A spate of Injuries

- I wonder if the rash of injuries has become an epidemic for the NBA.  Horford an Wesbrook are now out.  Bryant came back and is now on the shelf again.  What is going on?  Hoops is looking like football.  Or is the fact that so many big name ballers out causing us to overreact.  Think this might be the case.
- Even Lebron is out.  The indestructible one.  My gosh.  Good for the heat and him playing it safe.
- Kobe rushed back.  I'll say it, and my bold prediction about the Lakers playoff chances is for naught.  Now what happens in LA?  Bryant is making max money and may not be a star anymore.  If he was serious about winning he would have taking a deal that left the Lakes with options to build the team with other useful talent.
- Does Carmelo bolt the Knicks after this awful season?  I would be shocked. NYC is still the mecca and there are little options elsewhere is the NBA for him and the high salary he desires and deserves.  I am sure the rumor mill will spin with this one.
- The Nets are dead in the water without Lopez.  Nuff said.  I want panic trade. NOW!
- Portland keeps on Blazing on.  Very impressive.  Lilllard had the assassin look a few weeks back when they were on a Eastern swing.  He is stone cold.  Love it.  Great regular season roll.
- Raptors fans like myself are very uneasy at the moment.  Wtf do we do now?  It is great seeing them play well minus the clog that was Gay but wins in a poor Eastern conference mean playoffs and we do not want that.  The Raps need that top five pick to rebuild.  Enough with the awful to mediocre years.  I want Wiggins.  Sure the kid needs a motor but it is all there.  Hopefully Masai figures something out for us.  I have an awful feeling we are going to end up with a Harrison twin as our draft pick.
- Celtics! (See above themes)
- If the Knicks and Nets had played up to expectations thus far life would be stress free in Toronto.
- Come on Eastern Conference lets do this! Playoffs or bust!
- JR Smith's bro was cut yesterday.  So that's gonna improve his and the Knicks season right?  It was a total sham that his brother was in the league to begin with.  JR resigned in NYC and got his brother a cut at the same time, good on him, but was anyone supposed to take that situation seriously?  Love it!
- Gasol/Bynum trade?  Huh.  Let's please all stop speculating that Bynum will be an important contributor on a contender once the situation in Cleveland is figured out.  The fro hates playing ball and probably is out of the league.

Barfs

- The Knicks have blown out opponents in two straight.  RUH ROH!  A mini run!  The Bargs KG malice was palpable.  Too funny.  Yes it hurts seeing Bargs fired up and performing on the big stage as a Raptor fan.  But the sight of him giving a shat is enthralling.  The MSG Bargs lovefest makes me salivate.
- Wow the Nets are a mess.  KG has lost it.  Kidd is clueless.  Firing Frank puts all the focus on himself.  Seems to be a matter of time until everyone gets shown the door in Brooklyn.
- Happy for Kyle Korver but Dana Barros was one of my faves from childhood.  He was a might mite.
- Whats up with all the hand inures this week?
- Feel vindicated by questioning Kyrie Irvings game.  Loved the 0 point performance last night.  This hero baller is not a winner and makes no one better.
- Surprise the Lakers are 10-9 with Kobe back on Sunday.  The video was a bit overstated.  Am I a Kobe fan?  uh
- Portland with some huge wins this last week over OKC and IND.  I love the roster but doubt this run can continue.  I feel an injury coming down the pipe.
- The West breaks down like this: OKC and SAN are legitimate.  The rest is a cloudy mess of pretenders any of which can and will go on runs: POR, GS, LAC, HOU, LAL, MEM.  This group of six make for some extreme jockeying over the next months as the playoffs approach.  Runs Runs Runs especially with horrendous teams from the east serving up wins.  The Lakers as a 6 seed is not unfathomable.
- What is D Rose thinking?  Telling the media he may come back this year.  We all went through that last year.
- Aaron Affalo!
- Dre rummond is a beast.
- The Raptors if you believe the reports appear to be the major players in the trade market/tankfest.  Seems bizarre to have Toronto at a position of strength.  With Gay's contract I don't see the flexibility not to mention the additional assets to accomplish anything.  But I do wish the roster was emptied minus Derozean and Valaciuanas.  Fingers crossed for the rebuild.
- Loving the long term plan in Boston.  Still have nothing of value on the roster except for a ailing Rondo but Stevens is a get.  Tank C's!  Don't know how I feel about possibly trading Rondo.
- Hoping Andrew Wiggins will show some initiative and a motor after a ghost performance in Atlantis.

Welp

- D Rose is done for the season.  Again.  This one hurts us all, we are deprived again of chaos of clutch.  Rose wasn't back to full stream after his left knee saga but there was hope he could return to form.  Now the right knee has collapsed.  Have to wonder if he'll ever return to being an elite NBA player.
- The Bulls should tank.  Trade Deng, amnesty or wait out the Boozer deal.  Their roster this year is not what it was last year so any sort of success is not in the tea leaves.  Unfortunately, they will never take this course of action, and pursue an elite draft pick.  The East is weak and Coach Thibs will get everything out of this undermanned team.  Good on them but might as well build for the future now.
- Who recovers NYK or NYN?  I still have no answer and am shocked no shots have been fired as of yet.
- The Eastern Conference now looks very pathetic with the Bulls injury.  Looks like Miami/Indy derby to the end.
- Rudy Gay and the Raps are in first place! Woot! Ugh yeah!  My gawsh the east is nasty.  Come on Masi blow er up.  Me wants Wiggins in TO.
- Golden State will survive without Iggy.  Barnes and Green are valuable pieces.  Remember not many though there was a need for him by the Bay to begin with.
- Gasol being out in Memphis is a huge loss.  A defensive anchor was the big fella.  Hopefully Ed Davis will get some more run and produce.  Like that cat.
- And the Lakers are at 500 with a Kobe comeback looming.  Is an overvalued #4 or #5 seed in their future?
- Like a faucet Wiggins turns it on and off.

Impressed

- Love what is going on in Portland.  Quality b-ball in the Northwest just feels right.  Lillard is an assassin.  Aldridge continues to be an underrated star.  Batum and Mathews are quality glue guys.  Williams and the absurdly trade riddled Robinson seem to have found roles.  Is Lopez enough?  A play for Asik would really solidify them as a 6 to 8 seed in the West.
- The Wizards looked impressive last night in taking down the T-Wolves.  Beal can stroke.  Will this turn the corner for the Zards?  They seem to be a shooter away.
- Detroit is a team that could have it all.  The Bigs are Big.  Wow! Not sure they will ever figure it out from a basketball IQ standpoint.  Josh Smith seems to jack up jumpers simply because he plays the 3 when the other bigs are on the floor with him.
- The Hawks are a surprise.  Milsap and Korver!  Hopefully they don't blow it up too soon in a misguided attempt to rebuild.  Sure they are a middle of the pack team at best but this team is not your 2010 Hawks with selfish chuckers.
- Cleveland is a mess.  Panic trade for Mr. Gay.
- Will the Nets turn it around?  It is an age laden question my friend.
- The Raptors as per the usual have become infuriating to watch.  Gay(the eye surgery helped, right?) and Demar have become notorious clangers.  As a result the development of Valaciunas and Ross has gone nowhere.  Ugh. Come on new GM do something!!!!  The ball is frozen in time with them offensively. Lowry is not a leader.  They have to package Gay and Lowry for something but  doubt any team is that stupid to take on those two.  I don't mind Demar and wonder if Rudy is rubbing off on him or if having another chucker on the floor with him only highlights his weaknesses.
- Kobe!
- Clips need a big man. Crawford should be the bait.  Jamal is redundant on this roster.  Cant understand why Jason Collins isn't on this roster.  Odom will probably be signed but he won't be enough.
- Asik is being paid millions of dollars to ball and has been a bitch since Howard arrived.  We get it buddy, Ok!  Seems like Mchale was forced to start McWhinerson those first ten games.
-All three NCAAB freshmen  were outstanding last week in Chicago.  Randle comparisons to Z-Bo while charming are not a ringing endorsement are they?  Wiggins, last night, lacks the motor and any defense.  Is the guy just trying to avoid getting hurt this year.  Parker hands down seems to be the star of the bunch.  Dynamic and multi-talented.  Smart at OK St might be the biggest star of all.
- Kansas has the makings of a number one team.  The defense is lacking at this point  but they are very deep. Embid is a rare Hibbertesque talent.

Two Weeks In

- Is Lebron fallible? Think he might miss some time in the coming months.  The Heat will underwhelm until the new year and then turn it on.
- The Pacers look great but the title is won in November. Save some energy boys.
- Kryie Irving is overrated.  Watched his hero ball routine last week versus Minnesota, was not impressed.  He is an immense talent.
- Anthony Bennet looks like a bust. Poor Canada.
- Anthony Davis on the other hand has been a beast.
- Phoenix will get surprising production from Bledsoe and the good Morris twin but the record is all smoe and mirrors.
- The Knicks are sinking fast without Chandler.  It will get messy real soon.  Do love the Bargnani love/hate motif so far in NYC.
- D Rose.  We are still waiting.
- Philly is fun.  Surprised that MCW is this good, think we all forgot about the Syracuse factor in his tutelage and his size  Evan Turner is finally playing like a player worthy of lottery world.
- Love Minny. Martin can stroke and Brewer is a leaker to the point he seems like a cherry picker.
- Doc Rivers is in for a frustrating year defensively with the Clips.
- Pleased that the two stars is Houston are being exposed.  Harden for his D and Dwight for his charity stripe mental mishaps.
- Can't wait for the panic coaching moves or trades to start?  Cleveland, Knicks, Nets, Wiz,!
- Boston/Phoenix/Philly have thus far ruined the Riggin for Wiggins theme to the year.  Heady starts so far for this trio.
-Think Randle and Parker will surpass Wiggins.  I know it has only been one game and the athleticism/talent with Wiggins is obvious.  However, I question the motor on this kid.  He had his hands on his back slouching after every play it seemed.  I began to wonder if there was a back issue with him.  After scrutinizing his back for a while I realized it probably had to be a body language or fitness thing.  He seemed to take plays off especially on defense.  Hustle and tenacity might cause him to slide in the draft rankings below his more polished counterparts.
- Stoked for Tues Night: Duke (Parker) v Kansas (Wiggins)  and the annual Triple AAA Kentucky Wildcats and Randle face off versus Michigan State.
- Kyrie V. D Rose Tonight

Overdue Hoop Time: West

Feel a bit like a cheater in doing this, since the season is already two weeks old, but here is my Western Conference preview.  With the exception of the hot start by the Suns the West is falling into line as was expected.

1. OKC: Westbrook shocked the world by coming back early.  The same suspects are back.  Admittedly I am growing tired of this roster.  I love KD and want to see him carry them with some whirl ball on the side from Westbrook.  The rest of the roster is blah.  Steven Adams is an energy piece who should compliment the aging Nick Collison.
2.  San Antonio: Every year we sleep on the bland Spurs.  And they prove us all wrong.  Health will be the issue in the Alamo.  Haven't seen the big leap from Leonard as of yet.
3. Golden State: Curry's ankle really scares me but I give the Warriors a slight edge over the Clips.  The roster is deep.  Iguduoala and Bogut fill defensive rolls which are a big help to this offensively helter sklelter roster.
4. Clippers: The new pieces, Dudley and Reddick, look great on the offensive end as compliments to Paul and the bigs.  However, defense is still an issue with this team.  Jordan cannot be trusted.  Will Griffin take the next step and become a game changer?  This team slides.
5. Memphis:  They will find their way eventually and end the year as an overlooked team.  Starting Prince is a huge problem.
6. Houston:  This "good on paper team" reminds me of last years Lakers. Ha Dwight!  Love the pieces but defense has and probably will be atrocious.  Thinking Dwight never had what it took and certainly won't find it.
7. Wolves: Love and Rubio are back and it is beautiful to watch.  Martin gives them a proven scoring alternative.  Brewer adds some lanky defense to the mix.  Buy low and sell high on this unit, I fear as history has proven, that injuries will play a role in Minny.
8. Portland:  Back in the playoffs led by a forgotten by location star (Aldridge) and a rising star (Lillard).  The complimentary pieces around the stars, Mathews and Batum), are phenomenal.  The bench now has some punch.  Hopefully, Robin Lopez can continue to add some toughness inside.

In the mix:
9. New Orleans: Anthony Davis has been spectacular and is a star.  Still not sure how all the sticky fingers( Evans, Holiday, Gordon) fit.  They will be in the race.
10. Lakers:  Treading water at this point.  Kobe\s return is the ultimate wild card.  If they can play .500 ball until he returns and he comes back ass himself, stranger things have happened.
11. Dallas:  Monta has been behaved with the ball thus far!  What?  This team could go on a Dirk/Monta fueled run and sneak into the playoffs.

Almost Hoop Time: East

Can't wait!  Chomping at the bit for the NBA season to begin.  D Rose is baaaack! Unreal, a few years ago he was a force in the league and seemed poised to lead his Bulls to many epic conference finals versus the Heat.  Russ, Kobe, and Rondo are still out for awhile with injury.  Howard is now on the Rockets, it will be interesting to see how that works out.  Can they make a leap into the Western Conference elite.

East
1. Miami- Wade has a strong year, proving all his critics wrong.
2a.- Indiana- The spotlight is on George, Hibbert, and Co.
2b- Chicago- Well coached but injury concerns being Roses Knee an Noah.
4. Brooklyn- Good on paper yet aging with a rookie coach.  Williams will not endear himself to the vets.
New York-  Could be a disaster?  Melo contract and poor defense.
Milwaukee- Deep team.  Breakout years for Knight.
Cleveland- Kyrie is the man.  Bynum works for his next payday.
Washington- Is Jon Wall ready?
Atlanta- Are Milsap and Horford something special?
Toronto- Will Jonas take a giant step forward?  Can Rudy Gay see?
Detroit- The new pieces, Smith and Jennings, are shiny but will it work.

After #4 in the East it should be a crapshoot.  Each team has the chance to surprise and pull it together for a playoff run.  Yet the chance for things bottoming out for a few of these teams is in play.  It should be very interesting to watch.  Cleveland, Washington, and Atlanta could all underwhelm and blow things up.  Cleveland wants to make a run at Lebron over the summer.  Washington is always plagued with injuries.  Dany Ferry is a dealer in Atlanta.  The Raptors new GM doesn't have his pieces in place yet  New York, Detroit, and Milwaukee are playoffs or bust teams with little flexibility.  Anything short of April ball will be a failure for these markets.

Tankers abound at the bottom of the pile in the East.  Philly is done before the first whistle.  A Rondo less Celtics team is almost unwatchable, save for the golden locks of Olynk.  Orlando has some talent in Vucevic, Harris, and Oladipo.  If the chips fall right for these in terms of draft picks, etc things could be looking up in a year or two.  The Charlotte team is unmentionable.  Dammit.  I did it.

Team Speed

Finally CFB had something to offer.  Heading into October the matches gain steam as the pretenders fall to the wayside and the contenders re-introduce themselves after a stretch of powder puff scheduling that only Lane Kiffn would enjoy.  To soon!  The mighty Lane was axed early Sunday morning hours after the Trojans fell to Wazzu.  How he got any of his past jobs on limited to no success is beyond me.  Doing little with more is now his calling card.  Will be interesting to see where he lands?  Get ready for months of the USC will hire so and so rumors for the next four months.  A big name will take over in Tinseltown, we will have to wait until the season is over to find out who.
Notre Dame was plagued by some early turnovers en route to losing at home to Oklahoma by two touchdowns.  More of the same with the Rees era.  Ugh!  Everything isn't on Tommy but Golston right about now would be a pleasure.  F-ing academics.  The game really was all about the team speed on both sides of the ball by Oklahoma.  Sooner defense hawked the ball showing unreal flash in pursuit.  Oklahoma backs showed burst in gaining the edge.  Could the Sooners be back on the national stage after being overhyped for years?
Georgia versus LSU was a shootout.  Looked Mountain Westish.  Welcome to the SEC aerial years.  Frankly, I am enthralled and disappointed at the same time.  Quarterback play was top notch.  Murray and Mecklenberg each elevated their play in Athens.  Yet I still yearned for the old smash mouth 23-19 SEC era.  In the end the homer Dawgs took the game before a sea of red.  Each team now has one loss.
Oklahoma State is done after losing in Morgantown.  Yuck.  Tired of them anyways.
Alabama, Ohio State, Stanford, and Oregon each won and remain atop the polls.  They seem to be the contenders this year.  Oregon and Stanford will play eachother knocking one out of title contention.  Ohio State looks like it will breeze though the BIG 10.  Leaving in all likelihood three undefeated's at the end of the season.  The Oregon/Stanford winner should get a shot at Alabama for the National Title due to stronger conference play.
All right hopefully the above paragraph reverse jinxed it all, and chaos will ensue through the rest of the season.  I am so tired of the inevitability of CFB.  PARITY PLEASE

Week Three Aftermath: Too Early For Conclusions?

Last weekends NFL slate gave all of us some shocks.  Mind numbing WTF moments.  Colts over Niners and Fins over Falcons were the headliners.  Now it is time to jump off the cliff of reason and come up with some conclusions that are sure to be proved dubious as the season unfolds.  Screw it i'll just give some pinions.

AFC

Denver: dominant so far, should have the conference lead wrapped up by mid November

Miami:  are these guys for real?  Tannehill! Really!

New England:  this has been exhausting being at Pats fan, a brutal 3 and 0,  Is chemistry developing between Brady and the no-name receivers corps?  I think Brady has shown Cutleresque body language and his shine is gone,  Belichek's hubris in regards to personnel decisions have also become a concern- no veteran options at WR,  as  always I will shout and turn on them every second play this Sunday evening, GO PATS

Kansas City:  looking good but for the love of god use Bowe more he's on my fantasy team

Pittsburgh: wow the era is over

Indy: dreams as big as Irsay's ego

NFC

San Francisco:  Aldon Smith should not have suited up on Sunday.  Maybe karma got them for that move last weekend.  Kapernick has looked below average.  Sign a receiver?  Looks like it all is coming apart by the bay.

NY Giants:  this hurts, the season is over.  No lines or backs.

Washington:  another awful situation.  why did 3 rush back?  Will he ever be the same?  Anyone can pile up yardage in garbage time! It's over!

Green Bay, Atlanta:  Both will be back in the playoff hunt.  Rodgers is no longer the wunderkind quarterback.  Just don't ask me who is.

Seattle:  see Denver


NOTES:  I enjoy all the scoring, the passing offences, etc, but the rushing totals need to be back on par.  Balanced offence is more entertaining.  Look at the totals thus far from the leading running backs.  Unreal.  The fantasy pundits big boards had backs atop the charts for the drafts.  Kinda weird that no one else has noticed the trend thus far?  Maybe the year always starts this way.  Gotta run the ball in cold climes later in the season  guess.

Answers

Well, this weekend in college football is a ....?  A stinker.  Ughhh!  Little of relevance today on college campuses throughout the US.  The big programs are paying lesser rans hundreds of thousands of dollars to quash them, padding their win totals, and us the viewing public are supposed to accept the blowout pageantry that is early season football.  Yikes.  Oh well guess its Alabama versus the field anyways.

One good game could be Arizona State versus Stanford.  The Cardinal have a high ranking, have played no one as of yet, and feature a running back (Gaffney) who took a year off to pursue baseball dreams.  Is he or Stanford the real deal?  We will find out tonight.   Are the Sun Devils ready to climb the ladder and enter the national focus or will they shoot themselves in the foot as they have in the past?  Will Oregon be challenged tonight?  Answers please.

We Talking Playoffs

Finally, it's playoff time! The matchups especially out West are intriguing. Here are some initial reactions:
Mia/Mil: ugh blowout
NY/Bos: should be a good one, veteran celts led by knick killer Pierce vs melo fuelled MSG
Chi/Bro: kinda intriguing, will the nets choke?
Atl/Ind: Hawks fold Pacers roll
Okc/Hou: the Harden bowl, he'll explode in this series
SaS/LaL: Are the Spurs healthy? Battle of the big men in this series
LaC/Mem: Grizz roll Clippers shame continues
Den/Gs: Salivating! Scoring! Up and down! I have no idea who will win this one think it all rests on Lawson.

Once the series begin (after game one) I will make some predictions for each. Back at ya on Monday. Time constraints hurt!

The Dregs

Now we wait!  Yippee!  NCAA b-ball ended on Monday night with a great game between Michigan and Louisville.  The NBA season is winding down and literally crawling to the finish.  Hockey is doing the same.  Baseball has begun, yet it is too early to take seriously as of yet.  The Masters is on the weekend but unless Tiger is in it at the end it is well, golf.  During slow periods like this all we can do I reflect on what we’ve seen and look ahead to what might be in the world of sports. 

-There has to be more to the Rutgers story right.  Another firing?  Evidence of a coverup?   I trust ESPN will get to the bottom of this.  The Sandusky mess certainly fuelled the desire in reporters and consumers for such a story on big time college athletics.  There’s nothing like seeing the big fall. 

-College athletes need to be paid.  They make their schools millions, pay them. 

-Skip v. Luke!  Who saw that one coming in the national championship game?  Reminded me of the movie Hoosiers. 

-Tough to gauge who will have solid pro careers out of the top players in the Final Four.  Carter-Williams is a poor man’s Shaun Livingston.  McGary did it for a 10 game stretch but he would be insane to now got pro, next year’s draft is strong.  Burke and Dieng probably are safe bets to be solid rotation players.

-The NBA draft looks weak.  Wow.  No given talent in this one.  Smart and Noel are the only ones that stick out to me. 

-Do think the Shaq retirement jersey snafu was intentional?

-Melo is on fire! Can the Knicks do some damage in the playoffs?  Book it.  They will get to the conference finals.  Our expectations for a high quality tilt with the Heat will be at a fervor pitch.  Sadly, for us all the Knicks will be steamrolled.  Thus, letting all of America down. 

-Geez my Dallas #8 seed pick was way off.  Looks like the Lakers will get it as Utah has shown no heart over the past week.  I for one am disappointed.  Imagine Kobe’s comments should the Lakers miss the players.

-MWP to the surprise of everyone is back.  The guy is a warrior.  Or is he looking for employment next year? 

-Hockey!  Ovechkin is back.  Wondered a few weeks ago if he still elite, a flash in the pan? 

-Ottawa is fading fast.  Like the young talent though. 

-Will Crosby be back?  My guess is yes just in time for the playoffs wearing a cage. 

-Love the intensity of playoff hockey. Can’t wait!

-The Red Sox are off to a good start.  I can’t bring myself to judge or make any declarations yet about this team.  Except.  Farrell will help with Bucholtz and Lester. 

-Justin Upton MVP. 

-Does anyone care about NCAA spring football?  Not me. 

Boom B Ball Time

  Love this time of year.  College Basketball is in full meltdown hysteria mode and the NBA Playoff picture is coming into focus.

NCAA
-The Kevin Ware injury was horrific.  Never thought it was possible to do that on a court.  Ughh.  Football maybe but hoops no.  No one was prepared for that.  Wishing the kid a speedy recovery.
-Louisville might as well have had a home game considering that crowd in Indy.  Yes I am a bitter Duke fan.
-Onto the Jabari Parker era.
-Where is Maple Jordan aka Andrew Wiggins going to school next year?  I hope it's not Carolina.
-Louisville seems to be in steamroller mode.  Siva and Smith are forces of nature and Dieng covers the rim.
-Love the Shockers.  Wichita State has depth and boards.
-Louisville wins it.
-Michigan needs to solve the Syracuse zone.  Will Stauskas get open looks?  Will the zone neutralize McGary?
-Orange win behind swats from Keita and a big game from Fair.
-Louisville beats out the Orange in the title game.
-Alford at UCLA.  Good luck Steve.
-It's NBA Draft declaration season.  This class is weak and unpolished.  Bennett from UNLV seems raw but he has the skills.  It will be between the ears with him but he seems like a fine Canadian product.  The rest aside from Noel of Kentucky really don't register as NBA talents with me.  We will see.

NBA
-The streaks are over.  Both Miami and Denver lost last week.
-Would have been nice to see the Heat streak make it to San Antonio but instead we treated to sitting stars by the Alamo.
-Miami's streak was out of this world like Lebron.  Wow.  The Heat will not be challenged until the conference finals.  Indy or NY might have a chance to test them a bit.
-Rooting for a MIA/SA final.
-Clippers seem to be falling.  Just like last year's, is Del Negro the issue, end to the season?
-I think CP3 is a bit overrated.  A great player no doubt.  But top five in the league?  I'd rather have Irving, Rose, and Rondo when healthy.
-The race for #8 in the West is a dandy.  I can't imagine the Laker's will hold onto it given the year they've had.
-Utah has some depth but can Mo Williams be trusted late in games?
-The number 8 seed will go to the Mav's-  Dirk wants it as much as Kobe and he has a better roster around him by a hair.
-Loved typing that last one.  Go Celtics!

Ball Thoughts

-Big game tonight at Cameron as Duke takes on Miami.  Grudge match.  The Dukies were blown out in Miami.  Will Kelly lace them up for the Blue Devils?

-Gonzaga is not for real.                                            

-Georgetown may be the class of the Big East. Louisville is coming on strong. 

-My how NC State has fallen.  Bubble team?

-Look for a classic team Final Four: Indiana, Duke, Georgetown, and a non-classic team in Oklahoma State.  Marcus Smart is a fav of mine.

-Memphis and Indiana are hard teams to watch in the regular season.  Both teams are plodding and play great defense with above average rebounding.  The caveat is that everyone man’s up in the playoffs so look for these teams to underwhelm in the playoffs.

-Denver has a similar problem given it’s up tempo style of play.  Look for them to be eliminated early.

-Thinking the Lakers catch Houston and get the eighth seed in the West.  The Rockets are still too inexperienced with the exception of a still very young Harden. 

-Tony Parker is out four weeks with an ankle sprain.  I think the Spurs will keep it together and at worst lose a playoff seed in his absence.  They will need him ready to roll for the playoffs or they will be toast.

-Loved the Miami Heat Harlem Shake.  Costumes were amazing. 

-Rudy Gay has now been indoctrinated to the Toronto losing ways.  Welcome to Raptorland! 

-Valiciunas is an impressive rook.  Loves to bang.

-The Bradely Beal/John Wall backcourt has potential. 

-Doug Collins sealed his exit in Philly with some midweek diatribes to the media.  Young ears tire of his act after a few seasons.

-What happens with the hairdo freak?  Does Bynum stay in Philly? Do they want him after trading for a dude who is out all year?  Does he hit the open market and leave?  Guy seems to be a giant douche.  

Dimes

COLLEGE

-Nerlens Noel, the prize of the next NBA draft, went down with a torn ACL last night.  Forcing these guys to go to college for one year is looking more ridiculous as time spills on.  Nerlens probably leaves Kentucky next week and starts rehabbing once his surgery is done.  To stay qualified for his one year with the Wildcats Noel took maybe one class?  His draft stock might fall a little but he still will be a high lottery pick.

-Big Ten teams are hammering each other.  Michigan was the latest victim, getting walloped by Michigan State last night.  Indiana seems to have regained its position of dominance in the conference.

-I wonder if Miami can pull it off and produce in big games.  The conference and NCAA tournament are coming up.  The Hurricanes have never been to these heights before.  Be wary of the ledge. 

-Final Four- Indiana, Duke, Michigan State, Florida

PRO

-Rudy Gay is proving to be a closer, something the Raptors have sorely lacked over the last decade.  Sure the win was over a depleted Nuggets roster but a W is a W. 

-Amir Johnson has improved at a steady pace over the years and deserves due credit. 

-Indiana is a tough physical team.  That being said it was a pleasure seeing the Raptors match their physicality and pull out a win last Friday night.

-Tyler Hansborough is the dirtiest player in the league.  Lambeerish. 

-Lebron has been on an unreal record setting pace over the last six scoring 30 plus and shotting 60 percent plus over that span.  The shooting has been astounding and I am amazed that Wilt Chamberlain did not hold the record.  Seems like he should have had 30 in a row.

-Jordan/James comparisons keep popping up.  Not yet Lebron! 

-What a streak for the Celtics!  This team is either on fire or ice cold. 

-Golden State is crashing.  The heightened defensive effort we saw earlier in the year is gone.  Pretenders.

-Look for the Clips to start teasing us and entering the West race. 

Ball Thoughts

-The Clippers are looking like the Clippers of old.  Losing with regularity.  Chris Paul has been out for far too long with a knee cap bruise.  It has to be something more serious.  Let’s take them off the title Thang

contention list. 

-Memphis has taken themselves out of the running with the Gay trade or have they?  Things may take a bit of time to settle down but Prince may actually be more beneficial to the team than Gay.  A savvy vet who will make the right play help to emphasize their interior strength.  It all will hinge on the maturity and development of Conely.  Can he and the Grizz shock some folks in the playoffs. 

-Chicago and Indiana are unreal great defensive teams.  Granger and Rose are still out.  I hope Rose comes back at the same level athletically.  Jimmy Butler has been a pleasant surprise for the Bulls.  All Indiana does is continue to win games.  George is a star.  I think Granger should be traded for pieces, I have never loved his shot first hero ball mentality.  Hibbert is overpaid, let’s face it he will never be who we thought he might develop into.  And the Pacers continue to give the Heat problems.  Either Chicago or Indiana is going to give the Heat/Knicks a very big scare if not an elimination from this years playoffs.  Book it.

-Who are the Brooklyn Nets?  I have no idea.  Lopez looks like the second coming some nights.  Sell this teams chances.

-Danny Ferry should be dealing in Atlanta.  This team is finished.  For the love of god unload Josh Smith and get some pieces.  Can you imagine how infuriating it would be to coach Smith?  Loafers delight. 

-Not sure what to make of the Celtics run without Rondo.  Terry is put in better situations without Rondo around.  Pierce, of the old man’s game, has been a treat this year.  I expect they will fall back to earth.  If I was Ainge I would be dealing.  What’s the point of an #8 seed?  The roster is old it is time to rebuild.  The aged pieces have to be dealt.  Sad truth. 

-Dwight Howard is who we thought he was.  A goof with no heart. 

-The Lakers will make the playoffs despite the mess it’s been.  They have been playing better ball.  Earl Clark is gives them youth and athleticism something they sorely lack. 

-That was a youthful Kobe facial in Brooklyn. 

-Last nights Golden State/Houston game was fun.  Reminded me of Doug Moe ball. 

-Bogut is key for the Warriors.  If he gets back to form, watch out. 

-OKC and SAN are lonely at the top of the West as the rest have fallen.

-Kentucky is creeping back onto the scene behind the swatting of Nerlens. 

-Kind of wish a team would step up and dominate in NCAA ball but then I realize it will make for a remarkable tourney.

-Ohio State is bothersome.  Thomas has a limited game and I find it shocking that this chucker gets the praise he does.

-Love Oklahoma State.  Smart is a star and Nash reminds me of Metta World Peace. 

-New Final Four: Indiana, Oklahoma State, Butler, Kansas.  

Gay To TO

Rudy Gay is officially a Raptor.  Finally they have a coveted small forward.  As I have said before the only way for Toronto to acquire talent is through trade or draft.  High name free agents are not coming to Toronto.  Coloangelo, atrocious GM, rolled the dice with this one.  The future will tell as to whether this deal works out for Toronto.  Let’s look at the pieces. 

                Rudy Gay is very talented yet very overpaid for two more years.  He is having a bad season so he was bought for a low price.  He is a good friend of Kyle Lowry, who becomes the man at point guard for Toronto, this chemistry should help.  He is paid like a #1 and wants to be a #1.  Can he be a star?  Toronto is banking on it. 

                The Rap lost Calderon and Davis in the deal.  Both were a pleasure to watch.  Davis finally got some minutes this year due to injuries and was impressive.  However, his rookie deal was up and Toronto was going to lose him for greener pastures in the coming years.  Plus with JV and Bargs coming back soon his minutes were sure to drop.  Caderon was a surprisingly solid point guard for eight seasons in Toronto.  His contract was expiring and the Raptors were sure to let him walk over the summer.  Davis and Calderon were good players on their way out and the cost of losing them was an overpaid wild card in Rudy Gay. 

                With the deal the Raptors roster is very redundant.  Derozean and Gay are the same type of player with Gay being a superior version of the two.  Both are slashers who shoot poorly from three and are below average defenders.  Derozean was just signed to a monstrous extension! Yikes! Now Demar needs to be dealt.  Bargnani as well has to be dealt at the very least before next season.  Dealing the pussy cat Andrea must be priority number one for Colangelo and I believe the Raptors board must have told him that if Gay comes Andrea must be dealt.  Fields is also overpaid and a new home for him is needed.  There isn’t much financial flexibility for the Raps.  Yikes! 

                If the above mentioned are dealt there might be some hope with the deal.  This deal is a predicated on what happens next with the roster.  If players are dealt it looks promising.  If not? Yikes! 

                The combinations with Gay playing some power forward are intriguing.  Lowry, Ross, Demar, Gay, and Johnson?  Very athletic!  As long as Demarr and Bargs are dealt I think I am behind this deal.  Building around Lowry, Ross, Gay, and JV seems the way to go.  Add Johnson to the mix and I would like to see what happens. 

                Standing wise the deal goes two ways.  The Raps either remain an 8 to 10 seed or they make some trades and build around the ones they should and they elevate to a 4 or 5 seed. 

                Memphis has taken themselves out of the West race with the deal.  Prince may help a bit but its over for the Grizz.  The financial realities are harsh for the small market teams. 

                Detroit may join the race for #8 in the East.  Calderon should help their bigs.  This summer Joe Dumars will have some cap space but given his record in free agency, is this a good thing?  

All Star Reserve Insanity

Deng over Lopez?
Randolph over Gasol?

Pucklife

HOCKEY HOCKEY!  Is back!  Yippee!  Go Bruins!  Go Sens!  Should be a wild condensed schedule infused year.  I am shocked given the stupidity of the lockout that the fans have come back and the games have been so entertaining.  The players certainly seemed to chomping to get back at it!!!!

CBB Thoughts

1.       Duke got destroyed last night by Miami.  It was unwatchable baby.  Look for the Blue Devlis to fall off as Miami, North Carolina, and NC State gain some steam.

2.       Miss you Ryan Kelly. 

3.       Michael Carter Williams has a true baby face. 

4.       This year is wide open.  There is no dominant team. 

5.       Loving the Kentucky struggles!  Brings a smile to my face to see the agent Calipari fail. 

6.       Final Four:  Butler, Oregon. NC State,  VCU

Two Awful Teams

The soap opera in LA keeps getting more interesting.  The Lakers held a team meeting yesterday for everyone to air their grievances.  According to reports Kobe and the Dwightmare went at it a bit.  Game by game the train wreck that has been the 2012-13 Lakers has been fascination to watch.  Kobe started the season off strong but has cooled off of late.  He has joined twitter, a pleasure for us all, and has somewhat behaved himself.  Howard has looked disinterested and healing on the fly from his back woes.  He’s picked up tech fouls left and right.  One wonders if he ever will regain his stature as a top player in the league.  These days he looks serviceable.  And will he resign in LA? 

                Gasol has shown flashes after being demoted to bench player.  What an awful situation for the talented big man, he has served as the whipping boy for years.  Nash looks old and slow.  Really old and slow. 

                There is no cohesion or effort from the Lakers when it counts.  Yet still they are only four games out of the playoffs. 

                It is a shame the Lakers will never blow it up, that is not their style.  D’antoni should be axed but given the fact that they already fired Brown this year, D’antoni and his contract will stay.  Gasol and Howard should be unloaded for assets so the rebuild can happen. 

                Maybe they turn it around a bit?    It has been a spectacular failure thus far 

               

                Boston, the leagues other marquee franchise, has been just as disappointing this year.  They are clinging onto the eight playoff spot in the East.  Rondo has not progressed to the elite level player many thought he would.  Jason Terry forgot how to add instant offense off the bench over the summer.  Green has mastered the deer in the headlights look.  The mainstays Garnett and Pierce along with the youngins Bradley and Sullinger have all been solid.    Unless a major shakeup happens at the trade deadline it would appear that the window on Celtics relevance is closing. 

A Classic?

NFL Playoff alert!  The Ravens Broncos game was a classic.  Aside from the Dierdorf annoyance factor the game had everything.  Two Trindan Holiday special teams returns for touchdowns.  Manning slinging touchdowns and Flacco matching him with long bombs to Smith and Jones, Flacco by the way earned himself a new contract with that performance.  The last throw in regulation time was shocking, how did the Broncos secondary let that happen?  Excitement!  What a battle!  In the end Manning threw an awful interception which led to a 2^nd 0T field goal by the Ravens rookie filed goal.  Manning’s arm looked a little rubbery towards the end of that game, maybe it was the cold?  Ray Lewis lives on to fight another day.  As a Patriots fan I am scared of a rematch with Baltimore.  The Ravens look like a team of destiny. 

                Oh and in the second game the Niners steamrolled the Pack behind a fleet footed rookie quarterback. 

                On to today’s matchups!  

Roll em Roids, Pucks, and Tide

CFB Championship

That one was tough to watch as a ND fan.  Absolutely steamrolled by an uber talented Alabama team.  The Crimson Tide seemed to have stallions at every position.  Yes the SEC is still dominant.  Perhaps Oregon would have given them a game.  Saban is about as likeable as a dutchoven moment early in the morning but the overlord gets it done year after year.  Three out of four is unprecedented.  In the end it was a great miracle season for the Irish.  Golston will build on this season and be an excellent player in the future.  Can the Irish match this successful year in the coming seasons?  Sadly, probably not.  The SEC will still dominate the polls.  Oregon will be in the mix.  Ohio State is building something under Urban Meyer.  Perhaps when the playoffs come for college football the Irish will have a chance to get to a championship game but the odds are against them.  Sad to see Teo go.  Disappointing to hear Kelly is taking interviews for the NFL. 

Baseball Hall of Fame

No one got the 75 percent to be elected to the hall.  No one inducted this year.  Consider it a statement year with all the PED users on the ballot.  I think most of them deserve to make it.  Those drugs like it or not were a part of the baseball culture and most of the players in question have hall worthy careers spanning the non “PED” years.  All the PED’s did and do is prolong some productivity by accelerating recovery.  Eventually some of these guys will make it as the writers turn over realizing PED’s have always been a part of the game for a hundred years or so and their morality faces them every morning in the mirror.  Remember the “era of PED’s” by electing a few to the hall.  Preserve history and put asterisks by their names if need be.

NHL

Emotions are mixed about hockey being back.  Living in Canada I find there is an overload of hockey coverage and not enough basketball coverage.  It is painful for a hoops addict.  I root for the Senators and Bruins go to some games and love playoff hockey.  I love it yet hate it.  The lockout was nonsense spearheaded by the worst commissioner in sports Gary Bettman.  Look for the Canadian teams to regain their fans but in the US the fans might not come back. Empty seats will be a black eye for the NHL. The play itself should be wide open with a limited amount of regular season games and a frenetic schedule.  Last years abridged NBA season was wild so perhaps the same thing will happen in the rinks.  

Playoffs Week Two

Before I begin the look ahead in the playoffs let me touch on the RG3 situation.   The QB was obviously hurt and injured depending on what language you want to use.  After the mounting a 14-0 lead over the Seahawks he probably should have been taken out of the game.  The blame for what happened after is all on Shanahan.  RG3 is never going to let on that he was hurt, that is the football players mentality unfortunately.  Given how he looked afterwards he should have been taken out.  The risk for serious injury was there, it is awful that the coach ignored the obvious and left him in the game.  A healthy Kirk Cousins over a hobbling RG3 probably would have given the Redskins a better shot at beating the Seahawks. 

                This week’s games:

Seattle at Atlanta- Hmm the Falcons need to prove they have some cajones.  Their big play offense will have limited shots against a great Seattle defense.  Can they contain Marshawn Lynch?  This will be another key.  In the end I am thinking the Falcons will fall surprising no one and everyone at the same time. 

Green Bay at San Francisco- This game has the look of a classic.  The Niners trounced the Pack early in the season.  San Fran’s rookie quarterback in the playoffs?  Yikes.  The Niners are a well rounded team on both sides of the ball.  The Packers defense is weak.  Aaron Rodgers must have the game of his life for Green Bay to win this one.  Unless Kaepernick throws pick sixes early I look for the Niners to win a close one.

Baltimore at Denver:  This is Ray Lewis’ last game.  Early turnovers by Flacco will help the Broncos get out to an early lead and hang on to win the game despite some late Ray Rice heroics.  Denver by a touchdown.  Manning will continue his magnificent season.  The Ravens defense’s age issues will be exposed. 

Houston at New England:  I only hope the Patriots are not taking the Texans lightly as Dan Shaunessy wrote.  Thanks for the bulletin board material Dan.  I suspect the Texans will come out strong behind Foster and some playmakers on defense.  Look for a close game early.  In the end the difference will be at the quarterback position.  A Brady to Gronk touchdown will close the first half.  The Patriots will carry that momentum to the second and win going away. 

               

Honey Nut Cheerios

Monday night’s game between the Celtics and Knicks at MSG had that feel, especially in the fourth quarter.  Spike Lee was making a nuisance of himself heckling Celtics inbounders.  Shot for shot the squads were matching eachother.  Paul Pierce hit some huge ones.  Avery Bradley made the intangible great plays on defense and cutting baseline for open looks.  KG and Melo went at it, the trash talking was in full effect.  All in all the quarter had a playoff feel. 

Is the rivalry renewed to the level of the Bernard King/Bird years?  I think so.  The Celts and Knicks have rarely been both good during the same years.  This season the Knicks are off to a great start looking like a number two seed in the east.  That spot was supposed to go to the Celtics according to everyone, even me.  The C’s have flopped all year except for the last three games.  A good win versus the Pacers at home started it all.  The next night they came back on the Hawks behind a 33-9 third quarter in Atlanta for the win.  Then the big win in at MSG.  It was a statement game!  The true warriors, KG and Pierce, have had enough of the losing.  Book it, with Bradely back things start to fall into place.  The Knicks have started to fall off a bit(Felton injury?) but desperately want to be the new power in the east behind Miami.  Melo’s classmates have rings and he wants his.    All of these factors collided on Monday.  It was a heck of a battle and I can’t wait for the next meeting on January 24^th. 

After the game on Monday there was lots of buzz about breakfast cereal.  Melo and KG got into it on the court picking up t’s and apparently after the game Melo was looking to settle things pugnaciously with KG.  Ahhh the theatre of it all, Melo was waiting by the bus to go at KG.  About 500 security people where in the way, it was highlarious to see. The two never saw eachother.  KG a vicious trash talker had aid something during the game about Melo’s wife and Carmelo though he had crossed the line.  Cheerios anyone?  KG probably crossed the line here as he always does but that is his game, always has been.  Love him hate him he does it again and again.  Melo on the other hand had a bad game and was taken of his pace during the fourth quarter by KG antics.  To react in that manner after the game?   Now the word knows Melo has thin skin.  Dumb move Mr. Anthony.  Expect cereal boxes everywhere in Boston for the rematch.  

Seattle Kings?

Today the rumor mill has been rampant that the Kings will be sold to a Seattle group and relocated in time for next season.  I love this move for many reasons.  Seattle gets a team again, I really miss the Sonics.  David Stern also has egg on his face after engineering the Clay Bennett Midnight run to Oklahoma City a few years ago.   The Pacific Northwest needs a ball team and now the Portland/Seattle rivalry will be back on.  I fondly remember the Payton, Perkins, McMillan, Kemp, Ellis, and Schrempf years.  Wow I am excited the more I think about it. 

The downside in this developing NBA news is that Sacremento loses the Kings.  The Maloofs clearly are to blame for all of this, they ran a once proud franchise into the ground.  Mitch Richmond memories are all I will have.  Weep.  Remember just a decade ago the Kings were challenging the Lakers for Western Conference supremacy.  C-Webb, Miller, Divac, and Stojakovic led a proud franchise capable of cowbell moments.  The crowds were loud in Arco, a great small town.  Since then the owners and recent GM (Petrie) have run the franchise into the ground.  Crowds are sparse and the roster is beyond redundant.  They have about eight power forwards. 

So what happens with the Sac/Sea roster moving forward?  Boogie Cousins is not going anywhere.  Hear Me!  If the team wasn’t being relocated there might be a chance Petrie would be dumb enough to trade him.  He will be a vital marketing piece/cornerstone to build around in Seattle.  He might be a coach killer/freak/baby but he is supremely talented.  If he could ever grow he would be a top ten talent in the league.  I expect the Seattle fans will love him.  Thomas stays as, he is a dynamic young point guard.  Robinson will stay and Thompson will be traded.  This pair screams redundancy and Robinson is the more recent draft pick.  Other than that look for the rest of the roster to hopefully turnover with a new gm and coach in place for next season, these new owners will want their own men in charge.  

Different Directions

And the run continues.  After blowing out the Magic over the weekend the Raptors blew out a lethargic Blazers bunch last night at the ACC.  Sure the Blazers were playing a back to back after beating the Knicks behind Liliard’s heroics at MSG on Tuesday, but the game was another positive sign for the Raptors. 

                The ball moved yet again.  Calderon and Lowry handed out 22 assists.  A far more astounding stat from the pair was the limited scoring and shot attempts.  Lowry is a scoring talent who can be a bit selfish at times, the me first mentality.  When things were stalling through the first 23 games this trait was on display, perhaps it was frustration due a blogged down offense cornered around the plodding/bricking Bargnani.  Ball movement has become infectious and Lowry seems to have bought in.  The entire roster has. 

                Young talent has also been on display.  Terrence Ross was on fire last night dropping threes while scoring a career high 26 points.  Over the last half dozen games Ross has shown the potential that led to his being picked #8 in the last NBA Draft.  He is fearless, never shies away from the shot or moment.  When his shot is on these are great qualities.  As well the highlight reel dunks seem to coming every game.  Ed Davis has stepped up in the absence of Bargnani.  Easy Ed is quick off the floor for rebounds and put backs.  After an injury and bench ridden first few seasons it is nice to see Davis take advantage of his opportunity.  He seems to have bona fide interior skills.  It will be interesting to see how his career shakes out.   The Raptors need to see more of this from Ed before deciding on whether to extend him or not. 

                The veterans have also finally produced.  Anderson has been a solid intangible guy and a great shooter at times.  Fields is back from the wrist injury and contributing.  Johnson has made himself into a solid big man.  Valunciunas is out but showed potential. 

                These good times for the Raptors come with Andrea Bargnani out with injury.  The offense looks better and the ball is moving.  Will it last?  Probably not but after a horrendous start led by the stagnant Bargnani these last few weeks have been a delight.  It will be very interesting to see what happens with Andrea for the rest of the year.  I have a feeling the fans and players might mutiny if he is giving heavy minutes or propped up to be the franchise player once and if he does return. 

                The closest thing the Raptors have to a franchise player is Demar Derozean.  His extension at the beginning seemed to be a head scratcher but so far he seems to be worth it.  He has been efficient and quietly leads the team in output most nights.  Impressive. 

                Colangelo still needs the axe. 

                The Celtics on the other hand have been poor.  Underwhelming they don’t look playoff worthy.  I caught the end of last night’s game versus Memphis.  Rajon Rondo, a predicted MVP candidate, is up to his usual mercurial ill advised ballin.  The two late fourth quarter threes were awful.  Rondo has regressed yet again and does not seem to want to be a leader.  The guy will not take over games like he should given the age of Pierce and Garnett.  Green and Terry for the most part have been disappointing.  Bradely did return last night but he needs time.  As Tommy Heinson said “the pieces on this team don’t fit yet.”  It’s time to panic in Beantown!  I think a major shakeup trade is needed.  They need a big besides Garnett.  Danny Ainge needs to get to work.