The NBA through a Third....

Greetings all... sorry for the absence.... The schedule isn't allowing alot of intense sports following at the moment.... that said, here's my look at every NBA team at the 1/3 pole of the season.... For the record, these will be in the order I think they'll finish the regular season....

East:

1. Boston - They are pretty much who we thought they were... Pierce is out for 10 days-ish, and even without him, they put together an impressive effort on Christmas in Orlando... IMO, they are the clear favorite in the East if healthy... the depth is there with semi-quality minutes from Marquis Daniels, Eddie House, and even the fat version of Sheed (when is going to get in shape?!)... and this is the best defensive team in the L.... and we haven't mentioned the consistency of production from Rondo and Allen, or the fact that KG is looking better physically as we go.... They are my pick...




2. Orlando - Despite the stinkbomb they laid on Christmas to an undermanned Celtics team, they have the most depth of anyone in the conference (and the league really)... I think they probably a move away from being a serious threat to a healthy Celtics team simply because I don't think Vince is the answer, and they have alot of money toiling in Marcin Gortat and Brandon Bass who are both playing little to no rotation minutes right now (Mostly because Ryan Anderson is good... which I've been saying here for years.... thanks to @imryan for that one as well)... Jameer is rounding back into form, and he's their key... We know what Dwight and Rashard are going to do... but I'm of the opinion that Orlando could've won the title last year if Jameer was 100% in the Finals... he wasn't...and they didn't... but the "most talent" award goes to the Magic....




3. Cleveland - Let me get this out of the way... I think Cleveland is making a move before the deadline... and if they DON'T... that's a mistake... if they play well enough to convince management that they can/will win the title as currently constructed... that's bad news for them because they aren't... the Shaq expiring deal needs to be moved...notice how I didn't refer to him as a player, but as a contract... he's washed up... I'm sorry... and Delonte West is a mess, Jamario Moon is who he is, and they can't guard the pick 'n roll unless Varejao or Hickson is playing center... But....BUT... they have Lebron James... and you don't...which, combined with my thinking that a move is coming (because they can't afford to leave themselves with this roster to try to entice 'Bron to stay)... and they keep the edge on the Hawks....




4. Atlanta - Not necessarily the "surprise" that most thought they were... this is clearly a better team than last year both on paper, and on the floor... Jamal Crawford has been as good as he can be, fitting in with ball-handling responsibilities, bench scoring, and capable defense in a role that behooves him... Josh Smith has made maybe the greatest leap from season-to-season of anyone in the league (Let me just say this ahead of time, as I have been a detractor), and in my opinion they've done all of this with Joe Johnson taking a small step back this year.... No one in the national media has said this, but if you follow Hawks blogs/beats (aka the people that actually watch every game)... there's a clearly statistical and on-court difference in Joe from last year to this year... The only downside? Marvin Williams is a non-entity... I believe this is official now... 10 points, 5 boards a game isn't worthy of the 5-year mid-level he just signed... that will bite them... but with Josh Smith's leap (the almost extinguishing of ridiculous 3-point bombs, better decision making, and his emergence as an elite passer from the high post), and Mike Woodson continuing to find ways to ALMOST hide Mike Bibby's defensive dreadfulness, and the lack of a 3rd big.... I think this is an actual threat to the Top 3.... would I pick them against Boston or Orlando? No...but Cleveland as constructed? I think I like the Hawks....




5. Miami - Yikes... the drop-off is enormous here... I'm not a Miami fan...but Dwyane Wade alone gets them the nod over the other also-rans.... Mike Beasley is one of the more efficient/effortless/even weird offensive forces in the league, and while he's a dreadful defender, he gives them a legit 2nd option so Wade doesn't kill himself... Q-Rich was a quality pilfering, the Haslem/JO front-line has been fairly solid, and Wade has another gear that he hasn't had to pull out yet... That said, Joel Anthony isn't an NBA rotation guy...they are dragging out Carlos Arroyo at the point to send a message to Mario Chalmers, and the Daequan Cook/Dorell Wright headcase combo is still there.... Just not enough there to be a serious 1st-round threat unless Wade averages 35-40 a game....




6. Chicago - I think I'll be the last person to bail on the Bulls... The announcement that Vinny Del Negro is being fired made this easier... they have clearly the best roster of the non-big 4 teams (Miami included) when healthy... Derrick Rose is a matchup nightmare against any of the elite teams except Boston... Ty Thomas is coming back, and Joakim Noah is a top 5-6 center in league (I know this is a non-story lol)... VDN handicaps them with his inability to put together quality units together (I.e. putting John Salmons in positions where he has to create all the offense, playing James Johnson and Taj Gibson together, and the inability to define a role for Kirk Hinrich), but when he's gone, they'll make the "new coach effort" surge... and get them here... The x-factor? Derrick Rose has been a disappointment this year... plain and simple... 17 and 6 from the guy we saw in the '09 playoffs? Shameful almost...




7. Toronto - Won 4 in a row and 7 of 11.... the defense is looking up a bit (still absolutely dreadful but less so), and all reports have Hedo settling in a bit in the wake of Calderon's injury issues... I see that continuing when Jose returns and despite his lackluster play this year, Hedo can help with ball-handling and decision-making stuff while providing a perimeter scorer they haven't had... Bosh has been a man... 24 and 11 makes him the best non-Duncan/Dirk power forward, and a lock for a max-deal (he was one anyway but he'll deserve it more playing at this level)... We spoke of Calderon earlier... he's the key to me... his confidence looks shaken... and he needs to be more consistent to keep them in the hunt... the Jarrett Jack signing was designed to push him, and provide a stronger, defensive-minded option who can do the things that Calderon doesn't... instead, it's forced him to back off even more... and yes, I enjoy Marco Belinelli and Sonny Weems....




8. Milwaukee - They were as high as 5 in this particular thought process until they went 3-7 in their last 10 and Brandon Jennings has been a mere mortal lately... Andrew Bogut's play alone has kept them in the playoffs for me (16 and 10 for the year, and numerous 20/15's lately including a huge 31 and 18 games against the Wiz last week)... They still lack consistent wing production from Redd/Ilyasova/Mbah a Moute and the like...and that's the issue for me... and can we have Joe Alexander either traded or getting some burn? I haven't heard an explanation for that... Jennings has hit the wall a bit, but if anyone thought he'd be able to shoot at the level he was shooting for any length of time... I'd judge you a bit... this is still a guy who's main question mark coming into the draft was his outside jump shot who shot 50% from 3 for the first month-plus.... he was bound to return to earth....




9. New York - I'm almost enjoying watching the Knicks play lately... in fact, if you put a real-life NBA point guard on this team, they'd be in the playoffs... granted, it's the East...but alas... Guys I Like: Gallinari (now averaging 15 and 5 and gaining the confidence that makes him almost unguardable), Jared Jeffries (surprisingly locking people down at 4 positions, and making himself something besides a pure salary dump chip), Larry Hughes (never thought I'd say that but I like him in an unassuming role)... Things I don't: Al Harrington absolutely jacking... Chris Duhon shooting 35% and playing irresponsibly on top of that.... Still not a playoff team, but they're playing D now, and D'Antoni has adjusted his philosophy once he realized he needs an adequate PG.... Late Addition: Nate-Rob was absolutely astounding the other night at Philips... he's their x-factor... play him Mike! You have nothing else!




10. Detroit - I won't try to defend Joe Dumars' offseason acquisitions... I hated them then... and I hate them now... The Gordon/Charlie V defensive liability combo doesn't make sense to me...but when he unearths Will Bynum from Europe, drafts Jonas Jerebko (who's quietly good), and has kept the team semi-competitive without Hamilton and Prince for alot of the season... I don't enjoy the team make-up... Stuckey isn't a point guard, there isn't a front-court guy who can play offensively outside of Jason Maxiell (who's about 6'6).... Competitive but nothing to write home about...




11. Washington - Much too talented to be here... but it's crazy how bad they've been... Gil is putting up Gil-like numbers again... but Caron Butler has been a shell ( 17 and 7 on 43%), and they haven't established a way to get the young guys effective time.... Guys like Andray Blatche, Nick Young, Jevale McGee...and even Randy Foye aren't being put in consistent positions that can enhance their talents... and they're minutes are being taken (on a bad team no less) but no-upside vets like Deshawn Stevenson (who is playing 17 minutes per despite averaging under 4 ppg and shooting 25%) and Dominic McGuire... Can't keep going with this current unit...




12. Charlotte - Couple issues here... 1) Larry Brown.... yes, the good ole fashioned sergeant has reared his head... he's terrible with young guys (he has many), and he quits on guys in half-seasons... 2) No discernable size... Tyson Chandler is effective... but pairing him with Boris Diaw (who isn't a 4), and backing him up with Nazr Mohammed and Diop... ehhhh.... and 3) the DJ/Felton experiment is done... neither is fit to run a team... and they definitely shouldn't be sharing time evenly... DJ has the higher upside, and Felton is gone soon... play the kid Larry...




13. Philly - Where do you start? Elton Brand has the worst contract in the L right now (and it's just beginning Sixers fans!!!)... Allen Iverson was brought in to... sell tickets?... Especially now when Lou Williams is back wayyy earlier than announced, and they still needs minutes to develop him and Holiday... Marreese Speights is the team's best big... read that again... and they need to rid themselves of the Dalembert contract asap... and we haven't mentioned that Iguodala isn't a #1 guy... On the bright side, Williams and Thaddeus Young have both improved greatly (to the 16 ppg range), and I feel like they've got something in Holiday with the only reservation being that I have no idea how they cultivate Holiday and Williams together...




14. Indiana - They'd be at least 1 spot higher without the Granger injury... but at the moment.... they're going to Dahntay Jones and Troy Murphy for offense... You can't underestimate how much they need Granger... Hansborough has been surprisingly effective (in my opinion) and I like what they've gotten from Roy Hibbert (gasp), but the Jones/Dunleavy/Ford/Watson combo... just kills me... and by the way... Solomon Jones gets rotation minutes.... I'll stop there...




15. New Jersey - They're still bad...but the young guys are players that I think they can build with.... You can't mess around with elite talents at Center and Point guard...which is what they have... I feel like this team is miles ahead of their record, but they have soooo many young/inexperienced guys that they just aren't there yet... Brook Lopez is 19/10 right now... The list of young centers that I'd wanna build my team around... Dwight.... (huge break)... then the Bogut/Lopez/Bynum group (maybe Horford too).... he's that good... Williams and CDR? At least solid rotation guys... if they get a marquee FA...they'll be a player next year.... and I honestly feel like they'll be better in the 2nd half than teams like Indy and Philly...but the whole they've dug is too huge...

To the West....

1. LA Lakers - Quite simply the best team in the L.... Gigantic up front...skilled everywhere...playing elite defense... Kobe is still the guy you want at the end of the game... and Ron-Ron hasn't killed them on or off the court (well, he did just get a concussion at home...hmmmm)... Bynum is healthy and Gasol is as good as he's ever been... their ONLY weakness is at the point...and they had that weakness last year... it didn't matter... This team is so good that Lamar Odom can average 9 and 9... and they still have the league's best record... Odom would be the 2nd or 3rd best guy on most teams in the L....he's coming off the bench, and isn't always on the court at the end of games right now...




2. Dallas - Huge drop from LA here.... not as big as the Big 4 in the east to everyone else...but huge nonetheless... Dirk is a go-to guy in the class just below Kobe/Bron/Wade (26 and 8 and the only forward since Larry Bird with a chance at 50/40/90 in percentages plus the extra gear to kill teams late)... in fact he's the next guy I'd want the ball in the hands of at the end of a game right now in the league...just ahead of Melo... and that pains me as a reformed Dirk hater... but the real x-factor with them is the perimeter options they can throw at people with Marion and Howard now playing together and Kidd's vet experience with JT's pure scoring... Even scarier? They can play against ANY body in the West sans LA (if they play Gasol and Bynum together) with Dirk at the 5 and throw the Dirk/Marion/Howard/Terry/Kidd lineup at people... that's scary...




3. San Antonio - Ah the enigma... Duncan is Duncan.... he's my favorite player in the league... he doesn't take nights off... capable of throwing the occasional 30/15 up when he needs to (including a 34/14 followed by a 27/15 on back-to-back nights 2 weeks ago)... This ranking puts my faith in a rebound from Parker especially (right now 17 and 6 down from 22 and 7 last year)... and at least SOME improvement from Ginobili (who's quietly been pretty bad this year, 13 ppg, 40% shooting)... I really enjoy the work of George Hill (who I think is a top-25 NBA point guard right now), and Dajuan Blair who has been wonderful for a rookie...the x-factor is Jefferson who I actually don't think will do much more than the 13.1 ppg he's throwing up now, and average defense... the fit is semi-questionable because he's not a knock-down jumpshooter... the alarming thing is on the defensive end... They are near the middle of the pack in defensive efficiency (currently 11th)... and for the first time in the last decade, theyre outside the top 5 in that category... insane...I'll bet on Pop and Duncan and say they rebound....




4. Denver - Uhhh... Melo is averaging 30 a game right now.... just thought you should know... Ty Lawson was a fantastic pick...the anti-Billups who is a speedster/creator that can get by anyone on the bounce and push the break.... they can play them together b/c Billups is so strong too... The real issue with Denver is up front... they just aren't deep there esp. when you consider how healthy Kenyon Martin has been... Nene is a very good option down there, but Birdman is a one-dimensional energy guy, and they are defensively inefficient with Melo and JR Smith... But the chief reason I don't trust the Nuggets... George Karl isn't a big-game coach... he doesn't do well with prosperity... he doesn't manage rotations well... and he lacks the defensive strategy to hide Melo, and I can't see a team in the bottom half of the league in defensive efficiency challenging the Lakers without ELITE offense... and I don't think Denver is to the level of a Phoenix or somebody like that on that end when Melo's jumpers aren't falling...




5. Phoenix- The staggering egg they laid on Saturday to Memphis (a humbling 25 point loss) not withstanding... This is a scary team offensively (duh) that is getting a ridiculously efficient/awesome season from Nash (19 and 11 with 54/44/93 percentages while taking over as their main crunch time scorer) and breakout years from Channing Frye (13 and 6 and shooting 43% from 3, making 2.5 threes a game) and Jared Dudley (emerging as their lock-down defender and the guy I loved at BC)... As always... they don't defend... at all... and they've been fairly healthy thus far... Dragic is better than he's ever and they're doing this while getting nothing from their first-rounder (Earl Clark who is buried)... Still not too much upside but nobody wants to play them....




6. Houston - I don't know how they do it in Houston... Well, I do... but it's certainly unconventional... mix-in a devastating offensive PG (Brooks), quality young scorers on the wing (Ariza/Budinger), and a crazy efficient, defensive-minded cast of role players and bigs (Scola/Battier/Landry/Lowry) who can all score when called upon, and are near-elite defenders at their positions... and did I mention they are somehow 20-14 without Yao Ming and anything from $23 million Tracy McGrady? This ranking is VERY fluid... simply because they now have the McGrady contract trade chip and that will likely pull them up significantly here... I love this team and how it's built... and if they want to compete in the playoffs, they need a real go-to option...




7. Portland - This is blind faith in Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge... both of their centers (you've heard all about Oden, but Joel Przybilla being out is a gigantic blow to them on the defensive end) being out is soul-crushing unless they steal someone in a deal... on the bright side for them, they have infinite wing assets so they can likely move one for a stop-gap at center... I'm almost incorporating that into this ranking simply because Juwan Howard/Dante Cunningham/Jeff Pendergraph/Shavlik Randolph isn't cutting it on the block... Jerryd Bayless has emerged as a reliable backcourt scorer (and he'll be getting more minutes while Steve Blake is out with pneumonia)... the x-factor? Andre Miller... will they move him? It's not a secret they signed him at the last minute to simply spend their cap space before they lost it forever...




8. OKC - I was waving the flag preseason... and I'm still here... Durant is throwing up 30+ every night lately, and the rest of the squad flanks him beautifully... covering up for his defensive shortcomings (he's not quite there on that end) with a lanky/long team that is an anomaly for a young team in that they are playing very, very good defense... Sefolosha, Green, Westbrook, and even Harden are already above-average defenders at their spots, and newly acquired Eric Maynor allows Westbrook to go off-ball sometimes and provide a real, live, pass-first, run-the-show PG.... Not a threat to win a series yet... but if they somehow garnered the 7 seed and KD threw up a 36 ppg series...????




9. Utah - An enigma of the highest order... the talent is there but the fit isn't always what it should be... They're paying a significant price to keep Millsap (who is quietly underachieving at 10 and 6... fitting into the role he's meant to play instead of the one he's being paid for) and Boozer around at the same position... Deron Williams has been darn good...putting up a 20/10 with 49% FG and 39% 3-pt, but he has a knack for putting up epic stinkers when they need it (the 4-point bomb he put forth at Philips Arena comes to mind)... They are very good at home, and would be scary in the playoffs (especially if they can make a basketball move unlike the trade they made to hand 1st round PG Eric Maynor to OKC)... but not a threat....




10. New Orleans - Somebody help Mr. Paul out... The best PG alive is averaging 21 and 11 with 2.1 steals with 52/46/85 percentages... amazing... that's the list of positive things for the Hornets this year... wait.... wait.... okay, That's not ENTIRELY true... but it seems like it... David West has taken a small step back (17 and 7 down from 21 and 9 in 08-09), Okafor is putting up reasonable numbers (11/10/1.9 blocks) but isn't adding anything offensively and hasn't clicked with Paul in the way that throwback Tyson Chandler did... and needless to say the wing situation (Peja/Devin Brown/MoPete/Posey) is frankly an abomination... The lone non-Paul brightspot IMO happens to play the same position as Paul.... rookie Darren Collison was excellent in Paul's injury absence, plays lockdown defense, and has real promise... to the point where it almost doesn't make sense to keep that kind of asset around with so many holes.... Non-threat... and with David West on the block... yikes




11. Memphis - The 2nd biggest surprise in the L to me... led by Zach Randolph's weird resurgence (20 and 11 per with multiple 30/15's), the Grizz have one of the better starting 5's in the West... Marc Gasol has proven to be an upper-tier center, Gay has taken a step farther, and Mayo has been very solid and even shown flashes of the defensive hype that accompanied him to the league... Even Mike Conley has been improved (now shooting 44% from the field and almost 38% from 3) while running the show effectively.... the trouble is the non-existent bench... Hasheem Thabeet has been fatally flawed and an early bust prospect at the #2 pick, and the rest of the bench is filled with unproven young guys like Sam Young and DeMarre Carroll.... They've peaked with this roster, but being competitive is more than most thought...




12. LA Clippers - I really liked this team coming into the year... now 14-18 and still without Blake Griffin is not as disappointing as some might have thought.. especially when considering what they are getting from the previously thought to be contract-ridden C Chris Kaman... KLJ;FAWJFJFL;AJWKLF;JEWAJAFW


13. Sacramento - If Memphis was the 2nd biggest surprise... Sacto is clearly the 1st... Even after losing 3 straight, this team is 14-19 (I had them winning around 14 all SEASON), and they've done the great majority of this without their best player entering the year in the ultra-efficient Kevin Martin... Tyreke Evans is averaging 20, 5, and 5 as a rookie, and while he's clearly not a point guard in any way, he has been fairly spectacular considering the weirdness by which he gets his offense, and even without a jumpshot altogether... Their dueling young bigs are the biggest key IMO with Spencer Hawes and Jason Thompson each double figures and capable of 20/10's when they are needed... The issues? No proven point guard, wayyyy too much youth, and the prospect of how Martin will enter in with the new alpha dog in Evans... Interesting team but at least a year or 2 away...



14. Minnesota - Ah the Wolves... Get the nod over GS because they don't have Nellie coaching them... and that's the list of reasons... Al Jefferson still isn't back to form (17 and 9 this year while respectable isn't near what he was putting up pre-injury), they have likely the worst wing rotation outside of New Orleans, and the Sessions signing looks dreadful right now when you think about the fit.... Kevin Love has been awesome (15 and 12+ boards with over 1 steal per), but the fit with Jefferson is very much in question even though I like both guys because neither is athletic enough to protect the rim on D... Jonny Flynn has shown signs and Rubio is still under rights (even though David Kahn botched that situation legendarily) so there are signs of life... but not a serious threat unless they can add depth and a legitimate wing of some sort....




15. Golden State - The assets don't match the record with this team... There no less than 6 semi-quality to quality guards or swingmen on this team.... add in Randolph, Biedrins, and Turiaf and they have 9 guys that can play... much more than most teams near the bottom of their conferences can say..... Nellie is certifiable and that isn't an exaggeration or a joke... Monta Ellis has been darn good (26, 5, 4 on 47% shooting), Curry has been better than I thought he'd be this early from a floor standpoint, and I feel like he can shoot better than 44% FG/40% 3-pt..... Anthony Randolph is an athletic marvel that should be used more effectively... but you can't justify some of their rotations, the refusal to play even a semi-conventional lineup, or the inconsistency by which they use their swingmen.... On top of that, the entire roster has been deemed available for trade... even Curry/Ellis/Randolph.... that's insane... but they've dug their grave having Maggette/Azubuike/Morrow/Ellis/Curry/Radman/Watson at the same general positions with Raja Bell (injured) and Randolph being a perimeter player too... it's just a mess... they should send a couple of their decent wings to Minnesota for Kevin Love, let him throw outlets and run people out of the gym... would help both teams lol

Well that'll do it... to the one person that made it to end of this (cough, Ryan).... let me know how it went...

Tiger, Bobby Bowden, etc.

Greetings all...

• Tiger Woods...what can you say? Everyone has formed an "opinion" on the late-night car incident...and all I will say is this... I don't care...and I don't think you should either... It's a personal matter...the only law-breaking he did was "recklessly driving" which is guilty of everyone I know including me... his personal life is his personal life... I'll be watching the details b/c yes, my personal opinion of him will downgrade if it comes out that he was cheating on his wife...but again, he's an athlete..it's his business...you're not his friend...
• AI to Philly? Seems likely now with a formal offer being tendered...it's incentive-laden and non-guaranteed...but it's the only offer he's likely to receive so it'll be fascinating to see whether his desire to "start" or whatever is strong enough where he'll turn this down... I'm not crazy about the fit simply b/c I have no idea what they do when Lou Williams comes back... but he's better than Willie Green so done and done...
• Charlie Weis got fired....yawn.... hire Brian Kelly and be done with it...
• Bobby Bowden "retires"...if you don't think he was completely and utterly forced to do so, you're insane....that said, it's gotta be the best move for FSU... rid themselves of the drama and start over... and God knows they need to on defense...
• Big suspension for Florida with the SEC title game looming.... All-world DE Carlos Dunlap was arrested after being asleep at the wheel at a traffic light between 2 and 3 am... wow... that's some kind of drunk... congrats Carlos... you've likely submarined your draft stock by 10-15 picks (ask Warren Sapp and Randy Moss) which could cost you $10 million... and you've removed yourself from the team indefinitely as the national championship is in view...brilliant
• I heard this today (Props to JE Skeets and Basketball Jones)...but how in the WORLD can Mike Brown leave Big Z on the bench in that game? For backstory... Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas was setting the all-time games played record for the Cleveland franchise on Saturday.... if he entered the game.... Mike Brown kindly obliged him with his FIRST DNP-Coach's decision of his career...in that game!? With his family and friends there... and Big Z isn't a marginal rotation guy... he's one of the best 6-7 guys on that team to be generous... absurd
• The Nets tab Kiki Vandeweghe to coach (as well as be the GM as he is already)... if I didn't mention this, Lawrence Frank shouldn't been fired IMO...but this is a total stopgap...
• NBA Roundup from Monday: Welcome back Andrew Bogut.... the Bucks star big man came back with a 22 and 15 (and lockdown D) to ensure a Bucks W despite a struggling evening from Redd and Jennings... As mentioned above... Philly is awful... but Jason Terry broke their hearts at the gun last night...ouch... Troubling news (if you're me) from Memphis... Mike Conley got hurt last night...and he was already losing more and more minutes to newly signed Jamaal tinsley... Conley was my fairly well-publicized man-crush coming out of Ohio State (weird I know, just love his game)....come on Mike!!!
• What to watch tonight.... ACC/Big 10 Challenge at 7:00 (Wake @ Purdue) and 9:00 (The headliner... Michigan State @ North Carolina, a must-see) on ESPN.... Followed by Hornets @ Lakers on NBA-TV at 10:30... Gotta love hoops

Until the next installment...

Pujols the MVP, Clausen, etc.

Greetings all... A bit scrambled in nature today...but alas, here we go...

• Albert Pujols wins the NL MVP... I haven't heard one person go a different way on this...and that went for the Writers as well as he wins unaminously... .327 batting, 47 HR, 135 RBI, 1.001 OPS...insane numbers...no argument needed
• Ben Roethlisberger to start this week... I'm a bit surprised by this one just b/c he has a large history of concussions now (one with the motorcycle crash, etc.)... I'd leave him out a week, but their only healthy QB is Dennis Dixon and that may be the issue...
• Wizards owner Abe Pollin dies at 85... tragic news out of the Nation's capital... by all accounts a good man, and a good owner... even having the distinction as the NBA's longest-tenured owner... RIP sir...
• I'm really enjoying college hoops already... is there anything better than Midnight EST tip-offs? Of relevant games? Arizona/Wisconsin was just fun last night...contrasting styles... "Styles make fights"....::laughter::
• A little NBA...we'll call it a roundup... has there ever been a worse player with better stats than Al Thornton? The much-maligned (by experts at least) Clippers forward ended up with 31 last night...He does nothing well btw....What's going on with the Bulls? Even with decent contributions from now-healthy Luol Deng and supposed increased depth, they've been pretty bad thus far (6-7) and Derrick Rose has shown little sign of improvement from last year (in fact, he's regressed)... issues abound... Stat of the Night (this one is for @imryan of twitter fame).... Andre Miller had a +30 rating last night... 12 points better than anyone in the Bulls/Blazers game... I chuckled when I saw this.. but he was 10/11 FT...
• One more NBA note... I've seen Joe Johnson in the top 6-7 of 3 different MVP "ballots" for the season so far...that's INSANE to me... he's the same guy he's been...he's been consistently good..not great... wanna know the key to the Hawks fast start? Josh Smith averaging 9+ rebounds (up from 7), 2.6 blocks (up from 1.6), and shooting 54% (up from 49%) and attempting ONE 3-point shot (at the end of the shot clock no less)...he's the key... and between him, Jamal Crawford (averaging 17 points a game in under 30 minutes), and Al Horford (14 pts, 10 boards, 2 blocks up from 12/9/1 last yr)....they're the reason
• Got nothing to do tonight? Watch OKC @ Utah (9 PM, NBA TV) or a very nice college basketball doubleheader (from Maui)... Maryland/Cincy @ 7:00 (ESPN) followed by the headliner (for me at least)... Gonzaga/Wisconsin @ 9:30... Watch some hoops son...

Greinke=Cy Young, Bills fire Jauron, etc.

Greetings all...lots to get to...

• Zach Greinke wins the AL Cy Young...in a landslide... I'm actually glad of this result...it's not a Most Valuable Pitcher award... it's a "best" pitcher award..and that's what Greinke was... 16-8, MLB leading 2.16 ERA, 242 K's... Those numbers can't be hated on...and the 8 losses are simply a product of a ridiculous lineup behind him
• Monday Night Football set the game back a decade last night... laughter... The Browns are an appalling franchise from a talent standpoint... Mangini may not finish the year...that's jarring... and the Josh Cribbs playcall near the end (a hook and ladder down 16?) may cost him games...and he's their only explosive option on offense/special teams...good work guys
• I'm not going to comment on Belichick's play call...you've heard enough if you have a TV or a radio...
• Dick Jauron out in Buffalo... Not the way I wanted to mention the Bills (sorry Bernie)...but I can't say I disagree...he was on the hot seat and with the way his team quit in the 4th quarter this week, the writing was on the wall...at the same time, I won't put it all on Jauron...the TO gamble isn't his fault... and neither is the fact that their QB situation is pathetic with Edwards/Fitzpatrick...
• One team has expressed interest in Allen Iverson.... doesn't it HAVE to be the Knicks?!? Of course it is!
• 24 hours of basketball on ESPN started out with a bang...UCLA went down to Cal State Fullerton...and you shouldn't have been surprised...although I'm sure you were.... the Bruins will be way down this year...you can't help it when you lose REPEATED first-rounders lately (Love, Westbrook, Collison, Holiday), and big-time college producers (Hollins, Luc Richard, Shipp, Aboye)... It could be ugly early for them
• Very good double-header to get the world interested in CBB tonight... Gonzaga/Michigan State at 8:00 is the better game despite the less interesting names... Gonzaga is always a threat and MSU is quietly #2 in the nation preseason and returning oodles of talent... Kansas/Memphis at 10:00 is really a Jayhawk showcase (their talent is limitless), and an opportunity to see what the new Memphis regime looks like
• Okay this is getting ridiculous.... 3 separate people have the Atlanta Hawks #1 in their power rankings... I can brush off the first 2 (Marc Stein and NBA.com)... but John Hollinger too!? For those unfamiliar with his work...he's a stat-based freak of an analyst who puts together PER (player efficiency rating for each player), and is generally regarded as an innovator... For him to arrive at the Hawks as #1 is startling.... Look, I said before the year they'd be better...and they are...I think they'll win 50-52 games...but slow down everybody.... Josh Smith has been very good...I won't dispute it as a known Smith detractor...he's the key...if he plays like this, they can win 55+ games...do I trust that? Absolutely, unequivocally....no...no....no....
• Speaking of power rankings... I hear you clamoring for them.... Okay, no I don't....the new installment will be out soon....
• By the way...it's Michigan/Ohio State week... you know where my head is... you know where my heart is...and I think we have a shot, b/c the matchup is a reasonable one (OSU's strength is defense, Michigan's is offense, Michigan has the special teams edge....somehow)... I'll break it down more by the weekend if I get motivated...

More later....

The NBA by bullets (11/11)

Felt the urge to make note of some NBA action tonight...

• Toronto/Chicago - Fairly ho-hum...but a couple season long issues...Derrick Rose's leap capability may have been a bit premature...he's only averaging 14 and 6 so far this year...Taj Gibson came out of nowhere tonight for Chicago (18 pts) but that's not sustainable... The league has FINALLY started to take notice of what Chris Bosh is doing this year...I dont know if he's trying to get dealt or something...but 29 and 11 so far is pretty stout
• GS/Indiana - Ewww.... But had to mention Danny Granger's 31 and 16....16 boards! For the record, Golden State is still an abomination...mostly b/c of Don Nelson
• ATL/NY - Hawks beat Knicks... nothing to see here... Larry Hughes is alive...and oh wait...it's a contract year...makes sense...
• Philly/NJ - Brook Lopez is good.... the Nets are REALLY bad without Devin Harris (bad enough with him)...and Philly is a mess... Marreese Speights (19 and 9) is THOROUGHLY outplaying Elton Brand right now....and not just tonight...
• Portland/Minny - Man I'm disappointed in the T-Wolves (props to @imryan for his bashing of them)...but I'm also convinced they are measurably better with Kevin Love on the floor... Greg Oden with 18 and 11...it's been covered, but he's good... and I continue to hate the Steve Blake/Andre Miller backcourt combo when playing together...why have Andre on the court if he isn't handling?
• Cleveland/Orlando - Big win for the Cavs (as big as one could be this early) to go on the road and get one... Mo and Lebron combined for 60+... The bright side for Orlando? VC was strong (29 points) and JJ Redick is a legit rotation guy...averaging 13 a night for the year
• Denver/Milwaukee - Denver continues to not be very good (saw this coming...consult the NBA preview)... despite Melo being at his all-time best this year (not disputable)....just no depth there...even with JR Smith or whatever his new name is... Milwaukee...wow... Brandon Jennings...32 and 9!?! that's insane for a rookie...esp. at the PG spot..he's been lights-out...
• Memphis/Houston - A battle of teams with alternate universes....Memphis has alot of scorers but play no defense...Houston has team-first guys who lock-down, and are unselfish...Memphis has an atrocious GM who is always 2 moves behind.... Houston has a forward-thinking GM who has proven to be competitive even without his 2 franchise-level players....oh...Houston by 25 tonight? Who knew? Luis Scola is wildly underrated (22 and 15 tonight), and they keep getting late draft steals (Aaron Brooks, Carl Landry, and even Chase Budinger)
• Dallas/San Antonio - Not alot you can take out of this game as far as grand scheme...but San Antonio proved how much deeper they are than in the last couple of years winning without TD and Parker... that's pretty significant no matter how well Manu and R-Jeff are playing... Dallas is who we thought they were (thanks Denny)... alot of wings, and age...not a team that can play on back-to-backs unless Dirk can carry them
• 2 games still going as of print on this... Kevin Durant is putting on a show (23 and 7 midway through the 3rd) in LA... if you wanna know about this game...follow Bill Simmons @sportsguy33 on twitter...he's live-tweeting lol... And Phoenix is absolutely laying the wood to New Orleans...speaking of the Hornets...I briefly touched on this...but George Shinn and the Hornets management should be ashamed of the wing combo they've assembled to help Chris Paul... Devin Brown and Peja start on this team? Mo Peterson? the Corpse of James Posey? No excuse for that...they won't compete...and it doesn't matter how good Paul is (and he's incredible)

More later

Weekend Wrap, LJ, Blount Returns, etc.

Well the title says it all...it was a busy weekend in sports...let's wrap it up shall we? First to Saturday's action...

• Alabama outlasts LSU behind Marc Ingram's 144 yards.... Huge win for Bama obviously... a defensive battle that resulted in LSU's starting QB Jordan Jefferson being replaced via injury by the incomparable Jarrett Lee (we have a long-lasting relationship...I bash him...he likes it, etc.), and Bama did just enough on offense getting one huge play from Julio Jones and a 2nd half barrage of Ingram... They clinch the SEC West and will play Florida in the dome...
• Iowa goes down in a heap... People will blame this loss on Ricky Stanzi going down... but he was dreadful before he left outside of one deep pass, and he's been inconsistent-to-bad all year... you just can't play 3 point games all year before you drop one like this...their offense simply isn't good enough to sustain it, and in my opinion, all this did was have them lose a week earlier than they already would have (in Columbus this week)... a good story though
• Cincy and TCU keep trucking behind huge offensive outputs... I don't think either of these teams could really challenge the top 3 on the field...but I do think they should be "considered" for the title game should 2 of the top 3 go down...but let me just say this... the built-in advantage of Cincy being in the Big East is a fallacy...because...get ready.... the Mountain West is better than the Big East....wait for it...wait for it.... Okay then....
• Oregon crashes to Earth... one week the biggest win in that program in probably 10 years... and the next week they allow 254 yards rushing and 51 points to Stanford... The offense did its part...but you can't be seriously considered a national power if you can beat up like that up front... props to Toby Gerhart who went 38 for 223 and 3 Tds in a "man up" type game...
• While we discuss Oregon... their best player, suspended RB LaGarrette Blount, has been reinstated by the NCAA and may play this week...he's done all the right things since that fateful night in Boise... and I'm cool with this move...hope he does big things
• Ohio State takes control of the Big 10... a 17-point trouncing in Happy Valley does the trick, and that defense shows why it is an elite unit... they play Iowa in Columbus for the Big 10 crown this week...and I like their chances to end up in Pasadena (once again)
• I hit both my upset specials from Friday (Oregon State and Nebraska)....don't expect that to happen again for a while...
• Notre Dame isn't good....especially on defense...and Navy just grounded them down winning the Time-of-possession battle and having a +3 turnover margin....done and done
• Georgia Tech is the highest ranked of all 1-loss teams....insanity... there's a scenario in which that team plays for the title...think about it... If Alabama drops the game to Auburn, Florida loses one to either South Car. or FSU...and then the shaky non-conference winners lose? Okay...too much...but crazy stuff has happened late in the year, i.e. LSU ending up in the game with 2 losses

On to Sunday...

• It wasn't pretty... but the Dirty Birds moved to 5-3 behind a rejuvenated Michael Turner (18 for 166 and 2 TD's) and a good effort from the D....Masking this win, however, are in the insane antics of Deangelo Hall...he's certifiable...every Falcon fan knows this...non-story
• The hilarious part about Kurt Warner (5 TD passes) and the Cards drilling the Bears in Chicago...is that Jay Cutler was actually really good... 369 yards and 3 TDs (only 1 INT)... that Bears secondary is kinda woeful right now and Matt Forte has been an unmitigated disaster.... Arizona is still jekyll-and-hyde...they just happened to be Jekyll on Sunday
• Cincy over Baltimore...huge win for the Bengals playoff chances and a crushing blow to Baltimore...Cincy is 4-0 in the division now, and Cedric Benson is cementing his pro bowl spot... Baltimore? 4-4 and in big trouble behind Cincy and Pitt
• The Colts walk on air again... Kris Brown doinks a game-tying FG at the buzzer and Peyton and the boys escape...Dallas Clark had FOURTEEN catches in the game....14!.... and no one on the planet has any idea what the Texans RB situation is going to be...Moats got the start...Slaton got the goal line carry(!?)...
• Tom Brady is quietly good again... 25-37, 332 yards, 1 TD vs. a decent defense in Miami...
• Upset of the week...Tampa beats up on Green Bay... I feel terrible for Aaron Rodgers...he was super-human at times...but dreadful at others, and seems to be lying on his back alot (6 sacks)... Josh Freeman is the story here though...big-time debut and alot of people (me included) thought he'd be in big-trouble vs. that pretty good pass D...
• Are the Cowboys really good? 6-2 would say yes...I still have trouble believing in Romo, the 3-back system, and a receiving corps led by Miles Austin and the corpse of Roy Williams (remember when he was good in Detroit? Seems like a decade ago)...but hey, they're in the NFC East driver's seat....

Other stuff...

• Allen Iverson is "on leave" from the Grizzlies....I don't want him to retire this way.... Possible solution? How bout he goes to Cleveland (a place where he'd probably be more okay with a supporting role since Lebron is there...and they actually...uh, win)?
• Larry Johnson (finally) cut by the Chiefs...he hasn't been an effective runner for the better part of 2 years...he's a headcase...what else you need? Jamaal Charles is a beast too...
• Somebody get Stephen Jackson out of Golden State fast...I like him...Need him playing and being a clown...
• The team that shall not be named (aka Kevin Durant's team) laid the wood to Orlando by 30 last night... Vince, Rashard Lewis, and newcomer (and very good player) Ryan Anderson were out for Orlando...but wow... KD was efficient, and Russell Westbrook is suddenly a Rondo-like triple-double threat...

A look at the stats/league leaders from the Association....

• Scoring: CP3 averaging 27 a game...Kevin Durant and Lebron James being 8 and 9 in the scoring race respectively.... Chris Kaman averaging 23 a game (and being the best center in the West right now fyi)
• Rebounding: Gerald Wallace out-distancing the comp. by almost 2.0 rpg a game (leading the league at 13.8)...from the wing...lol.... The top 2 guys in rebounds per 48 minutes.... Tim Duncan (duh) and...Roy Hibbert!??!?! Okay, maybe I was a little wrong on him....
• Others: Josh Smith and Roy Hibbert (that guy again) are your league leaders in blocks...J-Smith looks more dedicated on that end...thank God... Big-ups to Greg Oden for his 2.4 bpg so far (in limited minutes)...he's showing signs... and let me just say...it's FUN to watch Rajon Rondo lock people down (3.13 steals a game too), and his on-ball D is vastly better

Another day, Another Football Weekend...

Yes...I'm still following football despite the NBA being in full-swing lol.... First today, the picks for the weekend...followed by some random NBA/other sport notes....

• NCAAF Roundup/Picks: Bama over LSU.... I have no faith in LSU's offense at all... Bama has a better coach, a better QB, and a better run game... done and done.. Ohio State over Penn State... This one took me a minute, but this is the time of year that OSU usually turns it on...and I love their defense vs. the fairly vanilla PSU attack... 2 upset picks: Nebraska over Oklahoma, and Oregon State over Cal... just saying
• NFL Big game picks: Bears over Cards.... I just don't trust Warner on the road after last week's stinker... Bengals over Ravens.... People keep sleeping on Cincy, that D is legit and Benson is an elite runner... Chargers over Giants... I think it gets worse for NYG before it gets better...bad matchup vs. a dynamic offense, I'd play Sproles alot if I was Norv...but of course he's Norv... Eagles over Cowboys.... Donovan goes nuts here...and Miles Austin comes back to earth... and finally, Steelers over Broncos.... I've been on the Bronco bandwagon..but I don't think this is a good matchup for Orton at all

Other stuff....

• The Hawks laid an egg in the worst way in Charlotte on Friday... a 20 point loss is unacceptable in itself...but allowing 103 points to the league's worst offense (including 5 guys in double figures led by freaking Raja Bell with 24) is incomprehensible... 
• New Orleans isn't good..... and I feel bad for CP3....he had 21 points, 18(!!) dimes, and 7 boards....and they lost by double-figures at home to an average Toronto team....oh, and Byron Scott will be fired by Christmas if George Shinn is alive
• Very impressed by Phoenix lately... putting up 110 in Boston just cemented that even further....that's insanity... and J-Rich looks like an all-star in that system (34 and 10 vs. the Celts)
• Manny took the $20 million option from LAD.... shocking.... I've never heard of anyone just openly turning down $20 million options...this is news?
• The Red Sox traded with their perpetual trading partner the Marlins and fleeced them of Jeremy Hermida...a local guy (ATLien) who has power and is a good athlete....just something to keep an eye on as JD Drew gets injured....repeatedly
• Denver signed Ty Law today... basically ensuring that they have the best CB tandem in the league....oh wait, this isn't 2004? Whoops...

NBA Power Rankings 1st Edition

Greetings everyone... I've taken on the endeavor of doing regular (still working out how regular) Power Rankings Updates for the NBA...Here's the 1st installment (As of 11/3/09)

1. Celtics (4-0)- You just can't argue with 4-0, and with a series of dominating victories including a very rare victory in Cleveland (i.e. the Cavs were 39-1 when playing their starters at home last year)...Rondo has been great (4.7 Assist/TO ratio) despite not scoring, and Sheed looks to be fitting in
2. Magic (3-0)- Even without Rashard Lewis for all 3, and Vince and Pietrus for 1; they've been dominant...Their depth is staggering (i.e. Ryan Anderson averaging 17 ppg in 29 mpg, and JJ Redick even throwing up 16 ppg)...Jameer looks full strength too
3. Nuggets (3-0)- There is still skepticism from...well, me... on this club, but Melo is averagin 38 a game and they are blowing doors off people... The key besides Melo? How bout some very good play from rookie PG Ty Lawson (11 ppg, 2 total turnovers in 3 games)
4. Spurs (2-1)- Their loss was a road back-to-back against a bad matchup for them (Chicago has too many athletes, etc. for an aging team on back-to-back), but I refuse to knock them KNOWING they don't care about wins in November, 10 guys averaging 5 ppg, and Duncan is Duncan
5. Lakers (2-1)- Gasol is out, so they have a built-in excuse...but there are questions about their depth (only 3 guys in double digits), and their wretched PG play (30% combined shooting for Fisher and Farmar....doesn't even take into account how bad Ron-Ron has been offense...
6. Suns (3-0)- 20 and 10 from Grant Hill? 20 and 6 from Channing Frye!?!? That's how you start 3-0 without J-Rich for 2 games and Amare going for efficiency over excess...Only team in the league with more than 4 guys averaging 15 ppg so far...and they have 6...Fun 'n Gun!
7. Cavs (2-2)- Count this ranking as respect for Lebron who has been very good (still)...but frankly, this team isn't very good on defense right now...and that's been their non-Lebron lynchpin for the last 3-4 years....Shaq and Z are awful on the pick-n-roll (Shaq especially), and that's not changing
8. Hawks (2-1)- No team is funnier to read quotes from depending on the outcome...the doom and gloom to the fire and rain very quick...their loss isn't a bad one (@LA) and the Horford/Smith front court has been good
9. Heat (3-0)- This'll probably be their highest slot all year...but they are undefeated and winning games by 14 ppg so far... I don't believe in them, but Wade is Wade, and they've gotten excellent production from Jermaine O'Neal and Mike Beasley (happy for him)
10. Blazers (2-2)- They should never lose to Houston, but it was a road loss, and they followed up by completely shutting down the Thunder's offense... Oden is dominating on D (1o rpg, 11 blocks in 4 games) and Roy has been ungodly despite his bad FG% (39%), but they need better play from Blake and Miller
11. Wizards (2-1)- They get the nod over Dallas because well, they beat Dallas this week... Andray Blatche is shooting 71% and averaging 20+, and when they play him with McGee, you won't see a crazier athletic pairing upfront in the L...and oh yeah, Hibachi!
12. Mavs (2-1)- They'd be higher if Kidd wasn't patently terrible so far (4-16 FG, 1-10 from 3 total) and I need more Humphries than Gooden going forward, but Dirk is playing at a high level (and even playing a little D), and Marion is fitting the slasher role
13. Sixers (2-1)- They haven't beaten anybody yet, but they've shown they can score, and Brand is showing signs of regaining form....Lou Williams (20, 5, and 5 so far) is the key going forward
14. Rockets (3-1)- I can't tell you how they are doing it...Oh wait, yes I can...with TEAM basketball...masterful cutting/passing, and all kinds of defense...Ariza and Brooks are pouring in 20+ a game, and I love their role players (Battier, Landry, Scola)
15. Thunder (2-1)- This seems high, even to me...but alot of teams in this region haven't done much for me....The big indicator? The fact that even with Durant shooting 3-21 (!?!) vs. Portland, they defended and scrapped enough to be in the game in the 4th...and I think Westbrook has made a mini-leap (16, 8 and 5 on 48%)
16. Bulls (1-2)- Everyone is making whoa-is-me points on the loss of Gordon correlating with 3 point %, but I don't see that...Salmons isn't going to shoot 28%, Rose isn't going to shoot 37%...let's calm down
17. Jazz (1-2)- The injury bug has already hit (Korver and Okur with trouble) and they aren't defending.. That combined with Millsap outplaying Boozer could spell rotation issues; Deron Williams has been masterful though
18. Raptors (1-2)- The Cavs win was a good one...but the Memphis loss is a bad one... The lack of depth is staggering..but Bosh and Bargnani have been excellent (53 ppg, 20 rpg combined)
19. Bobcats (2-2)- They still can't score...but Larry's got these guys playing lock-down D right now... they're the worst team with 2 losses, but Gerald Wallace is impressing (24 and 20 on Monday)
20. Hornets (1-3)- I now officially have Byron Scott in the "first coach fired" pool.... It seems like CP3 isn't responding, and he can't seem to find a wing combo that works... On the bright side, Peja has shown life and Okafor is doing what he does (15 ppg, 11 rpg, 2 bpg)
21. Clippers (1-4)- Have I mentioned how bad Mike Dunleavy is? There is no excuse for burying BD for a 4th quarter unless he's had his leg amputated... Kaman has rebounded huge (23 and 10), and Baron can't stay this bad....and all 4 losses were to legit playoff teams (Dallas, LAL, Phoenix, @Utah)
22. Pistons (1-2)- The bad: Villanueva (9 and 4), and Stuckey (36% FG)....the good: Ben Gordon (24 ppg on 49%)..but even that...isn't necessarily good when those numbers are definitely coming back to earth and the team is already 1-2
23. T-Wolves (1-3)- Here's where the dregs of the league begin... I'll slot the T-Wolves here b/c Al Jefferson looked to be near 100% on Sunday (21 pts), b/c Flynn is playing well, and because Kevin Love is on the way
24. Warriors (0-2)- Should be alot higher based on talent, but Nellie is certifiable...Biedrins needs more minutes/shots, Jackson is on the block, and Anthony Randolph has underwhelmed based on his hype...
25. Grizz (1-3)- Well they can score....4 guys averaging 18+ and that doesn't even include AI....my preseason worry about Conley's minutes hasn't played out yet...but worth monitoring... Gasol has been a pleasant surprise
26. Pacers (0-2)- Danny Granger lands them here... but he's the only sure thing on this roster with Dunleavy having major health concerns, and there being little to no depth
27. Bucks (1-1)- Brandon Jennings!!! If only he had the fade going... they'd be a little higher if Redd wasn't hurt (already), and if Bogut looked at all like his pre-injury form (he doesn't)...
28. Knicks (1-3)- Definitely some fun 'n gun going on here as evidenced by them allowing 140+ the other night...Gallinari has been a bright spot (19 ppg), but the D has been awful, and the Duhon/Nate platoon is shooting 30%
29. Nets (0-4)- They get the nod to stay out of the cellar simply b/c Tyreke Evans has been hurt/bad for Sacto... I love Brook Lopez and all...but the wings are too young (and shooting under 40% as a unit), and Harris is already knicked up....countdown begins to free agency
30. Kings (1-3)- As referenced above...They need a healthy Evans to help out Kevin Martin... and they aren't getting that... the bright spot? The play of rookie Omri Casspi (10 ppg on 58%), the dark spot? (lol) Jason Thompson and his 38% shooting from the block

USC, The Falcons on Monday Night, Michigan Implodes, etc.

Greetings all...this one will sort of be everywhere after the weekend hiatus (traveling yet again)....without further (Freddy) adu...

• Games that surprised me on Saturday: 1) USC laying an absolute egg in Autzen Stadium...for the record, I picked Oregon...but the way they were dismantled is something no one has seen from USC in about a decade....just insane.... The bigger question? Why shouldn't Oregon now match the pre-loss USC hype? They have a huge win over USC, their only loss was to undefeated Boise...Nothing?......2) Michigan just imploding in their loss to Illinois...yes I'm a homer...but this game was 13-7 Michigan with the ball 1st goal on the Illini 1-yard line (michigan failed to punch it in with help from a questionable spot on the 3rd down run)...Illinois went the length of the field...14-13 UI and they never looked back....unimaginably bad loss....Rich Rod's good will is running out...and if they lose to Purdue Saturday...they will have started 4-0 and still miss a bowl game...
• Games that didn't surprise me at all on Saturday: Florida beating up a hapless Georgia team.... Texas beating up a one-sided Oklahoma State team without Dez Bryant.... Iowa struggling to beat a bad Indiana team (this just in, Iowa's offense is terrible...the fact that they beat Michigan by 2 points at home with UM committing 5 turnovers looks laughable now, and that was a "Big"win for them)....and Auburn pounding a bad Ole Miss team...
• NFL Roundup: Hello Ryan Moats.... Steve Slaton was benched for Ryan Moats to the tune of 20+ carries, 100+ yards, and 3 TD as well as a Houston victory...Seattle is just decimated by injuries...Walter Jones and Lofa Tatupu out for the year just adds to it... terrible luck... St. Louis got off the schneid (17 straight losses), but beating Detroit with a rusty Stafford and no Megatron doesn't impress anybody lol.... The Giants have lost 3 in a row?! that seems unfathomable to most people...but they were dreadful again Sunday...Philly isn't THAT good... 2 insane running back lines in the same game... Chris Johnson goes 24 for 228 and 2 TD's...and MJD goes 8 (Eight!!!) carries for 177 and 2 scores... somebody wrap up please....
• Oh yeah...the Vikings beat the Packers.... enough said...I refuse to add the hype machine... Aaron Rodgers needs a bodyguard for the record...the guy is lights-out when he isn't laying on his back
• Rajon Rondo signs for 5 years/55 million....interesting number when considering Lamarcus Aldridge's 5 yr/65 mill deal from a couple weeks ago... guess he got the big-man paygrade...Important signing for Boston with the stars getting up in age...
• The Hawks failed their first road test...but beating the Lakers in LA isn't exactly on the agenda for most clubs...the Hawks included...even without Gasol...but I have a bone to pick with Mike Woodson...Joe Johnson had 17 points in the first 9 minutes...and was promptly removed from the game to kill all momentum....sigh
• And finally....Saints/Falcons on MNF tonight... obviously a bigger game for the Falcons than the Saints..but the game is New Orleans in front of 80K lubed up fans...add in the bad secondary for Atlanta and the sudden strength of the NO defense (losing Sedrick Ellis hurts though), and I'm gonna say 38-27 Saints.... Hope I'm wrong

Until next time...

Quick Weekend Football Picks...

Short on time but slacking a little less this week....

Big-game CFB Picks:

Florida over Georgia by 2 TD+

Oregon over USC in Autzen

Texas over OK State (not a believer in OSU)

NFL Picks:

Ravens over Broncos (mild upset)

Texans over Bills

Bears over Browns

Cowboys over Seahawks

Lions over Rams

Giants over Eagles

Colts over Niners

Dolphins over Jets (mild upset)

Chargers over Raiders

Titans over Jags (mild upset)

Pack over Vikings (mild upset)

Cards over Panthers

Saints over Falcons (pray I'm wrong)....

World Series Game 1, The Cavs Issues, etc.

Greetings all...

• Philly took a 1-0 lead last night in the World Series behind an unreal effort from Cliff Lee...6 hits, 1 ER and a complete game, crazy dominance....sets up a giant stage with Pedro on the hill in Game 2 in Yankee Stadium...and I personally like Pedro in the matchup...esp. when facing the inconsistent AJ Burnett....BUT even if Philly wins game 2 and takes the first in NY....Keep 1996 in mind...when the Braves won the first 2 in New York...and then came home and lost 3 straight...just saying..
• Cleveland is 0-2 folks...That's fairly crazy when considering it includes a home loss (they went 39-1 in home games that they played their starters in last year), and the fact that they got blitzed by a Toronto team that doesn't play defense....Bargnani did whatever he wanted last night (28 pts)...and the pick-n-roll defense issue isn't going to go away for the Cavs...at least as long as Shaq and Z are trying to cover it...questions abound
  
• My Atlanta Hawks got off to a positive start with an 11-point home win...Danny Granger was dominant for 3 quarters for Indiana, but it seemed like the defense woke up a bit in the 4th (only allowing 15 pts)....Al Horford was enormous (an indicator of things to come maybe?) with 24 and 16 and Josh Smith an efficient 7-10....encouraged....especially when Indiana got a ridiculous 37 total points from Earl Watson and Dahntay Jones...
• Charlotte scored 59 points last night...in a full game...yes, it was against Boston's defense...but that's not exactly a good start to the season... their leading scorer was Gerald Wallace...with 10....yikes
• Other small notes aka the round-up..... Brook Lopez was a man last night (27 and 15) and I expect that to continue... keep an eye on Jonny Flynn....who played 29 minutes (to Ramon Sessions' 19) and had 18 points.... the worst non-Bobcats debut? How bout the Grizzlies who managed all of 74 points AT HOME in a 20 point loss to the Pistons...they're gonna be brutal....

More later...

2009-2010 NBA Preview Part 3: Playoffs and Awards

Head-to-Head all in One post here.... First the Award Predictions:

Ryan

MVP: Kobe Bryant

Coach of the Year: Flip Saunders, WAS

Rookie of the Year: Tyreke Evans, SAC

Def. Player of the Year: Dwight Howard, ORL

Most Improved Player: Luis Scola, HOU

6th man of the Year: Ben Gordon, DET

Brad

MVP: Lebron James, CLE

Coach of the Year: Scotty Brooks, OKC

Rookie of the Year: Jonny Flynn, MIN

Def. Player of the Year: Rajon Rondo, BOS

Most Improved Player: Derrick Rose, CHI

6th man of the Year: Lamar Odom, LAL

To the playoff predictions....

Ryan

1st round

Lakers over Clippers

Spurs over Suns

Blazers over Nuggets

Mavs over Jazz

Celtics over Bulls

Cavs over Sixers

Magic over Raptors

Wizards over Hawks

Semi's

Lakers over Mavs

Spurs over Blazers

Celtics over Wizards

Magic over Cavs

Western Conference Finals 

Spurs over Lakers

Eastern Conference Finals

Celtics over Magic

NBA Finals

Boston over San Antonio in 7

Brad

1st round

Spurs over Thunder

Jazz over Mavs

Blazers over Hornets

Lakers over Nuggets

Magic over Sixers

Bulls over Hawks

Celtics over Raptors

Cavs over Wizards

Semi's

Spurs over Jazz

Blazers over Lakers

Magic over Bulls

Celtics over Cavs

Western Conference Finals 

Spurs over Blazers

Eastern Conference Finals

Celtics over Magic

NBA Finals

San Antonio over Boston in 6

2009-2010 NBA Preview Head-to-Head: East

Ryan's (@imryan on twitter for those that care) rebuttal to my East standings....

1-Boston:I'll start off by saying that I think that KG's knee will not be a big issue but even with him out they have depth with Rasheed Wallace and Glen Davis. The only thing stopping this team from falling out of this spot is father time with most of their key guys being over 31.But I feel that they should hold up and if Garnett plays,they won't take any nights off and will try to prove that they are back to a few years ago.

2-Cavs:Nipping at Boston's heels will be Cleveland and they have retooled a little bit.It will be an ongoing thing to track Shaq's health and I don't think he'll be like he was last year(75 games!).Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon will help a very thin bench but the questions won't be here but in the playoffs...has Mo Williams stopped choking yet and will Lebron go 1 on 5 like he did last year?

3-Magic:Alot of people wondered how Orlando made it to the finals last year...well add Vince Carter and lose Hedo Turkoglu and we still have no idea how this will work out.There could be some slippage but they are still good enough to be here mainly because the other teams aren't as good talent wise. Here's a question..who will take the big shot with Hedo gone?..

4-Hawks:This team finally broke through the 1st round ceiling last year and there's no reason why that can't happen again. Hopefully Josh Smith grows up and moves in(jump shots that is) and adding Jamal Crawford will help Joe Johnson create something else on the perimeter.Speaking of Joe he has something to prove being in a contract year and passing on the offer that Atlanta gave him earlier. Something of note.

5-Wizards:Gilbert Gilbert Gilbert...I think he's back..but the season won't rest just on him this year.They added Mike Miller and Randy Foye to solidify the guard spots and I think that Andray Blatche is one of the most intriguing talents in the league being 6-11 and playing 3 positions well. The Jamison injury should set them back marginally but I feel that they will be just fine.

6-Raptors:Team euro as I see it. The dinos should have a bounce back year after injuries killed them last year. Chris Bosh is the best young power forward these days and pencil in a budding 20-10.The additions of Hedo Turkoglu,Jarrett Jack should increase the scoring on the outside and overall versatility.

7-Sixers:This team has the chance to sneak up the standings if the offense is learned quickly.They are one of the most athletic teams in the league and they added Jason Kaponoto a team who desperately needed outside shooting. The return of a legit big in Elton Brand should prove valuable if they want to do anything in the east and Marreese Speights is a guy who everyone raves about coming off the bench.

8-Bulls:This is the shock of the bunch to me. The baby Bulls coming off an super exciting series with the Celtics last year this time around as an 8 seed?....yes..they lost their best scorer in Ben Gordon and they regained Luol Deng. To me that is not a balance transition at all..the best Deng could do in his career was 19pts and Ben could do that in his sleep. A full year of John Salmons helps and the emergence of Joakim Noah will help too but still won't be enough. Heres something to note..the Bulls are painfully thin off of the bench. Kirk Hinrich, and Brad Miller are the main guys to know before you start turning to journeymen and rookies.

 

 

2009-2010 NBA Preview Part 2: Eastern Conference

Hope you saw the West...if not..hit the Link on the right... Part 3 to come with Playoff/Award Predictions... Enjoy it

• 15. Milwaukee (19-63) - It gets ugly quick with Milwaukee.... Both of their top players are coming off serious injury (Bogut and Redd), and frankly that core of "best" players isn't very good anyway (even though i enjoy both guys work)... Joe Alexander is banged up already, R-Jeff is gone...and with that is one of the worst forward rotations I can remember (Hakim Warrick is their best forward), combine that with what will be inconsistent PG play from Jennings....yikes
• 14. New Jersey (24-58) - Young talent...check.... experience....ehh...not so much.... Brook Lopez is going to be a star at the pivot (I'm thinking 18 and 10 this year in his soph campaign), and Devin Harris is an upper-level PG...those are the locks.... at the swing spots and the 4? It gets cloudy... There's one legit 4 on the team and it's Eduardo Najera... ehh... They will trot out Yi at the 4 who is softer than cotton...I like rookie Terrence Williams but do you trust him, Bobby Simmons, Courtney Lee, and Chris Douglas-Roberts as your wings? Neither do I....
• 13. New York (27-55) - A really, really weird offseason in New York...their 2 free agents got low-balled everywhere and ended up resigning 1-year pacts (Lee and Robinson), they had the 8th pick in a 7 player draft (although Jordan Hill as upside), and they added nothing of substance....the 5 is the glaring hole...Eddy Curry is once again out-of-shape and potentially banished, and only Darko is behind him... There are some guys I like (Chandler, Lee, even Gallinari), but same old story with Duhon and Nate in the backcourt...they'll outrun people...but not consistently
• 12. Indiana (29-53) - There's one reason this team is ahead of New Jersey and New York...they have Danny Granger... a legit all-star who will be in the top 5-6 in the league in scoring and provides them with ammo to win some games... Roy Hibbert is reportedly playing well (I'll believe it when I see it), and if they duplicate last year's production from Troy Murphy (a reach), they'll be okay upfront...hey...they even have Psycho T!... The question is depth.... Dahntay Jones and Earl Watson....behind injury-prone TJ Ford and Mike Dunleavy...
• 11. Charlotte (34-48) - Depth is critical to the Bobcats...the starting 5 is surprisingly good on paper (Chandler, Diaw, Wallace, Bell, Felton)...but after them...the only legit rotation guy I see is DJ Augustin....so any injuries (i.e. the one they already have to Raja Bell) spell big-time issues.. they'll need somebody to step up off the bench to compete
• 10. Detroit (36-46) - This ranking seems like a gift... you spent 90+ million on 2 guys that I can without question say could never be top 2 players on championship teams...I don't even think Ben Gordon is a starter in this league... the center rotation is Kwame Brown/Ben Wallace's corpse/Chris Wilcox....yeesh... The saving grace? Rip and Prince are back...and I like Maxiell and Austin Daye...
• 9. Miami (39-43) - Courtesy to D-Wade here... they've done NOTHING to help him at all... no depth...very little talent... the 9th spot is pending a slight improvement from Beasley and Chalmers (far from a lock), and getting some sort of production from Jermaine O'neal...I don't even wanna talk about it....get that man some help Pat Riley
• 8. Philly (42-40) - I've gone back and forth 100 times on Philly...talent abounds... I think Elton Brand has a fairly substantial rebound year in him...but I am wary of the backcourt situation... Iguodala is solid, but I don't think he's a natural 2-guard and he isn't a go-to scorer...and Jrue Holiday and Louis Williams share the point duties with neither being a natural fit...they're both scorers and very big talents...but can they mesh? Enthusiasm tempered...
• 7. Washington (44-38) - Agent Zero returns...and looks good (even distributing, gasp).... when I did my initial draft of this...I had them #10 because of Arenas' skepticism...he's shown me a little...so here we stand...the frontcourt is highly underrated from a talent/upside standpoint... Blatche and JeVale McGee are both legit threats down there and both are very young and improving...Haywood is the steadying force.... Jamison (already injured as of writing), Butler and Gil will do the heavy lifting...and if anybody could assure me they'd be healthy, the Wiz would be 5th...but if they can even have 2 of them on the floor...they'll justify this spot
• 6. Toronto (46-36) - Team International... Scary starting 5...absolutely huge up front with Bargnani/Bosh/Hedo...all 6'9+ and all very dangerous on the offensive end...on the other side, very limited on defense with Bargnani and Hedo... and the gaping hole at the 2 still stands...let's just say I'm not high on DeRozan...at least not as a rookie... Calderon's efficiency is scary...but the depth (Rasho and Bellinelli are the first 2 off the bench I see)..is questionable
• 5. Chicago (47-35) - I think at the end of 2009-10, Derrick Rose will join the top 3 PG in the league discussion with Mr. Williams and Mr. Paul...and that's why they're here... Surprisingly this is a fairly deep club... the x-factor? Luol Deng without question...is he the Deng from 06-07 that was an up and coming superstar? Or the timid 13 ppg guy we've seen lately? Factor in the Tyrus Thomas upside show...and there's a few directions this could go... I'm high on John Salmons and Joakim Noah though, and I think Hinrich and Pargo can replace most of Ben Gordon's production...
• 4. Atlanta (50-32) - My wheelhouse... I could write 1,000 words on this squad....but I'll shorten it up...same starting 5... Crawford is a legit scorer off the bench (and I'm not convinced he's not on the floor in crunch-time)... Horford makes a small leap... Smith returns to 07-08 form (nothing spectacular, but not as bad as last year)... Mo Evans gets buried...Jeff Teague has his ups and downs...but the biggest thing about this team...there's a legitimate bench here for the first time in a long, long time...and that's worst 5 wins by itself...not ready to challenge the upper tier...but I think a clear-cut #4...
• 3. Boston (58-24) - Here we go with the big boys... KG is clearly the x-factor... no one seems to be able to diagnose this guy...he's out there and looks okay in pre-season... and that's enough for me...especially with the depth they added (Marquis Daniels, re-signing Big Baby, bringing in Sheed)... If they can make Rajon Rondo happy enough to play at the playoff level, and they don't get big drop-offs from Allen and Pierce...coasting to a high seed even with 80% of KG and they'd be higher if I thought they'd go all-out all year...
• 2. Cleveland (61-21) - They traded Sasha Pavlovic, Wally, Joe Smith and Ben Wallace for Shaq, Jamario Moon, and Anthony Parker....I'd say advantage this year over last....that being said, I don't love the Shaq fit (I'm not convinced Z isn't a better player in this offense) and I'm definitely not convinced he can just fall in line behind Lebron... but the Moon/Parker signings were sneaky good (Moon on D, Parker on Offense)...and they still have the King...An x-factor? Delonte West after all the off-court issue...he makes that backcourt go
• 1.  Orlando (63-19) - I'm drinking the Kool-aid...at least in the regular season...there's just an insane amount of depth on this team... Howard/Gortat/Rashard/Brandon Bass/Ryan Anderson/Pietrus/Barnes/Vince/Jameer/Jason Williams.... that's without question the most talented 10-man rotation in the league.... now... Vince Carter...obviously he's the key here... he's a jump-shooter for the most part at this stage...can he be a supporting guy? We've never seen him try to be...I'm highly intrigued...can they figure out an effective way to handle the forward rotation? Soooo many guys...all talented...all do different things...somebody has to get buried (I hope it's not Ryan Anderson)... and the important backup PG battle...you laugh... but Jameer has a slight injury history and it'll be crucial to get effective play out of either Anthony Johnson or Jason Williams... I'm sold on the regular season...but the playoffs? I guess we'll see.....

Part 3 later today...and Regular Season tip tonight!