Every season there are teams that come out of no where to steal some of the lime light. They are virtually unpredictable. But, as we do here, we will attempt to do just that. Below are 4 teams that could very well Bust some Brackets!
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As you can see above,
this team has played some of the country’s best teams (other than the Irish) to
some close finishes. If they win half of those close games vs. ranked
opponents, we're talkin bout a team seeded probably around 6. I still
like the Mountaineers since they do have one of the best players in the
nation in SR. Kevin Jones, who has this last chance to really get noticed and
raise his draft stock. WV has a top 50 RPI and sported the nations 18th
toughest schedule in what I think is still the best conference in college
basketball, that being the Big East. Plus, Bob Huggins knows how to get
it done when it counts most. I think this year’s Gonzaga team is a little
overrated and they are always a trendy pick. But I'm takin West Virginia
in a smaller upset.
Midwest Region
- (14) Belmont (27-7, 16-2) Vegas Line: +4
Close Calls: L - @
#6Duke 76-77
This team is coming into
this game HOT winning their last 14 games and 18 of their last 20 and can
REALLY score the ball. They're 4th in the nation in scoring average, 5th
in assists, and 17th in FG%. They have a couple of sharp shooters from
deep in Drew Hanlen & Ian Clark, both over 40% from long distance. As
a team they always shoot well from the line, which comes in handy in close NCAA
tournament games. To me, deadly backcourts are what makes for deep
tournament runs and that is why Marquette seems to be a popular trendy pick
this season. Look for Belmont to "race" by G-town (who has
struggled as of late by losing 3 of their last 6) and into the round of 32 and
face either NC State or SDSU, another win-able game.
-Clark-
South Region - (5) Wichita State (27-5, 16-2) Vegas Line Key Wins: UNLV 89-70, @Creighton 89-68
As a #5 seed you might not see this as much of a "Bracket Buster" but I believe that the Shockers are the best that the South has to offer for a team that could really make some noise. I do think that there are other teams that could pull a 1st round (now second round) upset but that is it. The Shockers are a team lead by 6 seniors and 5 juniors and that is a lot of NCAA experience to put out there. On top of that they are a Top 10 shooting team and a Top 25 defense. This is all of the main ingredients you need to make a successful run in the tourney (see Butler, VCU, Richmond, and George Mason). Look for the Shockers to start making noise in the 2nd (now 3rd) round and if Kentucky has to exhaust some energy to make it to the 2nd/3rd round this could a chance for Wichita State to "SHOCK" some people.
West Region - (6) Murray State (30-1, 15-1) Vegas Line:
Again, as a #6 you wouldn't think that this team would be all that much of a "Bracket Buster" but when looking for a team to go deep in the tourney Murray State is it. I feel they have been under seeded and that beyond their fist game everyone seems to count them out. I even remember talks of if they should even make the tournament when they lost the game. With a record of 30-1 this team is no fluke and shouldn't be taken lightly. This team has veteran leadership (13 Jr and Sr) and is deadly from behind the arc (40.6%). They have a tendency to turn the ball over (14 per game) but that is why they call the 3 point shot "The Great Equalizer". Keep an eye out for the Racers to make a run.
March is upon us and we all know that means....NCAA March Madness! The fun has already begun with a handful of teams (Belmont, UNC Asheville, VCU, Detroit, Harvard, Loyola, Creighton, Murray State, Davidson, South Dakota State, Western Kentucky & Saint Mary's) already punching their ticket to the BIG DANCE and let the BUBBLE BUSTING begin for those who are on the cusp of the tourney. This is always a fun time of year for sports fans and non-sports fans. Who doesn't like filling out a bracket and seeing how they do and of course everyone has their own system, but that is a whole other post entirely. Before the BIG DANCE we have the smaller yet more exciting, in my opinion, conference tournaments. This post will focus in on the Big TEN and Big 12 Conference tournaments and what the Iowa State Cyclones must do to improve it's seed and if Iowa can pull off a run to punch their ticket.
The Big 12:
The Big 12 Tournament is going on as I speak, however, since I don't see any of the four teams playing tonight having a chance to knock off Kansas or Missouri so I am looking forward to tomorrow's games. The Big 12 has four teams in the Top 25 and really only four teams that have a shot to win this tournament. Kansas has got to be the favorite going in with a very good Mizzou team in the 1a. slot. Baylor in my mind has got to be 2 and the Iowa State Cyclones being 2a. Baylor perhaps has the toughest draw of the day tomorrow in Kansas State. K-State was ranked in the Top 25 for parts of this year as well and a team I will keep my eye on to possibly pull off some "upsets" in this tournament. I will even go so far as to say that K-State will beat Baylor tomorrow, as Baylor has been inconsistent as of late, and K-State will give KU a run for their money on Friday (never count out an in-state rivalry, even on a neutral court). The opposite side of the bracket there is a Mizzou team that will have no problem handling whatever team comes to play them tomorrow and then you have the roller coaster ride that is the Iowa State Cyclones. A team that can be as dangerous as ever at their best and mediocre at their worst. Iowa State takes on an underachieving Texas team this year and I see the Cyclones pulling this game out but by 8 points or less (as if the Cyclones weren't used to close games).
I have Kansas winning in a close one against K-State and advancing to the Finals on Saturday. This leaves Mizzou and ISU facing off on Friday night in an intriguing match up. ISU has been dangerous at home but not so much no the road, if Hilton Magic travels to Kansas City then I give the Cyclones the edge, however I feel their road woes might plague them this game and I give the slight edge to Mizzou in this game. KU and Mizzou will face off yet again, but this time Mizzou will do what they couldn't do last time they faced off.... FINISH! Mizzou will win the Big 12 Tourney.
How does ISU improve their seed:
The Cyclones are projected to be an 8 seed heading in to the BIG DANCE. That is a bad draw for ISU because even if they win in round one they have a #1 waiting for them in the next round. It is not uncommon for a 1 to lose to an 8 or even a team from Iowa (UNI v Kansas). Iowa State has a team to make a run to the Sweet 16 given the right draw. In order to find that right fit ISU needs to make a case to improve its seed. The Cyclones need to try slide their way in to a 7 or possibly a 6 seed. ISU can make a case for a 7 if they can give Mizzou a run for their money, IF, they beat Texas and could make a case for 6 if they beat Mizzou and don't lay an egg against KU, a team they have shown they are capable of beating. If all things fall right watch for the Cyclones to make a run in the BIG DANCE.
The Big TEN:
The Big TEN tourney tips off Thursday (tomorrow) morning at 11:30 EST. with Iowa and Illinois. This bracket is prime for some upsets with 5 very good teams (Ohio St. Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Indiana) followed by 2 good teams (Purdue and Northwestern). The rest is pack of teams that are not as good but can still be dangerous with the most dangerous being Iowa in my mind. This team has gotten hot at the right time and starting to play some very good ball. If I focus in on the match ups that I foresee on Friday would have Michigan St. v Iowa, Wisconsin v Indiana, Michigan v Northwestern, and Ohio St. v Purdue. Unfortunately the only upset I see in this round is Indiana over Wisconsin (if you can call 5 over 4 an upset). I do not, however, completely count out the Hawks for reasons I will get in to later. Michigan St. v Indiana and OSU v Michigan is what is left for in the Big TEN come Saturday. Any basketball fan, let alone a Big TEN fan, has got to agree these are the teams you want to see playing for a chance to win the Big TEN. Indiana basketball is back and there is never a dull moment when OSU and Michigan meet (especially when both teams are good). These teams are the foundation of Big TEN Basketball and it will be nice to see them all playing for the title. I said it before Indiana basketball is back and I feel an upset over a #1 if that sounds familiar this could be why .....
The ongoing battle between Ohio State and Michigan wages on and in this case I see another tally going to Michigan. This leaves Michigan and Indiana battling it out for the title and Michigan basketball will claim the title this year. The emotions of the tournament and taking down #1 wear on the Hoosiers and Michigan will take full advantage to take home the title.
Can Iowa make a run:
The answer is "Yes" but it is the "How" that becomes the difficult part. They have a very difficult draw in this tourney and getting out of the first round leaves them with the gift of Michigan State. How can the Hawks pull the upset? They need to play as if they have nothing to lose, and come out strong out of the gates with Matt Gatens leading the way. The Hawks need to play loose and hold their composure at the end of the games. Iowa has had a HOT month of February and look to carry that over in to tournament time. Can the Hawks make a run... YES.... but that run will only go as far as the hot hand of Gatens takes them.
This time of year is simply unpredictable! Yet, we all look to predict the winners. We celebrate over our picks that only WE saw and agonize over the upset we didn't see coming. I've found the best thing to do is to make your picks, find a good seat, and watch the MADNESS unfold!
Anyone who had been paying attention to the NBA or even just watched some type of sports news network this season knows about Dwight Howard's trade demands. As long time friends and co-authors of this blog Clark and I (Smitty) tend to view and see things in the sports world very similar at times. However, we did just recently get in to a debate this weekend over what should happen with Dwight Howard. Before we go any further I must disclose that I am an Orlando Magic fan and my PIC (partner in crime) is a die hard Bulls fan. What you are about to read is our opinions on what should happen with Dwight, and you might be surprised what side of the fence we fall on.
DEAL:
The argument to deal Dwight comes from the most unlikely of people.... Smitty (ME). As a Magic fan I was beyond excited when we drafted Dwight Howard back in 2004. This was going to be the second coming of Shaq, we could groom him and put the right pieces around him and we would have a championship team in no time. To Orlando's defense they almost did have that back in 2008-2009 season when they lost in the finals to the Lakers. If Orlando had won that series who knows if we would even be having this conversation. but the fact is we are having this conversation. I only have one argument for trading Dwight and frankly I only need one argument for trading him....SHAQ!
Orlando has been througt this before and if you don't learn from your past mistakes then you are doomed to repeat them. This is what I fear will happen if Orlando lets Dwight go in to Free Agency (FA) as an unrestricted free agent. The same thing happened with Shaq in 1996. Orlando let Shaq enter free agency and they were not able to resign him. The Lakers were and what did he do for them? Only help them win 3 titles! Oh and did I mention that they were consecutive 2000, 2001, & 2002! What did Orlando get from letting him walk ......NOTHING!!!!
This is a simple decision for Orlando. Dwight doesn't want to be there and has given no indication that he will even consider staying if they let him "test" the market. TRADE DWIGHT. Earlier this year New Jersey was offering Brook Lopez and two 1st round picks. Orlando if you can get a similar offer take it and walk away from a player who has given you a lot but has given no reason to think he would stay if you let him walk. It will hurt now but it is better than getting nothing for the future.
SMITTY
NO DEAL
Alot of what my partner
says, I agree with. It would be awful for the Magic to lose Dwight Howard
for nothing. You never want to let a player of his magnitude just walk
for nothing, especially when they allowed it to happen when they had
Shaq. There are a lot of similarities in the situation, yet there are
some differences. The biggest to me is that these are 2 different
men. I don't see them as being all that similar as human beings.
Sure they both have similar games, yeah they both are called "Superman"
and yes, they both have the kind of personalities you gravitate to. But
still, I see Dwight as being a little more wholesome, more of a feeling type of
guy. Not someone that calls himself "Diesel" and puts out awful
movies and rap albums. I truly think, once Dwight took some of the
emotion out of it from this past off season, he truly would rather win in
Orlando and not somewhere else. I'm not disputing he needs more help,
that much is clear. But I don’t feel Dwight wants to leave Orlando and I
think team executives sense that, which is why they don't trade him at the
deadline.
There are many reasons
for Dwight to stay which work in the Magic's favor.
Here are a few:
1) Loyalty: Because
Dwight is the guy I think he is, I think this means something to him. He saw
how much grief Lebron took when he left. Howard doesn't want to be that
guy because of the type of person he is. This is his team and what better
way to solidify your place in history then winning with the Magic. Plus,
doesn't it seem like just as many times as Dwight says he wants out, he says he
wants to stay? He's CLEARLY conflicted. I think he can be won
over because of that and loyalty plays a big role in my eyes.
2) Money: Because of
the NBA's structure, Orlando can offer him the most cash than any other
team. Not only that, there is no state income tax in Florida which should
save him 7% of the already bigger deal than any other team can offer him.
As we all know, money talks.
3) Location: It’s
bright sunny Orlando. Yeah, LA is nice.....but with the pollution and
everything, no thanks, Orlando a much nicer city. You got beaches,
nightlife, and a wonderful city. Think about this, based on location
alone.............which NBA city would you most like to play in? If you
just said Brooklyn, you’re nuts, or from Brooklyn.
4) Potential Teams
LA Lakers - The Lakers
already have Bynum. He is probably the 2nd best C in the league after
Howard. Does an upgrade from the #2 center to #1 center really make the
difference? To me, Howard isn't any closer to winning landing in
LA. Plus, does he really want the Shaq comparisons all his life?
Dallas Mavericks - This
would be a nice fit for Dwight. Cuban never has been shy about bringing
anyone in to help the team win. Be ideal spot for Howard but Dallas has
nothing to offer Orlando when it comes to moving Dwight. Even if you go
there, Dirk's years are limited and that championship window may be small. Howard
better hope Cuban can find him another star to play with.
New Jersey Nets - Sure,
Lopez and some draft picks would help. It’s probably better than anything
the Lakers or Mavericks can offer. But, you get dealt to NJ this year;
you're not making the playoffs.
So that’s why Dwight
might consider staying in Orlando.
Here are some reasons
Orlando might just wait this thing out.
1) No Appealing
Offers: If there is one thing you can say certainly when you attempt to
trade a superstar is you will NEVER get equal value back. It just doesn't
happen. If anything offered was that good, wouldn't he of been dealt by
now? I don't think Brook Lopez and some 1st round draft picks is that
good an offer even though it might be the "best" one out there.
How do you build a championship team? Do you do it through the
draft? I don’t think so. Forget draft picks, you need great
"known quality" NBA players to be a champion. This happens via trade (taking advantage of a
team's situation like Orlando is in) or FA signings. Draft picks are hit
or miss. Let’s look at the last 10 NBA Champs.
2000 - 2002: LA
Lakers - Yep, they got Shaq from Orlando, a FA signing
2003: Spurs -
Well, Duncan, Parker, Ginobli........they were all Spurs draft picks.
I'll give credit where credit is due. However, I'm gonna say that type of
situation is more of the exception rather than the norm.
2004: Detroit
Pistons: Billups signed in 2002 with this team, and that championship
season they dealt for Rasheed Wallace at the deadline. He had a lot to do
with them winning the title.
2005: Spurs - Same
story here, I will give them credit.
2006: Miami Heat -
Shaq strikes again, this time via trade however. ZO & Payton signed as
FAs. Walker, Jayson Williams, & Posey brought in via trade just
before the season started. Wade however was drafted.
2007: Spurs:
I'm not going to repeat myself.
2008: Boston
Celtics - Celtics drafted Pierce but were not good until KG & Allen were
brought on board. KG was traded for because, like Orlando, KG was
threatening to leave Minnesota anyways. Allen was brought in essentially the
same way. And Rondo was drafted, yet not the Rondo he is now with his
10ppg & 5apg that season.
2009-10: LA Lakers
- Yeah they drafted Kobe. But when did he really start to win? Oh,
earlier when they signed Shaq as a FA and this time around....oh, when they
ripped off Memphis and got Pau Gasol via trade. Gasol's first full season
with LA and they win the title. The year before they got him at the
deadline only to lose to the Celtics in the finals, who had just put together
Garnett & Allen with Pierce.
2011: Dallas
Mavericks: Yeah, they drafted Dirk. But Dirk wasn't winning on his
own. They didn't become a champion until they acquired Caron Butler,
Tyson Chandler, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, and Jason Terry via trade in the
years leading up to the title.
2012: ????? ???? -
Yeah, those question marks spell out a team’s city and name. I won’t say
who it is but there was a team a few summers ago that acquired Lebron and Bosh
as unrestricted FAs that went to the finals last year and lost to the Mavericks
team I talked about above. They just might be best team in the league
this year.
My point is, I don't think
draft picks are necessarily going to get you to the promise
land. In my opinion, make a splash and get some good players
via trade or free agency. So, after
that rant, why is it again that the Magic might just wait this thing out?
2) Free Up Cap Space:
You roll the dice on Dwight this summer and try to sign him knowing all of the
above. If you don’t sign him, well, you have $20million to try to spend
wisely to build your team back up.
3) You’re a better team if
you can retain him: You know your team will be better if you can retain
him rather than trade him. Why not give your team that chance this
offseason?
4) No one knows Dwight like
Orlando: You drafted the kid out of High School before he was 20 years
old. No one knows him like the Magic do. They also know his family
very well. Maybe this summer they can throw a bunch of money at him and
tug at his heart strings to stay in Orlando. If you trade him, that has
no shot at happening.
For the record,
that would be a great acquisition for Orlando. Nash almost made Gortat
look like an All-star and Amare hasn't been the same since he left Nash.
Also, Nash is 12million expiring. So, if Dwight chooses to leave in the
summer, you'd lose Nash too and free up close to 32million for free agents to
rebuild.
So, to recap.......I say
NO DEAL. Do not trade Howard. Make a move for a playoff run like a
Steve Nash and ride this situation out. Take your chances that you can
resign him due to many factors and if you can't, use the 20million that summer
to improve your roster through trades and free agency. Do you look like a
fool if he leaves?.....Yeah, maybe so. But Shaq still gets booooo-ed when
he goes to Orlando (he did at All-Star Weekend).....Let the fans do the same to
Dwight.
With the NBA almost at its mid way point, I wanna take a chance and give my mid season awards and a few predictions going forward.
Before we get into that, I must say, I'm looking forward to All-Star Weekend. I mean, ok, I usually am anyways. I'm one of the few that still love to watch the NBA as a whole. But I just really like what the NBA has done with the festivities surround the game itself. Well, one thing I didn't like that came away from it last year was that annoying Blake Griffin commercial for Kia where he jumps over the Optima for the slam. Not even that impressed. I mean, I can't jump over a car but as athletic as that guy is, that wasn't even a challenge. Shit, I drive a Kia Optima (pictured left) and that commercial irritates me! The other thing, they have once again ditched the H.O.R.S.E. competition. That's one of the few games you watch where we as basketball fans can actually go play ourselves. I'm not gonna be in a dunk contest, I don't have any red-white-blue money balls for a 3PT shootout. But I got a ball and a hoop and a buddy and we can play horse any day of the week. But I really do enjoy the other events as a whole.
Shooting Stars challenge is fun to watch. Get those old timers out there representing their old teams. Heaving up half court shots. I'm entertained at least but once again, I'm a basketball junkie. The Skills Challenge is also something that is just different, which makes it fun to watch. Its a great way for the NBA to get some of their young PGs some exposure and to see how they match up with the leagues elite vets. Who wouldn't want to watch that? Ok, it might just be me again.
Dunk contest has gotten stale. I think the NBA has realized that. They can't get stars to participate, like Lebron who was called out by my partner Smitty, and the judges just suck. They'll throw up a 10 for anything. Some of the best dunkers in the competition in recent years (Igudola & JR Smith) didn't even win the competition. Well, at least Nate Robinson isn't in it again. If I gotta watch him use some big guy to "jump over" to dunk again, I just might lose it.
Then, its the 3PT Shootout. This event is slowly becoming my favorite event to watch. Its the event with the most pure scoring format. No judges, no props, no fan voting.......just plain and simple, who can get hot under the bright lights and hit the most shots from long range. My only gripe, and if you know me at all you can probably guess it, NO KYLE KORVER! Bias Bulls fan?? I think not and this is why. The guy is an elite 3pt shooter. That's what he is known around the league for, and that's his thing. The man is a sharpshooter. He is 13th this season in 3PT made. That doesn't sound too impressive. However, he has done it on roughly 20mpg. The guys ahead of him are all around 28+ mpg other then Matt Bonner who has also been snubbed. He is also shooting 41% from down town. He's a career 43% shooter from out there and his last year in Utah, he led the league at near 50% and that couldn't even get him into the competition. Check out this chart below to see how Korver matches up with the contestants in the contest for this year based on 3-pointers made, 3-point percentage & minutes per game.
Ryan Anderson 95 44% 31 Mario Chalmers 67 47% 28 Joe Johnson 57 34% 35 Anthony Morrow 68 41% 29 Kevin Love 49 35% 40
James Jones 21 42% 10 Kyle Korver 58 41% 22
So, you could easily replace Love or Johnson with Korver. Johnson is even injured I'm pretty sure to the point where he was replaced by Rondo in the All-Star game itself. Jones will be in to defend his title. You could even make an argument to replace Morrow with Korver. And you don't put the same guys in it every year. Thats dumb and its why you dont see Ray Allen in it year in and year out. But that's the other plus for Korver, to my knowledge, he has never participated before. I'm just waiting for Kyle Korver to get a little respect and recognition as one of the leagues elite 3-point shooters, which he is.
Ok, I'm done ranting. One more thing though, I LOVE what they did with the Rookie/Sophomore game. This game, though entertaining, was getting stale as well. How to shake it up? Inject 2 of the best basketball personalities out there, Shaq & Sir Charles. Yep, that will do it.
What was this post suppose to be about again? Ahh yes, mid season awards and 2nd half predictions.
First, my mid-season Awards:
Coach of the Year:Frank Vogel, IND - He has led his Pacer squad to the third record in the east behind Miami and Chicago. They are a team no one is talking about but they do have one of the league's best defenses with an improving offense. This team began to show signs of this last year in their 8 vs 1 battle with the Bulls. It has continued into this season. And to me, the coach that can do the more with less is the best coach in my eyes.
Most Improved Player:Ryan Anderson, ORL - This guy, with roughly the same amount of minutes he received last season, has just been a monster. He is on teams' scouting reports this season and for good reason. To this year from last he has a +5.5ppg, +1.7rpg, while making improvements in steals and assists while lessening his turnovers. He is also making 3 3-pointers a game and shooting nearly 45% from outside. He runs away with this award.
Rookie of the Year:Kyrie Irving, CLE - Well, the Cavs got it right. They took him #1 overall and he's been the most impressive rookie. Not really that close. He has the scoring, passing, and even rebounds well for a PG. Turnovers a little high but you'd expect that with a rookie. He shoots an insanely high percentage on the year at 47%. Thats a good indicator he takes smart shots. Cleveland has a bright future, as long as they can keep Irving happy.
Sixth Man of the Year:James Harden, OKC - This one isn't even close either. It's James Harden of the Thunder. You could argue he is the league's most improved player too. But with 16.8ppg, 4.1rpg, 3.6apg, 1stlpg, while shooting 47% from the field. There is a reason the Thunder are a top 3 team in the league. Its not just all about Durant and Westbrook. When you can bring a guy like Harden off the bench, that takes you from a good team to an elite team.
Oklahoma City's Serge Ibaka, Kevin Durant, and James Harden.
Defensive Player of the Year:Serge Ibaka, OKC - He anchors the inside for one of the league's elite teams. Playing under 30min a game he still manages to be the leader in blocked shots on the season. He deserves some credit this season.
Most Valuable Player:Kevin Durant, OKC - Yep, I'm handing the Thunder yet another award. He scores, he rebounds, he extends the floor. He might not pass like Lebron, but KD has something Lebron doesn't. Killer instinct. MJ had it, Kobe has it, and Durant has it too. He should be MVP.
East Predictions:
1. Miami - Hate to say it, but they're the best team in the league
2. Chicago - My Bulls do have reining MVP and still have one of the league's best records despite Rose missing alot of time.
3. Orlando - Dwight will be Dwight but if Orlando has a chance, Jameer Nelson needs to play better.
4. Indiana - They have youth and play exceptionally good defense.
5. Atlanta - Joe Johnson most over paid player in league but Josh Smith been great. They should get Horford back for playoffs.
6. New York - Now that NY has found a PG, they prob most dangerous lower seed team in the playoffs.
7. Boston - Just hard to bet against the Big 3. If they don't wear down by then, they will be a tough out for almost anyone.
8. Philadelphia - Hawes hurt, Iggy & Brand struggling. They were a good story but a 1st Rd. sweep is how that story will end.
West Predictions:
1. Oklahoma City - In my opinion, they have MVP, Defensive PoY, and 6th man on top of having a superstar PG. They will make the finals.
2. LA Clippers - With the youth and elite PG play of Paul, they will pass San Antonio.
3. San Antonio - They just find a way to get it done. Parker is playing at a high level but if Manu can't stay healthy, I smell an upset waiting to happen.
4. L.A. Lakers - They just aren't done either and I think a new PG is on the way, maybe a Ramon Sessions. That would make all the difference.
5. Dallas - The reining champs won't go away easy because of their veteran roster. Another LA/Dallas matchup would be something to see.
6. Memphis - Another 1st round match up with SA seems likely and Randolph is coming back within weeks. I think they upset SA again.
7. Portland - They show they can play with anyone some nights and have bad losses other nights. They will squeek in.
8. Houston - Their guard play from Lowry has carried them. But they play no D and their bigs aren't that good. A first round exit seems likely.
Well, those are my All Star & awards thoughts as well as my 2nd half predictions. What are yours?
It is close to that time of year again. You know that time of year that all sports fans USED to really look forward to. That time where the best of the best in the NBA can show off their......DUNKS! That's right it is about a week from the slam dunk contest and besides from the fact that the NBA Slam Dunk contest has gone from pure dunking ability to your ability to put on a show, it used to be a time we would look forward to and now I would be fine to catch the highlights on Sports Center. More specifically I am call out YOU, LeBron James.
Every year it never fails that you toy with our hearts, you mess with the masses that would love to see your pure athleticism on display for all to see. Instead you decided to not participate in the Slam Dunk Contest. Which would make sense had none of your superstar peers ever participated, but in fact they have. Need a reminder of who has been in this event and won it! Check this out.....
That's right! A lot of big names out there, and not to mention one that LBJ has decided to model himself after. The one who is know by all with the pure mentioning of two letters, the one that everyone wanted to be like. Hell, the one that the Looney Toons needed to make a motion picture. MJ... enough said. Not only did he compete multiple times but he has done, what apparently no one wants to try and do any more, which is defend his title!
For some of the most competitive men on this face of this earth to just allow someone else to come and take their title bothers be. One person you can't put in that category is one Mr. Nate Robinson. He is one hell of a competitor and can dunk too.
When you dunk over D12 (Superman)
AND.............
Spud Webb. You got some game.
How can I forget about the show that Vince Carter put on.
And don't forget I forgot about the second part.
Bottom line here.... There have been a lot of big names in this contest and some of the best athletes have been on this stage.... Except for one... LBJ (and yes I saw you in that Nate Robinson video). What 's wrong LeBron, afraid you can't live up to the hype or maybe you are afraid of not being able to live up to what a man about 1.5 feet smaller than you did? You want to "Be like Mike" LeBron?
Yes, I know, 2 Jeremy Lin posts in a matter for 4 days. This kid is
getting so much attention, its all everyone talks about. The Lin story is
gettin as old as the Tim Tebow story. When will Lin just fail so we can all
just stop talking about him? Ya know what, this story isn't like the Tebow
story. One simple reason, Jeremy Lin is good, Tim Tebow just simply isn't. Ok
wait, to be fair, Tebow does do some things well. He plays hard, he's tough, he
can motivate, he's a great leader, he never gives up, he can run the football.
Wait, am I describing a running back? Oh shit, Tim Tebow is a QB. Ok, that's
why I don't think he's that good, he isn't good at being what his team needs him
to be to sustain long term football success, being a quarterback. But that's an
entirely different post all together.
Jeremy Lin is for real. I said it on my post on Sunday morning and I'll
let it echo the rafters of this great blog..........THE KID IS FOR REAL! He
continues to dominate ball games. He has put this team on his back, a team that
was led by 2 "superstars Amare & Melo" to an 8-15 record, and led them to 6
straight wins and has pulled NY to 14-15 which is good for the 8th spot in the
East. If I'm MIA, I'd hope NY keeps wining or starts losing. That team, at
full strength, with Lin, Melo, & Amare is a 1st round nightmare. That's
only my assumption, the 3 have yet to play together yet. As a Bulls fan, and a
Knicks hater, I don't wanna see them in the first round. It would maybe
rekindle the rivalry, but at the same time I don't want the Knicks to be the
team that ends my teams run, especially if Derrick can't get to 100%.
But those are all future stories. Whats now is Lin is unreal. He posted
yet another 27pts and 11assts. Not only did he fill up the box score, but he
hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key with .5 remaining to give his team the
win, 90-87. The best part of it, his coach, Mike D'Antoni, let Lin do it all.
In the huddle there was no play drawn up, none of that. Lin asked the coach if
he could call his own number, an isolation play, and his coach said "go for it
kid". And the kid named Lin delivered. Check out the video to your left.
With stardom, comes adversity. He has gotten his fill of that over the
past 2 years while trying to pursue his basketball dream, but in the last few
weeks, he hasn't seen it on the court. He has seen it from others in the
sporting world however. Most notably, Boxing star, (who watches boxing anyways)
Floyd Mayweather.
Check this quote out.
“Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he’s Asian. Black
players do what he does every night and don’t get the same praise,” Mayweather
said via his Twitter account on Monday.
Is that a JOKE Floyd? He is getting this attention only because he's
Asian.....and for no other reason. Is he wearing blinders? Sure, some is
because of the fact he is Asian. How many Asian players are in the NBA, are
there even more then 5? Doubtful. So yeah, some of it has to do with that. I
saw a stat somewhere that Asian NBA viewership has increased 40% over the last 2
weeks. Well, that makes alot of sense. But how many players, Asian or not,
took the unlikely path that he took to get here. No collegiate scholarships.
Played at a school, Harvard, not known for basketball in the least. Went
undrafted in 2010. Cut from the Warriors and Rockets in the NBA before ever
really getting a chance to step out on the court. This isn't Kyrie Irving, John
Wall, or Derrick Rose who were all PGs drafted #1 overall over the past few
years' NBA drafts. This is a kid that went undrafted, skipped over by every
scout who thought they had this kid pegged right from the beginning. Shit, he
was probably close to being cut by the Knicks if not for injuries allowing him
to finally get his chance to step out onto the floor. And black players are not
doing what he does every night and getting the same praise. Though a small
sample, he is averaging 26.8pts 8.5assts 3.8rebs 1.8stls during his 6 game
tear. That is unreal. No one in the league, other then probably Lebron, has
done that during a 6 game stretch this season, especially a stretch that also
includes you winning all 6 of those games.
So no Floyd, black players do not do what he is doing every night and YES
Floyd, he is getting some more attention because he is Asian. But he's not
getting it ONLY for the fact that he is an Asian ball player. The Knicks games
@ MIN and @TOR last night were sell outs, something those 2 teams don't do very
often. You know why all of this is happening?? Because its unique. Its one of
a kind. It's special. This kinda stuff doesn't happen every year, every 5
years, once a decade. It just doesn't happen. That's why is so special.
That's why we all can't stop talking about it and its EXACTLY what a league
needed that turned so many people away this off season because of the lockout.
If any of you follow the NBA at all, you would have heard
about Jeremy Lin by now. He has
essentially become the Tim Tebow of the NBA.
A great story for a league that suffered through an extended lockout
that included the cancellation of summer league, training camps, almost all of
the preseason and 16 regular season games per team. The Chris Paul trade debacle, the Dwight
Howard drama, and seeing the NBA’s “elite” teams having their age catch up to
them was sure to hurt the league on top of everything else.
But who is Jeremy Lin and where did he come from? Well, the man is from Palo Alto,
California. He won a state title, was a
1st team all state selection while earning Player of the Year
honors. Even with the impressive high
school resume, he was not a sought after talent out of high school. After attempting to get recruited by UCLA
& Stanford, which lead to disappointment, he settled on Harvard who could
not offer him an athletic scholarship.
He went on to set numerous school records at Harvard and was
named to the Ivy League first team twice.
During his career he posted impressive wins over Boston College and
UCONN in which he had 30pts and 9rebs.
Lin, all things considered, had a very successful collegiate career for
a guy that couldn’t even earn himself a scholarship out of high school.
Even with the success, it wouldn’t get any easier from
there. He ended up going undrafted in
2010 but did manage to work out for numerous NBA teams. He finally stuck with one, the Dallas Mavericks,
offered him a spot on their Summer League team.
He played well in the league.
Well enough to earn some interest from a handful of NBA teams, including
the Golden State Warriors.
Lin would sign a 2 year deal with the Warriors. It was a dream signing for Lin. He was playing in his home state for his
favorite NBA team growing up. In his
first season, he would only play 10 minutes a game. He would stick with the team all season long
only to be cut in December 2011. The
Warriors were looking to clear cap space to go after FA center DeAndre Jordan.
He would be claimed by the Houston Rockets. A tough spot for Lin to land however. The team already had 3 PGs on the roster with
guaranteed contracts, Kyle Lowry, Jonny Flynn, & Goran Dragic. Lin didn’t stand much of a chance. I’d blame his agent. To give the kid a fighting chance, he should
have been promoting his client to teams that Lin had a chance to stick
with. Being the 4th PG on a
team and you being the only one with the non guaranteed contract, the writing
was on the walls. A few weeks later Lin
was waived by the Rockets to make room for FA big man Samuel Dalembert.
He would next get his shot with the New York Knicks. This team DESPERATELY needed a PG. They, for whatever reason, waived Chauncy
Billups and relied on PGs Toney Douglas and Mike Bibby while they waited for
Baron Davis to get healthy and save the day.
The Knicks were struggling but Lin couldn’t find the floor. He made his debut with NY vs. Golden State of
all teams. He would play a limited role
for much of the next month and would actually be sent to the D-League. In his first game for the Erie BayHawks, he
would drop a triple double, 28pts 11rebs 12assts. 3 days later, on Jan. 20th, the
Knicks would recall him.
He would remain in a bench roll however. On Feb. 4th Lin would finally get
his chance vs. the New Jersey Nets. With
Melo struggling, Lin would come off the bench to play 35min, the most he had
played the last 2 weeks combined. He
would provide the Knicks with a spark and with his career performance. He ended up with 25pts, 5rebs, 7assts, 2stls
on 10-19 shooting. He had come out of nowhere
and led NY to the victory 99-92.
The next game, on Feb. 6th, Lin had earned
himself a start while Amare would miss the game due to injury. Melo would play only 5 minutes after
straining his groin in the 1st Q.
And Lin would continue his LIN-sanity by scoring 28pts and dishing out
8assts with 2stls while New York would win again 99-88. Without Melo & Amare, Lin would lead the
Knicks to a third straight W over the pathetic Wizards 107-93. He would record his 1st
double-double with 23pts and 10assts while grabbing 4rebs.
People now know who Jeremy Lin is. He was a versatile scoring PG with the will
to win and the ability to get his teammates involved. Something Melo & Amare couldn’t do while
leading the Knicks to an 8-15 record.
With new excitement and better ball movement, the Knicks without their
high paid superstars had won 3 in a row and were looking forward to welcoming
Kobe and the Lakers to town. All of a
sudden it had turned into Lin vs. Kobe.
Kobe was not aware of “LIN-sanity” so he said. He would after the game at MSG when the
Knicks would win again 92-85. Lin would have
his best game yet. He had 38pts, 4rebs,
7assts, 2stls on 13-23 shooting and 2-4 from long distance. He out battled Kobe to give the Knicks their
4th straight win.
Then, on Saturday night, the Knicks would win their 5th
straight 100-98 over Kevin Love and the Timberwolves. Lin would hit some key late free throws while
finishing with 20pts, 6rebs, 8assts, 3stls.
Now, with the Knicks back in the hunt for the playoffs, is
LIN-sanity for real? Can this kid
continue his short term success? What
will happen when basketball black holes Melo and Amare come back or will they
play off of their budding star PG?
I for one, am a believer.
It’s a PG league. With guards
like Derrick Rose doing what he do and budding stars John Wall, Kyrie Irving,
Ricky Rubio making their impacts felt on weak rosters, why can’t Lin get it done
in a place that already has Melo, Amare, and Chandler? If those stars can accept that this kid can
be the missing PG they been looking for, the Knicks might be the Knicks of old
who contended for titles. As a Bulls
fan, that is tough to say, but I wouldn’t mind renewing the rivalry.
Keep an eye on this LIN-sanity, it’s about to get more
LIN-sane!
