NBA Finals Preview

The NBA finals is once again amongst us.  Here's a preview of the matchups presented in the starting line ups and my prediction of who will be crowned NBA champion for the 2012-2013 season.

Point Guard: By no means, am I fan of Mario Chalmers, but I will admit the dude is a tough defender and a big game player who shows up when the money's on the line just ask D. Rose and John Calipari.  On the other side of the spectrum you have Tony Parker, who was making a strong case for a regular season MVP bid before getting hit by the injury bug towards the end of the season.  Parker is probably the most productive yet underrated Point Guard of our generation and is averaging just under 22 ppg and 8 apg during the '12-13 playoffs.  I don't think there's any comparison here as Tony Parker is a top 6 PG in the league and Mario Chalmers is well Mario Chalmers

Advantage:  Tony Parker and the Spurs

Shooting Guard:  According to the numbers Danny Green is one of the best  3 pt specialist in the NBA shooting 43% from beyond the arc during the regular season and you guessed it 43% in this years playoffs.  Don't be enamored by those numbers because that isn't Green's only niche, the former UNC Tarheel is an excellent defender whose do it all defensive mentality is one of the main reasons why the Spurs are so good.  Manu Ginoboli may come off the bench but he plays starter minutes and has been rolling in these playoffs averaging just under 14 ppg. If Manu is able to score and play make the way he's capable of and avoid showing signs of a hamstring injury that plagued him during the regular season, the Spurs will be hard to beat.   On the other hand you have Dwyane Wade whose troublesome knees have had him looking like Charles Barkley after the Monstars took his talent in Space Jam of late.  If he's able to play this series the way he did in game 7 of the Indiana series, 21 points and 9 boards, expect the Heat to put extreme pressure on the Spurs.

Advantage:  Spurs 

Small Forward:  Yes Kawhii Leonard has a 7'3" wing span, which is the larger than 7 footer Andrew Bynum's, yes Leonard is an excellent defender whose improving offensive game has been an asset for the Spurs all year, but he's matched up against the best player in the World in LeBron James.

Advantage:  The King and the Miami Heat

Power Forward:  This is the position that is up for question because we really don't know who the starters could be.  Both teams slide in different players depending on match ups, and all those match ups provide different things for each team.  With this being said we should expect to see Tiago Splitter start at the 4 for the Spurs, he is an excellent low post defender, who also defends the pick and roll well and uses his 7 ft. plus frame to cause problems for opposing teams in the low post.

Advantage:  Even 

Center:  Chris Bosh is not the Chris Bosh I remember from Toronto, if he fails to grab rebounds every game in this series like he did in the Indiana series, it could be a long series for the Heat's frontline.  On the other side, Tim Duncan is arguably the best player of our generation, only one player in my opinion has been better and that's the 5x champion Kobe Bean Bryant .  At age 37 there's still no question the great impact the 4x NBA champion Duncan has both offensively and defensively for the Spurs.  Although Bosh is an NBA All Star this one's a no brainer.

Advantage:  The Big Fundamental and the Spurs 

Coaching:  Eric Spoelstra has improved as a coach every year since he's been in the league and if you watched the Eastern Conference Finals, you saw him out coach the Pacers Frank Vogel in key situations.  Coach Spo has led the Heat to 3 finals appearances in five season as Head Coach of the Miami Heat, and is one of the best young coaches in the L.  However in this case he's facing the mastermind..... Gregg Popovich who is not only a 4x NBA champion but the longest tenured coach in the NBA, the advantage is obvious.

Advantage: Spurs 

Prediction:  Spurs in 6 with Tony Parker being crowned Finals MVP and Tim Duncan possibly riding off into the sunset like Ray Lewis

2k13 Decision of Derrick Rose

Say what you want about Derrick Rose,  call him a coward, call him selfish call him exactly what adjective comes to mind but one thing you can't call him is stupid. The 2013 Decision, in which Derrick Rose opted to sit out a full year while recovering from an ACL injury he suffered in last years First Round of the NBA playoffs may have been one of the more influential decisions made by an athlete in a long time.  If you ask me the adjectives I'd use to describe the two time NBA All Star and 2011's Most Valuable Player would be somewhere along the lines of  brilliant and influential.  For once an athlete was able to stand up for himself and prove that not only does he understand the value of his career but, he also understands the business aspect of  professional sports.  Too many times we've seen athletes rush back from major injuries only to further their injuries, lose the ability to play at the level they once played at and ultimately prematurely end their career, do the names Brandon Roy, Bo Jackson,  Yao Ming or another one of Chicago's very own Gale Sayers ring a bell?  The 2013 version of The Decision finally gave athletes not only a precedent  for future decisions involving injury, but leverage to gauge their own bodies.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to deduce that every one heals differently and as athlete it's very crucial to understand that mental confidence leads to physical confidence, especially for athletes like Rose who make a living off his explosion and superior athleticism, two things a bum knee can hinder.  One must understand first and foremost professional sports is a business, each decision made in professional sports is generally in the best interest of the Owner and the money that comes out of his pocket. He has the responsibility to not only provide fans with a team that makes fans want to pay the price of admission and sit in the seats and watch a winning representative of the city, but owners are also responsible for protecting their investments which are their players.  The Bulls organization exemplified the "protection" part by allowing Rose to come back at his own pace, even if his own pace ruled out him providing a single minute for a very talented Bulls roster  who not only had a shot at winning an NBA title with him in the lineup but, nonetheless overcame several key injuries before bowing out to the defending champion Miami Heat in the 2nd round. There were no rumblings from the people who mattered most inside the organization like Bulls Chairmen Jerry Reinsdorf,  his teammates who backed his decision publicly or his Head Coach Tom Thibodeaux who said, "Right from the start, I thought Jerry set the tone for it. He made it clear about how we were going to approach it.  We were never going to rush him back. We weren't going to allow him to rush himself back. He heeded Jerry's advice right from the beginning."  The choice Rose made this season was not an easy one and although as fans we tend to let our emotions play into our thoughts about the personal decisions and performances of today's athletes, we must factor in that at the end of the day these athletes are human and they must lookout for their own best interest.

NBA First Round Playoff Predictions

Indiana Pacers vs. Atlanta Hawks

Winner:  Pacers in 6

Why:  We've seen this movie before the Hawks makes the playoffs, the Hawks makes an early exit from the playoffs.  The Hawks are looking forward to free agency.

Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks

Winner:  Heat in 4

Why:  Brandon Jennings already predicted the Bucks would win in 6.  Rule no. 1 don't add fuel to LeBron's fire.

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Winner:  Grizzlies in 7

Why:  This will be one of the more entertaining series of the first round.  Ultimately the Grizzlies toughness, will to play defense  and the low post play will be too much for Chris Paul and Lob City.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs

Winner:  Spurs in 7

Why:  This is a really tough pick for me.  The way the Lakers matchup with the Spurs even without Kobe sounds pretty favorable and Pau Gasol is playing like '09 Pau. The issue is you have a Greg Popovic coached team against a Mike D'Antoni coached team, advantage Spurs.  With Manu and Tony Parker not at 100% look for a really competitive series, with a possible surprising outcome.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets

Winner:  OKC in 5

Why:  James Harden will go off and Houston will steal one game, keyword one.


Golden St. Warriors vs. Denver Nuggets

Winner:  Denver in 6

Why:  If your looking for points this will be the most entertaining series of the first round.  Both teams can score with the best of them and both teams play an uptempo style of basketball.  Difference is, Denver's veteran leadership, bench depth and upgraded defensive play will cool the Warriors out real quick.

Ny Knicks vs. Boston Celtics

Winner:  Knicks in 6

Why:  Carmelo has a lot to prove, he's not losing in the first round.

Brooklyn Nets vs. Chicago Bulls

Winner: Bulls in 7

Why:  I still believe D. Rose will be back for the playoffs and if this holds true Chicago and their tough defensive minded brand of basketball will put the other New Yorkers to sleep.  With Joakim Noah likely to miss a few games this series could really go in anyones favor.  Look for this to be one of the more entertaining series of the first round.

Top 5 most Underrated Players in the NBA (No order)

1.  Omer Asik




Spending his first few years as Joakim Noah's backup on some dangerous Chicago Bulls teams, Omer Asik has picked up his effort in his 1st year starting for the Houston Rockets.  The "Turkish Hammer"  whose averaging a double-double at 10.2 ppg  and 11.2 boards per contest, and is known for being a tough low post defender has been a bright spot for a Houston team whose young nucleus will be a problem out West for years to come.

2.  J.J. Redick

Known as the one trick 3 point specialist that everybody loved to hate at Duke, J.J. Redick has expanded his game and been a steady role player for the Orlando Magic since he entered the L.  With more load to carry with the departure of D12 to Los Angeles, Redick has not only been a problem scoring the ball (15.0 ppg)  but has been an excellent passer averaging just under 5 assist per game this season.  All around he's played soild basketball and when you have a guy whose changed his moniker from a 3 point specialist to an All-around basketball player while continuing to shoot 45% FG%, and 40% 3p% you've definitely got quite a ballplayer.  

3.  Lance Stephenson 

Born Ready is enjoying his best season as a Pro and seems to finally be getting it.  The 6'5 Cony Island native whose name has been prominent in basketball since his days starring for Brooklyn's Lincoln High school seems to be finally grasping his potential.  Although his stats may seem modest at 7.8 ppg and a little under 4 boards and 3 dimes, Lance has made a huge impact for a Pacers team that has been generally good since Danny Granger's Knee injury.  With Stevenson in the starting lineup the Pacers have been a better team averaging an increase in offensive rating, defensive rating and overall team net rating. His multi-faceted game has allowed him to create for himself and others and the emergence of Paul George has been keyed by Stevenson's willingness to drive and kick.  Stevenson uses his bullish frame and bevy of moves to create and if he continues to play smart efficient basketball, there's a lot of expectations that the young 2 guard could live up to including living up to the best player on the Pacers billing that none other than Larry Bird dubbed him his Rookie year.  Not too bad of a cosign.

4. Thaddeus Young

Although not, a flashy player Thaddeus Young has been  quite a steady player since he entered the league in '07.  The 6'8 swingman from Georgia Tech has been nothing more than an asset for a young 76ers Franchise that is Andrew Bynum away from making a playoff run.  Young has been enjoying his best year as a pro averaging 15.0 ppg 7.3 rbg 1.6 steals and a block, while shooting shooting 52% from the field.  He may not get the notoriety  but don't sleep on Young who could be the spark plug to a 1st round playoff upset for the 76ers this season.

5.  Nicholas Batum



The ultra athletic French swingman has continued to live up to the first round billing he earned in '08. Batum has enjoyed a season in which his statistics have gone up across the board averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assist and steals at 16.4ppg , 6.1rpg, 4.9apg and 1.4 spg respectively.  He also earned his second career triple-double three nights ago in a one-point win over the Clippers with a 21 point, 12 dimes and 10 board outburst.  With Nicholas Batum's do-it-all production watch Portland become a force in the West for years to come with the emergence of Rookie Damien Lillard and All-star Power Forward Lamarcus Aldridge running along side of  him.

Honorable Mention:

Chandler Parsons 
Jarrett Jack 
Greivas Vasquez
Jose Calderon

Monday Night Week 4 Cowboys Analysis

As a Cowboys fan I know you had to be cringing in your seat at the performance that took place on your TV's last night.  In A Monday night football game, that had importance written all over it, the Dallas Cowboys gave you another reason to have doubtful thoughts in the back of your head. If there weren't questions you wanted answers to, after 2 sluggish games against Seattle and Tampa Bay prior to Monday night's debacle against erratically impressive Bears Quarterback Jay Cutler and the Monsters of the Midway,  there are definitely questions to be asked now. Getting beat 34-18 at home on Monday Night Football is not acceptable for a team that must play Championship worthy Football to win in a division with the defending champion, New York Giants, a potential Super Bowl contender Philadelphia squad and a Redskins team, that will win some games with RGIII running the show. This type of performance can't be tolerated and things must be fixed immediately if we want to make the playoffs with how the rest of our schedule plays out, it gets no easier from here

The Offensive Line:  Actually, the most glaring weakness on the Cowboys this season the Cowboys Offensive line looked pretty decent against Julius Peppers and an attacking Bears pass rush.  Yes, the Grapevine, Texas native Henry Melton was able to get to Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo for two sacks last night, with one of those sacks causing a strip that ended up in Lance Briggs arms for a Bears score, but those were the only two sacks of the night. No glaring false start penalties, botched snaps, or drive killing holding penalties were a big plus looking into the future for the Cowboys Offensive line.

The Defensive Line:  The injuries on the Defensive line were staring you dead in the face with the Cowboys Defensive line only being able to get to an often-sacked Jay Cutler twice last night.  The losses of All-Pro Defensive Lineman Jay Ratliff, Anthony Spencer and Kenyon Coleman to injuries really affected us last night. With Jay Cutler getting too much time to throw he was able to pick apart a Cowboys secondary, who suffered from "lack of pass rush you, can't ask me to stay on this receiving core for too long please help us" Syndrome. Jay Cutler was able to wheel in deal  with little pressure getting in his face going (18-24, 275 yds, 2 Tds) and no interceptions last night while Brandon Marshall was able to impose his will with 7 catches for 138 and a score.

Tony Romo and the Wide Receivers:  To be completely honest,  despite the numbers  (5 interceptions) Tony Romo really didn't play that bad last night.  Yes, there were two badly overthrown potential Touchdown passes to Miles Austin and Dez Bryant early in the game.  Both of those throws could have led to points, and    at the end of the day 5 interceptions is unacceptable, but lets look into his performance in-depth.  Tony Romo went 31 for 43 for 307 yards and a Touchdown last night with virtually no run game provided by Demarco Murray, some key dropped passes by Dez Bryant on third downs; a mis-communication with Wide Receiver Dez Bryant on a hot route that Bears Cornerback Charles Tillman turned into a Bears touchdown, a drop in the redzone turned interception by Kevin Ogletree that cost us points, and a freak "strip" ruled as an interception by Henry Melton, that had Bears Linebacker Lance Briggs looking like a 100 m athlete for another Bears score.  Take out these plays in which, Romo is not all at fault for and Tony could have possibly been a hero last night.  With the re-emergence of tight end Jason Witten (13 catches for 112 yds and a touchdown) and less mistakes with the same production from Dez Bryant (8 catches for 105 yds), there were a few things offensively that were encouraging.  However, the run game has to be revamped and Demarco Murray has to get on track 11 rushes for 24 yards just doesn't cut it.

Week 4 NFL Picks

Week 4 NFL Picks

Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons

Winner:  Atlanta Falcons

Why:  You've seen the way Atlanta is playing, a team led by a "man we're losing I'm going to pout" Cam Newton team is not going to beat the Falcons right now.

New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills

Winner:  Patriots

Why:  The Pats are on a two game losing streak, even though this game will be closer than some may think expect the Pats to squeak out a win and avenge the losses to Arizona and Baltimore in the two past weeks

Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions

Winner:  Detroit Lions

Why:  Yes, the Vikings beat the 49ers last week, and yes Christian Ponder looks significantly better this year, but no, the Lions need this game and will win this game.

San Diego Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Winner:  Chiefs

Why:  The Chiefs defense is getting healthier, that's a great sign for  a team with so much defensive talent in place, not only that Jamaal Charles ran like a man possessed last week  against the New Orleans Saints.  Expect Charles to have another big week in the Chiefs second straight win of the season.

Seattle Seahawks vs. St. Louis Rams

Winner:  Seahawks

Why:  Should the Seahawks have a L in the losers column after last weeks "We don't know what, we're doing man we're just here," performance put on by Replacement Referees? Heck Ya, but are they a "real" team with a really stout defense, with a secondary that scares everybody else in the league?  The answer to that is yes also, look for them to confuse Sam Bradford into a terrible performance followed by a Seattle win.

San Francisco 49ers vs. New York Jets

Winner:  49ers

Why:  To be honest, I think the Jets are a joke this year, nothing more than a gimmick.  Even though, the 49ers took a surprising L to the Vikings last week expect them to do nothing less than beat the tar out of the Jets this week.

Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans

Winner:  Texans

Why:  As much as it pains me to say this right now the Texans are the best team in the NFL.  That trend isn't going to stop this weekend when they put another win in the winners column over the "Thank You BasedGod" miracle winners of last week. 

Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos

Winner:  Broncos

Why:  The Raiders look like trash on defense, yes they squeaked out a win last week against the Steelers. Forget that the Broncos are going to do whatever they please against the Raiders this weekend.

Miami Dolphins vs. Arizona Cardinals

Winner:  Cardinals

Why:  Reggie Bush is the Dolphins offense, he's inactive today.  Therefore, the Arizona Cardinals will start the season 4-0 Chuuuuch.

Cincinatti Bengals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Winner: Bengals

Why:  Jacksonville also squeaked out a "Thank You BasedGod" win this week.  But, with the way Andy Dalton and AJ Green are working the honeymoon will end this Sunday, who said they gonna beat them Bengals?

New Orleans Saints vs. Green Bay Packers

Winner: Packers

Why:  The Packers took a misfortunate loss last week thanks to the crew of Foot Locker sneaker salesman reffing NFL games.  Welp they won't this week when New Orleans starts the season off 0-4, "The bounty brothers of Fall," have one of the worst defenses in the league,  do your really think they can slow down Aaron Rodgers in company? Me neither

Washington Redskins vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Winner:  Redskins

Why:  A matchup of two of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. Expect RGIII from Goodburger to out duel Greg Schiano and the "We play hard when teams take knees," Buccaneers.

New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Winner:  Giants

Why:  This will be a very interesting matchup, but to be honest the way Michael Vick has been playing there is no way I'm picking them to beat the Giants.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Chicago Bears.

Winner:  Cowboys

Why:  Two words, Jay Cutler.  O, thanks for my fantasy points each week Jay?  I joke, I joke, you're a jerk.

NFL Week 3 Picks

Week 3 NFL Picks

Carolina Panthers vs. New York Giants

Winner: Carolina Panthers

Why:  No Hakeem Nicks, No Ahmad Bradshaw, No G-Men win.  Expect Cam Newton and Steve Smith to have a field day against a depleted Giant Secondary that's been hit hard by the injury bug.

St. Louis Rams vs. Chicago Bears

Winner:  Chicago Bears

Why: Bears Quarterback Jay Cutler has to bounce back from the horrendous performance he had against the Packers.  Don't expect 4 picks this week, hero Jay will be roping Touchdown passes against a young Rams secondary. 

Buffalo Bills vs. Cleveland Browns

Winner: Buffalo Bills

Why:  I just can't put faith in Browns Quarterback Brandon Weeden, even with Trent Richardson around him he just doesn't have the tools or the tools around him to lead the Browns to victory. Expect this game to be a route in which CJ Spiller has another Fantasy player of the week type performance.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys

Winner:  Dallas Cowboys

Why:  The Cowboys looked soft last week, both sides of the ball looked like the marsh-mellow unit.  Expect the Boys to bounce back in a dominant performance against the Buccaneers and first year Head Coach Greg Schiano.

Detroit Lions vs. Tennessee Titans

Winner:  Detroit Lions

Why:  Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson have yet to connect on a Touchdown pass this season, expect that to change as the Lions look to offensively explode on the Titans and their secondary.

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Indianopolis Colts

Winner:  Indianopolis Colts

Why:  I was a fan of Blaine Gabbert pre-last year, but I've seen virtually no change in his play since last season, in which he looked like a 12 year old boy about to go on his first date in the pocket.  Expect Andrew Luck to get his 2nd career NFL win.

New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins

Winner:  Jets

Why:  Other than Reggie Bush, take a good hard look at the Dolphins roster.......you see what I see, ya this is an easy pick.

San Francisco 49ers vs.  Minnesota Vikings

Winner: 49ers

Why:  A suffocating 49ers defense will give Adrian Peterson and the Vikings run game problems all day Enter:  Christian Ponder, do you really expect him to set the world on fire against the 49ers?  Me neither 49ers in a route.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. New Orleans Saints

Winner:  Chiefs

Why:  The Saints defense couldn't tackle Stewy Griffin if he was the only player on the field.  New Orleans Saints fans get ready to get into panic mode as your team starts the year off 0-3.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Washington Redskins

Winner:  Bengals

Why:  RgIII has looked better than advertised in his first two NFL games.  I do expect him to take a step back this week against a Bengals team that needs all the wins they can get to compete in a loaded AFC North.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Arizona Cardinals

Winner: Eagles

Why:  Arizona pulled off a Thank you BasedGod type win against the Patriots last week. Well, the BasedGod won't be with them this week Michael Vick and the Eagles will be 3-0 after this Sunday

Atlanta Falcons vs.  San Diego Chargers

Winner:  Falcons

Why:  San Diego gets Ryan Matthews back this week, that's a huge lift but don't expect a W against a Atlanta Falcons offense that looks unstoppable to start off this season.

Houston Texans vs. Denver Broncos

Winner:  Broncos

Why:  Peyton Manning looked dazed and confused Monday night against a Falcons defense who came prepared to make plays.  Don't expect that Peyton Manning two weeks in a row, Broncos win a tight win.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Oakland Raiders

Winner:  Steelers

Why:  Steelers looked dominant in last week's Sunday against the Jets. Mark Sanchez looked, as if he had never seen the Steelers defense in his entire life.  The Raiders have struggled offensively and defensively expect more of that this week.

New England vs. Baltimore Ravens

Winner:  Ravens

Why:  Even though its only Week 3, this is a huge game for both teams coming off losses in games they should have won.  Expect this rematch from last years AFC championship game to be extremely physical, helmets will fly this weekend.  The loss of  versatile Tight End Aaron Hernandez is huge for the Patriots, who will need all their weapons healthy for a battle against a hungry Ravens team.

Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle Seahawks

Winner:  Packers

Why:  Ya Seattle looked extremely impressive against a sluggish Dallas Cowboys team last week, but expect the honeymoon to end Monday Night against Aaron Rodgers and company.