The Sports Savant

2011 NBA Preview: Top 50 Players

2010-08-22T11:56:00.000-07:00

It's time to forget about the NFL. No more Brett Favre, no more helmet-to-helmet discussions, and no more of Jay Cutler's whining. It's time for, in David Stern's opinion, the greatest NBA season ever.

Can the Lakers three-peat again? Can the Heat live up to hype? Will LeBron James make it out of Cleveland alive? There are so many tantalizing questions for the upcoming year, and it very well could be the best season ever.

So in honor of trying top make sense of the league that was turned on it's head this offseason, let's take a refresher course on which players are actually good, then I'll get to answering some of those big questions. Here are the top 50 players in the league going into this season--the correct version.

50. Andrew Bynum

Age: 22

Regular Season: 57-25/65 starts-65 games-30.4 mpg/15.0 ppg-8.3 rpg-1.0 apg-0.4 spg-1.4 bpg/57.0 FG%-73.9 FT%

Playoffs: 23 games-24.4 mpg/8.6-6.9-0.5-0.3-1.6/53.7-67.9

Why He's 50: If Bynum can stay healthy and be in basketball shape all year long, he will rocket up this list. However, he has not been able to stay healthy for a full season for a while now, and usually centers with bad knees do not have a long shelf life. Bynum has the skills to be an offensive force down low, he just needs to stay on the court.

49. Al Horford

Age: 24

Regular Season: 53-29/81-81-35.1/14.2-9.9-2.3-0.7-1.1/55.1-78.9

Playoffs: 11-35.3/14.6-9.0-1.8-0.7-1.7/52.3-83.9

Why He's 49: There aren't that many guys who can score in the post and rebound anymore, which makes Horford a valuable commodity in today's NBA. Even at 6'10" (he was listed at 6'9" in college) Horford was the league's 10th leading rebounder and has led the Hawks in that stat ever since he's entered the league. The bottom line: Horford is an extremely valuable cog on a top four Eastern Conference team and is a good big men in a league where they are becoming increasingly endangered.

48. Jason Kidd

Age: 37

Regular Season: 55-27/80-80-36.0/10.3-5.6-9.1-1.8-0.4/42.3-42.5-80.8

Playoffs: 6-40.5/8.0-6.8-7.0-2.8-0.2/30.4-32.1 3pt %-91.7

Why He's 48: Kidd's skills have eroded with age, as is the case with every player, so if he was ranked this high based on skills, then I'd be crazy. He's a terrible defender and cannot drive to the hoop anymore.

However, Kidd is one of the best leaders in the league. Dallas won 55 games last year, and were the second seed in the West, with Jason Kidd as their second most important player. Not the second best, but second most important (behind Dirk, of course). Kidd is still an elite passer too. He averaged over 9 assists per game at the ripe age of 36. He's also evolved into an excellent three point specialist, hitting over 42 percent of his threes last season.

Great players know how to adapt as they age, and Kidd has done that.

47. Kevin Love

Age: 22

Regular Season: 15-67/22-60-28.6/14.0-11.0-2.3-0.7-0.4/45.0-33.0-81.5

Playoffs: N/A

Why He's 47: I gotta say, I love Kevin Love. He's one of the weirdest players in the NBA. He's an extremely efficient rebounder, which would seem like he thrives around the basket on the offensive end as well, which is not true. Love loves shooting mid-range jumpers and jacks up the occasional three when he feels like it.

But the best part about Dr. Love's game is his passing ability. This is not on display very much, since he is surrounded with garbage mixed with animal feces in Minnesota, but just go to Youtube and type "Kevin Love passing," and you'll see why he is such a promising player. His outlet passes are a thing of beauty. Put Love on a good team, and he is instantly one of the most liked players in the league, and more valuable than many people think.

46. Ray Allen

Age: 35

Regular Season: 50-32/80-80-35.2/16.3-3.2-2.6-0.8-0.3/47.7-36.3-91.3

Playoffs: 24-38.5/16.1-3.3-2.6-0.9-0.1/43.1-38.6-86.3

Why He's 46: I had a hard time deciding where Allen should rank among the best 50 in the NBA. He's still one of the league's best outside shooters and is a free throw master, but a few of those NBA Finals games are still fresh in my mind. He was terrible in games 3 and 7. However, Allen played a huge role in getting Boston to the Finals and is still a very good NBA player. He could drop off this list next year, but right now, he's still among the 50 best players in the league.

45. Eric Gordon

Age: 21

Regular Season: 29-53/ 60 starts-62 games-36.0 mpg/16.9 ppg-2.6 rpg-3.0 apg-1.1 spg-0.2 bpg/44.9 FG%-37.1 3PT%-74.2FT%

Playoffs: N/A

Why He's 45: Gordon has the potential to be a 20 point scorer, and he probably will be in the next one or two years, but as of right now he hasn't proved much more than that he's been the number two option on a bad team. Being on Team USA helped Gordon gain confidence and get some good big game reps in. I fully expect Gordon to rank much higher on this list next year.

44. Rudy Gay

Age: 24

Regular Season: 40-42/80-80-39.7/19.6-5.9-1.9-1.5-0.8/46.6-32.7-75.3

Playoffs: N/A

Why He's 44: This seems low for Gay, but is 44th really that low for a completely on dimensional player who takes bad shots, is not a great leader, and has never made the playoffs? Obviously, I do not think so.

43. Kevin Garnett

Age: 34

Regular Season: 50-32/69-69-29.9/14.3-7.3-2.7-1.0-0.8/52.1-83.7

Playoffs: 23-33.3/15.0-7.4-2.5-1.1-0.9/49.5-83.9

Why He's 43: It was very tough to put Garnett down this low, considering Boston made it to the Finals with him playing, while losing in the conference semi's last year with him on the bench. But, that shouldn't be a big surprise. He's a huge upgrade from Big Baby Davis, who was playing most of his minutes in the '09 playoffs. Just having Garnett out there on the floor to order the guys around on defense makes a big difference. However, his rapidly eroding skills do not quite make up for his great leadership and tenacity. I love Garnett, and would want him on my team, but he's a shell of his former self.

42. Gerald Wallace

Age: 28

Regular Season: 44-38/76-76-41.0/18.2-10.0-2.1-1.5-1.1/48.4-37.1-77.6

Playoffs: 4-41.4/17.5-9.0-2.3-1.3-1.5/47.7-45.5-65.7

Why He's 42: Remember when Gerald Wallace was a young, potential-filled, occasional dunk contest participant in Sacramento? Well now he's the opposite of that Gerald Wallace. He's now a veteran (28 isn't exactly old, but he's not definitely not a kid anymore) who has reached his potential and doesn't waste his time trying to win the Popularity contest at All-Star Weekend.

Wallace is the type of player everybody wants on their team. He goes all out, is a great defender, a great rebounder (especially for his size), and can score when he has to. The Bobcats big problem is that he's been their number one or two option for the entire existence of the franchise. I envision Wallace becoming a valuable piece (4th or 5th best guy) on a championship caliber team a few years down the road, but he's not a franchise guy like he's been asked to be in Charlotte.

41. Chris Kaman

Age: 28

Regular Season: 29-53/76-76-34.3/18.5-9.3-1.6-0.5-1.2/49.0-74.9

Playoffs: N/A

Why He's 41: Who doesn't like Chris Kaman? He seems kinda like that crazy friend that everybody has, except he's seven feet tall and can ball like George Mikan circa 1780 (Wait, that was only the 1950's? Oops.) Sure, Kaman isn't a dominating force on the block, but he gets the job done and rebounds decently. Whether he's my starting center or part of my entourage, it's all good.

40. Joakim Noah

Age: 25

Regular Season: 41-41/54-64-30.1/10.7-11.0-2.1-0.5-1.6/50.4-74.4

Playoffs: 5-37.6/14.8-13.0-2.8-2.0-1.8/52.8-94.7

Why He's 40: Have we figured out that we shouldn't doubt Joakim yet? He wasn't a huge name when he went to Florida and all he did was lead them to back-to-back titles for the first time in almost 15 years and set all sorts of NCAA tournament block records. Then Al Horford got drafted ahead of him. And Corey Brewer. Two guys on his own TEAM! I'm sure he was happy for Al and Corey, but that still had to make him a little bit mad. "Man, I was the best guy AND the leader for those teams and I'm the THIRD one drafted? C'mon!"

Turns out, Noah might be the second best guy in that draft and has evolved into a crucial piece of a team that is expected to be contenders in the East sooner rather than later. All the while, Corey is freezing his butt off in Minnesota (and losing).

39. Monta Ellis

Age: 23

Regular Season: 26-56/64-64-41.4/25.5-4.0-5.3-2.2-0.4/44.9-33.8-75.3

Playoffs: N/A

Why He's 39: Monta Ellis is the classic great scorer-can't do anything else guy. Man, can Ellis score, but he also likes to give the ball to the other team and lets opposing guards blow by him on defense. He's also not a particularly good passer, which he doesn't have to be with Steph Curry manning the point, but if he ever wants to be a part of a winning team he'd probably need to play the point (because of size mainly) and that's just not something he's great at right now.

38. Kevin Martin

Age: 27

Regular Season: 42-40 (25-57)/43-46-35.5/20.6-3.6-2.4-1.o-0.1/41.7-33.3-87.6

Playoffs: N/A

Why He's 38: When the word "one-dimensional" is tossed around, Kevin Martin has to be brought up. Sure, the guy can fill it up and drop 40 on any given night. He also cannot really do anything else.

Martin will always be valuable as a Ray Allen-type shooter (although his three point numbers were way down last year) and late game cooler (86 percent career free throw shooter), but that's about all Martin will ever be. Translation: if you're counting on him to be the best player on your team, and expect them to go anywhere past the first round, you're in trouble.

37. Manu Ginobili

Age: 33

Regular Season: 50-32/22-75-28.7/16.5-3.8-4.9-1.4-0.3/44.1-37.7-87.0

Playoffs: 10-35.2/19.4-3.7-6.0-2.6-0.2/41.4-33.3-86.6

Why He's 37: I really have no idea where Manu should be. I know he can play like a top 15-20 player in spurts, but it's just hard to get a good feel for how good Manu still is. I'm not sure he's the same explosive guy he used to be after several years of injuries hampering him (which is also a constant concert for Manu due to his reckless style of play). Maybe I have him this low just because I hate his flopping ways, but I don't feel good about it. Manu, go prove me wrong this year. We all know you're reading this.

36. Stephen Jackson

Age: 32

Regular Season: 44-38/81-81-38.6/20.6-5.0-3.7-1.6-0.5/42.3-32.8-77.9

Playoffs: 4-39.0/18.0-5.0-3.8-1.3-0.3/35.8-16.7-80.8

Why He's 36: "Captain Jack" was one of the least reported stories of the 2009 NBA season. He carried the Bobcats on his back offensively and willed them to their first playoff birth ever. Despite his mere 20.6 average, it seemed like every time I glanced at a Bobcats box score, Jack put up 26 or 27. There is no way Charlotte makes the playoffs without trading for Jackson last year. It will be hard to duplicate a career best season for Jackson, but it seems like he'll still be a good NBA player well into his 30's.

35. Lamarcus Aldridge

Age: 25

Regular Season: 50-32/78-78-37.5/17.9-8.0-2.1-0.9-0.6/49.5-75.7

Playoffs: 6-38.2/19.0-6.0-2.2-1.2-1.8/43.0-75.0

Why He's 35: There are plenty of knocks on Aldridge. He's not a good enough rebounder. He doesn't block shots. He's too soft inside offensively. Maybe all of those things are true, but he still has tremendous potential to be a much better offensive player. He runs the court very well, and is very skilled for a guy his size. There are certain games when Aldridge will score an effortless 30 and it leaves everybody scratching their heads "why isn't this guy better?" If Aldridge can start using his back to the basket game more effectively and consistency, it could help the Blazers take another step towards being Western contenders.

34. Andre Iguodala

Age: 26

Regular Season: 27-55/82-82-38.9/17.1-6.5-5.8-1.7-0.7/44.3-31.0-73.3

Playoffs: N/A

Why He's 34: Team USA exposed what Iguodala's true role on a team should be-- a defensive specialist. Philly is counting on him to be their main offensive threat, which is something that Iggy is just not quite offensively talented enough for. Sure, he throws down his fair share if insane, disgusting dunks, but he's not a shooter and as the number one option he has to shoot more than he should. Iguodala needs a change of scenery and role, and he could be much more recognized than he is now.

33. Tyreke Evans

Age: 21

Regular Season: 25-57/72-72-37.2/20.1-5.3-5.8-1.5-0.4/45.8-25.5-74.8

Playoffs: N/A

Why He's 33: Tyreke's rookie stats are just eye-popping. So why do I get the feeling he can't significantly improve on them. His ceiling seems like 23-6-8. That's not a bad ceiling, but for a guy who put up 20-5-6 as a rook, it should be higher. Evans is built like a truck, and could eventually turn into a LeBron-lite type of player (think 26-7-9), but there is something unsettling about this immature, faux point guard. It's just hard to get a finger on exactly what.

32. David Lee

Age: 27

Regular Season: 29-53/81-81-37.3/20.2-11.7-3.6-1.0-0.5/54.5-81.2

Playoffs: N/A

Why He's 32: I really have no idea what to think of David Lee. Yes, he can score and is a great rebounder, but he's played about as much defense for Mike D'Antoni in the past few years as Mike D'Antoni has. Lee's offensive merits (he was one of three 20-10 guys last season) outweigh his defensive shortcomings (I'm being nice when I say that), but he'll always just be a "really good stats on bad teams" guy.

31. Stephen Curry

Age: 22

Regular Season: 26-56/77-80-36.2/17.5-4.5-5.9-1.9-0.2/46.2-43.7-88.5

Playoffs: N/A

Why He's 31: Curry surprised me with just how good he was last year. He was just tremendous after the All-Star break last year (22-5.5-8, 2 steals). While it remains to be seen how much of a "winner" he is (he's never had good teammates), Curry should always be a great shooter in the Reggie Miller and Ray Allen mold and will be in the NBA for a long, long time. Add that to the fact that it looks like he has the tools to be a pretty good point guard, and everything points to Curry having a very successful NBA career.

30. Josh Smith

Age: 24

Regular Season: 53-29/81-81-35.4/15.7-8.7-4.2-1.6-2.1/50.5-61.8

Playoffs: 11-35.6/14.1-9.0-2.6-1.2-1.7/48.1-33.3-65.9

Why He's 30: Last year it finally looked like Smith was starting to "get it." He stopped chucking up threes because he finally realized he shot more like Shaq than Reggie Miller (also, terrible at the line like Shaq). He starting passing the ball instead and racked up over four assists per game. Yes, Smith still makes the occasional Josh Smith trademark bonehead play, but it does look like he's finally starting to grow up (he's still only 24).

If he really does find out what his role on a team should be and they create a position in basketball that blends the small forward and power foward positions into one position cocktail, look out for Josh Smith.

29. Tony Parker

Age: 28

Regular Season: 50-32/50-56-30.9/16.0-2.4-5.7-0.5-0.1/48.7-29.4-75.6

Playoffs: 10-33.5/17.3-3.8-5.4-0.6-0/47.4-59.5

Why He's 29: Don't judge Tony Parker's skill on last season. He was hurt essentially all of last season and George Hill's terrific play never really allowed him to get his rhythm back. Parker had a career (and generally healthy) year just the year before last season and should return back to that level now that he has had the opportunity to fully rest himself. Parker is going to make everybody remember how good of a player he really can be this season.

28. Brook Lopez

Age: 22

Regular Season: 12-70/82-82-36.9/18.8-8.6-2.3-0.7-1.7/49.9-81.7

Playoffs: N/A

Why He's 28: All signs point to a monster breakout year for Brook "my parents didn't know that me and my twin brother would be boys based on our borderline girly names" Lopez this year. I'd bet all the money that I have that he leads all centers in scoring this season (unless Amar'e plays center for the Knicks, then I recant that statement). And unless Demarcus Cousins ends up living up to his full potential (Do NOT rule this out. I see Cousins evolving into a monster of a player), he could hold that title for a long time. Brook does need to rebound more, but he's a center who can score, which I love (such a rare breed). I look forward to many years of knowing Brook on a first name basis.

27. Chauncey Billups

Age: 34

Regular Season: 53-29/73-73-34.1/19.5-3.1-5.6-1.1-0.1/41.8-38.6-91.0

Playoffs: 6-34.5/20.3-2.3-6.3-1.0-0.5/44.6-35.5-88.1

Why He's 27: Chauncey's career is definitely going in the wrong direction, but it is hard to ignore how influential of a leader he is. He led a Pistons team with inferior talent to a title against the Karl Malone-Gary Payton edition of the Shaqobe Lakers. The last time a team than Chauncey played for that did not win 50 games was the 00'-01' Minnesota Timberwolves. Chauncey is just a winner.

26. Danny Granger

Age: 27

Regular Season: 32-50/62-62-36.7/24.1-5.5-2.8-1.5-0.8/42.8-36.1-84.8

Playoffs: N/A

Why He's 26: Granger is one of the most talented scorers in the league, there is no question. He hits from deep, he hits from close-in, he hits his free throws. Bad news for Pacers fans: he's not leading you to a title any time soon. Actually, ever.

25. Carlos Boozer

Age: 28

Regular Season: 53-29/78-78-34.3/19.5-11.2-3.2-1.1-0.5/56.2-74.2

Playoffs: 10-40.2/19.7-13.2-2.9-0.4-0.7/53.0-54.3

Why He's 25: The whole "falling and breaking his hand" thing made me consider dropping Boozer from this list completely. Maybe Boozer's name is no coincidence?

All joking aside, Boozer does get injured a little too much, but it's hard to put him much lower than this. He and Deron Williams have essentially been the only players on note on Utah's past four teams, which have won 53, 48, 53, and 51 games. He brings scoring and rebounding in bunches, something that is present on most good teams (which is why Chicago could be dangerous once Rose and Noah start peaking).

24. Al Jefferson

Age: 25

Regular Season: 15-67/76-76-32.4/17.1-9.3-1.8-0.8-1.3/49.8-68.0

Playoffs: N/A

Why He's 24: Johnny Flynn to Deron Williams--that is the upgrade Al Jefferson is making this year after he was hijacked from Minnesota (Kahn strikes again!!!) this offseason. Jefferson is one of the true post players in the league and is fully capable of putting up 20 a game, especially with an elite point guard like Williams. There will be a multitude of easy baskets for Big Al that were not there in Minnesota. Expect a huge Al Jefferson year this season.

23. Russell Westbrook

Age: 21

Regular Season: 50-32/82-82-34.3/16.1-4.9-8.0-1.3-0.4/41.8-22.1-78.0

Playoffs: 6-35.3/20.5-6.0-6.0-1.7-0.2/47.3-41.7-84.2

Why He's 24: I don't consider myself a big Russell Westbrook guy, so it was very strange that I couldn't put him any lower than 23rd. Here's what I see from Westbrook-- an extremely athletic point guard who rebounds, hustles, and is an excellent passer and defender. How much lower could I rank a guy who has all of those qualities and stepped up his scoring duties in the playoffs when his star teammate was struggling?

22. Andrew Bogut

Age: 25

Regular Season: 46-36/69-69-32.3/15.9-10.2-1.8-0.6-2.5/52.0-62.9

Playoffs: N/A

Why He's 22: It's too bad Bogut suffered that horrific injury before the playoffs last year. Such a good guy, having a breakout year, a great team, and then BOOM!, his arm bends in ways that olympic gymnasts can not bend. Bogut finally evolved into a game changer last season, especially on the defensive end, and if he can get healthy again, the Bucks could do some very good things.

21. Zach Randolph

Age: 29

Regular Season: 40-42/81-81-37.7/20.8-11.7-1.8-1.0-0.4/48.8-28.8-77.8

Playoffs: N/A

Why He's 21: The safest bet for 20-10 this year? Zach Randolph. He scores. He rebounds. It's what he does, and he does it well. Yes, he shot selection is very questionable at times (That's the nice way of putting it. The mean way--he's a George Costanzanian chucker). The bottom line--Z-Bo does work down low on offense and is one of the best rebounders in the league. He was reason number one why Memphis flirted with a playoff birth for most of last season.

20. Paul Pierce

Age: 33

Regular Season: 50-32/71-71-34.0/18.3-4.4-3.1-1.2-0.4/47.2-41.4-85.2

Playoffs: 24-38.8/18.8-6.0-3.4-1.0-0.6/43.8-39.2-82.4

Why He's 20: It has to be questioned how much Pierce has left in the tank at this point in his career. He carried the Celtics for so many years and such a heavy burden, that it appears that he is wearing down now. He still can step it up when he has to, but it doesn't look like he'll be "the" Paul Pierce for much longer at all.

Maybe the great 3 point shooter can turn into purely a specialist and extend his career that way. Just something to ponder, Paul.

19. Yao Ming

Age: 30

Regular Season: Missed season, *08-09 stats, 53-29/77-77-33.6/21.1-10.6-1.9-0.4-2.1/54.8-86.6

Playoffs: 9-35.9/17.1-10.9-1.0-0.4-1.2/54.5-90.2

Why He's 19: Obviously his health is a huge (HUGE) concern, but a healthy Yao Ming (which is what he is now) is one of the best two centers in the league. He's one of the league's only 20-10 guys (as I mentioned before, there were only three last year) and will feast on smaller opponents. Just look at the Rockets from 2009 to 2010. Artest left and Yao was hurt, and that caused them to go from a 5th seed and one game from beating the eventual champs to missing the playoffs altogether. Yao is extremely valuable, he just needs to stay healthy.

The difference between Yao and another injury prone guys like Bynum is that we've seen what Yao can do. With Bynum and others (Greg Oden, etc), we still do not know how good they can be.

18. Joe Johnson

Age: 29

Regular Season: 53-29/76-76-38.0/21.3-4.6-4.9-1.1-0.1/45.8-36.9-81.8

Playoffs: 11-40.0/17.9-5.1-5.0-0.9-0.3/38.7-22.0-81.0

Why He's 18: Okay, it is obviously insane the amount of money Joe Johnson reeled in from Lake I Thought The Owners Were Broke this offseason. If I were ranking the players who were the best value for their contracts, Johnson would be closer to the eighteenth worse player than eighteenth best player. Luckily for Joe, that has nothing to do with how good he is. I mean, usually you have to be pretty good to earn the kind of dough Johnson got this offseason, and he is pretty good.

He can play multiple positions, shoots threes, rebounds and passes, and was the clear best guy on a 53 win team last year. That has to count for something. It has to count for a lot, actually. Just like people have forgotten how good LeBron James is because of the happenings of this offseason, Johnson's real life skill is being overshadowed by his egregious contract. He's still good, folks.

17. Amar'e Stoudemire

Age: 27

Regular Season: 54-28/82-82-34.6/24.1-9.3-1.0-0.7-1.1/55.7-77.1

Playoffs: 16-36.5/22.2-6.6-1.1-0.7-1.5/51.9-75.4

Why He's 17: If Raymond Felton can run Mike D'Antoni's offense half as good as Steve Nash, say hello to a monster Amar'e Stoudemire year. The dude is psyched to be in New York and playing under the big lights at the Garden. His first half is going to be insane. Like 30 points per game insane maybe. Yeah, he's still not going to be playing defense, but when was the last time a D'Antoni team won by playing defense? Yeah, I thought so.

The point is, Amar'e is a dynamic scorer who is basically the only option (him and Gallo), so the scoring numbers will come in bunches this year.

16. Derrick Rose

Age: 22

Regular Season: 41-41/78-78-36.8/20.8-3.8-6.0-0.7-0.3/48.9-26.7-76.6

Playoffs: 5-42.4/26.8-3.4-7.2-0.8-0/45.6-33.3-81.8

Why He's 16: Is this the "leap" year for Derrick Rose. I thought he was going to make the leap last year, and it did happen to an extent in the second half. Can he take another step now and start acting like a true point guard? He's definitely a talented scorer/slasher, but his assists numbers need to rise if the Bulls ever have a shot at winning a title with Rose as "the guy." Score-first point guards just don't win titles.

15. Chris Bosh

Age: 26

Regular Season: 40-42/70-70-36.1/24.0-10.8-2.4-0.6-1.0/51.8-79.7

Playoffs: N/A

Why He's 15: Is Bosh better than everybody realizes? Think back to the 2008 Olympics--Bosh clearly outplayed Howard in many of those games and has not done terribly i his past few NFL seasons either. How's 24-11 for ya?

Now Bosh has to make sacrifices in Miami, but he's going to be far less worn out and will be getting tons of open jumpers, which he makes at a high rate. What are the odds on Bosh leading the Heat in scoring? It could happen. (COULD. He'll probably be third. Just throwing it out there.)

14. Rajon Rondo

Age: 24
Regular Season: 50-32/81-81-36.6/13.7-4.4-9.8-2.3-0.1/50.8-21.3-62.1

Playoffs: 24-40.6/15.8-5.6-9.3-1.9-0.1/46.3-37.5-59.6

Why He's 14: Rondo has gone from the young, skinny point guard who won a title with the "Big 3" in Boston, to the best player on the Celtics in a mere two years. Look no further than the Celtics-Cavaliers series (sorry, Cleveland) to see how good of a player Rondo has come. Rondo single-handedly destroyed Cleveland in game 4 with his 29-18-13 performance. It was one of the greatest playoff performances of all-time and gave Boston the momentum they needed (with some help from Delonte) to beat the Cavs.

For that Cleveland series at least, Rondo was being considered the best point guard in the league, which seems slightly off now, but that is the level he was playing at. If he can play at that level even semi-consistently, he'll be a top 10 player very, very soon.

13. Pau Gasol

Age: 30

Regular Season: 57-25/65-65-37.0/18.3-11.3-3.4-0.6-1.7/53.6-79.0

Playoffs: 23-39.7/19.6-11.1-3.5-0.4-2.1/53.9-75.9

Why He's 13: It's really a two-man race between Gasol and Duncan for the title of best offensive post player in the world right now. Duncan's health is failing him and Gasol just seems to be getting better, so Gasol should hold the edge this time next year, but for now Duncan gets a slight edge.

Gasol hasn't gotten enough credit for being such a great player on the back-to-back title teams, so now is his moment. The guy is just a scoring machine down low. If the Lakers decided to run the offense through him, he could score 25 a game. He has a nose for the ball and plays gritty (gritty in a good way) defense. Kobe hasn't been doing it all by himself.

12. Tim Duncan

Age: 34

Regular Season: 50-32/77-78-31.3/17.9-10.1-3.2-0.6-1.5/51.8-72.5

Playoffs: 10-37.3/19.0-9.9-2.6-0.8-1.7/52.0-47.8

Why He's 12: It's sad to see Duncan declining, but we all knew this was coming. He's 34 years old and has had to carry the Spurs for a long time.

I'd say The Big Fundamental has had a pretty good run though--4 titles, 3 Finals MVPs, 2 MVPs--that's top 10 player ever material right there. Whether or not he can muster up one more signature Hall of Fame Timmy D season is the question all Spurs fans want answered (it's hard to see that happening).

11. Steve Nash

Age: 36

Regular Season: 54-28/81-81-32.8/16.5-3.3-11.0-0.5-1.1/50.7-42.6-93.8

Playoffs: 16-33.7/17.8-3.3-10.1-0.3-0.1/51.8-38.0-

Why He's 11: Steve Nash might get the vote for best teammate of all time. Has there ever been a teammate that didn't love Nash? He won two MVPs, in part, because he was a phenomenal teammate. The Suns success last year was based on a talent, yes, but also on the remarkable chemistry of the team, set in motion by their fearless, Canadian point guard. Nash has a skill that doesn't really fade in passing, so it's not unreasonable to think that he can keep churning out seasons like last year's for a few years and maybe more.

10. Dirk Nowitzki

Age: 32

Regular Season: 55-27/80-81-37.5/25.0-7.7-2.7-0.9-1.0/48.1-42.1-91.5

Playoffs: 6-38.8/26.7-8.2-3.0-0.8-0.7/54.7-57.1-95.2

Why He's 10: Dirk might be one of the forgotten superstars in 30-40 years. When people think of the NBA in the '00's, they'll think of Kobe, LeBron, Shaq, KG, Nash, and maybe a few others before Dirk. All Dirk has done for the past decade is churn out year after year of 20+ point, 50 win seasons, and has an MVP award to show for it. Dallas has never had another really good player to pair with Dirk since Nash fled to Phoenix, and the Mavs have still managed to win 60 games twice during that span. Dirk may be much better than he's ever been given credit for.

9. Brandon Roy

Age: 26

Regular Season: 50-32/65-65-37.2/21.5-4.4-4.7-0.9-0.2/47.3-33.0-78.0

Playoffs: 3-27.7/9.7-2.3-1.7-0-0/30.3-16.7-77.8 (*seriously injured), ['08-'09 playoff stats: 6-39.7/26.7-4.8-2.8-1.3-1.2]

Why He's 9: There's been a big controversy involving Roy "wanting the ball" during preseason. Yes, he said it, and he meant it. This is widely seen as a good thing by Blazer fans and coaches though. Roy has long been a passive player, too often deferring to teammates and not being selfish enough as a superstar. Roy has also taken steps to be a better leader this offseason, so we might be getting out first glimpse of a completely healthy, motivated, hungry Roy. Kinda scary if he can put it all together.

8. Carmelo Anthony

Age: 26

Regular Season: 53-29/69-69-38.2/28.2-6.6-3.2-1.3-0.4/45.8-31.6-83.0

Playoffs: 6-42.3/30.7-8.5-3.2-2.0-0.5/46.4-31.6-87.7

Why He's 8: Are we sure Carmelo can be a leader of a great team? Chauncey Billups has been the heart and soul of the Nuggets for the past few years and take a look at the "Melo led Nuggs before Chauncey arrived--43, 49, 44, 45, 50 wins--and after--54 and 53 wins.

Carmelo is still a great player and is easily on of the top five scorers in the league, but at this point, whether it is because of his desire to leave Denver for non-basketball related reasons or his inability to get far in the playoffs, his leadership ability has to be in question.

7. Deron Williams

Age: 26

Regular Season: 53-29/76-76-36.9/18.7-4.0-10.5-1.3-0.2/46.9-37.1-80.1

Playoffs: 10-39.8/24.3-2.7-10.3-1.0-0.4/45.0-39.2-80.2

Why He's 7: If there is anybody worthy of dethroning Chris Paul of his Best Point Guard Alive title, it's Williams. He's just not quite on Paul's level. He's not quite as good of a passer. He's not quite as good of scorer. He's not quite as good of a shooter. He is a better defender, mostly because of his size. Williams is extremely close to Paul, but just doesn't quite get over the hump.

On a more positive note, Williams is one of the best leaders league. Utah generally hasn't had the same talent as some other elite Western teams in the past few years, yet they keep cranking out 50, or near 50 win seasons (Jerry Sloan is a big part of that as well). Williams was a winner in college, and now he's become one of the best winners in the pros.

Don't bet against the Jazz as long as D-Will is manning the point in Salt Lake City.

6. Chris Paul

Age: 25

Regular Season: 37-45/45-45-38.0/18.7-4.2-10.7-2.1-0.2/49.3-40.9-84.7

Playoffs: N/A

Why He's 6: Let us not forget how good Chris Paul is. Going into last season, and for the previous couple of seasons, there was no doubt who the best point guard in the NBA was--Chris Paul. Now there are popular opinions of Deron Williams, Rajon Rondo, Steve Nash, or even Derrick Rose being better than Paul, but when Paul is healthy and playing at his highest level, there is no point guard in the league that can touch him. Look out for Paul as a sleeper MVP candidate this year.

5. Dwight Howard

Age: 24

Regular Season: 59-23/82-82-34.7/18.3-13.2-1.8-0.9-2.8/61.2-59.2

Playoffs: 14-35.5/18.1-11.1-1.4-0.8-3.5/61.4-51.9

Why He's 5: It's no secret that Dwight Howard worked out with Hakeem Olajuwon this offseason, but people are putting way too much thought into this. It's not like he's never studied post moves and tried to get better before, it's not going to suddenly click in three days. Yes, his post moves should be improved, in part because of working with The Dream, but also just as part of his evolution as a big man. If indeed Howard does become a 24-25 a night guy, while still playing his nasty defense, Orlando is a team to really watch out for. If Howard doesn't intimidate you, Stan Van Gundy certainly will.

4. Kevin Durant

Age: 22

Regular Season: 50-32/82-82-39.5/30.1-7.6-2.8-1.4-1.0/47.6-36.5-90.0

Playoffs: 6-38.5/25.0-7.7-2.3-0.5-1.3/35.0-28.6-87.1

Why He's 4: Okay Kevin, you've impressed me.

KD's insane performance at the World Championships was very impressive. He scored at will and was hitting threes in his sleep. But let's not get too excited, now. Let's look at the facts.

The U.S., despite bringing their so-called "B-team," was still the favorite at the WCs. Durant was scoring at will against Euroleagers and hitting bombs from the FIBA three-point line (20 ft, 6 inches compared to the NBA's 23 ft, 9 inch line). So let's not get too excited for the best player in the tournament beating up on Ersan Ilyasova.

However, let's do get excited. Durant is the best scorer in the league and will win another scoring title and probably take home the MVP as long as Oklahoma City improves on their win-loss record from last season (not necessarily a gimme, although it will more than likely happen). He's improving defensively and is improving in every aspect of his game. And oh yeah, he's 22 years old. Durant is going to be very, very good for a long, long time. Who knows, maybe he really is the best player in the world.

We will see this year if his hyped Thunder team can live up to or surpass their extremely high expectations.

3. Dwyane Wade

Age: 28

Regular Season: 47-35/77-77-36.3/26.6-4.8-6.5-1.8-1.1/47.6-30.0-76.1

Playoffs: 5-42.0/33.2-5.6-6.8-1.6-1.6/56.4-40.5-67.5

Why He's 3: Here's a few names to just throw out there-- Michael Beasley, Jermaine O'Neal, Udonis Haslem, Quentin Richardson. All of those players were Dwyane Wade's partners in crime for a team that won 47 games last year. Yes, they were only .500 vs. the West and yes, they got shellacked by the Celtics in round one (although Wade put up an insane 46 pointer with 16-24 shooting in Miami's win), but 47 wins for a team that doesn't have another player NEAR the top 50 is crazy. (Beasley is the only player in the top 100. And barely.)

Let us not forget, Dwyane Wade is still a really, really stinkin' good player (but make no mistake, he's NOT better than LeBron).

2. Kobe Bryant

Age: 32

Regular Season: 57-25/73-73-38.8/27.0-5.4-5.0-1.5-0.3/45.6-32.9-81.1

Playoffs: 23-40.1/29.2-6.0-5.5-1.3-0.7/45.8-37.4-84.2

Why He's 2: Kobe at 2!?!? That's what Lakers fans reading this are thinking. And admittedly, if I were a Laker fan, I'd probably be thinking that too. Luckily I'm not on the gold and purple bandwagon, so I can see things a little bit more clearly.

Yes, I recognize Kobe is a great, great player. I accept people that say he's the best in the world. That argument is strong, and the fact that he's won back-to-back titles is very powerful--it would be even more powerful if he did not almost blow game 7 with a 25 percent shooting percentage--but I digress. Kobe's scoring, defensive ability, and clutch play (game 6 of the Phoenix series was one of the most amazing single-game performances I've ever seen) are all viable reasons why Kobe could be considered the best player in the world.

I just look at the fact that LeBron had pretty bad teammates in Cleveland and his better all-around play in factoring which player is better. Kobe, go win another one, now that LeBron has no excuses, and I'll be convinced you're the best. (Note: I'm also worried about the knee.)

1. LeBron James

Age: 25

Regular Season: 61-21/76-76-39.0/29.7-7.3-8.6-1.6-1.0/50.3-33.3-76.7

Playoffs: 11-41.8/29.1-9.3-7.6-1.7-1.8/50.2-40.0-73.3

Why He's 1: Oh no, I put LeBron over Kobe! The "sidekick" over the back-to-back Finals MVP (6-24!). Yes, LeBron mailed in game 5 against the Celtics. Yes, he wasn't at his best in game 6 either, but are we really going to ignore the previous 85 games? LeBron was playing 1 on 5 versus an extremely physical Celtics team and not getting help from his teammates that whole series and maybe just wore down. And then there were also "those rumors", which, if true, could definitely be a big factor. The point is, are we really judging how good a player is on one or two games (If LeBron's 27-19-10 game 6 was a mail-in, doesn't that prove he's the best in the world?Who could mail in a near 30-20-10?)?

Look at what LeBron has done over the past two years with the Cavs with his best teammates being the immortal Mo Williams, Andersen Varejao, As big as a shack-ille O'Neal, and half a season of the great Antawn Jamison (Check out Antawn's game 5 and 6 numbers: 9 points, 6 board; 5 points, 5 boards. The missing piece!).

His teams won 66 and 61 games. He put up two of the best all-around seasons ever, winning two landslide MVP votes. Despite popular belief, he raised his game in the playoffs, as evidenced by his insane 2009 campaign: 35.3-9.1-7.3 on 51 percent shooting. Put LeBron with Kobe's supporting cast, LeBron wins the title both years.

If Kobe and his Lakers top LeBron and the Heat this year, I will finally cave on the toss up that is LeBron vs. Kobe. I'm taking the back-to-back MVP, who is one of the best all-around players in league history, for now though.

Predictions

MVP: Kevin Durant

Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard

Rookie of the Year: Blake Griffin

Sixth Man of the Year: James Harden

Most Improved Player of the Year: J.J. Hickson

Coach of the Year: Monty Williams

Western Conference: 1. Los Angeles Lakers (Projected record: 59-23), 2. Portland Trail Blazers (56-26), 3. Oklahoma City Thunder (55-27), 4. Dallas Mavericks (53-29), 5. Utah Jazz (52-30), 6. Houston (50-32), 7. New Orleans (48-34), 8. San Antonio (47-35), 9. Denver (45-37) 10. Phoenix Suns (42-40), 11. Los Angeles Clippers (36-56), 12. Sacramento Kings (28-54), 13. Memphis Grizzlies (28-54), 14. Golden State Warriors (25-57), 15. Minnesota Timberwolves (14-68)

Eastern Conference: 1. Miami Heat (68-14), 2. Orlando Magic (60-22), 3. Boston Celtics (57-25), 4. Atlanta Hawks (50-32), 5. Chicago Bulls (48-34), 6. Milwaukee (44-38), 7. Washington (42-40), 8. New York (39-43), 9. Charlotte (37-45), 10. Philadelphia (34-48), 11. Cleveland (34-48) Indiana (31-51), 12. New Jersey (28-54), , 14. Detroit (27-55), 15. Toronto (20-62)

Western Conference Finals: Lakers over Thunder in 7

Eastern Conference Finals: Heat over Magic in 5

NBA Finals: Heat over Lakers in 6

Finals MVP: LeBron James

NFL Picks: Week 1

2010-08-19T10:10:00.001-07:00

The picks are back and in full force. Time to waste my time by making slightly irrelevant muses about each game that almost nobody will read. I don't even enjoy it, but oh well. Here they are.

Minnesota @ New Orleans

New Orleans is a very tough place to play and the Saint are every bit as talented as they were last year. It's hard to see old man Favre without his favorite target (Rice) going in and beating the defending champs on their own turf.

New Orleans 34 (-6.5), Minnesota 27

Miami @ Buffalo

Buffalo is going to be awful this year. But hey, isn't 1-15 better than 5-11? At least you get a top draft pick out of the torturous season.

Miami 28 (-3.5), Buffalo 10

Detroit @ Chicago

Detroit's talent level on offense has gone way up since last season. First of all, they added Jahvid Best, who could have been a top 10 pick if he had stayed healthy at Cal last year, and wide receiver Nate Burleson. Second of all, Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford are both healthy and happy, allowing them to form a good connection. It'll be hard to beat the Bears on their home turf, with Urlacher and Peppers in the fold now, but the Lions are due for a turnaround season very soon.

Chicago 30, Detroit 27 (+6.5)

Oakland @ Tennessee

Oakland is a sleeper pick by many people, and I'm just not sure I see it. Jason Campbell makes them a good team? Really? Campbell went 4-12 last year and has never led a team to a winning season. If Oakland really thinks Jason Campbell is the key to a turnaround, they've got problems. Well, they already have problems, so it's just business as usual.

Tennessee 17, Oakland 13 (+6.5)

Cincinnati @ New England

New England's offense is back. Tom Brady is fully healthy, Randy Moss and Wes Welker are still there, and the tight end situation has improved. Some critics of Brady, say the 2007 year was a fluke, but that's the only year when he was fully healthy with a top flight receiver. Expect the Pats to be closer to 2007 form than 2009 form.

Cincy on the other hand, will have a hard time making the playoffs. They're more likely to go 0-4 against Baltimore and Pittsburgh than 4-0 like they did last year. The Ochocinco hype machine will disappoint.

New England 31 (-5.5), Cincinnati 20

Carolina @ NY Giants

Carolina always plays the Giants well (see last season's 41-9 beatdown). I think Matt Moore is a legit NFL signal caller and that the vintage Steve Smith (the real Steve Smith) will be lining up at receiver. Oh yeah, they have the best running back duo in the league as well. New York will have better year than last year, but will have a hard time with the upstart Panthers.

Carolina 23 (+7.5), New York 20

Atlanta @ Pittsburgh

Call me a sucker, but I'm all in on Dennis Dixon. I never bought Byron Leftwich starting, even when healthy, only because Dixon is such a dual threat, but Dixon is not the reason for Pittsburgh bouncing back this year. Troy Polamalu's return is. That defense is going to be nasty and return to their rightful place among the game's elite defensive units.

Pittsburgh 20 (+2.5), Atlanta 14

Cleveland @ Tampa Bay

This game is so bad that it doesn't deserve more than a sentence about it.

Cleveland 20 (+2.5), Tampa Bay 13

Denver @ Jacksonville

Wow, another terrible game. This one gets two sentences.

Denver 22 (+2.5), Jacksonville 17

Indianapolis @ Houston

Peyton Manning doesn't lose to Houston. He's not going to start now. (I'm not buying into the Texans as a playoff team either. Too many other good teams for the Texans, with their shaky run game and defense to squeeze in).

Indianapolis 28 (-3.5), Houston 24

San Francisco @ Seattle

San Francisco has had tons of hype surrounding them, which I don't totally buy, but they have to win that division by default right? St. Louis and Seattle are not threats (although, anything can happen), and Arizona will be led into battle by Derek Anderson. Yep, I'd say the Alex Smith (still, yikes) led Niners will win the division, and this game, handily.

San Francisco 27 (+2.5), Seattle 16

Green Bay @ Philadelphia

"AARON RODGERS! CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP! AARON RODGERS! CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP! GREEN BAY PACKERS! CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP! GREEN BAY PACKERS! CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP!" That has been the media's general perception of the Packers this year. I like them to be good, and win that division, but I'm not ready to marry them quite yet. I might think about it though.

Green Bay 31 (-1.5), Philadelphia 20

Arizona @ St. Louis

May the not as bad team win.

St. Louis 17 (+3.5), Arizona 14

Dallas @ Washington

At least the "Cowboys for Super Bowl Champions" propaganda has died down so I don't have to ask where the heck it came from. Tony Romo just doesn't have what it takes to win the big one and Dez Bryant will not be a huge impact player this year. Washington could very well have a better year than Dallas, now that they have an above average quarterback.

Washington 26 (+3.5), Dallas 23

Baltimore @ NY Jets

Who's not excited for this one? These are the two teams that most everybody is picking to win the AFC bid to the Super Bowl (I am not one of them) and who can blame them? New York will have great run game and extremely tough defense and Baltimore should have one of the best offenses in the league (I believe in Flacco, Boldin, and Housh), as well as having a decent enough defense (they'll struggle against the pass). This one should be a thriller.

Baltimore 21 (+3.5), NY Jets 20

San Diego @ Kansas City

Philip Rivers continues to get disrespected. If he can somehow lead San Diego to a 12-4 or 13-3 record without their left tackle and best receiver, can we finally start engraving his name into the "top five" QB discussion that goes on every year. This has all the making of a trap game (I originally picked KC), but Kansas City doesn't look that much better than last year's terrible team on paper. San Diego it is.

San Diego 35 (-5.5), Kansas City 17

Game of the Week: Baltimore @ New York

Upset of the Week: Carolina over New York

Lock of the Week: Miami over Buffalo

Quick Picks for the Season

MVP: Not Aaron Rodgers (Tom Brady)

Offensive Player of the Year: Ray Rice

Defensive Player of the Year: DeMarcus Ware

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Ryan Mathews

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Ndamukong Suh

Comeback Player of the Year: Wes Welker

Coach of the Year: Norv Turner (Yes, Norv Turner)

Division winners (in order of playoff seedings): San Diego, Indianapolis, New England, Baltimore/New Orleans, Green Bay, San Francisco, Dallas

Wild Cards: Pittsburgh, Tennessee/Atlanta, Minnesota

Super Bowl: New England 30, New Orleans 24 (SB MVP: Tom Brady)

No marks in the loss column baby! Not until Friday morning.

A Little Bit Too Much Thunder: Oklahoma City Is Overrated (Right Now)

2010-07-30T17:12:00.000-07:00

Remember when the Portland Trail Blazers were being hailed as a dynastic team with young super star Brandon Roy as the centerpiece, Lamarcus Aldridge as an All-Star sidekick, one of the most hyped draft picks of the decade in Greg Oden as the defensive stalwart down low and tons of young talent they could develop?

The Blazers have won 50 games in back to back seasons for the first time since 2001. They held homecourt advantage in the playoffs in 2009. But, they lost both playoffs series in six games (to teams that took the eventual champions to seven games).

The blueprint was there for Portland to be a dynastic team, but things do not always go according to plan. Lamarcus Aldridge hasn't even made an All-Star team yet. Greg Oden has been infected with the Portland lottery pick injury virus. The surrounding young talent has not blossomed like expected (particularly Rudy Fernandez, who seems to be on his way out of Portland sooner rather than later). Last year, the whole team was bitten by a historically bad injury bug (losing Oden and Pryzbilla to season ending knee injuries, Roy missing or being not fully healthy for almost the entire second half of the year). Now they are recovering from a messy divorce with fan favorite general manager Kevin Pritchard, who was fired for still unclear reasons.

Now Portland is just another good team in the West. A playoff team? Yes, almost unquestionably, but they wouldn't be considered a contender by most people, which is where they should be if everything had gone according to plan.

There's definitely still hope in Portland and around the league that Portland can be a contender in the near future. If Oden can stay on the court, Roy can avoid ticky tack injuries, and young guys like Batum and Bayless can reach anything close to their full potential, and Portland is can still be a major player in the West.

But all it is, is hope. Nothing is certain.

Enter the Oklahoma City Thunder. They're coming off of a 50 win season; they're first winning season since being abducted from Seattle and relocated in Oklahoma.

They have the league's reigning scoring champ who doubles as one of it's brightest stars, Kevin Durant (Who could be with the aforementioned Blazers if they hadn't taken Oden instead with the number one overall pick that year. In the words of Homer Simpson, "DOH!").

The have a rising star point guard in Russell Westbrook and have surrounded those guys with a multitude of very good young role players who have potential still to be unmasked.

Does this sound familiar at all?

All of the hype surround the Thunder is based on one certainty (that Durant will be an MVP caliber player for the next decade) and the rest is solely on potential.

Russell Westbrook has to become a perennial All-Star ('09-'10 stats: 16 ppg, 8 apg, 5 rpg), which isn't necessarily a gimme (I do believe he will be an All-Star caliber guy, but not a no doubt about it All-Star guy).

Serge Ibaka needs to morph into one of the league's premier post defenders.

James Harden needs to become a player that the third overall pick should be.

Their chemistry has to remain like the chemistry of the human body, with everything and everybody doing their job just right.

Their GM has to keep making great draft picks and sneaky trades and free agent pickups (probably the most likely to happen, besides Durant being a perennial MVP candidate. Presti might be the best GM in the league).

If any of those variables goes wrong, it's hard to see Oklahoma City spewing champagne on the Larry O'Brien trophy in early July any time soon.

When I was young, I was taught never to assume. Well, you probably know the old saying.

But it's the stone cold truth.

Assuming anything can make you look like a fool. Whether it's assuming it won't rain and getting drenched, or thinking Greg Oden is a cross between Tim Duncan and Bill Russell and then microfracture surgury taking away his entire rookie year. Never assume.

The Blazers were anointed as the next big thing a few years ago. Now the Thunder are being hailed as one of the best teams in the league right now and for the future.

As a Blazer fan, I can tell you to never assume anything. I feel like a pretty big idiot now for really believing that Portland could make a dynastic run (although I still think they can be serious contenders in the West if Oden can remain semi-healthy).

I advise anybody drinking the Thunder flavored Kool-Aid to not make the same mistake as I did.

Never, EVER assume.

It's for your own good.

Six Myths of the Summer of LeBron

2010-07-07T15:48:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been all LeBron, all the time; so now it's my turn to chime in. On behalf of the "King."

In honor of the six teams vying for LeBron's services, his switch to number six, and perhaps the number of titles he needs to win to start being in the best ever conversation, here are six myths that have been thrown out as fact over the past days.

You're welcome LeBron.

1. LeBron has made a super spectacle of this ordeal.

Selfish. Immature. Egotistical. LeBron James has been described by these adjectives, and many similar unkind words in the past few weeks since becoming a free agent.

Every media member who doesn't have to deal with LeBron directly (so basically everybody but ESPN) has been taking shots at him relentlessly, saying that he's milking his free agency for all that it is worth. That his ego has overtaken him and made him into a monster.

But let's take a look at what really has generated all of the buzz around this.

Who started making this "Summer of 2010" such a big deal as much as two years ago?

Who initiated every free agency remark about LeBron's whereabouts next season?

Who said that there would be an elaborate free agency tour where LeBron would go to each city and get pitches from each team that desired him?

The answer to all of those questions is "not LeBron James."

Yes, LeBron and his marketing camp have arranged for a one hour special on ESPN to announce his big decision. Yes, that is taking it overboard. But is it not taking advantage of a situation like any good business man would do? LeBron is getting criticized unmercifully for this, but what type of NBA fan will NOT be watching?

Doesn't this "special" ensure that the time for his decision will be known by all and that he himself will be able to make the big announcement instead of some reporter getting a leak and then having LeBron give him comments later?

Still, the "special" is a bit overboard for my taste, and the taste of most other people. At least make it 30 minutes instead of an hour. But really, what else has LeBron generated to hype this offseason?

Since when did it become a crime to be a free agent? What has LeBron done besides meet with six teams and wait a few extra days than most basketball fans/media members may have preferred? Most of the hype put out there has been by media members, not LeBron.

Since game 5 of the Eastern Conference semis, LeBron has been getting nothing but bad press and blame for everything he's done/involves him. It's time he gets a little break (before he gets killed by all the fan bases that he left in the dust this offseason).

2. LeBron is the only one taking advantage of this free agency hoopla.

Not only is LeBron not the only one taking advantage (among actual free agents) of this whole "Summer of 2010," but I would argue that he might not even be the main offender of marketing himself this offseason.

Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are both filming documentaries on this free agency experience. About themselves.

There were rumors that Wade expressed interest in joining Chicago only to increase drama for the situation and add content for his documentary (I don't actually believe this, Wade had plenty of incentive to go to Chicago).

Also, in an interview with Michael Wilbon on Sportscenter, Wade basically said he chose playing with Chris Bosh over being able to see his kids in Chicago more frequently. I'm not saying Wade is a bad guy for that, but if LeBron had made a similar statement, he'd be getting killed right now.

Chris Bosh posted a photo on Twitter with him and Wade and an empty seat in the middle, saying that "someone was missing." I'm pretty sure LeBron didn't tell Bosh to tweet that just to raise speculation of a Wade-Bosh-LeBron super trio somewhere.

LeBron's big show might trump anything Bosh or Wade did to publicize their free agency intentions, but either hold all of them accountable, or don't criticize any of them. Bosh and Wade did plenty to hold people on the edge of their seats this July, except they got off without being called egotistical maniacs.

Good for them. Not so good for LeBron.

Now we get into some likely scenarios for LeBron and a few myths about those.

3. If LeBron goes to New York, they will not be a contender right away.

Wade and Bosh are being described as a dynamic duo that can come in and contend in the Eastern Conference right away, so why couldn't LeBron and Amar'e Stoudemire? (Adding Bosh to Wade, Michael Beasley, and Mario Chalmers, +whatever else the get would definitely be an upgrade from last year's 5th place Heat team. So they would be a top 4 team in the East most likely, enabling them to contend).

The Knicks lineup would look like this presumably, if LeBron decided to go there next season.

Guards: LeBron, Toney Douglas

Forwards: Danilo Gallinari, Amar'e Stoudemire (with Wilson Chandler off the bench)

Center: Player X (Sorry Eddy Curry, you're not starting next year)

The Knicks would probably be able to sign a few veteran role players at the league minimum as well, putting together an underwhelming minus Amar'e supporting cast, but when Amar'e is added into the mix then that is a team that is probably better than the Hawks and could challenge the Celtics in the playoffs.

Orlando would still have to be the favorite in the East next year if this scenario comes to pass, but the Knicks would be better than people think (LeBron went to the Finals with the likes of Larry Hughes, Zydrunus Ilguaskas, and Drew Gooden as his best teammates remember).

4. LeBron will be Wade's sidekick in Miami.

How can the overwhelmingly voted back-to-back MVP be a sidekick to anybody? Yes, Wade is a fixture in South Beach and brought the Heat their only championship, but if LeBron ends up in Miami then that immediately become LeBron's team.

It would have to be LeBron's team too. If the Heat don't go out and get a better point guard (likely) then James would probably resume his duties as point forward like he played in Cleveland. Wade and LeBron need a large amount of touches and are probably the two most dangerous driving players in the league, but I think anyone would agree that LeBron is a little more potent than Wade. Is it harder to stop a super athletic 6'4" player or a super athletic 6'8" player who is built like a tank. I'll take option B.

The Heat are going to want LeBron (again, the back-to-back MVP) to take on a leadership role in Miami and LeBron will want to as well. Dwyane seems like the more likely guy to take a back seat to the other and he probably realizes (as well as their coach, and Pat Riley) the LeBron is the better player.

If anything it will be 1A and 1B in Miami, but LeBron will not be playing Pippen to Jordan or even Kobe to Shaq in Miami.

5. LeBron and Wade cannot coexist as teammates.

There haven't been too many similar situations to what Wade and LeBron would be in Miami. Two of the league's best three players have played together semi-recently (Kobe-Shaq in L.A.), but that was a completely different deal. Kobe and Shaq were obviously two completely different types of players who thrived in different situations. The marriage of those two famously ended in divorce despite the differences in their games.

So why could LeBron and Wade play together, despite their very similar styles of play?

Reason one: Because they're so dang good.

By most measures, LeBron and Wade are two of the top three players in the NBA right now (some would throw Dwight Howard or Kevin Durant in the mix, but most smart NBA people would probably agree on Wade being a top three guy). Even if their chemistry isn't great, they will still perform. Shaq and Kobe weren't on the same page all the time, but the had great success together.

But LeBron and Wade aren't Shaq and Kobe. They actually get along and know each other's strengths in their games (from playing with them, and against them). Teams cannot stop both of these players either. That's what would make them so dangerous. LeBron and Wade are both players deserving of a team's best lockdown defender. If that guy is guarding LeBron, Wade is going to destroy the opposition. Put that guy on Wade, and LeBron is dropping 40.

These guys are just too good and too versatile not to be able to play together.

Reason two: Because they are actually good friends.

Dwyane Wade said this on live TV on Tuesday "it's no secret that LeBron and I are good friends."

It's definitely not a secret. Sources say that LeBron and Wade (along with Bosh) have talked numerous times through this free agency process and have been intrigued about the possibility of playing together.

They were, of course, teammates on the 2008 gold medal winning USA basketball squad, where both players played great (with Wade in a more complementary role off the bench).

This isn't a staged or forced friendship. These guys are actually buddies. Maybe not best friends, but good friends none the less.

They certainly aren't Kobe and Shaq, and that is definitely a complement.

Reason three: They would change their games to suit the team.

A big gripe about LeBron James' game is his relative lack of a post up game. At 6'8" with super freak athleticism and a 250+ pound frame, he should be able to develop one.

With Wade being able to handle the bulk of the perimeter scoring and slashing, LeBron would be able to tinker with his skills and become and even more complete player (this is a scary thought).

Wade would be able to save his body from the normal beating it takes from slashing to rim endlessly since LeBron is pretty good at that too.

In short, the load which has been shouldered by LeBron and DWade for their whole careers would suddenly be lightened considerably, allowing them to be fresher and more focused.

Playing with each other should make LeBron and Wade better players if anything.

6. If LeBron goes to Miami, they won't necessarily win a championship.

Let's take a look at the Lakers three peat teams. Here are the third, fourth, and fifth leading scorers on those teams

2000:Glen Rice, Ron Harper, Rick Fox

2001: Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Horace Grant

2002: Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Devean George

Who says you can't win a championship with mediocre role players? Actually these aren't really role players, they are the third and fourth options on a title team. A past his prime Glen Rice is only a third option on a title team if Kobe and Shaq or the star power equivalent are the number one and two.

Wouldn't LeBron and Wade bring as much to the table as Kobe-Shaq? Or at least be close? Then add Chris Bosh, one of the top five post players in the NBA to the mix and how does that team not win the title?

I'm assuming LeBron-Wade-Bosh work out a deal where one or more signs for less than max and Toronto does not sign and trade for Beasley in creating a lineup for them next season.

Here is a comparison on what Miami would look like against the Lakers head-to-head

C Minimum Player X/Andrew Bynum (if he can stay healthy...HA!)

PF Chris Bosh/Pau Gasol

SF LeBron James/Ron Artest

SG Dwyane Wade/Kobe Bryant

PG Mario Chalmers/Derek Fisher?Steve Blake?

6th Man Michael Beasley/ Lamar Odom

Those teams are actually very similar, except for the fact that Miami always has two guys who can score 30 on any given night. And then they have Bosh too. The Lakers actually match up okay with them because Bryant and Artest are two great defenders to stick on Wade and James and Bosh and Gasol would essentially cancel each other out, but James, Wade, and Bosh just seem like a bit too much for Kobe, Gasol and Co.

Hmmm...this could be very interesting.

The good thing is that the wait is almost over. LeBron will make his choice tomorrow at 9 and the NBA will either be centered in Miami for the immediate future or stay relatively the same (if he chooses either New York or Cleveland...I don't think Chicago is in his plans).

LeBron may have made some enemies (unjustly) with this summer and it's pomp, but all eyes will be watching a television set with him announcing his future destination on Thursday.

I know I will.

NBA Stock Report: Part Two

2010-06-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

20. Memphis Grizzlies: Down

The Good: Marc Gasol came on very strong and makes the dealing of his brother Pau not look like a complete theft anymore. Gasol and Randolph make up a very good front line and O.J. Mayo will get his chance to really blossom as the premier perimeter scorer on the Grizzlies assuming Gay leaves. A solid nucleus is in place in Memphis.

The Bad: Rudy Gay, maybe their best player, is all but gone this offseason. With all of the decent teams that have cap space, why would Gay want to stay with a franchise that has shown little commitment to winning and more commitment to saving money?

Another bad thing for Memphis: Zach Randolph is doing Zach Randolph things again (and in no way is that a good thing). Oh yeah, their number two overall pick in last year's draft played in the D-League for a portion of last season. That's definitely bad.

What they need to improve: Point guard. When the Grizzlies drafted Mike Conley at number 4 in the 2007 draft, they hoped that he would turn into an elite NBA point guard. Conley was actually decent last year, averaging a 12-5 and shooting almost 39 percent for three point land. But that's all Conley will ever be. If the Grizzlies want to make the playoffs they need more than that from their point guard.

Ability to improve: It's hard to believe that Zach Randolph will have another season like last years', that Hasheem Thabeet will ever have a decent NBA career, and that Rudy Gay will stay. Even after winning 40 games last year it might be rebuilding time in Memphis again.

2010-2011 Prediction: O.J. Mayo is a guy to keep and eye on next year with Rudy Gay''s expected departure, but as a team, Memphis doesn't have too much promise. (Maybe Grizzlies fans can hope for a crazy Zach Randolph arrest to spice the season up).

19. Milwaukee Bucks: Down

The Good: Brandon Jennings was considered a risk when Milwaukee took him in the lottery last year, but Jennings rewarded them greatly for that risk. He scored 55 points in a game during the regular season and showed up in the playoffs. Former number one overall pick Andrew Bogut decided this year was the time to show up as well and made Third Team All-NBA.

The Bad: Bogut suffered a horrific arm injury at the tail end of the season. Can he recover and be as effective as last year? Can the whole team of below average talent duplicate last seasons' playoff birth? Hmm....

What they need to improve: Talent level. Only Brandon Jennings, Andrew Bogut, and John Salmons are All-Star worthy talents and they are all on the borderline of average-above average players at their respective positions. Can a team really count on guys like Carlos Delfino, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and Ersan Ilyasova to play major minutes and be effective?

Ability to improve: Michael Redd will come back and make a brief cameo before injuring his knee again. If he can stay healthy, Redd can improve the Bucks with his outside shooting ability, but staying healthy is a major question for Redd. It's also a major question if they Bucks role players can perform as they did last year.

2010-2011 Prediction: The Bucks will once again be that pesky team that nobody wants to play, but it's hard to see them making the playoffs again. Then again, most people never thought they would make the playoffs this past season either. FEAR THE DEER!

18. Charlotte Bobcats: Down

The Good: Stephen Jackson proved he only need a change in scenery to be a All-Star level player. He was great last year in Charlotte and Gerald Wallace was as well.

The Bad: Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace are getting to the age where they shouldn't be playing the best basketball of their careers. Teams with many average veterans playing key roles tend to not do as well when they are aged a year more.

What they need to improve: Scoring. Stephen Jackson is the only pure scorer that Charlotte has. Sure, Wallace and others have their nights, but if they want to make any kind of noise in the postseason, they need to go get another player who can score.

Ability to improve: Not many free agents want to come to Charlotte. Jordan doesn't draw players. They're finally out of the lottery this year. Could they be back in 2011?

2010-2011 Prediction: Larry Brown hasn't guaranteed he would be back for next year. If he's not, things could be ugly in Charlotte, but even if he is back, don't expect big things from the Bobcats.

17. Los Angeles Clippers: Up

The Good: Number one overall pick Blake Griffin will play his first minutes as a Clipper next year. Any time a team adds a number one pick to their team, it's good. Hopefully his knee holds up. I'm not a Clipper fan at all, and I'm actually rooting for Griffin to have a great NBA career just to break the Clipper curse. Nobody has beaten the curse yet though.

The Bad: Like I said before, they are cursed. I don't believe in curses and I believe the Clippers are cursed. They're like the Chicago Cubs on steroids, but not lovable and minus Steve Bartman to blame. Where do I sign up for Clippers season tickets?

What they need to improve: Front office incompetence. It needs to be broken. Getting rid of Mike Dumbleavy was a good start. Now only if Donald Sterling could be fired. Alas.

Ability to improve: The Clippers are adding the 2009 number one overall pick to their team and will have enough cap space to sign one of the big free agents. Griffin is sure to improve the team and if they do get some sort of medium elite free agent (Rudy Gay level) the Clippers could be a playoff team. Not that they would do anything in the playoffs, but still. The PLAYOFFS!

2010-2011 Prediction: The Clippers should improve with Griffin joining the mix and Chris Kaman and Eric Gordon playing well. They should get an okay player in the draft as well. Things are looking up for LA's other team (Who in Los Angeles is actually a Clipper fan? It has to 99.5-0.5 Lakers-Clippers right?).

16. New Orleans Hornets: Up

The Good: Chris Paul should be back healthy and in his absence, the Hornets found some very talented youngsters in Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton. Hopefully the owners aren't too cheap to keep all of these guys.

The Bad: The Hornets are in a loaded Western Conference. Which of the eight teams that made the playoffs are going to be considerably worse than last year? New Orleans just doesn't have the overall talent level necessary to compete in the Western conference.

What they need to improve: Ownership. Hornets owner George Shinn is a notorious cheapskate who is always trying to cut costs. There have even been rumors about them cutting ties and trading Chris Paul. Hey, George, heres a tip: DON'T DO IT. (There have also been rumors that Shinn is trying to sell the team. Hornets fans are praying for this.)

Ability to improve: Getting Chris Paul back for the entire season helps. It REALLY helps.

2010-2011 Prediction: The Hornets will be much improved with the return of Paul and the continual improvement of their young players, but they will likely fall short of the playoffs once again.

15. New York Knicks: Up

The Good: The long awaited "Summer of 2010" is finally here! It seems pretty unlikely that LeBron will end up there, but they could land a Wade/Bosh combo or something like that. That would be something to be very excited about in New York.

The Bad: Free agents might want to go to New York, but nobody wants to play for the Knicks. The Knicks haven't exactly been tearing up the NBA for the past decade and the marquee players know that. If I was Dwyane Wade or LeBron James there is no way I would be going to the Knicks. (Not to mention the team they would be joining would have a terrible supporting cast. Two players can only do so much.)

What they need to improve: Landing a big ticket free agent (aka Wade or James). Knicks fans will be disappointed if they end up with a Joe Johnson/Amar'e Stoudemire duo. Can a team who hasn't even sniffed the playoffs for such a long time land one of the league's best players?

Ability to improve: They're going to sign two (maybe three) very good players this offseason. Joe Johnson and Carlos Boozer as a team's top two players isn't terrible. It isn't great, but it's better than a David Lee-average player X duo.

2010-2011 Prediction: The Knicks won't land James or Wade, but they will get a pair of All-Stars that will finally make them relevant in the NBA again.

14. Atlanta Hawks: Down

The Good: Josh Smith and Al Horford blossomed last year and took some of the pressure off of Joe Johnson's shoulders.

The Bad: Joe Johnson is all but gone. Hawks fans can't decide if that's good or bad yet because of the royal stink bomb that Johnson dropped against Orlando in the playoffs. Johnson is good during the regular season though and will be missed.

What they need to improve: Playoff gutsiness. They showed no heart against Orlando as they lost by a combined 101 points in four games. It was just flat out embarrassing.

Ability to improve: As much as Johnson sucked in the playoffs, he was the best and most important player on the Hawks all season long. If he goes, several wins go with him.

2010-2011 Prediction: Johnson will be gone, but Josh Smith and Al Horford should still be able to salvage a playoff birth in the weak Eastern Conference, or the Hawks could go back to being, well...the Hawks.

13. Utah Jazz: Static

The Good: Deron Williams might have taken his place as the best point guard in the league with his incredible play+Chris Paul's injuries last year. To think, two teams in that draft passed on BOTH of them.

The Bad: Carlos Boozer had been rumored to be done in Salt Lake City for what seems like five years now. If he does indeed bolt, Paul Millsap would fill in nicely, but he's not quite the physical offensive force that Boozer is.

What they need to improve: Interior defense. The Jazz' center-power (Okur-Boozer) forward combo last year combined for 117 blocks (in 151 combined games). To compare, Greg Oden had 48 blocks in 21 games.

Ability to improve: Utah lucked out (with many other teams) in dealing with the Knicks when Isaiah Thomas was their GM, so they have a lottery pick. Giving a playoff team that made it past the first round a lottery pick helps that team considerably (umm...duh).

2010-2011 Prediction: Subtracting Boozer and adding a lottery pick just about evens out. The Jazz won't be quite as good next year, but will battle for a playoff spot once again.

12. San Antonio Spurs: Down

The Good: Add Dejuan Blair to the list of great later round draft picks by R.C. Buford (a very underrated name) and Co. If his ACL-less knees hold up, he could be a low post scoring/rebounding machine (think a better version of Boozer).

The Bad: Tim Duncan is finally showing signs that he is indeed not a super human. Although his numbers didn't dip too much, it was clear that he wasn't the dominant force he once was. Every era has to end eventually.

What they need to improve: Age. The Spurs are not getting any younger. Duncan and Ginobili will turn 34 and 33 next season. George Hill and Dejuan Blair are the only promising under 25 year olds on the team, and they are even uncertainties.

Ability to improve: San Antonio will get a higher than normal draft pick for them, so it will be interesting to see how they make use of it. Just a memo to anybody in the organization that is thinking about trading Tony Parker- don't do it!

2010-2011 Prediction: The dynasty is over, Gregg Popovich+Tim Duncan=playoffs. There's a reason the Spurs have made the playoffs every season of the Duncan era.

11. Houston Rockets: Up

The Good: What's not to like about next season as a Rockets fan? Yao will be back, T-Mac's ugly contract is off the books, Kevin Martin is in town, and you have a GM who is not afraid to pull the trigger on a big deal. Sounds pretty good to me.

The Bad: Yao is a ticking time bomb as far as injuries go. Can he really make it through an entire season?

What they need to improve: Health. If all of the Rockets stay healthy, they're a clear playoff team. Rockets fans know that this is a super uncertainty though.

Ability to improve: They have one of the best (maybe the 2nd best) center in the league rejoining the fray, Kevin Martin feeling at home, and Aaron Brooks improving another season. So, yeah...they should only get better.

2010-2011 Prediction: It's anyone's guess whether Yao can make it a full year on his bad feet and various other parts, but if he does this is a playoff team. I don't see him playing in 75+ games, but he'll play enough for the Rockets to be a playoff team.

LeBron Watch: "Cavs have the edge"

2010-06-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

LeBron James has broken the silence about his impending free agency in the upcoming month of July.

In an interview with Larry King (that hasn't aired yet), James apparently said, when asked if the Cavs had an edge in signing him "absolutely."

Many people have conspired that LeBron will leave for Chicago (most likely) or a place like Miami or New York. But Cleveland clearly makes the most sense, and LeBron is realizing that.

LeBron is a business man along with being a basketball player, and does want to build his "brand" as big as he possibly can. This is the main reason many experts have suggested he would go to New York for, but ironically the best way LeBron can remain as likable as he is now and the best thing for his "brand" is to stay in Cleveland.

If he left Cleveland he would be treated as a traitor there, but not only there. Every teams fans, besides the one that landed him, would view him as a traitor and his public perception would take a fairly sizable hit.

Being an icon is about being likable, and if LeBron leaves Cleveland, he loses his likability. LeBron is the league's biggest icon right now, and perhaps the only reason Kobe Bryant isn't is because of his infamous sexual assault trial more than five years ago. That is mostly in the back of people's minds by now, but it lost him much of his popularity at the time when it happened.

Obviously LeBron leaving his team to play for another team wouldn't be nearly the same thing as what Kobe did (charges were dropped, although he admitted cheating on his wife), but his public perception would take a similar hit.

Loyalty, and the love of his home town and state is a big deal for LeBron. He's obviously still tight with his high school teammates who shared the spotlight with him when he was in the midst of one of the most hyped, if not the most hyped high school career of all time. I don't think LeBron could bare the hate that would be showered upon him every time he goes to Cleveland, which is essentially his home. LeBron would rather win 2-3 titles in Cleveland that win 5-6 in Chicago or New York if it means retaining his perception as a loyal, hometown hero.

Sure, if he goes to New York and brings relevancy back to the Knicks he would be hugely popular in New York, but if he wins in Cleveland, he would not only receive the love of Cavaliers fans, he would be seen as a sports hero in the entire United States. If he goes to New York and wins, people will still see him as the guy who dissed the tortured sports fans of Cleveland, Ohio. And people don't exactly feel bad for New York sports fans. They've won a title in 2009 (the Yankees), most Cavaliers have never seen a Cleveland based team win a title.

Chicago wouldn't make sense if only because he'd be in the shadow of Michael Jordan. Unless he pulled a Bill Russell and won something like 10 titles, he's not earning the Jordan shaped space in Chicago fans hearts.

Cleveland is the only place that makes sense for LeBron to play. Maybe he can convince somebody to come and play with him up in Cleveland so the Cavs can get over the hump and win a title.

And if he can't get that other player, at least he won't have an entire city hating his guts. And if he wins a title without that other player he will be loved by that same city and immortalized forever in Cleveland and in NBA history.

Stay in Cleveland, LeBron. It's the only sensible thing to do.

The NBA Stock Report: Part One

2010-05-31T12:37:00.000-07:00

This is the first annual NBA Stock Report.

Basically it's rating the stock of NBA teams and how their immediate (next season) future looks.

Every team is evaluated with four categories: Good things about the team, bad things about the team, areas to improve, and ability to improve. Then I give my prediction on how the team will fare in the upcoming season.

Obviously free agency and the draft haven't happened yet, but the point is to break down each team's potential before those happen with many assumptions being made about those events. It should be interesting to look back on after those events actually are completed.

This is a reverse order countdown, so it begins with 29 (you will see why later on) and ends with 21 for part one.

So without further ado, here is Part One of the first Annual NBA Stock Report.

29. Detroit Pistons: Down

The Good: Rodney Stuckey is okay. I guess.

The Bad: This is a team of overpaid, under performing veterans who will never be superstars. It's going to take a while to build a winner in Detroit again.

What they need to improve: Overpaying mediocrity. They have given way, WAY too much money to the likes of Charlie Villanueva, Ben Gordon, and Rip Hamilton. Paying those three guys a combined 27 million is not a recipe for success in the NBA (Not to mention Tayshaun Prince makes 10 million).

Ability to improve team: No cap space, won't be able to get an elite guy (unless Cousins somehow drops because of character concerns) in the draft. Not good.

2010-2011 Prediction: The Lions might not be the worst team in Detroit next year. Somewhere Matthew Stafford is smiling (and Joe Dumars is not).

28. Minnesota Timberwolves: Static

The Good: Kevin Love and Al Jefferson should be one of the best C-PF tandems in the league, except that they are both natural power forwards and can't play with each other. (I know, that "good" turned into a "bad" really quickly. Why do you think they are number 29?)

The Bad: They're in Minnesota, so unless they get lucky in the draft, they're never going to get better.

What they need to improve: Backcourt scoring. Johnny Flynn and Corey Brewer aren't lighting the world on fire, or even lighting South America on fire. They need a guard to take some pressure off of KLove and Jefferson.

Ability to improve team: The T'Wolves picked a bad draft for their ping pong ball to get picked fourth. If they had the number one or two picks it would be an easy choice of Wall or Turner, but with their best two players being Al Jefferson and Kevin Love, drafting another big man wouldn't make much sense.

2010-2011 Prediction: "Basketball and Minnesota don't go very well together"- Ricky Rubio (Okay, I made that up, but it's not crazy to think he would say that.)

27. Indiana Pacers: Static

The Good: Danny Granger recently signed a contract extension and is a potential super star. How long can the Pacers expect to keep him happy though?

The Bad: No supporting cast for Granger. Troy Murphy? Roy Hibbert? Blah.

What they need to improve: Reliance on Granger. Everything comes down to Granger not having enough help and there is a good reason, because he has none. C'mon Larry, go get some help for your young star.

Ability to improve: The Pacers will always be mediocre, never being bad enough to get a super high draft pick. It actually might be better to just tank one season to get a top 3 pick and have a shot at the playoffs. That's not happening, and neither are the playoffs any time soon.

2010-2011 Prediction: Granger has no help, and he's not on the "superstar" level right now. The long suffering Pacers fans get to long suffer some more.

26. Philadelphia 76ers: Up

The Good: They have the number two pick in the draft, which means they will be able to pick Evan Turner, or get rid of Elton Brand's horrendous contract for decent talent. The odds are on the former, but it's really a win-win situation, although the latter is less of a win.

The Bad: They don't have any players close to being elite players. Andre Iguodala is a good player and I like Iguodala, but as a okay number two, or an extremely good number three, not a number one.

What they need to improve: Frontcourt everything. When Sam Dalembert and the corpse of Elton Brand are manning the front lines for your NBA team, things aren't going to turn out great.

Ability to improve: Who knows how good Evan Turner will be, but everybody seems to think that he can be a big contributor right away. Hopefully, for Philadelphia's sake, he is.

2010-2011 Prediction: Evan Turner provides a tiny ray of sunshine in a dark, cloudy sky. He needs another good player to make that ray shine brighter.

25. Toronto Raptors: Down

The Good: Toronto should get something for Chris Bosh in a sign-and-trade. Woo hoo!

The Bad: Chris Bosh is most likely headed south of the border onto greener pastures. In case nobody noticed, he was by far Toronto's best player last year (and the seasons before that).

What they need to improve: Defense. When Andrea Bargnani is patrolling the middle, that's not a good sign for a team's post defense. And their guards aren't exactly All-NBA defenders either.

Ability to improve: When a team's best player, and perennial All-Star power forward, leaves, then that team isn't improving. That team is the Toronto Raptors.

2010-2011 Prediction: Torontonians (I looked it up) will be looking forward to the Maple Leafs season, and that's not a good thing (To NBA fans not familiar with hockey: the Maple Leafs are in a state of awfulness right now).

24. Sacramento Kings: Static

The Good: Tyreke Evans had one of the best rookie seasons of the past 20 years and should be around for a while. He's the real deal.

The Bad: Tyreke Evans is all they got. There's a reason a rookie who was the fourth pick puts up 20-5-5 besides the fact that he is good- he had to.

What they need to improve: Like Danny Granger, Tyreke Evans is running a one man show. The Kings need help everywhere.

Ability to improve: Sacramento is young, so everybody should be improving. Picking at number five, they could get lucky and snatch a guy like Cousins and hope he ends up fulfilling his potential.

2010-2011 Prediction: The Kings are stockpiling decent young talent. Eventually they could break through, but not next season.

23. Golden State Warriors: Up

The Good: Stephen Curry looked like a perfect fit for the Warriors last year, and had a torrid second half. He was definitely the steal of the draft and is the building block for Golden State's future.

The Bad: There are bad defensive teams, and then there is Golden State. They gave up almost five more points per game that the second worst NBA team. How is Don Nelson considered one of the best coaches ever after that embarrassing display?

What they need to improve: Get rid of some of their "chuckers" and get some guys who actually try/know to play defense. Get something for Monta Ellis while he's putting up numbers. Defense really does win championships in today's NBA.

Ability to improve: The pieces are there. Golden State has plenty of young talent and trade pieces in Steph Curry, Monta Ellis, Anthony Randolph, Anthony Morrow. They could have somebody who fits the team perfectly fall into their laps in the draft as well. But will they improve? It's impossible to tell with the Warriors.

2010-2011 Prediction: It all comes back to defensive woes for Golden State. Warriors games should be very fun to watch, but maybe not for Warriors fans.

22. Washington Wizards: Up

The Good: John Wall is all but headed for the nation's capital and brings Washington their most bankable player since Wes Unseld.

The Bad: Gilbert Arenas might stall Wall's development and possibly threaten to shoot him. To make matters worse, Gilbert is practically untradeable with his cringe worthy contract and off court antics. Arenas could take some pressure off Wall and be a good scoring option still, but it's more likely that he will stall Wall's development slightly.

What they need to improve: Team chemistry. The Wizards clearly weren't the closest nit team last year. Whether it was the whole Arenas-Crittenton gun thing, or the fact that their two best players were traded mid season, the team was not a real team last year. That doesn't change over night either.

Ability to improve: John Wall is coming to town, and Gilbert Arenas will be able to play again. That should give them at least 7-8 more wins than last season.

2010-2011 Prediction: John Wall gives some hope for the franchise and they will also have hope that they can land the number one pick for next season too. Washington is still a year or two away from turning things around (at least they're doing better than their next door neighbors over in the Capital building and White House).

21. New Jersey Nets: Up

The Good: At the very least, new super-rich owner Mikhail Prokhorov will spice things up a bit. They might not land a marquee free agent like they want to, but there's no way the Nets will win fewer games than last season.

The Bad: This is still a team that won only 12 games last year. Teams that win 12 games just don't become suddenly good the next season. That is, unless Jay-Z convinces his boy LeBron to come over to Jersey (In the words of Steven Tyler: "Dream on").

What they need to improve: The losing atmosphere. The Lions went 0-16 in the NFL and it was clear that they weren't suddenly going to go 10-6 the following season. It doesn't get much closer to 0-16 than 12-70 in NBA terms, so New Jersey is going to have to mentally tough it out next year. If they land a big name free agent this is a moot point, but I don't see it happening.

Ability to improve: Any team that wins 12 games is going to improve, especially a team with Devin Harris, Brook Lopez (might be the second best center in the league now), the number 3 pick in the draft, and tons of cap space.

2010-2011 Prediction: The Nets will be substantially better than last season, but that could mean a variety of things. The offseason is a big wild card for New Jersey and I don't see any big name free agents going there. If I am wrong, and somebody does, they could very well be a playoff team. I don't think I'm wrong (C'mon, who does?).

Part Two: Coming Soon

2010-05-31T03:39:00.000-07:00

Kobe vs. LeBron has become the new Brady vs. Manning.

In the early part of the '00's, Brady had the rings, but Manning had that stats. Then Manning won a ring, and the consensus seemed to be that Manning was the better of the two. Enter Randy Moss into the equation, and Tom Brady sets the NFL record for touchdown passes (passing Manning's mark) while leading the Patriots to 16-0 regular season. Unfortunately Brady's knee got torn up during the first game of the next season and Manning won his third MVP award. The next season Manning won his second consecutive MVP and led the Colts to a 14-0 start, and a Super Bowl appearance. Manning was again the victor in the Brady-Manning duel.

We overreact to bad games by great players. Manning threw the game losing pick right into Tracy Porter's hands, and kick started the "Manning is a choker" arguments up again. LeBron put up a 15 point stinker at home in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics, and initiated the same the thing for himself.

Meanwhile, Kobe's Lakers were on their way to the Western Conference Finals after sweeping the banged up Utah Jazz, and then behind a great Kobe performance, finished off the Suns to make their third NBA Finals in three seasons.

This seemed to validate the argument that Kobe Bryant was better than LeBron James. But again, sports fans are some of the most short sighted, irrational people in the world sometimes. Can we really totally disregard the past two regular seasons that were owned by LeBron, and the past two landslide MVP award races?

At the same time, Kobe has had great regular seasons the past two years as well, along with winning a title, and his first Finals MVP.

In short, Kobe has been the playoff MVP of the past two season, and LeBron has been the regular season MVP. But which one is the better individual player?

Let's break it down

Post Game

Edge: Kobe

Kobe has one of the best post games of any guard to ever play the game, at this point in his career. He worked with post move master Hakeem Olajuwon this offseason, and frequently adds new moves. If LeBron learned how to play in the post, he should be unstoppable because of his mix of strength, size, and quickness; but Kobe is a much better post player right now.

Shooting

Edge: Kobe

LeBron gets criticized a little too much for his "poor" shooting, but in reality he's really not a bad jump shooter. He's a better jump shooter than Allen Iverson was, and people weren't always complaining about Iverson's lack of a reliable jump shot.

The fact is when LeBron gets in the zone, he can make four threes in a row. However, Kobe is a better jump shooter, and free throw shooter. Shooting is more a part of Kobe's game that LeBron's right now, since Kobe's body isn't quite what it used to be, and that's to Kobe's credit for working on his shot so much. Consistency is the key to shooting, and Kobe is a more consistent shooter than James.

Slashing

Edge: LeBron

With the possible exception of Dwyane Wade, there is no other player in the NBA that attacks the basket with the same effectiveness as LeBron. Nobody wants to get in the way of a 6'8" monster built like a linebacker. And nobody does.

At one time Kobe was a great slasher in his own right, but his body isn't what it used to be. However, he was never as good as LeBron in this category anyway.

Passing

Edge: LeBron

James is easily the best passing non-point guard in the game today. It's not even close. He always knows where his teammates are and finds wide open teammates for easy layups and open jumpers all the time. His constant driving to the hoop draws the defense to him and allows LeBron to find teammates open on the perimeter.

Kobe is by no means a bad passer, but he's not a special passer like LeBron. LeBron has the passing gene only a few have ever possessed in NBA history. This is a huge part of LeBron's game that is sometimes overlooked when comparing him to other players.

Defense

Edge: Even

Both players have made the All-Defense team the past couple of years, so this one is extremely difficult to judge. One on one, Kobe might be a better defender than LeBron, but that's not the only part of defense. LeBron is a better help defender, and blocks shots regularly. LeBron can also guard a larger variety of players, and is a better rebounder. Both are great defenders in their own areas of expertise.

Leadership

Edge: Even

LeBron interacts with his teammates better than Kobe, and never fights with his teammates. Kobe, of course, had the long feud with Shaq, and has been called out by teammate Pau Gasol for not giving him the ball enough. Throughout his career, Kobe has been spotted rolling his eyes at his teammates, and being harsh on them. LeBron is always patting his teammates on the back, and goofing off with them.

However, LeBron's leadership style isn't necessarily the best type. Michael Jordan was never Mr. Nice Guy, but his teammates revered him, and that's the same type of leadership Kobe is trying to emulate. He doesn't lead as well as Jordan, but as the leader of his team, he equals James.

Clutch Ability

Edge: Kobe

This is one area where Kobe just keeps getting better, and better. Ironically, Kobe's buzzer beaters have been the only part of his game that is missing in the playoffs. Twice have his bricked/air balled game winners been rebounded, and put in at the buzzer by teammates.

LeBron is one of the best players at the end of the game as well, but Kobe is simply the best in the NBA in the final twenty seconds (The All Time Clutch Power Trio: MJ, Kobe, Bird), and it's really not even close.

Supporting Cast

Edge: Kobe

This is Kobe's biggest advantage over LeBron (along with being in the league twice as long). LeBron has only played with two All-Stars (meaning they were an All-Star the year that he played with them) during his entire Cavaliers tenure (Mo Williams, Ilgauskas), and those were both questionable selections. The Cavs acquisition of Antawn Jamison was supposed to be a big help for LeBron, but he proved to not be clutch and choke in the deciding Game 6 (five points, and five rebounds in 30 minutes counts as choking right?).

Kobe has one of the best offensive post players in the NBA, and one of the leagues top defenders on the wing. When Bynum is healthy, he gives them an extra dimension down low as well. Lamar Odom might be better than anybody on Cleveland besides LeBron, and he's the Lakers fourth option. Kobe won a title last season, but if LeBron had switched places with him he would probably have done the same.

The Final Verdict

This is really too close to call. There isn't a definitive answer either way. If LeBron was still in the playoffs, and the Cavs were dominating, LeBron would be the choice, but he's not. Personally I still believe LeBron is the best player in the world, but I can accept people who say Kobe is (as long as they aren't obnoxious about it).

Basketball is a team sport, and Kobe has a better team. If we could clone the Lakers and put LeBron one Lakers A and Kobe on Lakers B which team would win? We'll never know. And we might never know if LeBron or Kobe is better.

That is until LeBron wins five titles in a row in Chicago with Derrick Rose. (Just kidding....maybe)

For now, let's just stop hating and enjoy Kobe, and LeBron for the great players that they are, and reevaluate this when both of their careers are finished.

LeBron still has plenty of time to win some titles and pile up the stats, and Kobe isn't going away any time soon.

Here's to hoping we'll get a Lakers-whoever LeBron plays for Finals before 2015.

LeBron? Kobe? Why Not Both?

2010-05-29T05:07:00.000-07:00

Kobe vs. LeBron has become the new Brady vs. Manning.

In the early part of the '00's, Brady had the rings, but Manning had that stats. Then Manning won a ring, and the consensus seemed to be that Manning was the better of the two. Enter Randy Moss into the equation and Tom Brady sets the NFL record for touchdown passes (passing Manning's mark) while leading the Patriots to 16-0 regular season. Unfortunately Brady's knee got torn up during the first game of the next season and Manning won his third MVP award. The next season Manning won his second consecutive MVP and led the Colts to a 14-0 start and a Super Bowl appearance. Manning was again the victor in the Brady-Manning duel.

We overreact to bad games by great players. Manning threw the game losing pick six right into Tracy Porter's hands and kick started the "Manning is a choker" arguments up again. LeBron put up a 15 point stinker at home in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics and initiated the same the thing for him.

Meanwhile Kobe's Lakers were on their way to the Western Conference Finals after sweeping the banged up Utah Jazz and then behind a great Kobe performance finished off the Suns to make their third NBA Finals in the same amount of seasons.

At the same time, Kobe has had great regular seasons the past two years as well, along with winning a title and his first Finals MVP.

In short, Kobe has been the playoff MVP of the past two season and LeBron has been the regular season MVP. But which one is the better individual player?

Let's break it down

Post Game

Edge: Kobe

Kobe has one of the best post games of any guard, ever at this point in his career. He worked with post move master Hakeem Olajuwon this offseason and adds new moves frequently. If LeBron learned how to play in the post, he should be unstoppable because of his mix of strength, size, and quickness; but Kobe is a much better post player right now.

Shooting

Edge: Kobe

LeBron gets criticized a little too much for his "poor" shooting, but in reality he's really not a bad jump shooter. He's a better jump shooter than Allan Iverson was, and people weren't always complaining about Iverson's lack of a reliable jump shot. The fact is when LeBron gets in the zone, he can make four threes in a row. However, Kobe is a better jump shooter and free throw shooter. Shooting is more a part of Kobe's game that LeBron's right now, since Kobe's body isn't quite what it used to be, and that's to Kobe's credit for working on his shot so much. Consistency is the key to shooting, and Kobe is a more consistently good shooter than James.

Slashing

Edge: LeBron

At one time Kobe was a great slasher in his own right, but his body isn't what it used to be. However, he was never as good as LeBron in this category.

Defense

Edge: Even

Both players have made the All-Defense team the past couple of years, so this one is extremely difficult to judge. One on one, Kobe might be a better defender than LeBron, but that's not the only part of defense. LeBron is a better help defender and blocks shots regularly. LeBron can also guard a larger variety of players and is a better rebounder. Both are great defenders in their own areas of expertise.

Leadership

Edge: Even

LeBron interacts with his teammates better than Kobe and never fights with his teammates. Kobe, of course, had the long feud with Shaq, and has been called out by teammate Pau Gasol for not giving him the ball enough. Throughout his career, Kobe has been spotted rolling his eyes at his teammates and being harsh on them. LeBron is always patting his teammates on the back and goofing off with them.

Clutch Ability

Edge: Kobe

This is one area where Kobe just keeps getting better and better. Ironically, Kobe's buzzer beaters have been the only part of his game that is missing in the playoffs. Twice have his bricked/air balled game winners been rebounded and put in at the buzzer by teammates.

Supporting Cast

Edge: Kobe

This is Kobe's biggest advantage over LeBron (along with being in the league twice as long). LeBron has only played with two All-Stars (meaning they were an All-Star the year that he played with them) his entire Cavaliers tenure (Mo Williams, Ilgauskas) and those were both questionable selections. The Cavs acquisition of Antawn Jamison was supposed to be a big help for LeBron, but he proved the not be clutch and choked in the deciding Game 6 (5 points and 5 rebounds in 30 minutes counts as choking right?).

Kobe has one of the best offensive post players in the NBA and a one of the leagues top defenders on the wing. When Bynum is healthy, he gives them an extra dimension down low as well. Lamar Odom might be better than anybody on Cleveland besides LeBron and he's the Lakers fourth option. Kobe won a title last season, but if LeBron had switched places with him he would probably have done the same.

The Final Verdict

This is really too close to call. There isn't a definitive answer either way. If LeBron was still in the playoffs and the Cavs were dominating, LeBron would be the choice, but he's not. Personally I still believe LeBron is the best player in the world, but I can accept people who say Kobe is (as long as they aren't obnoxious about it).

Basketball is a team sport and Kobe has a better team. If we could clone the Lakers and put LeBron one Lakers A and Kobe on Lakers B which team would win? We'll never know. And we might never know which one of LeBron or Kobe is better.

That is until LeBron wins five titles in a row in Chicago with Derrick Rose. (Just kidding....maybe)

For now, let's just stop hating and enjoy Kobe and LeBron for the great players that they are and reevaluate this when both of their careers are finished.

LeBron still has plenty of time to win some titles and pile up the stats, and Kobe isn't going away any time soon.

Here's to hoping we'll get a Lakers-whoever LeBron plays for Finals before 2015.

Kobe vs. MJ: Let's Give It A Rest

2010-04-07T17:52:00.000-07:00

As the basketball community knows, Kobe Bryant signed a three year contract extension worth 83.5 million dollars recently. In his final season of that contract he will be making upwards of 30 million. Not a bad pay day.

Also, when that contract was signed, it spawned several articles that mentioned Kobe Bryant in the same breath as Michael Jordan (for about the 345,897th time). Most of these articles may have been only to suggest that with this extension, it allows Kobe to possibly tie or surpass Michael in number of titles, but even so, we need to stop mentioning these two in the same breath.

I will not cover up the fact that I am not Kobe's biggest fan, but I like to think I am a bit more objective about Kobe's skill and legacy than delusional Lakers fans are.

Kobe is one of the top ten players of all-time (the rest: 1. MJ, 2. Russell, 3. Wilt, 4. Kareem, 5. Magic, 6. Bird, 7. Oscar, 8. Olajuwon, 9. Shaq). He is the most deadly clutch player in the game today, and one of the most deadly to ever play the game. If my team is down by one with five seconds left in the game, I want the ball in Kobe Bryant's hands over anybody else's in the league. He's probably the hardest working, most intense superstar in the NBA. In other words, the Mamba is a beast.

But Jordan-level beast? I think not.

The thing is, many people who do compare Kobe to Jordan are not just suggesting that he will or can catch Jordan in number of titles, they suggest that Kobe can become the greatest basketball player to ever live. They say Kobe has more pure "skill" than Jordan ever had. Somebody tell that to Jordan or anybody who played against him.

I'm here to debunk the myth that Bryant can ever reach Jordan level status.

Reason One: Statistics

Jordan's overall career statistical line is one of the most impressive in NBA history- 30.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 5.3 apg, 2.3 spg, 0.8 bpg, 49.7 FG percent, 83.5 FT percent. Compare that to Kobe Bryant's career stats so far—25.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.7 apg, 1.5 spg, 0.6 bpg, 45.5 FG percent, 83.8 FT percent. Unless I'm reading those lines incorrectly, Jordan has a statistical edge in point, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and field goal percentage. And Jordan could still end up with a better free throw percentage than Bryant, while it will be near impossible for Kobe to catch Jordan in any of the other categories.

Kobe apologists will point out that Kobe came into the league at age 18 and Jordan was already well seasoned after playing three years of college ball under a legendary college coach. But take this into account: Jordan missed nearly all of his second season with injury (he averaged 37.1 points per game the following year), didn't play for almost two complete seasons in the prime of his career, and came back for two sub-par (by Jordan standards) seasons at the tender age of 38 (he still averaged a 21-5-6). All three of those things hurt his career averages rather significantly. More significantly than Kobe having to develop for a few seasons before moving into a more major role? That is hard to judge.

Reason Two: Alpha Dog Status

Michael Jordan was the clear No. 1 guy one every single one of those Bulls championship teams. His six NBA Finals MVPs back that up. Kobe was the number two guy on three of his four title teams, bringing home Finals MVP only once (with Shaq winning back-to-back-to-back Finals MVPs). Was Kobe the best number two option on a title team in NBA history? Quite possibly. But he was not the best player on any of those three-peat Lakers teams.

It seems like most people seemed to agree that Jordan was the alpha dog of the NBA, rewarding him with five Most Valuable Player awards (and probably should have been more). Kobe Bryant has one.

Jordan became the fourth guard to win the Defensive Player of the Year award. Only one other guard has won it since (Gary Payton). Jordan also led the league in steals three times.

Jordan won the NBA scoring title ten times. In an eleven year stretch, the only time Jordan did not win the scoring title was when he came back from his baseball project and only played in 17 games. So essentially Jordan won 10 scoring titles in a row (he also had the led the league in total points as a rookie). That's pretty telling about who the most dominating player in the league was over that stretch.

How many scoring titles has Kobe won? Two. He won zero titles during those two years. Jordan won the scoring title every year that he won a championship.

Dominance and Michael Jordan are synonyms. Kobe Bryant doesn't quite qualify.

Reason Three: LeBron James

There is a huge obstacle standing between Kobe Bryant and the minimum of two titles he needs to start being compared to Michael Jordan. That obstacle is the 6'8" 250+ mountain that is the soon to be back-to-back NBA MVP, LeBron James.

LeBron has built the Cavs into a powerhouse, and for the second straight season they are on pace to easily capture the league's best regular season record.

There is an argument on whether James or Bryant is the best player in the league, but Jordan certainly never had anything like LeBron standing in his way of winning NBA title after NBA title.

Charles Barkley? Please. Karl Malone? Get real. LeBron's ceiling is a top ten or top five player in NBA history, something none of Jordan adversaries (besides Hakeem, whose team never peaked when Jordan's Bulls were at their apex) could ever claim.

If I had to bet, who wins more titles in the next five years, I would bet on LeBron in a heartbeat. Kobe and the Lakers will not improve drastically over the next few years, and LeBron and his Cavs are only getting better.

Kobe has had his 30th (and 31st) birthday and Pau Gasol is starting to get into the latter part of his prime. Ron Artest is going to waste away to nothing in the next few seasons.

The only hope the Lakers have to hold off the Cavaliers impending dynasty is that Andrew Bynum develops into the player they expect he could eventually be or if they flip Bynum or another key player for a true superstar in a blockbuster deal.

If the Cavaliers win the title this summer, Kobe's hopes of catching Jordan might disappear.

Kobe Bryant is not Michael Jordan. He will never be as good or successful as Michael Jordan. I know most knowledgeable basketball fans would tend to agree with that statement, but for the one percent of the people who do not, please wake up.

Even if Kobe wins three more titles (with Finals MVP's in each), three more MVPs, and three more scoring titles his resume still wouldn't be up to the level of Jordan's. And if he does do all of those things, then it will be a huge shock to me and the basketball world considering he will celebrate his 32nd birthday this summer.

Kobe vs. MJ? Let's give it a rest.

THE Definitive Guide to the NCAA Tournament

2010-03-15T11:53:00.000-07:00

"March Madness."

It's called "Madness" for a reason. These games, between two colleges fighting for bragging rights and hopefully a national title, produce some of the most exciting, craziest games in sports. Who can forget North Carolina State upsetting Houston because Lorenzo Charles just happened to be where Dereck Whittenburg's air ball landed? What about Christian Laettner swooshing a 15 footer after a court length football pass by freshman Grant Hill? The list goes on and on.

Perhaps the craziest thing about March Madness is the unpredictability of the games. There's a better chance of flying to Uranus in a Honda Civic than picking every single game on the slate correctly.

That said (and noting that I have not exactly immersed myself in college basketball this season) let's give this thing a go.

*Each game will have a short preview/prediction, a player to watch, and a name of the game (because college basketball has the best names around).

Midwest Regional

1) Kansas vs. 16) Lehigh

A sixteen seed has never upset a one seed in NCAA history. Don't expect anything different happening for Lehigh against the nation's top ranked team.

Player to Watch: Sherron Collins (Kansas)

Name of the Game: Brady Morningstar (Kansas)

The Pick: Kansas (by 22)

8) UNLV vs. 9) Northern Iowa

Northern Iowa has not faced the athleticism that UNLV will be throwing at them, not having faced any top 25 teams all season long. The Runnin' Rebels have won 7 of their last 8 in a very tough mid-major conference.

Player to Watch: Tre'Von Willis (UNLV)

Name(s)* of the Game: Kwadzo Ahelegbe/Ali Farokhmanesh (Northern Iowa)

The Pick: UNLV (by 5)

5) Michigan State vs. 12) New Mexico State

Something's gotta give here. Michigan State is a defensive minded team while New Mexico State is all about scoring. Defense might not always win championships, but it will usually win when it has much more talent than the offensive minded team.

Player to Watch: Kalin Lucas (Michigan State)

Name of the Game: Korie Lucious (Michigan State)

The Pick: Michigan State (by 8)

4) Maryland vs. 13) Houston

Picking a team that went 13-3 in the ACC should be a no brainer against a team that had a losing record in Conference USA play, but these circumstances are anything but normal. The ACC was exceptionally weak this year and Houston is riding high off of a Conference USA tournament title. If Houston's dynamic duo of Aubrey Coleman and Kelvin Lewis get hot, then look out.

Player to Watch: Aubrey Coleman (Houston)

Name of the Game: Dino Gregory (Maryland)

The Pick: Houston (by 2)

6) Tennessee vs. 11) San Diego State

Amazingly all but one of Tennessee's losses have come by double digits. San Diego State is not beating them by double digits.

Player to Watch: Wayne Chism (Tennessee)

Name of the Game: Skylar McBee (Tennessee)

The Pick: Tennessee (by 4)

3) Georgetown vs. 14) Ohio

Greg Monroe and Georgetown are getting hot at exactly the right time. If Monroe continues his dominating play that he's put on display lately, then the Hoyas could go far.

Player to Watch: Greg Monroe (Georgetown)

Name of the Game: Kenneth van Kempen (Ohio)

The Pick: Georgetown (by 14)

7) Oklahoma State vs. 10) Georgia Tech

Derrick Favors is picking the right time to start playing like the top 5 pick that he is supposed to be. Either of these teams can beat anybody (see wins over Kansas and Duke) and could play the role of spoiler for an unfortunate team's season.

Player to Watch: James Anderson (Oklahoma State)

Name of the Game: Mfon Udofia (Georgia Tech)

The Pick: Georgia Tech (by 3)

2) Ohio State vs. 15) UCSB

Evan "The Villian" Turner is a man. Not only is he leading his team in points, rebounds, and assists; he also allowed them to win the Big 10 tournament with a near half-court buzzer beater against Michigan in their first game of the tourney. If a team figures out how to stop Turner, Ohio State will be in trouble. Good luck.

Player to Watch: Evan Turner (Ohio State)

Name of the Game: Zisis Sarikopoulos (Ohio State)

The Pick: Ohio State (by 26)

Midwest Outlook

No. 1 seed: Kansas

Top Player: Evan Turner

Biggest First Round Upset: 13) Houston over 4) Maryland

Possible Sleeper/Spoiler Team: Georgia Tech

Regional Final Matchup: 1) Kansas vs. 2) Ohio State

Midwest Regional Champion: Ohio State Buckeyes

West Regional

1) Syracuse vs. 16) Vermont

Syracuse is probably the least reliable of the number one seeds, but Vermont? No way.

Player to Watch: Wesley Johnson (Syracuse)

Name of the Game: Arinze Onuaku (Syracuse)

The Pick: Syracuse (by 19)

8) Gonzaga vs. 9) Florida State

Both teams are coming off of embarrassing tournament losses to underdogs. The question is, which team will be more motivated by their loss?

Player to Watch: Matt Bouldin (Gonzaga)

Name of the Game: Mangisto Arop (Gonzaga)

The Pick: Gonzaga (by 7)

5) Butler vs. 12) UTEP

Both of these teams are red hot, Butler winning their past 20 games and UTEP winning 16 of their past 17 (only loss coming in Conference USA championship game). Either of these teams could go far with a few breaks.

Player to Watch: Randy Culpepper (UTEP)

Name of the Game: Arnett Moultrie (UTEP)

The Pick: Butler (by 2)

4) Vanderbilt vs. 13) Murray State

Murray State has 30 wins and none of them against very good teams. Vanderbilt is a good team.

Player to Watch: Jermaine Beal (Vanderbilt)

Name of the Game: Festus Ezeli (Vanderbilt)

The Pick: Vanderbilt (by 12)

6) Xavier vs. 11) Minnesota

Minneota is either on or off. Two of their past four wins have been by 27 or more points. However, their past two losses are by a combined 57 points. The Gophers better be on against Xavier.

Player to Watch: Jordan Crawford (Xavier)

Name of the Game: Devron Bostick (Minnesota)

The Pick: Xavier (by 17)

3) Pittsburgh vs. 14) Oakland

Oakland has been destroyed by every ranked team they've faced this year. Bad news for Oakland: Pitt is ranked.

Player to Watch: Ashton Gibbs (Pittsburgh)

Name of the Game: Blake Cushingberry (Oakland)

The Pick: Pittsburgh (by 18)

7) BYU vs. 10) Florida

Florida has lost four out of their last five. It's hard to see a team that has done that making any noise in the Big Dance.

Player to Watch: Jimmer Fredette (BYU)

Name of the Game: Jimmer Fredette (BYU)

The Pick: BYU (by 10)

2) Kansas State vs. 15) North Texas

North Texas is no slouch, winning their past 11 games. It will be a tough task to beat K-State, but they'll at least make it a good fight.

Player to Watch: Jacob Pullen (Kansas State)

Name of the Game: George Odufuwa (North Texas)

The Pick: Kansas State (by 10)

West Outlook

No. 1 seed: Syracuse

Top Player: Wesley Johnson

Biggest First Round Upset: N/A

Possible Sleeper/Spoiler Team: Butler

Regional Final Matchup: Butler vs. Kansas State

West Regional Champion: Butler Bulldogs

East Regional

1) Kentucky vs. 16) East Tennessee State

The Wildcats are a young team who's lack of experience might betray them and cost them a long run in the tournament. However, they'll make it to at least a second game.

Player to Watch: John Wall (Kentucky)

Name of the Game: DeAndre Liggins (Kentucky)

The Pick: Kentucky (by 32)

8) Texas vs. 9) Wake Forest

Whoever wins this game is in for a bad surprise come round two. Texas is 7-9 in their past sixteen, while Wake has lost five out of six. You're welcome Kentucky!

Player to Watch: Damion James (Texas)

Name of the Game: Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest)

The Pick: Texas (by 6)

5) Temple vs. 12) Cornell

Temple finished the season ripping through a strong Atlantic 10. The Big Red of Cornell aren't playing too badly themselves, but they play in the Ivy League. Ivy League schools usually aren't known for their stellar performances in the NCAA tournament.

Player to Watch: Ryan Wittman (Cornell)

Name of the Game: Scootie Randall (Temple)

The Pick: Temple (by 6)

4) Wisconsin vs. 13) Wofford

Wisconsin has played extremely well against upper tier teams this season, but has struggled against some of the weaker teams. They have major potential to make a run, but could they possibly overlook Wofford?

Player to Watch: Trevon Hughes (Wisconsin)

Name of the Game: Keaton Nankivil (Wisconsin)

The Pick: Wisconsin (by 13)

6) Marquette vs. 11) Washington

Wow, the Pac-10 champ is an 11 seed? It's amazing how bad it's been this year. Going against a Big East school might not be pretty. Or maybe Marquette will overlook them? We'll see.

Player to Watch: Quincey Pondexter (Washington)

Name of the Game: Venoy Overton (Washington)

The Pick: Washington (by 5)

3) New Mexico vs. 14) Montana

Montana is lucky to be in this tournament and they'll be lucky to keep this one within twenty.

Player to Watch: Darington Hobson (New Mexico)

Name of the Game: Darington Hobson (New Mexico)

The Pick: New Mexico (by 21)

7) Clemson vs. 10) Missouri

It's hard to count on Clemson to ever win a big game. Missouri isn't exactly a great basketball school either. Should be a very close game.

Player to Watch: Trevor Booker (Clemson)

Name of the Game: Demontez Stitt (Clemson)

The Pick: Missouri (by 2)

2) West Virginia vs. 15) Morgan State

Nobody wants to play a scorching hot West Virginia team coming off of a Big East championship game victory...including Morgan State. Lack of depth is a big concern in the grand scheme of things though.

Player to Watch: Da'Sean Butler (West Virginia)

Name of the Game: Dalton Pepper (West Virginia)

The Pick: West Virginia (by 24)

East Outlook

No. 1 seed: Kentucky

Top Player: John Wall

Biggest First Round Upset: 11)Washington over 6)Marquette

Possible Sleeper/Spoiler Team: Washington

Regional Final Matchup: Kentucky vs. West Virginia

East Regional Champion: Kentucky Wildcats

South Regional

1) Duke vs. 16) Arkansas Pine-Bluff

Coach K is a coaching legend for a reason. He doesn't lose games like this.

Player to Watch: Kyle Singler (Duke)

Name of the Game: Savalance Townsend (Arkansas Pine-Bluff)

The Pick: Duke (by 29)

8) California vs. 9) Louisville

Louisville has been supremely inconsistent this year. Which Louisville team will show up?

Player to Watch: Jerome Randle (California)

Name of the Game: Markhuri Sanders-Frison (California)

The Pick: California (by 9)

5) Texas A&M vs. 12) Utah State

Utah State and A&M are both very balanced and could make a sneaky run. First, one of them has to win this game.

Player to Watch: Donald Sloan (Texas A&M)

Name of the Game: Pooh Williams (Utah State)

The Pick: Utah State (by 4)

4) Purdue vs. 13) Siena

If Robbie Hummel was healthy, Purdue would be a Final Four contender. He's not and Purdue could be ousted in round one by an always dangerous Siena team. What a difference one player makes.

Player to Watch: Alex Franklin (Siena)

Name of the Game: Just-in'love Smith (Siena)

The Pick: Purdue (by 3)

6) Notre Dame vs. 11) Old Dominion

Old Dominion's lack of star power might really come back to bite them against a balanced team like Notre Dame, but Luke Harangody still not at full strength, so nothing's impossible.

Player to Watch: Luke Harangody (Notre Dame)

Name of the Game: Marsharee Neely (Old Dominion)

The Pick: Notre Dame (by 13)

3) Baylor vs. 14) Sam Houston State

Baylor might not be the most talented team in the tournament (although they are up there), but they have the strongest group of names. LaceDarius Dunn, Ekpe Udoh, Tweety Carter? Wow. That's a strong group.

Player to Watch: LaceDarius Dunn (Baylor)

Name of the Game: Tweety Carter (Baylor)

The Pick: Baylor (by 17)

7) Richmond vs. 10) St. Mary's

St. Mary's has a dominant big man in Omar Samhan. Can the smaller Spiders stop him?

Player to Watch: Omar Samhan (St. Mary's)

Name of the Game: Matthew Dellavedova (St. Mary's)

The Pick: St. Mary's (by 1)

2) Villanova vs. 15) Robert Morris

Nova always seems to show up this time of year. They've struggled a little bit lately, but they should step up their game now that it's tourney time.

Player to Watch: Scottie Reynolds (Villanova)

Name of the Game: Mezie Nwigwe (Robert Morris)

The Pick: Villanova (by 28)

Midwest Outlook

No. 1 seed: Duke

Top Player: Luke Harangody

Biggest First Round Upset: 12)Utah State over 5) Texas A&M

Possible Sleeper/Spoiler Team: Utah State

Regional Final Matchup: Duke vs. Baylor

South Regional Champion: Duke

Final Four: Ohio State vs. Butler, Kentucky vs. Duke

National Championship: Ohio State vs. Duke

National Champion: Ohio State Buckeyes

Most Outstanding Player: Evan Turner

-Here's to hoping I don't go 0-32.

NBA 2009-2010: The Beginning Of The Age Of LeBron

2010-02-23T08:09:00.000-08:00

All the trades are in the books and we have a very clear picture of what every team in the NBA should look like for the rest of the year. While most awards and predictions for the rest of the season were given a few weeks ago, now seems like the most appropriate time, so let's get down to it.

MVP: LeBron James

This is LeBron's award for years to come unless the voters get bored and vote for somebody else. The Cavaliers were on a 13 game winning streak going into the all-star break, the majority of these wins coming without number two scoring option Mo Williams. LeBron is leading a team without a true number two scoring option to the league's best record for the second straight season. It will undoubtedly be the second of many similar seasons..

Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard

Another boring pick, but Howard is leading the league in rebounds and blocks for a second straight year and anchors the league's seventh best scoring defense with mostly average or below average defenders around him. If Howard hadn't won this award last season, he'd be a lock to win again. The voters might want to switch things up, but I do not. Howard is the best defensive player in the league this season.

Rookie of the Year: Tyreke Evans

Let's take a look at two player's statistics from their rookie seasons. We'll name them player A and player B. Player A averaged 20.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.5 blocks, and 2.9 turnovers, while shooting 46 percent from the floor through the all-star break. Player B averaged 20.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 3.7 turnovers, while shooting 40.5 percent from the field through all-star weekend. Player A is Tyreke Evans. Player B? LeBron James. I don't think Evans is the next LeBron, but his potential to be a great player is far greater than most had previously projected.

Most Improved Player: Marc Gasol

Kevin Durant has been the popular choice for this award by most experts, but his year by year improvement of a super star is just the natural progression of most prodigies like Durant. Gasol's emergence from the surprising Grizzlies is far more surprising. He's averaging a solid 15 and 9.5 while shooting close to 60 percent and playing good post D. He's arguably a top 5 center in the league right now. Of the Grizzlies young players Gay, Mayo, and Gasol; Gasol could surprisingly turn out to be the best of the group. Maybe when their careers are over with, we will look at Marc as the better of the Gasol brothers.

Coach of the Year: Scott Brooks

The Thunder went just 23-59 last season, but went a more respectable 22-47 under Scott Brooks after P.J. Carlesimo was relieved of his coaching duties after a 1-12 start. It is likely if Brooks had had control from the beginning, that the Thunder would have been much more successful last season. Now in his first full season as a head coach, Brooks has the Thunder out to a 32-21 start and in contention for a division title. They've already improved on last year's win total by nine games, and they have 29 games to go. They should win more games this year than in the previous two seasons (43 wins). While Durant's emergence as a true ultra star has been a big contributing factor, Brooks leadership has been a big factor to the Thunder's success this season as well.

Best Free Agent Signing: Andre Miller (Portland)

Miller's start in Rip City did not begin well. There were questions of him coexisting in the backcourt with Brandon Roy. Before he arrived, Steve Blake was already named the starting point guard, and there were rumors he will be used as trade bait since the first game of the year. Despite all of those things, Miller has been a big reason that Portland is still in the playoff hunt, even with the catastrophic slew of injuries that they have suffered. His 52 point outburst against Dallas is the second highest scoring total in the NBA all season (Brandon Jennings' 55 point game is the first). His veteran leadership in invaluable to a team that has gone through losing it's two centers, along with playing about a fourth of it's season without it's star Brandon Roy. What was seen as a desperation use of cap space by Portland, now looks like a very smart move by the Blazers front office.

Best Trade Acquisition: Stephen Jackson (Charlotte)

Charlotte made a questionable decision by trading Emeka Okafor to New Orleans for underachieving center Tyson Chandler, but have made up for that move big time with their move to get troubled swingman Stephen Jackson. Jackson has been a revelation in Charlotte, providing them with a true scorer for the first time in franchise history. At 31, Jackson is putting up the best numbers of his career in many areas of his game. For once, the Bobcats made a good personnel move. If we're gonna blame MJ for most of the dumb decisions they've made, we have to give him some props for this move.

Most Surprising Player: Juwan Howard

I think most of us thought Juwan Howard was either retired or dead. Sure enough, he's been the starting center on a probable playoff team for most of the year. Hey C-Webb, you called the timeout and were out of the league before Juwan. At least Webber still looks under 50. And probably makes more money.

Most Surprising Team: Oklahoma City Thunder

We knew this team was up and coming, but nobody saw them as a team that might end up with home court advantage in the first round. NBA teams just don't go from 23 wins to 50 wins as the Thunder could very well end up doing. I didn't think the Thunder would ever develop into a contender with a Durant-Westbrook-Green core, but they are forcing me to think otherwise now. Sorry, people of Seattle, I feel your pain (as a Blazer fan, watching Durant and as a former Hornets fan, watching a greedy owner uproot the franchise).

Most Disappointing Team/Player: Washington/Gilbert Arenas

Obviously a franchise never wants a player that they've recently given a 100 million dollar contract to miss the entire season for any reason. They definitely do not want to have him also hurt the reputation of their franchise at the same time, which is what Gilbert has successfully accomplished. Arenas wasn't leading the Wizards to a winning season regardless, but without him and with his distractions, this team is in disarray. A fire sale of Jamison, Butler, and Haywood has taken place. It's pretty sad that the hockey team is the most popular team in the nation's capital these days (Although being a Capitals fan at the moment would be smooth sailing).

Predicting the rest of the season

*These are my predictions for what the final standings, awards, and playoff results will be when the season ends.

Eastern Conference

1. Cleveland Cavaliers: For the second straight season the Cavs will finish as the favorites going into the playoffs. Hopefully for them, the playoffs will go a little bit differently.

2. Orlando Magic: After going through their fair share of struggles, the Magic have finally hit their stride. They are deep and talented and will outlast the younger, less experienced Hawks to grab the number two seed.

3. Atlanta Hawks : The Hawks spent many, many years in the cellar of the East, but eventually all those high picks pile up and make a difference. Stealing Joe Johnson from Phoenix has helped just a bit as well. This is a dangerous team.

4. Boston Celtics: It's sad what has become of KG. The "big three" in Boston now consists of Pierce, Allen, and Rondo instead of Garnett. His career won't last too much longer, and neither will Boston's run as Eastern contenders.

5. Toronto Raptors: Chris Bosh is having an MVP caliber season and really looks like a franchise player even without significant contributions from newcomer Hedo Turkoglu. This isn't a contract year phenomenon either, Bosh is the real deal: a top 10 NBA player.

6. Charlotte Bobcats: Charlotte might not be a contender, but they make for a very dangerous first round opponent. Stephen Jackson can score as well as anybody and Larry Brown will out coach many of his adversaries. Bobcats fans (if they exist) finally have been given a team they can be proud of.

7. Chicago Bulls: This is the team that should be the front runner to land one of the big dogs of 2010, not New York. They already have a very talented supporting cast (including a budding superstar point guard) and cleared up a good amount of cap space for this summer. They are not walking away empty handed.

8. Miami Heat: The injury bug might have finally caught up to Dwyane Wade (maybe it's karma from all of the brain injuries he causes to people trying to spell his seemingly easy first name). They couldn't land the big name they wanted at the deadline, and their season will likely end in a first round exit because of it.

9. Milwaukee Bucks: This team is really still alive for a playoff spot? Shouldn't they be down near the bottom of the standings? Somehow this group of no names continues to flirt with .500 behind the emergence of lottery picks Bogut and Jennings. Not the prettiest team, but they're fighters and will be until the final game.

10. Philadelphia 76ers: There just isn't much to be excited about as a Sixers fan right now. I like Andre Iguodala, but as a number two option, not a number one. They need to figure out a way to rebuild.

11. Detroit Pistons: A few years ago this was a team that was coming off of it's sixth straight Eastern Conference Finals birth. Now they could be looking at a streak of six straight non playoff seasons. The future is about as bright as the Marianas Trench right now for the Pistons.

12. New York Knicks: Wow, somehow the Knicks managed to unload Jered Jeffries at the deadline and landed a rejuvinated T-Mac as well. If they can get McGrady and Lee to stick around at reasonable prices, they could very well draw one of the big names that free agency will offer. We'll just have to see.

13. indiana Pacers: The Pacers always get unlucky and end up with the 8-9 pick in the draft, missing out on the top players every year. This year will probably end up the same way. It can't be fun to be a Pacers fan (at least they've got the Colts).

14. Washington Wizards: When a team trades their best two players and only gets the league's biggest party boy in return, that's usually not a good sign for that franchise. Good news though, they're now under the luxury tax! I'm sure Wizards fans are thrilled that their owner doesn't have to shell out a few extra million of his hundreds of millions of dollars.

15. New Jersey Nets: The Nets have been the best team in the NBA at losing this year. Hopefully, for their fans sake, they don't continue their bad luck and lose the lottery (AKA John Wall). Wall+Lopez+Harris+a decent free agent=playoff contender next season.

Western Conference

1. Los Angeles Lakers: Does the Laker's dominance without Kobe even leave a question about who the best player in the league is now? This is essentially the same Lakers team that won the title last year. They should make it there again.

2. Denver Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony has taken his game to a new level this season. When talking about the top five players in the league now, he has to be in there or at least strongly considered. I've never been a big Melo fan, but he's undeniably a truly great player now.

3. Utah Jazz: A great point guard, a great coach, two very good power forwards. That makes a pretty good NBA team. And the Jazz have all three of those things right now.

4. Dallas Mavericks: Their additions of Butler and Haywood aren't necessarily game changers. Since when is Haywood been considered a better than average NBA center? They should be about the same team that they've been all year.

5. Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant is unbelievable. He's totally taken the Thunder on his back and made them into a very dangerous team in the West. Guess what? He's only 21 years old.

6. San Antonio Spurs: The Spurs aren't impressing anybody right now, but it's hard to see them missing the playoffs while trotting out a lineup that includes Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili. The question is, how often can they have all of those guys out there?

7. Portland Trail Blazers: The addition of Marcus Camby is huge, especially if Brandon Roy is going to miss extended time again. This Blazers team is tough enough to hold up even without Roy for much of the season. They will need Roy to make any sort of noise in the playoffs though.

8. Phoenix Suns: Being a Suns fan must be horrible. They have a top 5 center playing in the perfect system for him with a historically great point guard, and they're trying to ship him off for 30% of his worth. Owners, if you have enough money to buy a professional sports franchise, pay your players and make your fans happy. Disgraceful.

9. Houston Rockets: They didn't want to have to part ways with Landry, but they did. That's about all that they gave up for two potential lottery picks, a very good wing scorer, and some other good pieces for the future. I'd give up Carl Landry for all of that.

10. New Orleans Hornets: With Chris Paul in the mix they might have been able to sneak into the playoffs this year. Without CP3, no way.

11. Memphis Grizzlies: All good stories come to an end, and it looks like this one is coming to a halt now. Zach Randolph, Rudy Gay, and O.J. Mayo can only share the ball for so long.

12. Los Angeles Clippers: Another great trade by Mike Dunleavy. Trading one of the league's best defensive players and rebounders for a backup point guard and a guy who has barely been on the court this season. If that opportunity ever arises, the trigger has to be pulled.

13. Golden State Warriors: Stephon Curry was a steal at where Golden State got him. Who would have thought that this kid would be a 15 point, 5 assist, and 4 rebound player right away? I don't know if anybody thought he'd ever be a 4 rebound player ever. Imagine Memphis or Oklahoma City with Curry. He'd really be helping them right now.

14. Sacramento Kings: Tyreke Evans is a man, but his teammates don't seem to love him very much. He is a bit of a ball hog and unless he changes that, the Kings will keep losing. Getting rid of their only other true scorer can't help his selfish ways.

15. Minnesota Timberwolves: If the Clippers didn't exist, the T'Wolves would be the symbol for a dysfunctional franchise. Their top pick won't even play for them, they can't get two talented big men to play well together. They have lots of problems, and they aren't getting better soon.

Predictions on What Will Happen

MVP: LeBron James

Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard

Rookie of the Year: Tyreke Evans

Most Improved Player: Kevin Durant

Coach of the Year: Scott Brooks

Eastern Conference Finals: Cavs over Magic in 7

Western Conference Finals: Lakers over Nuggets in 7

NBA Finals: Cavs over Lakers in 6

LeBron's Summer Destination: Cleveland

*hopefully I'll start writing a little bit more now. Thanks for reading. -ATG

Semi-Weekly NFL Recap: Edition 3 (w/ The Picks)

2009-10-23T02:10:00.000-07:00

Super Sixteen

1. New Orleans Saints (5-0) Previous Rankings: 2, 2

1. This is clearly the best team in the NFC now. They made the Giants defense look like the Rams defense. They are offensive juggernauts.

2. Lance Moore will be one of the most productive number two wideouts in the game, now that he's back. He was a key part of their attack on Sunday. He and Colston form one of the best receiving duos in football.

3. No team in the league is deeper offensively. They have three running backs who all do different things and five targets who all bring unique talents to the table. Nobody can stop this offense.

2. Indianapolis Colts (5-0) Previous Rankings: 7, 1

1. Jim Caldwell is the most unappreciated coach in recent memory. Much is heard about Josh McDaniels or Rex Ryan, but there is never anything said about Caldwell. He's done a great job though.

2. Dallas Clark is making claim to being the best tight end in football. He is extremely versatile and catches everything thrown at him.

3. The defense is not as bad as most people think. They limit other teams opportunities and played the Wildcat well.

3. Denver Broncos (6-0) Previous Rankings: 13, 7

1. They aren't just beating people, they are shutting them down and whooping them. The games that were close never seemed in doubt in the second half.

2. They need to get Eddie Royal some more touches. When a guy can return two kickoffs/punts he needs to get the ball more.

3. Kyle Orton has played better than Jay Cutler and the Broncos got some first round draft picks out of it too. This deal is looking golden for Denver right now.

4. Minnesota Vikings (6-0) Previous Rankings: 8, 4

1. This team has the "look." They keep winning games they shouldn't win by crazy big plays at the end of games. If that can keep up for Minny then that is very good for them come playoff time.

2. This is the same run defense that it used to be. Ray Rice ran all over them and would have had a HUGE game if he got more than 9 carries. It's time for the D to step it up.

3. Adrian Peterson continues to prove that he's the best back in the league. He breaks at least one big run every game.

5. New England Patriots (4-2) Previous Rankings: 12, 6

1. Brady is back. Six touchdowns??? He looked ridiculously good against the Titans on Sunday.

2. Wes Welker is the X-factor of the offense. He is Brady's safety blanket and is extremely reliable. He's always going to get 7-8 catches and at least 70 yards. Wes Welker is the definition of possession receiver.

3. The defense is back to being very solid. Last season they gave up a lot of plays, but they've been very good so far.

6. New York Giants (5-1) Previous Rankings: 3, 3

1. The defense isn't what is was hyped up to be. A good defense doesn't give up 48 points to anybody.

2. What happened to Brandon Jacobs? Ahmad Bradshaw is clearly playing better. He needs more or just as many carries Jacobs until Jacobs starts running well.

3. They need to get healthy. They aren't going to be a great football team if guys keep dropping like flies.

7. Atlanta Falcons (4-1) Previous Rankings: 5, 10

1. The defense is not great, but steps up when it has to. They've stopped a few teams on their attempts to score at the the end of the game.

2. Where is Jerrious Norwood. He is extremely explosive and needs to be more involved in the offense.

3. Roddy White is awesome after the catch. He's had big catch and run plays in two consecutive games. That's no fluke.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) Previous Rankings: 9, 12

1. Ben Roethlisberger is proving he can win games by himself. He's gets hurt quite a bit, they need to not let him run around so much.

2. Rashard Mendenhall is the back of the future in Pittsburgh. He's already ahead of Parker, who is a free agent at years end. Mendenhall might as well get comfy in Pittsburgh.

3. Troy Polamalu is a welcome edition back to their defense. He's easily the top safety in the league.

9. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) Previous Rankings: 18, 15

1. Losing Antwaun Odom kills them. He was their whole pass rush, who knows how their defense will be without him.

2. Imagine this team with Houshmandzadeh. They're already rolling, add Housh to the mix and they are that much better.

3. Carson Palmer won't ever be the same quarterback he was before his knee injury. He'll be solid, but never the super QB he was shaping up to be.

10. Green Packers (3-2) Previous Rankings: 19, 16

1. Donald Driver has been better than Greg Jennings. Jennings is the big play guy, but Driver is Rodgers' favorite target.

2. The defense is very inconsistent. They play well against bad teams, bad against good teams.

3. Aaron Rodgers is very good. In one or two years he'll definitely be a top 5 quarterback.

11. Baltimore Ravens (3-3) Previous Rankings: 1, 5

1. Ray Rice is one of the best gamebreakers in the NFL. He continues to make huge plays running the ball and receiving every week.

2. Obviously Ray Rice isn't doing everything by himself. The offensive line has played great.

3. They aren't running the ball nearly enough. Flacco is very good, but the running game has been great. They need to run the ball a lot more.

12. Chicago Bears (3-3) Previous Rankings: 11, 11

1. Matt Forte has disappeared. He hasn't run well at all. He had 15 carries for 23 yards against a middle of the road defense. What happened?

2. Greg Olsen is finally becoming the guy that people thought he would be at the start of the season. Cutler looks for him all the time.

3. Johnny Knox is developing into a very good receiver. He might be the number one receiver on the Bears by year's end.

13. Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) Previous Rankings: 16, 13

1. Donovan McNabb is still a good QB, but he will have a dud game once or twice a year. Oakland was one of those.

2. If they want to make the playoffs, they need to beat bad teams like the Raiders. If they lose to the Redskins this Monday, their season is done.

3. They need to run way more. Andy Reid has some kind of affection with passing, even if his team is running extremely well. They need to play to their strengths.

14. San Francisco 49ers (3-2) Previous Rankings: 6, 9

1. Michael Crabtree is a wild card for this team. If he really turns out it adds a lot to the Niners.

2. Is the defense good or bad. One thing's for sure, they are going to ready this week with Mr. Discipline, Mike Singletary whipping them into shape.

3. Dre Bly is a Class A idiot (not surprisingly, he went to UNC). How could you celebrate like that 60 yards from the end zone. Even Deion would NEVER do that. Then again, Dre is Dre, not Deion.

15. San Diego Chargers (3-3) Previous Rankings: 10, 14

1. Norv Turner is the worst coach in the league. He's never done well in any place he's been. He had his chance with that team when Tomlinson and Merriman were themselves, but now they just aren't talented enough. Way to go Norv.

2. If Tomlinson is going to average less than four yards per carry, they need to throw more. Teams are crossing their fingers that Tomlinson gets 20 carries. Rivers is much more of a weapon at this point.

3. Vincent Jackson should be considered an elite receiver. He's great in the red zone and is one of the best deep threats in the league.

16. Arizona Cardinals (3-2) Previous Rankings: 17, 20

1. Kurt Warner is incredibly accurate. He's quietly been one of the best quarterbacks in the league so far.

2. Anquan Boldin needs to be more involved in the offense. When healthy he is one of the best in the league.

3. The run defense has come out of nowhere. They've shut down everybody who tries to run.

The Rest of the Pack

17. Miami Dolphins (2-3) Previous Rankings: 27, 21

18. Houston Texans (3-3) Previous Rankings: 15, 19

19. New York Jets (3-3) Previous Rankings: 4, 8

20. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) Previous Rankings: 14, 17

21 Carolina Panthers (2-3) Previous Rankings: 22, 25

22. Seattle Seahawks (3-3) Previous Rankings: 23, 23

23. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) Previous Rankings: 26, 18

24. Oakland Raiders (2-4) Previous Rankings: 24, 30

25. Kansas City Chiefs (1-5) Previous Rankings: 29, 31

26. Washington Redskins (2-4) Previous Rankings: 25, 24

27. Detroit Lions (1-5) Previous Rankings: 30, 27

28. Cleveland Browns (1-5) Previous Rankings: 31, 28

29. Buffalo Bills (2-4) Previous Rankings: 21, 26

30. Tennessee Titans (0-6) Previous Rankings: 20, 22

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-6) Previous Rankings: 28, 29

32. St. Louis Rams (0-6) Previous Rankings: 32, 32

End of the year, if I had to pick...

MVP: Peyton Manning

Offensive Player of the Year: Drew Brees

Defensive Player of the Year: Elvis Dumervil

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Mark Sanchez

Defensive Rookie of the Year: James Laurinaitis

Comeback Player of the Year: Tom Brady

Coach of the Year: Josh McDaniels

NFC Division winners (in order of seeding): New Orleans, New York, Minnesota, Arizona

NFC Wild Cards: Atlanta, Green Bay

AFC Division winners (in order): Indianapolis, New England, Denver, Baltimore

AFC Wild Cards: Pittsburgh, San Diego

NFC Champion: New York

AFC Champion: Indianapolis

Super Bowl Champion (MVP): Indianapolis (Manning)

The Picks

Last Week: 7-7 (vs. spread: 7-7)

(Game of the Week: 1-0, Upset of the Week: 0-1 , Lock of the Week: 0-1)

Overall: 56-34 (vs. spread: 49-41)

(Game of the Week: 4-2, Upset of the Week: 1-3, Lock of the Week: 3-1)

*spread picks in parenthesis

Cleveland vs. Green Bay: Green Bay 35-10 (Green Bay -7.5)

Kansas City vs. San Diego: San Diego 34-20 (San Diego -4.5)

Houston vs. San Francisco: San Francisco 23-21 (San Francisco +3.5)

St. Louis vs. Indianapolis: Indianapolis 35-14 (Indianapolis -13.5) (Lock of the Week)

Pittsburgh vs. Minnesota: Minnesota 20-17 (Minnesota +4.5) (Game of the Week, Upset of the Week)

Tampa Bay vs. New England (in London): New England 45-7 (New England -14.5)

Carolina vs. Buffalo: Carolina 27-14 (Carolina -7.5)

Oakland vs. New York Jets: New York 20-10 (NYJ -6.5)

Cincinnati vs. Chicago: Chicago 24-21 (Chicago +1.5)

Dallas vs. Atlanta: Atlanta: 27-17 (Atlanta +3.5)

Miami vs. New Orleans: New Orleans 31-21 (New Orleans -6.5)

New York Giants vs. Arizona: New York 27-21 (Cardinals +7.5)

Washington vs. Philadelphia: Philadelphia 29-10 (Philadelphia -7.5)

Game of the Week: Pittsburgh vs. Minnesota

Upset of the Week: Minnesota over Pittsburgh

Lock of the Week: Indianapolis over St. Louis

Semi-Weekly NFL Super Recap: Quarter Edition+ The Picks

2009-10-07T13:32:00.001-07:00

Power Rankings

(with three things that were learned in weeks three through four and each team's MVPs so far)

TIER 1

1. Indianapolis Colts (4-0), Week 2 Ranking: 7

1. Donald Brown and Joseph Addai form one of the best running back committees in the league. The only problem that Indy faces is which one to start.

2. Pierre Garcon is a valuable deep threat. He fits perfectly into the Colts passing attack with Wayne as Manning's number one, Clark as the possession receiver, and Garcon as the guy Manning looks for down field. Peyton Manning continues to make average receivers look very good.

3. This is Peyton Manning's year. It appeared, after two weeks, that Drew Brees would be running away with the MVP award. Now it looks like nobody can take it away from Manning. He is on the fast track to winning his second consecutive MVP trophy.

MVP: Peyton Manning- Manning has been dominant, leading the league in touchdowns, passing yards, and completion percentage. Easy choice.

2. New Orleans Saints (4-0), Week 2 Ranking: 3

1. The offense isn't what it looked like after weeks one and two. Brees has gone two consecutive games without a touchdown. The running game has looked good, but there have been many injuries in the backfield.

2. The defense has won the Saints their games for the past two weeks. They've allowed only 17 total points over the last two weeks. Darren Sharper has been a constant disruption, picking off two more passes in week four.

3. Pierre Thomas is explosive. He has 212 yards and three scores through two games. Imagine when he gets a full week of resting from injury.

MVP: Drew Brees- Brees is the face of the Saints franchise. He is definitely the third best quarterback in the league behind Manning and Brady, no question.

3. New York Giants (4-0), Week 2 Ranking: 2

1.Eii Manning is earning his 100 million. Eli has been great so far this year, truly playing like the elite quarterback is being payed to be.

2. Steve Smith is Eli's favorite target. Through two weeks, it was not apparent if Smith or Manningham was the number 1 guy in New York. Now it's clear as crystal.

3. Brandon Jacobs will never be an elite running back. Jacobs is great in the red zone, but is not explosive like any other of the games elite.

MVP: Steve Smith- Plaxico's got nothin' on Steve Smith. Smith is leading the league in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

4. Minnesota Vikings (4-0), Week 2 Ranking: 8

1. Brett Favre is a new man (but still an old man). He's only thrown one pick and has looked very good so far.

2. Adrian Peterson still has a fumbling problem. If he wants to have a shot at being the greatest ever, he needs to stop.

3. Jared Allen is one of the most underrated defensive ends in the league. The guy never gets any love when the game's elite are discussed, but he's always around the ball and making plays.

MVP: Percy Harvin- Harvin has been the catalyst to the offense. He stretches the field so well and has made big play after big play for Minnesota. They aren't 4-0 without him. I'm not sure I can say the same about anybody else on that team.

5. Baltimore Ravens (3-1) Week 2 Ranking: 1

1. Ray Rice and Willis McGahee are the best tag team in football right now. They have combined for almost 500 yards and 6 scores so far this season.

2. They have to be very, very happy that Derrick Mason didn't retire. He is Joe Flacco's favorite target and a huge part of their offense.

3. Even if the stat sheet doesn't show it, Ray Lewis still makes just as big of an impact on defense as anybody in the league. He is always in the middle of big plays.

MVP: Joe Flacco- The Ravens running game was expected to be good, but their passing game as elevated them from good team to great team. Flacco has the ability to be a truly great quarterback, he is just now showing it with the coaching staff letting him loose a little bit more.

6. New England Patriots (3-1) Week 2 Ranking: 12

1. Tom Brady will eventually find his groove. Each week he has gotten better and better. He has still made some un-Brady like throws, but should be in full form by midseason.

2. The defense is improving steadily. They've handed two undefeated teams their first losses in back to back weeks, only allowing 31 total points. They should be able to really contain some of the offensively challenged teams in their division now.

3. Wes Welker is a key cog to their offense. Having him out there always gives Brady that option of the 5-6 yard slant across the middle to him. That moves the ball very effectively. With him out, Brady has to rely on deep passes more, which is not the best part of his game.

MVP: Tom Brady- Brady having success is the key to the Patriots having success. When he has played well, the Pats have won. When he has played bad, they have lost. He's about to hit his stride too.

TIER 2

7. Denver Broncos (4-0) Week 2 Ranking: 13

1. Brandon Marshall is there to stay. He has had good chemistry with Orton and looks like he is getting along with teammates. He's still good by the way.

2. Josh McDaniels will not suffer the same fate as other Patriots assistants. It looks like he is the only smart one of Belechick's disciples.

3. The defense is incredible. Are they ever going to allow teams to score points? Dallas's 10 are the most any team has put up. Amazing how much a team can improve in one year.

MVP: Elvis Dumervil- He is going to lead the league in sacks. He is constantly wreaking havoc around the QB and has been very consistent, getting two or more sacks in the last 3 games. He's the front runner for defensive player of the year right now.

8. New York Jets (3-1) Week 2 Ranking: 4

1. Derrelle Revis has established himself as the best cornerback in the NFL. He has allowed a combined 92 yards and zero touchdowns to Randy Moss, Andre Johnson, and Marques Colston while matching up with them. Nobody shuts down guys like that.

2. Leon Washington is one of the fastest backs in football. Why not give him the ball 20 times per game?

3. Mark Sanchez will still have his "rookie" games. His 138 and three interceptionswon't happen often, but in the playoffs he can't be counted on to lead them very far.

MVP: Darrelle Revis- The whole Jets defense has been spectacular, but Revis leads a secondary that has only allowed one passing touchdown all year. Consider that they've faced Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Matt Schaub; and it's just that more impressive.

9. San Francisco 49ers (3-1) Week 2 Ranking: 6

1. Their defense is the most underrated in the league. Watching them totally destroy the Rams was breathtaking. Yeah, it was the Rams, but still an amazing defensive performance.

2. They don't need Michael Crabtree, but they'll get him anyway. He just adds more depth to a team that is a little short on offensive weapons. Who knows how effective he'll be, but it doesn't matter too much with guys like Vernon Davis finally stepping up.

3. Patrick Willis has taken his place as the best linebacker in the league. Linebackers are the most important player on defense, why do they continue to go so late in the first round? Baffling.

MVP: Patrick Willis- Move over Ray Lewis, Brian Urlacher, and Co., Patrick Willis has now taken over as the leagues top backer. He's all over the field, all the time.

TIER 3

10. Atlanta Falcons (2-1) Week 2 Ranking: 5

1. They'll still have trouble playing on the road against good teams. That's bad news come playoff time.

2. Roddy White is not as big a part of the offense. Tony Gonzalez has picked up some of the slack, but White is a big time playmaker who needs to get the ball more if the Falcons are going to win 11-12 games.

3. Matt Ryan will still have an occasional sophomore slump. He's not quite an elite quaterback like most have made him out to be. He still needs one or two more years before he can be considered to be a top 5-6 quarterback.

MVP: Matt Ryan- The Falcons live and die with Ryan. Turner isn't the same back he was last season and Ryan has so many options now. The season rests on this young man's shoulders.

11. Chicago Bears (3-1) Week 2 Ranking: 11

1. Jay Cutler is proving himself as one of the better quarterbacks in the league. As much as I hate the guy, he makes the Bears about 15-20% better than when they had Orton under center.

2. Losing Brian Urlacher really hurt them. They could have really rebounded this year defensively. They are a borderline top ten defense without him so far. With him, they are probably borderline top five.

3. Matt Forte is still struggling. He may have had 120 yards on 12 carries against Detroit, but almost 100 of those yards came on two carries. Getting 20 yards on 10 carries isn't very impressive. Oh yeah, he was playing the Lions as well. He won't get that many wide open holes against anybody else.

MVP: Jay Cutler- Without Cutler the Bears lose the Pittsburgh game. He makes them so much better than last year offensively. Cutler can sling it with the best of them.

12. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) Week 2 Ranking: 9

1. The defense cannot stop teams at the end of games. Every game has come down to the last possession for the Steelers this year. They certainly aren't to win 12 games again if that keeps happening.

2. Richard Mendenhall could have a breakout season. He was great on Sunday against San Diego. The Chargers defense might be horrible, but Mendenhall looked so good. It's hard to imagine Willie Parker returning to being the starter until Mendenhall struggles.

3. The need to rush the passer better. The pass rush was almost non-existent in losses and was not during the fourth quarter of the Chargers game either. Woodley, Harrison, step it up.

MVP: Ben Roethlisberger- Big Ben keeps getting better at escaping rushers and making big throws. He has an insane completion percentage of 73.8 right now. With that offensive line that is a small miracle. Let's see if he can keep it up.

13. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) Week 2 Ranking: 16

1. Kevin Kolb is legit. When McNabb is gone, they'll be good with Kolb.

2. DeSean Jackson is a big play machine. He has consistently found ways into the end zone this year with long plays, whether it be receiving or punt returning.

3. The New Orleans game was a total fluke. The defense is very good. They are closer to team they were against the Panthers than the team they were against New Orleans.

MVP: DeSean Jackson- He is one of the top five receivers in the league right now, the way he is playing. He is one of the fastest players in the league and has figured out NFL defenses.

14. San Diego Chargers (2-2) Week 2 Ranking: 10

1. Vincent Jackson has emerged as a top flight receiver. He's top ten in the league right now. Expect to see him put up about 1,300 yards, 10+ touchdowns for many years to come.

2. Shawn Merriman has been a complete non-factor. A couple of years ago he was all over the field. Now, he is non existent.

3. They defensive line needs help up the middle. Letting Richard Mendenhall gain over 150 yards in his first start in the NFL is unacceptable.

MVP: Philip Rivers- Rivers is the fire behind this team. It is easy to tell who is the leader of that team by watching their games. He's also developed into one of the best fourth quarter QBs in the league.

15. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1) Week 2 Ranking: 18

1. Cedric Benson will be consistent for them this season. He has continued to be very good.

2. Carson Palmer is finally finding his groove. He has the skills to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league. With a new and improved Chad Ochocinco, he has finally been able to put those skills to use.

3. The offensive line has done a phenomenal job so far. Palmer has only been sacked once all season, and Palmer is very immobile.

MVP: Cedric Benson- This is not the Cedric Benso we've seen in years past. Benson now brings a ground threat that Bengals had during their playoff run with Rudi Johnson.

16. Green Bay Packers (2-2) Week 2 Ranking: 19

1. Aaron Rodgers has horrible protection. How can he be sacked 20 times in four games? That is ridiculous.

2. Greg Jennings just disappears from games sometimes. Big time receivers don't do that.

3. They have one of the best playmaking defenses in the league. It seems like every week they score a defensive touchdown. Now if they could stop somebody...

MVP: Aaron Rodgers- Rodgers has led a fourth quarter comeback and has looked very good. He is one of the best young quarterbacks in the league for sure and is still improving. Now if he could get some protection...

TIER 4

17. Dallas Cowboys (2-2) Week 2 Ranking: 14

1. Tony Romo continues to be unreliable in clutch moments. He's had moments where he could have made plays to bring his team back or put the other team away in both Cowboys losses, but didn't. Has there ever been a quarterback that can play great for a whole game a just totally melt down in the fourth like Romo?

2. Roy Williams is just as bad as T.O. He's a major crybaby and doesn't even have T.O. like talent.

3. They have crazy running back depth. Barber, Jones, and Choice could all be quality starters in the NFL.

MVP: Tashard Choice- When Dallas's top two backs went down, Choice filled in very well. He has made them a lot better by giving them a third starter quality back.

18. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) Week 2 Ranking: 26

1. David Gerrard is very unappreciated. He is always solid and rarely turns the ball over.

2. The defense has been revived in the past two weeks. That's Jack Del Rio football.

3. Mike Sims-Walker could be a 1,000 yard receiver for them. He certainly the number one target over Torry Holt.

MVP: Maurice Jones-Drew- MJD is on of the best backs in the league for sure now. It's amazing that such a small back can be so good. He's crazy fast and elusive and has surprising power,

19. Houston Texans (2-2) Week 2 Ranking: 15

1. The defense is one of the worst in the league. Every game they play will be a shootout.

2. Kevin Walter and Owen Daniels give Matt Schaub two very reliable targets to throw to if Andre Johnson is covered. Daniels is his favorite end zone target.

3. Steve Slaton is showing signs of explosiveness, but it was only against Oakland. He looked good on three of four runs against the Raiders, but otherwise they shut him down pretty much. He needs to find himself from last season if the Texans want make the playoffs.

MVP: Matt Schaub- Schaub has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league stat wise through four weeks. His eight touchdowns are tied for third in the NFL. He has a many options and will put up great numbers all year long.

20. Arizona Cardinals (1-3) Week 2 Ranking: 17

1. Anquan Boldin needs to be healthy. Fitzgerald can't play against double teams every week.

2. Beanie Wells should be the starting running back. He is averaging a full yard per carry more than Tim Hightower, yet has only gotten 16 carries. They need to run him more.

3. They need to improve their pass defense. Rodgers-Cromartie might not be the star everybody thought he would be.

MVP: Larry Fitzgerald- Fitz hasn't put up gaudy, 2008 playoff numbers, but he has still been the focal point of the offense. He frees up everybody on the team and still makes a lot of big plays and catches a lot of touchdowns.

TIER 5

21. Miami Dolphins (1-3) Week 2 Ranking: 27

1. The Wildcat is in full force for the team that made it popular in the NFL. They run it so much and teams still can't stop it. It can't be that hard to figure out.

2. Chad Henne isn't too much of a down grade from Pennington. Henne has much better physical gifts than Pennington, if he plays smart he could make the Dolphins a better team then they were with Chad.

3. The defense is still pretty good. They haven't allowed any teams to really blow up on them.

MVP: Ronnie Brown- Brown seemed like a typical 1,000 yard, 5-6 touchdown back that there are plenty of in the NFL. He has looked much better than that so far. He could rush for 1,300 yards and 10+ touchdowns this year.

22. Tennessee Titans (0-4) Week 2 Ranking: 20

1. LenDale White should've stayed fat. He's lost his power, which is the only thing that made him good.

2. Kerry Collins needs to go. Give Vince Young a shot. He's got to be better than Collins at this point.

3. What happened to the pass defense? The run defense was supposed to be bad with the departure of Haynesworth, not the other way around.

MVP: Chris Johnson- Johnson's speed is other worldly. In the open field nobody can catch him. Nobody. If Tennessee wasn't losing in every game he'd be leading the league in rushing by more than 100 yards. He is averaging over six per carry. Insane.

23. Seattle Seahawks (1-3) Week 2 Ranking: 23

1. T.J. Houshmandzadeh wishes he was still in Cincy. Now Palmer's healthy and the Bengals are cruisin' and the Seahawks top passer is out and they stink. Bad luck for Housh.

2. Nate Burleson is still a very talented receiver. People forget that when he played a whole season as a starter, he was a 1,000 yard receiver. That was a long time ago, but it is clear that he has talent.

3. Is Julius Jones really the starting running back still. He's been very ineffective the past few games and they need a new number one back. Justin Forsett, please.

MVP: Matt Hasselbeck- Hasselbeck has only played in one game, but he is clearly the most valuable player to the Seahawks. With him, the Seahawks can win 8-9 games, but without him they are going to have another dud season. He can still play and they desperately need him back.

24. Washington Redskins (2-2) Week 2 Ranking: 25

1.Dan Snyder has horrible luck. He continues to sign some of the biggest free agents every year, and every year they disappoint.

2. Santana Moss is one of the best playmakers in the NFL. A poor man's Steve Smith perhaps. They need to get him as many touches as possible.

3. Clinton Portis's struggles might not be his fault. That offensive line is horrendous.

MVP: Santana Moss- Santana has kept the Redskins in their past two games. His 57 yarder against Tampa all but won the game for Washington.

25. Carolina Panthers (0-3) Week 2 Ranking: 22

1. They need to get Steve Smith the ball in any way possible. They need to do more of those screens they used to give Smith 2-3 a game when he had his breakout season. Putting him as a kick returner or punt returner wouldn't be a bad idea either. Maybe not all the time, but once a game give Smith the ball with open field.

2. The Panthers need to stop kidding themselves. Jonathan Stewart is not the same talent that DeAngelo Williams is. Why are they splitting carries almost evenly. Williams should get about 70 percent of the carries there.

3. They need to protect Jake Delhomme better. Of course a quarterback is going to play bad when a 6'5," 280 pound defensive end is about to drive him into the ground.

MVP: DeAngelo Williams- DeAngelo Williams is one of the best backs in the league and has been very good for Carolina so far. He scored in two of three games and has a 4.4 yards per carry. Three straight teams with bad run D's are the perfect recipe for him to be able to keep up last season's pace.

26. Buffalo Bills (1-3) Week 2 Ranking: 21

1. They need to figure out a way to get Terrell Owens more involved in the offense. He might not be what he used to be, but he is just as good as Lee Evans or whoever else Edwards is throwing to.

2. The New England game really sucked the life out of them. After a whipping of Tampa Bay, they've looked awful for two straight games, especially offensively

3. They committed to Marshawn Lynch as their starting running back. He almost split carries down the middle with Fred Jackson in his first game back.

MVP: Fred Jackson- There has been one bright spot for Buffalo so far. He is playing much better than Marshawn Lynch right now. He is the main reason they have won a game and kept up with the Pats in week one.

TIER 7

27. Detroit Lions (1-3) Week 2 Ranking: 30

1. Kevin Smith is a touchdown vulture if there ever was one. In the games where he has scored a TD, he has 35 carries for 50 yards and THREE touchdowns. He needs to start running better.

2. Calvin Johnson is going to explode once Stafford settles in. Last week is a sign of whats to come in Detroit. Calvin all day.

3. The Lions have a decent offense, too bad their defense still sucks. They need to start worrying about the D now that Stafford and Johnson are there.

MVP: Matthew Stafford- Stafford hasn't put up great numbers or anything (he has a -3 touchdown-interception ratio), but he has the respect of teammates and a confidence about him that is promising for Detroit. Lions fan must be happy about the thought of the strong armed Stafford throwing bombs to Calvin Johnson for many years to come.

28. Cleveland Browns (0-4) Week 2 Ranking: 31

1. Muhammad Massaquoi looks like Derek Anderson's favorite target. What a game in week 4.

2. Jerome Harrison is a big upgrade from Jamal Lewis. Lewis is just a big,fat,washed up running back that used to be good.

3. Derek Anderson becoming the starter really helps them. That is how sad the state of affairs in Cleveland are.

MVP: Josh Cribbs- Cribbs is just a big play machine. Punt returns, as a receiver. They need to get him on the field more.

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4) Week 2 Ranking: 28

1. Getting Derrick Ward for as much as they did was a bad decision. He's been hurt and hasn't been effective.

2. Why aren't they starting Josh Freeman instead of Josh Johnson? Johnson's only in his second year, why not start the guy you took in the first round.

3. Antonio Bryant needs to get fully healthy fast. He's the only good wideout that they have.

MVP: Cadillac Williams- Williams has been very solid so far after coming back from a very serious injury. He's been the only good thing about Tampa's offense so far.

TIER 8

30. Oakland Raiders (1-3) Week 2 Ranking: 24

1. Darren McFadden looks to be yet another Oakland bust. He has been ineffective and injured so far this year. Al Davis is horrible.

2. Even if Michael Crabtree held out he would have been a better draft pick than Darrius Hayward-Bey. Heyward-Bey has a grand total of TWO catches this year.

3. Jamarcus Russell might be the worst number one pick in NFL history. He has completed only 39.8 percent of his passed. Horrible.

MVP: Tom Cable- At least he brings some kind of news to the Raiders.

31. Kansas City Chiefs (0-4) Week 2 Ranking: 29

1. Larry Johnson is as done as Shaun Alexander or Priest Holmes were when they were done. He doens't have explosiveness anymore.

2. Dwayne Bowe needs to get healthy. He is all that they have as far as receivers go.

3. Kansas City is the opposite of Denver. Their awful defense has gotten worse.

MVP: Matt Cassel- Cassel isn't very good, but he's been the only good thing for the Cheifs so far. Veterans like Larry Johnson have stunk and Cassel has just stunk less than everybody else.

32. St. Louis Rams (0-4)

1. Kyle Boller might actually be an upgrade over Marc Bulger. Either way, they're horrible under center.

2. Steven Jackson needs the ball more if they want to win. GIVE HIM THE BALL!

3. This team is worse than the 2009 Lions. They've been shut out in half of their games so far.

MVP:James Laurinaitis- Laurinaitis somehow slipped to the second round in the draft. He was a sure thing if there ever was one and has proved his worth so far. He's the ONLY good thing about the Rams. He will be a very good, Pro Bowl caliber linebacker.

Quarter Awards

MVP: Peyton Manning

Offensive Player of the Year: Peyton Manning

Defensive Player of the Year: Darren Sharper

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Percy Harvin

Defensive Rookie of the Year: James Laurinaitis

Comeback Player of the Year: Tom Brady

Coach of the Year: Rex Ryan

Quarter All-Pro team

Offense (I don't know enough about offensive lineman to pick them)

QB Peyton Manning

RB Chris Johnson

RB Adrian Peterson

WR Vincent Jackson

WR Steve Smith (Giants)

TE Dallas Clark

K Sabastian Janikowski

KR Johnny Knox

Defense

DE Antwan Odom

DE Jered Allen

DT Casey Hampton

DT Kris Jenkins

OLB Terrell Suggs

OLB Elvis Dumervil

MLB Patrick Willis

MLB Ray Lewis

CB Darrelle Revis

CB Champ Bailey

S Darren Sharper

S Dawon Landry

P Shane Lechler

PR Joshua Cribbs

End of the year, If I had to pick...

MVP: Peyton Manning

Offensive Player of the Year: Adrian Peterson

Defensive Player of the Year: Patrick Willis

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Mark Sanchez

Defensive Rookie of the Year: James Laurinaitis

Comeback Player of the Year: Tom Brady

Coach of the Year: Rex Ryan

THE PICKS

Last Weeks Picks: 10-4 (7-7 vs. spread)

(Upset of the Week: 0-1, Game of the Week: 1-0, Lock of the Week: 1-0)

Overall: 40-22 (36-26 vs. spread)

(Upset of the Week: 1-2, Game of the Week: 3-1, Lock of the Week: 2-0)

*picks vs. spread are in parenthesis

Buffalo vs. Cleveland:Buffalo 20-14 (Cleveland +6.5)

Detroit vs. Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh 31-7 (Pittsburgh -10.5)

Kansas City vs. Dallas: Dallas 27-17 (Dallas -8.5)

St. Louis vs. Minnesota: Minnesota 35-14 (Minnesota -10.5)

New York Giants vs. Oakland: New York 30-10 (New York -16.5) (Lock of the Week)

Philadelphia vs. Tampa Bay: Philadelphia 37-7 (Philadelphia -13.5)

Carolina vs. Washington: Carolina 24-20 (Carolina -3.5)

Baltimore vs. Cincinnati: Baltimore 21-10 (Baltimore -8.5)

San Francisco vs. Atlanta: San Francisco 17-14 (San Francisco -2.5)

Seattle vs. Jacksonville: Seattle 31-27 (Seattle -0.5)

Arizona vs. Houston: Arizona 34-31 (Houston +5.5)

Denver vs. New England: New England 24-13 (New England -3.5)(Game of the Week)

Tennessee vs. Indianapolis: Indianapolis 34-24 (Indianapolis -3.5)

Miami vs. New York Jets: New York 20-10 (New York -1.5)

Upset of the Week: none

Game of the Week: Denver vs. New England

Lock of the Week: New York Giants over Oakland

Bold Prediction of the Week: The Rams will be the second team in NFL history to go 0-16.

Can NC State win the ACC?

2009-10-03T09:18:00.001-07:00

After NC State's season opening 7-3 loss to South Carolina it looked like their season would be another mediocre year. Now things are looking way up for the Wolfpack after two blowout wins over Division 1-AA teams and and a gritty comeback win over a tough Pittsburgh team.

The main reason the Wolfpack have won their past three games has to be Russell Wilson. Wilson is now second in the NCAA in touchdown passes, despite throwing none in the Wolfpack's first game. He has thrown for four touchdowns in each of the past three games. He is only five touchdowns from passing his total of 17 from last season. He could get into the 30's this year.

Wilson needs to get more media attention. The dude is an absolute beast, both through the air and on the ground (he had 91 rushing yards against Pittsburgh). When you hear the elite quarterbacks in the NCAA come up, you never hear Wilson's name. He is second in the country in touchdown passes and hasn't thrown an interception in almost 300 pass attempts. Doesn't that qualify as an elite quarterback? The scary thing is that he is only a sophomore. NC State has a very bright future with him behind center.

One thing that looked promising all year for the Pack until the Pitt game was their defense. They only allowed 28 points combined in the first three game, then allowed 31 to Pittsburgh last Saturday. However, the defense didn't allow any long drives, the longest being six plays. They did give up many big plays on the ground and through the air though, which could be a big problem when a speedster like Clemson's C.J. Spiller is on the other side of the ball.

Besides the few big plays NC State gave up, their defense was pretty good though. They forced the Panthers into three straight three-and-outs down the stretch and made some great plays to stop a late touchdown by Pitt when they had the ball deep in NCSU territory because of a turnover.

NC State has all the tools to represent the ACC Atlantic in the ACC Championship and possibly represent the ACC in the BCS for NC State's first time ever. While that might be very optimistic, the Pack should be in the hunt all year long in a pretty weak division.

There is no team in that division that somebody can clearly say is better than the Wolfpack right now. There might be, and the Wolfpack will undoubtedly lose some conference games, but right now they are playing better football than any division foes.

The teams that have the best chances at challenging NC State are probably Florida State and Clemson. Florida State has looked good only in the BYU game, where they inexplicitly exploded for 54 points. They have only looked good in that game though. Clemson is also inconsistent.

Consistency is where NC State can really hurt opposing teams because Russell Wilson is always money, especially about turning the ball over. Their defense is also one of the best in the country as of now, so they are always going to be in games. Remember, the Wolfpack are one play from being a 4-0 team.

The other teams in the Atlantic include Boston College, Wake Forest, and Maryland. None of these teams are going to win the division. Clemson destroyed BC, Wake has lost some games they should not have lost already, and Maryland is just bad this year. Those teams will not win the ACC Atlantic division.

NC State really should be the favorite of the teams left. Florida State would be the pick to an average fan, but the Seminoles are very flawed and are very inconsistent. Clemson and NC State will battle it out for ACC Atlantic supremacy and a trip to Tampa for the ACC Championship and possibly a trip to a BCS bowl.

Prediction for NCSU @ Wake Forest: NCSU 27-Wake 17

The Picks: Week Three

2009-09-24T16:38:00.000-07:00

Last week's picks: 7-9

(Upset of the Week: 0-1, Game of the Week: 1-1)

Overall: 19-13

I'm still trying to figure out what format I'm going to make my picks in.

*new features this week are "Lock of the Week" and five locks to be top ten fantasy players (QB,RB,WR).

Detroit vs. Washington

Matthew Stafford is finally going to find his connections with Calvin Johnson in this game. They've been okay together but Johnson is going to really tear up an average Washington secondary. Lions get their first win since 2007 in this one.

Detroit 27, Washington 23 (Upset of the Week)

St. Louis vs. Green Bay

St. Louis is awful. Green Bay is coming off of a bad game and get a perfect matchup, playing in St. Louis. The Packers seem like they'd be great playing in a dome with speed all over the field like they have. Jennings and Rodgers are going to hook up a lot and the Packers defense will force a lot of turnovers.

Green Bay 35, St. Louis 16

Minnesota vs. San Francisco

Brett Favre, after leading the league in interceptions a year ago, has yet to throw a pick. He's going to make up for lost time in this game. The Vikings will be forced to throw as the Niners limit Peterson and Favre will show that he is basically the same guy from last year. San Francisco's defense and whole team is legit.

San Francisco 19, Minnesota 17

New England vs. Atlanta

Tom Brady has disappointed most people so far. He has not looked good at all through two games. It's easy to name ten quarterbacks who have played better without even thinking. Matt Ryan will show Brady up again,just like the rook Sanchez did a week ago, as the Falcons go into Foxburough and further threaten the Patriots season.

Atlanta 31, New England 27

New York Jets vs. Tennessee Titans

Chris Johnson is an animal. He played bad in week one, but does any running back play well against the Pittsburgh defense. He is the fastest back in the league and can break long runs better than anybody (yes, even better than Peterson). The Jets won't be able to contain him like the Steelers did and Tennessee will get a much needed win on the road.

Tennessee 20, New York 16

Philadelphia vs. Kansas City

Kansas City is very, very bad again this year. Their defense is non existent. No matter who is behind center or running the ball for Philadelphia this week, they will beat the Chiefs. There is no way their defense plays as poorly as it did last week.

Philadelphia 37, Kansas City 18

Tampa Bay vs. New York Giants

The G-Men couldn't have picked a better game to establish their running game in. Jacobs and Bradshaw have both been underwhelming this season and if they don't run all over Tampa's horrible run D, then Giants fans have cause for a lot of concern. Eli Manning is improved, but not good enough to carry a team by himself. However, Giants fans shouldn't be worried; Jacobs and Bradshaw will both have field days.

Giants 34, Buccaneers 10

Baltimore vs. Cleveland

Baltimore is the most complete team in the league right now. Joe Flacco is looking like a Pro Bowler, Willis McGahee looks five years younger, and Todd Heap is suddenly one of the best tight ends in the league again. Factor in that Ray Rice hasn't taken off yet and that the defense has yet to hit their stride and that is a very, very scary team. Expect those two things to happen this week against a Browns team that is in disarray.

Baltimore 31, Cleveland 0 (Lock of the Week)

Houston vs. Jacksonville

Jacksonville is not as bad as people think. They've faced two of the best passing teams in the league and have a weak secondary and have lost by an average of eight points. That isn't as bad as people have been making them seem this past week. However, they are playing another one of the best pass defenses this week, so the Jaguars will playing from behind once again. Schaub puts up another great game in this one after a dismal showing in week one. The Texans are going to score a lot of points this year..

Houston 35, Jacksonville 26

Buffalo vs. New Orleans

Drew Brees may not have broken the yards record last season, but things are looking good for him this year. Even with health problems at running back the Saints have averaged 46.5 points per game. Buffalo's defense isn't a significant upgrade from Phily's and the Saints are going to force turnovers just like in weeks one and two. Fred Jackson can only do so much for Buffalo.

New Orleans 44, Buffalo 28

Seattle vs. Chicago

Matt Hasselback, in all likelihood, will not play in this game. As we saw last week and last year, the Seahawks are not a team that can win with Seneca Wallace. He isn't a good enough quarterback to win games without any support from the running game (Justin Forsett really needs to be starting, he is their best back). This is a perfect bounce back game for Matt Forte, facing a team that Frank Gore totally demolished. This one will be closer than many think, but Chicago will still pull it out.

Chicago 24, Seattle 20

San Diego vs. Miami

The Chargers are one of the best teams in football, but they really need a healthy Tomlinson to win in the playoffs this year. Sproles is one of the best in the league once he is in the open field, but is bad between the tackles. That's right, he is bad. Rivers can beat most teams through the air anyway, especially now with his much improved Vincent Jackson playing like an All Pro. The Dolphins pass defense is not good so Rivers could very well put up similar stats to the Ravens game, where he tallied over 400 yards.

San Diego 30, Miami 17

Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh

Cincinnati is a dangerous team this year. Both sides of the ball have a lot of talent, but so does Pittsburgh. Palmer still hasn't gotten on track which is scary because the Bengals should be 2-0. Palmer is not likely to get back on track in this game, although Cutler did against this defense. Having Polamalu on the sidelines really hurts the Steelers secondary. The Bengals bring back memories of 2005 in this upset.

Cincinnati 17, Pittsburgh 13

Oakland vs. Denver

These two teams were supposed to be horrible this season, yet they enter this game a combined 3-1. Denver is suddenly a great defensive team with Elvis Dumervil leading the way. Oakland has been good despite Jamarcus Russell's accuracy problem. Russell sure isn't going to be a whole lot better against tough Broncos defense and neither is anybody else for Oakland. Kyle Orton isn't exactly John Elway for Denver, but at least he gets the job done. The Broncos will continue to roll and remain undefeated after beating Oakland in the Black Hole.

Denver 22, Oakland 10

Arizona vs. Indianapolis (Game of the Week)

Kurt Warner looked like last year's Kurt after playing bad in week one. Peyton Manning has another solid game for Indy. This will be a very entertaining quarterback dual and a high scoring game. Another interesting subplot is the two rookies Chris Wells and Donald Brown competing. Brown has been the better back so far, Wells has to want to show Brown up. This game is going to be shootout and in the shootout, always take the better quarterback.

Indianapolis 34, Arizona 28

Dallas vs. Carolina

All three Monday Night games so far have come down to the final drive and this one might too. These are two very even teams. The Panthers are desperate for a win to avoid an 0-3 start, while Dallas has a lot of pressure not to start 0-2 at their new stadium. Remember, in high pressure situations, Tony Romo can implode. This is certainly a possibility against Carolina. Marion Barber will not be healthy, further increasing a chance that the Panthers could steal this one. One more week of picking the Cats, then I'm done picking them against good teams, but the circumstances point to a Carolina victory this Monday.

Carolina 27, Dallas 21

Five locks to be top 10 fantasy players this week

Quarterbacks

1.Drew Brees

2. Matt Schaub

3. Aaron Rodgers

4. Philip Rivers

5. Peyton Manning

Running backs

1. Brandon Jacobs

2. Michael Turner

3. Matt Forte

4. Fred Jackson

5. Maurice Jones-Drew

Wide Receivers

1. Calvin Johnson

2. Greg Jennings

3. Andre Johnson

4. Reggie Wayne

5. Roddy White

Game of the Week: Indianapolis over Arizona

Upset of the Week: Detroit over Washington

Lock of the Week: Baltimore over Cleveland

Semi-Weekly NFL Super Recap (Weeks 1-2)

2009-09-23T14:02:00.000-07:00

What we learned from weeks 1-2 (in Power Rank order)

TIER 1

1. Baltimore Ravens (2-0)

1. Joe Flacco is making the second year leap. He has been great in the first two games, showing smarts and utilizing his great arm.

2. Willis McGahee is still the guy. McGahee is currently tied for leading the league in touchdowns. How many people wouldn't have thought that he would be leading his own team in touchdowns after two weeks?

3. The defense is shaky without Rex Ryan and Bart Scott. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed can only do so much. The good news: Lewis looked incredible in the game against San Diego. They still make the plays when they need to.

2. New Orleans Saints (2-0)

1. This could be the best offense, ever. They have so many weapons on the ground and through the air. It's ridiculous.

2. The defense is going to force turnovers. They had four against Philly and three against Detroit.

3. Brees will make a run at Brady's 50 touchdowns. It's hard to imagine that he's going to throw for less than two touchdowns in any game. He could easily average three per game the rest of the season, which would put him 51. Brady should be sweating.

TIER 2

3. New York Giants (2-0)

1. Plaxico Burress wasn't that important to them. Eli has had great chemistry with Mario Manningham and Steve Smith and has one of the deepest receiving corps in the league.

2. They are going to miss Derrick Ward. Brandon Jacobs has struggled this season and it could be because Derrick Ward isn't there to give them a different look. Ahmad Bradshaw just isn't the same quality of player that Ward was.

3. Their pass protection is great. Manning has been sacked one time against defenses that have featured DeMarcus Ware and Albert Haynesworth. One sack in two games with a non-mobile QB like Manning is phenomenal.

4. New York Jets

1. The defense might be the best in the league. They have yet to allow and offensive touchdown and limited Brady and Schaub to a combined 382 yards passing, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. Brady and Schaub combined stats in their other games? A whopping 735 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception.

2. Mark Sanchez will be rookie of the year. He'll put up stats like Joe Flacco did in his rookie year, but he will be very efficient and most importantly, win games.

3. Rex Ryan is built to coach. He motivates his team and obviously has one of the best, if not the best defensive mind in the game. He is the start of a new era in the Meadowlands.

5. Atlanta

1. Tony Gonzalez has been the biggest acquisition of the offseason. He has a touchdown in each game and is Matt Ryan's favorite target.

2. Michael Turner isn't quite what he was last season. He's not bad or anything, he just isn't the same elite back that he was last year.

3. Mike Peterson is a Pro Bowl caliber linebacker. He's been all over the place for Atlanta so far.

TIER 3

6. San Francisco

1. Shaun Hill is a decent NFL starter. He put up good numbers last year and even without very good receivers he can move the ball. He will not make mistakes either.

2. The defense is one of the leagues best. Holding Arizona to 16 points is quite a feat.

3. Michael Crabtree's will not ever wear a Niners uniform. Seriously though, what is he thinking? Has holding out for an entire year EVER been a good move for any athlete EVER? There is no way he will make more money next year or be as good after being away from football. It's a shame that such a talented player will probably never realize what he could have been.

7. Indianapolis Colts

1. Peyton Mannning is still the king of the two minute drill. Also, he's going to have a better year than Brady.

2. The defense is not good. They haven't allowed many points, but they've played bad offensive teams. The Dolphins offense ran and threw all over them.

3. Dallas Clark will act as the number two receiver since the Gonzalez injury. He is the league leader in receiving yards after two weeks. While that won't continue, he will probably lead all tight ends in receiving yards.

8. Minnesota

1. Adrian Peterson is still the best back in football. Big surprise.

2. Brett Favre will not throw downfield. His longest completion has been 21 yards. It's very possible that he could still have arm issues.

3. They can beat the cupcakes. They've blown out Cleveland and Detroit, who happen to be two of the worst three teams in the NFL. We'll see how they handle San Francisco in their next game.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers

1. The defense is still great. They've only allowed an average of 13.5 points in the first two weeks. It wouldn't be surprising if they didn't let a single team above 20 this year.

2. The offensive line is still abysmal. Roethlisberger is running for his life on every pass.

3. Santonio Homes is making the leap to being a top flight wide receiver. Holmes stats from the first two games do not lie: 14 catches, 214 yards, and a touchdown. He is a burner and Roethlisberger's favorite target.

10. San Diego Chargers

1. LaDainian Tomlinson is done. There were big talks of a big comeback year for LT this season. He was horrible running the ball in against Oakland and is now injured. Anyone still on that bandwagon?

2. Philip Rivers is a top 5 quarterback. He is very good in the fourth quarter of games and would probably put up Drew Brees like numbers if given the opportunity to pass that often as evidenced in the Baltimore game.

3. The defense is the glaring weakness. Shawn Merriman hasn't been himself and Jamal Williams is out for the season. Not good.

11. Chicago Bears

1. Matt Forte will suffer a sophomore slump. His bad game against the Steelers is excusable, but a bad game against a Packers team that surrendered 140 yards to Cedric Benson is not.

2. Jay Cutler will win some games for them; and lose some. He is very inconsistent. He threw four picks and played awful against a Packers defense that Carson Palmer destroyed and played great against a great Pittsburgh defense. Who can guess with this guy?

3. They have a lot of receiving depth. Earl Bennett, Johnny Knox and Devin Hester are all good at wide receiver. Not great, but all good. Greg Olsen and Matt Forte are big matchup problems for teams.

12. New England Patriots

1. This is not the 2007 Patriots. The offense has been pretty bad. It seems like teams have figured them out.

2. The defense is a big liability. Looks like getting rid of Seymour was a mistake, at least for this season. Losing Mayo hurts them even more. The offense better start playing better.

3. Something is wrong with Tom Brady. Besides the last two drives against Buffalo, Brady has looked like a below average quarterback. He will bounce back, but will be lucky to throw 30 touchdowns this year.

TIER 4

13. Denver (2-0)

1. The defense is revamped. They have allowed a league low 6.5 points per game in the first two weeks. The two teams they played scored 20 and 31 points in their other games. Is this really the same team that gave up the third most points in the NFL last year?

2. Kyle Orton will not be able to replace Jay Cutler well enough. He doesn't make a ton of mistakes, but Orton will never take over a game like Cutler could.

3. Elvis Dumervil is one of the most underrated defensive ends in the league. Last year was an off year, but he's already bounced back. He is a pass rusher in the mold of Dwight Freeney.

14. Dallas(1-1)

1. The scoreboard won't be a big deal. Nobody is going to hit the thing. People made a way to big of a deal about it.

2. When Tony Romo is on, he is great; when he is off, he is bad.

3. Felix Jones is one of the best game breakers in the league. He's in the same mold of a Darren Sproles or Leon Washington, except with size.

15. Houston (1-1)

1. Andre Johnson very arguably a better wide receiver than Larry Fitzgerald. He was matched up with one of the best corners in the league in week one. He went crazy in week two. That is the real Andre Johnson.

2. If Matt Schaub stays healthy he will be a top five quarterback in terms of yards and touchdowns. They are going to throw a lot.

3. Steve Slaton has disappeared. He has 51 yards in two games. However Slaton has faced two of the best run defense in the league in New York and Tennessee.

16. Philadelphia (1-1)

1. Michael Vick will not get a lot playing time. He is the fourth quarterback on the team right now most likely. They will use him, but not as much as many people would have thought.

2. If the defense doesn't get a good pass rush, they are in trouble. The Eagles were all over Delhomme in week one and they destroyed Carolina. Drew Brees had all day in week two and the Saints destroyed Philly.

3. Brian Westbrook will not be healthy all season. He won't get more than 15-20 touches in probably any game this year. He is just banged up. Luckily for Philadephia, LeSean McCoy has looked great.

17. Arizona (1-1)

1. Kurt Warner is healthy and he is still a great quarterback. Twenty four for twenty six? Seriously? He's still got it.

2. They can't run. Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower have both been pretty bad. This is a a pass first team in a big way.

3. The defense is better than last year. Especially against the pass. Rodgers-Cromartie keeps maturing into a star.

18. Cincinnati (1-1)

1. Chad Ochocinco is back in every way. He is back to being flashy without being super obnoxious and actually backing up some of his smack with his play on the field. He's on his way to a vintage Chad (Johnson? Ochocinco?) year.

2.Cedric Benson can run. Cedric Benson??? He just has 217 yards, a yards per carry over four and a touchdown. Very un-Benson like, but this could be the new Benson.

3. This is the best defense Marvin Lewis has had. Rey Maualuga is going to be a star a linebacker. If Lewis is still around he could be his new Ray Lewis.

19. Green Bay (1-1)

1. Aaron Rodgers still has a ways to go to be considered in that elite class of quarterbacks. He's been very average so far. At least he isn't throwing interceptions.

2. The defense is basically the same as last years. They will get a lot of turnovers and make big plays, but they'll give up a lot as well. They gamble too much.

3. Donald Driver is one of the most consistent wideouts in the league. He's going to end the year with 1,000 yards just like the previous five seasons. Are there any other guys in the league that have been that consistent, yet never considered to be superstars.

20. Tennessee (1-1)

1. Chris Johnson is the fastest running back in the league. That game he had against Houston was pure amazing. He might challenge Peterson for the rushing title this year.

2. Kerry Collins is still a solid quarterback. He has a solid 85.6 rating and will lead them just like he did last year.

3. Losing Haynesworth hurt them. With Albert teams had to focus on him not only stuffing the run, but also pass rushing. They still have good run stuffers, but they don't have a big guy in the middle to rush the passer, which will lead to teams passing all over a very average secondary.

TIER 5

21. Buffalo Bills (1-1)

1. Trent Edwards is a legitimate starting NFL quarterback. He has made some very good throws in the first couple of games.

2. Fred Jackson will keep the starting running back job when Marshawn Lynch comes back. Jackson has been a phenomenal playmaker, through the air and on the ground. Lynch won't take the job until Jackson falters.

3. Terrell Owens is not going to be a huge difference maker in the fortunes of the team. He has not been a huge factor so far and will continue not to be.

22. Carolina Panthers (0-2)

1. The defense really misses Maake Kemoeatu. They can't stop teams if they really want to score. They cannot put faith in their defense this year.

2. Jake Delhomme will have his good weeks and his bad weeks. He'll probably have 2-3 good weeks, 8-9 average weeks, and 3-4 bad weeks. The Panthers better win in the weeks where he plays good or average because the games where he blows up are impossible to win.

3. DeAngelo Williams is still a game breaking talent. He is going to score twenty touchdowns again. He is getting the ball in the red zone and making great plays to get in. Once he starts getting more carries, better numbers and long runs will come.

23. Seattle Seahawks (1-1)

1. They're season depends on the health of Matt Hasselbeck. Seneca Wallace won't make mistakes, but he doesn't have good arm. He's a worse version of Jason Campbell.

2. Justin Forsett is their best back. It wouldn't be surprising at all if Forsett is the starter by season's end. He's looked explosive in the few touches he's gotten.

3. Their run defense is horrible. Frank Gore just embarrassed them.

24.. Oakland Raiders(1-1)

1. Jamarcus Russell has a good arm, just not a good brain. He has no accuracy. His completion percentage against the Chiefs (yes, the Chiefs!) was an abysmal 29 percent. That won't be winning any more football games for them.

2. Michael Bush needs to get more carries. He is powerful and fast. He could be a better version of Brandon Jacobs if given the chance.

3. The Richard Seymour trade might actually work out. He had two sacks in the opener. When was the last time Oakland cranked out a good first round pick anyway?

25. Washington Redskins (1-1)

1. Jason Campbell needs to be replaced. He doesn't take any chances and is really holding them back. They need a quarterback who can throw down the field with receivers like Moss and Randle El.

2. They are very bad inside the 20. Suisham has kicked four field goals this year, with the longest being 28 yards. They need to score when they are that close.

3. Clinton Portis has lost a step. Really Clinton? Julius Jones can rush for almost 120 yards against St. Louis and you can only manage 79? He needs to step it up.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2)

1. They still have no receiver. Matt Jones and Reggie Williams might have been better than Torry Holt and umm..nobody.

2. The secondary is going to get exploited by everybody. Kurt Warner absolutely killed them.

3. Maurice Jones-Drew is good, but needs the ball. He averaged over five per carry against the Cards, but only rushed the ball 13 times.

27. Miami Dolphins (0-2)

1. Ronnie Brown is one of the most inconsistent backs in the league. He's either going to have a really big game or a dud.

2. Joey Porter has fallen back to earth. He has just four tackles and one sack through two games.

3. Ted Ginn is an all or nothing player. He'll have 120 yards one week and no catches the next. Expect more of nothing from him this year. He's not that good.

TIER 6

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2)

1. Cadillac Williams has bounced back nicely. Most people would have had him as the third stringer a month ago. Now is the featured back.

2. Kellen Winslow has really benefited from his chance of scenery. Two touchdowns in the first two weeks and Byron Leftwich looks for the tight ends a lot. He's going to score eight or nine touchdowns.

3. This is a horrible defense. Looks like anything they had, Monte Kiffin took with him.

29. Kansas City Chiefs (0-2)

1. Matt Cassel was a horrible waste of 50 million. He is a purely average quarterback. It would shock me if he ever makes a Pro Bowl.

2. Dwayne Bowe is developing into one of the best receivers in the league. He's big, fast and has good hands. That's a great combo, along with having a team that is going to pass a lot.

3. Todd Haley doesn't look like a big upgrade over Herm. He's made some questionable decisions in the first couple of weeks.

TIER 7

30. Detroit Lions (0-2)

1. They are going to win a game this year. If they can actually show up for a second half, they might get four or five. They hung with two very good teams in the first two games.

2. Matthew Stafford looks decent. He won't put up great numbers this year, but all he has is Calvin Johnson. That's it. His offensive line doesn't do him any favors either.

3. The defense desperately needs to force turnovers. They aren't stopping anybody.

31. Cleveland Browns (0-2)

1. Brady Quinn has played very poor. He is not an upgrade over Derek Anderson. At least Anderson throws a good deep ball.

2. Jamal Lewis is done. Overweight power backs typically don't age too well.

3. Braylon Edwards needs a change of scenery. He can be a star in the NFL. He just needs to get out of Cleveland.

32. St. Louis Rams (0-2)

1. Steven Jackson would be a top three back on any other team. He is the complete package of a power,speed, and receiving back. Too bad they'll be playing from behind all year. They'd be better off handing to Jackson 30 times per game, even if they're down.

2. They have no receivers. Has there ever been a team that had worse receivers than this St. Louis team? Not even a knowledgeable NFL fan could name a single Rams receiver.

3. The defense is going to get killed. Bad news Rams fans, the offense isn't going to score either.

If I had to pick... (for the end of the season)

*runner up in (_)

MVP: Drew Brees (Adrian Peterson)

Offensive Player of the Year: Adrian Peterson (Drew Brees)

Defensive Player of the Year: Ray Lewis (John Abraham)

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Mark Sanchez (Percy Harvin)

Defensive Rookie of the Year:Rey Maualuga (James Laurinaitis)

Comeback Player of the Year: Shawne Merriman (Torry Holt)

Coach of the Year: Rex Ryan (John Harbaugh)

NFC division winners: Bears, Saints, Giants, 49ers

NFC wild cards: Vikings, Cowboys

AFC division winners: Ravens, Colts, Patriots, Chargers

AFC wild cards: Steelers, Jets

NFC Champion: Saints

AFC Champion: Chargers

Super Bowl Champion (MVP): Chargers (Rivers)

Bold Prediction of the Week: Chris Johnson will lead the NFL in rushing at year's end, not Adrian Peterson.

by the way, here are my NFL picks from last week...not good:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/258196-the-picks-nfl-week-two

The Picks: Week 1

2009-09-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

The NFL is finally here! On Thursday, September 9th the season will kickoff with Pittsburgh-Tennessee and then the rest of the games will continue on Sunday and Monday. I am here to predict those games (and will weekly). This edition features small previews of each team, future editions will focus more on actually predicting specifics about each game.

Pittsburgh vs. Tennessee (GAME OF THE WEEK)

These two teams had the best two records in the NFL last year, along with two of the best defenses. This should be a nasty, hard-hitting game with not a whole lot of offense.

Pittsburgh are defending their title against the very team that stomped on their beloved Terrible Towels last year. Big Ben plays his first meaningful game since the sexual assault allegations and we'll see how he responds. Parker and Mendenhall are a good one-two punch, but we'll have to see if the offensive line can be better than last year. The defense returns most key players from last year. They could probably lose everybody but Harrison and Polamalu and still be one of the best in the league. Those guys are a crazy good.

Tennessee gets a harsh test early on facing the defending champs on their home turf and Kerry Collins is the quarterback. There is no way is the quarterback of a playoff Titans team at the end of the year this year, despite getting better recievers, including former Steeler Nate Washington. Johnson and White are as good of a running back combo in the league, but they'll have trouble against Pittsburgh. The defense was great last year, but star DT Haynesworth is gone, so we'll have to see if they are as effective.

Pittsburgh has a superior offense and defense. They are playing at home and coming off a Super Bowl Championship. The crowd is gonna be into it and historically the former Super Bowl champs don't lose this game. I'm taking the Steelers.

Pittsburgh 20, Tennessee 10

Atlanta vs. Miami

Miami gets to show that last year was for real with a week 1 matchup with the Falcons.

Rookie sensation Matt Ryan could develop into a legitimate top QB this year, if they don't run 7,000 times with Michael Turner. It's hard to run so much when Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White are targets to throw to though. Maybe they'll open up a bit more.

The defense might be one of the leagues worst this year, having no strengths anywhere on it.

There is no way the Dolphins offense will have the same success as last year. Pennington is due for an injury after a healthy 2008 season and Ronnie Brown is their best weapon- that is a big problem.

Joey Porter had a nice comeback year on defense and they welcome back veteran, now outside linebacker Jason Taylor. After an off year in Washington, Taylor should have a mini revival, being back in a familiar setting.

These are two teams I feel could drop off dramatically this year. The Falcons have a bad defense and Miami has a bad offense; on paper at least. The Falcons offense is slightly better than Miami's defense though and that will be the difference.

Atlanta 24, Miami 14

Cincinnati vs. Denver

Denver has had a whole slew of problems this offseason, as well as continuing problems with Brandon Marshall, and don't look great going into the season against the Hard Knocks stars of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Carson Palmer is back and Chad Ochocinco looks to be nearly back to his old self. Palmer is still fragile and remains behind a bad O line. Cedric Benson shouldn't be threatening to Denver.

The D might be better this year with Mike Zimmer calling the shots.

Denver is in disarray everywhere. Brandon Marshall is still at odds with management, Knowshon Moreno might not play week 1, and Kyle Orton hasn't looked good in preseason.

Not to mention that the defense is not a whole lot better than last year.

This is gonna be a high scoring game. Both of these defense are very bad. Bottom five is not out of the question for either team. The Bengals are gonna kill Denver through the air if Palmer is really healthy. Orton has struggled and has an injury, look for Moreno (or other Broncos backs) to have a good game. Cincinnati will win because Palmer will out dual Orton.

Cincinnati 31, Denver 21

Cleveland vs. Minnesota

Two New York Jets outcast meet up here in week 1. Brett Favre will start against his former coach when Minnesota travels to Cleveland on Sunday afternoon.

Cleveland doesn't have a whole lot going for them right now. Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson haven't looked overly impressive and neither has anybody on either side of the ball. The only way the Browns can be successful this year is if Jamal Lewis and Braylon Edwards have major revivals, which is very unlikely.

Packers fans will cringe when Brett Favre takes the field in Cleveland as a hated Minnesota Viking, but whatever you say he is an upgrade over Tavares Jackson. Jackson was dreadful in their playoff game last year and can take them out of games with mistakes. Not that Favre can't, but Favre can make more big plays and provides better leadership.

The defense will once again be one of the best in the league.

This will be an interesting game in determining the Browns season this year. Will they bounce back to 2007 form or continue down the path of awfulness like their 2008 year. Brady Quinn will have a bad time against the pass rush of Minnesota and Jamal Lewis and/or James Davis aren't exactly superstar runners. Brett Favre gets an easy game in his first "real" game since un-retiring. He could actually have a good game here, but Peterson will have a huge game. Minnesota will win.

Minnesota 24, Cleveland 16

Indianapolis vs. Jacksonville

Jacksonville enters the year as a legitimate bounce-back team and they face a legitimate fall from earth team in Indy. Manning won't let their season be ruined though and this should be a great division shootout.

Two long time staples, Tony Dungy and Marvin Harrison, are gone from Indy this season. It is a lot to ask for Jim Caldwell and Anthony Gonzalez to fill those guys shoes. Peyton Manning is essentially a coach though and will rally the troops around him. Don't think the Colts are going away this year.

Jacksonville is an intriguing team in the AFC this year. They are my sleeper pick in the AFC to make the playoffs. That said, they have a lot of questions on defense still, especially in the secondary. They need to generate a lot of pass rush for their secondary to be good this year. Going against Peyton Manning isn't the best ingredient for a so so pass D.

Their offense will be good though with underrated David Gerrard, multi-purpose Jones-Drew, and new comer veteran Holt. They will score a lot this season.

The season kicks off for these two with a great division rivalry. The Jags and Colts have become nice foes over the past few years, and this game should be another great one. Manning needs to get out of the gate hot for Indy and the Jags need MJD to be healthy and productive. Indy will pull out a squeaker.

Indianapolis 31, Jacksonville 26

New Orleans vs. Detroit

The Saints host the history-making Detroit Lions in week 1 and debut of Matthew Stafford. Drew Brees is coming off a record breaking season of his own and should be able to pick apart this Lions D.

The Saints come into this game as the favorites of the NFC South. Dree Brees is of course excellent, and maybe Marques Colston will be able to stay healthy. They have many offensive questions too though. Will Bush stay healthy? Will Lance Moore be as effective? Can Shockey be a part of the offense? The defense will not help much more than last year, with the same core of guys back.

Go ahead and lay down all the money in the world- the Lions will win 100% more games in 2009 than in 2008. Matthew Stafford can bring a glimpse of hope to the hopeless city of Detroit with a good first start and first season. Having Calvin Johnson to throw to doesn't hurt him either. The offensive line will be bad, but they have the talent to overcome that. The defense was the worst part of that 0-16 Lions team and Larry Foote won't change that. The Lions won't be winning any 10-3 games this year.

Detroit is going to be a lot better than last year. Calvin Johnson finally has a competant quaterback throwing to him. That is bad news for the Saints excuse for a defense. Kevin Smith is dangerous on the ground as well. This might be the best game to watch of any this week Both teams will score a lot and it's going to ba a lot closer than people think. Drew Brees will not let his team lose though. He's just goning to explode for like 400 yards and 4 touchdowns in this game. New Orleans will win a great shootout.

New Orleans 34, Detroit 28

Tampa Bay vs. Dallas

Tampa starts their rebuilding with a date with the Terrell Owens-less Cowboys. It will be interesting to see how Tampa can recover from losing veterans like Jeff Garcia and Derrick Brooks.

The Buccaneers face some major issues on offense. Anytime Byron Leftwich is your starter things are not well. They have a trio of dangerous backs, but none of them will kill you. Ward is the most explosive, but he might still only get the same amount of work that he did in New York. Bryant had offseason surgery and will probably not be healthy for this first game. The defense really had a let down at the end of the season and only time will tell how important Monte Kiffin was to them.

The Cowboys entered last season as Super Bowl favorites and now come into this season as NFC afterthoughts. They disappointed last season, but this team is basically the same as last years minus TO. Tony Romo was injured for a crutucal stretch last year and he is one of the best in the league out there. Running the ball should be a breeze. DeMarcus Ware leads what should be a better defense this year.

This game might be rough for Tampa since all of the coaching overhaul in the offseason, as well as not really having a good starting quarterback. Demarcus Ware is going to be putting licks on Leftwich all night. The only way Tampa stands a chance if their running game just comes out and kicks butt, which it could very well may. It's hard to see a whole lot of things going right though. Dallas will win a game closer than the score indicates.

Dallas 24, Tampa Bay 13

Carolina vs. Philadelphia

Michael Vick may not be playing, but this game will be one of the best of the week. Two of the final four NFC teams from last year face off in Charlotte in what should be a well balanced game.

Jake Delhomme is fresh off of a 5 interception game in the playoffs at the very same stadium. He is not as bad as some are making him out to be and can still win the Panthers some games with his gutsy late game play. DeAngelo Williams might be flying without Jonathan Stewart a lot this season as Stewart has had an unpromising Achilles injury nagging him up to now. Smith is still one the elite guys at wide receiver.

The loss of Kemoeatu hurts the Panthers, but if Jon Beason plays the run defense shouldn't be too bad. The pass defense should improve with Gamble and Mashall continuing to get better.

Philadelphia is being hyped as a much better team this year than last and its hard to argue offensively. They went out and got a good tackle in Peters, as well as grabbing Maclin and LeCoy in the draft. McNabb is very good when healthy, but Vick could be the leagues best backup when he is eligible after week 2.

The Eagles will be hurt by Brian Dawkins departal, but Jim Johnson's death will effect them more. Many of the players were close to him and may not be able to concentrate while on the field with somebody else leading them on. It will be interesting to see if their pass rush is as aggressive this season.

This is probably the second most intriguing matchup of week 1. People are really sleeping on Carolina in this one. They are basically the same team that went 12-4 last year. They lost one key player on defense and they are now being written off. They will come out with something to prove in this game, especially Jake Delhomme. Donovan McNabb will also come out firing, as it has appeared he is bothered by the whole Michael Vick signing and will want to put up a big game right away. This is gonna be a great game, but the Panthers get the edge because of the home field advantage (8-0 in regular season last year).

Carolina 27, Philadelphia 21

Baltimore vs. Kansas City

They D-heavy Ravens take on the rebuilding Chiefs in what could be one of the biggest blowouts of the week.

Baltimore returns all of the key cogs from their offense last year. Joe Flacco has the tools to be a great quarterback, we'll just see if he can take that next step this year and play well in the clutch. Ray Rice is the starter this year and has gotten a lot of preseason hype. It will be interesting to see if he gets most of the carries this year instead of McGahee. It's really a curious situation why McGahee is looked at as a below average back now.

Of course the Ravens defense will again be one of the league best. Despite losing stud linebacker Bart Scott and coordinator Rex Ryan, the defense returns two of the best players at their respective positions, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Those guys might be the most exciting two defensive players in the league, and they are on the same team. Terrell Suggs is also a great player at defensive end.

The Chiefs have already had a bad omen on their season. Matt Cassel went down in the preseason with a knee injury right after signing a big 50 million dollar contract (Really? Fifty millions for a guy who had one pretty good season? REALLY???). He might be back for the opener, but that's not a good start. Brodie Croyle or Tyler Thigpen are the backups. Larry Johnson has been ignored by pretty much everybody recently. Just a few years ago he was the league top back. Then again, so was Shaun Alexander. Johnson still has some juice though. Dwayne Bowe could help Cassel out this year. He is a big breakout candidate; a big, strong, fast receiver on a passing team without any other great options. That is a good recipe for a great year.

The Chiefs defense should improve from last year, but nobody should expect a big improvment. Tyson Jackson was their big offseason aquisition (via draft) and he isn't expected to contribute right away. Their going to have a lot of shootouts this season.

This game is going to be a blowout, plain and simple. Maybe even a shutout. A slightly unhealthy Matt Cassel/healthy Croyle or Thigpen behind that offensive line against that defense spells a Ravens blowout and first shutout of the season.

Ravens 27, Chiefs 0

Houston vs. New York Jets

Everybody's sleeper Houston matches up with a team that could sneak up on people in the Jets in this week 1 dual.

Houston has one heck of an offense. Matt Schaub might have a 4,000+ yard, 30+ TD season if he can stay healthy. He has weapons like Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels, and Kevin Walter to throw it to, not to mention star running back Steve Slaton. Slaton is back and running behind one of the better O-lines out there. Teams will have to put up a lot of points to slow down this show.

The defense on Houston shouldn't be too shabby either. Mario Williams is still showing why he was the better pick than Reggie Bush and leads a good pass rush. DeMeco Ryans is also one of the leagues better playmakers at linebacker. The secondary is middle of the pack, but should't lose them any games.

New York intrigues me because they were 9-7 last year and Brett Favre is the only significant piece missing. The way he played down the stretch, it isn't crazy to think Mark Sanchez can't be better this year than Favre last year. Thomas Jones, Leon Washington, and Shonn Greene make up one of the best three-headed monsters in football and each guy presents unique problems. Jerricho Cotchery is the only reliable receiver Sanchez has, so he could have a big year for the Jets in '09.

Rex Ryan didn't leave Baltimore empty handed. He brought along Bart Scott, who immediately upgrades the Jets defense. They were a middle of the pack defense last year and it would not be surprising at all if they turned into an elite unit with Ryan and Scott joining team operations.

This game will be a good test for Rex Ryan's new defense. Houston won't be able to run very well, but Matt Schaub is going to light up the Jets secondary. The Jets will run down the Texans gut and will wear them down. This game will be close throughout, but the Texans will pull away with a late touchdown at the end.

Texans 28, Jets 14

New York Giants vs. Washington

The G-Men and 'Skins will have an epic NFC East showdown to kick off their respective seasons in the Meadowlands.

The Giants will be good this year. Brandon Jacobs is due for a monster year. Derrick Ward, who had 1,00 yards last year is gone and Bradshaw is not going to get all 1,000 of those yards. This will still be a running team since Eli really doesn't have anybody to throw to. Jacobs is going to lead the league in touchdowns. Write it down! Dominik Hixon and Steve Smith lead some of the worst receiving corps in the league. they have decent depth, but everybody is a number 3 type NFL receiver. Kevin Boss might be Eli's favorite target this year.

The Giants will once again be a force on defense. They get back Osi Umenyiora to add to an already great pass rushing unit. They are going to be all over opposing quarterbacks, giving a just decent secondary a chance to make lots of plays.

Washington brings in maybe the most boring offense in the league. Is there a less exciting team to watch than the Redskins. Watching that offense last year was never fun, but they will be effective. Portis can still carry a team on his back and might have another 1,400-1,500 yard season in him. Santana Moss leads a group of talented big play receiver that can all break touchdowns at any point. Chris Cooley is one of the most reliable pass catching tight ends in the league.

Albert Haynesworth comes to D.C. and will immediately make a positive impact on the run and pass defenses. Haynesworth was probably the best run stuffing defensive tackle in the league last year and should be just as good in Washington. This is a defense that was very good last year and a new version of DeAngelo Hall, along with Fat Albert makes this defense even better.

Washington could come into the Meadowlands and knock off this Giants team. If Haynesworth is really as good as he got paid for then he will impact that defense tremendously. This game is a great one and will be a defensive struggle. Still, it s hard to believe that the Giants won't convert in the red zone with big Brandon Jacobs just bullying his way through guys. Giants win. Barely.

Giants 17, Washington 13

Arizona vs. San Francisco

The surprising Cards of last year take on an NFC West sleeper, San Fran in yet another opening week division game.

The key to the Cards offense this year is Kurt Warner's health. It is rare that he can put back-to-back season up without being hurt, especially at 38. It's not a good thing that the Cards hopes rest on a 38 year old, injury-prone QB. Even if Warner got hurt though the Cards might still have a shot at the playoffs. Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin can make any quarterback look good and will probably propel Beanie Well to a great rookie year as well.

The Cards defense should be better this year. Up the middle it's hard to get better than Darnell Dockett, Karlos Dansby, and Adrian Wilson. Those guys are all really good. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie showed a lot of promise last year and could develop even more into a very good shutdown guy this year.

San Francisco has a very interesting offense situation. Shaun Hill looked very good last season when he played and had very good stats over the second half of the season. They wont throw as much this year, but they need him to be solid again. Frank Gore is one of the best multi-dimensional backs in the league and will be very good again. Michael Crabtree has still not signed with San Francisco and Josh Morgan remains their top guy.

San Francisco's defense isn't exactly what somebody would call great. Patrick Willis thier middle linebacker is though. He makes plays everywhere and is always near the ball. Look for big things for him and maybe he can rub off on the rest of the team as well.

San Francisco is going to come out of the gates fast in this one. They might score on the first possession. The Cardinals will battle back quickly though. The Niners can't contain Fitz and Boldin. Cardinals win in spectacular comeback fashion.

Arizona 27, San Francisco 24

Seattle vs. St. Louis

Sleeper of the year Seattle takes on the rebuilding Rams in what should be a fairly easy game for Seattle.

Seattle's offense looks great this year. The offensive line is just decent, but the passing game should be in 2006-2007 form. Hasselbeck looks healthy and they added Houshmandzadeh in the offseason, who is about as sure handed as they come. Housh is due for a breakout year, finally playing with a healthy quarterback as the number one guy. Julius Jones and Edge James will be good enough in the backfield. This is a passing team, despite the coaches history.

Expect the Hawks defense to rebound as much as their offense will. Aaron Curry adds onto maybe now one of the best linebacking corps in the NFL. Tatupu is very underrated and might be a top 5 middle backer. The secondary is solid at corner with adding Ken Lucas and Trufant is annually one of the best corners in the league.

The Rams offense will be the bright spot of the team, and that is bad. This is a team with Marc Bulger as the starting quarterback and Donnie Avery as the number one target. Steven Jackson is a beast of a back, but is injured too much. If Jackson can stay healthy, maybe they can win some more games, but this St. Louis team could threaten the Lions 0-16 mark.

The Rams defense is bad. None of the starters are great NFL players. Chris Long could develop into a very good player, but he has a year or two more to develop since he isn't as much of an athletic freak as guys like Mario Williams and Julius Peppers who great so early in their careers.

This Seahawks are going to show that they are the real deal this week against the Rams. Steven Jackson will have a big game for St. Louis, but that will be the only bright spot. If Seattle doesn't win by more than two touchdowns I will be surprised

Green Bay vs. Chicago

This great division rivalry kicks off NBC's Sunday Night Football season. What a game to start with!

Aaron Rodgers replaced Brett Favre excellently last season and will continue his success this year. Packers fans must be wishing that they had let Favre go play in Minnesota about three years ago after Rodgers first year as a starter. Greg Jennings and Donald Driver are one of the best wideout tandems in the NFL and make reliable targets for Rodgers. Ryan Grant quietly had another 1,000 yard season last year and will get to the 1,000 mark again this year. This will be a passing team, but Grant is a very reliable runner.

The Packers defense is a very good unit. Charles Woodson still has it and played very well in the secondary last year. Nick Barnett and A.J. Hawk headline a very good linebacker unit and Aaron Kampman leads the defensive line. They have every area of the defense covered. The Packers are a very dangerous football team.

Da Bears fans finally get to see Jay Cutler in some action against the hated Packers and it will really test the young QB right put of the gates. It was a good move to go out and get him and the Bears finally have a very good QB for the first time in a while. He makes a lot of mistakes too though, so he may soon become the object of hate in the Windy City if he costs them a game. Forte is one of the best young runners in the league and will help Cutler greatly. He can catch balls put of the backfield too. Devin Hester and Greg Olsen lead the pass catching unit. Those two guys need to make a leap for Chicago to be a great team this year.

Brian Urlacher and Co. are going to bounce back this year. Urlacher has been working out more this offseason and is reported to look as good as ever. Lance Briggs and all the other familiar faces are back as well. The Bears don't have a new look to their defense, but they will rally around Urlacher and return t being one of the NFL's stingiest units.

Steelers-Titans might have been my "Game of the Week," but this is a close second. I can see this game coming down to a last second field goal or something like that. The game will be very close till the final whistle blows. Cutler will play well, but Rodgers and the Packers barely edge the Bears.

Green Bay 27, Chicago 24

Patriots vs. Bills

Tom Brady returns against the Bills in the Monday Night Football's season debut. What a game! (haha)

The Pats should return to 2007 offense form. Brady doesn't appear too affected by the knee and Moss and Welker are as good as ever. Joey Galloway is a nice veteran pick up for the Patriots. New England shouldn't run out of backs this year. Fred Taylor, Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, Benjarvis Green-Ellis, and Kevin Faulk are all the roster. The running game with the combination of all of those guys will be good.

The Patriot defense will be average once again. The days where New England was consistently a top defensive squad are over. There guys that used to be key cogs in the defense are too old have departed (Bruschi, Seymore, Vrabel). The secondary is especially weak, but the offense will score plenty of points and take some pressure off the D.

Terrell Owens was the big acquisition for the Bills this offseason. He and Lee Evans might be the best wide receiver combo in the league. Both are very, very sold guys and could both end up with 1,000 yards. Trent Edwards is not very consistent and needs to improve in that respect. Marshawn Lynch is suspended for 3 games and Fred Jackson will take his place in the meantime. People sleep on Lynch. He is a very good back. The offensive line has tons of problems though. They traded their best guy in the offseason and didn't replace him adequately.

The Bills defense will just be decent to fairly bad this year. They aren't impressive in any particular aspect and will need their offense to score a fair amount of for them to have chance at winning games. Draft pick Aaron Maybin will bolster their struggling pass rush.

The Patriots will come out of the gates in full 2007 form. Four or five touchdowns aren't out of the question for Brady. New England wins BIG.

New England 41, Buffalo 17

Oakland vs. San Diego

Monday Night Football books another great game with the mighty Raiders hosting the Chargers. (haha)

My man Philip Rivers is going to have himself a good year again. Tomlinson should be better and Sproles probably gets more involved, so his numbers won't be as good as last years, but Rivers will still be at the top of the league in QB rating. Vincent Jackson is really going to break out this year. It'snot unreasonable to think he could end up with 1,300 yards and 12 TDs. That is in all seriousness. Gates needs to stay healthy.

Shawn Merriman (assuming all is fine with the assault allegations) returns to a defense that really struggles without his presence last season. He is back and should return to old self and thei rest of the D should follow. Cromartie and Jammer are both good corners and will have bounce back years.

Oakland is a team full of young guys. The top guys at skill positions are their past 3 draft picks. Jamarcus Russell, Darren McFadden, and Darrius Heyward-Bey. McFadden leads a deep backfield of himself, Fargas, and Michael Bush. The running game will be good. Zach Miller is the only sure receiving threat on the team. Bey needs to contribute immediately.

Does Oakland have a defense? I can't remember.

San Diego's explosive offense is going to light up Oakland's non-existing defense. This is the Monday Night Romp Pt. II

San Diego 34, Oakland 13

Tom O'Brien Brings Hope To NC State Football Once Again

2009-08-26T13:22:00.000-07:00

When Chuck Amato was fired from NC State after a horrendous 2006-2007 season, it appeared that NC State football would have a three to four year rebuilding plan to get back on track and transform into a winning program.

Little did the Wolfpack know that their savior would arrive from conference rival Boston College, and immediately turn the Pack into a bowl team in two years and a potential ACC title team in just three.

Tom O'Brien arrived in Raleigh from Boston College straight off of a ten win season.

It seemed like a very stupid decision to leave a talented BC team with star quarterback Matt Ryan returning to go to a North Carolina State team fresh off losing most of its stars, especially on defense, just two years earlier.

Amato had not been recruiting as well as he previously had been either, so O'Brien didn't have a whole lot of new talent to work with.

As O'Brien's former team got off to an 8-0 start, the Wolfpack struggled out of the starting blocks, starting the season with an abysmal 1-5 record, their only win coming against Wofford.

It looked as though O'Brien had made a very bad decision to spur Boston College at this point.

The Wolfpack's season was not done at that point though. The troops rallied around their coach and won their next four games, including a win at Miami. Then promptly dropped the next two, finishing with an embarrassing 38-0 defeat at the hands of the Maryland Terrapins.

Boston College meanwhile enjoyed an 11-3 season, defeating NC State as well.

However last year brought hope to the NC State faithful. After another bad start (2-6), things did appear to be heading down a bad road.

However, Russell Wilson's emergence, along with defensive improvements and four straight wins. NC State was one half and a Russell Wilson knee injury from having their first winning season in three years.

Well, before Rutgers pulled off a come from behind victory in their Papajohns.com Bowl game.

O'Brien has been progressing similarly as he did while at Boston College. After two 4-7 season at Boston College he lead them to an 8-3 year and a bowl birth, which wouldn't be an unreasonable expectation of what the Wolfpack should do this season.

O'Brien's recruiting classes aren't filled with blue chip guys, but he gets more out of his lesser recruits than almost anybody in the nation.

Take a look at Russell Wilson. He was just a 5'11", two-star QB coming out of high school in Virginia and now he is first team All-ACC as a freshmen. That is dynamite coaching and evaluation of talent right there.

Did O'Brien make the right decision to come to Raleigh and coach the Wolfpack?

We'll see how Boston College holds up in the next few years, but NC State certainly has a very promising season ahead of them and many more great seasons ahead.

NC State: The Sleeper of the ACC

2009-08-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

The ACC is one of the deepest conferences in the NCAA. Last season the conference cranked out ten teams that went to bowls. This year promises to be the same with many of the top teams in the ACC returning much of their key talent. Teams like Virginia Tech, Florida State, and Georgia Tech are early favorites to be in Tampa come December, but if the North Carolina State Wolfpack can catch a few breaks along the way, watch out for them.

The key to the Wolfpack's success this year rests on sophomore quarterback Russell Wilson's shoulders. It was evident last year, in their bowl game against Rutgers, how much of a difference maker he was. He picked defenses apart at will last season with his arm and legs and should be able to do the same this year. There are no other quarterbacks in the ACC with his talent and most of the time, having the best QB is a very good sign toward being a top team. His scrambling ability presents a lot of problems for any team and if he can play at the same level as he was at the end of last season, he should be first-team All-ACC again and be playing for the ACC title.

Another factor the Wolfpack have going in their favor is their schedule. While many of their tougher conference games come on the road, they have a total of eight home games to only four away games. They have all four of their non-conference games at Carter-Finley Stadium, which will be very good for them to kick off their season. Four home games to start a season can really get momentum going and kick off the season the right way instead of the 2-6 start of last season. They were 2-1 in home non-conference games last year with the only loss coming to the then 13th ranked South Florida Bulls. Pitt and South Carolina are both good teams, but the Wolfpack should win those games playing at home.

NC State also has a lot of experience coming back on both sides of the ball. They have eight returning starters on offense, including four on the O-line. Toney Baker also is back after sitting out last season and he could still be an impact player at running back. Jamelle Eugene is also a game breaker out of the backfield and can break some long runs. Owen Spencer and Jarvis Williams are both very talented receivers who will be big mismatches at 6'3" and 6'4" and T.J. Graham is a speedy slot receiver who makes big plays. As far as tthe defense goes, they have 3 returning starters on a very good d-line that include All-ACC candidate Willie Young. Losing Nate Irving at middle linebacker hurts but their offense is good enough to take the pressure off of the defense for most games.

If NC State can execute on offense this year they will be one of the top teams in the ACC. Right up there with Florida State and Wake Forest in the Atlantic division. They will be scary good if they can get production from their defense. The ACC is wide open, just like last year, and NC State could be the team that swoops in and takes advantage of it, possibly punching themselves a ticket to Tampa in early December.

NFC South Preview

2009-08-08T04:09:00.000-07:00

The next few weeks I will be previewing the NFL division-by-division in detail. I'm going start the NFC South since my rooting interest the Carolina Panthers are in that division. I tried to be as objective as possible.

1. Carolina Panthers (projected record: 11-5)
vs. Philadelphia W
@Atlanta W
@Dallas W
BYE
vs. Washington W
@Tampa Bay W
vs. Buffalo W
@Arizona L
@New Orleans L
vs. Atlanta W
vs. Dolphins W
@ NY Jets L
vs. Tampa Bay W
@ New England L
vs. Minnesota W
@ NY Giants L
vs. New Orleans W

3 Things I like

1. The offensive line- Carolina has one of the best left-right tackle tandems in the league in Jordan Gross and Jeff Otah. Gross is a perennial pro bowler and Otah emerged, as a rookie, into one of the best young right tackles in football. The rest of the line isn't quite as flashy, but they get the job done. They make it very easy for the players behind them

2. DeAngelo Williams & Jonathan Stewart- These two might be the best running back tandem in football. If DeAngelo is really the DeAngelo we saw in the second half of the season last year, then he might be the best back in football. Even Peterson can't break long runs as routinely as Williams. Stewart provides a nice contrast to Williams, but people forget that this guy is fast too. He is the complete package with speed and power mixed into one. Stewart could very well work himself into the class of elite running backs this year if he gets more carries and stays injury free.

3. The underdog factor- As a Panthers fan, I can tell you that they always play better when they aren't expected to win by the mass media. Even though they won the division last season, most "experts" are picking New Orleans or even Atlanta to win the NFC South. There just aren't very many people picking the Panthers. This is the situation they thrive in. Just like last season, they weren't expected to win the division, but look at what they did. While history is not on their side (they've never had back to back winning seasons), the underdog factor is.

3 Things I don't like

1. The QB sitiuation- Oh do I remember Jake Delhomme's 5 interception game in the playoffs. Yes, it is fresh in my mind. But, I'm not worried about Jake's game. I think he'll put up numbers like 17-13. I think he will play with a chip on his shoulder from the Cardinals game, and he will be motivated to have a good season. I'm worried that he'll be injured. The season before last was a complete disaster when he went down. They don't have even a solid backup. McCown isn't reliable, and as much as I like my man Matt Moore, he isn't a good NFL quarterback. They needed to go out and some kind of insurance this offseason. There were plenty of slid backups on the market, but they passed. Delhomme is 34 and due for injury, now he isn't a great quarterback or anything, but if he goes down the Panthers are in trouble.

2. The defensive line- A week ago this might have been a plus, but losing Maake Kemoeatu (out for the season) to injury slots Damione Lewis and Nick Heyden as the starting defensive tackles; and neither of those guys is 6'5" 350 pounds. When Kemoeatu went down at the end of the year last season, the Panthers were torched on the ground, could it mean the same thing this year? Probably so. One position on the D line is set in stone though. However, Julius Peppers, always one of the leagues premier defensive ends in coming off of a long contract dispute, and publicly announced his desire to play elsewhere. Could this affect his play? The other end position will go to last years starter, Tyler Brayton, or rookie Everette Brown. Brayton is just average and who knows about Brown, but there is certainly a lack of certainty on the defensive line.

3. Coaching- As a Panthers fan I have grown tired of their coaching. They have yet to put back to back winning seasons and John Fox is still employed as the head coach. They continue to stick to Jake Delhomme as their QB without any backup plan. I already elaborated on that above. Another thing is that in sometimes very important games they totally take Steve Smith out of the gameplan. I remember a few years ago, while getting stomped by Seattle in the NFC Championship game they talked about using Smith as a "decoy." They still do that in some games. I have a question; why would you use the one of the best wideouts in the NFL as a decoy? They need to get Dwayne Jarrett a little more involved this season. He had amazing talent at USC catching the ball; at least use him in the red zone.

Quick Summary: The Panthers will ride their strong running game to an NFC South division title. They will lose in the Super Bowl the San Diego Chargers.

2. New Orleans Saints (projected record: 10-6)
vs. Detroit L
@ Philadelphia L
@ Buffalo W
vs. NY Jets W
BYE
vs. NY Giants W
@ Miami L
vs. Atlanta L
vs. Carolina W
@ St. Louis W
@ Tampa Bay L
vs. New England W
@ Washington W
@ Atlanta W
vs. Dallas W
vs. Tampa Bay W
@ Carolina L

3 Things I like

1. Drew Brees- Brees is the best quarterback in the NFC hands down. He reads the defense like few others in the league and can really spread the ball around. He didn't have his number one target in Marquis Colston for half of the year and still threw for 5,000 yards. Crazy. I don't think he will put up quite as good numbers this season, but he should get around 4,500 yards, 30 TD's, and 15 interceptions. He will continue to be a very good, consistent quarterback and will lead the Saints to playoff contention.

2. Offseason moves- The Saints defense was horrible last year and they did a lot to improve it. The secondary was the focus of their offseason moves. They grabbed Darren Sharper from the Vikings and drafted Malcolm Jenkins in the first round of the draft. Sharper can still be an effective player who can cause turnovers and be a difference maker. He won't be the pro bowler he was earlier in his career, but will be effective. Jenkins is a good sized corner with speed who could start right away, although usually cornerbacks take at least a year to develop. Not necessarily a move to help them a lot this season, but will in the future.

3. Depth- The Saints are one of the deepest teams in football; especially on the offensive end. Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush provide a nice contrast and third stringer Mike Bell still has some juice. He was a quality back in his rookie season in Denver. Their receiving depth is amazing. One could make the argument that Marques Colston is top 10 wideout in the league. Lance Moore showed last year that he is one of the best number two wideouts in the league. Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem are two of the best deep threat receivers in the league. Bush is also one of the best receiving running backs in the NFL. If Jeremy Shockey comes to play this year, they will have a top tier tight end as well. No wonder Brees almost broke Marino's yards record last season.

3 Things I don't like

1. Running backs- A lot of people will say that Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush are one of the best running back tandems in the NFL. I have to disagree. I have nothing to back this up, but I feel that Pierre Thomas was more of a half season wonder than a top NFL runner. I think he'll be lucky to score the nine touchdowns he had last year, even while being a feature back this year. As far as Reggie Bush goes, isn't it time we can call him a bust. He has not been an effective pro running back up to this point. The Texans have to be saying "I told you so." He has never had more than 581 yards rushing, more than 3.8 yards per carry, or more than 6 TD's in any season he has played. He has been a decent receiver out of the backfield, averaging more than 500 yards per season, but that's not all the Saints expected when they got Bush. If you can call Greg Oden a bust in basketball, it's time to call Reggie Bush a bust in football.

2. Defense- The Saints did much to improve their defense in the offseason, but it is still a weakness. Jonathan Vilma is the only guy who remotely scares an offensive coordinator, the rest of their players as purely average NFL starters. Charles Grant and Will Smith were once formidable pass rushers on the ends, but have since dropped off, along with being caught using performance enhancers. Jenkins and Sharper were good additions to the secondary, but neither make a huge game changers like an Ed Reed or Troy Polamalu that the Saints desperately need.

3. The hype- Just like the Panthers don't play well when their are high expectations on them, the Saints don't either. Since their magical 2006 season they have yet to post a winning record and were favored by most sources to win the division both of those years. They are yet again most NFL experts pick to win the NFC South. I'm not usually a big believer in superstitions and all of that, but the NFL seems to follow trends more than other leagues and this has been a trend for the Saints

Quick Summary: The Saints will get out of the gate slow, but behind another great Drew Brees season they will go 10-6 and lose in the Wild Card round to the New York Giants.

3. Atlanta Falcons (projected record: 7-9)
vs. Miami W
vs. Carolina L
@ New England L
BYE
@ San Francisco L
vs. Chicago W
@ Dallas L
@ New Orleans W
vs. Washington W
@ Carolina L
@ NY Giants L
vs. Tampa Bay W
vs. Philadelphia W
vs. New Orleans L
@ NY Jets L
vs. Buffalo W
@ Tampa Bay L

3 Things I like

1. Running backs- Michael Turner had a huge season last year and I don't think he will have quite as good a year, but the reason I really like their running backs is Jerious Norwood. It's crazy he's not getting more than 100 carries per year. His career yards per carry is 5.8! Give the guy the ball! Why rush Michael Turner 30 times a game, when you can rush Norwood more and take some of the burden and injury risk off of Turner. Norwood needs to find a starting job somewhere because he is the real deal. He is 5'11" 209 pounds and is as fast as a zebra. He is the next Michael Turner, in that he will become a starter somewhere else and become a star after backing up a star running back.

2. Tony Gonzalez- Gonzalez is just what this offense needed. He provides Matt Ryan with a guy to throw to when his down field threats of Roddy White and Michael Jenkins aren't open. Gonzalez is still one of the best tight ends in the game too. Just because he is 33 doesn't mean he cannot be a top tight end. In fact, he could end this year with the most touchdown of any tight ends. Actually I believe he will. He had 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns with Tyler Thigpen throwing to him. TYLER THIGPEN! I'd say Matt Ryan is quite an upgrade from Tyler Thigpen.

3. John Abraham- The Falcons defensive line is awful, but John Abraham holds them together. When he got a sack last year they were 8-1. When he did not have a sack they were 3-4. He is the lone difference maker on the defense and needs to be a force like last year. He needs to get 15 sacks for this team to be contenders for a playoff spot.

3 Things I don't like

1. Defense- It seems to be forgotten than Atlanta's defense was not good last year at all. Mike Peterson was an okay addition, but he isn't a game changer. They also lost three of their top five tacklers from last year. They also lost their leader Keith Brooking. They have only gotten worse from last year and will not improve on the 11-5 record unless several young players step up and turn into pro bowl caliber defenders.

2. Young QB- I like Matt Ryan and think he is a good quarterback, but I'm not sure he can win in a come from behind situation or a big game situation. He was never in a situation in college where a national championship birth was on the line and failed in the playoffs last year. In losses last year he played bad in all of them, throwing a combined three more interceptions than touchdowns in all of them. He might have to step it up a little more this year and I'm not sure if he is ready to take a franchise on his back.

3. Players coming off of career seasons- Atlanta has a lot of players on the offensive side coming off of career seasons. Michael Turner, Roddy White, Michael Jenkins, and Matt Ryan, although a rookie, turned in a great season as well. I don't think you expect improvement on all of those guys seasons. I definitely see Turner taking a step back and Jenkins and Ryan staying about the same. The facts are that they need those guys to be better than last year to have last years success because their defense is worse and I don't see a lot of improvement in those guys.

Quick Summary: The Falcons offense will be about the same as last year, but the defense will be horrible. Bottom five of the league. They will finish 7-9 and miss the playoffs.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (projected record: 6-10)
vs. Dallas L
@ Buffalo L
vs. NY Giants W
@Washington L
@ Philadelphia L
vs. Carolina L
vs. New England L
BYE
vs. Green Bay W
@ Miami W
vs. New Orleans W
@ Atlanta L
@ Carolina L
vs. NY Jets W
@ Seattle L
@ New Orleans L
vs. Atlanta W

3 Things I like

1. Derrick Ward- Derrick Ward is this years Michael Turner, I'm saying that now. He won't put up quite as gaudy numbers but I'm seeing a 1,400 yards, 13 touchdown year. Not quite Turner like, but none the less, a great year. If you play fantasy he will be a huge bargain. He is the sleeper of the year. He had 1,000 yards and only 2 TD's for the Giants last year playing behind Brandon Jacobs. The only reason he had 2 touchdown was because they were going to run the 6'4" 250 pound Jacobs down at the goal line. Ward is perfectly capable of converting those opportunities and will get goal line chances this year. Look our world, another stud running back is in the NFC South.

2. Youth movement- A lot of times this is a bad thing, but Tampa needed this. They might have been better this year with guys like Jeff Garcia and Derrick Brooks, but for the long term, or even next season they are better off with the new direction of this team. They have a promising rookie quarterback in Josh Freeman, star in the making corner Aqib Talib, and a stud middle linebacker in Barrett Ruud. Their future is promising, but maybe at the cost of some wins this year.

3. New coaching- Jon Gruden was a good coach, but I think it was evident last season that Monte Kiffin was the glue of that team. Once he announced he was leaving for to help his son at the University of Tennessee, things fell apart for the Bucs. The players now have a young coach who helps put a new face on the franchise. I expect the system to be very running heavy, and having a new coaching staff will be good for the young players to adjust to as the coaching will receive more criticism and can shoulder the load a bit better in that respect.

3 Things I don't like

1. Rebuilding- I do like that the Bucs are trying to get younger, but when you rebuild you are sending the fans a message that "we are not doing much this year." That's never a good thing. It's usually not a good thing when a team totally overhauls its coaching staff. Again I do like their moves for the future 2-3 years down the road, but this year will not be good for them. There's something about Florida teams and rebuilding I guess.

2. Quarterbacks- Last year Jeff Garcia was great for Tampa, but he is gone and they have no clear cut number one quarterback on the roster. They have rookie Josh Freeman, who is not quite ready for the NFL. Byron Leftwich is on the roster; the whole NFL starter thing hasn't worked out for him in the past. They also have Luke McCown, who isn't an experienced NFL quarterback either. Leftwich looked good as a backup for Pittsburgh last year, but was run out of Jacksonville after faltering. I really don't think Josh Freeman will ever be a good quarterback, let alone this year. I also don't think McCown will lead them to a winning record. They really do not have any great options.

3. Injury proneness- All of the Bucs skill position player have an injury history. Leftwich, Ward, Graham, Bryant, Clayton, and Winslow all have had careers damaged by injury. Ward not as much as the others, but he has missed games before and has never handled the load he'll carry this year. If all of those guys can stay healthy they could actually be competitive, but that is a huge stretch.

Quick Summary: The Buccaneers will not be as bad as some think, but will still finish 6-10 and miss the playoffs. The will be a very tough out for everybody they play.

-ATG

THE NFL Preview

2009-08-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

*This is a general NFL preview with the projected records, awards, and playoff predictions only. I will go over each team in a division-by-division format over the next few weeks.

AFC East
1. New England (14-2)
2. Buffalo (7-9)
3. New York Jets (6-10)
4. Miami Dolphins (3-13)

AFC West
1. San Diego (14-2)
2. Kansas City (7-9)
3. Oakland (7-9)
4. Denver (4-12)

AFC North
1. Pittsburgh (13-3)
2. Baltimore (8-8)
3. Cincinnati (6-10)
4. Cleveland (5-11)

AFC South
1. Indianapolis (11-5)
2. Jacksonville ( 10-6)*
3. Houston (9-7)*
4. Tennessee (7-9)

*Donates Wild Card playoff birth

NFC East
1. New York Giants (10-6)
2. Philadelphia (8-8)
3. Dallas (8-8)
4. Washington (7-9)

NFC West
1. Seattle (11-5)
2. Arizona (9-7)*
3. San Francisco (6-10)
4. St. Louis (2-14)

NFC North
1. Chicago (10-6)
2. Green Bay (9-7)
3. Minnesota (7-9)
4. Detroit (4-12)

NFC South
1. Carolina (11-5)
2. New Orleans (10-6)*
3. Atlanta (7-9)
4. Tampa Bay (6-10)

Award Winners
MVP: Tom Brady
Offensive POY: Maurice Jones-Drew
Defensive POY: Shawn Merriman
Offensive Rookie: Chris Wells
Defensive Rookie: Rey Maualuga
Comeback POY: Shawn Merriman
Coach: Norv Turner

PLAYOFFS

Wild Card
AFC
(6)Houston @ (3)Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh 24-10
(5)Jacksonville @ (4) Indianapolis: Indy 30-21
NFC
(6)Arizona Cardinals @ (3) Chicago: Chicago 20-9
(5) New Orleans @ (4)New York Giants: New York 27-24

Divisional
AFC
(4) Indianapolis @ (1) New England: New England 42-24
(3) Pittsburgh @ (2) San Diego: San Diego 31-28
NFC
(4)NY Giants @ (1) Carolina: Carolina 34-20
(3) Chicago @ (2) Seattle: Chicago 21-17

AFC Championship Game
(2) San Diego @ (1) New England: San Diego 32-28

NFC Championship Game
3) Chicago @ (1) Carolina: Carolina 27-13

SUPER BOWL

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS VS. CAROLINA PANTHERS: SAN DIEGO: 34-28
(Super Bowl MVP: Philip Rivers)

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS: SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS

MLB second half predictions

2009-07-14T14:56:00.000-07:00

I don't feel like writing some big long post right now, so I'm just going to basically predict what I think will happen over the second half of the season in not very much detail. Here it goes:

Predictions by division: (will predict final stats for one hitter and one pitcher on each team)

American League

East

1. Boston: David Ortiz (.230, 28 HR, 99 RBI), Jon Lester (19-8, 3.39 ERA)

2. New York: Mark Teixeira (.290, 40 HR, 129 RBI), C.C. Sabathia (18-9, 3.66 ERA)

3. Tampa Bay: Carl Crawford (.302, 14 HR, 70 RBI, 72 SB), James Shields (16-9, 3.40 ERA)

4. Baltimore: Adam Jones (.290, 20 HR, 80 RBI), Brad Burgeson (12-10, 3.69 ERA)

5. Toronto: Aaron Hill (.288, 34 HR, 107 RBI), Roy Halladay, hitter's park (21-7, 2.95 ERA), pitcher's/neutral park (22-5, 2.78 ERA)

What will happen: Boston will make a deal for a top notch bat (Victor Martinez?) to add to their arsenal. They will win with the division and are the clear favorites heading into October. The Yanks will continue to roll...I predict a Wild Card birth in their future and having the second best record in the A.L. The Rays will just miss out on the Wild Card birth with a late run. Price finally shows his true talent and they continue their strong play through the end of the year. Baltimore will overtake the Jays once Halladay is dealt. Halladay is like an 80% guarantee of a win, without him, everybody else is less than 50% certain. They've been fading and will continue to. Baltimore just has too much offensive firepower to finish in last.

Central

1. Minnesota: Joe Mauer (.358, 23 HR, 87 RBI), Francisco Liriano (12-12, 4.69 ERA)

2. Detroit: Miguel Cabrera (.330, 39 HR, 107 RBI), Edwin Jackson (13-11, 3.34 ERA)

3. Chicago: Jermaine Dye (.295, 36 HR, 97 RBI), Mark Buehrle (16-9, 3.68 ERA)

4. Cleveland: Victor Martinez (.282, 22 HR, 95 RBI), Cliff Lee (14-13, 3.05 ERA)

5. Kansas City: David DeJesus (.277, 12 HR, 68 RBI), Zack Greinke (17-12, 2.92 ERA)

What will happen: Minnesota always finds a way to get to October and they will again. Liriano can only get better and their lineup is strong from top to bottom. I like them to sneak up on people in the playoffs too. It seems inevitable that something bad will happen to Detroit. Bad things have happened to their basketball team (Iverson trade), hockey team (blew 3-2 Finals lead), and football team (0-16). It seems like destiny for them to finish second in an extremely tight race. No way guys like Edwin Jackson, Rick Porcello, and Fernando Rodney continue to be as solid as they have been so far. The White Sox will drop out of the race very soon. How are they still in it? They have very mediocre pitching and a very mediocre lineup, yet as of July 27, they are 3 games back. They don't have the firepower to last into September. They will fade fast in August. Unless Cleveland totally has a fire sale they will avoid the division cellar. They are too talented to finish in last, especially offensively. Their pitching is horrible, but I would be surprised if they don't win more games in the second half than the first. Very surprised. Kansas City will once again finish in the familiar confines of last place this year. Greinke has been a good story so far, but will undoubtedly fade down the stretch, just like the rest of the team.

West

1. Anaheim (they play in ANAHEIM): Mike Napoli (.290, 18 HR, 58 RBI), Jered Weaver (18-8, 3.38 ERA)

2. Texas: Josh Hamilton (.272, 25 HR, 73 RBI), Kevin Millwood (13-14, 3.82 ERA)

3. Seattle: Ichiro (.366, 12 HR, 55 RBI), Felix Hernandez (21-5, 2.35 ERA)

4. Oakland: Jack Cust (.230, 25 HR, 88 RBI), Dallas Braden (12-15, 3.79 ERA)

What will happen: The Rangers have had a strong first half, but their pitching does not have the depth to hold up. They will not make a big trade before the deadline, they don't want to mess with their prospects to get a mid-high level pitcher. Anaheim will cruise to the the division crown. Their pitching is healthy compared to the first half and their bats will continue to be hot. They don't have the firepower to compete with New York or Boston though. Seattle has a lot of good pieces, but this year is just not their year. Next year, they will be contenders for the West crown, but down the stretch they just don't have the pitching to compete with the well rounded Angels and the heavy hitting Rangers. Oakland is a disaster. Billy Beane isn't looking so good now. Their prospects aren't great, they're signings haven't been great, and their future is bleak. They might finish with the worst record in baseball (not counting the Nationals, they are Triple A) . No pitching. No hitting. No winning.

National League

East

1. Philadelphia: Ryan Howard (.268, 47 HR, 142 RBI), Cole Hamels (13-10, 4.28 ERA)

2. Florida: Hanley Ramirez (.340, 29 HR, 105 RBI, 32 SB), Ricky Nolasco (16-10, 3.94 ERA)

3. Atlanta: Brian McCann (.297, 21 HR, 80 RBI), Tommy Hanson (14-2, 2.77 ERA)

4. New York: David Wright (.318, 20 HR, 98 RBI), Johan Santana (20-12, 2.98 ERA)

5. Washington: Adam Dunn (. 255, 40 HR, 100 RBI), Steven Strasburg ($50,000,000.00)

What will happen: The defending champion Phillies will make a trade for a pitcher, almost for certain. When that happens, they will run away with the division. Howard and Utley are the best one-two punch in baseball and Hamels is due for a better second half. Add Halladay or Lee into the mix, they are a legitimate threat to win back to back World Series titles. The Marlins could sneak up on everybody for a wild card birth. They have good pitching and good hitting. They are a dangerous team. Atlanta is a very weird team. Not really any stars, a couple of good prospects, and they are still in the hunt for the playoffs. I think they will continue their steady play for the rest of the season, but they will not make a run at the playoffs. They just don't have enough good players. The Mets have a mess on their hands. A lot of their good hitters are hurt (Delgado, Beltran), Wright can't hit for power, Santana gets no run support. They won't make a run like many are predicting. The Nationals are, well, the Nationals. Another last place finish for them.

Central

1. St. Louis: Albert Pujols (.347, 59 HR, 165 RBI), Chris Carpenter (16-6, 2.46 ERA)

2. Milwaukee: Prince Fielder (.305, 42 HR, 133 RBI), Yovani Gallardo (14-13, 3.68 ERA)

3. Chicago: Alfonso Soriano (.258, 26 HR, 70 RBI), Carlos Zambrano (15-8, 3.41 ERA)

4. Houston: Carlos Lee (.307, 27 HR, 107 RBI), Wandy Rodriguez (17-11, 3.02 ERA)

5. Cincinnati: Joey Votto (.355, 26 HR, 99 RBI), Johnny Cueto (14-15, 3.81 ERA)

6. Pittsburgh: Freddie Sanchez (.304, 10 HR, 49 RBI) Zach Duke (13-20, 4.10 ERA)

What will happen: The Cardinals made a big step forward with the Holliday trade and should run away with the Central, maybe in the next few weeks. Pujols continues to be otherworldly and guys like Wainwright and Carpenter carry that staff just fine. The Cards are stacked for a long playoff run. The Brew Crew in Milwaukee may have enough offensive juice to snag a wild card spot and second place in the division. Prince Fielder quietly remains one of the best hitters in baseball and is very underrated. Braun isn't too shabby either. Their pitching should come together down the stretch a little better. Chicago doesn't have the hitting many people thought they would have so far, and it won't get any better. They will hold steady, but not contend for a playoff spot. Houston has good pieces, but too many holes to compete for a playoff spot, but if Berkman and Lee heat up, they could be dangerous. Cincinnati's pitching can't be as awful as it has been so far. Their offense has a lot of potential and we'll see that in the second half. The Pirates will find some way to finish last; they always do.

West

1. Los Angeles: Manny Ramirez (.346, 25 HR, 93 RBI), Chad Billingsley (18-13, 3.89)

2. San Francisco: Pablo Sandoval (.320, 24 HR, 98 RBI), Tim Lincecum (21-5, 2.29 ERA)

3. Colorado: Brad Hawpe (.305, 24 HR, 106 RBI), Jason Marquis (18-15, 4.07 ERA)

4. Arizona: Mark Reynolds (.272, 40 HR, 103 RBI), Dan Haren (18-9, 2.24 ERA)

5. San Diego: Adrian Gonzalez (.254, 38 HR, 95 RBI), Heath Bell (1.98 ERA, 39 saves)

What will happen: The Dodgers, who have been the favorites all year long, will continue to be the favorites, and will win the division. San Francisco and Colorado will fade. San Francisco's pitching duo of Lincecum and Cain give them the edge over Colorado, who doesn't have good pitching at all. Their offense is doomed to have a worse second half as well and San Francisco's hitting is horrible. Arizona should make up some ground in the second half, but they are too far out to make any noise. Maybe Dan Haren can still make a run at the Cy Young though. San Diego just has nothing. They need to revamp that team fast.

Awards (only MVP and Cy Young, don't wanna mess the other ones)

AL MVP: Joe Mauer (though Mark Teixeira will deserve it)

NL MVP: Albert Pujols

AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez (Roy Halladay if not traded to NL)

NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum

Playoff Projections

A.L. (high seed first)

Wild Card

Boston vs. Minnesota: Boston wins in 3

Anaheim vs New York*: New York wins in 5

ALCS

Boston vs. New York: New York in 6

N.L.

Los Angeles vs. Florida*: LA in 4

Philadelphia vs. St. Louis: St. Louis in 5

NLCS

Los Angeles vs. St. Louis: St. Louis in 5

World Series

New York Yankees vs. St. Louis Cardinals

The New York Yankees will break their WS drought and beat the Cardinals in 5 games to capture a 27th World Series title.

Kobe Bryant: The Hated Superstar

2009-06-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

I can describe the way I feel about Kobe Bryant with the words of Vince Vaughn as Wes Mantooth in Anchorman, "I hate him with every bone in my body, but [man] do I respect him. Man do I hate him, like so many others. I have come to realize one thing though; the guy is great. I'm talking about maybe top 7-8 players of all time (top 5 is too generous, he is not better than Jordan, Bird, Russell, Chamberlain, or Magic). His averages will obviously go down from his current career averages, but he currently has 25.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.6 blocks. Those numbers stack up with almost anybody to ever play. Add his 4 championships and he's a definitely one of the best to ever step on a basketball court. Of course, three of those titles came when Kobe was not the best player on the team. Shaquille O'Neal was. We have heard it many times over the past two week; Kobe needed this title for his legacy. I will not argue against that. He was great in this years playoffs and won a Finals MVP , an accolade he had yet to achieve. Now that the have Lakers won the title, he automatically jumps into the top 10 players ever, if he wins another one he is top 7-8. He doesn't have too long before LeBron starts his run, but Kobe can still improve his legacy vastly.

Why do I hate Kobe Bryant? He plays for the Lakers. He is too serious. He cheated on his wife with a 19 year old. He feuded with management. He's torched the Blazers. I could go all day, but let's face it, Kobe is hated probably more than any player in the NBA today. It's because of the media's love affair with him. It's because he puts on a phony persona. It's because the commentators say the same thing about him every time- "He works so hard/he wants this so bad!" We're sick of it. Lakers fans, you would be sick of it too. We haven't seen a player like Kobe before. So many fans hate him, but hardly any people who cover the games hate him. Barry Bonds was hated by both. Terrell Owens is hated by both. Every player is hated by both. Except Kobe. It's not like Bonds and Owens weren't good, so why is Kobe so beloved by the media? It doesn't seem like he is super friendly with the media or anything, so why? Still, I think every Kobe Hater, such as myself, can agree Kobe is a great player., and when people look back on Kobe's career that's what they will see him as just that- a great player.

Yet another reason I hate Kobe is when people say, "he has more pure talent than MJ." That is a crazy statement. How can a player who hasn't really bested MJ in anything have more talent. If anything it's a knock to Kobe, saying he hasn't lived up to his potential. He should be better than MJ if he is more talented. Kobe has an large array of skills, but it's not like Jordan didn't. Jordan was and will always be much better than Kobe. Stats back it up and rings back it up. So please Kobe apologists, stop comparing him to MJ!

As much as I hate Kobe I admit, he has been one of the best players in my time following sports. It's not often that we get to see a top 10 player of all time (and LeBron will, in likelihood, join him on that list). He has an amazing skill set. He hits an amazing amount of contested jumpers and also knows how to get to the line, an important asset for a swingman like Kobe. He can lock down players on defense if he really tries. He is a very complete player, not the great team player he's been dubbed as in these playoffs, but still has one of the most complete skill sets we've ever seen. He is one of five players (Jordan, West, Robertson, Barry), through 13 seasons to have at least 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. Truly elite company.

My finals thoughts come back to my hatred of Kobe and how he will be remembered. He will be most likely remembered top 6-7 all time when he retires (LeBron will push him back a spot when he is done). Is Kobe really better than MJ, Russell, Chamberlain, Magic, Bird, Robertson, West, and Kareem? I don't think so. When you watch Kobe and LeBron now, in their primes, you are crazy if you don't think LeBron will have a better career. Statistically, at least. I don't want this to turn into a LeBron versus Kobe deal, but LeBron will be the best player of my generation, not Kobe. Kobe's legacy will be greatly affected by his 4 titles. Which I don't think judging a player by his titles if fair, especially if he didn't have enough talent to win a championship (Wilt Chamberlain should have won many more, but he wasn't surrounded by good enough players). Kobe currently ranks at about number 10 on my list of greatest players ever. Unless he gets another MVP or 30 point season or title that won't be changing. Man, I cannot believe I just wrote a whole article on Kobe, I'm gonna puke now.

Weekly Top 10 List: Franchises (All-Time) NEW FEATURE

2009-06-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

I've decided to start making top 10 lists every week in a lot of different sports categories. I will start with the broad topic like franchises in all of sports. Very opinionated and won't be as long as other posts. Mainly for my own enjoyment.

Top 10 sports franchises of All-Time (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL)

I will judge teams based on championships, winning consistently, number of stars, tradition. I will also state the face of their franchises.

1. New York Yankees (Founded in 1901: 26 World Series titles, .567 winning percentage)- The ultimate winners. More championships than any other sports team. They are ALWAYS in contention, expected by their fans to win every year. Some of the greatest players ever have played in pinstripes, Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Berra and other greats. While they now outspend everybody to get star free agents, most of their championships have been the result of farm grown talent. Cornerstones of those 90's teams- Jeter, Rivera, and Williams- all came up through the Yanks farm system. They currently have more star power than any team in baseball with Jeter, Rodriguez, Teixeira, and Sabathia. The Yankees are the one team in sports you know will be in contention for the trophy at the end of the season.

Face of the Yankees: Babe Ruth

2. Montreal Canadiens [Founded in 1918: 23 Stanley Cup championships (2 more championships before the Stanley Cup) , .591 winning percentage]- The only franchise that has a number of titles close to the Yankees. Tough call if they should have been number, since they have not existed as long, but the deciding factor was that they haven't been great the past two decades. Most of their titles came a while ago. They might not have the most recognizable names in hockey; say Gretzky, Lemieux, Orr; but they have had a vast majority of hall of famers like Richard, Beliveau, Roy and so many others. They have been the model franchise of hockey and have been the classic hockey club since their birth.

Face of the Canadiens: Maurice Richard

3. Los Angeles Lakers (Founded in 1949: 14 championships, .617 winning percentage)- Tough call over Boston, but they have been more consistent winners than Boston has been. Since their founding they have had only ten seasons without winning records. Boston: 18. The Lakers have had more superstars than Boston as well. Magic, Abdul-Jabbar, West, Baylor, Mikan, Chamberlain. Worthy, Shaq, Kobe; the list goes on and on. They've had so many great teams. The early Mikan dynasty, West-Chamberlain squad that won 33 straight games, the Showtime teams, and the Shaq-Kobe teams as well. Boston basically had the Russell teams and the Bird teams. In the 80's maybe the Celtic's were the model franchise of the NBA, but now it is the Lakers.

Face of the Lakers: Magic Johnson

4. Dallas Cowboys (Founded in 1960: 5 Super Bowl titles, .578 winning percentage)- America's team as they are called. The most beloved (and hated) team of America's most beloved game (it's not baseball anymore). For this reason they are rated above the Celts. They are always the center of attention in the NFL, always getting primetime games and are on Monday Night Football quite a bit. They have hosted great players like Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman, Tony Dorsett, and all time leading rusher Emmitt Smith. Their 90's dynasty is one of the best in football. There is not a more famous or storied NFL franchise than the Cowboys of Dallas.

Face of the Cowboys: Roger Staubach

5. Boston Celtics (Founded in 1947: 17 championships, .594 winning percentage)-

8 straight titles. This is enough to say that the Boston Celtics are one of the best teams ever to play basketball. We may never see another winner like Russell. We may also never see another white boy like Larry Bird. Seemingly every white player that can shoot nowadays is compared to Larry Legend, but none will likely ever be as good. Bird's 80's Celtic teams were some of the most star studded ever- Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, Dennis Johnson, and of course Bird himself. They fueled perhaps they greatest rivalry in sports with the Lakers. First winning all of those titles in the 60's from them and then the Lakers taking some back in the 80's. It could go either way between them and the Lakers, but the Lakers get the edge for more star players and winning more consistently.

Face of the Celtics: Bill Russell

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (Founded in 1933: 6 Super Bowl titles, .518 winning percentage)- Possibly the most classy team in sports, well at least their management has been. On the field the Steelers have historically been one of the most rugged teams ever. They have QB's, while not great, could get the job done that had a lot of help from star receivers in Stallworth, Swann, and Ward. Their defense has been the cornerstone of the Steelers for all of time. Mean Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Mel Blount, the Steel Curtain defenses of the 70's may well have been the best the NFL has ever seen. They have more Super Bowls than any other team in football, they would be number one if they had shown more consistency between their 70's teams and their 00's teams.

Face of the Steelers: "Mean" Joe Greene

7. Los Angeles Dodgers (Founded in 1884- 6 World Series titles, .524 all-time winning percentage)- The Dodgers, formerly of Brooklyn, have been one of the most storied franchises ever. They helped Jackie Robinson break the color barrier in baseball, and he helped them win a few titles. They featured rocket armed ace Sandy Koufax, who was forced to retire in his prime. Who know what he could have done. More recently they have had players such as Don Sutton and Orel Hershiser. They seem back on the right track now with youngsters such as Chad Billingsly and Matt Kemp as well as a veteran like Manny Ramirez. The Dodgers have long been one of the most respected teams in sports.

Face of the Dodgers: Sandy Koufax

8. San Francisco 49ers (Founded in 1946- 5 Super Bowl titles, .552 winning percentage)- The West Coast offense. One of the most used strategies in the NFL originated from 49er's coaching legend and genius Bill Walsh. He is definitely one of the greatest coaches to ever coach in the NFL. He helped Joe Montana and Steve Young develop into two of the best QB's in NFL history. Jerry Rice, undoubtedly the best receiver ever, helped them along as well. Their recent awfulness reflects their 8th ranking. If they had had a winning season in the past 7 years they would probably be higher on this list.

Face of the 49ers: Joe Montana

9. Detroit Red Wings (Founded in 1927- 11 Stanley Cup titles, .532 all-time winning percentage)- Hockeytown as Detroit is called; and for good reason. One of the "Original Six" teams of the NHL has a rich history as well as dominating recently. Their mediocre 15-20 year stretch between Gordie Howe and Steve Yzerman hurt them a little, but their recent success makes up for it. They could win their 12th Stanley Cup on Friday. They currently have one of the best defenseman to ever lace up a pair of skates in Nicklas Lidstrom. They are probably the most familiar team with America since the Canadiens are obviously located in Canada. Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe was possibly the greatest player in hockey history until Wayne Gretzky came along.

Face of the Red Wings: Gordie Howe

10. Green Bay Packers [Founded in 1921, 3 Super Bowl titles (9 more championships before Super Bowl), .556 winning percentage]- Toughest call for me since I wasn't considering their pre-Super Bowl success. Green Bay still holds the name "Title Town" though. Vince Lombardi, widely considered the greatest coach in football history, coached the Packers to the first two Super Bowl titles of all time. Brett Favre picked up where Lombardi and Bart Starr left off by winning a Super Bowl in 1996. He has recently disgraced himself with his disgraceful behavior towards the franchise. The Packers have handled the situation with class however.

Face of the Packers: Vince Lombardi (not a player, but is definitely the face of the Packers since Favre's disgrace.)

Top 10 franchises of each sport

NFL

1. Dallas Cowboys: Roger Staubach

2. Pittsburgh Steelers: Mean Joe Greene

3. San Francisco 49ers: Joe Montana

4. Green Bay Packers: Vince Lombardi

5. Chicago Bears: Walter Payton

6. New York Giants: Lawrence Taylor

7. Miami Dolphins: Dan Marino

8. Washington Redskins: John Riggins

9. New England Patriots: Tom Brady

10. Oakland Raiders: Marcus Allen

NBA

1. Los Angeles Lakers: Magic Johnson

2. Boston Celtics: Bill Russell

3. San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan

4. Philadelphia 76ers: Julius Erving

5. Chicago Bulls: Michael Jordan

6. Houston Rockets: Hakeem Olajuwon

7. Phoenix Suns: Charles Barkley

8. Milwaukee Bucks: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

9. Detroit Pistons: Isaiah Thomas

10. Portland Trailblazers: Bill Walton

MLB

1. New York Yankees: Babe Ruth

2. Los Angeles Dodgers: Sandy Koufax

3. St. Louis Cardinals: Bob Gibson

4. Boston Red Sox: Ted Williams

5. San Francisco Giants: Willie Mays

6. Cincinnati Reds: Pete Rose

7. Oakland Athletics: Rickey Henderson

8. Pittsburgh Pirates: Roberto Clemente

9. Detroit Tigers: Ty Cobb

10. Atlanta Braves: Hank Aaron

NHL

1. Monteal Canadiens: Maurice Richard

2. Detroit Red Wings: Gordie Howe

3. Toronto Maple Leafs: Darryl Sittler

4. Edmonton Oilers: Wayne Gretzky

5. Boston Bruins: Bobby Orr

6. Philadelphia Flyers: Bobby Clarke

7. New York Rangers: Mark Messier

8. New York Islanders: Mike Bossy

9. Chicago Blackhawks: Bobby Hull

10. New Jersey Devils: Martin Brodeur

*New post on Kobe coming soon

NBA Finals Preview

2009-06-02T08:58:00.001-07:00

We are finally here. After nearly two months of playoffs action we have our NBA Finals matchup, and it is not the one we thought it would be. It seemed inevitable that Kobe and LeBron would be squaring off here in June. In fact, if one of those two was not there, most people would have said it would have been Kobe because of the Lakers struggles with the Yao- less Rockets , while LeBron's Cavs mowed over their competition.

Instead we sit here with the Lakers of Los Angeles hosting the Orlando Magic in what promises to be a very good series. The Magic proved it takes more than one player to beat them, as LeBron absolutely destroyed them and fell up short. The Magic have shot very well from downtown and must continue that if they have a chance against the Lakers. I don't see the Lakers matching up anyone on Dwight Howard with success. He has been great so far and needs to continue. Please Orlando, I beg you to beat L.A.!

Here's a look at the matchups:

Point Guard: Derek Fisher vs. Rafer Alston- Obviously neither of these guys are studs. Fisher is a veteran who has been here before, who also has the mental edge over Alston. The Magic cannot have Alston do anything stupid, whether its turnovers or tapping a ref on the head. A point guard is supposed to provide steadiness and right now neither of these guys are very steady. Yes, Fisher is experienced, but he is a shell of his former self and doesn't knock down shots like he used to. The wild card here could be the return of Jameer Nelson, which there have been rumors about, but I really doubt he would make a significant impact on this series. He cannot be 100 percent and a guy like Jameer Nelson needs to be 100 percent to be a difference maker. EDGE: Magic

Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant vs. Courtney Lee- This is Kobe Bryant's biggest series of his entire career. If he wins, he adds to his legacy quite a bit and will go down, at least for a while, as one of the top 10 players to ever step foot on a basketball court. On the contrary, if he loses he will still have that shadow of never winning a championship as the teams best player looming over him. Kobe will undoubtedly put up huge numbers this series and will probably be the most determined player on the court. Lee is definitely mismatched taking on Bryant in every capacity. Lee is might be one of those rookies who disappears once they get to the finals. Yes, he's been good throughout these playoffs, but he hasn't been matched up with a guy like Kobe yet and has not been on this big of a stage yet. I really think Lee will disappear in this series. EDGE: Lakers

Small Forward: Trevor Ariza vs. Hedo Turkoglu- Ariza had his best series facing the Nuggets in round three. He scored in double figures in four of six games and was hitting his threes. His strong play has been huge for them, especially since Odom has been hurting and Bynum hasn't exactly been stellar. Turkoglu quietly had a huge series against Cleveland. He was a miracle from LeBron away from getting a game winning shot to add to his 21 points in game 2. He averaged 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists. The Magic need him to continue to play at that kind of level if they expect to win this series. May I remind you that Hedo was matched up with LeBron James last series; he should add to his offensive numbers against Ariza because he will not be as tired from guarding him. EDGE: Magic

Power Forward: Pau Gasol vs. Rashard Lewis- Gasol continues to be extremely reliable in these playoffs, scoring double figures in each game. I think most people forgot that this guy was the best player on some Grizzlies teams that made the playoffs. He is an all- star power forward and hasn't gotten the credit he deserves for getting the Lakers to the finals back to back seasons. Without him there's no way this Lakers team makes it. Gasol will also play some center in this series, maybe even more than he plays power forward, but he should still put up the same solid numbers he usually does. I would be shocked if Gasol doesn't play better than he did against the Celtics last year in the finals, especially since he's going against Rashard Lewis instead of Kevin Garnett. Lewis brings many unique things to the table that Gasol has not faced though. He can post up like foes Gasol has faced so far like a Scola or Martin, but Lewis is most dangerous when roaming around the 3 line. Lewis has been the key to the Magic's success, always stepping up with big shots and again, like Gasol, scoring in double figures every night. In fact Lewis's lowest point total was 14 way back in round 1 versus the Sixers. Both of these guys bring something very different to the table and we'll see how much they go head to head. I'm sure Lewis will see plenty of Odom as well. EDGE: Lakers

Center: Andrew Bynum vs. Dwight Howard- Bynum was supposed to be the missing link from last year's Lakers team that fell short. I just don't see it. He hasn't been very good in the playoffs and I'm sorry (not really) to say Laker's fans, that I don't think he will ever be that all-star center you'd hoped he would be. He's also going to have to play against the nightmare that is Dwight Howard. Howard has been everything the Magic had hoped in the playoffs. He had a masterpiece of a game in game 6 against the Cavs, posting a 40-14. The Lakers have to hope Howard gets in foul trouble or Bynum or Gasol, whoever is guarding Howard, is in for a long series.

Bench: Lamar Odom is the biggest name coming off the bench obviously. He can provide the Lakers with a lot of offensive pop. He is still injured with a nagging back injury though. The Lakers really need to hope he recovers after getting a week long break. If he is close to 100 percent that swings things in the Lakers favor for sure. If he can put up 15 or 20 like he did in games 5 and 6 of the Nuggets series the Lakers should win this series. Nobody else on the Lakers bench has been consistently good. If they can get one or two good games out of Farmar and Vujacic, they will be happy. The Magic don't have anybody that will matter as much as Odom coming off the bench, but Mickael Pietrus has been a pleasant surprise the past series, putting up double digits in every game. However, he will be matched up against against Kobe Bryant, not Delonte West this series. That will make a big difference. It would be a big plus for Orlando if they can get anything out of Johnson or Gortat, or if somehow Jameer Nelson returns but none of those scenarios seem likely. EDGE: Lakers

Prediction: I've doubted the Magic the whole course of the playoffs, and have desperately rooted against the Lakers the whole playoffs. Kobe needs this championship on his resume if he wants to be in that elite class of players when his career is over. On the other hand, Dwight Howard can put himself in an extremely good position with a championship so early in his career, joining big men such as Kareem Abdul- Jabbar to win a title as the best player on their team at such a young age (Kareem also had Oscar Robertson). A win would be huge for both of these superstars. The real question is if the Howard's supporting cast can match that of Kobe's. The Magic took the season series 2-0 so that tells you that they match up well against them. Remember, the Magic also took the season series from the Cavs.I really want to pick the Magic but I have to pick the Lakers in 5. Kobe is better than Dwight and Gasol and the Magic really have no answer for him. They got away with it against LeBron, but the Cavs didn't have secondary scorers like Gasol and Odom. The games will be close but the Magic will be laid to rest fairly quickly.

Game 1: Lakers by 4

Game 2: Lakers by 9

Game 3: Magic by 6

Game 4: Lakers by 3

Game 5: Lakers by 13

There's what I think of the NBA Finals. Sad to say it, but it looks like the Lakers and Kobe will capture their fourth title of the decade. I'd really like to see Howard and Magic win and Kobe walk off the court like LeBron. Wouldn't that be awesome? Please Orlando, let me be wrong (like I have been so many times before). Please beat the HATED Lakers. Sweep them! I just don't see it happening. Yet another anticlimactic finals.

NBA Conference Finals Preview

2009-05-18T11:47:00.000-07:00

Two dominant performances and two game sevens later round two of the NBA playoffs is in the books. LeBron and Co. continued their romp on the their helpless opposition. The Nuggets showed they were real title contenders with an impressive performance over the Mavs. The Lakers struggles against the Yaoless Rockets and the C's finally bowed out after Stan Van Gundy almost gave them the series. Can the Nuggets continue their great play against the Lakers, who suddenly don't look invincible. The Cavs should handle the Magic, but can they complete yet another sweep? All I know is that this is the NBA Playoffs: Where Amazing Happens.

Western Conference Finals

Lakers vs. Nuggets

Point Guard: Derek Fisher vs. Chauncey Billips- I think most sane people who know anything about basketball would agree that the Nuggets have a HUGE advantage here. Billups is the best point guard left in the playoffs, that is a good sign for the Nuggets, although the Cavs have the other decent point guard. It will be interesting to see if Fisher guards Billups a little bit better since he is not lightning quick like Williams and Brooks. This is the series where the Lakers point guard issues will really hurt them. Chauncey is going to have a big series; these are the situations where he thrives. If Chauncey is hitting the threes I don't see how the Lakers will win this series. EDGE: Nuggets

Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant vs. Dahntay Jones- This is again a complete mismatch. Offensively and defensively Bryant is much better that Jones, but Jones isn't expected to be a scorer so he can put all of his focus into stopping number 24. However, the Nuggets are going to play J.R. Smith a lot for offensive purposes; this is when Kobe is going to score his points. I fully expect Kobe to come up huge in this series. He has been good so far in the playoffs, but has not been great. Kobe better take it to that extra level against this super- confident Nuggets or the Lakers are in for an unpleasant surprise. EDGE: Lakers

Small Forward: Trevor Ariza vs. Carmelo Anthony- Lakers fans, I hope you have realized by now that Ariza will never be a great player; Nuggets fans on the other hand should be beaming on what Melo has done so far. Very quietly Anthony had a giant series against the Mavs with 30 points per contest. Also, he hit probably the most under-appreciated game winner of the playoffs because it was overshadowed by controversy, but he hit a game winning three with one second left none the less. Ariza has disappeared in the Lakers losses this postseason. They need him to be consistent on both ends for them to cool off this Nuggets team. Especially going against a great scorer like Carmelo. EDGE: Nuggets

Power Forward: Pau Gasol vs. Kenyon Martin: Gasol has been very consistent for the Lakers and needs to continue his steady play in this series. Gasol has been criticized as soft and it will be interesting how he plays against a brawler like Martin. You know Martin is going to try to mess with him, but Gasol is mentally tough. He may not be the leader of this Lakers team but he's definitely been a leader before so he has that mental strength some do not have. Martin on the other hand has not been as consistent and has disappeared in the Nuggets two losses. If the Nuggets are to beat the Lakers in a seven game series they need him to play like he has in Denver's wins. Could he be the key for a victory against the L.A.? EDGE: Lakers

Center: Andrew Bynum vs. Nene Hilario- Bynum has largely been a non- factor in the playoffs for the Lakers. On the other hand, if Bynum comes to play this series he could be the deciding factor. He isn't getting major minutes though and doesn't match up with Nene very well anyways. The Nuggets should bruise up the Lakers in the post. Physical play is not the strong suit of this Lakers team. If Nene can play like he played in games 1 and 2 of the Mavs series then it gives the Nuggets a big advantage down low. EDGE: Nuggets

Bench: The Lakers definitely have the best player one either bench. Lamar Odom is their third best player and is a bench player in name only. He is injured however. Will he be able to play major minutes and still be effective? It is going to be really hard on his body. Besides Odom the Lakers don't have a whole lot coming off the bench. Guys like Farmar and Vujacic can be effective but they will not likely chancge the series. Denver's bench has that ability. J.R. Smith is one of the most dangerous three point shooters in the entire NBA and if he gets hot, look out. Chris "The Birdman" Anderson is one of the best role players on the league. He is a master shot blocker and never runs out of energy. Linas Kleiza has ability too, but he has yet to find his groove. Smith and Anderson will need to play well for the Nuggets to advance.

Prediction: I have underestimated this Nuggets team for long enough. I've picked against them in both rounds so I think its time to jump on the bandwagon. I really thing the Nuggets should be favored in this series. They have been the best team in the West by any standard so far. The Jazz and Rockets both put up better fights than expected and this gritty Nuggets team is going to put the Lakers in their place. Nuggets in 6

Game by Game:

Game 1: Nuggets by 12

Game 2: Nuggets by 1

Game 3: Lakers by 5

Game 4: Nuggets by 4

Game 5: Lakers by 17

Game 6: Nuggets by 2

Eastern Conference Finals

Cavaliers vs. Magic

Point Guard: Mo Williams vs. Rafer Alston- Williams has been very good for the Cavs this whole year and has finally given LeBron the number two guy he needs to win a title. He is no Scottie Pippen by any stretch, but he is a valuable scorer who can take some of the burden of of King James. Alston on the other hand has not been asked to score for the Magic. Orlando wants him to be a good leader of their offensive and score if he he gets some open looks. They don't expect him to do the same same things Jameer did and Rafer knows his role isn't to be the second best guy on the court. However, this is where having Alston instead of Nelson will hurt the Magic. Add Jameer to this Magic team and maybe (thats a big maybe) they could knock off the Cavs. EDGE: Cavs

Shooting Guard: Delonte West vs. J.J. Redick- West has been dynamite for the Cavs so far in the playoffs. HE has performed better than expected and is one of the main reasons (besides the obvious) that they are blowing away opponents. When you get 17 or 18 points from a guy like West that really improves your chances over seven games and over the entire playoffs. Redick has not been a factor for the Magic at all so far. He has had a few nice games but hasn't come up big in most of them. Basically if his three shot isn't falling, he will not be a factor.

EDGE: Cavs

Small Forward: LeBron James vs. Hedo Turkoglu- Does anybody think Turkoglu will stand any chance against the King? LeBron is in full out beast mode right now. Nobody wants to be the unfortunate soul going against him. Turkoglu stands no chance, he's a soft perimeter player. James is going to annihilate him. EDGE: Cavs

Power Forward: Anderson Varejao vs. Rashard Lewis- Varejao might be the second most important guy on this Cavs team. He isn't asked to score 20 points per game, and doesn't. He is asked to go out and play solid defense and bang the boards and he is one of the most effective players in the league at it. He knows his role and does his job well. That said, he struggled a little bit on Josh Smith, who plays on the perimeter like Lewis. Lewis loves the three ball and he shoots it well. If he makes half of his threes in this series the Magic will be moving in the right direction. EDGE: Magic

Center: Zydrunas Ilgauskas vs. Dwight Howard- Ilgauskas has been a fixture in Cleveland for a while and continues his strong play each season. He is as consistent as they come and can post up and hit the 15 footer. If he looks on the other side of the court he will see arguably the best center in the league. Howard has been stellar so far, but he really need to work on his shooting this offseason. If he learns how to be great on offense, he will be unstoppable. Howard has a few big games in him if the series goes seven, but if the Cavs win the first two Howard might not be able to muster up mental strength to outdo Lebron. EDGE: Magic

Bench: The Cavs boast the deepest bench in the postseason. Nobody off that bench will kill you, but Smith, Wallace, Szczerbiak, and Gibson can all do some damage though. They allow LeBron and the rest of the starters to take some time off. The Magic don't have a great bench but do have Lee and Pietrus who can roll off some points. Their bench will not decide the series.

Predictions: The Cavs have dominated all season long and I do not see that changing. I don't see LeBron being stopped by anybody this year;who in the world will be able to stop him in three years? The Magic should have polished off the C's before they did and stand no chance against the power of LeBron. Cavs in 4

Game 1: Cavs by 20

Game 2: Cavs by 6

Game 3: Cavs by 1

Game 4: Cavs by 14

Looking ahead: If the Cavs and Nuggets do hook up I like the Cavs in 5.

Cardiac Canes at it again

2009-05-15T06:31:00.000-07:00

These NHL playoffs have been pure amazing this year. This round has had its share of moments with the Blackhawks revival in Chicago, the feisty Ducks giving Detroit all that they could handle, the epic Crosby (and Malkin) vs. Ovechkin matchup, and the Hurricanes continuing their underdog run. While Ovechkin and Crosby got most of the face time in round two a great series was going on in Boston and Raleigh.

Both teams seemed like they had gained advantages in the series and both lost them. First it was Boston, who dominated the Canes in game 1 , looked like they would cruise through this series just like they cruised through the regular season. However, Cam Ward and the Canes shutout the Bruins in Game 2 and won both games in Raleigh and seemed like they would roll in to Boston and take the series. Game 5 saw the Bruins do what they did all year long and they dominated the Hurricanes. Also, Game 5 brought Scott Walker's sucker punch to Aaron Ward , providing hatred of Walker in all of of Boston. The series turned in Boston's favor with a spectacular Game 6 by Tim Thomas on Carolina's home ice. The Bruins were now in the driver's seat as the series headed back to Beantown for Game 7. Unlike the Washington-Pittsburgh series the Bruins- Hurricanes game was a thriller; and guess who came up with the game winner in overtime- none other than the hated Scott Walker. Man, if I was him I'd skip celebrating and get the heck out of there. He was already hated enough before he eliminated the best Bruins team in a long time. Cam Ward improved to 4-0 in playoff game 7's and 6-0 in playoff series. Hopefully the Canes will continue their spectacular hockey against Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Carolina Hurricanes have a knack for making a good a hockey game. In these playoffs they've played to seven games series, both games won on the road. Against the Devils they scored twice in the final one and a half minutes of regulation to shock Marty Brodeur and Co. In that same series, perhaps the most spectacular ending I've ever seen took place as Jussi Jokinen scored with 0.2 seconds left. That just doesn't happen in hockey, especially not against a living legend like Brodeur. Then there's game 7 up in Boston and of coarse it goes into overtime. How funny it was that Scott Walker landed the final blow to the Bruins (by the way, Aaron Ward is the man he was on the Cup winning Canes team and showed the same kind of toughness he did in this series).

It brings back memories for any Hurricanes fan. How could we forget the Eric Staal's goal with three seconds left against that same legendary goaltender in 2006 when Jussi Jokinen lit the lamp as time expired? (Maybe Brodeur's legacy shoud be questioned a bit, the Canes in two playoff series scored goals with 0.2 and 3 seconds left and 2 goals in the final 1 and a half minutes. A great goaltender doesn't allow those things to happen.) How could we forget Eric Staal and Cory Stillman's overtime heroics when Scottie Walker scored in OT? The Canes are at it again, playing the most exciting hockey in the playoffs. There is no doubt they will show some of their magic against the Pens too.

As for my prediction, I think this series will be very entertaining. Eric Staal will face is little brother Jordan, Cam Ward faces another young goalie in Fluery, and maybe Scott Walker can do something to make the Penguins hate him (How 'bout punching Crosby?). In the end, I think the Canes will end up victorious. In seven games yet again. The Hurricanes have proved playing in hostile environments has not been a problem so far so I don't think they will have a problem in the Igloo either. Staal starts to play like a star again after not playing as well at the end of the Boston series. Hopefully Crosby and Malkin will put up some spectacular goals as well.

Nothing is more exciting than playoff hockey. Both of these teams are very exciting and have dynamite scorers. Will the underdog take down yet another giant or will Sid the Kid be triumphant and take his quest for the Cup one step further? Either way, this series should get some major attention.

The Sports Savant

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