Movie Review: Lamb (2021)

Directed by

Valdimar Johannsson

Lamb is a movie where going in, you know to expect the unexpected, yet it still finds ways to surprise.

This latest A24 film stars Noomi Rapace and Hilmer Snaer Guonason as Maria and Ingvar, a sheep-herding couple that lives a quiet life in the Scandinavian countryside.  One day, when helping one of their sheep give birth, the shocking offspring appears to be a lamb/human hybrid.  The childless couple decides to take this odd infant and raise it as their own.  This movie could have played as a straight horror film, but it doesn't.  It could have played as a quirky dark comedy, but it doesn't.  Instead, the best description of it is a family drama with horror undertones.  The family drama plays out even more when Ingvar's brother shows up, played by Bjorn Hlynur Haraldsson (best described as a young Nick Offerman ... minus the voice).

The first thing you notice about Lamb is it is beautifully shot.  It's not hard to make the Scandinavian countryside look good, but there are some shots in this film that are just gorgeous.  The next thing you notice is the quiet, patient, and subtle script that accomplishes all these things without ever feeling slow.  Few films in 2021 are able to accomplish more with less in terms of story and dialogue.

Once the child shows up, possibly the most surprising thing to me was how the movie just accepts the reality for what it is and rarely questions the absurdity of the premise.  In this way, for awhile Lamb feels like an exploration of parenting children with disabilities or any other extraordinary abnormality.  Petur, Ingvar's brother, helps explore this theme as he sees the absurdity of the situation.

The performances by the three humans Lamb are stellar, as they help bring you in and accept the strange situation as reality.  Lamb also has the best performances from sheep since the choruses of "Baa-Ram-Ewe" in 1995's Babe.  The special effects on the child come and go.  There's a reason you don't see it full body very often.

For such a subtle and quiet film, it does slowly build suspense, especially in the third act as it leads to a completely bonkers, unexpected ending.  I have been processing Lamb for about 24 hours now, and I still am not fully sure what to make of it.  At the same time, I can't shake it or get it out of my head.  It has left me dumbfounded yet fascinated; confused yet enthralled.  It is yet another example of how A24 is consistently the most interesting studio putting out films right now.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Movie Review: The Guilty (2021)

Directed by

Antoine Fuqua

Jake Gyllenhaal has garnered the reputation of being one of our best working actors.  This latest outing proves once again why that is the case.

This weekend's big Netflix release was The Guilty, a one man show starring Jake Gyllenhaal based on a Danish film of the same name directed by Gustav Moller.  This American version reunites Gyllenhaal with director Antoine Fuqua, who last worked together on 2015's Southpaw.  The Guilty is a one-man show for Gyllenhaal as he plays LAPD officer Joe Baylor, who is working the phones at 911 emergency response as he awaits discipline for some sort of incident.  While going through the motions of fielding calls working the graveyard shift one night, he appears to be extremely disinterested.  This is until he gets a call from a woman named Emily that has been abducted and is being driven around town.  Joe becomes fully invested in saving Emily and getting her home to her children as a way of redeeming himself for past mistakes he has made.

This movie is the type of thrill ride that is rare to find.  It is intense, stressful, keeps you guessing, and takes place all in one room.  We never leave the 911 control center as we hear the drama play out over the phone.  This works purely because of Jake Gyllenhaal.  The camera is on him every second of this movie as you experience every twist and turn right along with him.  He gives a brilliant performance that is worthy of the reputation he has built up over the last decade (even though his only Oscar nomination is still in 2005 for Brokeback Mountain).  There are also some solid celebrity voice performances from the likes of Riley Keough, Ethan Hawke, Peter Sarsgaard, and Paul Dano.

The story is also amazing.  The twists and turns are not ones you see coming so you are as shocked as Officer Baylor when he is forced to question everything he thought was true.  It's closest relative is a film like 2003's Phone Booth, where Colin Farrell spends the whole thrill ride on the phone.  I love that film, and this does its best to live up to those standards in my head.  Now, this film is a remake, and from what I have heard, it is basically a shot-for-shot remake of the Gustav Moller version.  This can turn some people off to the quality of the remake since it brought nothing new to the source material.  I have not seen the original film.  I don't know if my opinion on this film would change if I had, but I am not taking that into account with this review.

This was one of my biggest surprises so far in 2021.  If you like a great thriller that keeps you guessing and on the edge of your seat, then The Guilty is for you.  Catch it on Netflix.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Movie Review: The Alpinist (2021)

Directed by

Peter Mortimer & Nick Rosen

Three years ago, we were all captivated by a wild story about Alex Honnold, a rock climber whose attempt to free solo (individual climb without a rope) El Capitan in Yosemite National Park was chronicled in the Oscar winning documentary Free Solo.  It was nerve-racking yet inspirational to see the lengths people are willing to push themselves.  So when a film begins with an interview of Honnold talking about how he thinks someone is insane for the climbs he attempts, you know you are in for a crazy ride.

The Alpinist tells the story of Marc-Andre Leclerc, a 23 year old Canadian climber who spends his days soloing not only on rocks like Alex Honnold, but also through the mountains and across ice.  This relative unknown seemed to be more legend than anything when the documentarians found him.  That is because, unlike Honnold who often climbs purely for the competition, Leclerc climbs for the journey, the adventure, and the freedom of the solitude.  The film crew follows Marc, along with his girlfriend Brette, over a two year period from mountain to mountain, challenge to challenge ... at least when Marc allows them to.  Some climbs he escapes from his filmmakers to perform simply because a solo isn't a solo if someone is tracking him, even if it is just from a camera.

Leclerc is a fascinating character to follow.  Climbing is a sport that is continuing to gain in popularity.  We just saw it become an Olympic event this summer in Tokyo.  Add that to the fame brought to Alex Honnold and the sport in general through Free Solo, and climbing has become quite a trending activity.  This is what makes Marc fascinating.  He doesn't want the fame, he doesn't want the notoriety, he doesn't want the competition.  He just want to climb.  At one point, he accidentally breaks a speed record of Alex Honnold.  Honnold immediately returns to the rock and reclaims his record.  Marc never tried again because the record wasn't a good enough reason to climb.  He instead is constantly looking for the next new challenge simply to entertain himself.  It's such a rare quality to be so good and care so little that anyone knows.

It's impossible to watch this movie and not compare it to Free Solo.  It invites those comparisons by having Alex Honnold be the first voice you hear talking about Marc-Andre Leclerc.  So let's compare.  Both films are beautifully shot.  The settings make it easy to make a pretty film, but they both definitely capture the visuals well.  I might give an edge to The Alpinist in its direction.  They find ways to get some incredible shots and angles of the climbing, and with Leclerc climbing all over the world, it provides a much more varied landscape than the single-minded Free Solo.  With that said, what makes The Alpinist more interesting visually makes it less interesting narratively.  One of the things that makes Free Solo so special is the focus of the story.  One man, one rock, one challenge ... go.  On the other side, what makes Marc-Andre Leclerc a unique character hurts the film in building drama.  He moves so quickly from challenge to challenge that it removes so of the drama you see in Free Solo.  Also, Leclerc's tendency to need the solitude also forces the filmmakers to lose a level of drama that you gain from the open book that is Alex Honnold.  One difference that sets The Alpinist apart is the ending, which has a very different vibe than Free Solo.

With all this said, The Alpinist is a an incredible documentary that is worth a view, especially on the big screen.  Marc-Andre Leclerc is a dynamic personality that is magnified by the fact that fame makes him so uncomfortable.  In terms of the inevitable comparison, I would say Free Solo is the better film thanks to the focus of its narrative and that it is what introduced so many of us to the sport.  With that said, The Alpinist is an incredible companion piece focusing on a very different, but just as intriguing solo climber.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Power Rankings: NBA Draft Classes - 2021 Edition

Last week, the NBA welcomed 60 new players into their ranks with the latest NBA Draft.  It's always around this time that I like to go back and see how past draft classes compare to each other.  How have the recent classes improved?  What is the greatest draft class of all time?  Here is the latest attempt at determining that.

The rankings go back to 1989, which was the first draft of just 2 rounds.  I created a formula to evaluate the class that take into account MVP's, All-NBA players, Hall of Famers, success of the top pick, top 10 flops, and depth of the class into the 2nd round.  To see last year's evaluation and a bigger breakdown of how the formula works, click here.

32.  2020 Draft

Score: -7.875

1st Pick: Anthony Edwards (ranked 29.5 out of 32)

Best Player: Isaiah Stewart (ranked 31.5 out of 32)

All Stars: 0

All-NBA: 0

HoF: 0

MVP's: 0

Never Played: 5

Top 10 Flops: 7

Notable 2nd Rounders: 2 (Tillman Sr., Martin Jr.)

The latest class always ends up in last as they are still establishing careers.  For a class whose Rookie of the Year missed half the season, they have a lot of development to go.

t-30.  2000 Draft

Score: 0.875

1st Pick: Kenyon Martin (22)

Best Player: Hedo Turkoglu (31.5)

All Stars: 3 (Magloire, Martin, Redd)

All-NBA: 1 (Redd)

HoF: 0

MVP's: 0

Never Played: 8

Top 10 Flops: 5

Notable 2nd Rounders: 3 (House, Najera, Redd)

It's going to take a lot for another class to come along and settle in a position worse than this draft was.  No star power, no depth.

t-30.  2017 Draft

Score: 0.875

1st Pick: Markelle Fultz (29)

Best Player: Bam Adebayo (19.5)

All Stars: 3 (Adebayo, Mitchell, Tatum)

All-NBA: 1 (Tatum)

HoF: 0

MVP's: 0

Never Played: 4

Top 10 Flops: 6

Notable 2nd Rounders: 2 (Bryant, Morris)

They have a couple guys that have serious star potential, but Fultz needs to turn his career around for this draft to move up.

29.  2006 Draft

Score: 4.3125

1st Pick: Andrea Bargnani (27)

Best Player: LaMarcus Aldridge (21.75)

All Stars: 5 (Aldridge, Lowry, Millsap, Rondo, Roy)

All-NBA: 4 (Aldridge, Roy, Rondo, Lowry)

HoF: 0

MVP's: 0

Never Played: 8

Top 10 Flops: 6

Notable 2nd Rounders: 2 (Tucker, Millsap)

With LaMarcus Aldridge retiring, this draft is pretty much set as one of the worst in the last 30 years.

28.  2019 Draft

Score: 6.25

1st Pick: Zion Williamson (11.5)

Best Player: Zion Williamson (21)

All Stars: 1 (Williamson)

All-NBA: 0

HoF: 0

MVP's: 0

Never Played: 2

Top 10 Flops: 7

Notable 2nd Rounders: 2 (Gafford, Mann)

This draft class is on the rise quick and will go as far as Zion star power goes.

27.  2013 Draft

Score: 7.625

1st Pick: Anthony Bennett (31.5)

Best Player: Rudy Gobert (7.5)

All Stars: 3 (Antetokounmpo, Gobert, Oladipo)

All-NBA: 3 (Antetokounmpo, Gobert, Oladipo)

HoF: 0

MVP's: 2 (Antetokounmpo - 2)

Never Played: 9

Top 10 Flops: 3

Notable 2nd Rounders: 1 (Ennis)

It's shocking that despite 2 MVP seasons and now an NBA championship, Giannis is not the best player of the draft in terms of Win Shares.  There is star power, but there isn't any depth.  Anthony Bennett will go down as one of the worst draft misses in NBA history.

26.  2010 Draft

Score: 8.0625

1st Pick: John Wall (20)

Best Player: Paul George (24.75)

All Stars: 4 (Cousins, George, Hayward, Wall)

All-NBA: 3 (Wall, Cousins, George)

HoF: 0

MVP's: 0

Never Played: 9

Top 10 Flops: 2

Notable 2nd Rounders: 1 (Whiteside)

Similar to the last class, there is some star power here with Paul George potentially on a Hall of Fame track.  However, this class has been derailed by John Wall's injuries.  If he can rebound, he might be able to change the narrative.

25.  2018 Draft

Score: 9.875

1st Pick: Deandre Ayton (13.75)

Best Player: Luka Doncic (22)

All Stars: 2 (Doncic, Young)

All-NBA: 1 (Doncic)

HoF: 0

MVP's: 0

Never Played: 4

Top 10 Flops: 4

Notable 2nd Rounders: 4 (Brunson, Graham, Robinson, Brown)

Watch out for this draft class!  They have two stars that could be MVP candidates for the next 10+ seasons, and Ayton showed this season that he is special too.  They could move up this list for sure.

24.  1994 Draft

Score: 10

1st Pick: Glenn Robinson (22.5)

Best Player: Jason Kidd (26)

All Stars: 5 (Hill, Howard, Jones, Kidd, Robinson)

All-NBA: 4 (Kidd, Hill, Howard, Jones)

HoF: 2 (Kidd, Hill)

MVP's: 0

Never Played: 9

Top 10 Flops: 3

Notable 2nd Rounders: 2 (Smith, Lenard)

Two Hall of Famers is a great top of your class, but the Win Share stat doesn't seem to like Jason Kidd.  That's really what is holding this class down.

23.  2015 Draft

Score: 11.25

1st Pick: Karl-Anthony Towns (5.5)

Best Player: Karl-Anthony Towns (11)

All Stars: 4 (Booker, Porzingis, Russell, Towns)

All-NBA: 1 (Towns)

HoF: 0

MVP's: 0

Never Played: 16

Top 10 Flops: 6

Notable 2nd Rounders: 5 (Harrell, Holmes, Richardson, Connaughton, Powell)

Karl-Anthony Towns has a chance to be an all-time great, and Devin Booker will make an All-NBA team soon, but how have 16 players from this draft never played?

22.  1991 Draft

Score: 12.5625

1st Pick: Larry Johnson (13.5)

Best Player: Dikembe Mutombo (25.75)

All Stars: 7 (Anderson, Brandon, Davis, Gatling, Johnson, Mutombo, Smith)

All-NBA: 2 (Johnson, Mutombo)

HoF: 1 (Mutombo)

MVP's: 0

Never Played: 10

Top 10 Flops: 3

Notable 2nd Rounders: 1 (Phills)

A lot of All Stars here, but very little star power and depth in the second round.

21.  1989 Draft

Score: 12.625

1st Pick: Pervis Ellison (25)

Best Player: Vlade Divac (28.5)

All Stars: 9 (Armstrong, Barros, Blaylock, Divac, Elliott, Hardaway, Kemp, Rice, Robinson)

All-NBA: 3 (Rice, Hardaway, Kemp)

HoF: 2 (Divac, Rada)

MVP's: 0

Never Played: 6

Top 10 Flops: 3

Notable 2nd Rounders: 2 (Douglas, Robinson)

Similar to the last class, a lot of good players, but no real stars.  When Vlade Divac is your most accomplished player, your class has a pretty low ceiling.

20.  2014 Draft

Score: 13.375

1st Pick: Andrew Wiggins (26.5)

Best Player: Nikola Jokic (4.5)

All Stars: 4 (Embiid, Jokic, LaVine, Randle)

All-NBA: 3 (Embiid, Randle, Jokic)

HoF: 0

MVP's: 1 (Jokic)

Never Played: 7

Top 10 Flops: 4

Notable 2nd Rounders: 6 (Harris, Dinwiddie, Grant, Jokic, Powell, Clarkson)

The biggest mover from last year, this class jumped 6 spots thanks to Jokic's MVP award.  Add Embiid to that, and a solid second round (including Jokic), and this class can continue to rise.

19.  2001 Draft

Score: 13.6875

1st Pick: Kwame Brown (27)

Best Player: Pau Gasol (18.25)

All Stars: 8 (Arenas, Chandler, Gasol, Johnson, Okur, Parker, Randolph, Wallace)

All-NBA: 6 (Chandler, Gasol, Johnson, Randolph, Parker, Arenas)

HoF: 0

MVP's: 0

Never Played: 8

Top 10 Flops: 3

Notable 2nd Rounders: 3 (Arenas, Okur, Simmons)

An infamously bad top pick is somewhat saved by a lot of depth behind him (and two All Star second round picks).

18.  2016 Draft

Score: 14.25

1st Pick: Ben Simmons (10)

Best Player: Ben Simmons (20)

All Stars: 5 (Brown, Ingram, Sabonis, Siakam, Simmons)

All-NBA: 2 (Simmons, Siakam)

HoF: 0

MVP's: 0

Never Played: 6

Top 10 Flops: 4

Notable 2nd Rounders: 2 (Zubac, Brogdon)

The Win Share stat loves Ben Simmons, making him a top ten #1 pick of all time.  We will see if he can keep his class here with the drama surrounding him.

17.  2004 Draft

Score: 15.25

1st Pick: Dwight Howard (8)

Best Player: Dwight Howard (16)

All Stars: 5 (Deng, Harris, Howard, Iguodala, Nelson)

All-NBA: 2 (Howard, Jefferson)

HoF: 0

MVP's: 0

Never Played: 13

Top 10 Flops: 2

Notable 2nd Rounders: 3 (Varejao, Duhon, Ariza)

Dwight Howard dominates this class, and you also have the Al Jefferson, the rare player to make an All-NBA team without ever making an All Star Game.

16.  1995 Draft

Score: 15.375

1st Pick: Joe Smith (19.5)

Best Player: Kevin Garnett (12.5)

All Stars: 6 (Finley, Garnett, McDyess, Ratliff, Stackhouse, Wallace)

All-NBA: 2 (McDyess, Garnett)

HoF: 1 (Garnett)

MVP's: 1 (Garnett)

Never Played: 8

Top 10 Flops: 3

Notable 2nd Rounders: 2 (Snow, Hoiberg)

The Kevin Garnett draft.  Yet another draft elevated by an all-time great.

15.  1990 Draft

Score: 15.875

1st Pick: Derrick Coleman (18.5)

Best Player: Gary Payton (20.5)

All Stars: 6 (Ceballos, Coleman, Davis, Hill, Payton, Williams)

All-NBA: 2 (Coleman, Payton)

HoF: 2 (Payton, Kukoc)

MVP's: 0

Never Played: 2

Top 10 Flops: 4

Notable 2nd Rounders: 4 (Kukoc, Coles)

This turned out to be a deep draft with a couple Hall of Famers.  If only Derrick Coleman could have stayed healthy...

14.  1998 Draft

Score: 16.375

1st Pick: Michael Olowokandi (31.5)

Best Player: Dirk Nowitzki (8.5)

All Stars: 5 (Carter, Jamison, Lewis, Nowitzki, Pierce)

All-NBA: 3 (Carter, Nowitzki, Pierce)

HoF: 1 (Pierce)

MVP's: 1 (Nowitzki)

Never Played: 1

Top 10 Flops: 2

Notable 2nd Rounders: 5 (Patterson, Lewis, Alston, Mobley, Buckner)

An all-time bad top pick is saved by an all-time great in Dirk and a really deep 2nd round.

13.  1993 Draft

Score: 17.125

1st Pick: Chris Webber (15)

Best Player: Sam Cassell (28.5)

All Stars: 7 (Baker, Cassell, Hardaway, Houston, Mashburn, Van Exel, Webber)

All-NBA: 5 (Webber, Hardaway, Mashburn, Baker, Cassell)

HoF: 1 (Webber)

MVP's: 0

Never Played: 11

Top 10 Flops: 1

Notable 2nd Rounders: 4 (Harris, Van Exel, Russell, Whitney)

No transcendent talent, but a lot of really good talent puts this class where it is.

12.  2002 Draft

Score: 17.4375

1st Pick: Yao Ming (5.5)

Best Player: Amar'e Stoudemire (22.25)

All Stars: 4 (Boozer, Butler, Ming, Stoudemire)

All-NBA: 3 (Ming, Stoudemire, Boozer)

HoF: 1 (Ming)

MVP's: 0

Never Played: 9

Top 10 Flops: 3

Notable 2nd Rounders: 4 (Boozer, Barnes, Butler, Scola)

When Yao was healthy, he was an all-time great.  Injuries and accidents derailed the careers of the top two picks in this draft.

11.  1999 Draft

Score: 18.5

1st Pick: Elton Brand (13.25)

Best Player: Shawn Marion (22.5)

All Stars: 9 (Artest, Brand, Davis, Francis, Ginobili, Hamilton, Kirilenko, Marion, Szczerbiak)

All-NBA: 5 (Brand, Davis, Marion, Artest, Ginobili)

HoF: 0

MVP's: 0

Never Played: 12

Top 10 Flops: 1

Notable 2nd Rounders: 1 (Ginobili)

Everyone forgets how good everyone in this draft was.  Nine All Stars is a big number!

10.  2007 Draft

Score: 18.75

1st Pick: Greg Oden (16.5)

Best Player: Kevin Durant (5)

All Stars: 5 (Conley, Durant, Gasol, Horford, Noah)

All-NBA: 4 (Durant, Horford, Noah, Gasol)

HoF: 0

MVP's: 1 (Durant)

Never Played: 11

Top 10 Flops: 2

Notable 2nd Rounders: 3 (Landry, Gasol, Sessions)

Cracking the top ten for the first time.  If Oden had been good in any way, this could have been a top 5 class.

9.  2008 Draft

Score: 19.3125

1st Pick: Derrick Rose (22)

Best Player: Russell Westbrook (19.75)

All Stars: 7 (Dragic, Hibbert, Jordan, Lopez, Love, Rose, Westbrook)

All-NBA: 5 (Rose, Westbrook, Love, Jordan, Dragic)

HoF: 0

MVP's: 2 (Westbrook, Rose)

Never Played: 9

Top 10 Flops: 2

Notable 2nd Rounders: 5 (Chalmers, Jordan, Asik, Mbah a Moute, Dragic)

If only Rose had stayed healthy...  As it is, this is a great class with a couple really good players coming out of the second round.

8.  2011 Draft

Score: 22.25

1st Pick: Kyrie Irving (11)

Best Player: Jimmy Butler (12)

All Stars: 7 (Butler, Irving, Leonard, Thomas, Thompson, Vucevic, Walker)

All-NBA: 6 (Irving, Walker, Thompson, Leonard. Butler, Thomas)

HoF: 0

MVP's: 0

Never Played: 6

Top 10 Flops: 4

Notable 2nd Rounders: 3 (Bogdanovic, Parsons, Thomas)

This class is littered with potential Hall of Famers.  It's surprising there hasn't been an MVP out of this group.  Leonard or maybe Butler could still pull one off.

7.  2005 Draft

Score: 23.125

1st Pick: Andrew Bogut (19.5)

Best Player: Chris Paul (1.5)

All Stars: 5 (Bynum, Granger, Lee, Paul, Williams)

All-NBA: 5 (Bogut, Williams, Paul, Bynum, Lee)

HoF: 0

MVP's: 0

Never Played: 5

Top 10 Flops: 1

Notable 2nd Rounders: 7 (Bass, Miles, Ilyasova, Ellis, Williams, Johnson, Gortat)

Chris Paul could go down as one of the greatest point guards of all time, but this draft has some other great players and a really deep second round.

6.  1997 Draft

Score: 26

1st Pick: Tim Duncan (2.5)

Best Player: Tim Duncan (6)

All Stars: 3 (Billups, Duncan, McGrady)

All-NBA: 3 (Duncan, Billups, McGrady)

HoF: 2 (Duncan, McGrady)

MVP's: 2 (Duncan - 2)

Never Played: 10

Top 10 Flops: 2

Notable 2nd Rounders: 3 (Johnson, Jackson, Williams)

It wasn't a deep draft, but it was the Duncan draft.  McGrady and Billups help too.

5.  2012 Draft

Score: 27.25

1st Pick: Anthony Davis (2.5)

Best Player: Damian Lillard (11)

All Stars: 6 (Beal, Davis, Drummond, Green, Lillard, Middleton)

All-NBA: 5 (Davis, Beal, Lillard, Drummond, Green)

HoF: 0

MVP's: 0

Never Played: 4

Top 10 Flops: 3

Notable 2nd Rounders: 4 (Crowder, Green, Middleton, Barton)

This is an amazing draft class that could end up competing for the top spot before all is said and done.  It's got a star at the top, several stars otherwise that could win an MVP, and a solid group of 2nd rounders.

4.  2009 Draft

Score: 27.625

1st Pick: Blake Griffin (10.5)

Best Player: James Harden (3.5)

All Stars: 6 (Curry, DeRozen, Griffin, Harden, Holiday, Teague)

All-NBA: 4 (Griffin, Harden, Curry, DeRozen)

HoF: 0

MVP's: 3 (Curry - 2, Harden)

Never Played: 10

Top 10 Flops: 3

Notable 2nd Rounders: 7 (Cunningham, Jerebko, Meeks, Beverly, Thornton, Green, Mills)

Steph Curry and James Harden.  That makes this class special.  Add in a strong 2nd round and many other recognizable names, this class is an all-time great.

3.  1992 Draft

Score: 28.625

1st Pick: Shaquille O'Neal (4)

Best Player: Shaquille O'Neal (8.5)

All Stars: 5 (Gugliotta, Laettner, Mourning, O'Neal, Sprewell)

All-NBA: 3 (O'Neal, Mourning, Sprewell)

HoF: 2 (O'Neal, Mourning)

MVP's: 1 (O'Neal)

Never Played: 6

Top 10 Flops: 1

Notable 2nd Rounders: 3 (Brown, Jones, Geiger)

The Shaq draft.  He alone makes this draft noteworthy, Add in guys like Zo, and this is a great star-studded class.

2.  2003 Draft

Score: 35.375

1st Pick: LeBron James (1)

Best Player: JeBron James (1.5)

All Stars: 9 (Anthony, Bosh, Howard, James, Kaman, Korver, Wade, West, Williams)

All-NBA: 4 (James, Anthony, Wade, Bosh)

HoF: 1 (Bosh)

MVP's: 4 (James - 4)

Never Played: 11

Top 10 Flops: 4

Notable 2nd Rounders: 7 (Blake, Pachulia, Bogans, Bonner, Williams, Jones, Korver)

As the elite in this draft class continue to age out of the league and look towards the Hall of Fame (already have one, probably will have at least three more), there is a chance they eventually end up #1.

1.  1996 Draft

Score: 36.5

1st Pick: Allen Iverson (13)

Best Player: Kobe Bryant (15)

All Stars: 10 (Adbur-Rahim, Allen, Bryant, Ilgauskas, Iverson, Marbury, Nash, O'Neal, Stojakovic, Walker)

All-NBA: 7 (Iverson, Marbury, Allen, Bryant, Stojakovic, Nash, O'Neal)

HoF: 4 (Iverson, Allen, Bryant, Nash)

MVP's: 4 (Bryant, Nash - 2, Iverson)

Never Played: 11

Top 10 Flops: 1

Notable 2nd Rounders: 4 (Harrington, McInnis, Rose, Anderson)

And still ... greatest draft class of all time.  This is by far the deepest class of elite players.  Three different MVP's (only two other classes have two).  Only class with double digit All Stars.  Most All-NBA players.  Only class with more the two Hall of Famers.  With that said, Win Shares doesn't seem to like Iverson and Kobe that much.  In 10 years, 2003 might eventually take the title, but this will always be my favorite draft class.

2021 Pre-Season Profile: St. Louis Cardinals

 #1

The St. Louis Cardinals pulled off a blockbuster trade to man the hot corner for the foreseeable future.  Is that enough to get this back to elite?

2020 Predictions

#11 - 2nd in NL Central

MIH - Paul Goldschmidt

MIP - Miles Mikolas

PTW - Dylan Carlson

2020 Results

#12 - 30-28, 2nd in NL Central, lost in Wild Card Round

The Cardinals had a typical Cardinals season.  They were quiet enough that many people forgot about them, but they were still good enough to make the postseason and almost spoil the magical Padres in the Wild Card Round.  They were led in 2020 by Paul Goldschmidt, possibly the quietest of all of baseball's superstars, which makes him the perfect star for St. Louis.

Additions / Subtractions

The Cardinals really only made one move over the offseason, but it was a big one.  They pulled off the blockbuster trade that sent them third baseman Nolan Arenado from Colorado.  Outside of letting second baseman Kolten Wong sign with Milwaukee and trading outfielder Dexter Fowler to the Angels, the Cardinals didn't do much else other than get healthy.

Most Important Hitter

Paul DeJong

Entering his 5th season as the starting shortstop in St. Louis, Paul DeJong got out to a hot start to his career, finishing 2nd in Rookie of the Year in 2017 and making his first All Star Team in 2019.  However, 2020 proved to be a struggle for DeJong.  If the Cardinals are going to have a dangerous and deep lineup, they need DeJong to bounce back and show he can get back to that All Star level.

Most Important Pitcher

Jack Flaherty

In 2020, Adam Wainwright emerged as the go to ace of the Cardinals' staff.  With Wainwright entering his age 39 season, he can't really be counted on to be that good again in 2021.  That means it is time for Jack Flaherty to emerge as the consistent dominant ace the Cardinals need.  He was outstanding in 2019, finishing in the top 5 in Cy Young voting, but 2020 was a struggle.  With some of the injuries the Cardinals are facing in their rotation to start the season, the 25 year old Flaherty needs to be one of the best pitchers in baseball, which is not a stretch considering his how good he has shown he can be.

Prospect to Watch

Dylan Carlson

When the Cardinals traded Dexter Fowler, they were basically announcing that the outfield would be super young and athletic.  Harrison Bader and Tyler O'Neill can be expected to be out there every day, but the best of the group might be Dylan Carlson.  Ranked the 14th best prospect in baseball, Carlson played in 35 games in 2020 with little success, but the Cardinals believe in him, and his tools show that he can be a star.

2021 Prediction

1st in NL Central, win World Series

Here are my World Series champions!  It is definitely an outside-the-box pick, but with the way the Cardinals always find a way to be better than anyone realized, and the add of Arenado, this team is going to surprise everyone.  Arenado and Goldschmidt are the perfect superstars to play in St. Louis, and they are going to become one of the best combos in any lineup in the league.  Every few years, the Cardinals emerge as one of the best teams in baseball, and they are due.  Also, can you imagine the storylines of a Tony La Russa vs. the Cardinals World Series?  And a World Series win would almost certainly send Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright off into retirement on top.  Perfect!

Fearless Prediction

Jack Flaherty wins the NL Cy Young Award.

Like I said, Jack Flaherty has the capability to be one of the best pitchers in baseball.  He is going to be the surprising star everybody knows from this team by the end of the season.  A Cy Young and a World Series ... sounds like a successful season to me.