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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

NBA Playoff Picture 4.12.3

EAST 

1. Miami Heat
2. Indiana Pacers 
3. Atlanta Hawks
4. Boston Celtics  
5. Washington Wizards 
6. Detroit Pistons 
7. Brooklyn Nets 
8. Charlotte Bobcats

Miami over Charlotte in 4-0
Indiana over Brooklyn in 4-1
Detroit over Atlanta in 4-3
Boston over Washington in 4-3

Miami over Boston in 4-1
Indiana over Detroit 4-2

Indiana over Miami 4-3


WEST

1. Oklahoma City Thunder 
2. Los Angeles Clippers 
3. San Antonio Spurs
4. Portland Trailblazers 
5. Houston Rockets 
6. Golden State Warriors 
7. Minnesota Timberwolves 
8. Dallas Mavericks 

Oklahoma City over Dallas 4-1
Minnesota over Los Angeles 4-2
Golden State over San Antonio 4-2
Portland over Houston 4-3

Oklahoma City over Portland 4-1
Minnesota over Golden State 4-3

Oklahoma City over Minnesota 4-1

FINALS 



Oklahoma City vs. Indiana 
Game 1: Thunder 
Game 2: Pacers 
Game 3: Pacers 
Game 4: Thunder 
Game 5: Thunder 
Game 6: Pacers 
Game 7: Pacers
Indiana over Oklahoma City in 7 (4-3)
Finals MVP: Paul George

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Week 17 NFL Picks/NFL Playoff Picture 2.0


Week 17 NFL Picks 
Last Week: 9-7

Carolina Panthers (11-4) @ Atlanta Falcons (4-11) 
CAR 27-17 ATL 

Baltimore Ravens (8-7) @ Cincinnati Bengals (10-5) 
BAL 17-24 CIN 

Houston Texans 2-13 @ Tennessee Titans (6-9) 
HOU 14-24 TEN 

Jacksonville Jaguars (4-11) @ Indianapolis Colts (10-5)
JAX 10-34 IND

New York Jets (7-8) @ Miami Dolphins (8-7) 
NYJ 13-21 MIA

Detroit Lions (7-8) @ Minnesota Vikings (4-10-1) 
DET 17-20 MIN 

Washington Redskins (3-12) @ New York Giants (6-9) 
WAS 24-34 NYG 

Cleveland Browns (4-11) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (7-8) 
CLE 14-38 PIT

Green Bay Packers (7-7-1) @ Chicago Bears (8-7) 
GB 27-20 CHI 

Denver Broncos (12-3) @ Oakland Raiders (4-11) 
DEN 42-31 OAK 

Buffalo Bills (5-10) @ New England Patriots (11-4) 
BUF 17-19 NE 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-11) New Orleans Saints (10-5) 
TB 14-41 NO 

San Francisco 49ers (11-4) @ Arizona Cardinals (10-5) 
SF 10-7 ARI 

St. Louis Rams (7-8) @ Seattle Seahawks (12-3) 
STL 10-24 SEA 

Philadelphia Eagles Eagles (9-6) Dallas Cowboys (8-7) 
PHI 30-21 DAL 


AFC

1. Denver Broncos 13-3
2. New England Patriots 12-4
3. Cincinnati Bengals 11-5
4. Indianapolis Colts 11-5
5. Kansas City Chiefs 12-4
6. San Diego Chargers 9-7

Wild Card Round 

San Diego @ Cincinnati

Chargers 37-27 Bengals 

Kansas City @ Indianapolis 

Chiefs 17-24 Colts 

Divisional Round 

Indianapolis @ Denver

Colts 27-21 Broncos 

San Diego @ New England 

Chargers 27-31 Patriots 

Conference Championship

Indianapolis @ New England

Colts 14-24 Patriots 

NFC

1. Seattle Seahawks 13-3
2. Carolina Panthers 12-4
3. Philadelphia Eagles 10-6
4. Green Bay Packers 8-7-1
5. San Francisco 49ers 12-4
6. New Orleans Saints 11-5

Wild Card Round

New Orleans @ Philadelphia 

Saints 28-38 Eagles

San Francisco @ Green Bay

49ers 34-21 Packers 

Divisional Round

San Francisco @ Seattle 

49ers 17-16 Seahawks 

Philadelphia @ Carolina 

Eagles 17-20 Panthers

Conference Round  

San Francisco @ Carolina 

49ers 16-13 Panthers 

AWARDS

MVP: QB Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos 

DPOY: CB Richard Sherman, Seattle Seahawks 

OPOY: RB JaMal Charles

ROY: RB Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers 

DROY: FS Tyran Matthieu, Arizona Cardinals 

OROY: WR Keenan Allen, San Diego Chargers

HCOY: Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers 

Pro Bowl MVP: RB Lesean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles 

Super Bowl 

New England Patriots [14-4] vs. San Francisco 49ers [15-4]

NE 17-20 SF 

Game MVP: Frank Gore 

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

All NBA Team 1.0

1st Team
G Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers
G Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder 
F Lebron James, Miami Heat 
F Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
C Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers
2nd Team 
G Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
G Damian Lillard, Portland TrailBlazers 
F Paul George, Indiana Pacers
F Lamarcus Aldridge, Portland TrailBlazers 
C Dwight Howard, Dwight Howard
3rd Team
G Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers
G James Harden, Houston Rockets
F Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers
F Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
C Demarcus Cousins, Sacremento Kings

Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Lebron James, and Kevin Durant have been their usual destructive selves to start the season while Roy Hibbert is the surprise of the 1st team as he is averaging an insane 3 blocks per game and has been a defensive anchor for the East-leading Pacers. Stephen Curry is a lock on the 2nd team while Damian Lillard and Paul George have been red-hot of late. Dwight Howard is down to 2nd team due to a lack of efficiency and Hibbert's great start to the season and Carmelo Anthony is beat out by Lamarcus Aldridge due to his team's poor start to the season. Kyrie Irving and James Harden lead the backcourt for the 3rd team while Blake Griffin has been productive thus far and Kevin Love has been, well, Kevin Love. The main surprise on the 3rd team is Demarcus Cousins who is capable of going off for 30 and 10 on any given night but can also get himself into big-trouble on any given night. Put simply: he's a bit of a knucklehead. If he could get his head straight, he has more upside than any other Center in the NBA.

Monday, December 23, 2013

NFL Coaches on the Hot Seat


Coaches that have been Fired:
Gary Kubiak, Houston Texans 

Coaches that will be fired and should be fired: 
Joe Philbin, Miami Dolphins 
Greg Schiano, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 
Mike Munchak, Tennessee Titans 
Mike Shanahan, Washington Redskins
Jim Shwartz, Detroit Lions
Leslie Frazer, Minnesota
Mike Shanahan, Mike Munchak, and Leslie Frazier are on their way out and Greg Schiano will likely be shown the door after an 0-8 start to the season while Jim Shwartz and Joe Philbin will lose their jobs if their respective teams miss the Playoffs. 

Coaches that will be fired but shouldnt't fired:
Mike Smith, Atlanta Falcons 
Rex Ryan, New York Jets
Dennis Allen, Oakland Raiders 
Jeff Fisher, St. Louis Rams
Mike Smith should not be the only one punished for the Falcons 4-10 record but he will likely take most of the blame while Rex Ryan has done amazing things considering he has the most inconsistent Quarterback in the NFL in Geno Smith but will not be around next year while Dennis Allen should be given one more season but he won't get it and Jeff Fisher is a good coach on a bad team that could be very good on a talented team.

Coaches who aren't going to be fired who should be fired:
Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys 
Doug Marrone, Buffalo Bills
Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh
Jason Garrett should've been fired last year while Mike Tomlin is not the coach he used to be and Doug Marrone is simply not a good NFL Head Coach.

Coaches that are going to retire:
John Fox, Denver Broncos
Tom Coughlin, New York Giants 
Tom Coughlin will retire because he is tired of seeing Eli Manning throw interceptions and then having to tell media that he has complete faith in Manning as his starting Quarterback while John Fox will retire because he has had a good run with the Broncos but health has been an issue. 

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Week 16 NFL Picks



Last Week: 10-6

Dolphins (8-6) @ Bills (5-9) 
Miami 24-14 Buffalo 

Vikings (4-9-1) @ Bengals (9-5)
Minnesota 31-37 Bengals 

Colts (9-5) @ Chiefs (11-3)
Indianapolis 34-31 Kansas City 

Buccaneers (4-10) @ Rams (6-8)
Tampa Bay 27-14 St. Louis 

Browns (4-10) @ Jets (6-8) 
Cleveland 13-19 Jets

Cowboys (7-7) @ Redskins (3-11)
Dallas 27-34 Washington 

Saints (10-4) @ Panthers (10-4) 
New Orleans 23-27 Carolina

Titans (5-9) @ Jaguars (4-10)
Tennessee 24-17 Jacksonville 

Broncos (11-3) @ Texans (2-12) 
Denver 45-20 Houston 

Giants (5-9) @ Lions (8-6) 
New York 17-34 Detroit

Cardinals (9-5) @ Seahawks (12-2)
Arizona 14-19 Seattle 

Steelers (6-8) @ Packers (7-6-1) 
Pittsburgh 28-31 Green Bay 

Raiders (4-10) @ Chargers (7-7) 
Oakland 24-41 San Diego 

Patriots (10-4) @ Ravens (8-6) 
New England 20-22 Baltimore 

Bears (8-6) @ Eagles (8-6)
Chicago 27-31 Philadelphia 

Falcons (4-10) @ 49ers (10-4)
Atlanta 17-27 San Francisco 
























Indiana makes statement in return of Granger; Plus: Finding the Root of the Pacers success

Anyone who questioned whether the Pacers were serious contenders were silenced last night after Indiana embarrassed the Houston Rockets 114-81.
 They were led by Paul George with 24 points and 9 rebounds  and Lance Stephenson with a 16-6-6 line. 

I was at the game personally and it definitely showed that biased media reporters shouldn't be too soon to crown the Heat Champions of the East. 

Indiana also got former All-Star Danny Granger in the lineup for the first time this season after missing all of the 2012-13 season with a knee injury. Granger scored 5 points and added 1 assist and 1 rebound on the night. 

The Pacers also held James Harden to just 3 of 14 shooting. 

The Pacers have a strong starting five in George Hill, Lance Stephenson, Paul George, David West, and Roy Hibbert. But how is a team that was 32-50 just a few years ago headed for 60 wins? 

Is it a strong lineup as stated above? 

Yes, but how do you acquire these players?
 
Is it because Coach Frank Vogel is one of the top coaches in the NBA?

 Yes again, however, neither of these are the main factor for the teams turnaround.

 And it's more obscure than you might think. 

The answer is their mastermind President of Basketball Operations (or General Manager, if you prefer): Larry Bird. 

Put simply: Bird knows how to build a team. This Pacers group is built to win. 

When Bird took over he made that 32-50 group a Playoff team by signing veteran Forward David West and he also has a great knack of developing players such as now-starter Lance Stephenson, Bird is also developing multiple players now such as reserve Guards Orlando Johnson and Donald Sloan along with Forward Solomon Hill. 

He has made this team what it is today and without him they would likely be headed for another 30-35 win season. 

Friday, December 20, 2013

What Defines an Elite Player in the NBA?

Indiana Pacers Forward Paul George and Portland Trailblazers Guard Damian Lillard have gotten off to a great start this year with both of their teams a combined 42-10. But are they elite?

 This is a question often asked by the media, however, few players really belong in the Elite category. While players like Heat Guard Mario Chalmers and Wizards Forward Marcin Gortat are both solid starters, neither would be called elite. 

So what defines an Elite player and how can you tell a good player from an Elite one? 

Is it Championships? Partly. However, Clippers Guard Chris Paul is widely recognized as the best Point Guard in the NBA despite winning no Championships so far in his NBA career. 

Heat Forward Lebron James was considered Elite long before his team won back-to-back Championships. In the end, Championship's are what define an Elite player from an All-Time Great rather than a good player from an Elite one. 

So what DOES make a player Elite? The ability to carry a team on his own?

 The ability to be a strong team player? 

Or just a simply being more talented than others? 

For most, it is a combination of the three.

 A typical Elite Player can carry his team, make good plays for the rest of his team, and is talented enough to take his team to the next level. It's still too early to call George or Lillard a true Elite player, however, both are playing at an extremely high level and should they continue to play at the level they currently are playing at, they will be joining the Elite club very soon. 

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

NFL Power Rankings Week 15-16

1. Seattle Seahawks 12-2
Last Ranking: 1
2. Denver Broncos 11-3
Last Ranking: 2
3. Carolina Panthers 10-4
Last Ranking: 7
4. San Francisco 49ers 10-4 
Last Ranking: 5
5. Kansas City Chiefs 11-3
Last Ranking: 6
6. New England Patriots 10-4
Last Ranking: 4
7. New Orleans Saints 10-4
Last Ranking: 3
8. Indianapolis Colts 9-5
Last Ranking: 12
9. Cincinnati Bengals 9-5
Last Ranking: 8
10. Arizona Cardinals 9-5
Last Ranking: 10
11. Philadelphia Eagles 8-6
Last Ranking: 9
12. Miami Dolphins 8-6
Last Ranking: 11
13. Chicago Bears 8-6
Last Ranking: 13
14. Baltimore Ravens 8-6
Last Ranking: 14
15. Green Bay Packers 7-6-1
Last Ranking: 19
16. San Diego Chargers 7-7
Last Ranking: 16
17. Detroit Lions 7-7 
Last Ranking: 15
18. St. Louis Rams 6-8
Last Ranking: 21
19. Dallas Cowboys 7-7
Last Ranking: 17
20. Pittsburgh Steelers 6-8
Last Ranking: 20
21. New York Jets 6-8
Last Ranking: 18
22. Tennessee Titans 5-9
Last Ranking: 23
23. New York Giants 5-9
Last Ranking: 22
24. Buffalo Bills 5-9
Last Ranking: 27
25. Atlanta Falcons 4-10
Last Ranking: 30
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-10
Last Ranking: 24
27. Minnesota Vikings 4-9-1
Last Ranking: 29
28. Oakland Raiders 4-10
Last Ranking: 26
29. Cleveland Browns 4-10
Last Ranking: 25
30. Jacksonville Jaguars 4-10
Last Ranking: 28
31. Washington Redskins 3-11
Last Ranking: 32
32. Houston Texans 2-12
Last Ranking: 31

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

NBA Power Rankings #3

1. Indiana Pacers 20-4
Last Ranking: 2
2. Portland TrailBlazers 21-4
Last Ranking: 1
3. Oklahoma City Thunder 19-4
Last Ranking: 5
4. San Antonio Spurs 20-5
Last Ranking: 3
5. Miami Heat 18-6
Last Ranking: 4 
6. Houston Rockets 16-9
Last Ranking: 7
7. Los Angeles Clippers 17-9
Last Ranking: 6
8. Phoenix Suns 14-9
Last Ranking: 11
9. Denver Nuggets 14-9
Last Ranking: 8
10. Minnesota Timberwolves 12-13 
Last Ranking: 12
11. Dallas Mavericks 14-10
Last Ranking: 10
12. New Orleans Pelicans 11-11
Last Ranking: 15
13.  Golden State Warriors 13-12 
Last Ranking: 9
14. Atlanta Hawks 13-12
Last Ranking: 17
15.  Brooklyn Nets 9-15
Last Ranking: 22
16. Los Angeles Lakers 11-13
Last Ranking: 13
17.  Detroit Pistons 12-14 
Last Ranking: 19
18.  Boston Celtics 11-15
Last Ranking: 23
19. Washington Wizards 10-13
Last Ranking: 16
20. Toronto Raptors 9-14 
Last Ranking: 26
21. Memphis Grizzlies 10-13
Last Ranking: 14
22.  Cleveland Cavaliers 9-14
Last Ranking: 24
23. Charlotte Bobcats 10-14
Last Ranking: 21
24. Chicago Bulls 9-14 
Last Ranking: 18
25. New York Knicks 7-17 
Last Ranking: 28
26. Orlando Magic 8-17
Last Ranking: 25
27. Sacramento Kings 7-15
Last Ranking: 27
28. Utah Jazz 6-21 
Last Ranking: 29
29. Philadelphia 76ers 7-19
Last Ranking: 20
30. Milwaukee Bucks 5-19
Last Ranking: 30 
Biggest Jump: Brooklyn Nets 22 to 15
Biggest Drop: Philadelphia 76ers 20 to 29