NBA Playoffs Preview

We're going to take it series by series and give predictions for who will win the NBA Championship this season.

EAST-

Atlanta (1) vs Brooklyn (8)
This series is pretty much a joke. Brooklyn is a pathetic team who got into the playoffs with a losing record. With no leadership and an aging core of players who, according to "THE TRUTH" Paul Pierce, don't have that burning desire to win, Atlanta will completely dominate the Nets to a sweep.

Toronto(4) vs Washington(5)
To me, Washington has far too much talent to go out in the first round. They haven't shown it all season, but I figure they can string a run together now that the postseason is here. I love Toronto's guards in Lowry and DeRozen, but I think that Wall and Beal are going to come to play this series. Even though Drake will probably be courtside for all the games, he's not enough of a deciding factor for me to pick the Raptors. Washington wins a good hard series in 6.

Chicago (3) vs Milwaukee (6)
For whatever reason, the Bulls front office isn't happy with Thibs as a coach and he could be looking for work elsewhere next year. I don't get it either. This team just keeps finding ways to win, even with key players in and out of the lineup. JKidd has done a great job with the Bucks and they have some length and athleticism to compete with the Bulls, but Chicago has proven vets that know how to get it done, and they are getting healthy. I'd say Chicago wins this series in 5 games, but Milwaukee is a team that is on the rise for years to come!

Cleveland(2) vs Boston (7)
Again, not a fair fight here. I commend Boston for everything they've done this year. Trading their 2 best players in Rondo and Jeff Green and still making the playoffs, job well done Brad Stevens and crew! Unfortunately, they are running into the best player in the world. Boston MAY sneak one win out of this series, but I wouldn't be surprised if its a sweep either. I'll say Cleveland in 5 since I love Brad Stevens.

Atlanta (1) vs Washington (5)
I just love the way Atlanta plays. 100% unselfish and team oriented. Washington will be a little battered from their previous series while Atlanta will be fully refreshed after a clean sweep of an embarrassment of a playoff team in Brooklyn. The Hawks have the "it" factor this year and play the game the right way. Atlanta takes this series in 6 games.

Cleveland (2) vs Chicago (3)
This is FINALLY where it gets interesting. These teams don't like each other, these players don't like each other and ya know what...THAT'S HOW PLAYOFF BASKETBALL SHOULD BE! This is going to go the distance. Cleveland obviously has the advantage with Lebron James ability to guard 5 positions, but Jimmy Butler is no slouch either. The Cavs don't have the big men to really contend with Noah, Gasol,Gibson and Mirotic,  If DRose plays to the level he's capable of, I think Chicago wins this series in 7 games.

Easter Conference Finals
Atlanta(1) vs Chicago (3)
This is a real toss up. Two teams that are similar in play and both well coached. Either way with this one could be argued for and against. As much as I like Atlanta, I might have to lean towards ChiTown. They have been in the playoffs for the past few years and have been beaten up. They are finally much healthier and deeper. The dark horse in the whole run for Chicago is going to be Mirotic. With so many lineups to play with, Thibs and the Bulls will at last make their Championship run and win the East!

WEST...(Where you actually have to WIN games to get into the playoffs unlike the East where 3 teams are not even above .500)

Golden State (1) vs Pelicans (8)
GS is just too good. Bottom line. The Pels have some fantastic pieces in AD, Holiday, Eric Gordon and Evans, but they don't have Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. I can't remember a better back court in my lifetime...maybe Thomas and Dumars for the Pistons, but I don't know if they could check the splash brothers. The Pels give it a good run and sneak one game, but GS wins in 5.

Portland (4) vs Memphis (5)
A tough draw for both teams. Two contrasting styles of play. Unfortunately, The TBlazers are a little beat up right now and that could prove costly. Memphis is solid all the way around and in a 7 game series, they usually find ways to grind out wins. They don't, however, have Mr Clutch in Damion Lillard. I can see him going OFF this series and carrying Portland to the next round, but I think the Grind House will prevail and Memphis will take this series in 6 games.

Clippers(3) vs Spurs (6)
This sucks for the Clips! They could have avoided the Spurs all together if SAS would have won their last game. Alas, they are stuck with the best 6 seed I've seen in a long time! I still believe that the Clippers are the most overrated team in the NBA and I fully expect the Spurs to show that vulnerability. Leonard and Co. are going to come to play now that everyone is at the big-boy table and the Spurs will win this series in 5 games...MAYBE 6.



Houston (2) vs Dallas (7)

The Battle of Texas! This series is going to come down to one player...Not Harden, not Dirk, not Dwight...Chandler...Chandler Parsons! Going against his former squad who didn't think he was good enough to be the third member of "The Big Three," I can guarantee you that Parsons is thinking about that right now. He isn't 100% healthy right now so if he can bet there and be ready to play come Saturday, he is going to give the Rockets reason to second guess why they didn't lock him up. I still don't think Houston is at the level to compete for championships, but I could be wrong. Dallas, with its experience and excellent head coach, win this series in 6 games.

GS(1) vs Memphis (5)
This will be a great series! The greatness of Curry will prevail over the grit-n-grind of the Grizz. Yes the Warriors have the chance to hit a cold streak and lose a few games, but their defense is way better than people think and they have so many different guys that can hurt you. D.Green plays with heart and I love that. Warriors will prevail in this series in 7 games.

Spurs (6) vs Dallas (7)
The Battle of Texas pt 2! At least Dallas doesn't have to travel far to go from first round to second. 2 veteran teams who have both won championships and both have fantastic coaches. It is going to be fun to watch the chess match of who guards Monte Ellis, C.Parsons, Rondo and who guards Leonard, Timmy and Parker. This will be a great series but Pop proves too much for Carlisle. Spurs in 6.

Western Conference Finals
GS(1) vs Spurs (6)
Youth vs Experience. Steve Kerr actually won a championship with the Spurs as a player in 2003. Such an intriguing story line to watch him now coaching in the Western Conference finals AGAINST his former team. Kerr is going to be a fantastic coach for a long time, but Pop still has it under control for at least a few more years. Pop and the Spurs win a good series and advance to another Championship. Spurs in 6


FINALS
Spurs (6) vs Bulls (3)

Add one more big fella!

There really isn't much more to say there that isn't already known about both of these teams. Duncan continues to find reserve in the tank to keep winning and with this Championship, He'll have 6! He is by far the best PF of all time and I don't know of anyone who doesn't like and appreciate his greatness. Spurs win this series and Duncan is your Finals MVP.
Spurs in 6

March Maddness of Movies

With this years March Madness officially behind us, we thought we would take a look at the best teams in cinematic history. Who takes home the hardware in our tournament of March Madness...The Movie Edition. 

First Round Matchups: 

Tune Squad vs. Air Bud - Tough draw for Air Bud and company in the first round. Tune Squad wins easily.

Richmond vs. Forrester - Despite Keynon/ Jamal Wallace having to play for both teams, Coach Carters squad wins a barn-burner securing their spot in the final four..

Huskies vs. Air Up There - The Jimmy Dolan Shake and Bake just too much to handle. 

Hickory vs. Flint Tropics - The Tropics while utterly outmatched, will likely put on an impressive, well promoted event for the crowd. Inevitably though, Hoosiers take care of business. 

Second Round Matchups: 

Tune vs. Richmond - MJ goes off for 50 after the Richmond squad refuses to refer to him as "Sir" also during warm-ups. Lesson learned. 

Air Up There vs. Hickory - Despite the strong two man game in round one between Saleh and Jimmy, Hoosiers exploit the 3 tribal members never to have seen a basketball before and win easily. 

Finals:

Hickory vs. Tune Squad: In the end it comes down to coaching. Bill Murray takes care of business leading the squad to victory. 

Tournament MVP- Lola Bunny

The NBA is evolving, and THE FLOP is leading the way.

As someone who has watched basketball for over 20 years, played basketball both competitively and for fun, and also currently coaches, I've found it incredibly disheartening to see the evolution of basketball the past 20 years. It's gone from the physical "grit and grind" type game it was with the Bad Boy Pistons, to the "clear path" nonsense its become. Leading the attack in how soft the NBA has become...THE FLOP.

The art of The Flop was perfected by guys like Vlade Divac and continued by Manu Ginobili and others- a lot of foreign players who probably learned The Flop from the soccer field. Let's be honest, European players are much more prone to The Flop due to the incessant acting that they see/participate in as they are growing up playing soccer. It obviously parlays over to the basketball court and has taken the NBA by storm. It is comical to now see guys like James Harden, Chris Paul and even Lebron James do ANYTHING they can to get a competitive advantage. These are some of the best players in the NBA and they are throwing themselves out of bounds and flailing their arms and bodies all over the court, just to get to the line or draw a foul. When one isn't called, they act as though everyone else is stupid when in fact, its them who look like clowns. I can almost guarantee that Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and players from the early 90's are shaking their heads when they see this pathetic display of "competition." 

Right now, there are only a few of the "old school" mentality type of players left. Kobe, Duncan, The Truth Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, are guys that have competed the right way and won championships. This new-school wave of players is more worried about the amount of twitter followers they have, rather than how many rings they are trying to get. The Flop is a symbol of where the NBA is going. The NBA is moving to a league where its damn near impossible to get physical with anyone without it being a foul/flagrant/suspension. THEY REVIEW EVERYTHING! I can only imagine what they would call common fouls from the late 80s/early 90s right now. Clear path fouls. Flagrant 1. All these ridiculous terms that have been implemented for whatever reason are watering down this great game. It's getting so bad that I have kids on my 6th-8th grade team who ask me, "should I work on my flopping to try to get calls?" I made them run 5 suicides for that comment!

Adam Silver seems like he is going to do right by the NBA. He was given a product that is getting worse in my opinion. I understand that David Stern did a lot to revive the NBA from the mid-80s, however, where the NBA is now is not where the saviors of MJ, Bird and Magic wanted it to be. The NHL embraces fighting and the NFL is obviously a contact sport. Why is the NBA so afraid of a little contact, pushing and shoving and a scuffle from time to time? 

I don't know whats wrong with a little physicality! 

16 teams left, what if we were to build a starting five of the best players remaining?

PG - Jerian Grant - Notre Dame



Honorable Mention - T.J McConnell - Arizona, Delon Wright - Utah, Travis Trice - MSU



This position is absolutely stacked.   So much so that you could have gone in a few different directions here.  Kevin Pangos doesn't even make the cut nor does Terry Rozier who has been lights out.  I decided to leave Terry off the list because he just recently got thrown into the PG spot with the cutting of Chris Jones at Lville.  Marcus Paige has been solid too as has Tyus Jones from Duke.  However, at the end of the day Jerian Grant poses the biggest threat at the PG position.  He is probably the best pro prospect of any of these guys and one that can put ND on his back.  Love TJ, Delon and Travis as well.  It's going to be a great seeing all of these guys battle against each other moving forward.



SG - Buddy Hield - Oklahoma



Honorable Mention - Aaron Harrison - Kentucky, Norman Powell - UCLA



Was hoping GA State could pull out the win on Saturday so we could have put RJ Hunter at the top of the list but Buddy Hield isn't a bad option.  One of the better pure shooters in college basketball Buddy can take over any game with his abilities.  This kid from the Bahahmas looks like he will transition nicely into the NBA.  Hield’s a big reason why Oklahoma is in its first sweet 16 since the days of Blake Griffin back in 09'.



SF - Stanley Johnson - Arizona



Honorable Mention - Sam Dekker - Wisconsin, Rondae Hollis - Jefferson - Arizona, Pat Connaughton - Notre Dame



Another position with some solid depth.  Brandon Dawson from MSU is a name that you don't see on this list that very well could have been.  The other three Honorable Mentions are great players in their own right but Stanley Johnson is the cream of the crop.  6'8 freshman that can do a little bit of everything, going 4-5 from three in Arizona's first matchup and grabbing 10 boards on Saturday against OSU. He blocks shots, comes up with big time steals - this guy can really impact a game.  Arizona has 4 legit NBA prospects and that doesn't even include TJ McConnell (see above).



PF - Karl -Anthony Towns - Kentucky



Honorable Mention - Trey Lyles - Kentucky, Domantas Sabonis - Gonzaga, Kyle Wiltjer - Gonzaga



KAT is one of the more dynamic big men we have seen in quite some time. 7 Footer that can run the floor extremely well, likely to be the first or second pick in this coming draft.  Love Wiltjer's game being able to step out and hit from 3 but I just don't think he or anyone else can make the impact that Karl does on the defensive end.



C - Jahlil Okafor - Duke



Honorable Mention - Frank Kaminsky - Wisconsin, Willie Cauley - Stein - Kentucky, TaShawn Thomas - Oklahoma



Toss up in my opinion between Kaminsky and Okafor.  You can’t really going wrong with either guy but the reason I went with Okafor was based purely on their success so far in this tournament.  Both guys have been phenomenal but Okafor is a whopping 21-27 from the field so far in this tournament!  Duke will make it to the final four if he keeps putting the ball through the hoop at that clip.



Thoughts?  Anyone I leave out?

Happy Monday

The Road to Indianapolis- A bit too long!

Officially, the 2015 March Madness tournament begins today featuring the Hampton Pirates vs. the Manhattan Jaspers. The first of 4 "first round matchups" that have been also coined the "play-in games". While you would hear no argument from me if you said March Madness was the greatest event in modern sports, I can't help but argue that the NCAA is walking a thin rope in expanding the tournament to 68 teams. Let me explain:

1. First and foremost I got to just say it, its extremely confusing to the casual fan (who this event prides itself on attracting). By default then calling the round of 64 the "second round match ups", is ridiculous seeing that 60 of those 64 teams have yet to step on the court. 

2. In expanding the field to 68, its not like your are adding spots for the top 4 teams. With the 36 at large bids, you are ensuring a spot for basically the 33rd-36th best teams (ignoring conference winners). Last time I checked, if your the 33rd best at anything, someone better be in your ear telling you to try something else because lets face it, you just don't stack up. Aside from the $$$ aspect, why its so hard for someone to not hand out 33rd place trophies is beyond me. Frankly, it takes away from those that put up the resume to deserve it. 

3. Thirdly and perhaps most importantly - Lets be honest,  NOBODY cares about these games! Nothing much else to say there. 

I beg the NCAA to scale back this to the usual 64 teams and make the tough decisions come selection Sunday. Again, I will admit, I get the $$ side of it rules all, but at the risk of turning the regular season into some watered down prequel to a free for all 128 team bracket - Enough already! 64 teams was already plenty. If a 14 loss team that was good in the early 90's has any beef with that, hit the weights and come back next year. 

The OTHER NFL Combine

So everyone is, for whatever reason, enamored with the NFL combine right now as they watch to see who their teams are going to draft in a few months. With zero pads and zero defense, I don't think the combine is a true representation of what the NFL is going to be for these kids but, whatever. I've decided to take a look at the OTHER NFL Combine, the NBA, and try to correlate who in the NBA would also be able to handle Sunday afternoons on the gridiron. Now I am sure others will have opinions on this, and they are welcome to share, but this is my edition of NBA players in the NFL.

QB- Kevin Love (NFL Equivalent- Joe Flacco)
If anyone has seen Kevin Love play over his career, you know he is a master of the outlet pass as seen here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99iT6DQj6Zo

This guy is country strong and makes full-court passes on a dime to his teammates with little to know effort. Imagine what he could do with a 7 step drop to a streaking Calvin Johnons!
Backup- Chris Paul.

RB-Kyle Lowry (NFL Equivalent- MJD..in his prime)
Lowry has the thick build of an NFL bruising running back. With his quickness and his strength, he would be sure to break some tackles running behind almost any offensive line.
Backup- Marcus Smart



WR1- DeAndre Jordan (NFL Equivalent Calvin Johnson)
This guy is a FREAK athlete! His ability to go get literally anything, it wont matter if it's Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler or Mark Sanchez.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIDS3q3F0H4 ...DAMN!


WR2- Leandro Barbosa (NFL Equivalent Antonio Brown)
The Brazilian Blurr as he is called, is one of the fastest guys in the NBA. His ability to get past the defense would be a benefit to any QB looking to get a quick 6 points.

WR3- Jimmy Butler (NFL Equivalent Anquan Boldin)
One of the more physical perimeter players in the NBA, Butler has a knack for not only creating contact, but having the ability to take a hit as well. Leading the league in minutes played, he surely has the stamina to make those crossing routes and big 3rd down catches.



WR4- Steph Curry( NFL Equivalent Wes Welker)
If anyone didn't see Curry's play this past Sunday...WOW

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NudiJUlxb10

With moves like that, he would be able to get open against any type of defense...and shown in the clip, he will finish the play!

TE- Lebron James (NFL Equivalent...None)
There is no NFL Equivalent to Lebron, lets be honest, he could probably strap on shoulder pads and go play on Sundays right now if he wanted. He could probably make Gronk look human.

So obviously I went with a spread formation here with 4 wide receivers, but they don't all have to play at the same time. I would welcome others to see where I was on to something, and where I could be way off. Tune in soon for the defensive side of the ball!

The MASKED Valuable Player

Now first off, I am aware of the skepticism from those that know me of my bias to this particular topic, however, I am going to hopefully back up my belief that Russel Westbrook should win the MVP this season with factual information, as well as a little of my opinion.

1-This is a 4-horse race to most people. To me, it should only be 3. Russel Westbrook, James Harden and Steph Curry all are in the Western Conference, a far superior conference than the East. Lebron James, who is the best player in the world right now, is playing teams like the Knicks, Magic and 76ers on a consistent basis while the 3 studs in the West, have to go toe to toe against each other! The fact that Lebron is in the East should discredit him for MVP of this season (His numbers don't match up to Westbrook either.) Yes he is the best in the world, but he's not the best this year. Lets not forget that Lebron, when healthy, has played with Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving all season!

2-Now that I've voiced a little opinion on narrowing it down to 3 players, let me throw some facts at you to SHOW you why Westbrook is the MVP. Here are the stat lines for the 3 remaining candidates.
Westbrook- 27 ppg, 8.2 apg, 7 rpg 2.1 stlpg in 33.2 minutes of action a night. His PER is 29.91
Harden- 26.9 ppg, 7 apg, 5.8 rpg, 1.9 stlpg in 36.7 minutes of action a night. His PER is 26.95.
Curry- 23.8 ppg, 7.8 apg, 4.5 rpg, 2.1 stlpg in 33.2 minutes of action a night. His PER is 27.92.

As anyone with eyes could see, Westbrook has the best numbers right now. The only thing that is holding him back from being the clear cut runaway right now, is the fact that the Thunder are in 8th place in the West while Curry and Harden are in 1st and 4th respectfully. This is a positive to Westbrooks MVP chase believe it or not. The Thunder started the season 3-12 with a multitude of injures as we all know. Once they became 100% healthy, it was only temporary. Durant went back down, Adams got injured, and the weight of the season rested on Westbrooks super-hero shoulders. Thought of to many as not a "true" point guard, Westbrook began to literally do EVERYTHING to help his team win. Hes now amassed 4 straight triple doubles and 6 this season! Now I never understood what people meant by a "true" anything. What's a "true" small forward, a "true" power forward? That is a topic for a different day.

With Durants absence, Westbrook as jolted the Thunder who, at one point this season, literally had only 3 guys sitting on their bench for a game while 5 were on the floor and they included Ish Smith, Lance Thomas and Sebastian Telfair, to a surging Thunder team with a much different look. Yes Sam Presti has done an excellent job going out and getting talented players who buy in and getting rid of one player who was too selfish to buy in...Yea I'm talking to you Reggie Jackson! With that being said, Westbrook as brought this team back to, not only relevancy, but to the exciting powerhouse we've come to see in recent years. I would assume that Steph Curry would gladly give up the MVP trophy to either one of the other 2 guys to NOT have to face a Thunder team with Russel Westbrook playing the way he is, a RESTED healthy KD and a supporting cast who has all elevated their games.They have all elevated their games because of the dominance, power and brilliance of the 2014-2015 MVP, Russel Westbrook.