Dallas Mavericks off-season Wish List

The Dallas Mavericks are in an interesting position going into the off-season.  They finished 8th in the brutal Western Conference, but won 49 games and took the top-seeded Spurs to seven games in the fist round of the playoffs.  The team has a solid core, but with no first round draft pick this year the only way to get dramatically better will be through free-agency.  Here are three players the Mavericks have a realistic chance of signing who can help the team going forward.

1. Luol Deng SF (2014 Season: 16.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.9 APG)

Deng fell out of the national spotlight after being traded from the Chicago Bulls to the Cleveland Cavaliers halfway through the season.  However, the veteran small forward went on to have another solid season.  A versatile defender Deng's length and quickness allows him to guard multiple positions.  Deng creates most of his scoring opportunities off the dribble, and is a decent 3 point shooter who can spread the floor.  The Mavericks have two small forwards in Shawn Marion and Vince Carter who they will look to re-sign, but if Deng signs with the Mavs he would be the starter at small forward.  A playoff tested veteran Deng would fit in perfectly with the culture in Dallas.

2. Marcin Gortat C (2014 Season: 13.2 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 1.7 APG)

The price tag went up for the Polish center after an impressive playoff run with the Washington Wizards.  Gortat is a solid individual defender and a skilled shot blocker averaging 1.6 BPG last year.  On the offensive end of the floor he is a good finisher around the rim and can hit the 15 foot jump shot with consistency.  For the Mavericks, a team that is already very good on offense, adding a Center who can get 12 to 15 points a night would create matchup problems for any team. Gortat is at his best working off the pick-and-roll. With a backcourt of Monta Ellis and Jose Calderon Gortat would get plenty of easy opportunities at the rim.  Plus Gortat is the top pick as the NBA player most likely to be an Eastern European villain in an action movie category.

3. Kyle Lowry PG (2014 Season: 17.9 PPG,  4.7 RPG 7.4 APG)

The biggest long shot of the three as re-singing Lowry will be Toronto's top off-season priority.  The point guard really came into his own this year getting the most playing time of his career by a significant margin. Lowry is a playmaker who can set teammates up and create his own shot. Putting Lowry on the same team as Monta Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki would be deadly. Lowry isn't a great defender, but is not the defensive liability starting point guard Jose Calderon was this season. The price tag will be high, but Lowry would make the Mavericks a force in the Western Conference. No word on if he and Drake are a package deal.
Dallas has holes to fill and a franchise player in Dirk Nowitzki who is not getting any younger. This off-season will be critical for the team going forward.

Stephen Simcox
@SimcoxStephen

How Jon Daniels ruined the Texas Rangers (Part 3)

How Jon Daniels ruined the Texas Rangers (Part 3)

The Texas Rangers season has gotten off to a rocky start and many fans wonder if it is time to hit the panic button yet. This three-part series gives the reasons why this season is a disaster and why it is the GM’s fault. Part One was the Bad Contracts given out, Part Two was the Trading of the Farm System for rental players, and Third is the undefined roles of pitchers and poor player management. Here is the third and final installment of “How Jon Daniels ruined the Rangers: Poor Player Management”

Part of the problem with the Rangers as of the past few seasons has been the constant tampering with the pitching staff by the General manager, Jon Daniels. In 2010 Alexi Ogando and Neftali Feliz led the back end of the Rangers bullpen. 

In 2011,  Alexi Ogando was moved to the rotation, only to be sent back to the bullpen after a stint on the DL and finished in the pen for the playoffs. The 2012 and 13 seasons were more of the same for Ogando, as he flip-flopped each season and in 2013 Daniels moved Neftali Feliz into the rotation. This didn’t work out well for Feliz when his season was ended by a torn UCL and had Tommy John surgery, which he is still recovering from.

Having learned nothing from these two mistakes JD went and did the same thing to two more productive relievers, Tanner Scheppers and Robbie Ross. 

Scheppers lasted four starts and had an ERA of 9.94 before going on the DL with shoulder soreness, and is expected to be back in the bullpen upon return. Robbie Ross made nine starts, but gave up 6+ runs in the last three before being moved back to bullpen. I fear Jon Daniels may have damaged two more prized arms by his constant tinkering. Only time will tell, hopefully I’m wrong, for the Rangers sake.

Until next time,

Geoff Craig

@geoffrey_craig

Across the Pond: Post Season edition part 2

In this edition, I'll give my final thoughts on the UEFA Champions League, and review both La Liga and the Bundesliga.


UEFA Champions League

Three minutes was all that separated Atletico Madrid from a Champions League triumph, but with Sergio Ramos equalizing in second half stoppage time, you got the feeling Atletico had little left in the tank. The last ten minutes of regular time saw Atletico basically park the bus and it was only a matter of time before Real would find the tying goal. The scoreline makes the game seem like a blowout, but remember the game went into extra time, and once Real took the lead in the 109th minute, Atletico had to push people forward to try and tie the game. The fatigue was obvious, and Diego Simeone, who was a tactical genius all year, may have made his biggest mistake all season. He chose to start injured forward Diego Costa, who limped off after just 9 minutes. That substitution could've been used later when Juanfran was obviously in pain, but Atletico were out of subs. Juanfran's mistake led to the game-winning goal. The third goal was probably the most obvious indication of Atletico's fatigue. Marcelo basically dribbled half the team without much resistance. People will criticize Simeone for a long time, but to be fair the Argentinian went with his star forward who did everything in his power to be fit for this match. Sometimes in sports a great manager/coach makes a bad decision, but Simeone's tactical brilliance this season should be the talking point. His players were the best "team" in Europe. It's very sad that a good chunk of this team will likely not be in Atletico uniforms next year, but if Simeone stays, he will more than likely find more less-known talented players. On the flip side, Real Madrid used their super-stars and simply had more talent than their city rivals. World-record signing Gareth Bale had many brilliant moments this season, and he capped off his first year at Real with the game winning goal in the Champions League Final. Is he worth $100 million? In Real's eyes he is worth every penny, especially if more trophies flow into the Spanish capital. Real Madrid are easily the most successful team in the history of the Champions League. This is their tenth win, known as "La Decima", something they've been waiting for since 2002, the last time they won the trophy. Real will probably buy more players this off-season simply because they can. They are one of the richest clubs in the world, and the rich will get richer. They have a strong world-wide fan base making them one of the most popular clubs in the world. Though no club has repeated as Champions League winners in the modern era, Real may be the odds on favorite next year.

Gareth Bale, the most expensive signing in the world, was pivotal to Real's success this season.

La Liga

Champion: Atletico Madrid (10th title, 1st since 1996)

Copa del Rey (League Cup): Real Madrid

Champions League (2nd, 3rd, 4th): Barcelona, Real Madrid, Athletic Bilbao

Europa League (5th, 6th, 7th): Sevilla (current Europa League Champions), Villareal, Real Sociedad

Relegation (18th, 19th, 20th): Osasuna, Real Valladolid, Real Betis


When the season started, many pundits said that it would be Real Madrid or Barcelona lifting the trophy. To be fair, many said Atletico would be a dark horse title challenger, but not many really thought they would actually pull it off. With only a quarter of the payroll of Real and Barcelona, Atletico had to fight until the last minutes of the season to secure the title. It was fitting that the last day of the season had Atletico Madrid travel to Barcelona with a three point lead. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, and Barca fans have a claim because Lionel Messi's goal in the second half was incorrectly ruled offsides. However, Atletico fully deserved the title this season. Shortly after the game, Barcelona coach Tata Martino stepped down and former player Luis Enrique took over. Real Madrid's chances at the title were basically shot when they went 0-2-1 before beating Espanyol in the last game. The one loss was to Celta Vigo, who essentially had nothing to play for. To be fair, Cristiano Ronaldo was not fully fit for these games. Though there was more parity in this year's La Liga, there is still a wide gap between the top three teams and everyone else. The gap between 3rd and 4th place was 17 points. Athletic Bilbao was the 4th place team, and they should not be taken lightly in next year's Champions League, should they make the group stage. Led by young star Iker Munain, Bilbao play a creative-free flowing style, backed by a solid defense. In a bit of a surprise, Osasuna were relegated from the top flight after 14 years. Their last home game was overshadowed by fan violence which included an hour stoppage in the match to treat injured fans. Elsewhere, Sevilla took home the Europa League title (the second tier competition below the Champions League) beating favorites Benfica in the final. At one point it even looked like Sevilla may climb into 4th and a Champions League spot. Next year, the Europa League winner gets an automatic bid into the Champions League, and Sevilla will be one of the favorites to repeat. Now let's see some of the individual awards.

Atletico Madrid: 2013/14 Champions

My Awards

Player of the Year: Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid)

Costa was La Liga's second leading scorer behind Cristiano Ronaldo, but he was more important to his team and was pivotal in Atletico's title winning campaign. He scored more than a third of his team's goals. Costa was especially sharp in the earlier part of the season, while injuries plagued him at the very end. It was a real shame he wasn't fit for the Champions League Final. Speculation and the sale of David Luiz suggests Costa is on his way to Chelsea, but it's likely that nothing will be settled for sure until the conclusion of the World Cup.

Manager of the Year: Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid)

Simeone was the manager of the year by a mile. With the resources he had at his disposal, it's truly a miracle that Atletico won the title...or is it? Simeone reminds me a lot of Jurgen Klopp, Borussia Dortmund manager, in that his team doesn't have seemingly endless money to spend but he gets the very best from what he's given. Klopp has already won the Bundesliga twice with Dortmund and Simeone's last two seasons in charge have seen a La Liga title and a Europa League title. Like Klopp, Simeone will likely have key players leave but because of his coaching style, Atletico will reload (though it may take more than one season). Simeone gives me hope that money can't always buy championships.

Goal of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) vs. Valencia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcoMXSrf_PA

Honorable Mention: Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid) vs. Getafe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35oTWd1tFO0

Signing of the Year: Carlos Bacca (Sevilla FC)

Who? The casual La Liga fan probably has never heard of Bacca, but that may change during the World Cup. Colombia star Falcao is 50/50 to be fit, but Colombia may have found his replacement. Bacca came over from Brugge for just 7 million Euros, and led the team in scoring with 21 goals, 14 of them in the league. Bacca also scored in the penalty shootout against Benfica in the Europa League Final. At 27, Bacca is likely in the prime of his career and could be poised for a huge World Cup.

Bundesliga 

Champions: Bayern Munich (23rd title, 2nd consecutive)

DFB Pokal (League Cup): Bayern Munich

Champions League (2nd, 3rd, 4th): Borussia Dortmund, Schalke 04, Bayer Leverkusen

Europa League (5th, 6th, 7th): Wolfsburg, Borussia Monchengladbach, Mainz

Relegation (17th, 18th): Nurnberg, Eintracht Braunschweig (Hamburg SV finished 16th and played a playoff against the third place team in the 2. Bundesliga. Hamburg won 1-1 on away goals rule and remains the only team to play in the top flight since the creation of the Bundesliga in 1963).

This was supposed to be a more competitive Bundesliga season. Instead, the Bundesliga went from a two horse race, to a one horse race by Christmas. Bayern brought in even more reinforcements, including former Barcelona coach, Pep Guardiola. Borussia Dortmund were supposed to be the second horse in the race, but a plethora of injuries saw the team fade. Dortmund also brought in more players, but having to play multiple 17 and 18 year olds in the starting eleven is usually not a good sign. Ilkay Gundogan missed the entire year with back problems. Neven Subotic and Jakub Blaszczykowski missed most of the season. Marco Reus, Mats Hummels, Marcel Schmelzer, and Nuri Sahin also missed some time. Still, even if all of those players were fit, it's hard to imagine they would've won the title. Bayern clinched the title with 7 games to go on March 25th, a Bundesliga record. They also set the record for most matches without a loss in the league with 53, a streak that ended in April. With title out of reach fairly early in the season, the main battle in the Bundesliga would be for the 2nd-4th spots and the Champions League. It came down to the last match of the season as Wolfsburg and Monchengladbach played out a 1-1 draw which meant Leverkusen held on to the 4th spot. Had either team won, they would've been playing in the Champions League instead. This year, all four German teams made it out of their respective Champions League groups. Hamburg escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth. The Bundesliga adopted a new format for relegation this season where the 16th place team plays a home and home with the third best team from the second tier. Hamburg didn't win either tie, they only scored once, but it was all they needed as they stayed in Germany's first tier due to away goals rule. They remain the only team to play in the first tier since the Bundesliga was founded in 1963. There was also controversy which may lead to the Bundesliga adopting goal-line technology. Leading 1-0 against Hoffenheim, Leverkusen striker Stefan Kiessling looked to have scored a second goal. The ball actually went through a hole in the side of the net, but the speed at which it happened fooled everyone. It wasn't until a few minutes after the goal that the hole was discovered. There was even more controversy in the DFB Pokal final when Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels had a header cross the line before it was cleared. The referee did not award a goal and Bayern  won in extra time. Afterwards, Bayern Munich brass said they would support video replay in the Bundesliga.
Here's a video of the Kiessling "Ghost Goal": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3CLrTOcDa0

My Awards

Player of the Year: Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund)

I could've picked someone from Bayern, but many of them had outstanding seasons, plus Ribery and Robben missed time due to injury. Reus also missed a little time, but when he came back he inspired his team. The German international finished with 23 goals and 18 assists in all competitions and nearly led Dortmund past Real Madrid in the Champions League. When he came back from a calf injury, Reus was sluggish at first, but once he found his form, Dortmund easily secured second place. He has a 35 million Euro release clause, and turned down a contract extension. A good performance for Germany at the World Cup may see bigger teams willing to splash a lot of money to get his services.

Manager of the Year: Dieter Hecking (Vfl Wolfsburg)

Hecking gets my vote because of the turn-around from last season. In fact, Hecking was almost fired after Wolfsburg JUST escaped relegation last season. This year, Hecking's Wolfsburg finished just one point out of fourth place and will compete in next year's Europa League. They have a great core of young players in Kevin de Bruyne, Ivan Perisic, and Luiz Gustavo. De Bruyne and Perisic will feature for their respective national teams (Belgium and Croatia) at this year's World Cup. Goalkeeper Diego Benaglio and forward Ivica Olic provide veteran experience and Wolfsburg will make a realistic challenge at the top 4 next year.

Goal of the Year: Naldo (Wolfsburg) vs. Frankfurt

Naldo's strike beats out my honorable mention because of its importance. It kept Wolfsburg in the race for 4th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=K-QexutuqNM

Honorable Mention: Hakan Calhanoglu (Hamburg) vs. Borussia Dortmund

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nK58AssP9tc

Signing of the Year: Josip Drmic (Nurnberg)

Nurnberg were relegated from the Bundesliga, but they had a shining star in an otherwise dark season. Drmic came over from Swiss side FC Zurich for just 2.2 million Euros. He was easily the best return on investment as the Swiss international netted 17 goals, third best in the league. Not surprisingly, he was called up to his first World Cup. By the way, he's only 21 years old. Drmic signed a five year contract with Bayer Leverkusen after this season, meaning he will likely play in the Champions League next year. Because of his age, Drmic is the perfect striker to build a team around and Leverkusen are already a consistent top 4 team. With Drmic, Leverkusen may be a dark horse in the title race next year.

Adam Bakiera
Follow me on Twitter: @abakiera and be sure to follow @RiffRamSports

How Jon Daniels ruined the Texas Rangers (Part 2)

How Jon Daniels ruined the Texas Rangers (Part 2)

The Texas Rangers season has gotten off to a rocky start and many fans wonder if it is time to hit the panic button yet. This three-part series gives the reasons why this season is a disaster and why it is the GM’s fault. Part One was the Bad Contracts given out, Part Two is the Trading of the Farm System for rental players, and Third is the undefined roles of pitchers and poor player management.

Now it’s time for the Second installment: The Gutted Farm System.

The trade that will haunt Jon Daniels the most was the Matt Garza trade from 2013. 

Daniels sent, P Justin Grimm, P Neil Ramirez, 3B Mike Olt, and #5 prospect P C.J. Edwards to the Cubs for two months of mediocre pitching from Matt Garza. Garza bolted for Milwaukee in the off-season and now the Cubs have their starting third-baseman Mike Olt, (9 HR’s) and two relievers in Neil Ramirez (0-1 0.77 ERA) and Justin Grimm (1-2 3.00 ERA). 

The Rangers gave up four of their Top 15 prospects and now have nothing to show for it. Another trade that has flown under the radar of late was the trade of SP Robbie Erlin (3-4 4.53 ERA) to San Diego for RP Mike Adams in 2012.

Adams was the set-up man for two World Series teams but Robbie Erlin is now in his second season as a starter for the Padres. Given the injuries to Derek Holland, Matt Harrison, and Martin Perez, having another Major-League ready starter could’ve helped.

I’ll be back soon with the third installment: Poor Player Management

Geoff Craig

@geoffrey_craig

How Jon Daniels ruined the Texas Rangers (Part 1)

How Jon Daniels ruined the Texas Rangers Part 1

The Texas Rangers season has gotten off to a rocky start and many fans wonder if it is time to hit the panic button yet. Well, the answer is an emphatic YES! But with the rash of injuries this team has endured, who is to blame for this bad start, Ron Washington, Jon Daniels, the Ownership Group? The manager can only field a team with the players you give him, and the owners went and spent money this off-season to bring players in, and you can’t predict injuries, but the blame has to fall on the shoulders of General Manager Jon Daniels. This three-part series gives the reasons why this season is a disaster and why it is the GM’s fault. Part One is the Bad Contracts given out, Part Two is the Trading of the Farm System for rental players, and Third is the undefined roles of pitchers and poor player management.

Let’s start with Bad Contracts

I want to start with the contract of Matt Harrison, 5-yrs $55-Million runs through 2018. This didn’t seem that bad when he signed the deal, Harry had just come off and 18-win season. The problem is the length of the contract for a guy who had double digits wins TWICE in five seasons. He rewarded the Rangers by pitching 10.2 innings last season and making $5 million.  Now he may need another back surgery (possibly career-ending) and the Rangers are still on the hook for 4 yrs and $50 Mill. 

Let’s not forget the contract given to Elvis Andrus either, 8 yrs $120 Mill running through 2023. That’s a ton for a guy who hits on average 3 HR’s/yr and bats .270 with 0 Gold Gloves.  By my math, that’s $26 Million in wasted money per year until 2018. I’m not even going to get into the Prince Fielder contract and how that could potentially cripple this franchise. The Rangers have always loved his personality and playfulness, but it seems to be wearing thin now that for the second consecutive year he has started the season slowly. JD was expecting progression, not regression. Maybe they should have traded Elvis and kept Ian Kinsler. Top prospect Jurickson Profar’s natural position is Shortstop.

I’ll be back with the second installment: "The Gutted Farm System" soon.

Geoffrey Craig
@geoffrey_craig

Across the Pond: Your Weekly European Soccer Update Post Season Edition Part 1

Welcome back! I apologize sincerely for the lack of soccer posts in the last few weeks (graduation, moving home, and job searching/interviewing, etc. have taken up almost all of my time). Since the last time I wrote, almost everything is settled in the major European leagues. The one big game still left is the UEFA Champions League Final, which is this Saturday in Lisbon. I'll talk more about that a little later. Before I do my final thoughts on the major leagues (and some not as major leagues too) let's do a little bit of housekeeping so you know what to expect in the next few weeks. I've decided to break up the recaps of the leagues so I can go into more depth. Today I'll do the Premier League and Champions League Final preview. In the next few days I'll cover La Liga, the Bundesliga, Serie A, and a more compact recap of some of the less known leagues. The World Cup starts on June 12th, and I'll do a full analysis on every group before it starts. During the World Cup I'll continue to write, giving my predictions after EVERY round. With some help from inside sources, I'll also go over the venues in Brazil and what to expect from the host country. When the World Cup ends I'll go back to FC Dallas reporting, and I'll also write about the team between the Champions League Final and the start of the World Cup. The World Cup concludes in July and the major leagues don't start again until mid-August, so I'll use that time to write my predictions for the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying groups. Then when the leagues start again in August you can expect a full analysis as well as recap of major transfers. Without further ado let's recap another exciting football year.

Barclays Premier League

Champion: Manchester City

Champions League (2nd, 3rd, 4th): Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal
Europa League (5th, 6th): Everton, Tottenham...Hull City also qualified because Arsenal beat them in the FA Cup final. Normally, Arsenal would go to the Europa League, but they finished in a Champions League spot, meaning the finalist (Hull City) gets that spot.

Relegation to League Championship (18th, 19th, 20th): Norwich City, Fulham, Cardiff City

FA Cup: Arsenal

League Cup: Manchester City

Manchester City won their second league title in three years, and also claimed what's known as "the double" by winning the Capital One League Cup. They did so by scoring lots of goals (102) and having the second best defense. Arsenal actually spent the most time at the top of the table, but they sputtered after New Year's, allowing Liverpool to move to the top spot. If not for a Steven Gerrard slip against Chelsea, Liverpool may have won the title. People will point to the collapse at Crystal Palace as the turning point, but really it was the Chelsea game. Credit to Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini, who won trophies in his first season. Yaya Toure was the most important player for City's run to the title. He scored timely goals and was a wall on defense. Despite choking late in the season, Liverpool and its fans should be very happy on how the season went. They return to the Champions League next year and if they add a piece or two on defense, will be legitimate title contenders once again. Chelsea were probably many people's favorites to win the title before the season, and it looked like they may achieve that feat. Like Arsenal, Chelsea struggled in the second half of the season. They ended up third in the league and were eliminated by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi finals. Questions will remain about Jose Mourinho's mind games, something he is famous for. For the first time in 10 years, Arsenal fans see their team win a trophy. Don't underestimate the significance of the FA Cup, it's a prestigious trophy and it certainly should lift some pressure off manager Arsene Wenger. Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis takes home the manager of the season award and rightfully so. When he took over the team, they were dead last and poised for relegation. They comfortably finished the season in 11th place and took down some big teams in the second half of the season. Sunderland completed a similar escape. With 6 games left they were dead last, 7 points from safety, and faced both Manchester teams and Chelsea in their final games. They won 5 of the last six, and tied the other game to escape relegation with a game to spare. The biggest team relegated is Fulham. The London outfit was in the Premier League for the last 13 seasons, and made it to the Europa League Final in 2010. Losing Clint Dempsey and Brian Ruiz in the past few seasons played a big role. A porous defense saw Fulham give up a league worst 85 goals. Norwich City return to the second tier after just two seasons in England's top flight. They can blame their lack of goal scoring, as they were the worst offense in the Premier League. Cardiff City are relegated just a year after winning the Championship. Lack of scoring and issues with the brass led to their downfall. Owner Vincent Tan is not very popular with Cardiff supporters, among other things, he changed the team's logo and colors and fired then manager Malky Mackay.The other big storyline was the struggles of Manchester United after the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson which eventually led to David Moyes' firing. Moyes was known as "the Chosen One" but United ended up with their worst ever finish (7th) in the Premier League. I thought United may give Moyes a few more weeks next season, but this is a club that expects the best, and Moyes clearly isn't up to par. In all, the lead changed hands 25 times this season, the second most ever. The title wasn't decided until the very last day, something that's only happened 7 times. For the first time ever, two teams (Manchester City and Liverpool) scored over 100 goals and City finished one goal shy of the record.

My Awards

 Player of the Year: Luis Suarez (Liverpool)

Suarez not only won the golden boot for top goal scorer, he did so in just 33 games after being suspended for the first six for a biting incident. He became only the seventh player in Premier League history to score 30 goals. It took him just 15 games to score 20 goals, which is a record. He signed a contract extension with Liverpool in December that keeps him at Anfield until 2018. It's been quite a change for Suarez who seemed certain to leave Liverpool a year ago. The club decided to throw its support behind him and he flourished. I've always been a huge Suarez fan. His passion for the game and winning is second to no one right now. If you want proof see his actions in the 2010 World Cup when he infamously used his hand to stop a sure goal. He was properly shown a red card but Ghana missed the penalty kick and Uruguay won the game. Most recently, Suarez was crying after Liverpool blew a three goal lead against Crystal Palace. Yes, he has his share of off the field issues, but since the biting incident 13 months ago, Suarez has been innocent.

 Manager of the Year: Tony Pulis (Crystal Palace)

After 12 games, Crystal Palace had only 4 points. In the next 26 they piled up 41 and easily escaped relegation. So what happened? Tony Pulis happened. Pulis is known for being a defense-first coach, gaining that reputation while leading Stoke City to the Premier League a few years ago. Pulis is a mastermind at getting everything out of his teams. Palace don't have nearly the talent to be where they are, and if Pulis was manager from the start of the season, this team may have finished in the top 8. Aside from saving their season, Pulis' Palace ended Liverpool's hopes of winning the title. If Palace can keep most of their players and maybe even add a few, Crystal Palace can be this year's Southampton.

 Goal of the Year: Pajtim Kasami (Fulham) vs. Crystal Palace

One of the brighter spots in Fulham's season was this goal against Crystal Palace. The skill it takes to chest a ball at a full sprint and blast it in the top corner off a volley is almost impossible. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYaROUmMOVU

Honorable mention goes to Jack Wilshere's goal against Norwich.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FHswyAFEWc

 Signing of the Year: Christian Eriksen (Tottenham)

I picked Eriksen because of how cheap Spurs bought him for. At only ten million pounds, Eriksen was a bargain. He did struggle with injuries this season, and Tottenham probably underachieved for the amount of talented players they brought in. Andre Villas Boas, the former manager, also benched Eriksen but Tim Sherwood brought him back into the starting eleven, and Eriksen ended the season with ten goals and ten assists. If he remains healthy, Eriksen can become one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League.

UEFA Champions League Final: Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid Saturday, May 24 1:45 CST

So if you remember I predicted a Bayern-Chelsea final. Needless to say I was dead wrong. Instead, for the second year in a row we have two teams from the same country, actually the same city, playing in the Champions League Final. Atletico's dream season continues. They held off Barcelona heroically to win the league, and now look for the prestigious double. A 0-0 in the first leg against Chelsea gave Atletico a slight edge going back to London. Chelsea actually took the lead in the second leg, but Atletico scored three unanswered goals to clinch a spot in the final. Real Madrid arguably had the tougher task, facing Bayern Munich. They took a 1-0 lead from the first leg back to Germany, and shocked the world after that. Two Sergio Ramos goals in the first 30 minutes basically put the tie to bed. Real ended up winning 4-0, 5-0 on aggregate. Real took advantage of Bayern's late season dip in form, but to blow them out like they did stunned everyone. Atletico Madrid are waiting on the status of star striker Diego Costa, who suffered a grade 1 hamstring tear on Saturday. Normally Costa would be ruled out for a couple of weeks, but the Spanish striker traveled to Serbia to receive a horse placenta treatment. No, that's not a typo. Costa is still doubtful to play in the final, especially if he isn't close to 100%. Real Madrid received a boost as both Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale are expected to play.

Diego Costa's fitness is in doubt for this weekend's match against Real Madrid

  Prediction: After watching Atletico win the title this Saturday, I get the feeling this team is destined this year. They lost Costa after 20 minutes, and a few minutes later lost Arda Turan, also one of their best players. However, coach Diego Simeone regrouped at half-time and Atletico held on to win the title. On paper, Real are the more talented team, especially if Costa can't go. The teams have played each other 4 times this season, twice in the league and twice in the Copa del Rey. Real won both Copa del Rey legs, but lost at home to Atletico in the league. The last match ended in a 2-2 draw. However, Real surprisingly dropped out of the league title race in the last two weeks of the season, and seem to be in a bit of a funk. I expect a close game with Thibaut Courtois being the hero for Atletico Madrid in penalty kicks. 1-1 after extra time, Atletico win on PK's.

Part two coming soon,

Adam Bakiera
Follow me on Twitter: @abakiera and be sure to follow @RiffRamSports