Game One Tonight

An NBA Finals prediction is tough. Series like these never seem to end up the way you thought it'd go. Whenever there is a great match up, it rarely goes seven games. This year the two best teams in the league are in the finals. No mistake about it. Cleveland tore through the east, and Golden State did much of the same against tougher competition. So, these two teams create a fun and highly competitive potential finals. Injuries are key as always. The Cavaliers have not had Kevin Love since the first round of the playoffs, after he suffered a shoulder injury. They are also dealing with Kyrie Irving's injury, one that has kept him out of multiple games this postseason and has limited him when he does play.

Golden State are feeling much healthier. Besides the head injury Klay Thompson suffered a week ago, the Warriors are in good shape going into this series. All of this is leading towards a prediction. Many people I have talked to can't seem to go against LeBron James. Everyone just won't go against the best player in the league. I would agree with that if I thought he was the best player in the league. Sure, resume wise he is far and away the best in the league, but I don't think he's the best this second. I believe Stephen Curry is the best player in basketball right now. He has stepped his game up to another level this postseason. Curry has continued to make everyone on the court better, including himself. The three point shooting is impressive, of course, but the way Curry now controls basketball games is a pleasure to watch.

I think he's going to continue to control games, and this series. Stephen Curry will lead to Warriors to a championship win in five games, and capture his second MVP trophy of the season. I see the bay area having a lot of fun this summer, and Cleveland will have to wait at least another year for the "King" to deliver.

James Harden is Done for 2015

Tonight could very well be the end of James Harden's 2015 season. It has been a defining one for him. He began his march towards superstar status when he first came to Houston, and this year cemented himself as one of the games best players. Harden led Houston to the second best record in the western conference, an impressive feat considering the strength of the conference. At the same time there was very little difference between the two seed and the six seed in the west.
Harden put up impressive numbers, as he did not always shoot the ball efficiently from the field, but he consistently got to the free throw line more than any other player in the league. It has been an impressive year for Harden. He had to carry a team that was without its second best player in Dwight Howard, much of the season. It was hard for me to get completely behind the Harden for MVP campaign, because I just did not think it was him. I believed Stephen Curry was the MVP of the league from start to finish. I never once fell for the 50 point James Harden games here and there. In fact, I think I did not give him enough credit this season. Simply because no one seemed to recognize how good Curry was even if you did not take into account statistics.
Well, here we are before game four of the conference finals, and Harden is about to lose to the MVP. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if Harden can get back to these conference finals, without a big change in the lineup. Golden State will continue to dominate the west for the next couple years, and Oklahoma City will hopefully have both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook at full strength. I think San Antonio will improve as well.
The next step for Houston is James Harden getting a little more help, and Harden himself becoming a more efficient scorer.

It Will Only Get Better for the Warriors

The Golden State Warriors survived a game one battle last night, narrowly defeating the Houston Rockets by four points. It was a very interesting game, as the Rockets got off to a great start, going up by 16 with just five minutes to go in the first half. Then the Warriors began to turn it around, thanks in no small part to their versatile backup point guard Shaun Livingston. Livingston had 16 points in the first half and sparked the run late in the second quarter that helped the Warriors take the lead. The MVP Stephen Curry ended the half in typical Curry fashion, letting go of a step back jumper with no time on the clock and watching it fall through the net. The Warriors held a 58-55 lead at the half, after Houston had played so well.
James Harden had one of his better playoff games in my opinion. He finished with 28 points 11 rebounds and 9 assists. Harden was getting his step back jumper to go, a shot that had failed him recently. When Harden is not hitting his isolation jump shots, he does not have efficient nights from the field, but 11-19 was a great sign for the Rockets.
Houston played well last night which is another good sign, but the Warriors did not. Game one does not change my opinion of how this series will go, I think the Warriors did not come close to their best last night, and the Rockets did about as well as they could without Dwight Howard being effective. Going forward it is important that the Warriors begin to clamp down more defensively. Continue to let Josh Smith shoot threes, and put more pressure on ball handlers other than Harden. The defense will lead to even more fast break opportunities for the Warriors. As always they can cut down on the unforced errors when they try to make the home run play, but those never seem to be too big of an issue, just limiting them is key.
I think game two will be a blowout. I don't see Harden scoring as efficiently as he did in game one, and I think the injury to Dwight Howard is a real concern going forward in this series. The splash brothers will be too much. That and an improved defensive performance will help give the Warriors a 2-0 lead.

The Rockets Are Here

The other side of the Clippers-Rockets series are the Rockets. The Houston Rockets did in fact win this series, and did so almost out of nowhere. We all have heard the story of how they came back, so let's move on. The Rockets now take on the best team in the league. A team that just had their first challenge of the year, trailing 2-1 against Memphis. The Warriors came back, because of the MVP. In contrast the Rockets came back, and without their MVP. Yes, Harden had a lot to do with game five and seven wins, but he was nowhere to be found during the decisive game six comeback.
So, during the regular season the Warriors won all four games by an average of 15 points. You can throw out any regular season numbers, but it was four blowouts, so something to at least keep in mind. The match-up on the surface is simply not great for the Rockets. The Rockets defense is not that great. The Warriors defense is elite. The Rockets can score a lot of points. The Warriors score the most. The Rockets have the runner up in the MVP race. The Warriors have the MVP. Not only of the regular season but also during the playoffs. Stephen Curry has been great for the Warriors, and most impressive during the two closeout games.
To me, the Rockets only have a chance if Josh Smith continues to play the way he has in the past two games, and Harden plays like an MVP. Not the 27, 6 and 8 guy, but a 35ppg guy. Harden must try to score 40 every night. I think he can drop 40 a couple of times, but it won't be enough. My prediction is that Houston will win either game three or four at home, but ultimately lose the series in five games. Houston is a very good team, and I don't want to discredit the amazing turnaround they pulled off against the Clippers, but they shouldn't be here. The Clippers blew it more than the Rockets won it in my opinion, and it will show when Houston gets blown out of the conference finals.

Who is the best?

The best player in the NBA right now, still has to be LeBron James. Just last year I thought that Kevin Durant has surpassed him and become slightly the better player, but his injury-plagued season has caused a relapse. What is different about this year, and more fascinating is that when I think about who is the best player in the league today, many names come to mind. Last year, and for the last couple years, it has been a two man competition between Durant and James. This year I can say that we have even more competition. Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Stephen Curry have all entered this conversation. Not simply because they are all MVP candidates, but also because they have stepped their individual games up to superstar level.

What's Next For Kevin Durant?

What's happening with Russell Westbrook's recent play is intriguing. He has elevated his game so much to the point that he is officially in the MVP conversation. A conversation that was led by his currently injured teammate Kevin Durant. The former MVP is still out of the Oklahoma City lineup, but hopes to be back before the playoffs start. When he does return it will be interesting to see how the team reacts. Obviously there is no denying how great Kevin Durant is, but Westbrook has become the leader of this team, and has been keeping in the playoffs. Regardless of what happens this year, what does the future hold for the former MVP? In recent days I have started to hear rumors that Durant could be traded next season. It seems almost insane that the Thunder would trade such a great player, but crazier things have happened. The man was considered the best player in basketball last year, so to think he would be content with taking a backseat to Russell Westbrook seems questionable. Especially a man represented by hip-hop legend Jay Z. Where would he go? Back home to Washington? The big apple? or maybe even Los Angeles? The point is Kevin Durant could be on the move even sooner than we may have expected, due to the elevated play of Russell Westbrook.

Who Should Really Win MVP?

Now I already gave my prediction as to who I believe will win and why I think they are MVP, but the criteria for this award is still not clear. Many like to argue that it is awarded to the best player. That simply is not true, otherwise Kobe Bryant would have multiple MVP's and Michael Jordan would have the award named after him at this point. Another argument is the best player on the best team, but that does not work either. Tony Parker was probably the Spurs best player last year and he was not ever really considered, Kevin Durant won. So, the award is given to one of the top five players in the league during that year. Now let's say that the top five players in the league this year are LeBron James, Stephen Curry, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Marc Gasol (sorry John Wall, Klay Thompson, Chris Paul, Damian Lillard, Lamarcus Aldridge). Now, taking those players which plays on the best team? Stephen Curry and the league best Golden State Warriors. That is your MVP. It still feels strange giving the award out like that because an argument can be made that Russell Westbrook is the best player in the league right now. I also did not even mention the Atlanta Hawks, because they do not have a true star, yet they brought four players to the all-star game. The award is a confusing one, but I believe they will get it right this year if it is awarded to Curry.

NBA Predictions Part VIII

This years MVP is Stephen Curry. James Harden, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, even Marc Gasol all have had great years, but Curry is the one. He plays on the best team in the league and means so much to what they do on offense. His energy is infectious, and its big momentum changing plays from Curry that give the team an extra boost every night. He has also picked up his play on defense as players are shooting around 40% when being defended by him. Curry is what the traditional MVP is: he is the best player on the best team, he has great statistics, and that "it" factor. The plays he makes are unlike anyone in the league.

NBA Predictions Part V

The NBA's coach of the year is Steve Kerr. In just his first season as an NBA head coach, Kerr has led his team to the best record in the league at 45-11. He has taken a team that already had the talent, and turned them into one of the best offenses and defenses in the league. The team is more exciting to watch than it had been in recent years, and much of that is due to Kerr's coaching style. He wants his team to push the pace and move the ball in order to get great shots, and so far this season that has worked out. He also took players who were already great, like Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, and made them even better. Thompson is averaging career highs across the board, and Curry has gone from an exciting young player to an MVP candidate.

Predictions for NBA Regular Season Awards

We have about a quarter of the regular season to go, and the battle for title favorite has really heated up. The Golden State Warriors still hold the leagues best record, but the Atlanta Hawks are hanging around along with the Memphis Grizzlies. Teams like Houston and Cleveland are really starting to catch a lot of peoples eyes because of the teams success, along with the elevated superstar play of MVP candidates James Harden and LeBron James. While the recipients of home court advantage are yet to be determined, individual awards are what is the focus today. I will predict, at this point in the season, who I believe will win the individual awards for the NBA regular season.

Kevin Durant Might Be Back

The Oklahoma City Thunder won in Denver last night with the help of Kevin Durant's 40 points. The win combined with a New Orleans loss to Utah without Anthony Davis, and the teams are now tied for ninth in the Western conference. Durant now seems to be back from his injury and ready to go on an MVP type run. Look for this next month, including the all-star, to be Durant's best so far this season. I wouldn't be surprised if the team gets back in the playoff picture and Durant averages 30 over the stretch. Russell Westbrook will still be dominant at the point guard but much like last night, he will look to feed the beast that is Kevin Durant more often, especially now that his legs seem to be back.

MVP Race

If the season were to end today, I still believe that Stephen Curry is the MVP of the NBA. However, LeBron James is not too far behind now. The impact he has had during the teams recent 12 game winning streak (which ended at the hands of the Indiana Pacers last night), was incredible. Not just scoring but playmaking, defense and leadership. All traits that make James so great. I also think James Harden is not far behind, nor are players like Marc Gasol, Jeff Teague and John Wall. I think that Curry and James are the clear top 2 right now, but all it takes is a strong week long run by Harden or Gasol to change my opinion.

Key to Super Bowl Sunday

How can the Patriots win this weekends Super Bowl? It can't be simply Tom Brady's greatness, or Belichick's genius. There has to be more. At the end of the game, if the Patriots are victorious, of course those two will receive much of the credit. However, the play of New England's defense will be the key to a victory on Sunday night. It is important that Chandler Jones and Vince Wilfork create pressure both on the quarterback and in the middle. Holding Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch to a sub-par game is critical. It will also be key that the New England linebackers contain Russell Wilson, and do not let him break out for any big plays outside of the pocket. Lastly, the secondary will be imperative. Darrelle Revis and other cornerbacks must make sure they continue to cover well, even when Wilson is able to extend plays with his feet. If the New England Patriots defense are able to do all this, they may not even need an MVP performance from Brady, just a solid one.

Rondo Trade Puts More Burden on James Harden

Now that Dallas has made a blockbuster move to acquire Rajon Rondo, the pressure is all on James Harden. The man has been playing like the MVP of late, especially with Dwight Howard out with injury. Harden has almost single handedly kept the Houston Rockets at the top of the Western Conference standings. His play has been great, but with the Grizzlies, Spurs and Mavs all in their division (not to mention the Pelicans, currently the eighth seed), it will be tough going forward for the Rockets to grab home court advantage. Perhaps this move will spark the Rockets to counter with a trade of their own. Rondo was the target but maybe Houston can grab a Goran Dragic from Phoenix. The Rockets need an upgrade if they want to compete for a title this year.

Why LeBron James Did Not Play Last Night

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers last night 103-94, led by solid games from both Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving were strong as well for Cleveland, but the game lacked a little extra excitement. Something that would have been provided if a certain former MVP had decided to play. LeBron James sat out last nights affair in Oklahoma City due to "knee soreness". Now I have never been the biggest fan of LeBron James, but I have never lacked respect for him as a player. When I heard he was missing the game due to, again, "knee soreness", I could not help but think of why he really was not playing. Think about it this was a perfect game to play in. The Cavs had won eight straight games, and were really starting to find their groove. On the other side both Durant and Westbrook were returning from very recent injuries. This could have been an opportunity for LeBron to have a signature game on the road. Not to mention we are only guaranteed two Durant-James matchups every year (not including the All-Star game). Alas, I suppose we will have to wait for Sunday January 25th, when the game will be played in Cleveland. But then again, maybe Kevin Durant will be out with knee soreness.

Why Does LeBron Look Old?

The Cavaliers are on a little winning streak. One that is in no small part due to LeBron James' play. In the teams most recent victory over Toronto, LeBron scored 24 points while dishing out 13 assists. LeBron has played well for the most part this season. He has not been posting his most impressive numbers to date, but has been doing what he always does. However, he seems to be a step slow and lacking the normal athleticism we are used to seeing from him. It is far too early to say LeBron is passed his prime, but its worth considering. Just on the eye test alone there is that "wow" factor missing from his game right now. Im not ready to say he is not the best player in the world anymore, but it will be interesting to see how he progresses this season. With players like Stephen Curry and Anthony Davis playing at MVP levels, the conversation is becoming more intriguing.

LeBron James Deserves Some Blame for Cleveland's Early Struggles

Why do the Cleveland Cavaliers kind of suck right now?

The team dropped its fourth game in a row last night. The Cavs blew an early 18 point lead and ended up losing by 17 at home. There was no stopping the Toronto Raptors in the second half, as the team scored 110 points on Cleveland's home court. LeBron James was reasonably upset at the teams loss, and its second straight poor performance. Going into this season the Cavaliers had high expectations, and justifiably. The Cavs not only added the best basketball player in the world (4-time league MVP and 2-time champion), but also acquired another star in Kevin Love. Those two along with all-star point guard Kyrie Irving and a cast of well known role players, led many to believe that Cleveland would be in the title discussion at the end of the season. That very well may still be true, but it is not the case right now. Cavs fans have had to watch a not so impressive team to start the season.

There are a couple reasons the Cavs have gotten off to such a shaky start. One is the defensive play. Cleveland has been very poor defensively. On the eye test alone the Cavs have looked very bad on that end of the floor. Pick and roll defense has stood out, as it seems every time Kyrie and Love are asked to defend a pick and roll together they get burned.

Cleveland is no more impressive statistically. Allowing opponents to shoot almost 48% from the field and 35% from three. That puts them at 25th in the league in terms of opponents points per game. It does not help that they also allow 40 rebound per game landing them at 22nd in the league in that category.

So the defense is a huge problem, but another one is the lack of experience. The "other" two stars in Cleveland's new big three have zero playoff experience. This means both players have not played any meaningful NBA basketball games. This is an adjustment for a guy like LeBron, who just played with a core of guys that made it to four straight NBA Finals. However, not an excuse for the Cavs slow start.

The best player in the world should start acting like it and lead his team to some victories. While LeBron seems very comfortable taking shots out the court, he should focus on taking more on the court. James' passive play of late seems even more immature than his younger teammates. If he wants his team to succeed and have home court advantage come playoff time, he should step up his own play.

The man wanted to come home. Now he must display to his hometown exactly what they have been missing the pasts four years: the best basketball player on earth.

NFL Sunday

After an incredible night of college football on Saturday, it is now time for the professionals to take center stage. For myself and most of America, football is the focus of the entire Sunday during the fall, and as Thanksgiving approaches, the games contain more and more importance. There are many different story-lines entering the week; backup quarterbacks are starting in what seems like every other game, the most notable being for the Steelers, Eagles and Bears. A rookie out of Arizona, Nick Foles, takes over for the struggling Eagles, while a couple of veterans, Byron Leftwich and Jason Campbell, start for the Steelers and Bears respectively. However, the biggest story is the late afternoon matchup in Foxboro, between the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots. The rivalry could be renewed after taking a year off last year with no Peyton Manning. 

This year the Colts have a new quarterback in Andrew Luck, and have rode him to their current 6-3 record. While Indianapolis has been rejuvenated by their rookie quarterback, the Patriots have had a quiet year thus far. Currently sitting at 6-3, and atop the AFC East, the Patriots have struggled at times this season on defense, and even offensively in the 4th quarter. Despite this, it does seem like the team is prime for a second half run going towards the playoffs. The Patriots have ended the past two regular seasons on eight game winning streaks. Currently on a three game winning streak, New England seems to be ready to get rolling offensively. 

The real intriguing aspect to this game is the showdown between the two starting quarterbacks: rookie Andrew Luck and perennial MVP candidate Tom Brady. One is veteran who has won three Super Bowls, and two MVP awards, while the other is a rookie standout, who is trying to help rebuild the Colts franchise. While the two are both great quarterbacks, there is also such a contrast between the two. One was drafted late in the sixth round, while the other was just recently selected number one overall. One went to the University of Michigan, while the other was on the west coast studying at Stanford. Despite all that, the two have both produced similar numbers this season, in terms of yards. Luck has thrown for 2631 yards, and Brady is just ahead of him at 2645 yards, but there is a difference in other statistics. Brady has thrown 18 touchdown passes with a 100.1 passer rating, while Luck has only thrown ten touchdown passes and has a 79.1 passer rating. 

Brady and the Patriots do have the edge heading into this game at home, but if the Colts can come into Foxboro and pull off the upset, one could really start talking Luck for MVP. 

2012-13 NBA Predictions

The NBA season is upon us, and it is already off to an exciting first week. So exciting, in fact, that I forgot to give you my season predictions for how this year will turn out. First off I want to start by saying that James Harden will not average 40 points per game, win the MVP, and lead the Rockets to the NBA Finals. I'm sorry to disappoint any die-hard Houston fans. I also believe that the Thunder, Lakers, and Celtics will all finish with records above .500, which their current records do not reflect. So, now I will begin to predict how I think both the Eastern and Western Conference standings will look like at the end of the regular season. 

Eastern Conference:

1. Miami Heat

2. Boston Celtics

3. New York Knicks

4. Indiana Pacers

5. Brooklyn Nets

6. Philadelphia 76ers

7. Chicago Bulls

8. Atlanta Hawks

Well I am definitely not alone with my prediction that the Miami Heat will finish with the best record in the east. I think the Heat are the clear favorites to repeat heading into this season, and with the additions of shooters in Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, they should end up with home court advantage throughout the playoffs. My second seed is Boston, and I really don't think that they will have a slow regular season like they have in the past couple of years. I believe that the youth the team has gained will help them win some more games during the regular season. I also think that Rajon Rondo will make a run at the MVP, due to an increase in scoring. Now, my three through six seeds could really finish anywhere, there is no clear best team out of those four. I think the Knicks will finish at three just because they have Carmelo Anthony, who thrived along with the  rest of the team under Mike Woodson late last year. I love the point guard tandem of Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd, and the Knicks have great scoring off the bench in J.R. Smith and Steve Novak. The Pacers are number four for me, because they have a very deep roster for the third year in a row, and now have the experience of making a decent playoff run last year. Now I have the Nets over the Sixers because of the injury to Andrew Bynum. He will miss a little time, and I do like Brooklyn. Both teams should be pretty even throughout the season, however, and it will entertaining to watch Joe Johnson and Deron Williams play together. The Bulls will make  the playoffs and finish above the Hawks, because of the return of Derrick Rose at some point this season. The Bulls also, as they displayed last year, have enough on their squad to win a lot of games in the Eastern Conference. I pick the Hawks to squeeze in ahead of the Bucks, simply because I think they have a better all-around roster. The backcourt of Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis will be great to watch though. 

Western Conference:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

2. San Antonio Spurs

3. Los Angeles Lakers

4. Los Angeles Clippers

5. Denver Nuggets

6. Memphis Grizzlies

7. Dallas Mavericks

8. Minnesota Timberwolves

The Thunder are my number one seed, because of the combination of youth and experience they have, as well as the greatness of Kevin Durant. Durant should make another run at both the scoring title, and the MVP, while the addition of Kevin Martin will serve as a nice complementary piece to the roster. The loss of James Harden will not stand out as far as I'm concerned, because of the return this season of backup point guard Eric Maynor. The Spurs will finish ahead of the Lakers in the regular season, because the Lakers will take some time to mesh. As we have already seen in the first week, the health of the older Lakers is a legitimate concern. Even though the injury to Steve Nash is not a significant one, it is something to keep an eye on as the season goes on. As far as four through six, the Clippers will finish ahead due to another MVP-type season from Chris Paul. They have also replaced players like Mo Williams, Nick Young, and Reggie Evans with better players in Jamaal Crawford, Grant Hill, Ryan Hollins, and the return of Chauncey Billups. The Nuggets and Grizzlies could finish flipped, but I think the addition of Andre Iguodala will be enough to grab the five seed. The Mavs will get the seven seed ahead of the Timberwolves. I picked the Timberwolves, because I think the return of Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, as wells as the additions of Brandon Roy and Andre Kirilenko will be enough to sneak into the playoffs. 

Playoff Predictions:

First Round-

(1) Miami Heat v. (8) Atlanta Hawks 

Heat win 4-1

(2) Boston Celtics v. (7) Chicago Bulls

Celtics win 4-3

(3) New York Knicks v. (6) Philadelphia 76ers

Knicks win 4-2

(4) Indiana Pacers v. (5) Brooklyn Nets

Pacers win 4-2

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder v. (8) Minnesota Timberwolves

Thunder win 4-1

(2) San Antonio Spurs v. (7) Dallas Mavericks

Spurs win 4-1

(3) Los Angeles Lakers v. (6) Memphis Grizzlies

Lakers win 4-2

(4) Los Angeles Clippers v. (5) Denver Nuggets

Clippers win 4-3

Conference Semi-Finals-

(1) Miami Heat v. (4) Indiana Pacers

Heat win 4-3

(2) Boston Celtics v. (3) New York Knicks

Celtics win 4-2

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder v. (4) Los Angeles Clippers

Thunder win 4-2

(2) San Antonio Spurs v. (3) Lakers

Lakers win 4-2

Conference Finals-

(1) Miami Heat v. (2) Boston Celtics

Celtics win 4-2

() Oklahoma City Thunder v. (3) Los Angeles Lakers

Thunder win 4-2

NBA Finals-

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder v. (2) Boston Celtics

Celtics win 4-3

Yes thats right, I don't have either the Heat or Lakers in the Finals. I think that the Pacers will give the Heat a great series and then the Celtics will beat the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics improved perimeter play, along with a stronger Rajon Rondo will knock off Miami. I believe the Lakers will lose to the Thunder, because of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Although the Lakers big men Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol will have strong series, and Kobe will be Kobe, Durant and Westbrook will dominate their respective matchups. Especially Westbrook, because no one on the Lakers can guard him, unless they put Kobe on him, which will hurt his offense. In the Finals, I think it will go back and forth. Rondo will have a great series, while either Garnett or Bass will knock down jumpers all day over Kendrick Perkins. Of course this could, and likely will, not happen and everyone else will have picked the right finals of the Lakers and the Heat. But, I truly believe that there is a strong possibility of the season playing out as I have predicted, we'll see.