Magic not going down without a Fight!!

Last night was a horrible night for the Celtics, they lost again to the Magic and 3 players were injured in the game. Big Baby and Marquise Daniels both got concussions and Sheed tweaked his back. Everyone who has been watching this series is probably looking at Dwight Howard's stellar play as the reason that the Magic are back in this series. I on the other hand would like you all to look at it from a different perspective. What are the two most important positions on a basketball team?? I obviously can't hear your answer but if you said the point guard and the center you are correct. As I mentioned before everyone has been praising Dwight for his play, yet no one is even thinking about the key to the Magic and the series. JAMEER NELSON!!!! Jameer has hijacked this series starting in Game 4, Nelson is an unselfish pass first point guard and I think people tend to forget he can really score the basketball. Unlike Rondo (who is a heck of a point guard in his own right), Nelson can shoot and shoot well and deep. Nelson has been able to get into the lane and attack the core of the Celtic's defense which they did a good job keeping him out of the lane in the first 3 games. Nelson has thoroughly outplayed Rondo in the last two games and has put the Magic on his back!!! What boggles my mind is how analysts and experts are pointing to Rashad Lewis and J.J Reddick, they have both done a good job in the last two games but they are definitely overlooking Nelson's contributions. All I ask is that the next Magic-Celtics game you take a look at what Jameer is doing and ask yourself is he getting shafted in terms of recognition??

Wade throwing Salt in Chi-Town's Direction...

So I guess he is no longer the "prodigal son" and he will not be returning home. Wade dropped a bomb today when he was quoted saying "I think the biggest question that you think about has to be loyalty. I know one thing about Miami: It is a very loyal organization. I see what they do with their players when their players get done with the game of basketball . . . how loyal they are. I don't know about the Bulls." After that statement I'm going to go out on a limb and say that he will not be a member of the Chicago Bulls and I am even more sure that he will stay with the Heat. I've been telling everybody that there is no way in.....that Wade is going to leave Miami for months now I hope this quote has helped my case. I think it's even funnier that Wade is planning to meet with his fellow Free Agent members (Bosh, James, and Johnson) to discuss where everyone is going. Pat Riley and the Heat Organization have to be the happiest group of people in the NBA, they have arguably the best player in the league and he is going to do their recruiting for them!!! Who doesn't want to play with Wade??? How do Chicago's chances of landing James look now after Wade's not so ringing endorsement???

Game 5 of the Magic-Celtic series is tonight, and once again the Celtics didn't close out a series when they were first given the opportunity. The Magic won Game 4 in overtime and have regained some of their confidence which is going tonight's game HUGE!!! Jameer Nelson was THE reason in my opinion that the Magic won the last game, Dwight had a great game but the reason he had a great game was due to Nelson's penetration and lob passes. So now the Magic are back at home and I'm sure that would make people take them tonight in this game, but I would like to remind you that they are going against the best Road Team in this year's playoffs. The Celtics have lost more games at home than they have on the road in the playoffs this year, that speaks volumes and the Magic HAVE to come out with the same intensity that they came out with last game to get back in this series.
Do you see Orlando extending their season for at least another night, or do the Celtics leave Orlando with a berth in the NBA Finals??

The Zone...

The Lakers are one of the best teams in the league if not THE best teams and I think it's hilarious that they are getting off track offensively over a zone. I watched Kobe's post game comments and all he was doing was preaching defense, which is true but at the same time I know he's not happy during offensive possesions when Odom, Fisher, and Artest are taking contested shots with the shot clock winding down against the zone. The zone is working more against the Laker's minds than it is on the court, in Games 3 and 4 the Lakers have seen the zone and have started jacking up even more 3's instead of working the ball inside. We all know they are not a good 3 point shooting team, especially not good enough to hang with the Suns. If the Lakers don't get back to pounding the ball inside and exploiting their length, LA might not be a lock to represent the West in the Finals. What do you think of this series now that it is tied, did the Suns just get lucky? Or are the Lakers in serious serious trouble??

Ask and You Shall Recieve..

I was on ESPN.com yesterday like I am almost every dat for at least half of the day and on the front page of the NBA page was an article called "Where you at, STAT?" Well that answer was answered loudly yesterday by a performance of 42 points and 11 rebounds!! Amare was everything he wasn't for the first 2 games, HIMSELF!! The best part of yesterday's game was when the Suns went with a zone and the Lakers really struggled with it, that was a great call by Alvin Gentry. Back to Amare, after being the target of many people's jokes and sarcastic remarks Amare was extra aggressive last night and pretty much unguardable. Robin Lopez also chipped in with 20 points, the Suns at least did what Orlando didn't do....FIGHT BACK!! I'm not officially declaring this a real series again, but at least it's not going to be a sweep. Now if the Suns can defend home court and go back to L.A with the series tied I will definitely be looking at this series as a possible 7 game ordeal. I was just happy one of the series was actually going to be competitive, Orlando I'm already accepting that tonight's game will and should be your last!! What did you think of the Suns win, was it a sign that they are going to make this a series??? Or was it just one game where a superstar delivers one time much like Miami getting their 1 win in the Boston series??

Celtics-Magic.....2nd Quarter of Game 3

Obviously it's a bit premature for me to go a head and declare that this series is over but Orlando is down by 20!!!! It's the 2nd QUARTER!!! I guess the Celtics aren't going to let their foot off of the Magic's throat any time soon, the Celtics are doing what a veteran team is supposed to....STOMP THE REMAINING LIFE out of it's opponent!! I just appreciate seeing a team showing real KILLER INSTINCT, the Celtics are playing like a team out of the 90's. Orlando was supposed to come out with fight and determinatoin especially after Paul Pierce giving them classic bulletin board material with his Game 2 post game quote !! Now, there's 20 seconds left in the half and the Magic have hardly put a dent in the Celtic's lead. I am officially declaring this series OVER!! Do you think this is a case of Orlando not showing up, or is it an example of the Celtics just dominating a team in every facet and taking away all hope of competing let alone winning???

Roy Oswalt asks for a trade??

Roy Oswalt has said that he is willing to waive his no-trade clause, that is a deafaning blow to the sputtering Houston Astros. They already have claimed the league's worst record this season, having your best player ready to jump ship really doesn't make matters better. The reason I am bringing this to your attention is that when small things like this happen, nobody pays too much attention to it until it is resolved and it results in a trade. Then people are in awe as to why a very talented player ends up getting traded to a very good team and the team he was on doesn't get market value. I was having a discussion with one of my friends the other day about how the Evil Yankees(My Evil Yankees) conduct business, and what makes them successful is that they prey on bad teams, or any team's bad situations or falling out with their best players. That is when they swoop in and give you below market value and enough money for you to get over it and make the deal, by no means am I saying that Oswalt will in fact be traded and if that is the case by no means am I saying he is going to be wearing pinstripes. At the same time let me be the first to present this situation to you, so if and when a deal is completed in the near future that this blog post is in the back of your mind. Just remember that you heard about this first here, from me, a Yankee Fan. I urge the management of the Astros to not grant Oswalt his trade, well not that, but to at least make sure they don't settle for a bag or bags of money and a below market value deal. The reason why.....Oswalt has the talent to go be a key cog if not an ace in a contender's rotation!!! What do you think the Astros are going to do???

Chris Bosh Ring Shopping???

So it has been reported that Chris Bosh gave the Raptors a list of teams that he'd like to go to should he choose to leave. I guess he and the Raptors have decided that should he leave it will be via sign and trade(That also means Bosh gets more money lol). So what are the teams you ask?? The Raptors should he stay(that is the funniest of the bunch), the Bulls, Heat, Knicks, and last on the list......drum roll please.....THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS!!!! The teams on this list somehow corolate with another big time free agent's list....yup LBJ aka LeBron(except for the Lakers)!! So what I took from this is the Raptors have made Chris Bosh soooo upset that he doesn't want to do anything but play with players with equal or greater talent than himself, Bosh is pretty much saying he wants to be someone's "Robin" and he doesn't want any part of being "Batman." Furthermore this discovery makes me laugh at all of the analysts and experts who said teams wouldn't be able to get more than 1 of these "max" players, like I have been saying winning and a legacy trumps money for most of these guys that are free agents. They are marketable and are going to make their money, so what else matters after the money...WINNING!!! The only one of these big time free agents that has experienced success in the postseason is Dwade and that is why he is the only one I believe is truly cemented in place. Why should he leave, these other guys need what he's already experienced and what better way than to go play with him so he can help you (LeBron, Bosh, Stoudamire, J.Johnson) achieve what he's already tasted, an NBA Championship??? I digress, what do you think of Mr. Bosh's wishlist??? I think its the kind of talk that can really swing power for the next 5 or 6 years in the league, I can't wait until July 1st!!!

New Podcast!!! May 21st!!!

NBA Update

So I've missed a couple of games in terms of blog posts, I sincerely apologize because I am still in shock. When did the clock go back to 2008??? The Celtics AND Lakers are up 2-0, with the Celtics being a little more impressive because they were the road team. This post season has been a class in mental toughness, the Magic are more talented overall than the Celtics yet they are not mentally tough enough to beat the Celtics. That is where the Celtics are OWNING the Magic, they make way less mistakes and never panic no matter what the situation they are calm. They are BUILT for the post season, the other teams in the eastern conference are not, they are all regular season teams. As for the Lakers, they are doing what they are supposed to be doing. After being woke up by the tough 1st Round Series against the Thunder they have been on a roll!!! Looks like we are headed to a 2008 NBA Final rematch, and once again I'm taking the Celtics!!! Do you think I'm right, or am I shortchanging the Lakers??

Game 1 Thoughts....Celtics-Magic

The Celtics went into Orlando and achieved their goal of stealing a game from the Magic. The Celtics came out aggressive on defense and were down right stifiling. The Magic struggled for maybe 3, 3 and a half quarters of the game before mounting an impressive comeback and almost overtaking the Celtics. Many people say it's the Celtics that are the dominant team without taking the Magic's long layoff into consideration. I do think the Celtics played a great game, but I don't condone a team loosing a 20 point lead in 8 minutes and in the 4th quarter. That doesn't give me a peace of mind in saying that they are clearly the better team, they were just the hotter team. I do believe this series is going to be intresting only because the Magic are more than capable of winning a game with out Dwight having a good game. Unlike the Cavs who NEED LeBron to be amazing every minute of every quarter of every game. I look forward to Game 2, I am still staying with my pick (orlando) to win this series. What did you think of the first game? Are the Celtics the better team, or is Orlando just rusty???

Uconn Preview #2

Okay I promise this is the last one for a couple of days, its just that I keep looking at the top recruiting classes in the nation and my Huskies aren't even being mentioned in the top 30. Like Calhoun never gets good players, just because they aren't 1 and done guys doesn't mean the recruiting class is bad. I'm a little old, but tell me if you all remember who Dana Barros was.....? Well he was a bad motha....yes I will shut my mouth!! Seriously that little man was nasty, but this young guy who's going to Uconn is being compared to him so I felt like I should share it...Promise this is the last Uconn Recruiting Video I'm going to show for at least a couple of days....

Uconn Preview

Look I know it's a little early, and college basketball is still far, far,far,far, and I mean FAR away but I just felt like I had to share this with you all. Introducing Roscoe Smith, the next great Uconn wing, this is going to be his freshman year and I wanted to all warn you before you see him on ESPN's Top 10....remember I shared it with you first lol

NBA Eastern Conference Finals

Now let's shift from the LeBron talk and focus on the 2 teams left in the Eastern Conference. We have the defending Conference Champs the Orlando Magic taking on the ageless Boston Celtics. I am inclined to pick Orlando to win this series, yet I do not believe it will be a walk in the park. The Celtics are peaking once again when it matters most, THE PLAYOFFS!!! Say what you may about the Celtics "upsetting" the LeBrons, but the better "TEAM" won that series. Boston is a very dangerous team, a very balanced team and should not be taken lightly. Orlando has yet to lose a game in this year's playoffs, they are a strong 8-0!! They have yet to be really challenged and should be by the Celtics. This is not the same Magic team that made it to last year's NBA Finals. They have a "healthy" Jameer Nelson and a rejuvanated Vince Carter who is taking the place of Hedo Turkoglu on this year's roster. The addition of Vince and Matt Barnes might be the difference in this series, Barnes is an added defensive weapon to use on Paul Pierce as well as Mikael Peitrus. Orlando's depth should be the key in this series, make no mistake Boston's bench of Glen Davis and Tony Allen will come to play. If Boston is to beat Orlando, those two young players will need to make an even bigger impact than they did in the Cleveland series. Either way I am looking forward to 3:30 pm on Sunday to watch Game 1 of this exciting series!! Who do you think is going to win and in how many games will it take? I'm taking the Magic in 6.

The Misconception of LeBron James....

I would like to say that I believe LeBron James is physically the most gifted player in the league or even one of the most gifted the league has ever seen. I would like people to accept LeBron for who and what he is, one heck of a basketball player. He's not going to be Kobe, Mike, or anyone else peple want him to be, LeBron is going to be LeBron. Since he was drafted I have believed that LeBron is our generation's version of Oscar Robertson, and i don't think there is anything remotely wrong with being that. I just think it's sad that people take shots at the guy for not being who THEY want them to be. Accept LeBron for what he is and what he brings to the game, everyone isn't built like Kobe, Michael, Duncan, DWade or any other "Closer" in the game. There is nothing wrong with that, he's a walking triple double and that is remarkable. Please just accept that he's not that guy, yes he might carry his team every night in the regular season but the post season is a diffrent animal. That's when you find out who's a man and who's not, are you going to "LET" your team lose or are you going to go down fighting, better yet are you even going to accept going down fighting as an option? I was having a similar conversation with a friend earlier this week, talent is talent but if your will power doesn't match it you are nowhere. Will power is what seprates these type of guys, the fact that the can't accept no and it's not even an option. For example, Dwade goes to war with much less than LeBron every night yet he contiues to come back night to night and his level of play never drops. Kobe no matter what type of game he is having, is not ever going to "let" his team lose. If LeBron were that type of guy, the Cav's would be advancing and every one would be happy. I'm here to say that he isn't and there isn't anything wrong with that. The Celtic's have 3 Hall of Famers on their roster, some guys need other guys to take the pressure off and there is nothing wrong with that. Do you think I'm crazy and should be admitted to a psyche ward?? Or can you accept LeBron for the immensely talented player that he is and what he's not??

The End for the King??

The Cavaliers became one of the first teams to ever win 60 plus games in back to back years and not win a championship. Last nights debocle in Boston was a major suprise for many of the Cavalier and LeBron backers. I on the other hand was not as suprised and I was actually sad that the Cavs went out like that. The Celtics aren't even being mentioned as part of the equation as to why the Cav's are exiting the playoffs early yet again. I believe that many people got enamored with the Cav's record and LeBron's back to back MVP awards. So no one took notice of the changes in Boston, Kevin Garnett finally looks HEALTHY!!! That is what stands out to me the most, even more than the emergence of Rondo in to the class of "Elite" point guards in this league. KG, not Paul Pierce is the gauge or heart beat of the Celtics. The production of the Celtic's bench was also a big factor, Glen Davis and Tony Allen have become very important pieces in the Celtic's rotation. The Cav's didn't look like the team that everyone wanted them to be, and I don't forsee them becoming that team. Now that their season is over, it's the countdown to July 1st which is the 1st day of Free Agency. Is this the end of an era in Cleveland??

NHL Playoff Update!!!

If you haven't been watching (CAPS FANS), the NHL Playoffs are getting very very interesting. Remember that gritty team that wasn't supposed to have a chance against the superior talented Penguins?? Well the Habs are back at it, the Canadiens have come back to tie the series against the Pens at 2 games a piece. They waited until the Caps were up 3 games to 1 before coming back to win that series in 7 games, this time they didn't wait nearly as long!! Sid the Kid has yet to put a puck in the back of the net, the Canadeins have done a great job taking him out of this series and not letting up at all. As long as they keep scratching and clawing the Habs have a good chance to upset another top ranked team in their conference. The Bruins are ready to take the broom out and complete the sweep of the Flyers!! I didn't think this series was going to go this quick, the Flyers need to play with more heart and try to get back in this series. The Redwings were right where the Bruins are right now, they responded by coming out in Game 4 and blasting the Sharks 7-1!!! Even with that blowout win, the Redwings have a steep hole to climb out of as they are still down 2 games in this series. The Sharks now lead 3 games to 1. Vancouver is looking up at the Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago is up in the series 2 games to 1. They play tonight and the Canucks can not afford to go down 3 games to 1, the Blackhawks are doing something no team in Chicago has been known for doing in a while. That's to succeed in the Post Season, this game is a pivotal game in this series because a tie gives the momentum back to the Canucks and a win for the Blackhawks entrenches them in the driver seat. Do you still see the Penguins as the favorites now that they are in a dogfight with the Canadiens? Can the Redwings and Bruins stave off elimination?

Who is the Defending Eastern Conference Champs??

I will give you a clue, the team is not coached by Mike Brown. This team isn't worried about July 1st and an impending decision their franchise player might or might not make regarding free agency. Nor is the reigning 2 time MVP on their roster, just a couple of guys you may have heard of and the NBA's reigning 2 time Defensive Player of the Year. Why is it that a team that didn't win their conference gets more publicity than the team that did?? It's not as if the team I am speaking of doesn't have a superstar in this league!! Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic are being EXTREMELY EXTREMELY EXTREMELY DISRESPECTED by the media and the NBA!!! All the Magic did was make it to last year's NBA Finals without their starting point guard, they also went through Cleveland without Jameer Nelson. They are also UNDEFEATED in this year's playoffs unlike the Cleveland Cavaliers, they gave Atlanta an old fashioned early 1990's NBA playoff statement butt whipping and everyone pretended like that was an accident. What does Orlando have to do for people to respect them as one of the best teams in this year's playoffs?? They won their 1st round series without the services of their star (Dwight Howard) against an upstart Bobcat team, do you think the Cavs could have won their first round series with LeBron only playing 20 to 25 min a game? I really doubt that, what do you think of Orlando's playoff performance thus far ??? Do you think they are going to repeat as the Eastern Conference Champions??

Heees Baaack!!!

There's a lot of big stories this year in baseball, every day someone does something even more amazing than a player or team did the day before. I mean we have the Nationals with a winning record, the Rays possibly the best team in baseball, Andre Eithier possibly becoming an all time great clutch hitter, Jason Heyward doing things rookies have no business doing, Roy Holliday performing at an even higher level than he normally is at, and the Machine or Alber Pujos whichever you want to call him showing us that he's nowhere close to slowing down. One story that I think has gone unearthed, the reemergence of Francisco Liriano!! Liriano was in the same conversation as Felix Hernandez a couple years ago prior to his injury, you really couldn't mention Felix without mentinoing Francisco. After a terrible year last year, it looks like the guy is back on track to live up to his potential. His velocity is coming back and his control is better than ever. Prior to the injury in 2007, Liriano posted a 12-3 record with a 2.16 ERA and get this....144 strikeouts!!! He got hurt in '07, his numbers in '08 and '09.....3.91 and 5.80 ERA and there were nothing but words of his demise and whispers that his best days were behind him. Liriano responded this year by coming out and showing everybody what kind of talent he really is!!! Liriano is 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA and 36 strikeouts, how has his performance gone unnoticed?? The lefty is only 26, with all of this behind him the Twins and Liriano have a bright future. Were you aware that Liriano was pitching this good and if not do you think this story is worth sharing on a bigger level??

STOP HATING!!

What does Floyd Mayweather have to do for everyone to stop hating?? He PUNISHED Mosley last night, it wasn't even close!!! He did to Mosley what he does to everyone, make them look terrible!! Once again Floyd proved his skills are unmatched, he even took one hell of a right hand from Mosley and stayed on his feet. Everyone is always like Floyd can't take a punch, well he took that one last night on his way to delivering several more to Mosley. I hate doing this, but let's look at the punches landed to punches thrown. I try to tell everyone that Floyd is soooo nice he barely gets touched and makes boxing look way too easy!! Floyd landed 208 of 477 compared to Mosley's 92 of 452. I'm not the greatest at math but someone not named Mayweather got pounded!!! I told many people last week that I wasn't even excited because the outcome was already guaranteed, if they had fought maybe 5 years ago than I would have had faith in it being an even fight. If not even at least I would have honestly given Mosley a puncher's chance, you can't hit what you cant see. Not only that, Floyd showed the haters something new last night by being the aggressor. Most of his critics say all he does is run, well last night it looked like Mosley was running or at least trying to run out of the way of the bombs being landed routinely by Mayweather. I am part of the crowd that believes that boxing is an art and Floyd is a painter out of the old days. I would have loved to see how he would have done maybe 15 to 20 years ago when boxing was boxing and not all about the all mighty "knockout." It's a shame to watch someone so dominant at their sport be unappreciated by fans that may not quite understand it or get blinded by their personal dislike. Skill is skill and Floyd's is on another level. Unfortunately I don't think people are going to appreciate his talent until he's gone and done, like maybe years later even. After last night's fight does your opinion of Mayweather change or remain the same???

Can the Habs do it again?

The Canadiens came back and beat the Caps in a 7 game series, they are already down a game to the Penguins after 1. The Redwings cruised past their 1st round match up and now are looking at a real challenge in climbing out of a hole to even the series at 1 against the Sharks. The Bruins and Flyers series has yet to begin, I'm picking the Flyers in that series though as much as I dislike them. The Blackhawks outlasted the Bulls in terms of playoff life in the city of Chicago and they play the Canucks tonight in Vancouver. At least the 2nd round has begun in one sport's playoffs, the NBA needs to catch up!! Now that the Caps are out (needed a little time to grieve) and the gentle reminder of a friend(Pat I will not forget hockey) I will attempt to do a better job of covering the NHL Playoffs. Now that we all know who's still in, do you think the Pens will repeat??

Dez Bryant...out of shape?

I keep seeing articles about this as if this was a suprise, didn't Dez miss the remainder of this past season? He played in three games, so between those three games and Cowboys mini-camp all the time that passed...maybe 4-6 months? Yes he's going to be gassed, tired, doubled over and all that kind of stuff!! He missed a season in my eyes, a whole college season and people are truly suprised that he might be out of shape? For anyone who plays sports even on a low level knows that if you are playing consistently and then stop your wind is going to suffer. You might keep working out, but that doesn't change the fact that your "legs" are gone. The only thing that keeps your legs is running, or the game whatever it is that you were doing. Any stoppage in set activity will cause you to loose your legs,timing,endurance whatever you want to call it will be gone. Secondly why is it also a suprise that he is already arguably the best WR on that team? This is the same team that had Roy Williams higher on the depth chart than standout Miles Austin so it doesn't suprise me one bit. Do you think that too much is being made about Bryant's being in shape or lack there of?

The State of LA....

Is it me or should LA not be too proud to have beaten the Thunder in 6 games? Is it me or did LA look every bit the part of an incohesive team preparing for a title defense? Is it me or does Kobe look like he went even further back into the "my teammates can't be trusted" mode and I NEED to do it MYSELF mode? Do the Lakers miss Trevor Ariza, or was the acquisition of Artest 3 or 4 years past Artest's prime? Sometimes coming off a title defense the best thing to do is nothing, that's right NOTHING!! Do I think the Lakers with Ariza would have swept the Thunder? Maybe not, but at least it wouldn't have been this difficult. Ariza was able to stretch the floor with his shooting and his athleticism is needed on the perimeter, especially with an aging Bryant. Ariza was also a veteran of the Triangle, I am very sick of every anyalyst blaming Ron Artest for his inept play by putting it on the "Triangle." Artest like many before him are a casualty of playing with Bryant, not everyone is made out for that role. Ariza was a perfect compliment to Bryant, much like Pippen to Jordan(by no way am I putting Ariza in the same stratosphere with Pippen's talent) in the way that his style of play complimented Jordan. He was a classic #2, some are not built to be that and Artest is not one of those guys. Those type of players should be commended, it is not an easy task to be in that role and be extremely effective. The Lakers play the Jazz next, does Kobe dare to defend Deron Williams 1 on 1 for the entire series?