SG Kentavius Caldwell-Pope, SF Derrick Williams, PF Jason Thompson, C Andre Drummond

Golden State - The Kevin Love rumors is all this team has. Otherwise, the roster won't change.

14-15 Line-up: PG Stephen Curry, SG Klay Thompson, SF Andre Iguodala, PF David Lee, C Andrew Bogut

Houston - A whole lot of noise will result in one BIG addition IF they're smart.

14-15 Line-up: PG Patrick Beverley, SG James Harden, SF Chandler Parsons, PF Greg Monroe, C Dwight Howard

Indiana - It will be a huge mistake when this team lets go of both Lance Stephenson and Evan Turner.

14-15 Line-up: PG George Hill, SG Willie Green, SF Paul George, PF David West, C Roy Hibbert

L.A. Clippers - This team has one big move in them and has always lacked at Shooting Guard.

14-15 Line-up: PG Chris Paul, SG Lance Stephenson, SF Matt Barnes, PF Blake Griffin, C DeAndre Jordan.

L.A. Lakers - Kobe returns, looks around, shakes head in disapproval.

14-15 Line-up: PG Patty Mills, SG Kobe Bryant, SF Nick Young, PF Julius Randle, C Spencer Hawes

Memphis - The Grizzlies are on a downward spiral but will maintain Zach Randolph.

14-15 Line-up: PG Mike Conley, SG Tony Allen, SF Tayshaun Prince, PF Zach Randolph, C Marc Gasol

Miami - Everybody takes less money, blahblahblah you get the picture.

14-15 Line-up: PG Norris Cole, SG Dwyane Wade, SF Lebron James, PF Channing Frye, C Chris Bosh

Milwaukee - How long before Jabari Parker can start recruiting veterans to join him?

14-15 Line-up: PG Brandon Knight, SG Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF Jabari Parker, PF John Henson, C Larry Sanders

Minnesota - This whole Kevin Love thing is not going to end well.

14-15 Line-up: PG Ricky Rubio, SG Kevin Martin, SF Chase Budinger, PF Kevin Love, C Nikola Pekovic

New Orleans - Omer Asik is on board! Too bad their cap space went overboard.

14-15 Line-up: PG Jrue Holiday, SG Anthony Morrow, SF Tyreke Evans, PF Anthony Davis, C Omer Asik

New York - The Phil Jackson effect... kind of works.

14-15 Line-up: PG Kyle Lowry, SG Iman Shumpert, SF Shawn Marion, PF Andrea Bargnani, C Sam Dalembert

Oklahoma City - If they add any pieces anywhere, those would have to be on the bench. -cough, cough- Evan Turner

14-15 Line-up: PG Russell Westbrook, SG Thabo Sefolosha, SF Kevin Durant, PF Serge Ibaka, C Steven Adams

Orlando - With the awful Arron Afflalo for Evan Fournier and 2nd rounder trade out of the way, Orlando has a pretty bleak off-season post-draft.

14-15 Line-up: PG Shabazz Napier, SG Victor Oladipo, SF Tobias Harris, PF Aaron Gordon, C Nikola Vucevic

Philadelphia - Michael Carter-Williams won't care for these trade rumors but hopefully, Philly manages to keep him.

14-15 Line-up: PG Michael Carter-Williams, SG Andrew Wiggins, SF Thaddeus Young, PF Noah Vonleh, C Nerlens Noel

Phoenix - A team with incredible potential adds a star to lead this team to a playoff run.

14-15 Line-up: PG Goran Dragic, SG Eric Bledsoe, SF Gerald Green, PF Pau Gasol, C Miles Plumlee

Portland - They don't need to do a whole lot other than stay healthy. (which is difficult enough for this team)

14-15 Line-up: PG Damian Lillard, SG Wesley Matthews, SF Nicolas Batum, PF LaMarcus Aldridge, C Robin Lopez

Sacramento - The Kings' new ownership goes buck-wild this off-season with some huge trades.

14-15 Line-up: PG Rajon Rondo, SG Ben McLemore, SF Rudy Gay, PF Josh Smith, C DeMarcus Cousins

San Antonio - San Antonio scoffs at the idea of making moves in the off-season.

14-15 Line-up: PG Tony Parker, SG Marco Belinelli, SF Kawhi Leonard, PF Tim Duncan, C Tiago Splitter

Toronto - If they don't move quickly enough, Kyle Lowry will probably leave town and Toronto will be one all-star short of a second round cameo again.

14-15 Line-up: PG Greivis Vasquez, SG Terrence Ross, SF DeMar DeRozan, PF Amir Johnson, C Jonas Valanciunas

Utah - They'll probably be able to stash Chris Kaman on their bench so, that's a thing.

14-15 Line-up: PG Trey Burke, SG Marcus Smart, SF Gordon Hayward, PF Derrick Favors, C Enes Kanter

Washington - They need (and I mean NEED) to re-sign Ariza and Gortat.

14-15 Line-up: PG John Wall, SG Bradley Beal, SF Trevor Ariza, PF Nene', C Marcin Gortat

So, there's my inexact science as to what this off-season might shape up to be. Best of luck to your teams and may someone please talk about something other than Lebron and Carmelo once this is all over.

2014 NBA Draft Preview: The Cavaliers Parade of Hope Begins

The Spurs are world champions. They defeated the Miami Heat quickly in five games, causing every sports network in America to panic about the Heat's big three instead of honoring the magnificent season the Spurs just had with one of the deepest benches of the last decade. (BORIS DIAW FOR THE WIN!) San Antonio was playing the way they usually do with tons of passing and limited amount of highlight plays but one significant change that assisted the Spurs in mercy-killing Miami so soon was the addition of a potent three point shootout between Manu Ginobili, Patty Mills, and MVP Kawhi Leonard. It was a bit more fun to watch then the typical Spurs team but, without a fully-healthy, fully-exciting Tony Parker, it fell a tad bit short for me in terms of keeping the viewer's attention. It was not a great finals but San Antonio got their revenge.

Now that all of the series have been played, it's time for the awful teams to start getting loud again as the NBA Draft and most importantly, the NBA off-season are right around the corner before anybody recovers from the Finals hangover. First up: The 2014 NBA Draft June 26th on ESPN. It's time for the mock drafts to actually get some attention and I will throw my name into the ring of mock drafts. Please keep in mind that this is for entertainment purposes only. Don't go to Vegas with these picks or bet with other people on the results on the NBA Draft. I'm not ready to hold any responsibility for your foolishness to entrust me with making the correct draft picks here. Plus, all of these picks will probably be traded in the middle of the draft like they are every year. It's an unpredictable event that I'm going to try to predict. Wish me luck...

1. Cleveland Cavaliers - PG Dante Exum (Australia)

Yes Bill, I'm making my boldest call on my blog yet. Cleveland will shock everybody for the second consecutive draft by shitting on the common belief of everyone in the U.S. that Wiggins, Parker, and Embiid are the obvious first three picks. I like Dante Exum, but don't know how he fits in Cleveland. The pick makes very little sense, making it the ultimate Dan Gilbert move. Exum would join the likes of former top-five picks Anthony Bennett, Dion Waiters, and Tristan Thompson (oh yeah, and Kyrie Irving) on a roster headed nowhere. This will be the final straw for Kyrie Irving, convincing him to run away and run quickly.

2. Milwaukee Bucks - SF Jabari Parker (Duke)

"I seriously have to play alongside bar-fighting Larry Sanders?"

Milwaukee General Manager John Hammond is and always has been a "win-now" guy. He has never knowingly tanked (although he was outnumbered in deciding last year's fate). Between the big three of this draft, Parker is the most NBA ready and would fit in perfectly with the Bucks since they need everything. There's also a report out that Parker "tanked" his pre-draft workout with Cleveland because he WANTS to be a Milwaukee Buck. In other news, Jabari Parker is a robot programmed by John Hammond.

3. Philadelphia 76ers - SG Andrew Wiggins (Kansas)

The player with the highest ceiling is Pennsylvania-bound.

The 76ers could just choose to tank AGAIN and take an injured Joel Embiid and re-create the great new duo in twin towers Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid. Andrew Wiggins is just too damn good to pass up. He has the highest ceiling of any player in this draft and would help Philly get close to the playoffs in the terrible Eastern Conference right away. Wiggins would immediately start, filling a need left empty by Evan Turner at Shooting Guard and would create the most exciting and first national broadcast-worthy 76ers team since the days of Allen Iverson. Picture this: ROTY Michael Carter-Williams, Wiggins, Thad Young, Nerlens, and -insert other 1st rounder here- as Philly's starting line-up. That's a potential top 3 team in the East three years down the road.

4. Orlando Magic - PF Aaron Gordon (Arizona)

The fact that Gordon looks like Blake Griffin only helps the comparisons.

All aboard the Aaron Gordon hype train (choo choo), I am the conductor. I don't think I've heard one single comparison for the former Arizona Power Forward this past year that was not Blake Griffin. Considering Griffin is coming off a top-3 MVP season, Orlando should pop champagne in the draft room as Aaron Gordon could be a franchise-altering pick. Orlando has all the pieces except they are missing a star. Gordon could be that star that catapults them from cellar-dweller to playoff-contender. Andrew Wiggins is all potential, Embiid is hurt, Parker's game might not translate to the NBA (as has been a problem for former Duke players), and Exum is Australian so nobody really knows as much about him. All Aaron Gordon requires is the eye test and he passes with flying colors. He is the most overlooked great basketball player in this draft.

5. Utah Jazz - PG/SG Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State)

In a roster full of young guys who have yet to reach their prime, one hole has yet to be successfully filled: Shooting Guard.

Marcus Smart was a Point Guard in college but with his size and the matter of how he plays, Smart appears to be more destined to become a two-guard. That fits perfectly into Utah's system as they have hope built around Center Enes Kanter, Power Forward Derrick Favors, Point Guard Trey Burke (who should only be a sixth man but that's another story), and Small Forward/Face of the Franchise Gordon Hayward. They also have a former lottery pick in Shooting Guard Alec Burks but rumor has it, Burks is on the trading block. This comes as a surprise to virtually nobody as he has begun to show flashes but with a new head coach and a team that still heavily struggled last season, somebody has to go. 

I could also see this pick being part of a trade either involving Alec Burks and/or Favors or involving them keeping the same line-up but trading down for a stronger bench. For the sake of this blog, I won't predict any draft day trades officially but will sort of *hint hint*  *wink wink* at a couple of alternate possibilities.

6. Boston Celtics - C Joel Embiid (Kansas)

One underrated aspect of this gif is the man in the bottom right corner's reaction who looks like he just watched (SPOILER ALERT) Todd go from playfully waving to shooting a kid on Breaking Bad.

There is no risk in Boston taking Embiid at number six overall, none at all... except they have to trade Rajon Rondo IMMEDIATELY. The way I see it is there are two scenarios for the Celtics in this draft:

1. Wait for the pick, see that it's Embiid, take Embiid. Later, trade Rondo to anyone who wants a Point Guard who just loves to boost his assist totals.

2. Wait for the pick, "oh crap, Embiid is gone". Package this pick along with Jeff Green, Jared Sullinger, 2015 & 16 1st's or the #17 pick later in this draft and one of 15/16 (this might cause some issues on Boston's end) and probably one other guy (Brandon Bass? Gerald Wallace?) to Minnesota for Kevin Love. Your new Celtic line-up is: Rondo, Avery Bradley, Gerald Wallace? (trust me, this is me free-styling a trade offer off the top of my head, I have no idea if this works in any dimension), Love, and either Kelly Olynyk or Joel Anthony. That might be enough to get 5th in the East.

"Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?" asked Avril Lavigne fan, Joel Embiid.

7. Los Angeles Lakers - PF Julius Randle (Kentucky)

Kelly Kline/ESPNHS
Closest non-photoshopped photo I could find of Randle in a Laker-colored uniform.

Pau Gasol is a free agent and I'm no expert but he's probably sick and tired of waiting around for Kobe to come back, losing, the Buss family, and the entire Laker hoopla that has taken place since their last championship. That would leave a gaping hole at Power Forward if Pau were to leave. Only five Lakers are under contract next season (Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Robert Sacre, Nick Young, and Kendall Marshall) and none are Power Forwards. Kobe and Nash are going to be shells of their former selves once they're finally healthy next year (IF they ever get healthy) and Nick Young is not the future of the franchise. Julius Randle is the perfect fit for this presently coach-less team. Although Kentucky coach John Calipari restricted Julius Randle's shooting abilities in his one season as a Wildcat, Randle can still shoot a nice LaMarcus Aldridge-esque jumper and has the capabilities to do every other obvious task that you would expect from a Power Forward (rebound, work inside the paint). Randle might be the guy who saves the Lakers from a dreaded stretch of multiple years of failure and overall dreariness ahead. 

8. Sacramento Kings - PG Zach LaVine (UCLA)

His 46-inch vertical has caught the fans' attention and might be too much for Sacramento to pass up.

Zach LaVine can fly like no other player in the draft. It might seem like a ridiculous comparison to make and convenient since both went to UCLA but LaVine's offensive skill-set reminds me of a less-confident (Read: less erratic) Russell Westbrook. LaVine has the upside of youth (19 years old) and his current problems with decision-making will figure themselves out after a season or two in Sacramento. LaVine's height could put him at either Point or Shooting Guard which is great for Sacramento because outside of Isaiah Thomas, the team doesn't have a clear starting guard (although Ben McLemore will certainly get his minutes). As much as my evil side wanted to have Marcus Smart and his over-exaggerated "anger issues" join the same team as Boogie Cousins, I just don't see him falling out of the top 7. 

This pick will definitely be up for discussion as a trade as one team will try to trade up for Noah Vonleh. NBA teams shouldn't draft for need and this is a "need" pick, Sacramento might be able to get LaVine at 11 or 12.

9. The New Charlotte Hornets - SF Doug McDermott (Creighton)

Dougie McBuckets gives the Hornets some much needed offense.

Out of all of the lottery picks, Doug McDermott is the least likely to become an all-star. The reason he is least likely though is because McDermott isn't supposed to be the greatest all-around player on your team instead, he does what he's good at (shooting) while the other four players on the court do everything else. This pick is a perfect fit for Charlotte as they need offense and Small Forward is a question mark position for them (MKG? Gerald Henderson?). This wouldn't be too much of a reach though as McDermott fits a perfect role for many teams that are lacking a consistent three-point shooter and I don't see Charlotte trading out especially since they just made the playoffs as a seven-seed.

10. Philadelphia 76ers - PF Noah Vonleh (Indiana)

Indiana may have missed March Madness but, they still have a top-10 pick in Noah Vonleh.

In a dream scenario, Philadelphia manages to keep Thaddeus Young, denying all trade offers and teams up Noah Vonleh with Young and the team gets to ease Nerlens Noel back to full basketball speed before the end of the season. This is only if the team does the typically correct move and targets the best player available instead of going after a need (Small Forward). The team should hold onto Thad Young until they are absolutely certain that Vonleh and Noel can manage to start in a contending line-up alongside Andrew Wiggins and Michael Carter-Williams. The Sixers really lucked (or sucked?) out by getting two more top ten picks.

Dario Saric would be the need pick here and would not shock me but if Vonleh is here, JUST DO IT SAM HINKIE!

11. Denver Nuggets - PG Elfrid Payton (Louisiana)

With his wild hair and New Orleans Hornets tattoo on his right shoulder, Payton is another intriguing member to add to a roster that already has JaVale McGee, Kenneth Faried, and tons of injuries.

Elfrid Payton is another need-pick but not a reach as the only players Denver would ignore by picking him are Gary Harris and Dario Saric. Nobody seems certain what the extent of Ty Lawson's foot problems last season are headed into the 2014-15 season and Nate Robinson is still out with his torn ACL. Sure, Randy Foye and Evan Fournier aren't bad but the Nuggets would like to add some extra insurance like they didn't have behind JaVale McGee last year or Danilo Gallinari the season before that. Payton only had one round to nationally showcase his talents in the round of 64 during March Madness but the kid has some real defensive potential, something Denver kind of needs right now.

12. Orlando Magic - PG Shabazz Napier (Connecticut)

Size was never a problem with Jameer Nelson and the Magic got ten years (and counting) out of him.

Being the NCAA March Madness Tournament's Most Outstanding Player typically boosts a players stock through the roof. Having four years of college experience doesn't hurt either. Oh, two championships you say? Yeah, Napier might not translate to the NBA that well but with his resume, it's going to be difficult for Orlando, a team that has started Jameer Nelson for the past decade and took a Power Forward with the fourth pick, to pass up on Shabazz Napier's hot streak. This could be the final piece for Orlando's line-up puzzle, making their starting five: Napier/Nelson, Oladipo, Tobias Harris, Gordon, Nikola Vucevic' assuming they trade Arron Afflalo to a team needing a Shooting Guard and they totally will. (Boston? Utah? Minnesota? Charlotte? Miami? there are tons of options out there.)

13. Minnesota Timberwolves - PF Dario Saric (Croatia)

"C'mon now. Really?"

Sometime between now (Monday night) and the draft, the Timberwolves will realize there's no way they're keeping Kevin Love past next season and will plan his replacement in the thinner, sharp-shooting Dario Saric. This pick makes very little sense for Minnesota, especially considering Saric just signed in Turkey and will spend a "minimum of 2 years" not in the NBA. Let me try to explain how this works...

1.) Embiid fell to Boston, they don't think they need Kevin Love and trade Rajon Rondo somewhere else (not Minnesota) instead.

2.) The Warriors think about the Klay Thompson & Harrison Barnes offer but decide to decline as the young combination of Thompson and Barnes is too much for a guy who's never made the playoffs. 

3.) Houston ends up getting caught up in trying to sign Carmelo Anthony or Lebron James that they decide to wait on Kevin Love until next season.

4.) Minnesota attracts zero free agents as they usually do and end up with the same tenth-seeded team for the five-hundredth year in a row. 

5.) They lose all hope on K-Love trade offers this week and wait until the trade deadline to bring up trade discussions again.

6.) Minnesota collectively sighs and selects Dario Saric so they at least feel like they have a replacement in line even though it'll take a top five pick for them to find another KG or KL.

"Playing with Ricky Rubio pleases me." Mikhail Prokhorov's evil son exclaimed while clapping with a fake smile and mo-hawk the likes of which Brandon Jennings is jealous of.

14. Phoenix Suns - SG Gary Harris (Michigan State)

The sleeper team of the off-season picks up a sleeper of a Guard who nobody will be sleeping on once he falls out of the top twelve picks.

Phoenix has a lot of good talent on their team and some impressive depth but with Power Forward/Center Channing Frye opting out of his contract, the team will lose their only consistent three-point shooter outside of all-star snub Goran Dragic. Gary Harris will add depth behind Dragic, Bledsoe, and Gerald Green, helping Phoenix land an 8-seed finish at least. Phoenix would be fine taking a James Young or even a Nik Stauskas here but the best player available is Gary Harris and with his potential, Harris will be a perfect fit for second-year Head Coach Jeff Hornaceck. 

15. Atlanta Hawks - SF James Young (Kentucky)

James Young caught the nation's eyes with his awareness and put-back dunks during March Madness.

James Young is going to be the best highlight-reel player the Hawks have had since all-star Josh Smith. This is a good thing because it gets the fans excited for an otherwise dull team and with James Young's solid offensive and defensive skills, he could help them improve from an eight-seed to a slightly higher seeding next postseason. James Young also fits perfectly in Atlanta's scheme as DeMarre Carroll is a solid NBA player but in no form should he be starting on a playoff team. James Young might be able to take over from day one or at least mid-way through the season as there's definitely room for improvement in his game.

16. Chicago Bulls - SG Nik Stauskas (Michigan)

Michigan's superstar offensive player doesn't leave far from home.

The Bulls have three potential free agents at the guard positions: D.J. Augustin, Kirk Hinrich, and Jimmer Fredette. The Bulls didn't get a lot of what they expected from Fredette and as a result, should let him walk. Nik Stauskas could fill Jimmer's role of three-point shooter efficiently alongside fellow outside threat, Mike Dunleavy Jr. Stauskas won't be a starter in the NBA and might just flame out the same way Jimmer did but if he reaches his full potential, we could be looking at a poor man's Glenn Robinson (Oh, the Michigan comparisons!). 

17. Boston Celtics - SG Rodney Hood (Duke)

In the scenario I have created, never has it been less-exciting for someone to be a Celtic.

Who's ready for another round of Andy Todd hypothetical draft scenarios?!

1.) The Celtics will trade Rondo, leaving Avery Bradley to re-take the Point Guard position.

2.) This pick could also be up for trade discussion as previously mentioned in a Kevin Love draft-day trade scenario but only IF Joel Embiid doesn't fall to Boston at #6.

3.) Once both these things happen (and neither will because NBA drafts are impossible to predict, ESPECIALLY trades), Boston will have a hole to fill at Shooting Guard and won't want to completely embarrass themselves by taking another project-in-waiting in Bosnian Center Jusuf Nurkic. As a result, Boston takes the aggressive Shooting Guard from Duke who would form a perfect cellar-dweller tank-fest of a team starring: Bradley, Hood, Olynyk, Sullinger, Gerald Wallace, an injured Joel Embiid and Joel Anthony. I'm sorry, Brad Stevens. This is just the way things have to be when you coach too well to finish in the bottom three of the standings.

18. Phoenix Suns - PF Adreian Payne (Michigan State)

All aboard the Phoenix Suns hype bandwagon! CHOO CHOO!

Adreian Payne looked awesome during March Madness and now he gets to join an already stacked team with his college teammate Gary Harris already on the bench! Somebody get me Phoenix Suns season tickets! Barring they don't trade this pick for (dare I say it again) Kevin Love, Payne is another perfect fit and would make the Suns the most complete bench this early on in the off-season.

19. Chicago Bulls - PG Tyler Ennis (Syracuse)

Tyler Ennis would give Derrick Rose some much needed rest off the bench as Rose recovers from his second leg injury.

The Bulls will probably be able to re-sign Kirk Hinrich and have him ready in case of Derrick Rose emergency #3 but with Hinrich entering his twelth season in the NBA, it's time for Chicago to be even more prepared for once Hinrich isn't on the team. Tyler Ennis showed he had first-round talent all season long and while sometimes inconsistent, is still a great game manager and ball-handler. The offense might actually be better off with Ennis in the game instead of Hinrich.

20. Toronto Raptors - C Jusuf Nurkic (Bosnia)

Some think Nurkic is NBA-ready now, others don't think he'll ever be. He is the 2014 NBA Draft mystery man.

Jusuf Nurkic. Jonas Valanciunas. Assistant Coach John Mahlalela. If Charles Barkley has to call a Raptors game in the future, we are all in for three entertaining hours of pronunciations. I get the sense that Toronto wants out of this pick and if they find no suitors, I could see them settling on a project big-man like Nurkic. The team's only weakness could be at the point if Kyle Lowry decides to take his talents elsewhere but with no big-name Point Guards available and no guarantee that Lowry is leaving, Toronto will probably trade down. 

21. Thunder - SG P.J. Hairston (North Carolina)

P.J. Hairston already has some D-League experience which showcased his scoring ability.

The best scorer in the NBA's Developmental League last year was Pierre Jackson. Pierre Jackson is no longer in America, playing for the Turkish Basketball League even though he scored 58 points in a game against a bunch of almost-NBA players (A D-League record). P.J. Hairston doesn't have a great reputation after being suspended from the Tar Heels' 2013-14 roster which will only hurt his draft stock. Desperate times call for desperate measures though, and after the terrible bench scoring performance and Shooting Guard performances from OKC's team in the Western Conference Finals, This is the move that GM Sam Presti needs to make if Scott Brooks wants to return post-2015.

22. Memphis Grizzlies - SF T.J. Warren (NC State)

The Grizzlies will end up lucking out as the best player available fills their largest hole offensively.

 I think this quote from Michael Levin of SBNation.com sums this pick up perfectly...

"Memphis desperately needs scoring, and Warren's strengths -- not being Tayshaun Prince the biggest one -- play to that." 

I love it when other websites agree with me on draft picks. Well done, Michael Levin. Well done.

23. Utah Jazz - PF Kyle Anderson (UCLA)

Kyle Anderson isn't exactly Kevin Love. Actually, I'm not even sure what position he is.

Kyle Anderson doesn't exactly have the size of fundamentals to be a Power Forward but could shoot like a mini-Serge Ibaka. The Jazz need more forward depth around Derrick Favors and Anderson would provide them with a decent offensive force on a team lacking big-men who can shoot. This is a pick that could definitely be traded as the available names in the draft pool are losing steam and Utah doesn't want any more mediocre players on a team already stacked with those. 

24. Charlotte Hornets - PG Jordan Clarkson (Missouri)

Jordan Clarkson's most likely the last Point Guard selected for another 15 or so picks.

Clarkson is this year's Archie Goodwin in that even though he went to a fairly big school, not a whole lot is known about him nationwide and he probably won't do anything his first year in the NBA. Charlotte has a couple of veteran expiring contracts at both guard positions and will be looking to add depth with a guard choice here. Considering they have no one besides Gary Neal and Kemba Walker at Point Guard, look for them to snag Jordan Clarkson about five picks too early.

25. Houston Rockets - PF Jarnell Stokes (Tennessee)

Jarnell Stokes will be very Jarnell "Stoked" once he falls to a contender.

Houston's depth chart looks pretty damn solid right about now with five capable starters and at least one competent back-up at each position. If they feel super comfortable with the roster they have now, they might go with a foreign player (something they've been known to do) who they can wait for a couple seasons to arrive to America. It's really a toss-up between that and adding something at Power Forward. Something could be

A.) Kevin Love

B.) -Insert other free agent here-

C.) -Insert player acquired for this draft pick-

D.) Jarnell Stokes because they're okay with Terrence Jones, Donatas Motiejunas, and Jarnell Stokes.

Stokes is a southern player and consistently picked up double-doubles for Tennessee so he might be a steal here for Kevin McHale and company.

26. Miami Heat - SF Cleanthony Early (Wichita State)

The new Big 3: Dwyane Wade, Norris Cole, and Cleanthony Early.

With all obvious Miami jokes set aside, the Heat have five players under contract right now (Dwyane Wade & Chris Bosh could both opt-out, Norris Cole, Udonis Haslem, and somebody named Justin Hamilton). It's time for Pat Riley to panic. I could totally see this pick being traded but if they want to add depth on their bench, they need to keep it and take the gifted Wichita State Forward Cleanthony Early. The Heat bench disappeared during the Finals and adding Cleanthony's jumper would help add another Rashard Lewis-type scorer. His defense is never going to be more than mediocre but Early's future is not going to be as a starter. If Lebron returns, Early will likely only see James Jones' minutes. 

27. Phoenix Suns - SF Glen Robinson III (Michigan)

Former #1 pick Glen "Big Dog" Robinson's son is seen as a second rounder in many eyes.

The Suns have already drafted two players from Michigan State since their a fan of pairs (See: The Morris twins) and now are going to stir the pot by adding another jump-shooter and solid rebounder in Glen Robinson III. With college teammate Mitch McGary's off-court problems, I don't see him going before Robinson and Robinson fits better in Phoenix. 

28. Los Angeles Clippers - C Walter Tavares (Spain)

7'3''? -General Manager begins drooling-

Not much is known about the 7-3 Center from Spain but with the Clippers needing absolutely nothing besides a big Center for their bench, this is a beautiful fit for LA's new #1 team. 

29. Oklahoma City Thuder - SG Jordan Adams (UCLA)

UCLA's third player drafted will go off the board with OKC's second pick.

Eight teams have multiple first round draft picks and Oklahoma City is two great steals of draft picks away from the NBA Finals. Sadly, most of the guards talented enough to assist Kevin Durant in a championship run are already off the board so for the second time in the first round, OKC settles for a Shooting Guard with some potential who isn't quite ready for the big show yet. Maybe a year or two down the road and Adams could turn into a poor man's Thabo Sefolosha but for now he's an average offensive player with solid defensive skills and little discipline.

30. San Antonio Spurs - SF Damien Inglis (France)

Players that fall into the second round include: Mitch McGary, Clint Capela, Patric Young, and my personal favorite Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Damien Inglis is French. Tony Parker is French. The Spurs love taking foreign players. My one guarantee of the draft is that they stash away another foreigner here, leaving their championship roster exactly the same for next season and then, once Danny Green finds a better contract somewhere else, Inglis will finally come over to play for San Antonio. 

This makes bearded Popovich happy.

Best of luck to all of your teams and may you all avoid drafting a Sam Bowie over a Michael Jordan! 

Everyday Joe: My Trip To Target Field

I really have enjoyed this past week. The weekend's weather was grand and much of it was spent outdoors. The planned trip to Minnesota was better than previously expected and I experienced some pretty fun times.

Tuesday, June 3rd
The planned trip was me and my father (who I will refer to as "Father Todd" from this point on) were going to spend three days in St. Paul at two of our relatives' (exact relation = cousin, twice removed or something complicated to that level) house in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. We would go to a Milwaukee Brewer-Minnesota Twin game at the (new to us) Target Field Wednesday night, play some board games to pass the time, and perhaps even go disc golfing. Disc Golfing never happened, but every event that replaced it made up for the lack of disc golfing handily. The trip was a full three-and-a-half hour drive from Wisconsin Rapids to St. Paul with only one stop in between at a gas station in Neillsville. It was sunny with barely a cloud in the sky and a perfect outdoor temperature at somewhere between 75 and 85 degrees.

Our road trip began around 10 AM and we arrived at our destination at 1:30 PM. With only a half a box of Slim Jims that I had carried into the car gone already, needless to say we were both hungry. Thankfully, my dad's cousin (I'm allowed to shorten his real title) is a somewhat professional chef. Up the staircase we went, greeted by a door which was technically the back-door entrance to his house although, we ended up using that door more than the front entrance. Once he unlocked the door, we walked into his kitchen. The chef then proceeded to make us some awesome Philly cheese steak sandwiches. He gave us a tour of his small, humble abode which included a down-stairs neighbor in a two-floor establishment. To the left of where we entered, lay a bathroom, food pantry, and laundry room. To the right, the dining room, living room, and one bedroom. The dining room was easily the most impressive room to us Todd's as it contained a book-case stacked with board games, some of which we had no idea existed. He capped off the tour by returning to the stair-case from which we entered and showed us to our room that we would be sharing.

The room was hidden in a doorway at the top of the back-staircase. Once that door was opened, it led to a room that looked like a janitor's closet with a newly-formed ladder in the center of the closet. Once our guide had opened the door, he begun climbing the ladder which confused both Father Todd and I until his cousin disappeared into the ceiling. "Duh" I thought, this ladder clearly led to the attic. We then proceeded to follow my dad's cousin up the misshapen "staircase" that was really a ladder and popped up into a hole in the floor of the attic. My father's cousin had re-done the attic within the past year and made it look like a decent room with nothing in it besides a futon and a deflated air mattress. I knew I was going to choose the air mattress as my last night on a futon resulted in ninety minutes of sleep.

My dad's cousin then proceeded to give us a tour on a quick walk around his area of the city (only a few blocks). Once we returned to his home, we had to wait for our host's wife to arrive home from work. In the spare half hour or so that we had, we played a game resembling the card game Last Word which I can not for the life of me remember the actual title for (give me a break, this took place 4 days ago and we played it for less than thirty minutes, plus I can't find it on Google).

Once the second host arrived home, they both took us to St. Paul's own Como Zoo. My dad's cousin tried to downplay the free zoo as he said "all they rely on are donations and it's not as bad as it used to be but us folks around here still refer to it as the "sad zoo"". Walking through the entrance, we saw the person manning the donations stand who was previously mentioned to us and opened the door to a surprisingly huge zoo (Not Minnesota Zoo huge but still pretty size-able compared to anything you witness in central Wisconsin). The multiple hours we spent at this zoo was fascinating and the subject of many nice photos.

Photos Like this.

Or this picture of Mr. Zebra gurgling his own urine. Nice imagery, huh?

The Giraffes seemed as though they were moving in slow motion as all giraffes do.

Lowlight: All of the cats were resting.

The caribou got up close and personal.

Breaking News: Polar Bears are large

Highlight: I made friends with a seal.

As we all made our way through the zoo, we followed the two Minnesotans into the garden area. The garden area was intense for anybody who loves gardening. Father Todd was in love with this building.

I have an idea for where to shoot a funny music video.

The plant area also had a hallway that led to food/spice trees (Ex: Mango, Cacao, Black Pepper). There was also an outdoor area containing around a dozen bonzai trees being watched by one security person who I swear, must have the most boring job on Earth. Who would want to steal one of these trees?

After our 2-3 hours spent at the Como Zoo, we got back to our car and my dad's cousin played a game he liked to refer to as "Highlight:Lowlight" which was basically just his way of getting us to compliment his decisions like going to the zoo or anything else we did this week. As mentioned in the above photo captions, my highlight of this part of our trip was bonding with a seal while my lowlight (not even a word) was every single cat in some sort of resting position, not willing to roar/meow/do anything.

My legs were pretty tired of walking through the warmth of the Summer sun for a few hours with no stops at a zoo so, we went ahead and got ice cream at the fantastic Conny's Creamy Cone at the corners of Maryland Ave. and Dale St.. This ice cream business had a wealth of options to choose from including the choice of whether or not to dip your ice cream in another flavor. They also had cheese curds. My review: Wisconsin Cheese Curds > Minnesota Cheese Curds.

The service was great and there were 24+ soft serve flavors, what else could anybody ask for?

As we chowed down on some delicious dairy products, all four of us at the table discussed what we would do next with our day. Our discussion led us to the main tourist attraction of the Twin Cities: The Mall of America. Four floors, roller-coasters, crazy huge Lego statues and the same sporting goods stores over and over again. It was definitely a highlight of the trip. 

They even had auditions for The Skol Line (AKA: The official drum line of the Minnesota Vikings). There were about 30 participants and people on all four floors were leaned over the railing, attentively observing. It was basically "Viking Idol".

All of us passed the ultimate test as none of us spent any money on our seemingly endless walk through the Mall of America other than one cookie (and man, those cookies were scrumptious) for each person. I went with Macadamia Nut (a family favorite). While in the Mall of America, I received multiple compliments on my Superman hat which I thought nothing of until I realized that the hat I was wearing was in literally ZERO of the dozen or more stores with snap-backs and other hats inside of them.

Seriously though, who has the time to make Optimus Prime out of Legos?

Quality profile picture material.

Afterwards, it was 9:52 when we arrived at the place we ordered our supper from, Taqueria Los Paisanos. The food was good but they really packed in a ton of ingredients into their burritos. I needed two meals to down the thing but it was tasty nonetheless. The night ended with three hours of more board games including the (highly recommended) Scattegories-esque Facts of Five (which spawned terrible categories like U.S. Politicians of Icelandic descent and terrible answers for those categories like "Calvin Coolidge") and Racko. 

After all of the game-playing, it was time for bed at 1 AM and I crawled my way up the jagged and sketchy ladder into the attic, where I got a solid night of rest on the air mattress despite the sweltering heat of the room. 

Wednesday, June 4th
I awoke to the sun peaking through the small window on the side of the dark attic/storage room and immediately knew that this would be a great day. How did I know? Well, I knew that the night would include a good old fashioned baseball game between the Minnesota Twins and Wisconsin's very own Milwaukee Brewers. Once I made my way into the kitchen, my dad's cousin was ready with a full onslaught of pancakes. After completing the typical morning get-ready-for-the-day activities, I sat down at the dining room table and was greeted by a huge stack of pancakes resting on a plate in the center of the dining room table. I ended up eating three with my dad taking care of a couple as well but my dad's cousin? He ate none. He said "I'm not a pancake guy. My wife loves pancakes but I see them more as an easy butter or syrup transportation device as pancakes rarely ever have flavor". I never thought of it that way but, I think he's right. The only pancakes worth eating are the flavored ones you find at IHOP like chocolate pancakes or red-velvet pancakes (another personal favorite of mine and what I ate on my 16th birthday).

The day wasn't planned out very well ahead of time but we knew we had to do something outdoors. After some deliberation, My dad's cousin (Oh yeah, I haven't used his real name yet... might as well just call him Dan since that's his name) took us out on Lake Gervais (no relation to Ricky) on his boat.

That's Little Canada's water tower shot from inside the boat on Lake Gervais. Come to think of it, with all of their friendliness, hockey, and maple worship... Minnesota is basically 50% Canada.

The boat ride was nice when the boat was in motion as the water was a perfect temperature to reach into but too cold to jump into. After the ten minutes or so spent moving, Dan stopped the boat and we sat in the sweltering sun for 75 minutes. It was nice for about ten minutes but when you introduce this activity to two Conan O'Brien-levels of pale individuals like Father Todd and myself, it gets old quickly.

I needed the tan anyways.

While out in the open water, we discussed what we should do for the rest of our three-day stay other than the obvious (Brewers game). The long discussion did not give us any clear answers but I've discovered that some of the most enjoyable things in life aren't planned and that was certainly true for my dad that afternoon.

Dan needed some time to finish drilling the final two cup-holders into his boat that he had been repairing when we arrived. He kept my father entertained by giving him the keys to Dan's moped (a device on which my dad has never driven/ridden). My dad gladly hopped on and did laps around downtown St. Paul for the next thirty minutes. He looked ridiculous to me but, he was having the time of his life. He even came down the alley to stop by me (sitting in a lawn chair, sipping some water by Dan's garage) and announce with a smile on his face, "This is one of the highlights of the trip!".

Dan finished drilling his cup-holders and took care of another chore by watering his wife's plants while she was at work. After spending a few hours outside on a beautiful afternoon, we came back upstairs and decided to pick through some of Dan's old video games. He had the works in terms of video game systems including a Nintendo Wii, the original Nintendo (what my dad has played most among all video game systems during his life), and a Playstation 2 (what I've grown up on). It was like Dan's house was the place to be in Minnesota if you wanted to play any type of game.

My dad began the video game portion of our afternoon by trying to master the toughest possible level of Dr. Mario that he has become so accustomed to mastering over the years. He started out sort of struggling but after a few unsuccessful tries, he was right back in the swing of things, dominating Dr. Mario and leaving our host in awe. Once Dan's wife walked in, we talked a short amount about when we should leave and then switched consoles to the Wii. We then played Mario Kart on the Wii and my father and I were massacred. I lucked out during one round and finished eighth in cup racing out of twelve but my dad was consistently in the bottom three.

At 4:25 it was time to leave. I made sure to wear my Twins cap just to even out the fandom amongst our group (Dan and my dad are Brewers fans, Dan's wife a Twins fan, and myself an unbiased sports fan who was just looking forward to a good game). Our method of traveling to the game was unusual to us Todd's as we usually only drive back-and-forth from home to Miller Park for Brewer's games. On the car ride to our first destination (a secluded parking area in a sketchy part of town with no heavy traffic just off the interstate), Dan kept bragging to his wife about the cup-holders that he had drilled into their boat and discussed her jersey that she wore that day (of Joe Mauer) while driving. The conversation went something like this...

Dan - "Hey honey, I see your wearing Everyday Joe's jersey"

Dan's Wife (who by the way, I've also neglected to name at this point so we'll just call her Bobbi... since that's her name) - "Yes I am"

Dan - "You know why they call him Everyday Joe don't you?"

Dan's Wife - "I..."

Dan- "Because he moved from catcher to first base! So now he plays EVERYDAY!"

He practically screamed this with a giddy joy and a smile. It was clearly an inside joke that we would catch up on over the next 18-24 hours we had left in the Twin Cities.

Once our car was parked near the interstate, we took their Metro Transit train to Target Field. The ride was a solid three or so miles and I nearly fell over once boarding as the train started almost immediately upon boarding.

Finally, we had arrived at Target Field within ten minutes of entering the train.

This wasn't exactly where we originally entered as we took about a half lap around the outside of the stadium.

The overall game and crowd atmosphere was terrific. There was a live band playing in between innings, all-star ballots were being filled out and luckily for us, it was dollar hot dog night. It was 50% Twins fans, 50% Brewers fans as a result of the Twins struggles over the past few seasons. The crowd discussions around me (down the left field foul line, 18 rows back) were hilarious and a fan was even wrongfully ejected for inciting a wave while standing on top of the wall that separated us fans from the field of play. Highlight: Player of the game Oswaldo Arcia. Lowlight: EVERY single food booth at the stadium was exactly the same.

End result: Twins 6, Brewers 4.

After the game we had to wait for the trains to return and decided to let the first train crowd, wait twenty minutes, and then hop aboard an emptier train all while discussing the outlook on both team's seasons with drunk and sober fans all around us. It was a great time and met my expectations.

Once back home, everybody seemed exhausted and ready for bed until Dan suggested we play the game Wits & Wagers. This game, which involves poker chips and numbers, was highly addictive and forced everybody to stay up and play for another hour until midnight. After that game, Bobbi went to sleep and Dan showed us the game Bonkers!. Bonkers! is straight out of the groovy early seventies with it's bubble letters and simpleness. The game involves players creating their own board over turns until eventually, somebody gets twelve points and is victorious. It makes very little sense on here but, if you play the game, it'll make a lot of sense quickly. After an hour or so of Bonkers! (The exclamation point is sooo necessary), everybody headed off to bed.

Thursday, June 5th
The next morning, I woke up before everybody else and "Finally!" I thought "Finally, a cool breeze has kicked in and I won't be sweating like crazy all week". Thursday had the most perfect weather conditions out of all three days in Minnesota. It was hard to sneak around any room in the house as all floorboards were creaky and my waking up ended up waking everyone up. My father and I repeated our breakfast meals from the day previous and ate a few pancakes alongside Bobbi who actually got to sleep in and eat the same, great pancakes. It was our final day in St. Paul and the day was ours but first, Dan had to drop Bobbi off at work so that he could have the car for the day to run some errands and do other activities with my dad and I.

After a quick drive through town (where we found out where "Everyday Joe" Mauer went to high school), Dan asked us just what we wanted to take care of before leaving Minneapolis and I had already created this list in my head of "Thrift Stores (for dad to find games and other cheap stuff), Wheel of Fortune on the Wii (I was curious as to how the Wheel of Fortune would play on the Wii), and one more of those delicious cones at Conny's Creamy Cone (because duh). We ended up accomplishing all of these tasks. (Although, we never did get to see where Prince lived which, according to Dan was "surprisingly normal" for the abnormality that is Prince).

First up, thrift store shopping. After all of the hilarious and fun times we had playing unknown board/card games that Dan and Bobbi picked up at thrift shops for less than $5, my dad decided it would be a good idea for us to look through some of the neighborhood thrift stores and see if there was anything we could dig up that peaked either of our interests. Alas, we only found a couple of neat hats that were cheap and we didn't see at the Mall of America (They have a lot of hats, but appear to be missing a few from the Todd collection).

Oh, they also had Kazam.

...And misspelled T-shirts. PS: This is the dumbest shirt I've ever seen, why didn't I buy it?

Once we were done thrift shopping, Dan had to pick up something from his one food cart that he owns and we finally got to see what his food cart looked like.

I very much groaned at the pun.

Second, we played Wheel of Fortune on the Wii. I nearly took a swing at my dad with how hard I was attempting to spin the wheel. Father Todd ended up winning the game despite tons of technical glitches and overall, it was another game that I was impressed with and had a fun time playing.

Finally, we said goodbye to our host and thanked him for an awesome time in the Twin Cities. From St. Paul, Minnesota to Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, there was only one stop on the way home...

First trip: I ordered peanut butter flavored soft-serve. Second trip: Cheesecake. Final Judging: Cheesecake > Peanut Butter. Both were fantastic. I will be stopping here on our next trip to the Twin Cities.

The trip home took three hours and I napped through about thirty minutes of it. Once we got home, we were riding off the high of Minnesota and ready to see mom again and just chill at home. I grabbed the mail, opened a letter from my school and found out that I'm being placed on final probation. That's just the way life goes sometimes. One moment feels like the highest of highs and another feeling like the lowest of lows and I wouldn't change a damn thing about it.

Safe!