Knicks Need Change NOW

 One of my colleagues and I were discussing the New York Knicks earlier today, he brought to my attention that the Knicks were 7th in Defensive Efficiency. Mike D'Antoni and "defense" in the same breath? Hard to believe as a Knicks fan or just as a basketball fan, taking that into consideration it's even harder to accept that the Knicks problems are actually on the offensive end. D'Antoini was the architect of the 7 seconds or less high powered offense he implemented in Phoenix ran by Steve Nash. Nash had Amare Stoudamire, Shawn Marion and a plethora of lethal 3point shooters.

Looking at the current Knicks roster it's not hard to see that it's not a great fit, the system doesn't fit the players. Unlike in Phoenix were there was only 1 Big, there are two in New York in Amare and Tyson Chandler. Neither of the two are true back to the basket post players, they both are outstanding pick & roll players. Unfortunately the Knicks only use Chandler in those situations, Amare has only been in 17 Pick & Roll opportunities this year where Chandler has been involved in 40 P&R plays. Chandler is ranked 2nd in the league as a roll man in the P&R, he's shooting 77.8% in those situations. Amare is by far the more offensively gifted player of the two, for him to not be put in as many P&R situations doesn't make sense. Amare has had 39 post up opportunities this season, he's only converted 10 of those chances. D'Antoin SHOULD know how to use one of his former players, but from the numbers we see that is not the case. One of the other problems for the Knicks is rebounding, Tyson & Amare are both averaging 6 rebounds a game. That HAS to improve, so much attention has been put on the defensive end that EVERY other part of the game has drastically regressed.

The BIGGEST issue for the Knicks may be at the Point Guard position, there is no true floor leader. Toney Douglas is averaging 13 points & 4 assists this season, he is not a very good P&R player at all. Douglas turns the ball over 14% of the time in P&R situations, only 29% of the time does a P&R situation involving Douglas result in a made basket. Douglas is 19 of 59 in P&R opportunities, overall Douglas is shooting 32% from the field and 26.2% from beyond the arch. He's taken 84 three pointers this year, he's only hit 22 of them. The Knicks have Rookie Iman Shumpert, but he splits time between both guard spots. They need to figure out if he's their future at point guard or not, he does need to be on the floor because of his defensive ability.

Lastly Carmelo Anthony, he's shouldering much of the blame for New York's struggles. Melo is playing hurt, but what's hurting Melo more is his new responsibility of being the sole playmaker on the floor. Outside of Melo, no other Knick can truly create for others. Far from what most believe, Melo is having a good year. He's averaging 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. Melo has been much more involved in P&R situations this year as the ball handler rather than the roll man. According to Synergy Sports, Melo is in fact the best P&R ball handler on the Knicks as those situations result in made baskets  57.3% of the time. Melo is also the best post up player on his team as well, he shoots 48.4% in from that area which is far better than his teammates Tyson & Amare. The problem for Melo this year? Far too much responsibility, Melo is an assassin on the offensive end. There is a drastic difference between someone who CAN pass and someone who is a DISTRIBUTOR, Melo has had to be a distributor this year rather than himself. He's done an admirable job shouldering the load this year; the problem is not him, but the lack of a floor leader on the Knicks roster.


If the Knicks wish to turn this around, it may be time to go acquire a point guard that can DISTRIBUTE the ball. The other option is fully implementing Shumpert into the starting line-up and grooming him to be THAT guy at the position. Either way a change needs to be made and D'Antoni needs to be replaced. It's his offensive philosophy, it doesn't fit his current roster and he hasn't made any adjustments. It's still early in the season so a change can be made and not derail this season's goals. The bottom line being the Knicks aren't utilizing there players correctly, it's truly hurting them.


What do you think the problem with the Knicks are?? Leave your comments below!!

Under Rated, Under Appreciated

There are many great stories in this year's early NBA Season, there are many players have great seasons that aren't being recognized. This post is for those players, the ones deserving of headlines that aren't getting nearly as much attention as their play warrants.

Kyle Lowry- I had a chance to watch Lowry a couple of times during the lockout in the BBNS(Basketball Never Stops) Games, he played for Team Philly. Lowry reminded me that he is the same kid who oozed potential at Villanova. The difference, he's just flat out BETTER and hardly anyone has taken notice. Lowry has led the Rockets to an 8-7 record while posting 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 11 assists this season. He's does most of his damage out of Pick & Roll situations and Dribble Handoffs. When operating out of the P&R Lowry's FG% is 49.1 inside the arch, outside the arch(3pt) his percentage is 47.1%. Lowry is ranked 7th in the league in converting P&R situations. He makes the most of his trips to the line as well, knocking down his free throws at a 91% clip. So when you get a chance, take the time to watch one of the leagues best point guards. Lowry plays point the RIGHT way, he does whatever his team needs him to do depending on the night. The Rockets should be lucky to have him!

Kevin Love- He doesn't jump over cars, isn't blessed with elite athleticism, but what he does give you are NUMBERS. Love dropped some weight and has done even better this season after averaging a ridiculous 20 points and 15 rebounds last year. THIS season Love is averaging 25 and 15, what's so impressive is that his FG% has gone UP! Love is shooting 47.6% from 2 and a staggering 44% from 3, last night he came off a screen to hit a game winning 3 vs the Clippers. Love does most of his damage on the glass, but he is evolving into a better player in post up situations. Love's greatest gift might be his ability to convert spot up opportunities. Love is shooting 37.9% behind the arch in spot up situations, as  big that is phenomenal.  Love does a great job of converting his opportunities at the line, he shoots 78% from the line. The addition of Rubio has only helped Love, Minnesota would be foolish to break that paring up. Love NEEDS to be considered as one of the best Power Forwards in the League right now!

 
Chris Bosh- Bosh takes a lot of bashing for his role in Miami, he's often forgotten and not taken seriously as far as star-power goes. In many eyes it's LeBron & Wade, Chris is often thrown in with the others. Well Bosh deserves credit for what he did last year and for what he's done this year. Bosh is the 3rd best player on that team, he's also one of the most consistent averaging 18 points and 8 rebounds. Wade and James have a huge impact on his rebound numbers, both are very good rebounders for their positions. Bosh averaged 18 & 8 last year as well while shooting 49% from the field and 20% from 3. Bosh has improved his efficiency, this year he's shooting 54.3% from the field. Bosh had been amazingly efficient in isolation situations, Bosh isn't your typical big so he gets more isolation attempts than typical post up opportunities. He's ranked 5th in the league in converting isolation situations, shooting a blistering 57.1%. As a big, Bosh gets many opportunities in the Heat offense as the Roll man in the P&R. Bosh is also 5th in the league converting those opportunities, shooting 62.5% in those situations. As for the free throw line, Bosh only shoots 68%.  Bosh doesn't nearly get the credit he deserves, but he is one of the better power forwards in the league. In his last season in Toronto before joining the Heat, Bosh averaged 24 & 10 while shooting 51.8% from the floor. In the 2009-2010 season Bosh was ranked 187th in the league as the Roll man. Hows that for improvement, from 187th to 5th?

Ryan Anderson- Anderson is the forgotten man in Orlando, not saying that the numbers Dwight's putting up aren't impressive. Anderson averaged 10 points and 5 rebounds in 23 minutes of play last year, he shot 42% from the field and 33% from 3. This year, Anderson's minutes have increase and so have his stats. Ryan is averaging 19 points and 6 rebounds in 31 min a game, he's shooting 48.8% from the field and a ridiculous 44% from deep. Anderson has done a good job scoring in the post and behind the arch to complement Dwight this season.


Marc Gasol- As Pau's little brother, Marc doesn't get much attention outside of Memphis. Marc has been doing a great job this year considering his partner in crime Zach Randolph has been out for a while now. Marc is averaging 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks a game for the Memphis Grizzlies. Gasol picked up his level of play when you look back at his numbers from last year; which were 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 block. He's even more efficient this year by shooting 62% from the floor compared to last year's 52%. Gasol is a horse on the boards, converting 85% of his offensive rebound opportunities! Considering he's a center, Gasol does a heck of a job from the free throw line shooting 81%. Gasol has been the anchor for the Grizzlies this year, they're dealing with the loss of Randolph and Rudy Gay is still trying to get back to his old self. There's not many TRUE centers in the league, Marc is one of them and deserves to be recognized as such!!

Leave your comments/thoughts below, thanks for reading!!!

Manager No More

2005 feels like it was ages ago, the #1 overall pick that year belonged to the San Francisco 49ers. They selected a Junior QB from Utah, Alex Smith. Smith barely played his Freshman season, made some strides his Sophomore year, and blew up in his Junior year. Smith threw for 2952 yards, ran for 631 yards, and scored a total of 42 Touchdowns( 32 passing,10 rushing). Smith's College coach was Urban Meyer, Smith was a dual threat and led Utah to an undefeated season. Utah was one of three teams to be undefeated that year, the other two being USC and Auburn. Utah played #20 Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl and Smith led them to a 35-7 win.

Fast forward to the 2005-2006 NFL Season, Smith is now a member of a once proud Franchise. It is truly in a state of transition with Smith being the first piece of the rebuilding effort. Smith played in 9 games his rookie year, his numbers were horrendous. He threw 1 Touchdown and 11 Interceptions, his Quarterback rating for that year was an offensive 40.8. The 49ers brought in Norv Turner as the Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach and Smith improved drastically from his Rookie campaign. The next year Turner left the 49ers to become the Head Coach of the San Diego Chargers, Smith got hurt 7 games in to that season(his third). Quietly in 2009 and 2010 Smith made strides, he was labeled a bust since he wasn't putting up the type of numbers that most deem appropriate of the #1 overall pick. Smith's rating in 2009 was 81.5 with 18 TDs and 12 INTs; in 2010 Smith posted a rating of 82.1 with 14 TDs and 10 INTs.

The NFL Lockout is over, teams haven't had any contact with their players. The 49ers have a new head coach in Jim Harbaugh, Alex Smith finally has a chance to get a new start via Free Agency and he chooses to stay. Smith was extended an extension before the Lockout, it wasn't signed until afterwards. Harbaugh showed his faith in Smith by giving him a playbook, Smith held several "Camps" during the Lockout teaching players the plays. Alex didn't want to start over, he felt he owed the 49ers his best. He wanted to prove that he could play the QB position at a high level, he wanted to prove that they didn't "waste" that #1 Overall pick back in 2005.

The 49ers finished the regular season 13-3, they had one of the best defenses in the league as well as one of the best rushing attacks. Their perceived achilles heel was the passing game and the man playing QB. While several "Elite" QBs were putting up video game type numbers, Alex was simply doing what was asked of him. To most outside the San Fran fan base, that meant NOTHING. The 49ers were winning solely because of their defense and "soft" schedule. They didn't have a soft schedule, they had one of the hardest road schedules in football. They played every member of the NFC East and went 3-1, they also played the Ravens and Steelers. Frank Gore didn't finish as the NFL's leading rusher, nor did the 49ers finish the season as the #1 ranked rushing offense. Which means Alex Smith must have did something OTHER than hand the ball off to Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter.

Smith threw for 3,144 yards, 17 TD's and 5 INT's which gave him a QB rating of 90.7. Smith finished the regular season 9th in Passer Rating in the NFL. The ability to limit his turnovers helped the 49ers lead the league in Turnover Differential, Smith had the lowest amount of INTs of any QB in the entire league. As the season progressed teams focused on shutting down Frank Gore and the running game, dared Alex to beat them and he did. The Giants tried to put the ball in Alex's hands, as did the Steelers, the Lions, and many more. When called upon, Mr. Smith has made plays ALL SEASON LONG. The most recent example being this past weekend when the 49ers beat the Saints, Smith out-dueled Drew Brees in a wild Fourth quarter. Going into the game Smith got little credit, after the game wasn't any difference outside of the 49ers fan base. Smith made history by throwing 3 TDs, rushing for one, and not turning the ball over. That achievement made him part of elite company, only 5 other QB's in NFL History have done that in the Post Season.

This is not a plea for Smith to be considered an "Elite"QB, nor is it evidence of a Pro-Bowl Snub. However, this is a plea for those to be patient before labeling someone a bust or writing a player off. If people can pull for Tebow (whose coach just so happened to be Urban Meyer), how can you not pull for this kid? He CHOSE to stay and prove himself rather than leave and start fresh, it takes a unique type of character to make that decision. Seven Coordinators, several head coaches, multiple playbooks, and seven years later Smith has started to figure it out. Managers don't achieve what Smith did this past season, managers are complacent in their roles. Smith is far from an Elite QB, he is the epitome of elite character though. Smith has exceeded his perceived role as game manager, could you MANAGE to respect him as more?

Thank you for reading, please leave your thoughts/comments below!!

Decisions, Decisions- Sacramento Kings

DeMarcus Cousins is off to a good start this year on the court, off the court is a different story. Cousins was "flagged" by many teams on draft day two years ago, mainly for character "concerns." In his rookie season he averaged 14 pts & 8 rebs, this year he's averaging 13 pts & 11rebs. Talent is certainly not an issue, Cousins is an old-school big. A 5 that can play with his back to the basket as well as face up, he's even armed with a midrange jumper. What's the problem?

There's speculation that Cousins demanded a trade, there's been concrete incidents in the past with members of the Kings coaching staff as well. From the Kings standpoint, it's easy to see why Cousins NEEDS to go. The biggest problem in all of this is getting equal value for his talent, just don't see it happening. Think back to when Stephon Marbuy and Lamar Odom got traded early in their careers, neither the Clippers or the Timberwolves got great talent in return. It got to the point that their teams just wanted them gone, that may be the case for Cousins and the Kings.

The Kings are truly in a sticky situation, do you keep him around and it gets worse or jettison him off for little to nothing? Decisions, decisions; What is Left on The Floor blogger Mike Sykes goes on to share that it's much deeper than just Cousins in his most recent post(http://ballahollicsonly.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/crazy-cousins/). I tend to agree, if the issue is truly deeper than just Cousins why shouldn't they change coaches before giving up on such a talented young player?

If in fact this does get to the point that it's "just get him out of here," look for Miami to pounce first. Cousins is only 21, there is more than enough veterans on that team to keep him in check. Boston would be in the equation as well, I repeat this only happens if the Kings get to THIS point. The ball is in your court Sacramento, immensely TALENTED 21 year old NBA centers don't grow on trees.  Ideally they would remain patient and get the best deal, don't just give Cousins away for the sake of getting him out of Sactown.

What do you think will happen, will the Kings trade Cousins? Will they keep him and just continue to move forward? Or as Mr. Sykes so eloquently brought up, do they keep Cousins or Westpaul?

Leave your answers,thoughts, and comments below!!

Irsay Rearranging Furniture-Colts Front Office

The Indianapolis Colts ousted three members of their front office, they happen to be family. Bill and Chris Polian are no longer part of the Colts organization, this should surprise no one. It does make one wonder as to why it took so long? As for the third member,  it was head coach Jim Caldwell.

Teams never really know how good a General Manager is until the injury bug hits a team, than you find out how solid that 53 man roster really is. Well it hit the fan for the Colts this year, never in their wildest nightmares would they have thought Peyton Manning would be out for an ENTIRE season. Obviously that would change a team's expectations instantly, it still shouldn't have been THIS bad. The Colts finished with a 2-14 record, which means that #18 masked many if not ALL of their countless deficiencies as a team. The Colts do not have any depth what so ever, why wouldn't their be a contingency plan in place? No backup QB that the organization could trust to keep the team afloat? The defense looked even more horrendous than normal and the line isn't as good when Manning isn't back there attacking the defense. Can you remember any GREAT pickups by the Colts during the past 3-4 NFL Drafts? Depth is imperative in any sport, injuries are inevitable and when they hit, they HIT!

Caldwell was not retained either, what coach would have done better given these circumstances? This was not on the coach, he did what he could with what he HAD sans Manning. Then again, most coaches have a say-so in draft day decisions. That might be where the issue was with Caldwell, as a whole those three men failed the organization routinely every year in the draft. One might counter by saying the Colts always pick late because of their success. Teams such as the Ravens, Steelers, Patriots, and Packers pick late as well and they still acquire quality depth via the draft.

Did these men deserve to lose their jobs, what will happen with the Colts Front Office? Does Peyton return or does he retire?

Leave your thoughts and comments below!!

KD & Russ....Steph & KG Part 2???

Last night the Oklahoma City Thunder held on to beat the Memphis Grizzlies, it's often said that winning cures all. That is not always the case, it was reported by Darnell Mayberry that Durant and Westbrook had a "heated" discussion during a second quarter timeout. This is not the first time these two have gotten into it with each other either, many on the OKC side of things insist that it's not a big deal. Nothing more than two competitors in the heat of battle, ESPN's J.A. Adande obviously feels different in a piece he wrote for TrueHoop Blog on ESPN.com.

Adande titles the piece, "Why Westbrook won't work in OKC." Here's a piece from Adande's post, " He's told friends he feels Thunder coach Scott Brooks blames him for losses, while the credit for victories goes to Durant." If that is indeed how Westbrook feels, it may be time to get him out of OKC sooner rather later. There's no point in risking this "issue" finally blowing up during a Playoff run, the Thunder can't afford that. Adande then goes on to include finances as another reason for getting rid of Westbrook, which does make sense due to the amount of money he'd earn coming off of his rookie deal this season.

This situation reminds me a bit of one years ago, the marriage of Stephon Marbury and Kevin Garnett. In Minnesota, KG was seen as the franchise player and Steph must have felt something like Westbrook may feel now. It worked on the court at first, it was a match made in basketball heaven because the complemented each other. Steph had the ability to run the team as well as put pressure on the D with his own offense, which in turn freed up KG. KG like Durant, was sort of a quiet person in terms of demanding the ball in crunch time. Keep that in mind as Steph often took the big shots, which had many wondering as to why the ball wasn't going to KG. No disrespect to KG, but he wasn't nearly as gifted offensively as Durant was and Westbrook isnt' as offensively gifted as Steph was. The bottom line being that one of the two parties felt unappreciated, seen as a scapegoat, as well as a "cancer."

Those on the outside looking in, especially from afar will look at this situation and immediately label Westbrook as the "Cancer." Same thing happened in Minnesota, yet they never recovered after getting rid of Steph. KG never had a better running mate, nothing close as he wasted away in basketball purgatory aka Minneapolis. Steph, labeled a cancer by then became a journeyman bouncing from team to team. In hindsight, it probably would have been better for the Wolves if they had let KG & Steph work it out. That's why this situation is monumental for the Thunder as a Franchise, can you afford to give Westbrook up with confidence that you'll find something better?

Durant and Westbrook are extremely young, there's plenty of time for them to figure this out. There are many ways Westbrook impacts a game outside of scoring, especially on the boards and defensively. OKC may find someone to replace the offense, but what about the rest? Is it worth it, only time will tell what will come out of this IF ANYTHING. The silver lining being the Thunder are 3-0 on this shortened season, it could be worse.


What would you do, trade or keep Russell Westbrook? Leave your thoughts below!!

Norris Cole-School Name>Player's Game??

Norris Cole made a splash on scouts radar with his performance at the Deron Williams Skill Academy; he not only held his own, but even out played some of the higher touted guards at that camp. It's no surprise when you look at Cole's college statistics, Cole improved his numbers EVERY SEASON. Cole reminded me of a "poor man's" Kemba Walker and I mean that with no disrespect, the only reason I use "poor man's" is that he went to a smaller school which left him under the radar. Their games have many similarities as well. The biggest similarity, they are both FEARLESS in "the moment."Cole is a big school talent that attended a small school, had he attended a Duke or Kentucky than we would have ALL known who he was.

Cole's College Statistics: Sophomore- 13.3pts, 2.5reb, 2.4ast, 1.2 stl, while shooting 45% from the floor. Junior-16.3pts, 2.8reb, 4.4ast, 1.8stl, while shooting 43% from the floor. Senior-21.7pts, 5.8 reb, 5.3 ast, while shooting 44% from the floor. 

What that shows me is that his game evolved every year, he went from a pure scorer to more of a complete point guard. He started to get his teammates involved more every year, he learned how to lead a team. Cole's knock on him going into the draft was that he was wrongly labeled a "combo" guard, what's wrong with a point guard that can get his teammates involved as well as get himself going when needed. That's what makes a "complete" point guard, no one mentioned the fact that he was on the boards the way he was, or that he was working on defense as evident by his steal numbers.

Am I running a campaign for Cole to start over Chalmers, not quite. I'm simply saying that every team in the league that still needs point guard help failed by letting him slip that far. In just two NBA games, Cole has garnered national attention by his play. Cole is not in awe of his teammates, rather he holds himself accountable and plays as if he's an equal out on the floor. So him stepping up wasn't a surprise to me, the kid had 14 points in the 4th with Rajon Rondo guarding him. There aren't many better defenders in the league at that position, Cole's ability to score means the Celtics had to play HONEST on the defensive end down the stretch. They couldn't use Rondo's peskiness as a help defender, Cole commands respect with his scoring touch. Had this been last year, had it been Chalmers on the floor I truly believe the Heat would have caved and lost this game. Chalmers is a good spot up shooter, but he is a shooter and nothing more. That's the beauty in having Cole on the floor, he can SHOOT, but he is a better SCORER of the basketball than Chalmers.

Cole's great play last night did nothing more than affirm my belief that scouts, like fans get enamored with the school next to the player's name rather than the player's tools. It's validation that he was lottery type talent and scouts missed on him, I understand he went to Cleveland State but how did you not SEE what he brought to the table. For a small school guy, he came to the table with many strengths and few questions in terms of talent. There weren't any red flags character wise, so can you tell me what it was other than seeing "Cleveland St." at the top of the scouting report?

Here's Chad Ford's Player Evaluation of Norris Cole: Strengths- Steady, true point guard. Very Complete Skill Set. Great Basketball IQ. Good shooter with Range. Solid athlete.

Negatives- Doesn't do any one thing great. Playing under the radar.

Player Traits: Shooting, Penetrating, Passing.

What are your thoughts upon reading that, how is passing on a point guard with that scouting report not a mistake? Share your thoughts and comments below!!

Memo to Bobcats: Give Kemba the Keys

The Charlotte Bobcats lucked into drafting an impact player at a position of need, they reached with the 7th overall pick by drafting Bismack Biyombo. The Bobcats made up for it by drafting Kemba Walker with the 9th overall pick, Walker had just won the National Championship on the collegiate level.

Charlotte made a change last year in their style of play by hiring Paul Silas, Silas wanted an up-tempo team. He had some pieces on the wings that fit that scheme in Gerald Henderson and Tyrus Thomas, but didn't have the right player at point guard. DJ Augustin for everything that he is, is not an up-tempo point guard. He can certainly run an offense, get buckets for himself, but never gave you the impression that he could LEAD. The other thing with Augustin is that when matched up with premier point guards, he struggled to create space due to his limited athleticism.

Walker led an extremely young team to a National Championship at Uconn, what was more impressive was the way he made his teammates better. It might not have shown on the stat sheet, but those freshmen went to war with their captain EVERY GAME. He led them through adversity and hit many big shots along the way, Walker never seemed to be afraid of the moment. That's hardly a bad trait for your point guard to have, one of the biggest misconceptions about Walker is that he's a shoot-first PG. Walker played his role each year at Uconn. Freshman year he was asked to provide a spark off the bench and he did so, Sophomore year he ran the team. He didn't step on the veterans toes at all in Jerome Dyson and Stanley Robinson, never once did he take the ball out of their hands a la Russell Westbrook- Kevin Durant. Last year as a Junior, he was on a team full of freshman which meant he HAD to shoulder the scoring load for the TEAM to be successful. As the season progressed he leaned on his young teammates and they came through for him when asked. For example, check out Jeremy Lamb's FG % from early in the season compared to his FG % during the Title Run.

Kemba is blessed with elite athleticism, armed with a mid-range jumper, possesses poise, and calm in the clutch. He is said to be "undersized" at 6'1, but that doesn't stop him from finishing at the basket. Kemba needs to work on being more consistent from three point land, but his ability to break down a defense and knock down mid-range jumpers has him prepared better than most. Walker is also extremely adept in pick and roll situations, seeing that Uconn runs many 1-4 pick and rolls( PG/PF). At the end of the day, someone with his type of speed is a much better fit in an up-tempo offense.

 It was only a pre-season game, but we got to see Kemba's impact on a game down the stretch vs Atlanta. Walker took the game over by scoring the last 5 points for Charlotte, he didn't shoot well from the floor but he wasn't scared either. In 19 minutes, Kemba scored 18 points. More importantly is that he had the confidence of his teammates both on the floor and off to trust him with the ball at the end of the game.

If the Bobcats wish to put their best foot forward this season, they need to hit the ground running with Kemba at the helm.

NFL Formal Introduction, Mr. Aldon Smith

If it weren't for Monday night's nationally televised match-up between the Steelers and 49ers, most of you would have little to no idea who Aldon Smith is. It only took 15 Weeks of the NFL Season for people to get a chance to see this kid in action. Obviously the 49ers haven't had many nationally televised games, at the same time most of the country knows who Von Miller and Ryan Kerrigan are.

Aldon Smith didn't get the kind of love he deserved on draft day either, he was considered a "project" by many scouts. He was doubted, but never his physical tools. Blessed with an 84 inch wingspan, standing 6'4, and weighing 263 pounds it's obvious that Smith "looked" the part. Smith reminded me of a certain player the year before who was lauded for his physical tools, yet wasn't expected to contribute early in Jason Pierre-Paul. Flash forward a year and JPP is dominating the league as a 2nd year player with 13.5 sacks. You would think that when another player with similar physical tools is presented, scouts would reference JPP and think otherwise. Instead things like this were said:

"I would have taken Gabbert and potentially Robert Quinn over Aldon Smith at seven."
" You watch, Robert Quinn is going to be a better player for the Rams at 14 than Aldon Smith will be at 7."- Draft Analyst Robert Rang

"Smith is gifted athletically, but his game has alot of growth left. Jim Harbough clearly sees him as a fit, but Smith won't be asked simply to pin his ears back and rush the passer; he'll also need to read the NFL game." -Mel Kiper

Smith has been a factor for the 49ers since training camp, he showed flashes as early as Pre-season, he has  an innate ability to "get skinny" as 49ers DE Justin Smith would say. Great pass rushers are able to "bend" the corner, if a kid shows you that ability early you've stumbled upon a keeper. Smith has only been asked to play on "obvious" passing downs this season, so pretty much only 3rd and long situations. Now compare that with Miller and Kerrigan who have pretty much been starting since Day 1, not to take anything away from those other kids but they have more opportunities to make impact plays. All 3 of these young players are studs, I simply want to show you how much of an impact Aldon makes in his limited number of opportunities. Mind you both Miller and Kerrigan play with above average pass-rushing teammates in  Elvis Dummerville and Brian Orakpo. Which means all 3 kids are getting 1 on 1 match-ups most of the time.

Von Miller- 13 games, 11.5 sacks  

Ryan Kerrigan- 14 games, 7.5 sacks

*Aldon Smith- 14 games, 13.0 sacks

The reason JPP is such a great reference point is that neither player started, they were both in the rotation but didn't get a starter's share of the snaps. Barring an injury, both will have played in 16 games in a limited role. The difference being that Aldon tripled JPP's production in sacks in a similar sample size. This isn't a nomination for Defensive Rookie of the Year on Aldon's behalf, I'm simply serving notice that he's been doing this ALL SEASON LONG for arguably the BEST DEFENSE in the league. That is all, please leave your thoughts or comments below!

Change Coming?

Happenstance, Coincidence, or an Anomaly?? Either way you look at it, something special occurred this evening when Robert Griffin the Third accepted this year's Heisman Trophy. 

On the surface or to the casual fan,  Griffin bust onto the scene this year. Griffin surprised many with the video game type numbers he put up this year. If you were to take a deeper look, you'd see this wasn't a surprise just a culmination of his career. Griffin was talented enough to start 12 games as a True Freshman, he did more than just start though. He was pretty productive throwing 15 TD's and only 3 INT's. Griffin should have become a house-hold name during his sophomore season, he would have if it weren't for an injury. He only played 4 games that year which resulted in a medical redshirt.

In his entire career Griffin never had a QB Rating under 142.0, his rating this year which resulted in him winning the Heisman was 192.3. Griffin was highly touted coming out of High School, the only surprise was that a prospect of his magnitude chose Baylor University. He is the first player from Baylor to have won a Heisman, hopefully he won't be the last. Griffin isn't an elite athlete with the ability to play QB, he's a very good QB with elite athleticism.

Think back just one year, who won the Heisman? Cam Newton from Auburn, Newton was basically unheard of as well before his Heisman campaign. Newton went to Florida where he was hidden on the bench behind another Heisman Trophy winner in Tim Tebow. After an interesting journey filled with the supposed "scandal," Newton ended up at Auburn and led Auburn to an undefeated season and a National Championship. Newton had a crazy year as well numbers wise, most didn't want to admit it but Newton led the nation in passing accuracy.(Newton wasn't found of any wrongdoing in the investigation)

It's a slippery slope, I won't go too far into it. Throughout the history of football, African American QB's have been known to be called athletes first and QB's second. Neither of these two young men were regarded as top QB prospects until they forced scouts, the media, and fans to see them on the national stage. Not many of the talking heads were high on Griffin or Newton prior to the break out games. The ones that everyone had to watch; for Newton it was the game vs Alabama, Griffin's coming out party was against Oklahoma. On each players run to the Heisman, scouts gave them credit for their awesome athletic displays and not much else. Each of these young men are great leaders, competitors, warriors, and lastly great people. 

We shouldn't judge a QB on his color, but rather his impact on the game and his ability to WIN. Little else matters for QB's, it shouldn't matter HOW you get it done; just that you get it done. Congratulations to both of these young men for their accomplishments, I hope this changes the way some people view the QB position. Color shouldn't be a factor in rating ANY position, yet it still does. I hope this is the beginning of change, what do you think??

The Chris Paul Conundrum

Chris Paul is arguably one of the best Point Guards in the NBA, he's definitely Top Five hands down. Paul only has ONE more year left on his contract, that year being THIS year. What team wouldn't want a Top Five PG??

Last season we were able to see 3 ways that the whole "1 year left" can go, there are two examples that are at the forefront of my mind. Those being the Carmelo Anthony way, the Deron Williams way, or the Miami Heat way. The Hornets are at an extremely important crossroads; do you give in to Paul's demands and not get top talent in return(Melo) or do you jettison him off for what works best for your Franchise a la Utah Jazz & Deron Williams. Utah didn't give Williams a chance, they were proactive and sent D-Wil packing. Denver was stuck, they either accepted where Melo wanted to go and take what they could get or let him leave and get nothing in return.

What makes this even more interesting is Paul's alleged willingness or lack there of to re-sign should he be traded to a destination not of his liking. How would you feel if you were to make the trade for Paul knowing that he could just leave via Free Agency this summer, if you didn't have the type of talent that would entice him to stay...is it worth it?

There supposed Front Runners in the Chris Paul Sweepstakes are the Warriors, Clippers, and the Knicks. The Knicks having the upper-hand in my opinion seeing that they are his #1 choice and all they'd have to do is wait this season out. As for the Warriors, the Hornets would certainly want the young Stephen Curry. Would you be willing to part with him without the assurance that Paul would stay? If he did land in Golden State and left the season afterwards, you're set back even further with a hole at one of the most important spots on a basketball team. To add to this soap opera, Paul has said he'd like to play with Chandler again. He's never said getting Chandler would KEEP him in one place, just that he'd like to reunite with his former teammate. Chandler also wants to get PAID, deservingly so after anchoring the Dallas defense during their Title Run. Do you acquiesce to Pauls requests?

The Clippers are the rare team in all of this with a WEALTH of young talent to offer as well as good draft picks due to their poor track record. Will the Clippers get in their OWN way here and hold on to one of the pieces that the Hornets REQUIRE to make this deal happen? The reason I believe the Clippers have an upper-hand over the Warriors is simple: Blake Griffin. They have a bonafide Star (in the making) who happens to be a "Big." The Warriors current star is Monta Ellis and he's a guard, an undersized one at that.



Add to this mix are a few teams who are more than willing to "Rent Paul" for a season, this saga should  continue to intrigue us all. Will Paul be traded before the season, before the trade deadline, or not at all? Chime in with your thoughts below!!

Tebow, Denver Keep Rolling

The Denver Broncos are now atop the AFC West, this wasn't the case 7 games ago, since making Tim Tebow the Starting Quarterback they have gone 6-1. Of those 6, they've rattled off 5 consecutive wins, with four of the five games being on the road. That's impressive for any team, let alone a team with a new quarterback.

Much of the credit goes to the quarterback in this sport, win or lose. With that in mind, Tebow does indeed deserve credit not for what he has done but what he hasn't done. That is turn the ball over, Tebow obviously is not going to carve you up a la Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady, but he won't give the opposing defense a chance to put his team away either. Denver either scores or punts on offense, in most cases they punt until the figure out a way to score. They are able to do this due to a very stout defensive unit, Denver's D has been able to get opposing offenses off the field quickly if not force takeaways.




Rookie Outside Linebacker Von Miller has outperformed the rookie expectations put on him prior to the season. We all knew this kid had the talent to be a great pass rusher, what we didn't know is that he'd become one so quick! Miller has 10.5 sacks on the year, Elvis Dumerville on the other hand has 6.5. Dumerville is the vet, he's earned the right to be double teamed due to his reputation. Miller NEEDS to be double teamed, the kid is also 4th on the team in tackles so he's active outside of his pass rushing prowess.

Many would like to credit John Elway and John Fox for sticking with Tebow, I think that credit should go elsewhere. Specifically to Denver's Offensive Coordinator and Quarterback Coach, the reason being that they have BOUGHT into Tim Tebow. They accept him for what he is and what he does, they tailor the game plan to his strengths! That is what changed for the Broncos, those two men accepting their QB and making the scheme work. Eventually Tebow will get comfortable throwing the ball, but until then this reliance on the run game is nothing negative. Winning time of possession and the turnover battle can go along way for teams, especially teams with young, unproven QB's. I wouldn't want to deal with this Denver team in the playoffs, Tebow like Cam Newton is hard to game plan for because of their ability to buy time and extend plays. Tebow does have something Cam doesn't, a DOMINATING defense.

What do you think of Denver's recent success, legit or fools gold??

College Bball Roundtable- 1st Edition

Just a Loss or Cause for Concern

This weekend was an exceptionally exciting weekend in Mens College Basketball, what should have been routine games or "easy wins" for two Top 5 teams didn't go as planned. 4th Ranked Uconn and 1st Ranked UNC both fell into the loss column for the first time this year.

On Friday Uconn lost to Marcus Jordan and UCF in the Battle for Atlantis Tourney. Uconn was up by 17 in the 2nd half before being held scoreless for 7:35 while UCF rallied and then held on to win. UCF did this by switching to a zone, does that mean that the recepie for beating Uconn is to simply switch to a zone?? I don't believe so, Uconn doesn't get a pass for giving up a 17 point lead. They are better than that, should have been able to maintain their focus. This was also the first close game minus last year's "closer" aka Kemba Walker, fortunately for them it happened early in the year. A leader must step up on that team and I believe it will be Shabazz Napier, he rebounded from Friday's poor effort and led them to a victory over FSU on Saturday with some help from freshman Ryan Boatright.

My Take: Just a Loss         Yours??

Last night UNC took on UNLV in the championship game of the Las Vegas Invitational Tournament, I'm sure most of you don't even think this match up warranted watching. To those of you who missed this game, UNLV took it to the #1 Ranked Tarheels. Unlike the Uconn game, UNC's largest lead was 6 which meant they were never really "in control." On the other hand, UNLV went up by as many as 14 on the Tarheels. UNC got beat on the boards again and again by UNLV, I wish I could say I was surprised! Unfortunately, that's one of the things about Carolina that always worried me. I know that Zeller and Henson are tall rangy guys, but I they lack girth. It hurt against UNLV last night as they were routinely bullied for position on both the offensive and defensive glass. UNC perimeter defense got picked a part by drive and dish, they gave up many wide open threes. What may have worried me the MOST...their pick and roll defense is HORRENDOUS!! As athletic as UNC's bigs are, you would think they'd be able to defend the pick and roll pretty well since they are pretty mobile for their size. Instead, they got beat like a drum on EVERY pick and roll. It's only 1 game, this loss means nothing with it coming this early in the year. However, I do think UNLV provided the blueprint for beating the Tarheels. UNC is one of the deepest and most talented teams in the country, but defense wins championships and I really do think it's a cause for concern. Not to mention, All-World SF Harrison Barnes left the arena on crutches.

My Take: Cause for Concern        Yours??


I really want to know what you all think, just leave your comment below and I will respond to you all!!

Off into the SUNSET?? Joe Pa declares this season to be his last!!

I wish I could say I was surprised, in shock, or even flabbergasted. Unfortunately I'm NOT, how do you let someone walk away from such a mess. If this were any other coach in AMERICA, they would be ripped to shreds; instead everyone is acting like this is just an end to a wonderful coach's career. Please don't tell me you truly believe that THIS is the time to go, that prior to this horrible debacle Paterno had planned to leave this season....SERIOUSLY?? This is a horrible shame, where's the NCAA that is always in the middle of every minor recruiting violation and scandal?? THIS is actually something that they need to be a part of, instead they're hiding in the background. I even challenge members of the media, where are you all that were o so persistent during the Pay-for-Play scandal?? You all were the ones who somehow got access to Cam Newton's personal record (which is illegal by the way), why the silence now? It happens to all of us, just because a hero might fall doesn't mean you should be quiet. Hold them accountable, in this NEW era of "character counts," are you truly saying that Paterno showed exceptional character by walking away?? I can't even put into words what my thoughts are, so I will digress until next Tuesday at 7pm. TRUST, I will be ready for war!! What are your thoughts on Joe Pa and Penn St?? What should be done???

Worst Comparison EVER

I usually don't watch much ESPN, choosing to much rather read articles or watch the videos from team sites. (yes, i'm a nerd)

This morning however, I was awaken early and chose to turn on the TV and flip channels. I vaguely remembered stumbling upon ESPN and the analysts ( I don't remember as to who) saying that there haven't been a linebacker duo/combo like Willis and Bowman since Urlacher and Briggs. You could only imagine how offended I was. Not only as a 49ers fan, but as a football fan. There is no way possible you can compare a MLB/OLB duo with 2 MLB's. Not only does it not make any sense, but no disrespect to either Urlacher or Briggs but Willis and Bowman are a much better pair. They are also much faster and more versatile than the 2 Bears.

Take this year for instance: Briggs has 55 tackles, Urlacher has 41 tackles. Now lets look at the 49ers: Bowman with 76 tackles, Willis has 67 tackles. Please tell me how those numbers even REMOTELY resemble each other!!

Not only that, but why can't they (ESPN) just acknowledge the job that Bowman/Willis are doing and go from there. It's rare that a team gets 2 potentially great players at that position in a 3-4, it's a huge piece of the 49ers defense. Both players can run with any RB or TE in the league,  I'm not knocking the Briggs/Urlacher combo but we all know that BOTH of them aren't capable of doing so. Urlacher is one of the game's best MLB's without question, Briggs is an OLB and cannot do the things that Urlacher can. Urlacher will be a Hall of Famer, can't say the same for Briggs. Briggs complements Urlacher, he's not from the same mold. He is limited athletically, that is where my point is. Bowman isn't limited athletically to do the things that Willis can do. If you were to watch them play, it almost appears to be 2 #52's on the field for the 49ers. They move so much alike, that you don't know who made the play until they stand up after the play is over. I am not saying that Bowman is a sure-fire Hall of Famer like I believe Willis is, I'm simply saying his level of play isn't that far behind a Hall of Fame player. Bowman gives the 49ers 2 players of the same mold at MLB, once again I'm not bashing the Bears LB combo....Just saying that this comparison wasn't warranted and was far from accurate!!

Battle of I-95- DC vs Philly Highlights

DC vs Philly Battle of I-95 Interviews

Lockout Podcast w/ Guest Mike S.

"Crowned" Too Early? I think so!

Let me first start off by saying in no way am I writing any of these kids off, so try to keep your emotions in check as I explain my position.

There are 3 quarterbacks on 3 good teams; all 3 of which were crowned "elite" or close too it much too early if you ask me. Those 3 are Mark Sanchez, Matt Ryan, and Joe Flacco. We'll start with Mr. Sanchez.

Mark Sanchez

• Rookie Year- QB Rating 63.0, 12 TD's, 20 INT's, 8 Fumbles, 53.8 Comp%, 6.71 yds per pass attempt in 15 games
• 2010- QB Rating 75.3,  17 TD's, 13 INT's, 5 Fumbles, 54.8 Comp%, 6.49 yds per pass attempt in 16 games
• THIS Season- QB Rating 75.9, 6TD's, 5 INT's, 3 Fumbles, 55.1 Comp%, 6.84 yds per pass attempt thru 4 games
• Career-QB Rating 71.0,  35 TD's, 38 INT's, 16 Fumbles, 54.5 Comp%,  6.62 yds per pass attempt thru 35 games

My Take: Sanchez is what stands between the Jets and a Super Bowl, they have provided him with the proper weapons in RB's Shonn Greene and LT. Santonio Holmes, Plaxico Burress, Derek Mason, and Dustin Keller in the passing game. They have a top 10 defense, the weapons I just named, so you TELL me what's missing? Yup you guessed it, solid QB play!

Matt Ryan

• Rookie Year- QB Rating 87.7, 16 TD's, 11 INT's, 2 Fumbles, 61.1 Comp%,  7.93 yds per pass attempt in 16 games
• 2009- QB Rating 80.9, 22 TD's, 14 INT's, 5 Fumbles, 58.3 Comp%, 6.47 yds per pass attempt thru 14 games
• 2010-QB Rating 91.0, 28 TD's, 9 INT's, 3 Fumbles, 62.5 Comp%, 6.49 yds per pass attempt thru 16 games
• THIS Season- QB Rating 84.8, 6 TD's, 4 INT's, 3 Fumbles, 62.2 Comp%, 6.92 yds per pass attempt thru 4 games
• Career- QB Rating 86.7, 72 TD's, 38 INT's, 13 Fumbles, 60.9 Comp%, 6.91 yds per pass attempt thru 50 games

My Take: Ryan is a textbook pocket passer, specifically your play action type passer. Doesn't seem as comfortable under the gun spreading it out only because he doesn't have that typical "gun-slinger" mentality. Extremely intelligent QB, seems to want a "perfect" window before letting the ball go which has led him to some struggles. Gaudy numbers hide this very well, but he is equipped with a great RB in Michael Turner and a Hall of Fame TE in Tony Gonzales. Now has two #1 type wide outs in Roddy White and Rookie Julio Jones. Has more pressure on him than the other two because of an unreliable defense, but he does possess top notch talent at the skill positions!! An ELITE QB could make it work, right?

Joe Flacco

• Rookie Year- QB Rating 80.3, 14 TD's, 12 INT's, 6 Fumbles, 60.0 Comp%, 6.94 yds per pass attempt in 16 games
• 2009- QB Rating 88.9, 21 TD's, 12 INT's, 6 Fumbles, 63.1 Comp%, 7.24 yds per pass attempt thru 16 games
• 2010- QB Rating 93.6, 25 TD's, 10 INT's, 7 Fumbles, 62.6 Comp%, 7.41 yds per pass attempt in 16 games
• THIS Season-QB Rating 79.9, 7 TD's, INT's, 3 Fumbles, 49.3 Comp%, 6.95 yds per pass attempt thru 4 games
• Career- QB Rating 87.2, 67 TD's, 37 INT's, 22 Fumbles, 60.9 Comp%, 7.18 yds per pass attempt thru 52 games

My Take: Flacco goes down field more than the other 2 QB's even though he's hasn't always been provided with the necessary tools to do so. The Ravens just drafted a WR to stretch the field in Torrey Smith, traded for Lee Evans, to complement their #1 WR in Anquan Boldin. Flacco is joined in the backfield by a great RB in Ray Rice and has the luxury of Ray Lewis and crew on defense. Like Sanchez, Flacco is the key if Baltimore hopes to win another championship. Flacco is taller and more athletic than Sanchez and Ryan. He also has the strongest arm of the bunch, unlike Ryan he is much more comfortable putting the ball in the air and letting his WR go up and make the play on the ball. Flacco's comp% has really suffered this year, it's almost as if he's regressed even though alot of it has to do with him getting used to his new weapons. It's still not an excuse if he was indeed an ELITE QB, in the same token he has more weapons than Dilfer did when Dilfer won it!

Conclusion: All 3 of these QB's have what it takes, the question is WHEN it all comes together for these kids. I wish all 3 of these young QB's the best, I just don't agree with those claiming that ANY of these kids are in that ELITE class of QB's. If I had to pick which of the 3 were to make the jump from decent QB to "ELITE" QB the soonest I would have to choose Flacco. The only reason being that he already throws a great deep ball, he's mobile, and seems a tad bit more unflappable than the other two. Of the 3, who do YOU think will make the jump to the "Elite" class of QB??