Cavs-Wizards Opening Night Recap

Washington (0-1) 84 Cleveland (1-0) 94:

      It was a common joke to say, Cleveland is first in the NBA after this game was over. As it may seem funny, Cleveland is still not a bad team. The game may have been a little different if Wall and Nene would have been able to suit up, but at one point Cleveland was up 16 in the third quarter and cruising. Minus the part where they let them slide back into the game, but I still personally feel the Cavs would have been better than a healthy Wizards squad.

For Washington: You first are going to have to look at Price and Booker shooting a combined 4-22 from the field. Both either were asked to do too much, or tried to do too much as starters. Price really isn't cut out for the position he was in last night, and going 2-9 from three showed. Both Price and Pargo will need to step up their game for being Point Guards, as they combined for 9 assists. They looked much worse as facilitates though than the 9 assists would lead on, but on the positive note 2 total turnovers isn't awful either. Bradley Beal looked pretty good in the first quarter shooting, posting a 2-4 FG and 2-2 3pt FG shooting. The transition 3 he hit in the first quarter was very nice looking, anyone who watched that shot saw Beal's potential from deep. He went 0-4 the rest of the game though, and didn't look ready for the amount of scoring and injured Wizards team would need from him. Jordan Crawford's shot went missing too, as he went 4-13 and 0-6.

       There were some shining lights to this game however. Okafor looked like a good fit. He didn't play offense particularly well, but Okafor did grab 7 boards and blocked 4 shots. His role with the team will look much nicer on a healthy Wizards team, but played pretty good post defense in the beginning. Jan Vesely also was a positive. He didn't blow up the score board with huge numbers, but he put in 21 effective minutes. He shot 3-4, grabbed 4 rebounds, and got a block. If Vesely can play like that when the team has all of his players back, he will look very good in a smaller role. Reclamation project Earl Barron posted a line of 8 points, 4-6 FG, 8 reb, 1 steal, 1 block, and 0 turnovers. If he can play like that consistently than the Wizards got a steal. Overall, the team biggest plus is they weren't healthy. They can potentially play much better than this.

For Cleveland: Well, there were a lot of good performances across the board for the Cavaliers. Kyrie put up 29 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. Varejao put up a very impressive 9, 23!!!, and 9. That stat line also featured 12 offensive rebounds, which is just monstrous. Varejao was 1 of 8 players to post 10 or more offensive rebounds on the team's first game in NBA history. Tristan Thompson had a double-double, and looked like he might of progressed as a player. Waiters put up 17 and out-dueled Beal, but at the same time he shot 43% and turned the ball over 3 times. Not awful, but the consensus vibe on Waiters is that his game isn't exactly efficient. Waiters was 3-8 at the rim, 1-1 mid range, and 2-5 from deep. The most exciting idea around this is the fact he can very easily shoot better than 37.5% at the rim. Waiters was very good breaking down his man off the dribble, but had a hard time putting in his layups. Waiters went too much for the highlight reel finish in my opinion. If he could focus more on finishing the play and contort his body a little less on the layups he would of finished more. I am not sure if maybe in his first game he felt like NBA shot blockers were going to stop him so he was a finishing a little weak, or legitimately felt like some of the moves he tried to pull off were good ideas. We will see going forward with this.

      As for negatives for the Cavs, there really isn't too much. C.J. Miles didn't play great, but I see him being better over the course of the year. Luke Walton played pretty poorly, but who doesn't expect that. Daniel Gibson shot the ball better, but was also on the court for the Wizards comeback (Boobie Defense!!!). You can also be picky and say that the Cavaliers shouldn't of let the Wizards back into the game, but what team doesn't let a team climb back into a game like that sometimes.

Overall: A healthy Cavs team absolutely should be a Wizards team with injuries. If they want to fight for the 8 seed they can't give up too many games of that quality. As for the Wizards, they can't slide too far during the injuries if they want to also grab a low playoff seed. Hopefully they can do a better job with the patchwork team they have.

NBA Opening Night and 5 Story Lines Tonight

Finally! After all of the waiting it is here. It has seemed like last season was ages ago....

     Opening night is one of the most anticipated in any sport, mainly because we wait... and wait... and wait. We then begin to make up strange theories about potential sleepers, and just believe things that are really not rational. Especially in the NBA, where front runners have the biggest advantage over gutsy underdogs. Honestly, in the NBA, we are use to the fact that some teams even just play in coast mode during the regular season (cough... cough... Miami... cough... cough...) because they know they are going to just turn it on in the post season. It is okay though, it doesn't take that much away from the quality of the sport.
     The best part of this season is the fact we got the entire season back. Players had the chance to prepare in the off season with training camp and preseason, and we get a full 82 game schedule. The schedule isn't condensed either, so expect for some fresher legs from game to game. Newly acquired players have a better opportunity to mesh with their teams, so expect the big acquisition guys to be better off than players who were acquired a year ago. Quite frankly, this season is just that much more exciting because it will feel more like a full NBA season.

So I am excited, and here are some things you might want to look forward to tonight.

1) The NUMBER ONE thing to look forward to tonight, is the difference the Celtics have made with their off season moves. Jason Terry and Jeff Green headline a group of basically moderate moves the Celtics have made. Terry will look to fulfill Ray Allen's previous role in the Celtics offense; and while Terry is not quite the spot up shooter as Allen, Terry had a 1.18 Spot Up PPP versus Ray Allen having a 1.23 Spot Up PPP, he really isn't that far off. What I really like what Terry can bring to Boston is another guy who can be a pick and role ball handler. Terry uses this role in the offense 14.7% more of the time than Allen does. Also Terry was 50th in the NBA in this role, which isn't a bad mark. I think having a guy who can roll off the pick and take the jumpshot right away could be very good for Boston. Terry shot 45.4% out of this set and 44.4% from deep, while Allen shot only 27.4% and 20% from three. I think Terry, and also Allen for that matter, could be better fits with their new teams.
     As for Jeff Green, we have already seen what he brings to Boston as a combo forward coming off the bench. I think in an NBA world where Miami now sets the pace, Green could be more valuable this time around than his first stint with the team. Quite frankly, in the small ball sets the Heat run, Green is a perfect candidate to play the 4. He is of similar stature to Battier, or a more human version of LeBron's size. A Rondo, Terry/Bradley/Lee, Pierce, Green, and Garnett line-up can be Boston's best bet for small ball. Thus, Green may be most valuable if the time comes to play the Heat in the playoffs again. I mean, personally, I would much rather see Green on Battier or LeBron than Brandon Bass. As for other games, Green will make a Boston team much more deep, which they ran into issues with depth last year.
     Courtney Lee could be a sneaky good pick up for the Celtics too. At first he will try to be an Avery Bradley fill in, even though he ranks 280th in defensive PPP giving up 0.88. This isn't really a bad mark for a non big-man player, but when compared to Avery Bradley being 29th and giving up 0.72 PPP, there is a decent gap between the two. As for Lee on the offensive side of the floor, he is a decent spot up shooter (1.06 PPP, 65th) and a good cutter when he uses it (4.9% of offensive attacks, 1.45 PPP, 15th). Lee could be a very good bottom of the rotation guy and should be used most while Bradley is gone. As for the other additions (Sullinger, Darko, Melo, and Barbosa) you should expect some contribution from Sullinger, but otherwise it isn't going to be major contribution from the others. Also expect Sullinger to be less effective in a game like tonight, against the Heat, than a slower paced one.

2) Are the Lakers the new evil empire? It was a little bit irritating when I found out Nash was going to be a Laker. Nash seems like the typical good guy player without a championship, so it is hard to fault him, but at the same time I (like many people) don't like the Lakers. Then all of the sudden, boom, Dwight Howard is now a Laker. Many people are frustrated at the team, but also question their possible struggles right away. It will be interesting to see if the Lakers are immediately as successful as the Heat, and if they become as loathed as them too.

3) How much will Miami coast? Miami the last two years have coasted to the two seed in the East behind the Chicago Bulls. No one can really imagine a Rose-less Bulls team to be a legitimate contender for the one seed again. So how much are the Heat going to coast now? Also, how much can they really afford to coast? Personally, I want them to take the regular season as serious as possible, but I can see them losing games they shouldn't like always. Possibly, starting tonight against Boston.

4) Can the new look Dallas Mavericks be successful? It will be interesting to see this team mesh, but they are not healthy day one. Kaman is out, so it looks like Eddy Curry has the task of guarding Dwight Howard on opening night (good luck with that one). Dirk is also missing a considerable amount of time, so what is going to become of the Mavs. Along to Kaman, the Mavericks added Elton Brand, O.J. Mayo, Dahntay Jones, and Darren Collison (And I guess Eddy Curry... Wow...).  Jared Cunningham, Jae Crowder, and Bernard James were also added to the draft, and I guess they really like Crowder. It is hard to imagine any of these guys become immediate impact players though. So how good are the Mavs? Well they are probably a borderline playoff, that potentially might not make the playoffs. Can Dallas not become a lottery team? Well it might be on Mayo's shoulders, and well, once again good luck with that one...

5) Washington-Cleveland rivalry renewed. When it was the LeBron Cavaliers verses the Gilbert Arenas Wizards, there was a bit of a rivalry. That one was more one sided, but it can be reborn in the team's new eras. Both teams feature former number one pick Point Guard's Kyrie Irving and John Wall. Now both feature top 5 draft pick Shooting Guards in Bradley Beal (3rd) and Dion Waiters (4th). Throw in the fact that both teams want to fight for the 8th seed this year, and quite frankly I find it tonight's most intriguing game.

Raptors 2012-2013 Preview

(This is Something I wrote on SB Nation)

To me, the Toronto Raptors could be one of the NBA's most intriguing teams this season. They made one of the more underrated moves of the past off season in getting Kyle Lowry for a future first round pick. If this move (and the others made) makes the Raptors significantly better like it could; this draft pick could not amount to much. The Raptors then over payed for Landry Fields (3 yr, $20 million), which wasn't brilliant but didn't hurt them too much. Couple those moves with the fact two top 10 picks will join the team and the Raptors have an interesting mix of players, even without getting Steve Nash.

So how does that bode for this season in the Eastern Conference? First off, it depends largely on the progression of some key players, starting with DeMar DeRozan. DeRozan is a talented, athletic, 23 year old player who can play both wings. The Raptors drafted him 9th overall based on talent, but so far he hasn't been living up to how he could play. If you look at the basic numbers DeRozan looks not too bad, posting 16.7 PTS, 3.3 REB, and 2.0 AST, while shooting 42%. Advanced stats shows though that DeRozan could be better; DeRozan posted a 12.8 PER while the league average is 15. DeRozan also had a Win Shares Per 48 of .054, while the league average is .100. Both of these stats suggest that he plays below average, not something you want out of a top 10 pick 3 years into the league. Another player that need to improve is former 1st overall pick Andrea Bargnani. Bargnani is a very good offensive player when healthy, but the problem is he doesn't really put anything else on the table. He posted a 9.8 Total Rebound Percentage for the 31 games he played last year, which is just pitiful for a 7 footer. For comparison Ben Uzoh put up a 10.3% in his 16 games as a Raptor last year. BEN UZOH rebounded at a higher rate, that should not be acceptable for any big man. Bargnani isn't a real good 1 on 1 defender either, but that is something I don't know if he will ever put forth the effort to get better there.

Along with these these two players, young big men Jonas Valanciunas and Ed Davis could be key for the Raptors. If one of these two, or preferably both, can be solid options in the rotation then Toronto's front court doesn't look as thin as it does now. I personally feel that Valanciunas could be a solid NBA player right away, but I am very cautious of this statement knowing how long it can take Centers to learn to play in the NBA. I also think Ed Davis could be much better. Even though you need to be cautious with summer league games, Ed Davis showed much more polish this summer. The part of his game I saw the most improvement during these games was in his offensive moves in the post. 2012 first round pick Terrance Ross will look to be in the rotation immediately, but may not be a huge factor to the team right away.

So how does the team stack up? Well the first thing that jumps out to me is that, more than likely, Kyle Lowry is better than any other player the Raptors have had since Chris Bosh. This is a great sign for a team that is looking to make a bit of a jump. The next thing is that Calderon is a way better bench player than the Raptors have had in awhile, and Ross might be right up there with him. This, plus some player progression, could lead to the Raptors being a potent team this season. If that happens you can look at the fact they were willing to wait a season to get Valanciunas as a key reason this team isn't drafting in the top 10 again. Toronto is solid enough to be able to contend for the 8 seed in the East, but with the log jam that is set up who isn't? The Raptors will more than likely finish somewhere between 12 and 8 in the East, depending on player improvement, and Valanciunas and Ross being ready. Overall though, this is a much better team they have fielded in the post-Bosh era of the franchise.

World Series Preview 2012

The San Francisco Giants and Detroit Tigers meet
in the playoffs for the first time ever.

I'm gonna be honest. I don't even think I should be covering this article. But guess what? I'm going to do it anyways because how often does your team go to the World Series?

The Detroit Tigers are back in the World Series after facing the improbable odds. The Tigers were supposed to run away with the AL Central this year after the signing of Prince Fielder. But as any baseball fan saw this year, that's not the way it happened. Everyone except Miguel Cabrera started the year cold after their early season sweep of the Boston Red Sox. They couldn't hit, then when they started to hit they couldn't pitch, and back to not being able to hit. It was a vicious cycle that allowed the Chicago White Sox to lead the division for the majority of the year. But never count Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Max Scherzer, and Prince Fielder out. Eventually they put pitching and hitting together with the help of a great trade (Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante for Jacob Turner), and with just a few games left the Detroit Tigers overtook the White Sox for the lead of the AL Central.

The San Francisco Giants share a similar story. They flew under the radar for most of 2012 while going through some controversy. They lost Melky Cabrera, who had been having an MVP season, to suspension after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Leave it to this resilient team to not let that affect them, and after the suspension they went from one game back in the NL West to 8 games up after a 30-14 run. The team is led by the likes of Pablo Sandoval, mid-season addition Hunter Pence, Matt Cain, Ryan Vogelsong, and Tim Lincecum. The team that won the World Series in 2010 is much different than this one. That team was led by pitching, and this team has won games by its hitting. The Giants have come back from a remarkable 6 elimination games this postseason without even a single hiccup. This team is going to be an incredible challenge, because they have the talent and intangibles all great teams have to have.

Let's take a look at the series game by game.

Game 1: Tigers @ Giants

Can Justin Verlander keep up his
dominant postseason?

Verlander vs. Zito
This is the most make or break game for the Tigers. The Giants are coming in swinging hot bats after their 3 game comeback vs. the Cardinals. But hold on a second, Verlander is on the mound. I'm gonna give this one to the Tigers, but it is definitely a must win.

Game 2: Tigers @ Giants
Fister vs. either Ryan Vogelsong or Tim Lincecum
The Tigers send out a well rested Doug Fister who's been pitching great in the post season, while the Giants try to figure out which tired arm to throw out there. Vogelsong is on short rest and the Giants have Lincecum to come out of the bullpen like he has in much of the postseason in long relief. I really think the Tigers will have to hit whoever the Giants throw out because I can see Fister giving up maybe two or three runs. I'll give this one to the Tigers.

Game 3: Giants @ Tigers

Matt Cain will play a crucial role if the Giants want to keep
 momentum going against the Tigers.

Possibly Matt Cain vs. Anibal Sanchez
With the additional travel day for more rest, Matt Cain will be on his usual time in between starts. I am not sold on Anibal Sanchez at all as a Tigers fan and think this game will be a blowout victory for the Giants. The key will be to keep it close and not lose all momentum (if the series goes as I'm expecting).

Game 4: Giants @ Tigers
Madison Bumgarner? vs. Max Scherzer
Homefield advantage hasn't mattered much up to this point, but this is quite possibly the biggest toss up game thus far. This pitching matchup is all about who can return to regular season form, as both pitchers have had struggles in the post-season. I'm going to give it to the more talented pitcher in Scherzer if the Tigers bats in Miguel, Prince, and Jackson can get it going. I'm also going to predict a big hit from someone like Andy Dirks of the Tigers to win it late. This could be the Series' most crucial game.

Game 5: Giants @ Tigers
Whoever's ready to go for the Giants vs. Justin Verlander
I've never been a huge fan of the 2-3-2 system in the World Series, but it makes sense with the travel times. I also think it benefits the away team much more than the home team. Good news for the tigers because if they can steal 3 out of the first 4 games, Verlander will be back on the mound looking to close out the series at home. If not, this series is completely up for grabs. I predict the Tigers will win with Verlander giving a complete game, 120 pitch, one run performance.

Game 6: Tigers @ Giants
After the travel day, (I'm assuming Vogelsong) vs Fister
If the series goes this far, I'm going to give the edge to the Giants back at home. I see them taking game 6 if they can ride their momentum back to San Fran. Possibly a big hit in this game from the Kung Fu Panda.

Game 7: Tigers @ Giants
Sanchez vs. Cain
This is the same matchup as game 3, but I think it could end up a little differently. Anibal Sanchez is definitely a wild card, but I think he will have a better performance. I see the game being at 2-2 when somebody needs to make a big hit. Could it be Hunter Pence at home? Buster Posey? Or will it be someone like Delmon Young or Jhonny Peralta? I'll give this game to the Giants if it goes that far, but don't rule out the possibilities of Justin Verlander coming in for this game on three days rest. That man wants a title so bad.

Key Players for the Tigers:
-Justin Verlander (Can he carry the team to two victories by himself?)
-Miguel Cabrera (The leader and slugger of the team will need to take advantage of his limited chances to drive in runs.)
-Most importantly, Jose Valverde (The Tigers will have to be able to trust him to close out a few games because I don't think Phil Coke can do it all by himself.)

Key Players for the Giants:
-Tim Lincecum (The most important player for the Giants. Which Tim Lincecum will show up, 2-time Cy Young winner, or earlier this season Tim Lincecum?)
-Madison Bumgarner (If he can return to his early season form in which he had 16 wins, the Giants will be dangerous.)
-Hunter Pence (He will have to be on the basepaths a ton if the giants want to have a shot against Verlander, Fister, Sanchez, and Scherzer. Justin Verlander is not nearly as effective from the stretch.)

Prince will be cheesin' if he wins his first World Series
and first Tigers World Series since 1984.

My Prediction:
Tigers in 5

Why This Exists?

       I have been busy... College can be busy, especially being an honor student. Especially since I have wanted to do better in school this year, and especially because I am not a freshman anymore. So I haven't had time for this, I still have 3 parts of my NBA season preview. I started part two, but I stopped midway through because I now have finance homework and a quiz tomorrow. So I feel bad because I am not a posting like how I use to, and really I haven't gone out like I was earlier in the year. I had a conversation with my parents about this blog now two weekends ago. One question was more prominent than any other in the talk.

Why did you start this?

Well, quite frankly it is my dream to be able to cover sports for a living. It is my dream to follow guys like LeBron, Durant, or Peyton Manning, and to be able to walk into a sports game just to say in my head "oh this is my job, to watch a game that I love." If I could have watched Michael Jordan for a living, I would have never felt like I had to work ever. I don't mind what I do now (I am an Accounting and Finance Major at the University of Toledo). It's just, if I can be successful in this field I would feel so lucky every day of my life. That is where this blog came in. I can live my normal life of being a business student, yet have a platform for my sports writing venture. So, as long as my class schedule isn't tough on me, you will more than likely find me here writing about sports. This is the only dream I will probably ever chase, so if you are rooting for me wish me luck

NBA Season Preview Part 1

     With only less than 2 weeks to the beginning of the NBA season, thoughts of the upcoming year has been clogging up my pipes. So much could happen this season not so much on the top end of the league, but in the bottom half of the league. The 7 an 8 seeds in both conferences are really wide open, and there are so many candidates that can take up the spot. Really there are only a handful of teams that shouldn't have a chance to make the playoffs, so we start in the Eastern Conference with the teams that will more than likely be left out.

15th:

The Charlotte Bobcats are an improved team, the fact they are still this bad is a testament to how good they were at being bad last year.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is hoping to be the key to turning it around

Projected Starting Lineup: Ramon Sessions, PG; Ben Gordon, SG; Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF; Bismack Biyombo, PF; and Brenden Haywood, C

Reserves: Kemba Walker, PG; Gerald Henderson, SG; Tyrus Thomas, PF; Jeff Taylor, SF; and Byron Mullins, C

Best Possible Finish: 13th

Worst Possible Finish: 15th

Season Outlook: For being the worst team in the East, the Bobcats really are not all  that bad. They made a couple of off season moves that can be looked at as good. It starts with the number 2 draft pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. We hear over and over again about how this guy works hard. It can't be is a value that can't be overstated when it comes to turning around a losing team. Kidd-Gilchrist should never put up 20 a game, but he's great to have on your team because he can make an impact even if he only scores 8-12. Ramon Sessions was added to actually start over Kemba Walker, which is a better idea than it seems. Kemba proved last season that he will need to work on his game before he could be a quality starter. Sessions is a good ying to Kemba's yang. As Sessions is a big point guard, that is a jack of all trades for the position. Walker, at this point of his career, will be most effectively used as someone who can score buckets coming off the bench.
         The Bobcats then traded Corey Maggette for Ben Gordon, while picking up a first round pick. I think this was a very smart move for Charlotte; they picked up a shooter, which is something they lacked last year. They also picked up a first round pick for someone who wouldn't of fit this years squad. Without this deal Charlotte might of had to draft Beal instead of Kidd-Gilchrist, something I don't think they wanted to do. Lastly, picking up Jeff Taylor in the second round isn't going to get headlines. I feel though he can bring a defensive punch, while being able to hit threes on offense. This kind of Bruce Bowen type role (there is no way he is Bruce Bowen, don't confuse that) can be valuable to any team.
       Charlotte is pretty solid in the back court, Gerald Henderson who wasn't talked about was one of Charlotte's best players last season. One of the best things about the back court is the fact everyone has a role they fit. This could allow each player to play the kind of game that they want to, which can be beneficial to the team. As for the big men on the roster, there is much to be had. Haywood never panned out to the player he could of been. Tyrus Thomas was an other worldly talent, that just has never put it together in a season. Byron Mullins is the 4th big man, and he is someone who might not be able to make a lot of NBA rosters. There is improvement here, but they are still the Charlotte Bobcats.

Key Player: When Bismack Biyombo entered the league, Zach Harper wrote that the Bobcats even had to teach him how to catch a basketball. Biyombo has a bit more polish to his game this season, but is still a raw player. In Charlotte, he is easily the one big man that has the most potential on the roster. Last season, he was a defensive specialist (and a very underrated one). When I watched him play the Magic, I saw a guy who was sort of effective playing defense on Dwight Howard. If Biyombo can become a good rebounder, and a guy that isn't completely lost on offense, Charlotte becomes a much better team. It also will look much better that they drafted him 7th last year.

14th:

The Orlando Magic are in their first year without Dwight, and like most teams that lost their superstar they are hurting.

Is Arron Afflalo ready for his new role on his new team?

Projected Starting Lineup: Jameer Nelson, PG; Arron Afflalo, SG; Hedo Turkoglu, SF; Glen Davis, PF; and Gustavo Ayon, C

Reserves: Quentin Richardson, SF;  J.J. Redick, SG; Al Harrington, PF; Ishmael Smith, PG; Maurice Harkless, SF; Andrew Nicholson, PF; and Nikola Vucevic, C

Best Possible Finish: 12th

Worst Possible Finish: 15th

Season Outlook: The Magic finally lost Dwight, and we finally all can move on from that lingering story line. The strangest move in the Magic's off season is after they traded Dwight they followed it up with resigning Jameer Nelson. Maybe this was more of a stop the bleeding effort, but it seems weird for a team to resign its 30 year old point guard. Especially for 4 years. Either way though the Magic are definitely in a rebuild, with only a handful of players that remaining from the Dwight era. Orlando may have an interesting position battle at Center, even if Vucevic has a chance to show no development and be glued to the bench. If he can improve in some assets of his game, he will have an opportunity to take the spot over from Ayon. The Magic drafted Andrew Nicholson to provide some depth in the front court  and they also got a raw but high potential wing when they got Harkless in the trade. Al Harrington could either keep his career afloat this year with them, or he could just fade off into the distance with whatever could remain of his career.

      Glen Davis could have a breakout year for the Magic. Once Dwight was ruled out for the rest of the year Davis played fairly well. The Magic hopes he keeps the same momentum he had at the end of last season. It will be interesting also to see if the team deals out any of their players before the trade deadline. I could easily see Turkoglu or Glen Davis wearing a different uniform if the first half of the season doesn't go well. Only question will be if anyone decides if they would want one of them. Overall, this season will be very different for Orlando. Including when they are scouting lottery picks, instead of looking forward to the playoffs.

Key Player: Arron Afflalo is a guy that is looked at as good, but a little over paid. He may be the best player wearing a Magic uniform this season though. If he can be the best player the Magic have, and maybe even worth his contract, Afflalo could be the start of the rebuilding for the Magic. Instead of being someone who stifles the new era in Orlando.

13th:

Cleveland is a trendy pick to make a rise into being a playoff team this year, it isn't that it couldn't happen, it just may be more difficult than it may seem for supporters.

One of Cleveland's 2011 top 5 picks was a stud in 2011-12, can the other be a solid starter in 2012?

Projected Starting Lineup: Kyrie Irving, PG; C.J. Miles, SG; Alonzo Gee, SF; Tristan Thompson, PF; and Anderson Varejao, C

Reserves: Dion Waiters, SG; Tyler Zeller, C; Daniel Gibson, PG/SG; Omri Casspi, SF; Jon Leuer, PF; Samardo Samuels, PF; and Donald Sloan, PG

Best Possible Finish: 8th seed in the playoffs

Worst Possible Finish: 14th

Season Outlook: The way it looks at this point going into the season, from here until 7 or 8 is a potential log jam. Cleveland is a trendy pick to be on the top of the heap when the season is over. This is definitely not out of the question, as they arguably have the best player out of all of the teams. The talent around Kyrie could be very hit or miss though. Varejao is the only real known commodity that is pretty high value. Varejao honestly put together a very underrated 2011-12 campaign. As overlooked as is was, he really played one of the top 3 or 4 seasons at the Center last year in the East. To say Kyrie had no help is very wrong, because you could argue Varejao was as much of an All-Star as Hibbert.

     The rest of the roster is definitely a different story. The most upside comes in the two first rounders, more specifically Waiters. If Waiters can be a solid wing option on offense, this team can really show their upside this year. If Waiters is a flop for this season, the roster virtually may have made no steps forward. As for Tyler Zeller, he will most likely be cast as the third big man on this team. A role that isn't the most exciting sounding, but he can potentially fill it well. C.J Miles is looking for a fresh start in Cleveland. He is very talented as a high flyer who can shoot the three. Miles could put together a solid year in Cleveland and make a little leap as a player in this league. If Donald Sloan gets on the floor this year he can be a good story, being an undrafted free agent who worked his way onto the roster through the Summer League.

Key Player: Tristan Thompson was the 4th pick in 2011 NBA Draft, and didn't see the minutes some Cavs fans would have hoped for. After spending a year as Antoine Jamison's back up, it looks like Thompson will be thrown into the starting lineup. Thompson really wasn't ready for big minutes last season, as he seemed for the role he had. This year though, Thompson is going to be pretty heavily relied on. If he can rise up to the challenge, the Cavs could prove why people believe in them. Combine that a season where Dion Waiters is solid, and Cleveland could be playing in late May. If Thompson flops though, the Cavs may be looking to get a new Power Forward.

12th

The Detroit Pistons were an interesting team last season; as they started out 4-20, and then went 21 wins and 21 loses to end the season. This year they are probably closer to the .500 team, but more than likely will be slightly under that mark.

Greg Monroe improved last season, can he make another jump?

Projected Starting Lineup: Brandon Knight, PG; Rodney Stuckey, SG; Tayshaun Prince, SF; Jonas Jerebko, PF; and Greg Monroe, C

Reserves: Andre Drummond, C; Corey Maggette, SF; Jason Maxiell, PF; Will Bynum, PG; Terrance Williams, SG/SF; Austin Daye, SF/PF; Kim English, SG; Khris Middleton, SF; Jonny Flynn, PG; Viacheslav Kravtov, C; Kyle Singler, SF; and maybe Charlie Villanueva, PF

Best Possible Finish: 8th

Worst Possible Finish: 13th

Season Outlook: The Pistons are another interesting log jam candidate, seeing how good they did the last 42 games. If you can win half your games in the NBA you are a borderline playoff team, and that is exactly what the Pistons did for a 42 game stretch. We will have to find out whether that was just a good 42 game stretch, or if they have more of that in store.

     The roster is not too much different with all 5 starters being on the roster last year. If Andre Drummond plays anywhere near his potential, he could be entering the starting line up before too long though. Corey Maggette is also a new addition to the team, being swapped for Ben Gordon. This deal also was good for the Pistons as Maggette fits the roster better than Gordon. That, however, is more of the fact Gordon, Knight, and Stuckey all were fighting for similar roles than Maggette being a perfect fit. Terrance Williams and Jonny Flynn are both former talented, high draft picks that have bounced around the league. If they both get their act together it will help the roster vastly. The top end of the rotation is solid, but there is a lack of depth towards the bottom. That is the reason why so many reserves on the list because anyone one of those guys could crack the rotation. The bigs rotation is also slightly thin, which could cause some issues with the Pistons. After Greg Monroe, there is a lack of guys to fit a large role for an NBA team. Unless Drummond comes on faster than we expect, look to see Jerebko outmatched on a lot of match ups against opposing bigs.

     Another guy who could be interesting is Kim English, the teams second round pick, could crack the wing rotation for the team. I personally like his odds to get on the floor better than Khris Middleton, the other second round pick. Viacheslav Kravtov could have a bigger role on this team if Drummond and Monroe start, but don't expect that to happen right away. Kyle Singler was a guy who made the roster after looking good during the Summer League, but I don't think he will be in the rotation unless the guys ahead of him play bad. Charlie Villanueva looked to be in better shape this year, but hopefully the Pistons don't try to put him in the rotation. I really don't see him making any news of playing better this year.

Key Player: Greg Monroe will need to make another jump to solidify the Pistons playoff chances. Monroe was another guy who could have had a solid argument to be the second All-Star Center instead of Roy Hibbert. Monroe is an underrated big man with an excellent set of tools, especially excellent passing vision. Monroe is such a good teammate that sometimes he needs to take more command of the game. If Monroe can be more of a 20 points and 12 rebound guy instead of 15 and 9, the team would benefit greatly.

11th

With a little bit of a roster makeover, the Washington Wizards are set to be better winners now. The problem is that it is questionable if they did enough.

Bradley Beal is hoping both he and the Wizards are good in his first year

Projected Starting Lineup: John Wall, PG (Injured: will miss first month); Bradley Beal, SG; Trevor Ariza, SF; Nene, PF (Injured: could miss some early time); and Emeka Okafor, C

Reserves: Jordan Crawford, SG; Trevor Booker, PF; Kevin Seraphin, C; Shelvin Mack, PG; Jan Vesely, SF; Martell Webster, SG/SF; and Chris Singleton, SF/PF

Best Possible Finish: 7th

Worst Possible Finish: 14th

Season Outlook: The Washington Wizards roster is surprisingly solid for this year, well, it was before John Wall went down. Now the Wizards are going to start the season without maybe their two best players in Wall and Nene. I would like their odds to make the playoffs much more if I wasn't uncertain on if they are going to lose a lot of momentum early in the season. The moves the Wizards made in the off season was a counter measure against their older issues. Getting experienced players in Ariza and Okafor to start at the Small Forward and Center positions. This will make for a more stable team around John Wall, which I feel the Wizards are going to make these moves because they believe in Wall. If they didn't feel Wall could become a bigger star in this league, I don't feel they would of taken on the contracts if they didn't think Wall could be their superstar. The Wizards are going to be all in on Wall, for better or worse.

        The only other off season move is the fact that they drafted Bradley Beal with the third pick of the draft. Beal is a short but strong 2 guard with a solid shooting stroke, and has potential to be a good backcourt combo with Wall. If Beal can be as good as his potential, the Wizards could have a really high ceiling. Another player that will be interesting to see if he earns a higher role from improvement is Jan Vesely. The 6th pick of the 2011 draft will be looking to have a bigger spot in the rotation. If he can be a solid option off of the bench this year it will make up for some lack of solid wing depth for Washington. This team being better this is year is more about the new additions to the starting lineup however

Key Player: John Wall needs to become a superstar if the Wizards want to win games with this roster. He was a former number one pick, so this is suppose to be an achievable goal for Wall. These next two or three years are going to be crucial for Wall and Washington.

10th

The Milwaukee Bucks didn't make a ton of roster change after Monta Ellis, so they could either be in the same spot or they left the door open for other teams to compete.

Can Milwaukee's electric back court make a playoff push?

Projected Starting Lineups: Brandon Jennings, PG; Monta Ellis, SG; Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, SF; Ersan Ilyasova, PF; and Samuel Dalembert, C

Reserves: Mike Dunleavy, SG/SF; Drew Gooden, PF; Ekpe Udoh, C; Larry Sanders, PF; Tobais Harris, SF; Beno Udrih, PG; John Henson, PF; and Doron Lamb, SG

Best Possible Finish: 7th

Worst Possible Finish: 11th

Season Outlook: The Bucks are a pretty well known team compared to these others, their additions are only Dalembert, Henson, and Lamb. Last season this roster made out to be the 9th best team in the East, and went 13-11 after acquiring Monta Ellis. If no other team in the East made a roster change, the Bucks would be slotted 7th or 8th. On top of Monta Ellis, Ersan Ilyasova is hoping to keep up his higher level of play. Ersan saw his PER jump from 14.4 to 20.5, which is a very large leap in overall performance. Ersan was actually the team leader in this category, and saw easily his best season for Offensive Rating and Offensive Win Shares. He has established himself as the third option in the Milwaukee offense. The only question with Ersan going forward is that maybe he only just shot the ball well last season. His True Shooting and Effective Field Goal Percentages deviate from the standard quite a bit. So was he improved, or did he only enjoy a season of good shooting.

       The Milwaukee Bucks did something they hadn't done before this year, play fast. Last year the Bucks were 3rd in the league in pace, while the two years before they were 19th and 25th. Having Monta Ellis on the roster is a fuel injection to the speed of the offense, and it seems Ersan likes the pace better. The Bucks were 13th in Offensive Rating and 16th in Defensive Rating. Something that I think Scott Skiles will approach in the off season. A player that might see some time in fact of this is Larry Sanders. Sanders is a long, lanky, defense oriented player. Sanders put up a Block % of 8.9, a high number considering that Serge Ibaka put up a 9.8%. On offense Sanders leaves a lot to be desired, but this can be covered up by pairing him with Jennings, Ellis, and Ersan. Don't expect a lot of time for Henson or Lamb, as Skiles doesn't like to play rookies a whole lot. As for Samuel Dalembert, he is actually a great fit for Milwaukee. He led his team in Defensive Win Shares, and had a higher number than any Buck. Dalembert is also a true Center, something that may be a little overrated but the Bucks still lacked. Dalembert also put up a higher Total Rebound Percentage than any Milwaukee Buck, proving he fills a big hole regardless of talent level.

Key Player: Brandon Jennings is no longer the lone sheriff in town and is no more of a 2nd option or 1B with Monta Ellis on the team. So now Jennings needs to work on being more effective without scoring the basketball. Jennings is a career 27.5% on Assist Percentage. Now sure he will never be a Rondo at the point (who posted a 52.5% last season), but Jennings can certaintly raise his 5.5 Assists Per Game. Jennings also saw his lowest total on Defensive Win Shares in his career last season, but this could be a number of things. Honestly, I think Jennings was broken down more on the defensive end last year because he was attacked more than previous seasons. Jennings doesn't have to be great, but if he can return to the form he had the other two seasons and be better at setting up teammates. Milwaukee can certainty be a better basketball squad.

9th:

It really is hard to see the Chicago Bulls getting in the playoffs without Derrick Rose, especially after their offseason additions. Which is really a sad scenario quite frankly

Derrick Rose leaves behind a big void in Chicago

Projected Starting Lineup: Kirk Hinrich, PG; Richard Hamilton, SG; Luol Deng, SF; Carlos Boozer, PF; and Joakim Noah, C

Reserves: Derrick Rose, PG (Injured: projected to be out at least half the season); Taj Gibson, PF; Jimmy Butler, SF; Marco Belenelli, SG; Nazr Mohammed, C; Nate Robinson, PG/SG; Valdimir Radmanovic, PF; and Marquis Teague, PG

Best Possible Finish: 3rd

Worst Possible Finish: 12th

Season Outlook: Boy, it sure is hard to look at Chicago's upcoming season and be happy about it. Derrick Rose is about to miss half the season, at least, and the bench mob is gone. What has replaced the bench mob, is quite frankly not on par with the missing pieces. Asik is probably the biggest void, as it is hard to see Nazr Mohammed bringing the same caliber of defense. A lot of the season hinges on Rose's return, there is no doubt about that. I personally see them being more cautious than anything about bringing Rose back this year. He just is so young, and has so many years in front of him, that they need to keep the long term value of having the league's youngest MVP. Chicago's season, good or bad, will have some simple answers on why it went that way.

Key Player: Carlos Boozer wasn't paid this kind of money to be disappointing in Chicago, and the Bulls need him now more than ever. If Boozer can be an effective first option on offense, the Bulls will have a much easier time keeping the ship afloat. If Boozer plays like he has been, it could be tough sailing on the Bulls ship.

(stats courtesy of BasketballReference.com and images courtesy of Google Images) 

Assessing the Notre Dame-Stanford Controversy

(Note: I have been trying to avoid writing on Notre Dame all year, I didn't want to jinx them. Photo courtesy of SI.com)

    I was there yesterday, through all the rain, to witness a great football game. As so many games that end up close though, this game ended in a decently big controversy. In case you haven't seen yet, people were wondering if Stanford running back Stepfon Taylor scored a Touchdown in Overtime. There are the ND supporters who would rather not look at any of the evidence (in fact, who doesn't know if they aren't trying to burn it now). Also there are Stanford supporters that are going to throw a couple of rules at you, and make it seem like they got robbed.
    I know how the other side of this feels, 2005, Notre Dame and USC, you know, the Bush Push. I will say that Stanford can fairly feel that their guy TIED the game. Something no one has really pointed out, is sure Stanford may have tied the game there, but that was only to tie it up. This wasn't Stanford was only down 3 and should have won. Who knows what was going to happen in the following overtimes, especially since Stanford was about to have the disadvantage of offense first. Also, my dad brought up, if Stanford really want to win that game they had the ball with 20 seconds left and 2 time outs. Stanford wanted overtime, regardless of how the call worked out they wanted to be in that situation.
   On the Notre Dame side, the argument people throw out there is "the whistle blew." Which that doesn't matter, when a referee goes into the replay booth it doesn't matter when the whistle blows. Honestly, I can admit, there has not been many other arguments Notre Dame supporters have thrown out there.
   So where do I stand, as unbiased as I can be, you can't overturn the original call on the field with that replay. There was too many "ifs" on the replay. IF the forward progress wasn't stopped when was he down? IF he didn't drop the ball before he crossed the plane. IF his elbow didn't hit the ground before he got in. There was nothing on that replay that was CONCLUSIVE evidence of either way. Quite frankly, if the refs on the field called that a Touchdown, the play would have stood. When the refs called him short of the goal line, it should have stood. This wasn't like the guy put the ball in the end zone 6 different times and the refs were just blind. There is nothing on that replay that makes me go, "Oh man, we really robbed Stanford there." I also look at the replay and say in my head "Wow, I am not sure we stopped them, I am really glad the refs called it that way."
    The replay was inconclusive, and the refs called it how they saw it. That's football. Feel like I am biased, ask Reggie Bush in 2005.

Week 6 Preview

      Week Six in the NFL is the winding down of the early season thoughts. We have an opinion on most teams now that are going to be hard to change now. So after this week it might be time to think about 2013 if your team is 1-5 or the dreaded 0-6 (we are looking at you Cleveland). It also is a time to get some confidence in your team, so long as they aren't planning a nuclear meltdown.

Thursday Night Review: Sorry Tennessee, but this is more about Pittsburgh. The Steelers have been sort of fading the last couple years; but we always sort of scoffed it of because, well, they are the STEELERS. This year seems very different however. Pittsburgh is an average team on offense this year, ranking 16th in points and 17th in yards. It isn't even the usual suspect in the offensive line, as the Steelers are tied for 18th in sacks allowed. The one not really average thing on offense is that they are number one on 3rd down, converting 52% of the time. Not really a big issue though. The issue is the typically highly touted defense has just stopped being that good. They are 16th in sacks, 19th in points allowed, and are only have forced 6 turnovers. It is just average, and don't be surprised if the 2012 Steelers are just average.

Game of the Week: Giants and 49ers gets the nod for the most intriguing game this week. Anytime you rematch the NFC championship game it is going to be highly anticipated. Throw in the fact it went into overtime last year, and the Kyle Williams redemption story, and it is hard to imagine this game won't be good. It is seeming like everyone is on the 49ers as the best NFC team, which is all too perfect for the "us against the world" Giants. Everyone feels like the 49ers are going to win, which is all too perfect for the "us against the world" Giants. There was an article on ESPN earlier this week about how the Giants feel disrespected, and no one really reconsidered if they have overlooked them. WHICH IS ALL TOO PERFECT FOR THE "US AGAINST THE WORLD" GIANTS. They are going to win this, get an article about how they are still one of the best, and then proceed to lose next week. 17-10

Upset of the Week: I was thinking last week after the first time writing this about picking against Cleveland every week. Feeling like they may only win 4 games, I would probably be best served picking against them every week and accepting the 4 losses. Then, this week felt like there were a lot of either good games or easy picks. So guess what? CLEVELAND PICK! Joe Haden is back so hopefully he covers A.J. much better than the Browns covered Victor Cruz last week. Also, as stated last week here, Cincinnati isn't all that great. So coming back to 3-3 is not that crazy for them. Add in a good day for Trent Richardson, and I think Cleveland gets rid of the doughnut. 31-24 Cleveland. More likely though, I am taking a loss for betting on any Cleveland sports team to win.

Almost Game of the Week: The number one offense, versus the number one defense. The Patriots against the Seahawks is going to be a lot of fun on one side of the ball. Problem is we are also going to have to see the Seahawks offense (opposite of fun), take on an improved (but not great) Patriots defense. This is going to be close for the first half, but Tom Brady is going to wear the Seahawks defense down. Also, I am really never sure if the Seahawks are going to be able to move the football forward. 24-6 Patriots, but it will be so much closer than the score.

Chalk These Up: Atlanta can't go 16-0, but they can go 6-0 since they are playing the Raiders. 34-17. Miami pulled off the good karma upset last week. I don't think they can keep the good feeling going against the improved Rams. 20-7 St. Louis. I see a Tony Romo bounce back coming, just not against the Ravens. 21-13. The Cardinals are really not a 5-1 team, but they got an ice cold Buffalo Bills at home. There is no circling the wagons this week, 10-3 Cardinals.

Rest of the League: Indianapolis goes to New York to take on the Jets. Andrew Luck is looking solid in his 4th year in the league while rookie Mark Sanchez is struggling. Wait... Luck is the rookie and Sanchez is in his 4th season? 24-10 Colts. Detroit is not this bad, and unfortunately the Eagles are going to see them on the wrong week. Lions take this one in order to avoid going 1-4, 38-31. Both the Chiefs and the Buccaneers  have looked, well just plain awful. The Chiefs have been THE WORST team at holding on to the football, but they have been so bad that I think they have to come back to the pack a little. They take care of the ball this week, and win 27-16. Vikings and Redskins is definitely going to be the most underrated game this week. The Vikings are still very under the radar and still very dangerous. As for the Redskins it does not get much more fun than Robert Griffin's squad. 24-23, Vikings are sneakingly 5-1. Sunday Night Football is filled with story lines this week, and is going to be filled with great football. Texans will leave the Falcons in the ranks of the unbeaten, but just because the Pack needs it more. 34-31 Green Bay. Last game of the week, the old noodle arm that could Peyton Manning goes up against the Chargers. As Matthew Berry pointed out, the Chargers are 31st in yards per pass attempt. Couple that with the fact that Phillip Rivers is also on pace for a great decrease in pass attempts. It looks like nervous Norv Turner just doesn't trust his quarterback anymore. Peyton's arm looks rejuvenated and the Chargers get hit with the wet noodle. 30-21 Broncos.

Last Week's Record (10-3)

Week 6 Fantsy Waiver Wire

      Week 6's Fantasy Waiver Wire was looking to be pretty boring, and then a couple backs got hurt. Now we are looking at a very intriguing grab for some guys who could potentially be lead backs for their teams. What makes it even more cloudy though is the fact that there seems to be a little bit of a competition for both the open spots. There are two upstarts that can will more than likely be thrown into the starting role this week, adding instant value to your fantasy team. Beware though, as their are some experienced reserves that will get healthy. Once these guys come back, they are going to be equally hungry to fill the void. So if the less experience player falters early, they might be quickly replaced. So with that here are some guys you should look to pick up, if you have space on your bench of course.

Alex Green and James Starks: Cedric Benson is out for 8 weeks because of a Lisfranc foot injury. This opens the way for Alex Green (0.8 percent owned) and James Starks (5.9 percent owned) to pick up the usual 40-80 yards, and possibly a touch down, Packers starting running backs seem to get. So which way do you go here? No one likes being that guy who picks up the one injury fill in just to lose their job. In my opinion I would go with James Starks here, he may be hurt at the moment, but once healthy he has a better grasp of the job and the NFL. Alex Green is definitely the more talented back in this situation, but he is very raw and it seems Mike McCarthy seems to agree. According to ESPN.com "McCarthy hinted towards Starks because of Starks' pass-blocking knowledge." Starks may not be the best running back out of the two for Week 6, but I believe further down the road (maybe even as early as Week 7) Starks will win this job. Don't forget that Starks was the guy who ran for 123 yards, breaking a Packers rookie record, during the Packers Super Bowl Run.

LaRod Stephens-Howling and William Powell: This is the running back situation for the more desperate fantasy teams out there. The Cardinals' offensive line is absolutely putrid, so don't go dropping a solid contributor for either of these two. As for the actual running backs, this situation between the experienced one (Stephens-Howling) and the younger gun (Powell). Stephens-Howling is definitely the one with the immediate value, he expects to start this week. The thing is that Stephens-Howling is so much more fit for a change of pace, being only 185 pounds. This is smelling like either a timeshare, or the Cardinals are going to pick up somebody else new to be the back. Unfortunately, this Cardinals line is so bad at stopping anybody from getting to the ball carrier that you should probably wait a week to grab anyone in Arizona. Just ask Beanie Wells or Ryan Williams owners.

Jahvid Best: My pro-tip last week is starting to get some buzz around him, even though he is not playing Week 6. He is not cleared just yet to play for Week 7, but after reading about how Best looked during training camp, I personally can't imagine him not playing against Chicago. Best is a former 1st round pick, a guy who (when healthy) carved up the Bears on Monday Night Football. The Lions NEED him to inject some buzz in this offense, as both a running back and a pass catcher. This can be a time share in the beginning with Leshoure, but Leshoure against the Vikings seemed really slow. Even if Best is getting around 12 carries and 7 targets a week, his speed will make up for the lack of immediate touches (even though 19 wouldn't be a small number).

Devery Henderson: Sure, this guy has been inconsistent for most of his fantasy football life. The thing is that the weapons around Henderson have been dwindling slowly. Meachem is in San Diego, Graham and Moore are both hurt. Henderson went from just a deep threat, to now probably being either the number 2 or 3 option in the Saints passing attack. Match that with this guys speed, and some other teams bye weeks, this could ignite like a wildfire. Now Moore could come back next week (this week is their bye), and Devery could go back to being the inconsistent deep threat. It is always frustrating to have that gets 24 on your bench who you are never comfortable to play. If Moore is out though, and you need a guy to play, this guy isn't not a bad choice.

Kendall Wright: In PPR, this guy should of been on your roster weeks ago. In other formats though Wright, who was looked at only as a short term value, Wright is still holding onto being a decent option. Kenny Britt still looks like a ticking time bomb ready to explode with points. If he can't go this week though Wright could be an interesting player Thursday night.

Brandon Gibson: Really interesting guy who is still a little bit low key, we have seen what Amendola has done being the Rams' number 1 receiver. Brandon Gibson was a bit of a sleeper to start the year, and then Amendola was a revolution in the first 4 weeks. Amendola is out though, maybe for the whole year, so Gibson is the top target now. Immediate value may not be there, but I find the upside very intriguing. 

Stretch Finds:

Last week we did some trade values, and they are very similar this week, so now we are looking at some stretch finds.

Shane Vereen: Could replace Woodhead in the pass game, and could get some rushes since Ridley may have ball security issues here. Question is Brandon Bolden may keep Vereen off the field now.

Kendall Hunter: He is securely at the number 2 spot for now, Gore could tire out or get hurt though. Hunter may shine in those pesky fantasy playoffs.

Really Any Cleveland Receiver: Some people are trying to talk themselves into Massoquoi, Norwood, or Gordon. Personally, I think it is too big of a mess and you should avoid it. There is a chance to get lucky and pick the right one, but can you really talk yourself into that guy?

T.Y. Hilton and Donnie Avery: Donnie Avery was a hot pick up a couple of weeks ago, but his value is come down. To me, he is better than Hilton but either one of these guys could be good.

Davone Bess: More defensive attention to Brian Hartline, makes Bess at the very least interesting.

When a Football Game Means More

        Yesterday was one of those days for the Indianapolis Colts, one of those days where an NFL game is more than an NFL game. As you may already know, Colts head coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with a treatable form of leukemia about a week ago. The whole week the entire Colts organization was downplaying that their coach would an inspiration, even though it is really hard to imagine that being the case. So in come a recent Super Bowl winner, and the best record in the NFL last year in the Packers. So the Colts are staring at a game of being a underdog at home, with their head coach in the hospital diagnosed with cancer.
       This is why Sunday is one of those days in sports where we get some inspiration in life. Where a team fights so hard for a member that has fallen to where they don't care if they are an underdog. Where we draw that inspiration for those slightly over the top cheesy sports movies. This is also where we saw the whole Colts team in the "there is no way you are beating us after what has happened to us this week" mode that we see many players or teams in after something like this. The Patriots felt the Packers pain earlier this year, when we saw Torrey Smith operate under the same mode and delivered a very similar performance.
      I love sports for so many reasons, but these occasions where we see all those cliches of bouncing back and overcoming is easily one of the best ones. How could you not feel good after seeing the Colts in the locker room with owner Jim Irsay telling his team he is going to deliver the game ball to Pagano in the hospital? If you watched the game, seeing Reggie Wayne (who wore orange gloves in honor of cancer research) stretch as far as he can to get just enough for a touchdown felt so perfect. It makes us all feel good. It is where I see all the inspirational quotes and saying for reasons to live shine, in real life, in front of my eyes. So whether it is Chuck's battle against cancer or it is the Colts pulling up the upset in his honor, this was a Sunday where we can see a lot of inspiration from the Colts.

Other Sunday Stories

Saints Finally Breakthrough: The Saints finally got a notch in the win column against the Chargers. It was definitely a matter of when, not if, for Drew Brees and company. The thing is the Saints didn't have to change their game plan much, in fact they didn't look that much better in this win than any of their 4 losses. They just finally got the right plays at the right time this week, so don't be surprised if we see more of this to come.

Sophomore Slump: Cam Newton is almost as news worthy this year, this time for being more disappointing than anything. All of the Cam question marks that he put to rest last year are starting to creep back into the question. Personally, I feel Cam is just way too talented for this to last the rest of his career. However, I can see Cam's sophomore season to continue to be disappointing. The talent around him as pass catching options and blockers just seems to be sub-par. Carolina will be an interesting team to watch the rest of the season.

NFC Goes Through Atlanta?: Atlanta is the last unbeaten team in the NFC after this week, question is will they have the same success all year? I feel like Atlanta has the same formula as the Packers last year, MVP QB with offensive weapons and an average defense. So I can see the Falcons going 14-2 or something and being the one seed in the playoffs. Once we get to the latter part of the year though, anything can happen.

San Francisco Dominating... On Offense??: San Francisco put up 621 yards on offense, 311 passing and 310 rushing. This was a franchise record, and the first time in the NFL that team had over 300 yards through the ground and air. The 49ers have also won their last two games by a combined score of 79-3, and yes they were actually playing NFL teams. The roster additions to the offense have seemed to pay off for the offense, and the 49ers figure to be in the playoff picture again.

NFL Picks record going into Monday Night Football: (9-3)

The Tale of the Triple Crown Winner Who Didn’t Win MVP

            Miguel Cabrera has had one of the most incredible offensive years that we’ve seen in a very long time. The man hit .330 this year with 44 home runs and 139 RBI en route to the Triple Crown (which is being the leader of all three of those statistical categories in the player’s respective league for you non-baseball people). This was the fastest in his career that he reached 100 RBI. It only took him 115 games to reach that feat. He has been more than impressive with his late power surge to overtake the home run lead from Josh Hamilton and lead the Detroit Tigers past the White Sox and into the playoffs. With the addition of Prince Fielder to hit clean-up behind Miguel, there is no doubt that he saw much better pitches to hit this year and he has definitely taken advantage. He has career highs in Home Runs, RBI, Slugging (.606), and On Base Plus Slugging (.999).To show how rare this season has been, the last player to win the Triple Crown was Carl Yastrzemski for the Boston Red Sox 45 years ago in 1967.

            Yet, the strangest thing about this season comes in the form of a 21-year-old kid in Los Angeles. Mike Trout came from absolutely no-where to begin this season and ended up electrifying the game. The season that was supposed to belong to Bryce Harper, the highly touted rookie that was a high school prodigy, actually belonged to Mike Trout. The quiet, humble speedster can do it all – hit home runs (30), drive runs in (83), hit for average (.326), steal bases (49), play great defense at all of the outfield positions, and most importantly as a leadoff man, score runs (129). Maybe the most important stat that shows how much a player means to a team is WAR, which stands for Wins Above Replacement. This stat shows how many wins a player earns for his team in a regular 162 game season compared to the person that replaces him. An MVP season is anything over an 8. Mike Trout had 10.7 Wins Above Replacement. Miguel Cabrera, by comparison, had a 7.4 WAR.

            Strictly based on offensive numbers, Miguel Cabrera has the slight lead on Mike Trout. He’s more of a pure hitter, better power, more of a clutch hitter, and drives a ton of runs in. Miguel Cabrera is also the team leader of the Detroit Tigers’ lineup with that patented smile that he is always wearing. But Mike Trout is the five tool player, and he has shown that he is much more complete than Miguel. He has a cannon arm, a great fielder, blinding speed and ability to impact the game on the base paths, hits for average, and hits for power. I don’t think I could describe a more prototypical player I would want to build a team around for the next 15 years than Mike Trout.

            Ultimately, it will be a very close call who wins the AL MVP. It really depends on what the voters think is more valuable – A slugger who led a team to the playoffs with an under producing team, or a quiet young gunner in the outfield who can do it all. Don’t be surprised if the Triple Crown Winner doesn’t come out on top.

*All Statistics Taken from Baseball-Reference.com*

Fantasy Football Position Rankings: Week 5

   
     Ok, so here is how I'm going to do this. I am in several PPR (Point Per Reception) leagues, so I will be doing rankings according to those rules. It shouldn't be much of a difference from other league formats, there should just be a few differences. Also the way I am ranking these players is strictly due to how many fantasy points they should score.
     I will do the top 25 QB's, 40 RB's, 50 WR's, 25 TE's, and I guess all of the defenses. I won't be doing kickers, as long as your kicker starts, he should get at least a few points. I will make 4 tiers for each position: 1. Must start. No matter what. Even if there's a fire. 2. Safe start, should put up solid numbers. 3. Iffy, at best. If you have better options don't bother, could put up good numbers. 4. Only play if you are extremely desperate due to injuries, or if you just have no idea how to draft a fantasy football team. Ok so let's do this:

NOTE: Obviously this will be posted after the Thursday game unfortunately, I was unable to do this until now, so no Rams or Cardinals players will be on this list.
QB's
Tier 1
1. Robert Griffin III
2. Aaron Rodgers
3. Drew Brees
4. Tom Brady
5. Matt Ryan
6. Jay Cutler
7. Cam Newton
8. Eli Manning
Tier 2
9. Peyton Manning
10. Andy Dalton
11. Philip Rivers
12. Ben Roethlisberger
13. Andrew Luck
14. Michael Vick
15. Joe Flacco
16. Matt Schaub
17. Ryan Fitzpatrick
Tier 3
18. Alex Smith
19. Christian Ponder
20. Matt Hasselbeck
21. Brandon Weeden
Tier 4
22. Matt Cassel
23. Russel Wilson
24. Mark Sanchez
25. Tim Tebow (See what I did there?)
Honorable Mention: Josh Freeman... If you're really that desperate.

RB's
Tier 1
1. Arian Foster
2. Ray Rice
3. LeSean McCoy
4. Adrian Peterson
5. Trent Richardson
6. MJD
7. Jamaal Charles
8. Matt Forte
9. Marshawn Lynch
10. Ahmad Bradshaw
Tier 2
11. Reggie Bush
12. BenJarvus Green-Ellis (aka The Law Firm)
13. Darren Sproles
14. Frank Gore
15. Ryan Matthews
16. Donald Brown
17. Rashard Mendenhall
18. C.J. Spiller
19. Cedric Benson
20. Alfred Morris
Tier 3
21. Willis McGahee
22. Chris Johnson (Note: I won't be convinced he is better than this until he is consistent)
23. Jonathan Stewart
24. Andre Brown
25. Shonn Greene
26. Michael Turner
27. Jackie Battle (Still up in the air for me, could end up being better than what I have him)
28. Doug Martin
29. Michael Bush
30. DeAngelo Williams
Tier 4
31. Pierre Thomas
32. Stevan Ridley
33. Ben Tate (He would be higher, but is hurting and has Foster..)
34. Toby Gerhart
35. Brandon Bolden
36. Jacquizz Rodgers
37. Kendall Hunter
38. Isaac Redman
39. Danny Woodhead
40. John Kuhn

WR's
Tier 1.
1. Roddy White
2. Julio Jones
3. Jordy Nelson
4. Mike Wallace
5. Victor Cruz
6. Wes Welker
7. A.J. Green
8. Percy Harvin
9. Brandon Marshall
10. Eric Decker
Tier 2
11. Demaryius Thomas
12. Dwayne Bowe
13. Brandon Lloyd
14. Reggie Wayne
15. Torrey Smith
16. Andre Johnson
17. Domenik Hixon (Just until Nicks is healthy)
18. Anquan Boldin
19. Steve Smith
20. Antonio Brown
21. Marques Colston
22. Stevie Johnson
23. Pierre Garcon
24. Malcom Floyd
25. Jeremy Maclin
Tier 3
26. Jeremy Kerley
27. Lance Moore(NOTE: Moore was just ruled out, just pretend everyone moves up a spot)
28. Kenny Britt
29. Sydney Rice
30. DeSean Jackson
31. James Jones
32. Davone Bess
33. Donnie Avery
34. Michael Crabtree
35. Santana Moss
36. Brian Hartline
37. Kendall Wright
38. Nate Washington
39. Greg Little
40. Alshon Jeffery
Tier 4.
41. T.Y. Hilton
42. Mario Manningham
43. Stephen Hill (Could be a sleeper since Holmes is gone)
44. Leonard Hankerson
45. Brandon LaFell
46. Robert Meachem
47. Eddie Royal
48. Kevin Walter
49. Brandon Stokely
50. Andrew Hawkins

TE's
Tier 1
1. Rob Gronkowski
2. Jimmy Graham
3. Tony Gonzalez
4. Vernon Davis
5. Jermichael Finley
6. Antonio Gates
Tier 2
7. Brent Celek
8. Dennis Pitta
9. Jermaine Gresham
10. Fred Davis
11. Scott Chandler
12. Martellus Bennet
13. Heath Miller
14. Owen Daniels
Tier 3
15. Greg Olsen
16. Jered Cook
17. Mercedes Lewis
18. Coby Fleener
19. Kyle Rudolph
20. Jacob Tamme
Tier 4
21. Joel Dreessen
22. Benjamin Watson
23. Tony Moeaki
24. Anthony Fasano
25. Kellen Davis

DEF
Tier 1
1. Chicago
2. Houston
3. San Francisco
4. Baltimore
5. Seattle
6. Atlanta
7. Cincinnati
Tier 2
8. Pittsburgh
9. Philadelphia
10. Giants
11. Minnesota
12. Carolina
13. Kansas City
14. Green Bay
15. New England
Tier 3
16. San Diego
17. Miami
18. Tennessee
19. Buffalo
Tier 4 (If you know what's good for you, please do not play any of these defenses)
20. Jets
21. Indianapolis
22. Denver
23. Washington
24. Cleveland
25. Jacksonville
26. New Orleans

Well there you have it. If you're wondering why I do the predictions, my 4-0, 3-1, and 3-1 respective fantasy league records speak for themselves. Don't agree with me? Let me know in the comments below.

Week 5 NFL Picks

    After last week the panicking over the Packers and Patriots are over, and now we seem to maybe in the week before the Tebocalypse. This may be the best week to have an intelligent football conversation, so let's get into week 5:

Thursday Game Notes: In a battle between two teams in the seemingly surprising NFC West, we saw one of the unbeaten's go down. It shouldn't be a big surprise to many though, as the Cardinals' zero in the loss category was on borrowed time anyways. So what do we take from this game? First off the Cardinals are not as good as their record says, and may be more like the 2011 Buffalo Bills than anything. First off, the defense has played too good. They can be improved this year, but they aren't the Ravens or 49ers. Also, they have the always shaky Kevin Kolb and one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. Larry Fitzgerald isn't going to be the answers for all their problems, and their are plenty of problems there.
       As for St. Louis, well it seems like a good idea to believe in them going 7-9 or 8-8 and finishing second in the NFC West. They are very talented on defense particularly in the secondary and on the defensive line. This leaves former number one pick Sam Bradford in a position to just make enough plays to put Steven Jackson and Greg Zuerlein in scoring positions (even if Jackson hasn't scored this year, yet). Personally, I like the Rams as a contender for the wild card maybe not this year, but down the road. Adding a free agent or top draft pick receiver to be the number one guy in the passing game could really make this team special.

Game of the Week: Don't have to say too much about this classic rivalry. Tom Brady. Peyton Manning. Brady has much more left in the tank than Manning, who has had arm strength issues early in 2012. 31-28 Patriots.

Upset of the Week: New Orleans gets the monkey off their back and takes down the 3-1 Chargers. Honestly both of these teams have played very similar this year on offense, the Chargers defense has just made enough plays to be 3-1 instead of 0-4. The Saints have lost by an average of 5 points a game, and they have lost each of them by only one score. This week the Saints make enough plays on offense, and the Chargers fall short. 28-24

Almost Upset of the Week: The Giants are actually better on the road than at home, which is such a Giants thing to do. Just when you think they have an easy win at home against Cleveland, the Giants make a mess of this game. On the flip side, Cleveland is THE best team in NFL at pulling the near upset. The moment you sit on your couch going "Cleveland is actually going to win this game", divine intervention comes in and balances out the world. I have even gotten to the point where I would believe the Browns players forget what down it is and unbelievably run a play on 4th down that doesn't get the first down, when a field goal would have won them the game. Oh wait... the Lions already took care of that one. 17-14 Giants.

Chalk These Up: Green Bay will take care of the Colts, 35-17. The 49ers are way too good to lose to Buffalo, 21-10. Baltimore takes down the Kansas City Jamaal Charles, 27-14. (Note: if the under/over for Matt Cassel's turnovers is 4 what would you do? If you take the over I feel like you haven't watched enough Kansas City football to know how bad he has been.) Minnesota has been playing good, and they take on the 1-3 Titans. This is more about Tennessee being bad than the Vikings being good, 27-17. Finally, I BELIEVE Chicago can when this game no matter which Jay Cutler shows up this weekend (now that I said that we will now probably see Jay Cutler take bad up another notch, sorry Chicago). So they beat Jacksonville 16-10, despite 3 interceptions from Cutler.

So We Are Left With This: Atlanta is one of the unbeaten's left, but are taking on NFL's most interesting man Robert Griffin. Almost put this as the upset of the week, and it is going to be close. Redskins secondary isn't really good at stopping things though, even though that is what defenses are told to do. If the Rams can put up 31, this high powered Atlanta attack can put up a really high number. In a shootout, Atlanta gets one score too many for RGIII, 38-28. Carolina and Seattle is very interesting, as neither have really been phenomenal. It is coming down to Cam and Carolina's offense versus Seattle's stout defense, and I feel Cam can't be bottled up forever. Seattle's offense is also not good enough to take advantage of a poor Panthers defense. 20-13 seems like a good score for this one, with Seattle not being able to move the ball.
       Cincinnati seems like a shoe in at home against Miami, but Miami has had a couple close run ins that weren't wins lately. Add that to the fact Cincinnati is playing above a level some thought they would be, and it isn't too hard to see Miami sneaking out a win. Dolphins don't let the other team kick the game winning field goal this time, 27-24 Miami. Pittsburgh and Philadelphia is very intriguing also, as it really depends on which Michael Vick shows up. I think the good one comes out to surprise most of us and the Eagles put up 35, Steelers don't keep the pace and put up 30.

Monday Night Football Final Note: This game is not in doubt, but Mark Sanchez's job really is, 33-6.