SBNation.com User Blog: smgmatt

City v. Sunderland Running Diary

smgmatt — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 17:12:03 -0000

I wrote up this running diary for my friend who got me into the EPL and thought I'd post it here in case anyone was interested.

Full Disclosure/Background: I'm fairly new to the EPL, having jumped in with City around the time that Bill Simmons wrote about Choosing [His] EPL Team, after being prodded for years by my Best Friend, who is a life-long United fan. Obviously, I wasn't rooting for the Yankees of the EPL, so I ended up choosing City for a variety of mainly unimportant reasons . . . the Sky Blue Kit, Toure Yaya, seeing some great goals by Tevez, the fact that they were fairly competitive at the time (Top 6 team) and because I could enjoy derby trash talk with my buddy by choosing his cross-town rival. All that said, I know little of the game, and have been learning as I go. After gradually getting more interested, last year was the first year that was "all-in" and didn't miss a match, which couldn't have worked out better for me.

This is more about me and my continued education of the game, so feel free to jump in with anything that I am seeing/interpreting incorrectly, or if you want to add something that I (most certainly) missed. I hope this is at least entertaining.

I wrote up this running diary for my friend who got me into the EPL and thought I'd post it here in case anyone was interested.

OPENING THOUGHTS: Well, it's MUCH easier to watch a City match when they score in the first couple of minutes (GREAT strike by Kolorov).

Ian Darke mentions that Balotelli may not have followed Mancini's instructions to fall back and help on defense, which may seem unsurprising (due to his reputation), but I've always noticed that he falls back more than most strikers (especially compared to Dzeko, who doesn't seem to do ANYTHING most of the time).

19': Macca sees nothing wrong with a full body-check/DB-crossing-route-style tackle on Balotelli. I may never understand what should/shouldn't be considered a foul in soccer. Seemed like an easy Yellow to me. Seriously, how different is body checking someone versus Zinadine Zidane's infamous headbutt? It's almost exactly the same scenario where the only difference is body/arms vs. forehead. Yes, I know that in itself is a pretty big difference, but still.

21': HUGE save on Zabaleta's shot. That could have blown the game wide open if that went in.

25': Kolorov almost knocked a guy out with a free kick. Corner to City is like adding advantage to injury.

32': I was honestly surprised to look up from my phone [where I was writing this] to see that it's still only 1-nil . . . City has absolutely dominated thus far.

34': Silva seems to be making a lot of late/poor/questionable challenges today. Nothing deserving of a card, but he won't likely be getting the benefit of the doubt if anything happens late in the match.

36': Tevez never seems to give up on plays. I was just telling my wife this morning that probably the biggest problem for kids to overcome in youth soccer is to not stop after making/attempting a play. The kids who excel (and sometimes control/dominate) will make a second or third play without stopping. Perhaps I was too narrow when I threw out my net on "youth" soccer.

40': Did Tevez play at United while Ronaldo & Rooney were both in the starting 11? If so, how did the fit together? Was it CR & CT up front with WR as an Attacking Midfielder? Did Tevez more or less REPLACE Ronaldo when he left? Tevez is a hard worker, but he definitely doesn't have Rooney's passing/crossing quality.

44': Do Sunderland & Stoke City share a Manager? It seems to be the same guy, OR (more likely) I just incorrectly thought the Sunderland Manager was Stoke City's Manager. [I have since looked it up, and I'm not 100% convinced they aren't at least related.]

HALFTIME: Macca absolutely despises the Twitter questions segment, which makes it wildly entertaining. Watch his face every time Ian Darke goes to read a question. Not good times, GREAT times.

It may be because of the channel placement (niche sports channel DEEP in the cable lineup), but it's hard to think that Soccer has caught on in America when their most common commercial sponsor is QuiBids.com. This is a FAR cry from watching the MLB Wild Card winners celebration "Sponsored by Budweiser". I'm obviously not talking about the quality of "The King of Beers", but that's a huge corporate sponsor (and only one of many). Definitely beats Sonosite. Just another example of soccer's cult/niche status in the States.

49': Micah Richards makes a Kompany-like stop to cover for a Rodwellian miscue by Garreth Barry.

50': It makes me happy to see Toure Yaya do Toure Yaya things (btw, I always refer to him as Toure Yaya because of his jersey).

51': GREAT defense by Sunderland, preventing ANOTHER sure score (twice!).

53': I'm liking what I'm seeing from Richards & Kolorov so far. If Richards can take these results to the right side, then City would just need to find a permanent partner with Kompany in the Center (if Lescott isn't that guy any more).

55': Balotelli almost scored on a great looking cross by Kolorov just before being subbed out.

57': I'm not really a fan of the short/quick corner. Goals are worth too much not to have plenty of set pieces in your playbook.

58': Next corner almost netted a goal, if not for a very nice diving save. I must admit, it's nice to feel validated from my previous statement so quickly.

60': Nice counter-attack with multiple quality passes ends with a not-quite-as-good cross by Tevez. Luckily, Aguero scores mere SECONDS later on a much better cross from Kolorov as I was typing this. QUALITY strike by Aguero, btw. LONG awaited 2-nil breakthrough from City.

62': Observation from Macca, "They look a lot more sharp with Aguero on the field." I agree. If only he or Tevez were "Talls" instead of "Smalls" then City would be set up front.

68': Adam Johnson gets a standing ovation by both clubs' supporters; that's nice to see.

70': After Tevez pulls a breakaway shot JUST wide, he makes ANOTHER breakaway run that pulls the goalie out, and Silva almost makes a BRILLIANT lob shot from outside the box.

72': Silva just CLOWNED a defender with a no-look pass between the guy's legs. THAT'S the Silva I want to see more of.

75': Real-like one-touch passing by City. I could EASILY get used to that. Richards with another shot off a corner, which gives me another opportunity to stake my claim for he & Kolorov to get more burn in the back 4.

78': Anywhere else on the pitch Yaya gets a place kick for that scissor-takedown, but with the way City's dominating, the ref isn't giving ANYTHING to City anywhere near the box. There's been 3-4 questionable no-calls that would be potentially infuriating in a tighter match.

86': Sunderland gets away with a handball in the penalty area on a Kolorov ROCKET. Again, potentially frustrating under different circumstances.

88': Kolorov draws a foul just outside of the box. Repeat of his previous placekick? YES! Except that it was James Milner who shot it.

90': Rodwell comes in for Kolorov, and now I'm LEGITIMATELY worried about City getting their first Clean Sheet of the season. I have less than Zero Confidence in him at this point; not a good sign. Jack Rodwell: Horrible Signing, or Worst Possible Signing? [NOTE: I was excited about the signing at the time, because I had picked him up last year in the iOS version of Football Manager and he was great, so his less-than-spectacular beginnings at City might have made the pendulum swing a little too far in the other direction for me. Add to that, hearing about his tendency to "back-pass" from Men In Blazers has been soberingly accurate thus far.]

90'+4': Luckily, not even Back Passwell (just came up with that by the way [self back pat]) can prevent Hart/City's first Clean Sheet (hopefully of many) of the season.

FULL TIME ANALYSIS: 7 changes for City in the starting 11, and this is probably the best they've looked all season. I know it's Sunderland, but it's not like they've only faced top quality clubs until now.

This could easily have been a 5+ Goal Differential padding game, but City just didn't get the goals they probably deserved with how much they dominated the match.

Second place in the table, however briefly. I'll take it. Now it's time for City to step it up in the UCL.

May has already met his weight goal

smgmatt — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:17:04 -0000

May has already met his weight goal

"May signed a one-year, veteran-minimum contract with the Kings, looking to restore his career following a knee injury and weight issues. He says he weighs 262 pounds, three below the goal the Kings set for him."

Bucks make Villanueva free agent

smgmatt — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:33:09 -0000

Bucks make Villanueva free agent

"The Milwaukee Bucks have made qualifying offers to restricted free agents Ramon Sessions and Ersan Ilyasova, but will not make an offer to Charlie Villanueva."

Associated Press (via ESPN.com)

Day Late & Dollar Short; here's my $0.02

smgmatt — Tue, 26 May 2009 05:49:03 -0000

A couple of redundancies to start; all of these comments are predicated on the following assumptions:

You've read Assigning Ricky Rubio Trade Limits by Section214 (this was originally a comment for that thread, but just got too long)
After a 17-win season, "best player available" should be the draft strategy for the Kings
All player specifics are "GP" picks (i.e. moving up/drafting "Player X" because GP wants him, not because I do)
NOBODY on the roster is untouchable
Presently, Martin, Thompson, & Hawes are the core of the team
I like Greene, and would like to see him given a shot at becoming part of the above-mentioned core

All that said, here's where I currently stand on draft picks/trades...

A couple of redundancies to start; all of these comments are predicated on the following assumptions:

You've read Assigning Ricky Rubio Trade Limits by Section214 (this was originally a comment for that thread, but just got too long)
After a 17-win season, "best player available" should be the draft strategy for the Kings
All player specifics are "GP" picks (i.e. moving up/drafting "Player X" because GP wants him, not because I do)
NOBODY on the roster is untouchable
Presently, Martin, Thompson, & Hawes are the core of the team
I like Greene, and would like to see him given a shot at becoming part of the above-mentioned core

All that said, here's where I currently stand on draft picks/trades...

My first thought looking at Section's "max" offers was that his ceiling was actually pretty low (for a refresher, see below):

The #4 and #23 pick and Kenny Thomas (1 yr. @ $9 million) to Memphis for the #2 pick and Marco Jaric (2 yrs. @ $15 million).
...
The #4 and #23 pick and Donté Greene to OKC for the #3 and #25 pick.

The only things he mentions giving up is the oft-maligned "K9's ~~Never-Ending~~(woof!--wait, what?) Expiring Contract", Donté Greene, & late first rounders (apologies to #31 . . . you're basically a first).

Again, at first glace that doesn't seem to me like much to give up to go from non-Franchise pick to FRANCHISE PICK . . . but apparently many thought he was all but mortgaging the future of the team (stand by, Captain Hyperbole).

Let's review:

K9(woof!)'s EXPIRING Contract
FINALLY! I can't believe it's happening: the 2nd phase of the C-Webb deal that I've waited years for. Will he bring in a piece of the future core for the next great Kings squad via trade, or will his contract cap space be used to sign that player in 2010? Let's just say, I won't be holding my breath.

If K9's Expiring Contract (K9EC) can move the Kings into Franchise Player range in the draft, then the C-Webb deal might be reclassified from "necessary salary cap deal" into the category of "good basketball trade". I'll state it again, "anything" positive that can be acquired from K9EC must be seriously considered . . . SERIOUSLY.

Donté Greene
Donté hasn't proven anything on the court yet; therefore, he should not be a deal-breaker in acquiring a potential Franchise Player. GP shouldn't be pushing Donté on other teams, obviously, but he also shouldn't hang up on them if they want him enough to break off negotiations.

Kevin Martin
I haven't been extremely diligent in reading Fan Posts lately, but I don't recall anyone saying that Martin should be used to swap picks. I saw (and made) some comments that if Martin's value could be replaced (in a reasonable capacity) with the pick at #4 that it would be worth looking into trading him for a player at #1 or #2 to fill another need. In Martin's case, I was also of the mindset that if Denver collapsed this year (this was pre-Billups) that he could be the centerpiece of a Carmelo Anthony trade (shades of Richmond-Webber) this summer. That is obviously not happening now . . . but those are the kinds of deals where moving Martin might make sense.

Shock & Hawes
2a & 2b of the future core have a lot of promise. That said, both were "surprise" success stories (Shock more so than Hawes, but still). Trading either of them for a higher ceiling player should not be dismissed out of hand. [I'll take this opportunity to reiterate that I am not using myself as a talent evaluator, but that I trust the GP braintrust.] If Griffin/Rubio are Franchise-caliber players, then trading a current piece of the core for a better core piece is a net positive (please don't forget this when considering trades). In the case of Griffin, if he is even an annual All-Star contender, then that could be a significant upgrade over either of the bigs currently on the roster.

There currently seem to be two schools of thought in "The-Kings-Can-Draft-Rubio" debate: (1) he'll drop to #4, or (2) he could reasonably be acquired through trade at #2, or #3. If the teams at 2 & 3 don't want him, but aren't locked on to Thabeet . . . that's potentially a lot of trade value for them. Add to that the fact that either team could take on salary and that's a double-whammy. One of the best things that the Kings have in their favor is that a trade involving a pick-swap is an easy sell, because the drop isn't very far (e.g. 2-to-4 is potentially a lot more palatable than 2-to-6), and has happened enough as to be a reasonable thought.

If Griffin/Rubio are the only --assuming there are any-- Franchise Players in this draft, then acquiring the #2 would be huge for this franchise (and as has also been mentioned, would go a long way towards keeping the team local and possibly even pushing the arena situation forward).

The other great thing about getting #2 before the draft is that you put yourself in position to pick up the pieces of a Clippers-pick Fallout (e.g. Thabeet/Rubio at #1) . . . again, if Blake is the guy in the draft.

Since this was originally a comment in a heavily populated thread, I don't know where to direct the conversation at this point. A lot has already been said in Section's original post and this was really an extension of that conversation, I just thought that the length of this "comment" outgrew it's original intention . . . so run with it or simply move on. I won't be hurt if this dies an anonymous death, but I'd be thrilled if this opened up the dialog even more.

In conclusion, as my buddy's alcoholic Dad used to always say: "If IFs were fifths, we'd all be f---in' DRUNK." Stay thirsty, my friends.

Is Bosh available in an Amare 3-team deal?

smgmatt — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:22:25 -0000

Is Bosh available in an Amare 3-team deal?

TOR: Amare
PHX: Amare package (Upgraded due to availability rumors)
???: Bosh

The link has Chicago as the team acquiring Bosh, but if the return is Bosh instead of Amare, does that change the package that we'd be comfortable with Petrie offering to PHX? Would that package beat Gooden/Thomas/Pick/+?

Hoopsworld: Miller to Cleveland?

smgmatt — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:13:16 -0000

Hoopsworld: Miller to Cleveland?

"The scenario that seems most appealing to the Kings would be swapping Brad Miller and Kenny Thomas to the Cavaliers for the ending contract of Wally Szczerbiak and impressive rookie J.J. Hickson."

This seems like it could be even better than the Marion deal, as K9 leaves and another young big (6'9" 242) comes back as well. Thoughts?

Salmons makes Hoopsworld's All Breakout Team (West)

smgmatt — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 19:31:16 -0000

Salmons makes Hoopsworld's All Breakout Team (West)

Salmons is a slashing, attacking scorer, who statistically still had the best season of his career last year. With Artest now gone to Houston, Salmons and Martin could make up one of the most explosive scoring tandems in the NBA next season.

Last Shot at D-Lee

smgmatt — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 06:23:45 -0000

I started this out as a post in the "Find us a PG" thread, but it started to get a life of it's own . . . so I figured I'd throw it in it's own FanPost and see what happened. This wasn't initially about David Lee, but I realized that it started looking that way, which is where the title came from. I initially checked the Knicks Salaries pages when I read another rumor about Lee to Charlotte for Felton, which is how I ended up here (a great note from that link, apparently D'Antoni isn't D-Lee fan, which is probably why he's even available . . . he was an Isiah favorite). If I mention anything in here that's already been addressed I apologize in advance (as I said, I was in the process of catching up when I started this post originally). With all that said, let's go...

Ok, so after too much time looking at salary pages from ShamSports & HoopsHype, I came up with these all-or-nothing gambles (links via RealGM since ESPN won't let you trade Artest until July 1, when these deals would obviously need to take place)...

Option 1:
Miller, Artest, & Williams
for
Lee, Marbury, & Protected Future 1st Rounder

I know this isn't the PG anyone here wants, but he's an ending contract, and he can just stay at home waiting to find out if he's in a deadline deal for someone else or not (at least he'll have something to do). This also brings in the David Lee and another GP draft piece, while giving NYK a group of players that makes them relevant again without jeopardizing their LBJ hopes (Miller & Williams will be gone, Artest will either be gone or used to help lure him, and they won't be paying Lee when his extension comes up).

Proposed Lineup: Garcia?/Singletary, Martin/Douby, Salmons/Garcia, Lee/Thompson, Hawes/Moore
Draft Pick: Top 5 (no PG to speak of, lots of youth . . . don't forget NYK's pick, too)

Option 2:
Miller, & Artest
for
Lee, Crawford, & Jeffries

Same reasoning as above, except now we get Crawford (not ideal but much better than Starbury), along with his & Jeffries' 2010 salaries (going against the GP mantra, but again, we net D-Lee). If GP liked Crawford I could see this being a possibility, but the roughly $17M in 2010 could be the deal-breaker.

Proposed Lineup: Crawford/Singletary, Martin/Garcia, Salmons/Jeffries, Lee/Thompson, Hawes/Moore
Draft Pick: Top 12 (still better than the dregs of the East, buy probably still shy of the playoffs in the West)

Option 3:
Miller, Artest, Moore, & SAR
for
Lee, Marbury, Rose, & Balkman/Robinson/Future 1st/Future 2nd?

So I'm guessing this is the tough one for most people. I call this one the Pookey Special, because this is a pure salary dump; Starbury & Rose have Expiring Contracts this year, while Miller, Moore & SAR expire next year. The Kings trade most of the parts that will probably not be involved in the team that makes the next playoff run, and basically just pushes the salary timetable up a year. Do you want Marion? Brand? I don't know who else would be available, but if the Kings have cap space then maybe a Richardson-type dump could happen, or a multiple First Round Draft Picks for taking a bad contract away (a la Kurt Thomas) could happen. Having cap space would give GP a lot of options, and that can't be a bad thing. If this deal makes the Kings worse next year, then you also have a higher draft pick for him to work with as well (to get that long-term PG, perhaps?).

NYK considers it because they're getting 3 of the 4 best players in the trade, dumping bad chemistry players, and still not affecting their 2010 plans (i.e. LBJ). I don't know what would be offered as filler at the end (contracts work fine 4-for-3), but I threw Balkman & Robinson on there, because the trade should still work, and draft picks don't affect trade salaries so they're there as well. I'm sure many (most?) will demand a prospect or 1st rounder to be included (the Kings are giving up 3 starters from last year's squad, after all) . . . but I think that this deal might be good for the Kings even with a 2nd rounder (or nothing!) added. Again, this is a salary dump proposal to speed up the rebuild in Sacramento.

Proposed Lineup: Garcia?/Singletary, Martin/Douby, Salmons/Garcia, Lee/Thompson, Hawes/K9?
--Possible Additions: PG-Robinson, SF-Balkman
Draft Pick: Top 3 (this would be our best shot at winning the Draft Lottery, plus potentially more picks from NYK)

So there it is; let me know what you think. It's admittedly a little bit out there . . . but with GP running the show that sounds about right.

Option 3:
Miller, Artest, Moore, & SAR
for
Lee, Marbury, Rose, & Balkman/Robinson/Future 1st/Future 2nd?

Shaun Livingston is a Free Agent

smgmatt — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:22:09 -0000

The Clippers aren't giving Livingston a Qualifying Offer, so he'll be an Unrestricted Free Agent as of July 1.

From Hoopsworld :

Shaun Livingston will play in the NBA again, maybe as early as next season, but he may not play for the LA Clippers. The Clippers are opting not to extend a qualifying offer (worth just over $5 million), meaning Shaun Livingston will become an unrestricted free agent July 1st. This is actually smart business by the Clippers. League sources that are familiar with the type and severity of Shaun's knee injury have often referred to it as the worst sports related knee injury they have ever seen. Most question how effective Shaun will be with that knee, and how often will problems with that knee surface. The surgery was a success, the rehab was a success too, but how limiting will it become, especially in the short term? The Clippers can still make an offer to Shaun, and likely will once the market is set for him. Is there a team willing to shower money on Shaun knowing he is a limited offensive player with a bad knee? Shaun is not a great shooter and scorer, a lot of his ability comes from his incredible court vision, awareness and his athletic quickness in getting into the paint. That quickness will be affected by the knee and it may be a couple of seasons before he learns to adjust his game to what his surgically repaired body will allow. The Clippers are being smart business wise, they know firsthand how severe Shaun's knee really is, and they are not going to over pay for it.

Well, what do you think? Should the Kings take a chance on his knee?

Poll

Assuming the Kings don't trade for a PG, should the Kings take a chance on Shaun Livingston?

Yes, offer him the MLE

5 votes

Sure, just don't offer him the FULL MLE

12 votes

Only if Beno signs somewhere else, then go for it!

6 votes

With THAT knee? Not a chance!

18 votes

Ask me after the draft (undecided)

10 votes

51 votes | Poll has closed

List of Possible 2010 Free Agents

smgmatt — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:08:37 -0000

List of Possible 2010 Free Agents

Here's a great rundown of anyone and everyone scheduled to be available in the great summer of 2010, with guest appearances by Brad Miller (UFA) and even hydra heads K9 & SAR (2010 cap space)!