Redz Sports Thoughts

NBA's Best PG Is...

2012-05-31T18:02:00.003-04:00

For the past few years, Los Angeles Clippers point guard, Chris Paul, has been the best point guard in the league, but an argument can be made that there is a new no. 1 lead guard in the NBA.

Rajon Rondo, the Celtics point guard, is in his 5th year in the league, and has been nothing short of sensational so far in his short career.

Rondo has averaged a double-double in this year's NBA Playoffs with 17.4 points and 11.8 assists a game.

He is the closest thing to Jason Kidd when it comes to flirting with a triple-double every time he steps onto the court.

Also, his deadly accurate passes and craftiness when driving through the lane reminds one of that guy over in L.A. that now wears a no. 3 jersey for the Clippers.

His only achilles heel is his lack of a consistent jump shot, but that consistency looks as if it is taking a turn for the better.

In last night's 115-111 playoff loss to the Miami Heat, Rondo notched 44 points (16-of-24 from the field), 10 assists and eight rebounds, while playing all four quarters and overtime.

He made most of his 16 field goals from the perimeter, including a couple of late three's.

The Heat dared Rondo to shoot and he knocked down jump shot, after jump shot, after jump shot.

One game cannot fix any player's blemish(es), but as Rondo enters his prime years in the NBA, he looks like he is ready to become a more consistent shooter, which only means he will become nearly impossible to stop.

As of today, there is no other point guard in the NBA that is better than the 6-foot-1-inch man wearing the no. 9 jersey in Bean town.

The Real Deal or a Fake Offer.

2011-11-10T15:07:00.001-05:00

The San Francisco 49ers are 7-1 (undefeated on the road; 4-0) at the halfway point of the 2011-2012 NFL season and are clicking on all cylinders.

They are on a six-game winning streak, and have outscored their opponents 149-74 in those six games. With a rookie NFL head coach in Jim Harbaugh one would expect a rough start to his debut season, but he and his team have failed to meet those low expectations.

San Francisco's defense allowed only 15 points per game through the first eight games, while their offense averages 26 points per game. Starting quarterback, Alex Smith, who many critics believe cannot cut it in the NFL, is doing what his job demands him to do.

Smith has taken care of the ball (only two interceptions), thrown for 10 touchdowns, managed the game and put his team in positions to win so far this season.

With that being said, their division is not a tough one to compete in, and they are as much of a surprise team as the 6-2 Detroit Lions and the 5-3 Buffalo Bills are this season. The tougher half of their regular season schedule (week 10 against NYG, week 11 @ BAL and week 15 against PIT) is coming up and this will be the test to find out if the 49ers are the real deal.

They have to beat the Giants, Ravens and the Steelers, as rap artist, Drake says "so I know it's real," before they will be considered a true threat to win it all.

Until they can prove they can perform at this high level for an entire season, as well as the playoffs, then the question will continue to be asked, are they "The Real Deal or a Fake Offer?"

Leading ROY Candidate??

2011-11-06T19:55:00.001-05:00

Cincinnati Bengals rookie quarterback, Andy Dalton continues to impress people with his performance after leading a balanced attack to defeat the Tennessee Titans 24-17 earlier today.

He completed 20-of-his-39 passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions in the win. The former quarterback for the Horned Frogs of Texas Christian University has been poised in his debut season as a NFL starter.

He's thrown for 1,690 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions through eight games so far this season. Dalton has catapulted himself into the Rookie of the Year (ROY) discussions by simply leading his young team to a 6-2 record so far.

Quarterback Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers has been in the top five in passing yards among all quarterbacks in the NFL, and is the favorite to be the Rookie of the Year, but it will not be easy to claim the title with Dalton breathing down his neck.

Dalton is performing at a high level in a tough AFC North division. He's holding his own against exceptional quarterbacks (Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens) within the division.

All in all, Andy Dalton is silencing a lot critics about his team who, according to multiple sources, were ranked last in the preseason rankings at the start of the season.

An Unfamiliar Dream or A Familiar Nightmare?

2011-09-21T16:16:00.001-04:00

The NFL season is two weeks in and new teams have come onto the surface looking to become legitimate contenders in today's NFL, the most notable teams are the Detroit Lions and the Buffalo Bills.

Both teams are 2-0 to start the season, and have performed at a high level, completing their last game with impressive wins. In week 2, the Lions demolished a debacle of a Kansas City Chiefs team by a score of 48-3. Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 294 yards, four touchdowns and completed 59 percent of his passes in the win over the Chiefs. Also, the Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson caught the ball three times for two touchdowns. The game was well over with by the start of the fourth quarter (27-3 after three quarters), but the Lions looked as if they had something to prove by scoring 21 more points in the fourth to finish the onslaught. In the past this team has failed to rise to the occasion and become a true contender, but things are looking to become promising this season.

On the other side, in the AFC conference, the Bills have opened many eyes with their unblemished 2-0 record. The Bills have been on the losing end of the AFC East division for the past few seasons, but are tied for first this year. The have the league's No. 1 scoring and rushing offense (39.5 points per game and 193 yards per game) so far. In week 2, the Bills completely erased a 21-3 halftime deficit against the Oakland Raiders with a game-winning touchdown drive giving them the 38-35 victory in the closing seconds of the game.

If the Bills can prove that they can hang with the New England Patriots (week 3 match up) and the New York Jets, then this is a team who will continue to experience their unfamiliar dream. As far as the Lions go, they are a team to be wrecking with, and they will be right there at the end of the season looking to bust open the playoff door (if they don't open it up weeks before).

The NFL is full of surprises and is very unpredictable, so let's see if these two teams, as well as the other up and coming franchises, can take the next step to becoming a playoff team.

Is the Colts Franchise In Trouble?

2011-08-25T18:38:00.002-04:00

As the 2011-2012 NFL season gets ready to kickoff on Sept. 8, the Indianapolis Colts are sliding further and further away from their solidarity.

Their usual comfort zone of having Manning at the beginning of every season is uncertain for this upcoming one. According to multiple sources, quarterback Peyton Manning is doubtful to make his 209th consecutive start during Week 1. Manning is still recovering from neck surgery that he had after last season, and with his health in question who knows if he'll every play another down of football again.

According to Skip Bayless, top debater on ESPN's First Take, Manning will return to the field by Week one, but his counterpart, Rob Parker believes that Manning should choose health over the love of the game and retire. Many analysts are split between what the future holds for the potential Hall of Fame quarterback, but when looking at his career and past success, it is hard to disagree with the people who believe Manning should turn to a new chapter in his life; the life after football.

Manning is entering his 14th season in the NFL. He has won a Superbowl and a Superbowl MVP in 2007, threw for over 54,000 yards and 399 touchdowns, completed 65 percent of his passes and has a 95.0 quarterback rating for his career. After experiencing the highest of the highs and now the lowest of the lows as a NFL player, Manning does not have anything else to prove.

His toughness should never be questioned because he has never missed a game after enduring 13 entire seasons of the brutal wear and tear of professional football.

Although he's tough, Manning's health is still the biggest concern for the Colts' organization, but they also have many other concerns. They have a young inexperienced offensive line, and they do not have the same receiving core that helped Manning earn his prestigious accolades. "It only takes one missed assignment by an offensive lineman," Rob Parker, ESPN First Take debater said. One missed block, a clear path and hard hit from a defender on Manning can end his and any other NFL player's football career and possibly hinder their life after football. Should Manning take that risk? His toughness may say yes, but who knows if his mind and his family will vote in favor of returning for another NFL season.

Grid Iron Gang Sleepers

2011-08-22T20:55:00.000-04:00

There are a lot of talented teams on the rise in the NFL this upcoming season. From the Oakland Raiders to the Green Bay Packers, every team has improved themselves for the 2011-12 season.

The notable teams (also known as "sleepers") are those same Raiders, the Tamba Bay Buccaneers and the St. Louis Rams.

For starters, the Raiders surprised a lot of teams and fans last season when they went undefeated (6-0) within the AFC West division. Even though they ended up 8-8 and missed the playoffs, they showed a lot of upside. Wide receiver Louis Murphy had a productive 14 game season last year for the Raiders with 41 receptions, 609 yards and two touchdowns. Another player in Jason Campbell, who's a reliable passer has a full year under his belt as the Raiders quarterback and they just drafted Terrelle Pryor out of Ohio St in the NFL Supplemental Draft earlier today. Pryor is a QB, who many analyst think will not make it as a quarterback, but has the athletic ability and potential to be a tight end or linebacker. If they can put together four or five wins outside of the division it is hard to see the Raiders not in the postseason in the 2011 season.

The Buccaneers are another "sleeper" in today's NFL. They came within the final game of the regular season before missing the playoffs at 10-6. Quarterback, Josh Freeman is an athletic and gifted young man. He gives this team hopes of turning back clock to the past to recapture that winning a Superbowl feeling this franchise experienced in 2003. Last season, Freeman (first-year as full-time starter) threw for 25 touchdowns, only six interceptions, over 3,400 yards and completed 61 percent of his passes. They also have another young talent in second-year running back LeGarrette Blount. In 13 games he ran for over 1,000 yards at five yards a carry for six touchdowns. Having a 11-5 or 12-4 record this year will still be tough to win the NFC South, but it still will give them a high chance of getting into the playoffs.

Last, but surely not least the Rams lost their playoff hopes during the final game of the regular season as well when they lost to their division rival Seattle Seahawks (earned last playoff spot). The Rams have a lot of upside with Sam Bradford as their starter quarterback and Stephen Jackson as their running back. Both are very talented and young. If they can put together some pieces for the receiving core and on the defensive end then this team can run away with the NFC West (who isn't known for good records). Their division winner, Seahawks had a 7-9 record, so it is safe to say that having a .500 or above .500 record could help any team in this division win it and make the playoffs. The Rams have that potential to do so for years to come and even this season.

"Sleepers," can be found throughout the NFL, but these three teams mentioned have shown bright spots that can get even brighter during the 2011-2012 season. The upside about all these teams is that they're all young and show a lot of promise. The Rams have the best chance opf making the playoffs out of all these notable "sleepers."

Top Five NFL QBs

2011-08-15T15:45:00.001-04:00

There are many talented players in today's NFL, especially at the quarterback position, but there are five guys that separate themselves from the rest.

1. At the top spot as best QB in the NFL, Tom Brady of the New England Patriots is a clear number one. The sixth-round 199th overall pick of the 2000 NFL draft has won three Superbowls (2002, 2004, 2005). According to multiple sources, Brady and Joe Montana are the only players in NFL history to win multiple MVP and Superbowl MVP honors (2 League MVPs and 2 Superbowl MVPs). Brady also holds the record for most touchdown passes in a single season with 50, which he accomplished in 2007. Not only does his stats speak for him, but this overlooked super star has a charisma of no other. His leadership and poise is exceptional on and off the field. Not to mention, Brady's arm and pin-point accuracy has helped make a name in the NFL not only for himself, but for his wide receivers as well.

2. The second-best player at the quarterback position is the Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning. He's a humble and confident player, who has won one Superbowl ring and Superbowl MVP in 2007. Manning is arguably the best on the field play-caller in NFL history. His ability to read and adapt to defenses is out of this world. He can make even the best defensive backs look like rookies. Manning's connection with his long-time receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne was a great collaboration to watch until Harrison broke up the trio due to retirement. Besides Wayne, Manning has a young receiving core who are talented, but are just that much better because of the man who's throwing them the ball. Manning has also started every game since he was drafted as a rookie by the Colts in 1998; 208 consecutive games. Those who are NFL fans know how hard it is to stay healthy for at least half the season, let alone an entire one.

3. The third best quarterback today is the speedy lefty, Michael Vick of the Philadelphia Eagles. Vick started his career with the Atlanta Falcons and was known for the speed of his legs more than the speed of the ball after it left his hands. In 2006, Vick accumulated over 1,000 yards rushing along with over 2,400 yards passing. This past season (with the Eagles), Vick has reshaped his game and became more of a pocket-passer. He changed games with his arm, more than his legs and helped the Eagles come within one play of advancing to the second-round of the playoffs before they loss to the eventual Superbowl champion Green Bay Packers. Vick threw for 21 touchdowns to only six interceptions in 12 starts last season. His ability to be a threat as a passer and runner poses many problems for any defense, which is why Philadelphia is a legitimate contender to win it all.

4. The best thing to happen to Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints was the San Diego Chargers letting him go after injuring his throwing shoulder in 2005 because the Saints were then given a gift in 2006. Brees had surgery on his shoulder and came back stronger and with more zip in his throw than ever before. Brees threw two more touchdowns (26) and four less interceptions (11) in his first season with the Saints than he did in his last season with the Chargers. In 2009, after a 4,388 yards, 34 touchdowns and 11 interceptions regular season, Brees brought a Superbowl to the city of New Orleans and was the MVP of the championship game. This high powered offense thrives on the performance of Brees's surgically repaired throwing shoulder, and they should not have any complaints. He has thrown for 155 touchdowns to 79 interceptions in five seasons with the organization. The 32-year-old will keep this franchise up and running as long as he's healthy and playing at an optimum level.

5. Last, but surely not least is the Green Bay Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers; the successor of future Hall of Fame QB Brett Favre. In his third season (last year, 2010) as the full-time starter in Green Bay, Rodgers led his 10-6 (wild card) team to a Superbowl championship. They played every game as the underdog and came out as the best team. Rightfully so, Rodgers ended as the Superbowl MVP. His off-balance throws and powerful arm catapulted the Packers to champions. He threw for a QB rating of 101.2, 28 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions last season. He completed 65 percent of his passes and averaged 261.5 yards a game. Rodgers seems to be running farther and farther away from Favre's shadow after each football season. He will become a Hall of Fame quarterback when his career as a NFL player comes to a close.

These five quarterbacks are the best-of-the-best and will be for the next 5-10 years (some longer than others). They all are talented in similar ways, but they all also have a unique characteristic within them that separates them from the average QB. 2011 will be an exciting NFL season and expect these five QBs to make a lot of highlights in each and every game.

Underdogs Seeing The Postseason Light?

2011-08-11T13:58:00.000-04:00

With under 50 games left in the MLB season, the Cleveland Indians (58-56) are two games behind the Detroit Tigers (61-55) for first place in the AL Central.

The wild card spot for the playoffs looks to be locked up and will go to either the Boston Red Sox (72-44) or the New York Yankees (70-45), so the Indians only hope of temporarily breaking the "Cleveland curse," making it into the postseason and having a legitimate chance at becoming Major League champions is by winnig the AL Central.

The Indians are on a little win streak (two games), while the Tigers are on the losing side of the hill (three game losing streak). Cleveland needs to take advantage of the turn of events, win 10, maybe 11 games in a row and hope the division leading Tigers continue to skid and accumulate losses.

It's late in the year, and if a team is hot during this part of the season they usually are the team who breaks through and becomes the winner of their division.

The Indians are playing some good baseball, but they need to continue to play competitively and win well over majority of the games they have left, so they can bring some joy to the faithful fans and city of Cleveland.

Open Field Of Play

2011-08-08T11:40:00.001-04:00

Now that the dreaded NFL lockout has ended, and multiple teams have "splashed" in this year's flooded free agency pool, the 2011-2012 NFL season will be an unpredictable one.

In previous years, it was always those handful of teams that were destined to make a legitimate run at a Superbowl title, but this year the top of the totem pole is "open for business."

Philadelphia dominated the free agent market by signing multiple NFL starting-caliber players, such as former starting Tennessee Titans QB Vince Young, former starting Miami Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown, former starting Arizona Cardinals CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and the former primary lock down technician Oakland Raiders CB Nnamdi Asomugha to Philly's already talented roster.

Philly made some noise in free agency, but so did other teams like the New York Jets, who brought back their star receiver in Santonio Holmes and signed WR Plaxico Burress (6-foot-5 232-pounds), who gives them a much needed target in the redzone to score some easy touchdowns. The New England Patriots also were very productive in acquiring WR Chad Ochocinco (as a Bengals fan this hurts) from Cincinnati and getting a great defensive stopper in DT Albert Haynesworth.

With that being said, teams like the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts for the AFC, and the New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears for the NFC have always been in the mix for a chance to win the title in the past few years; this year is no different.

The field has opened up tremendously though because you cannot count out the defending champion Green Bay Packers, who have brought back majority of their young talented core for this upcoming season, the Atlanta Falcons are legitimate threats also with Matt Ryan as their QB and Michael Turner running the ball for them, as well as the Tamba Bay Buccaneers, who have improved their team over the years, and are now a true contender in the NFC South.

Don't be surprised if it comes down to the last game of the season to decide the Detroit Lions playoff hopes too. They're defense is tremendous (44 sacks last year) and if Matthew Stafford can stay healthy their offense will have a lot of success throwing the ball for not only this year, but years to come.

In the AFC, the Houston Texans are looking like they can finally beat the Colts out as the top team in the southern division. They have one of the best wide receivers in the game in Andre Johnson, and their defense is beginning to get healthy with LB DeMeco Ryans coming back from injury. Also, the San Diego Chargers are always a dark horse with Philip Rivers as their quarter back.

All these teams mentioned, (to me) have a chance to do some great things this season, and maybe even shock the football world. NFL fans get ready for some exciting smash mouth football because our dream has finally become true; THERE IS AN NFL SEASON THIS YEAR, and we are locked in for the next seven to 10 years as well.

Jimmer For Threee!

2011-06-28T12:54:00.000-04:00

During the NBA draft on June 23, the Sacramento Kings received rights to the services of former Brigham Young University standout, Jimmer Fredette due to a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Charlotte Bobcats earlier that night.

With the addition of Fredette, who averaged 29 points per game and earned the National Player of the Year award during his last season at BYU, the Kings are built to put a lot of points on the board for many seasons to come. Former R.O.Y. ( Rookie of the Year), Tyreke Evans will be in his third season with the Kings and he and Fredette will potentially have the opportunity switch off the point guard and shooting guard positions during games in the upcoming season.

I think Evans should be the primary point guard because his ability to get to the rim off the dribble, as well as, his court vision are very impressive. And with Fredette's unrealistic range from beyond the three-point line the Kings would be a hard team to guard, especially with Evans demanding help from the defense with his penetration.

The Kings have another pure scorer in Marcus Thornton who could also shoot the lights out from anywhere on the court, and they have a sometimes hotheaded, but very talented young big man in DeMarcus Cousins who (when focused) can produce a 20 point 10 rebound game every night.

Sacramento is very young, but talented team and have the potential to make some noise and get into the playoffs in the near future just like another young and talented team that made it into the playoffs this past NBA season, the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Kings' announcers will be in for a lot of "Jimmer for threeee!" statements when this pinpoint shooter begins his, hopefully long career in the NBA.

Bright Future In The Jazzy City

2011-06-19T17:56:00.000-04:00

According to multilple sources, the 2011 Mock Draft has the Utah Jazz selecting former Kentucky Wildcat, Brandon Knight with the third pick overall and former Kansas Jayhawk, Marcus Morris with the 12th pick overall during the NBA draft on June 23rd, at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

The Jazz have already shaken things up during this past season, when their long-time head coach Jerry Sloan (23 years) resigned on Feb. 10 during the 2010-11 season. His replacement at the helm is Assistant coach Ty Corbin.

Utah not only lost the longest-tenured head coach in the NBA, but they also traded the face of their franchise in Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets for rookie power forward and potential star, Derrick Favors and point guard, Devin Harris during the season.

With that being said, if the Jazz draft Knight and Morris on Thursday night then they would add two more young potential stars to their already young and talented roster. That roster includes, all-star forward Al Jefferson, defensive prowess Andrei Kirilenko, Butler university standout Gordon Hayward, Harris, Favors and a few other talented players.

Knight is an intelligent floor-general who could learn a lot from starting guard Harris, and he is talented enough to challenge Harris for the lead-guard spot next season. Knight is not scared to take the big-shot late in games and has comnposure to finish strong even when he's not have a good statistical performance throughout a game.

On the other hand, Morris is a skilled offensive post player who is not shy about pulling from behind the arc and knocking down a couple threes for his team. Imagine a 6-foot-10, 6-foot-11 big man stretching the floor with his perimeter shooting, that's pretty scary.

Knight led the Wildcats to the Final Four of 2011 NCAA tournament, while Morris led his Jayhawks to a number one seed in the tournament and an Elite Eight appearance. Knight averaged 17.3 points per game and 4.3 assists per game during his first and only season at Kentucky. Morris averaged 12.6 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game during his three-year career at Kansas.

If all goes as projected, then the Western conference will have to watch out for this newly revamped franchise. It would be tough, but the Jazz could make the post season during the 2011-12 season.

NBA Comeback For "The Answer"?

2011-06-10T21:43:00.000-04:00

The former 14-year NBA superstar, Allen "The Answer" Iverson is in high spirits about making a comeback to the NBA in the very near future.

His ability to perform at the high level he once played with in the NBA will be in question when and if the 36-year-old gets another shot at putting on an NBA jersey.

"It's me," he responded, while laughing when asked if he could still perform at a high level. "That's what gives me confidence. I know what I can do. Everybody in the world knows what I can do. Everybody knows what I can do on the basketball court."

Iverson believes he can still hoop with the best of them, so why should his and NBA fans think otherwise? It would be hard to disagree with a guy who is that confident in himself. He's a player who uses his quickness, and leg-kick jump shot to produce points. Also, Iverson seems to have found that maturity that a veteran, who used to be "The Man", needs to succeed in the latter years of his career.

"Just give me a training camp," he said. "Maybe I've rubbed people the wrong way as far as saying the things I've said in my life and in my career. But if any team needs me to help try and win a championship in any capacity, I'm waiting."

If an owner and general manager gives the "waiting" Iverson a chance, and if he can prove to live up to the mature words he is using now, then he could definitely help a team compete for a championship.

He would provide a team with pure scoring ability off the bench and can spark a team and home crowd, and also silence a deafening fan base when his team visits another team's home court.

With that being said, Iverson's longing to return to the NBA courts may be postponed, not just by possible unwilling teams to use his services, but a potential NBA lockout. The current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) will expire June 30th.

Commissioner, David Stern and the NBA Players Association have been meeting to try and agree on a new CBA, but no agreement has been made yet.

All in all, Iverson is knocking at the NBA door, and awaits an answer from a willing team to take a chance on him, so he can answer those calls for an energy boost, a big shot and/or a big defensive play that many teams need in today's NBA.

Better Brother to Rep "Brotherly Love"

2011-06-07T13:33:00.000-04:00

Trade talks have been rearing its head during this premature off-season between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Golden State Warriors earlier today.

The centerpieces of the trade includes the six-year pro, Monta Ellis and seven-year pro, Andre Iguadala. When it comes to the money situation all grounds are covered under the current league salary cap. According to ESPN.com, Ellis is owed $11 million per year for the next three seasons, while Iguodala will earn $13.5 million during the 2011-2012 season and that amount will increase $1.2 million in both of the next two seasons.

As far as comparing the two players on their skills, it is undoubtedly a great move for both teams to make because each player would fill a void that they both need. Ellis would give the 76ers what Iguodala could not and that is a STAR who can close the deal when the game is on the line. Ellis is known for being an arrogant "gunner" and a "jack", but those labels have been slowly fading away after he recently married a police woman and started a new life. Ellis seems willing to listen to his head coach and become more of a team player.

With this new found humbleness, Ellis would be a great student under 76ers head coach, Doug Collins, who improved his young Philly team's record from last season by 14 games and led them to the seventh seed in this year's playoffs. Ellis is also a great perimeter defender and is a proven scorer (24.1 points per game this season), who will get his volume of shots with Jrue Holiday (a pass-first point guard) passing him the ball.

As far as Iguodala, he could not be the STAR in Philly because he is not that type of player. He has the skills of a triple-double threat almost every night with points, rebounds and assists. He averaged 11.4 points, 7 rebounds and 6.8 assists a game this season. Iggy would be a great compliment player for a team who has a star already in place or one in the making, which the Warriors have in Stephen Curry. Iggy's passing and rebounding abilities will help a team like Golden State, who prides themselves on getting out in transition at a very fast pace. He also has a 6-foot-6 frame that Ellis does not, which will enlarge the Warriors perimeter defense by three inches.

Philadelphia is in need of a star, and the Warriors of in need of a willing passer and all-around player. This deal is in the discussion process, and hopefully it goes through because both teams need a change of personnel.

Five-Year Reunion

2011-05-26T01:11:00.001-04:00

The Dallas Mavericks silenced the Thunder with a 100-96 comeback victory and scurried to a 4-1 Conference Finals victory last night at home.

Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion scored a game-high 26 points a piece and combined for 18-of-32 shots from the field in the series clincher.

Nowitzki and Jason Terry are the only remaining Maverick players from the 2006 team who crumbled like a softened cookie in a 4-2 NBA Finals series lost against the Miami Heat led by Dwayne Wade, who claimed the MVP award of the Finals that season.

It is now five years later, and the Mavericks await the winner of the East Conference Finals, which includes the same team that beat Nowitzki's Mavs in 2006. Although this is the same franchise that beat Dallas, this is not the same personnel who crushed Dallas five years ago.

This new star-studded team includes Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh and a number of other talented hardworking professionals on this 12-man roster. The Heat lead their current series 3-1 against the Chicago Bulls, who had the best record in the NBA during the regular season.

Wade and the Heat have a chance to close out the Bulls later tonight in the same place (Chicago) they took Game 2 of the series with an ugly 85-75 victory back on May 19. A victory by Miami would send them to the Finals for a rematch against the Mavericks.

I believe this East Conference series will go back to Miami for Game 6, but ultimately Miami will win the series 4-2, and get ready for Dirk and the revamped Mavericks. Many people did not think Miami could put together a championship caliber team this year, but they have a very achievable chance to prove the nay-sayers wrong.

The way Miami is playing right now it is hard to pick against them to win the championship, and I will not pick against them. Dirk will be up against THREE superstars this year, and to my knowledge three always is better than one.

It will be a hard fought battle between the teams, but Miami will prevail in six games en route to a South Beach celebration. Book your tickets now because it is about to go down in M-I-A when the Heat win these two series and become World Champions.

Thundering To The Finals

2011-05-15T19:18:00.000-04:00

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Memphis Grizzlies 105-90 in Game 7 and advanced to the Western conference Finals earlier today.

They have a lot of momentum, and it will definitely carry over into the next series against the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs are on a 9-day sabbatical before their series against the Thunder after dismantling the defending champs in a 4-game series sweep that ended back on Mother's Day.

Despite being an older and more experienced team, Dallas' layoff will harm them against the young and energetic Kevin Durant led Thunder team. They will come out rusty and too relax, which may lead them into a big deficit early which will help OKC steal Game 1 in Dallas on May 17.

Along with Dallas' hiatus, the Thunder's young stars in Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden will be too much for the aging Mavs. The Mavs have a history of failing in the playoffs, and their past will catch up to them against the team who most analysts think is the "darling" of the NBA.

OKC will win the West Finals in a tough battle, but nonetheless they will play either the Chicago Bulls or the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals come June.

Cleveland Curse Broken?

2011-05-09T12:35:00.001-04:00

After the Cleveland Brown's running back Peyton Hillis won the rights to the Madden 12 cover, the team's inner-city mate in the Cleveland Indians also earned the best record in baseball so far through 33 games (22-11).

If you are a die hard Cleveland fan (or even a sports fan) you know that this city has experienced a tumultuous amount of anguish over many decades after 1964. That's when the Browns won the NFL Championship (Pre-Superbowl Era) in the 1964 NFL season, and were the last Cleveland professional sports team to win a championship.

This 47-year drought, also thought of as a curse was compounded by the home-state kid, LeBron James' "Decision" last summer when he decided to leave Cleveland and "take his talents to South Beach" for this current NBA season.

Despite the debacle of a season (19-63) the Cavaliers had after James' departure, things may be looking up for the sorrowful city. Many believe that getting on the Madden cover is a curse in its own right, so one curse cancels out another and results in a breaking of the long endured curse because two negatives equals a positive right?

Well it sure seems that way right now. The Indians are playing great baseball, they have swept at least five of their series so far this season, the Browns have a popular and productive running back, the Cavaliers still are horrific, but if they get the No.1 pick in the NBA draft in June and select former Duke guard Kyrie Irving, who knows what may happen the following season.

So Cleveland fans do not hold your heads down too much longer because justice in the sports world may be coming sooner than anyone may have thought.

Out With The Old, In With The New

2011-05-06T13:37:00.001-04:00

We are transitioning into a new era of professional basketball in this here United States. Many of the common powerhouses, the Lakers, the Celtics and even the Spurs have all shown this year what the wear and tear that their deep playoff and championship runs has done to them over the last decade.

Kobe Bryant, who has played a lot, and I mean A LOT of playoff minutes over his 15-year NBA career is showing signs of slowing down. His co-captain, Derek Fisher, who came into the league with Bryant has accumulated a lot of those playoff minutes, and is rusty as well. Other players like Kevin Garnett (15-year career), Shaquille O'Neal (19-year career), Paul Pierce (13-year career) and Ray Allen (15-year career) have had their share of deep runs into the playoffs too.

Arguably the best power forward in the game, Tim Duncan has contributed to four San Antonio Spurs championships in his 14-year career. Even though he only has four rings, he has still been in playoffs way more than half the years he has been playing in the NBA.

With that being said, this 2010-11 season has undoubtedly helped us turn to a new chapter in an already spectacular NBA history. Those old powerhouses, the Lakers, Celtics and Spurs are sure enough passing the torch to the new and upcoming star-filled teams in the Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder and the New York Knicks. Once these future hall of famers retire from the NBA, the take over of the new class of superstars will be in full effect. The Blake Griffins, John Walls, LeBron James, Dwayne Wades and Kevin Durants of the NBA will make more history for this upcoming decade and ultimately pass the torch down to the next generation when their careers come to a close.

This turn of events is good for the NBA, and there will be a lot of young athletes who will try to top Kobe's accolades, or try to master Timmy's picture-perfect bank shot, or imitate Garnett's toughness and intimidation, or out shoot the NBA's all-time leader in 3-pointers made, Ray Allen. It's a new era evolving right in front of our eyes, and I am terribly excited to see what the future holds for us NBA fans.

New Era In Cincinnati

2011-05-04T13:40:00.000-04:00

The Cincinnati Bengals addressed the uncertainty of their future with the current star players on their team roster during the 2011 NFL draft on Apr. 28.

The Bengals organization main caveat is the possibility of losing their starting quarterback, Carson Palmer and primary receivers Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens due to unhappiness with the team. They counteracted this troublesome situation by drafting wide receiver A.J. Green with the 4th pick in the first-round and quarterback Andy Dalton with the 36th pick in the second-round.

Green, who is a star-studded receiver out of Georgia, could step in and be the second option for the receiving core if Ochocinco stays with the team. The 6-foot-4 former Georgia Bulldog caught 166 passes for over 2600 yards and scored 23 touchdowns in his three-year collegiate career.

According to NFL analysts, Green is expected to have an immediate impact on the Bengals offense with his height, great hands and ability to blow past and get behind a defense's secondary.

His fellow rookie and new teammate, former Texas-Christian quarterback, Dalton was undefeated (13-0) in his final season at TCU. According to many sources, The fifth-year senior is thought to be an intelligent and polished pocket performer due to him playing out his full collegiate career.

In his last season with the Horned Frogs, Dalton threw for 27 touchdowns to only six interceptions. He completed 66 percent of his passes and recorded a 166.5 quarterback rating.

Dalton will be Palmer's immediate successor if Palmer decides to retire because of the Bengals refusal to trade him. Regardless of what happens with the issues surrounding the Bengals organization the future is still bright.

With all signs pointing to Owens not returning, the least Cincinnati can do is try their best to keep Palmer and Ochocinco. This will give the young guys some veterans to learn from and also give them (especially Dalton) a chance to improve their game without the pressures of performing at a high level so soon.

With the lockout in full effect again there will always be uncertainty surrounding the futures of Palmer and Ochocnico with the Bengals organization because players are still not allowed to converse with coaches and team officials until the lockout is officially over.

Memphis Over OKC, You Better Believe It!

2011-05-01T13:23:00.002-04:00

Memphis will beat Oklahoma City in six games because of three simple, plain and effective reasons.

Those reasons are Zach "ZBO" Randolph, Marc Gasol and Tony Allen. ZBO averages 21.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game so far in these playoffs, while his front court mate Gasol, provides a double-double (14.2 points and 12.3 rebounds) every night. The Grizzlies have too much size for the Thunder big men, and it will be extremely noticeable during this series.

The x-factor will be Allen because he has the tough task of guarding the league's leading scorer in Kevin Durant (32.4 points in the playoffs so far). Despite the degree of difficulty of guarding Durant's 6-foot-9 frame and ridiculously long arms, Allen (along with Shane Battier) will make the Thunder's star player's life on the court very unpleasant.

Allen has playoff and championship basketball experience due to his association with the Boston Celtics during their 2008 NBA championship run. That experience and his toughness will help him stay discipline in guarding Durant.

In the first-round, Memphis out hustled and outplayed the West's best team (record wise) in the San Antonio Spurs in each of their six games during the series. Even though the Grizzlies lost two games, it was evident that they were the better team.

Do not sleep on these Grizzlies because it will only anger the talented bear even more than it already is. The underdog is very dangerous this year and they are a legitimate team with a lot of promise.

The Key Is In LBJ's Hands

2011-04-29T13:48:00.000-04:00

The Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics participated in arguably the most anticipated opening regular season game in NBA history back on Oct. 26 2010, and will be playing against each other in another highly anticipated match up in the Eastern Conference semifinals this year with the first game of the series starting this weekend.

On Sunday, Boston will travel to South Beach in attempt to steal a Game 1 road win against the "Heatles". This match up will be a tough one for both teams, and the key factor to why Miami will win this series in six games is simply No. 6, LeBron James. Many may think that Chris Bosh will be the x-factor to if this concoction of superstars can get to the NBA Finals and possibly win a championship in June, but I do not believe that is the case for them to get past Boston and into the Conference Finals.

Bosh will struggle in some games because he's going up against one of the most intimidating and tough defensive players in Kevin Garnett, so the slack provided by Bosh will be picked up by the reigning NBA MVP, James.

James averaged 24.2 points, 10.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game so far in the playoffs, and will only increase those numbers in the next round against Boston. In this conference semifinals series James will not be swarmed and manhandled by the Celtics defense like he was in last year's conference semifinals playoff series defeat to these same Celtics when he was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Due to split attention being paid to James, Dwayne Wade and Bosh by the Celtics defense, James will be primarily guarded one-on-one by a good defender in Paul Pierce. Pierce has gotten the best of James in previous years, but James will prevail in these playoffs and scorch Pierce and Boston's defense for a few 30, maybe even 40-point efforts along with at least 10 dimes and 10 grown-man rebounds.

Yes, this is Wade's team, and teams do win championships, but James will undoubtedly be the x-factor to the Heat's playoff series victory against the Celtics.

Philly Off-Season Moves

2011-04-28T17:27:00.003-04:00

The Philadelphia 76ers postseason was ended by a 97-91 Game 5 loss to the Miami Heat on Apr 27, and on Apr. 28 their off-season began.

If I was the owner or at least the general manager of this young and talented team, I would consider some of the needs that should be addressed as soon as possible. Those needs consists of a proven or promising center, reliable veteran bench players, find a replacement for small forward Andre Iguodala as the 76ers star player and draft a couple of young determined players.

Many analysts stated that this team needs to be built around rising stars, Jrue Holiday and Thaddeus Young. I agree that these two should be the focal point (along with Louis Williams) of the team, and I would start by bringing in a center who can be an impact as soon as he touches down in Philadelphia.

The three-year center, Spencer Hawes was a mere disappointment, especially since he was traded for Samuel Dalembert, who I believe was a better fit for this team. Hawes produced a horrific 7.2 points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game this year after tallying 10.0 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game for Sacramento the previous year. With that being said, I would still keep Hawes and would trade Iguodala and a second round draft pick for a Andrew Bogut (Milwaukee Bucks) type of center to provide toughness on defense and consistency on the offensive end. I believe Dexter Pittman, who was in the D-league for quite some time after being drafted by Miami could be an excellent fit for the 76ers as well. He's young and promising, and he was pretty impressive during his tenure at the University of Texas.

Hawes could benefit from coming off the bench for an established center, and also learn a lot to improve his game and become a spark for Philly's 2010-11 league's leading bench, but bringing in Pittman could also benefit Hawes by making him work harder to keep his starting spot.

In regards of placing veteran players around Holiday, Young and Williams, I would bring in a pure shooter like Roger Mason Jr., who had a horrible statistical year and barely played with the Knicks this season. Despite the horrible year, Mason is still a lights out shooter and to me a pretty reliable player. Also I would bring in some defensive stoppers to guard star players like LeBron James and Dwayne Wade during close games. A veteran point guard like Rafer Alston (who currently plays overseas) to backup Holiday would also be great for his development along with Doug Collins coaching.

Since I would elect to trade Iguodala, I would implement Young into the starting lineup at the small forward position and make him, Holiday and Elton Brand the captains of next season's team. My first guy off the bench would still be Williams, who I believe would have won the Sixth Man Award if Lamar Odom of the Los Angeles Lakers didn't have an amazing year as well.

In the upcoming draft in June, I would pay close attention to players who may be overlooked, but are solid and can be productive once their games are developed.

With these moves the new Philadelphia 76ers roster would look like this:

Starting five - (PG) Jrue Holiday, (SG) Jodie Meeks, (SF) Thaddeus Young, (PF) Elton Brand, (C) Dexter Pittman or a more established center with Andrew Bogut's ability and toughness.

Sixth man - Louis Williams

Bench - Spencer Hawes, Evan Turner, Marreese Speights, Rafer Alston, Roger Mason Jr., Andres Nocioni, Jason Kapono and two young draft picks that proved they deserve to wear a 76ers jersey.

All in all, if I was the general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers these are the roster moves I would make to improve the team for the upcoming year and for the future as well. With any organization and team nothing is certain, but from what I seen from this year's team these are the much needed roster moves that should be made during the off season if Philadelphia wants to contend for a championship in the near future.

The Heart Of A Champion

2011-04-27T14:07:00.000-04:00

Going from starting goalie for the Stanley Cup Finals runner-up team in last year's playoffs to designated reserve for a crucial Game 6 for this year's second-seeded Philadelphia Flyers could diminish any athletes confidence to perform.

This benching had a total opposite affect on Brian Broucher's ability to produce effective goal tending for the Flyers as they advanced to the second round of the playoffs after being down 3-2 in the series after five games.

Game 6 was on Apr. 24 and the Buffalo Sabres came out scorching looking to close out the Flyers and pull off the upset. They scored 3 goals in the first period against starting goalie Michael Leighton, who was eventually pulled for his terrible goal tending. Boucher entered as his replacement and helped save Philadelphia's postseason.

Boucher blocked 24 goal attempts and his teammates rewarded his efforts with a 5-4 comeback victory in overtime to tie the series at 3-3.

In Game 7, Boucher started and blocked 26 shots and only allowed two goals while the Flyers offense scorched the Sabres defense for five goals.

It looks like Philly will rely on Boucher for the rest of the postseason to protect their net. This team is hungry for another shot at becoming NHL champions, and they are improving their chances to make it to back-to-back finals as their weak link, goal tending is starting to become reliable.

The Chains Are Off

2011-04-25T21:58:00.003-04:00

After seven grueling weeks of the NFL lockout, the National Football League Player Association (NFLPA) finally won the battle, but the war is still on.

Put a smile and your shoulder pads on (depending on how much of a NFL fan you are) football fans because the lockout is no more for now.

U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson ordered for the lockout to be ended Monday due to the convincing argument of the NFLPA's representatives, multiple sources confirmed. A $9 billion dollar pie is being argued over by both sides. Long story short, the owners want to keep a large portion of that huge pie, but the players are trying to turn their nibbles into significant bites.

According to NFL.com, The NFL owners quickly appealed the decision because they believe the district court overstepped its boundaries and the NFL sought justice from the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis.

Nelson granted the request of the NFLPA to lift the lockout because she was influenced by their argument that the lockout has damaged their ability to enhance and better their careers.

The NFLPA "have made a strong showing that allowing the League to continue their 'lockout' is presently inflicting, and will continue to inflict, irreparable harm upon them, particularly when weighed against the lack of any real injury that would be imposed on the NFL by issuing the preliminary injunction," Nelson wrote in her injunction.

Even with this good news the lockout can possibly be reinstated if the NFL's appeal is granted. If it is denied, the NFL will be obligated to continue normal activities and business as scheduled, but the rules and regulations that control those activities together will still be under construction.

Mind you this decision came days before the highly anticipated 2011 NFL Draft that will take place on Apr. 28. A NFL record, 25 invited guests will attend the event. Some of the notable attendees will be Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert, Patrick Patterson and A.J. Green.

Upset Nation Brewing In San Antonio

2011-04-25T16:23:00.001-04:00

Despite having the best regular season record in the West (61-21), the San Antonio Spurs are down 2-1 in their seven-game playoff series against the eight-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.

According to NBA analysts, the Grizzlies purposely lost their last few regular season games so they could get the aging Spurs in the first-round. You would think that this would be an ideal match up for San Antonio since they won 15 more games, have undoubtedly more playoff experience than the Grizzlies and because Memphis is without their star player in Rudy Gay due to a season-ending injury earlier in the year, but that is not the case.

The Spurs Big Three in Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker have been outplayed in this series by Memphis's Zach "ZBO" Randolph, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley Jr.

The Spurs Big Three only averaged 44 points, shot 41 percent (27-66) from the field and turned the ball over 14 total times in their losses to Memphis in Games 1 (Manu did not play; right elbow sprain) and 3 of the series (Game 1: 101-98, Game 3: 91-88).

On the other hand, ZBO, Gasol and Conley averaged 60 points, shot 52 percent (42-81) from the field and committed 14 turnovers as well in those two wins for the Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies big men, ZBO and Gasol have dominated Duncan and Antonio McDyess throughout the first three games of the series, especially in the two wins for Memphis so far.

In Game 1, ZBO and Gasol combined for 49 points and 23 rebounds while Duncan and McDyess only produced 19 points and 14 rebounds together in Memphis's first ever playoff win in team history.

In Game 3, they outscored the San Antonio big men 42-21 en route to the team's first ever playoff victory at home.

We can only imagine how dangerous the Grizzlies would be if Gay was in the lineup, but they still seem to have a little swagger and toughness about themselves and are doing damage to the first-placed Spurs. They look to continue their winning ways and take a commanding 3-1 series lead tonight at home.

If Conley continues to lead this team's offense and take care of the ball (only 10 turnovers to his 22 assists so far) the Grizzlies will win this series in six games. If the Spurs can manage to pull out a win tonight, and split games 5 and 6 then we may be looking at a series that will be decided in the seventh and final game with the advantage going to the Spurs because it will be in their building.

Nonetheless, do not be surprised if the Grizzlies become the second team in NBA history to beat a No. 1 seed in the first-round since the series were expanded to seven games throughout the playoffs.

Twenty Down And A Lot More To Go

2011-04-23T19:50:00.000-04:00

The Philadelphia Phillies look for their 14th win in the first 20 games of this young season tonight against the San Diego Padres.

Without their closer Brad Lidge and second basemen Chase Utley, the Phillies are tied with a 13-6 record for first in the entire Majors with their conference foe, the Colorado Rockies.

Joe Blanton will be looking for his first win of the season for the Phillies and will be in a pitching duel against Tim Stauffer, who is also looking for his first victory.

The Colorado Rockies are also in a game tonight against the Florida Mariners. Their slugger Troy Tulowitki is having a great start to his sixth year in the Majors.

The right-hander has driven in 15 runs on 23 hits, and has also tallied seven home runs. and 14 RBIs.

Both teams look to continue their winning ways to keep pace for the best record in the Majors with 142 games left to play after tonight's games have concluded.