NBA Season Preview

Tomorrow marks the glorious start of the 2012-2013 NBA Season. Let's take a look at some of my predictions for this season:

MVP: LeBron James

It's scary to think that LeBron James can get even better, but its true. I could go into all the things he does well but, I mean, what's the point? It's simple. James is the best player in the NBA. That's all there is to it. There's a reason he has already won this award three times. The part that's scary is that he is probably going to have his best statistical season of his career, in large part because he is going to be spending a lot of time at the "power forward" position. His scoring will be the same as always, aka however high he decides to make it. His assists will also stay on par. His rebounding is probably going to see a spike as he finds himself playing down low even more often than before, resulting in him averaging a career high of around nine rebounds per game. His efficiency is also going to increase as he continues to post up far more often and shoot threes at a much lower rate than his career average. On a side note I believe it's only fair to point out that LeBron made a career high 36.2% of his threes last year, proving that while it isn't the best part of his game, it's certainly more than serviceable. While it's tempting to pick someone else for this award like Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, or even Carmelo Anthony, we are about to witness an unstoppable force that hasn't been seen in the NBA for years.

2nd Place: Kevin Durant
3rd Place: Carmelo Anthony

Rookie Of the Year: Damian Lillard

In all honesty this award has already been decided. Barring a bad injury it will be given to Anthony Davis. But I believe that Damian Lillard will be more than deserving of this distinguished award and will actually steal some votes away from Davis. Back at Weber State he proved he can score from the point guard position, averaging 24.5 points per game during his senior year. What is underrated about his game is his playmaking ability because he was forced to play the role of primary scorer in college (I mean lets be real, he went to Weber State...If he didn't score who would?). While scoring is certainly his best asset and he'll never lead the league in assists, he is more than capable of getting his teammates involved and making people around him better. The thing that pushes him above Anthony Davis in my book is the fact that I see Lillard playing an integral role in getting Portland back into the playoffs, even if it is just as an 8th seed. While the Hornets have some young talent on the roster, it will not be enough to get them into the playoffs this season, especially considering the fact that their best player, Eric Gordon, can't seem to stay healthy.

2nd Place: Anthony Davis
3rd Place: Bradley Beal

Sixth Man of the Year: Kevin Martin

I was all prepared to write this segment about James Harden. He was by far the most talented player coming off the bench and had a role that he fit in quite well with the Oklahoma City Thunder. But then OKC had to go and be jerks and trade him away, creating even more work for me. So inconsiderate. Well, anyway, with Harden now with the Houston Rockets, and presumably in the starting lineup, I had to look through the NBA and see who would be the best player coming off the bench this season. Ironically, what I found is that this award has the great potential of going to an OKC player once again. For this to come to fruition, Kevin Martin will have to embrace the role of coming off the bench, and if he does, watch out. This role would be absolutely perfect for Martin because he will be asked to do one thing, and one thing only. Score. And this is what Martin does best. While defense has never been a strong suit for Martin, scoring has never been an issue as he has a career average of 18.4 points per game. Coming off the bench for OKC, he is going to be asked to provide a scoring punch and some instant offense for the team, something that he can do as well as anyone in the league.

2nd Place: Jason Terry
3rd Place: Ray Allen

Most Improved Player: Jrue Holiday

This is the hardest award for me to predict simply because there are so many candidates and it often goes to someone relatively unknown prior to his breakout season. But I'm going to take a stab at it by giving this award to Jrue Holiday. He has shown flashes of his immense potential but has yet to fully realize it. He actually even took a step back last year after a very good sophomore campaign. However the recent roster shake up in Philadelphia provides Holiday with the opportunity to finally show how good he can be, and I think he will. The key is the departure of Andre Iguodala, as well as Lou Williams. While both are very good players in their own way, I think they held Holiday back. Iggy is more of a point forward than small forward, so he spent a lot of the time handling the ball. This took away from Holiday's playmaking opportunities. Then there was sixth man point guard Williams who was always ready to come off the bench should Holiday make a mistake or play poorly. Without that pressure he will be able to play more freely and without worrying about his back up replacing him. Now, along with help from a dominant post presence in Andrew Bynum, I see Holiday increasing his assists, scoring, and efficiency, while also helping to lead the Sixers back to the playoffs, earning him this award.

2nd Place: Klay Thompson
3rd Place: Michael Beasley

Defensive Player of the Year: Josh Smith aka J-Smoove

Now that Joe Johnson is gone from the Atlanta Hawks this is undoubtedly Josh Smith's team. He is also entering a contract year, so we'll probably see him working his tail off to earn the big bucks on his next contract. He has always been a versatile defender whether it's blocking shots, getting steals, or simply shutting down multiple positions. His insane athletic ability allows him to do almost anything on the defensive end when he puts his mind to it. He has also continued to improve his rebounding, posting a career high 9.6 rebounds per game last season. This continued improvement, coupled with his desire to prove himself as a leader of a team, will result in his best season yet as a pro. This will be enough to earn him this distinguished honor. Other guys who have potential to get this award also have a little bit stacked against them giving J-Smoove the edge. LeBron is the most versatile defender in the league, but his defensive prowess will play a role in him winning the MVP. Dwight Howard is another guy who has a good shot at winning it, but he's fighting back issues making me hesitant to give him this award.

2nd Place: LeBron James
3rd Place: Dwight Howard

Coach of the Year: Frank Vogel

The Indiana Pacers have a group of talented players that play very well as a team, especially on the defensive end. What they lack, however, is a true star. A guy that, with the game on the line, they can turn to and say "make something happen". This is when coaching becomes even more important, and this is why I have Frank Vogel taking this award. He keeps his players playing for each other and for the team as a whole, rather than for themselves. When you add their balanced depth with the continued improvement of Roy Hibbert and Paul George, I have the Pacers finishing as the three seed in the East. A top three finish devoid of a star will be extremely impressive, resulting in Vogel being given this award.

2nd Place: George Karl
3rd Place: Mark Jackson

NBA Finals Prediction: Miami Heat over OKC Thunder

Real original, right? I'm predicting a finals rematch. Real clever. I'm even predicting the same outcome. Maybe I'm just getting lazy as this article comes to an end. Or maybe I'm a psychic and have looked into the future. Either way, this is my prediction. While the Eastern Conference has certainly been improving, there really isn't a team out there that can compete with them in a seven game series, especially with Derrick Rose possibly missing the whole year. I'm not saying it'll be easy, but with LeBron playing on a whole new level, D Wade making it to the playoffs healthy, and Bosh thriving at the Center position, there really isn't anyone in the East that can stop them. Now the Western Conference is a much more difficult thing to predict. While there is a plethora of good teams out in the West like the Lakers, Spurs, Nuggets, and Clippers, none of them have a one-two punch like the Thunder. Yes, that includes the Lakers. They're a very good team, but they won't be able to handle the Thunder in a seven game series. Kendrick Perkins has historically been one of the few centers that can keep Dwight Howard in check. Also, Steve Nash will not be able to even remotely slow down Russell Westbrook. Once they get back to the Finals, however, that's where is ends. While the James Harden trade doesn't make the Thunder worse, it doesn't make them any better either. The Heat on the other hand have gotten even better than last year with the additions of sharp shooters like Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. This will result in Miami winning their second straight championship, and LeBron winning yet another Finals MVP, further cementing his position as best player in the league.

Ranking the NFL's Top Running Backs

Although the NFL has become a pass first league, there is a plethora of talent at the running back position. Let's take a look at the top five players at that position right now:

5. Doug Martin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

As the only rookie in my top five, Doug Martin may be the most surprising player to make it onto my list. Some may say that I'm a prisoner of the moment, seeing as just last night Martin had a breakout performance against the Minnesota Vikings. He ran for 135 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries to go along with 79 receiving yards and another touchdown on 3 catches. This performance was no fluke and he is most certainly deserving of this ranking. While there were certainly other players that I strongly considered for my list that just barely missed it (Jamaal Charles, Frank Gore, and Alfred Morris to be specific), the dual threat capabilities of Martin propelled him to this spot. While the NFL becomes more and more pass happy it has become increasingly important for running backs to be able to catch passes out of the backfield, a skill that Martin excels at. He ranks 3rd among running backs in receiving yards with 224. The scary part is that, as I stated before, he is only a rookie and is continuing to get better as the season goes on. Over the last three games Martin has rushed for 296 yards while averaging 5.1 yards per carry, caught eight passes for 171 yards, and scored three total touchdowns. As Martin continues to improve he is going to command more respect and be universally recognized as one of the best running backs in the league.

4. Marshawn Lynch (Seattle Seahawks)

I must say that I am extremely impressed by what Marshawn Lynch has done (on the field) in Seattle to revitalize his career. After a couple of off the field issues with the Buffalo Bills, Lynch hoped to find a new beginning in Seattle. His first season with the team was less than stellar, racking up only 573 rushing yards in 12 games. I admittedly thought his career was over. Last season was a different story, however, as he ran for over 1,200 yards. This season he has continued to build on that success, as he currently finds himself ranked 5th in the league with 93.1 yards per game. While the numbers alone are impressive, what really makes him deserving of this ranking on my list is how he gets his yards. I'm not sure if Lynch is just mad at the world in general or what, but when he has the ball in his hands he runs angry. He refuses to go down willingly and fights through contact each time he is handed the ball, as he displayed in this famous run against the Saints in the playoffs two years ago (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKVEttPqvmE). He also is forced to do this without much consistent help from his quarterback, Russel Wilson. I have nothing against Wilson and believe he can be a good player, but he is still a rookie that is learning the game, which leads to inconsistent performances. This allows defenses to stack the box in an attempt to slow Lynch down, while daring Wilson to beat them with his arm. Lynch scraps and fights for each yard that he gets and is the man that drives the Seahawks' offense, making him a big part of the reason Seattle has four wins.

3. Arian Foster (Houston Texans)

Arian Foster is an absolute workhorse for the Houston Texans and is a huge part of the reason that they are first in the AFC with a record of 6-1. He leads the league with 24 carries per game, which is three more than the any other player in the league (Lynch is second with 21 carries per game). His work has resulted in him ranking 3rd in the league with 94.1 rushing yards per game.  His biggest contribution, however, comes from his ability to finish drives by getting into the end zone, as he leads all running backs with nine rushing touchdowns, four more than any other back in the league. While his 3.9 yards per carry is nothing to write home about, the key for him is that he rarely gets tackled for a loss. As soon as he gets the ball he finds a hole and runs straight through it for as many yards as he can get. Very seldom will you see him dancing around in the backfield or trying to run sideways or backwards to get around a guy. He simply takes what the defense gives him, which is an underrated facet of his game. Most importantly, he takes care of the football, recording no fumbles so far this season. By avoiding negative plays and gaining at least a couple yards on each run, Foster keeps the Texans offense moving and, more often than not, leads them to victory.

2. Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings)

What can I say about Adrian Peterson? He just continues to prove people wrong again and again. Approximately ten months removed from surgery to repair a torn ACL, Peterson finds himself second in the league with 96.9 rushing yards per game. The scary part is that he isn't even 100% yet. Regardless, he remains one of the top running backs in the league because of his extremely versatile skill set and freakish athletic ability. Like Lynch, Peterson runs with a purpose and fights for every possible yard he can get, especially around the goal line. Unlike Lynch though, Peterson has blazing break away speed that makes him a threat to take it to the house on every play. Peterson leads all running backs with eight plays of 20+ yards. This game breaking ability makes defenses focus on him at all times, allowing fellow offensive players like quarterback Christian Ponder and wide receiver Percy Harvin to be more successful. As a fan I can't wait for Peterson to be back to 100% health because if he is this good when not at full strength, we are all in for a treat when he becomes completely healthy.

1. Ray Rice (Baltimore Ravens)

Ray Rice is criminally under-utilized in the Baltimore Ravens offense. Under the direction of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron the Ravens have become a pass heavy offense, lead by quarterback Joe Flacco. While Flacco is certainly no scrub, he is currently sporting the 17th best QBR of 53.9, an extremely average rating. So the fact that Rice is currently on pace to have the lowest number of carries since his rookie year is absolutely mind boggling to me. Despite his egregious lack of touches, Rice has still found a way to be extremely productive this season. He is an enormous threat in both the ground game and the passing game, resulting in him ranking third among running backs in total yards per game. Since he doesn't get nearly enough touches, he does this by averaging 4.9 yards per carry and 8.4 yards per catch. He also doesn't turn the ball over, as he has yet to fumble this season. When you watch this 5'8" (like we actually believe he's that tall) tank it is clear that he does not give a damn about his short stature. He will not hesitate to get in the face of a defender that is much taller than him, and more importantly, he doesn't fear anyone while he's running with the ball. With his low center of gravity and immense strength, he is almost impossible to bring down as he runs through defenders that are much bigger than him. This is a public service announcement to Cam Cameron. With the injuries that have plagued the defense this season, the offense will need to pick up the slack if the Ravens are going to contend for the Super Bowl. The only way to do that is to fully utilize the phenomenal talent of Ray Rice who has worked his way up to become the best running back in the NFL. You've been warned.

Tom Brady is Overrated

Let me start by saying that this is not an "I hate Tom Brady Article", nor will I try to make the claim that he is not a good quarterback. He's a darn good quarterback that can make all the throws and has experienced a great deal of success throughout his career. However, I feel the need to truly analyze his game because I feel that many people, both fans and in the media, are too hung up on the early success of his career and refuse to look at the product that is actually right in front of them. But that's okay, because that's what I'm here for.

I don't want to take anything away from Brady in terms of the success he has had. Winning three Super Bowl championships is certainly nothing to scoff at. However, it has been over seven years since his last championship and the "Golden Boy" has continued to come up short again and again and again. Brady's record in the playoffs since 2005 is 7-6 with an average passer rating of 87.7. While the numbers are not bad, they are certainly underwhelming for someone who is labeled by many as the most clutch quarterback of all time.

To put the numbers into perspective, during that time frame Ben Roethlisberger is 9-3 with an average passer rating of 86.5 and Eli Manning is 8-3 with an average passer rating of 90.9. Both of them also have won two Super Bowls during that span. Despite these numbers, you'd be hard pressed to find anybody who would claim that Eli or Roethlisberger is a better QB than Brady.

Clearly Brady is not the unstoppable force in the playoffs that everyone wants to believe that he is. But let's take it even further. Brady consistently puts up some of the best numbers in the NFL which keeps him in the conversation of top 2 QBs each and every year. I would argue though that his numbers can be rather deceiving and that he is the beneficiary of the Patriot system. To be frank, I hate Bill Belichick. But there is no denying that he is one of the greatest coaches of all time and a masterful offensive game-planner. 

For the best example I'm going to take a look at Brady's record breaking year in 2007. If you watched them play then you saw that a large portion of his throws were well designed screens, many of which went to Wes Welker, who would then scamper for a few more yards before being brought down. After running a bunch of short plays that would slowly but surely march them down the field, defenses were forced to play up closer to the line of scrimmage in hopes of slowing down those plays. This is when the Pats could unleash Randy Moss, sending him deep down the field against single coverage so Brady simply had to bomb it deep where more often than not, Moss would come up with it. Now I'm not trying to take away from the fact that Brady still needed to be able to make the throws and did so almost perfectly. I'm simply trying to point out a large chunk of the yards Brady had were results of short passes that his skill players then took for extra yards after the catch. In addition, he was able to do all this work behind what has consistently been the best offensive line in the entire NFL, which leads me to my next point.

In my opinion, the true measure of a quarterback is what he can do when everything breaks down. In other words, when the play doesn't go how it was scripted, what can that QB do to make a positive play. This is where Tom Brady's greatest weakness lies. If he is unable to get the ball out to a receiver quickly, or if his line doesn't give him the proper amount of time, he becomes a sub par quarterback. Obviously when a QB is under pressure he isn't going to perform as well, but time and time again I've seen Brady crumble and completely fall apart if he isn't able to sit in the pocket comfortably.

Last, but certainly not least, is probably the most crucial criticism I have of Tom Brady. I've already discussed how he has had his fair share of struggles in the playoffs when it matters the most, but how about during the regular season when he's trying to close out wins? Based on what you hear people say about Brady in the media you'd assume he's perfect at closing out games, seeing as he constantly receives the "clutch" label. If that's what you believe then you would be surprised to hear that since 2009, the Patriots have lost seven games after leading with under five minutes left to play. That's tied for the third most blown leads in the NFL during that time span. But of course you would then say that's not Brady's fault, it's because of the defense. Well, apparently not. In that time frame, through the sixth week of this season, he had a total QBR (quarterback rating) of 15 during the final five minutes of a game with a one possession lead. For a reference, a QBR of 50 is supposed to represent an average quarterback. Not only is this not clutch, it's downright awful.

Now that I've made my point I would just like to acknowledge that I am indeed nitpicking. Tom Brady has still had a great career and is likely to go down as one of the greatest to ever play the game. But I am tired of everyone putting him up on such a high pedestal that he frankly does not deserve. People seem to be stuck in the past and while it may feel like just yesterday that he won 3 out of 4 Super Bowls, it's been quite a long time. And even though he has had clutch moments in his career, he just might not be the unstoppable force with the game on the line that so many make him out to be.

Top 100 NBA Players

Here is my list of the top 100 players in the NBA. Unfortunately, I am not paid to analyze basketball so due to my busy college grind, I don't have the time to give an explanation for each individual player. So I encourage everybody to leave a comment at the bottom of this post. Whether you agree, disagree, or simply want to know why I ranked a player where I did, please feel free to comment!

1. LeBron James
2. Kevin Durant
3. Chris Paul
4. Dwight Howard
5. Dwyane Wade
6. Kobe Bryant
7. Russell Westbrook
8. Kevin Love
9. Derrick Rose
10. Dirk Nowitzki
11. Rajon Rondo
12. Carmelo Anthony
13. Deron Williams
14. Andrew Bynum
15. Tony Parker
16. Chris Bosh
17. Pau Gasol
18. Monta Ellis
19. Eric Gordon
20. LaMarcus Aldridge
21. Josh Smith
22. Rudy Gay
23. Steve Nash
24. Marc Gasol
25. Al Jefferson
26. David Lee
27. James Harden
28. Paul Pierce
29. Blake Griffin
30. Ty Lawson
31. Kyrie Irving
32. Manu Ginobili
33. Andre Iguodala
34. John Wall
35. Greg Monroe
36. Kevin Garnett
37. Luol Deng
38. Tyson Chandler
39. Al Horford
40. DeMarcus Cousins
41. Tim Duncan
42. Serge Ibaka
43. Joe Johnson
44. Roy Hibbert
45. Tyreke Evans
46. Mike Conley
47. Zack Randolph
48. Brandon Jennings
49. Stephen Curry
50. Gerald Wallace
51. Amare Stoudemire
52. Danny Granger
53. Paul Milsap
54. Marcin Gortat
55. Goran Dragic
56. Kenneth Faried
57. Nene
58. Marcus Thorton
59. Danilo Gallinari
60. Paul George
61. Anderson Varejao
62. Andrea Bargnani
63. Ray Allen
64. Nicolas Batum
65. Kyle Lowry
66. Avery Bradley
67. Joakim Noah
68. Jrue Holiday
69. Wilson Chandler
70. Michael Beasley
71. Nikola Pekovic
72. Ryan Anderson
73. Carlos Boozer
74. Thadeus Young
75. Jarrett Jack
76. Shawn Marion
77. Brook Lopez
78. Gordon Hayward
79. Ricky Rubio
80. David West
81. Arron Afflalo
82. Ersan Ilyasova
83. JaVale McGee
84. Kevin Martin
85. Antawn Jamison
86. Klay Thompson
87. Lou Williams
88. Jeremy Lin
89. Luis Scola
90. Jason Terry
91. Kris Humphries
92. Jose Calderon
93. Rodney Stuckey
94. Andrew Bogut
95. Andrei Kirilenko
96. DeMar DeRozan
97. O.J. Mayo
98. Tony Allen
99. Jeff Green
100. Mario Chalmers

What We Learned From Week 1 of the NFL Season

After a great start to the NFL Season it's time to take a look at a few things we learned from this past weekend:

1. RGIII is LEGIT

One of the worst things about living in Maryland during the football season was having to see the Redskins play every Sunday. During the past two years I've seen some ugly football, including the benching of Donovan McNabb for Rex Grossman. Yes, you read correctly. Rex Grossman. It looks like there is finally something to be excited about if you're a Redskins fan, and although I'm not a fan, I look forward to watching Robert Griffin III play for years to come. Now, please bear with me for a moment. I understand that his historic performance came against a short-handed Saints defense that isn't even very good when at full strength. However, the reason I'm sold on RGIII is not because of his extraordinary stat line, but because of the confidence and poise I saw from him on each and every snap. There were plenty of times that he found himself under pressure, and rather than just tucking the ball and running for a few yards, he kept his eyes down the field looking for a receiver to get open. This proves that his college dominance wasn't simply because of his insane athletic ability, and that his skill set does indeed transfer to the NFL. I have been high on this guy for a while now and it's not because of his otherworldly athleticism, nor his cannon arm, but rather because he is an extremely smart man. Just look at his academic record in college and it is quite apparent that he is not only smart, but an extremely hard worker, both on and off the field. When you couple that with the pure athletic talent that RGIII possesses, you get a star in the making. Will he put up numbers like this every week? No, and anyone who thinks so is most likely just an overly optimistic Skins fan. There are sure to be plenty of bumps along the way, but it won't be too long until we are talking about Robert Grifffin III as a top Quarterback in the NFL.

2. Adrian Peterson is a Freak of Nature

A torn ACL is one of the most devastating injuries a running back can experience. Most never get back to full strength. Or at least that's what history has told us. Apparently no one told that to Adrian Peterson. Less than 9 months ago AP tore his ACL in a game against the Redskins. You wouldn't know that by watching him play on Sunday. He carried the ball 17 times for 84 yards and 2 touchdowns. More important than his stats was the strength his knee exhibited while making his usual strong cut backs and leaps. This performance defies everything we knew about ACL tears. Normally it takes about a full year to recover enough to play the running back position due to the abnormal beating they receive. Needless to say, Peterson is ahead of schedule. To put it in context, Jamaal Charles (Kansas City running back) suffered the same injury over three months before Peterson did, yet they are both at the same point in the recovery process. My hypothesis is that he is an alien sent here to dominate the NFL. Or he's just a fast healer. But either way, he is a freak of nature and looks to be back to his old self, which is something football fans should be thrilled about.

3. Starting Rookie Quarterbacks Isn't Always the Right Move

There used to be a time when the general practice in the NFL was to draft QBs and then let them learn for a few years before throwing them into the starting lineup. That is no longer the case, thanks in large part to the rookie success of players such as Matt Ryan, Cam Newton, Joe Flacco, and Andy Dalton. This year saw a record five rookies starting at quarterback in Week 1: Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck, Ryan Tannehill (above), Russell Wilson, and Brandon Weeden. Between the five of them, they threw a total of 11 interceptions, and that includes the zero interceptions that RGIII threw. Now I'm not going to jump all over Luck. He was the first overall pick for a reason and I still believe he'll be a good quarterback. However three interceptions is not a good start even though he was going up against a very tough Bears defense. I also won't jump ship on the biggest surprise of the preseason, Russell Wilson. He wasn't outstanding, but he didn't play very poorly either, finishing with only one interception and almost getting the win. Tannehill and Weeden are a completely different story. They threw 3 and 4 interceptions respectively and looked completely overwhelmed in their NFL debuts. I have been scratching my head ever since the Dolphins decided to take the former wide receiver with the 8th overall pick to be their QB of the future. He is very athletic for a quarterback, and has good arm strength, but obviously struggles with accuracy and decision making. Weeden is another player that just honestly wasn't ready to start. While I understand the Browns are desperate, it would have been smarter to stick with Colt McCoy just a little longer while Weeden became more comfortable with the offense. The moral of this story? While there are certainly some QBs that are ready to start as rookies (RGIII for example), there are plenty that would really benefit from time to learn as a backup for a veteran QB.

4. Andy Reid Should Be Relieved of His Duties

Let me preface this by saying that this isn't some diatribe by an angry Eagles fan. For the record, I am a Steelers fan and Dolphins fan. But living outside of Philly for most of my life I have spent a lot of time watching the Eagles play and have been continuously frustrated with Andy Reid's single minded approach to the game of football. His philosophy is pass, pass, pass, and then pass some more, despite being blessed with some great running backs over the years (Brian Westbrook, LeSean McCoy). While I acknowledge that he has certainly had a fair amount of success in his career, making it to multiple NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl, he has always come up short due to his refusal to adjust his philosophy and this past weekend was the perfect example of that. Last season the Browns had the 2nd ranked pass defense in the league to go along with the 30th ranked rushing defense. If I were to tell this to a 10 year old, and then ask what you should do against the Browns, he would say run the football. It's pretty much common sense, especially when you add to the equation the fact that the Eagles have a top five running back on their team in LeSean McCoy. So what does Andy Reid do? He has Mike Vick throw the football 56 times....56! Compared to only 20 rushes for McCoy. The result? Vick threw four interceptions and the Eagles barely squeaked away with a one point win over the Cleveland Browns. Yes, a popular pick to win the Super Bowl almost lost to the Cleveland Browns. It is very true that a lot of the blame goes to Vick as well, but as a coach it is your job to put your players in the best position to win. Vick is at his best when he can do play action and bootlegs, which won't work if you never run the football. It is also worth noting that on those 20 carries, McCoy got 110 yards...yeah I don't get it either. I understand that this is a pass happy league now, but Reid's refusal to adjust his game plan for specific opponents has always been his downfall, and if the Eagles really want to win a Super Bowl, Reid needs to go.

Under Pressure

First off, does anybody else start thinking of the beat from Under Pressure by Queen when they read the title of this article?...No?...Just me?....Awkward…

Anyway, on to the actual point of this article. As you all know a blockbuster trade recently occurred in the NBA. The focal point of this trade was sending Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers and Andrew Bynum to the Philadelphia 76ers. These two big men are considered by most to be the number one and two centers in the league, respectively. When such high profile players are involved in a trade, the following question often arises: Who is under the most pressure to perform for their new team?

If you were to ask Shaquille O’Neal, he would say Dwight. But I am here to tell you that the great Shaqtus is wrong. However, I do understand where he is coming from. There is always added pressure when you are part of the Lakers organization because, for them, every season is essentially championship or bust. When you add that to the soap opera Dwight caused in Orlando, he is most certainly under a lot of pressure. I mean, the man was so indecisive that it felt like he was taking advice from a magic 8 ball.

That being said, for the first time in his entire career Howard is not going to be the first option on offense. Hell, he’s not even gonna be the second option. I could even make the argument that he’d be the fourth option (behind Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Steve Nash). Regardless, the whole point is that he will no longer be forced to try to be an offensive force when it matters the most, for that role is reserved for the Black Mamba. This will allow him to save most of his energy and effort for what he does best, defense, while the majority of his points come from offensive put-backs and alley-oops.

Then, on the other hand, there’s Andrew Bynum.  For the first time in years he was able to shake the injury bug and stay relatively healthy for an entire season. The result? 18.7 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 1.9 bgp, and his first All-Star appearance. It was most certainly an impressive season.  Unfortunately for Bynum, injuries aren’t the only problems that have plagued him throughout his career. Immaturity has been an ongoing issue and this season was no exception. Bynum was benched multiple times for lack of effort and poor decision making, including shooting an infamously ill-advised three point shot for which he was not the least bit remorseful.

Essentially, in only his first year of legitimate production Bynum developed a diva attitude worse than Miss Piggy (yes, that’s a Muppets reference – Terp Pride). Keep in mind, Bynum was really only the third option on offense which is not exactly a pressure filled position. Well it is now time for him to put his money where his mouth is. He is going to the focal point of the 76ers offense, which of course means he’ll be the focus of opposing defenses. It’s time to put up or shut up for Bynum, because if he doesn’t rise to this occasion people all over the NBA will start to wonder if he’s worth all the trouble.

On a side note, I will say that I do believe Sixers fans have good reason to be excited about this season. I’m not personally a big fan of Bynum because I believe you should never have to add “when he tries” while referring to how good a player is; however, there is no denying his talent on the court (when he tries). Since this is a contract year for Bynum, he is most certainly going to be looking for a max contract when the season is over. So although it may be for the “wrong” reasons, I believe we are going to see an Andrew Bynum that tries a lot harder than he has in the past. I would also like to point out that while Kobe Bryant sat out seven games in a row in April, Bynum flourished as the first option on offense, putting up 23 ppg and 14 rpg. While I acknowledge it’ll be very different having to carry a team for an entire season, I think he’ll step up to the plate.

NBA Draft Recap

Best Pick (Besides Anthony Davis): Wizards 3rd overall pick, Bradley Beal

Bradley Beal is the real deal. I firmly believe that this young kid (and I can say that because I'm older than him, which is weird) will be an All-Star for years and years in the NBA. Beal is a great shooter with plenty of other assets on both the offensive and defensive end. The biggest of those assets is his phenomenal rebounding ability for his 6'3" frame, averaging 6.7 rpg in his first and only year in college. He already posses NBA range but can also attack the hoop and finish strong against bigger defenders. Beal also comes up big in the most important games, averaging 15.75 ppg and 8.25 rpg, while shooting over 60% from the field during the NCAA Tournament. My favorite thing about this pick, however, is the fact that the Wizards just got someone with a great work ethic that will grow into a leader along side point guard John Wall. For too long Washington has been plagued by immaturity and off the court issues, but drafting such a high character guy with this much talent was the perfect move to turn things around.

Worst Pick: Cavaliers 4th overall pick, Dion Waiters

This isn't so much a reflection on Dion Waiters, but more so the point in which he was taken in the draft. Most people projected Waiters to be a mid-first round pick, making it two years in a row that the Cavs made a reach for a player at the 4th spot in the draft (Tristan Thompson last year). At this point in the draft Cleveland should have drafted Harrison Barnes, who has a more versatile game and would be a better piece to fit with Kyrie Irving to build around. Someone who was only a sixth-man in college that was relied on for instant offense just isn't worth the 4th pick. If Cleveland had their heart set on this guy then they should have traded back at least a few spots and gotten something else out of the deal.

Steal of the 1st round: Phoenix Suns 13th overall pick, Kendall Mashall

Let me preface this by saying that I am a student at the University of Maryland, so I hate UNC with a passion. With that in mind, you know I mean business when I'm giving a Tarheel love. That being said, this is quite possibly my favorite pick of the entire draft. I never understood why Marshall wasn't projected as a higher pick. Yes, he didn't score much in college, but it was more a result of his situation as opposed to a lack of ability. He played with three other first round picks this year (Barnes, Henson, Zeller), so he just had to focus on running the offense and making those guys look even better, which he did masterfully. This type of innate play-making ability is rare to find, especially at this young of an age. He will need to improve his jump shot for sure but shooting is a much more coach-able trait than play-making. This young man will be one of the best distributors in the NBA within the next few years.

Steal of the 2nd Round: Cleveland 34th overall pick (traded to Dallas): Jae Crowder

The Big East Player of the Year was my favorite player in all of college basketball last year. He played with such passion and intensity you just knew he's make it to the NBA and be successful. Most players drafted in the second round either never actually play in the NBA or last a very short time. That will not be the case with Crowder. He'll never be an All-Star, but he will be one of those glue guys on a team that does a little bit of everything that helps the team win. He will be able to contribute to a team much like Kawhi Leonard did for the Spurs this past season.

Biggest Question Mark: Jared Sullinger

Had this young man come out a year ago after his freshman season he undoubtedly would have been a top 5 pick. But one year later, he ends up the 21st pick by the Celtics. This extreme drop was not due to decreased production, but because of conflicting reports about a back condition that could be career threatening. If he can manage his back problems and avoid them hampering his career, then the Celtics just got the biggest steal in the draft. There is a lot yet to be determined but Boston fans are hoping he can have a long successful career as they attempt to rebuild their team.

Biggest Winner on Draft Day: New Orleans Hornets

This is probably obvious seeing as Anthony Davis is the highest rated prospect in years. But in my eyes what makes them the biggest winners, was their second pick at 10th overall, Austin Rivers. I believe Rivers can help this team immediately off the bench, assuming they retain Eric Gordon. Rivers is an instinctive scorer who has the ability to create for others, although he doesn't always make the smartest decisions. He most certainly has some maturing to do, but he has the raw attributes to become an All-Star one day. Being the son of Boston coach Doc Rivers, Austin has a very strong work ethic and will continue to work to become great. If that happens, the Hornets just became a perennial contender in one draft.

What the Hell Are the Sixers Doing?

Let me start with a shout out to my boy Owen Hamill, for he is the reason I am including this section. The Sixers just continue to baffle me on draft nights. This is nothing against Moe Harkless, because he is a talented scorer and rebounder. The problem I have with this pick is that they continue to fill up their roster with small forwards that have very similar skill-sets. Iguodala, Evan Turner, Thadeus Young, and now Harkless all play a similar brand of basketball, which simply doesn't fill a need. With an aging Elton Brand and an inconsistent Spencer Hawes, I would have liked to see the Sixers go for a big man like Tyler Zeller. That being said I'm not going to jump all over them just yet. The front office may have a master plan that involves trading a player or two in order to fill an actual need. But until then, I'm left here scratching my head.

You Already Know What This Article Is About

"It's about damn time." That says it all. These were some of the first words uttered from LeBron after officially being crowned King James. Just take a moment to look at the picture above. This is a picture of pure relief. The Heat have finally broken through and won a Championship in the second year of the Big Three era, giving LeBron his first Championship after nine years in the league. The part that amazes me the most is how James, and the rest of the Heat, did this while being the most scrutinized player/team of all time. And yes I meant to say of ALL TIME. LeBron James was on the cover of SLAM magazine at the age of 16, along with the caption "The Chosen One"...16 years old. From that moment on, it was either greatness or bust for LeBron. Micheal Jordan, the greatest NBA player of all time, came into the league with almost no pressure. The great MJ was cut from his high school basketball team, not celebrated as a prodigy.

When LeBron made it to his first NBA Finals back in 2007 against the Spurs (with a team that had no right making it past the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals), the man was Twenty-three years old. Twenty-three! Yet to this day he still was being chastised for how he played in that series. For his entire career if it didn't result in a ring then it was simply failure. Now I'm not sitting here saying LeBron hasn't deserved any criticism or that he hasn't made any mistakes. He has on both counts. But I'd much prefer it if athletes biggest mistakes were televising free agency decisions and being a little arrogant, as opposed to many the alternatives: dog fighting, DUI manslaughter, rape, etc.

Once LeBron took his talents to South Beach, his teammates also became subjected to all the hate as the Miami Heat were held up to a standard never before seen in sports. The most perfect example I can think of is two images from the past two finals that were essentially the same, but resulted in extremely different reactions. After losing to the Dallas Mavericks last year, while walking back to the locker room, Chris Bosh became overwhelmed by the disappointment and broke down in tears. As a Miami fan I liked that because it showed how much he cared, and more importantly, how motivated he would be to never let that happen again. However, for this show of emotion, he was absolutely torched. People in the media were calling him Bosh Spice (a not so clever comparison to Posh Spice, a member of the Spice Girls). I personally received many texts and comments from people about how one of my favorite players was "such a girl" or a "pansy".

But none of that bothered me, quite frankly. People have their opinion and that's fine. What truly frustrates me is when people are inconsistent with their criticism. And that is where the second image comes in. Last night, while walking to the locker room after the game, Kevin Durant hugged his parents and just started crying. And today? Nothing. No one is hating on Durant. No one is calling him a girl. No one is disrespecting him. This perfectly portrays the pressure and the added difficulty of being a member of the Miami Heat over the last two seasons.

Now, I'd like to point out that this isn't me trying to complain about how the Heat have been treated. I hate teams for various reasons and have no problems with others doing the same thing. Plus I'm a Steelers fan at the University of Maryland, so I'm no stranger to having my favorite team hated on. I simply want to point out what the Heat have overcome to become Champions so all of us fans can truly appreciate the greatness that we saw this season.

But I digress.

Now onto the main purpose of the article I intended to write, which is a to provide a review of the Finals and give my opinion on why it turned out the way it did. And for those of you still reading (thank you), I will keep it brief.

The biggest weakness going into this series for the Heat was their lack of a supporting cast surrounding the Big Three. Seemingly out of nowhere, this was no longer the case. Shane Battier scored 17 points in each of the first two games of the series. Then Mario Chalmers decided to have one of the best games of his career in the critical Game 4 victory, scoring 25 points. To finish off the Thunder, Mike Miller went off for 23 points in Game 5, hitting 7 of 8 three-pointers. This all happened while OKC seemed to be missing a member of their "Big Three", as Harden scored under 13 points per game on less than 38% shooting.

I'm not going to sit here and blame the 22 year old Harden though. In fact, I won't blame a single member of the Thunder. The Heat were just a better, more desperate, and more experienced team that could not be stopped. Over the past two years I have watched at least a hundred Heat games, and never had I seen them play the way the did in Games 2-5. Everyone was moving without the ball. There were almost no isolation plays. LeBron was posting up or attacking the basket, settling for far fewer jumpers. Bosh was constantly fighting for offensive rebounds. Wade lived off backdoor cuts and constant motion as opposed to the isolation heavy offense that he's used to. With the way the Heat played there was not a team in the NBA that could have hoped to stop them.

The one thing I will be critical of the Thunder for is their defense on LeBron James. They continued to put smaller guys like Sefolosha and Harden on LeBron, and he just continued to overpower them and take them to the hoop. The only type of defense that has historically given James trouble is length, which is exactly what Kevin Durant has. I understand that you want to stay out of foul trouble, but Durant should have manned up on James to try to throw off his rhythm. That being said, I don't believe it would have really changed the outcome of the series. LeBron and the Heat were going to find a way to win no matter what, and they did just that.

I look forward to what I believe will become one of the most historic rivalries of all time between the Thunder and the Heat in the upcoming years.

Let us finish with a moment of silence mourning the fact that this will be my final article about the Miami Heat for a while.....and now you can celebrate.

NBA Finals Prediction

I am going to get this out of the way for those of you who are simply reading this to find out my prediction: Miami Heat in 7 games. Now let the angry comments explaining why I am a biased fool commence. But for those of you patient enough to stay with me for a few minutes just hear me out. From the start of this abbreviated NBA season I have predicted a Finals match-up between the Miami Heat and OKC Thunder; however, I never imagined that OKC would make this decision so difficult. I have gone back and forth so many times that I wouldn't be surprised if later in this article I decide to go with the Thunder in 6 games, so be sure to pay close attention should you decide to continue reading.


This is such a difficult match-up to call that I even had trouble deciding how to go about writing this article. At first I thought I could do a position by position match-up analysis, discussing which team holds the advantage at each position. After playing that scenario through my head I realized that it would be a completely moot point. When analyzing on-the-court talent it is a complete wash between these two teams. OKC is certainly the more complete team, but the Heat have arguably 3 of the top 4 players in the series. With that in mind I am going to use this article to discuss the one thing that the Heat have that the Thunder lack: a true chip on their shoulder.


Let's just be honest for a moment. The Heat have absolutely everything to lose, where as the Thunder have nothing to lose. OKC has essentially been deemed the "golden child" of the NBA. They are a team that was built "the right way", and has possibly the most likable and humble of all superstars in the NBA, Kevin Durant. This is in no way a bad thing, however, historically it is the teams that have a chip on their shoulder that generally win championships. Last year, the Mavericks were essentially ruled out in the first round against Portland, and Dirk Nowitzki was labeled as soft and horrible in the clutch. After being disrespected time and time again, Dirk and his teammates shed their labels and went on to win the Championship.


The Lakers won the two prior Championships behind the leadership of Kobe Bryant, who as we all know, plays with a chip on his shoulder even if it's something he needs to fabricate himself. I could go on and on, but my point is, the Thunder just don't really have anything to be angry about. They're one of the most popular teams in the league and have not yet had to experience the feeling of making it to the Finals and then losing. This is not the case for the Miami Heat.


After the infamous "Decision" by LeBron James, in which he took his talents to South Beach, the Heat have become the most hated team in the NBA, lead by the most hated and scrutinized superstar, LeBron James. In all honesty, the intense hatred that is directed at LeBron (which I am reminded of all the time due to the fact that I'm a Heat fan and my friends all know that) makes me sometimes think that he's been caught stealing purses from old ladies. I wouldn't be surprised if a national poll revealed that LeBron is more hated than O.J. Simpson. To compound his problems, the Heat made it to the Finals where he seemingly froze, resulting in a devastating loss. If he fails to win a ring once again, he will face yet another year of critics discussing his shortcomings on what seems like a daily basis, and he knows it.


LeBron isn't the only member of the Heat with something to prove. That loss in the finals affected everyone on that team. The normally cordial and friendly Dwyane Wade came at this NBA season with a vengeance, sporting a mean scowl and the attitude to match it. Essentially, losing is not an option for this team. Their window for success is closing, where as the Thunder know they have plenty of chances to win Championships for years to come. Out of that desperation, I believe the Heat will pull together to overcome their demons and become NBA Champions.


And just as an add-on so I can feel like I did some form of basketball analysis, the Thunder are primarily a jump shooting team, making about 50% of those jump shots in their wins against the Spurs. The Heat are very good at closing out, making jump shots more difficult, leading me to believe the Thunder won't be able to score enough to win four games.

Eastern Conference Finals Preview

The Eastern Conference Finals features the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, two teams that were pushed to the brink in their respective semi-final series. After losing Chris Bosh to injury in game one against the Pacers, the Heat lost two games in a row and found themselves down 1-2. With their backs against the wall Dwyane Wade and Lebron James took over the series to win three straight games, defeating the Pacers in six games. The Celtics, on the other hand, were pushed to seven games against the eighth seeded 76ers. It wasn't until some unusually impressive shooting by Rajon Rondo in the waning minutes of game seven that the Celtics clinched a win. With those series finished, it is time to take a look at the upcoming match-up:

Celtics X-Factor: Ray Allen

To say that Ray Allen has been struggling during this post-season is a gross understatement. You know the man is in a slump (40.8FG%, 26.9 3P%) when he gets visibly excited about making a three-pointer at a relatively unimportant juncture in the game, keeping in mind he has made more threes than anyone in NBA history. Father Time has finally caught up to Allen at the worst possible time for the Celtics, as they try to make one last push for a championship before the members of the Big 3 probably go their separate ways. His ankles have been an issue and he has played through the pain admirably, but given his less than proficient defense, if he is not knocking down the three then he becomes a liability on the court. Without his normal three point shooting then I don't believe the Celtics have a chance in this series. However, if Allen can get it going from beyond the arc things will go much smoother for Boston offensively.

Heat X-Factor: Udonis Haslem

In all honesty the biggest X-Factor for Miami is when and if Chris Bosh will be able to play. But since that would be pure speculation on my part, I will focus on Udonis Haslem, who has had a mostly disappointing season to this point. He has stepped up his game in the playoffs, however, increasing his field goal percentage by 4%.Until Bosh is able to come back Haslem's ability to knock down the mid-range jumper will be a key for Miami's success. As Wade and James cut and slash to the basket opposing teams crowd the paint, often leaving Haslem wide open. If he does not consistently hit that shot it will make it supremely difficult for Wade and James to finish at the rim. When this happens the Heat often become very stagnant on offense, relying on too much isolation and long jumpers. So the way Haslem plays and makes shots will heavily determine the outcome of this series.

Key Match-up: Kevin Garnett vs. Joel Anthony

Let me start out by saying we all know who is going to win this match-up. Kevin Garnett will get his points and rebounds, and will outplay Joel Anthony in pretty much every statistical category. However, the defensive performance of Anthony will be a key factor in determining who moves on to the NBA Finals. With Allen struggling, Garnett's offensive production has been even more important during this postseason. There is almost a direct link between his efficiency and whether or not the Celtics win. In their eight wins during the playoffs Garnett is averaging 21.3 ppg while shooting 53.5% from the field. In their five losses, he scores only 16 ppg on 45.3% shooting from the field. Anthony will be given the task of trying to slow him down and if he is successful Miami will be in a good position to win. But if not, the Celtics could be moving on to the Finals.

Prediction: Miami Heat in 5 games
The Boston Celtics were pushed to seven games by the younger, more athletic 76ers. The Miami Heat are essentially a better version of the 76ers, seeing as they to love to run in transition, but have two elite scorers in the half-court set. Although I believe the games will be very competitive, I only see the Celtics stealing one game at home in this series. Without Avery Bradley in the line-up it will be primarily up to Ray Allen to guard Dwyane Wade. While Bradley would not have been able to completely stop Wade, he is an elite defender and could have made things much more difficult for Miami's star shooting guard. At the age of 36 Allen's defense is far from elite, which leads me to believe that Wade will continue his prolific scoring to help lead the Heat to victory. It is also worth noting that the primary weakness of Miami is size down low and rebounding, which the Pacers took advantage of in their two wins during the last series. However, Boston lacks the size to exploit this weakness and will therefore be sent home short of reaching their goal of an NBA championship.

Bosh's Injury Will Cause Problems in Miami

As a fan of the Miami Heat my heart absolutely sank when I saw Chris Bosh doubled over in pain on the court yesterday during game one of their series against the Pacers. At this point we do not know the extent of the injury, but he has an abdominal strain that could very well keep him on the bench the remainder of the playoffs. The cause of my sadness is not what you would think, however. The root of my discontent comes from what I perceive as the only two possible outcomes that I see, if Bosh does in fact miss the rest of the postseason.

The first, and honestly preferable outcome, is that the Heat go on to win the Championship. In order for this to happen LeBron and Wade will have to step up their games, or as I like to say, go into beast mode. Obviously it will take more than two guys to win a championship though. The man that will need to step in for Bosh to make an impact is Udonis Haslem, who, up to this point, has had a rather sub par season, shooting only 42% from the field. Now as a Heat fan, this is the ultimate goal, and I would love nothing more than for them to win a Championship. However, it will unfortunately be bitter sweet. If they do go on to win it all without Bosh we will all be subjected to even more talk that completely belittles his role on the team. Many people already claim that Bosh is overrated and that the Heat only have a "Big 2". This is far from the truth and anyone who watches the Heat regularly know this, but thanks to mass media the casual NBA fan thinks Bosh is an expendable member of the team. A Bosh-less Championship would only strengthen the resolve of these people and all of us will have to spend the off-season hearing how Bosh is all hype and should just be traded away.

The second outcome is obviously that the Heat once again fail to win a Championship, which would give Heat "haters" a field day. LeBron James has been nothing short of spectacular this season but given the pressure, that he frankly put on himself ("Not one, not two, not three...), the only thing that matters is whether or not he wins a championship. This criticism is fair, because if you're going to talk that big then you need to back it up. However, I am quite honestly sick of hearing about it on a daily basis on ESPN. I understand that injuries are a part of the game that every team has to deal with, but losing Bosh really is a huge blow. More important than his 18 points and 8 rebounds per game, is the fact that on any given night when James or Wade is struggling, he has the ability to step up and be the guy, as he demonstrated throughout this season. The biggest problem I will have if this happens is that even if LeBron plays out of his mind we will still only hear about how he cannot win big games. He could average a triple-double for the finals, finish every game strong, yet he will still be blamed if the Heat come up short.

As I've already stated, I clearly want the Heat to bring home the Championship this year. I would also like to add that I hope Bosh's injury isn't serious and that he does come back and play an integral role on a Championship team. However, if that does not happen, then one way or another we can expect another off-season of controversy in South Beach.

What We Learned from the First Weekend of the NBA Playoffs

Now that we've seen game one of each playoff series I'm going to analyze the five most important things we can take away from this past weekend:

1. Fitting 66 games in such a condensed period of time was a BAD idea.
The human body is only meant to take so much abuse. This season teams played 66 games over a span of 124 days, which is an average of playing more than every other night. Going into this condensed season everyone thought that older veterans may have trouble making it through the rough schedule, but in reality players of all ages have had a hard time. In the first two games of the postseason we witnessed two players tear their ACLs, ending both of their seasons. Age was not the issue for these two players, seeing as they were the 23 year old reigning  MVP, Derrick Rose, and the 21 year old rookie Iman Shumpert. Rose has been battling various injuries all season resulting in him missing over a third of his team's games. After battling to come back as soon as possible in order to miss the minimum number of games, Rose's body just never had the time to become fully healthy. Shumpert had a relatively healthy season, playing in 59 games this year as a rookie. Yet, on Saturday, his young body finally broke down resulting in this season ending injury while he was simply running down the court. In hindsight it would have been a better idea to either extend the length of the regular season, or cut the number of games down to 48.

2. The Magic have more heart than most of us anticipated.
When it was announced that Dwight Howard would miss the remainder of this season with a herniated disc, the entire basketball world all but wrote off the Magic as destined for an early first round exit from the postseason. However, the Magic came out and made a statement on Saturday, showing a lot of heart in a grind-it-out victory against the Indiana Pacers. The team had stand out performances by Jameer Nelson (17 points and 9 assists) and Jason Richardson (17 points with five 3-pointers). The most impressive performance for them was turned in by Glen 'Big Baby' Davis. Starting for the injured Dwight Howard, Davis logged a team high 40 minutes, scoring 16 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, to go along with 3 blocks. The defensive intensity displayed by the Magic was even more commendable. Despite playing without the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, the Pacers were only able to score 77 points against the stout defense of the Magic. They may have lost their best player but it is clear they will not just roll over.

3. Kevin Durant is ready for the pressure of no longer being an underdog.
The Oklahoma City Thunder spent most of this season as the first seed in the Western Conference only to be passed by the San Antonio Spurs late in the season. Despite being the two seed they are still considered by many to be the favorites to make it out of the West and into the NBA Finals. The first step for the Thunder is to take down the defending NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks, which is no easy task. After Dirk Nowitzki hit two clutch free throws to give the Mavs a 1 point lead with 9 seconds left, the ball was going to Kevin Durant for the last play and everyone knew it. To that point, Durant had been struggling from the field, making only 9 of his first 26 shots. Despite his struggles, he embraced the pressure of taking the last shot and buried it with only 1.5 seconds remaining to give the Thunder the lead and the win. It takes a great player to come up big with the game on the line, and Durant showed the world that he can handle the pressure.

4. Reggie Evans is still in the NBA.
Who knew!? But in all seriousness the Los Angeles Clippers were all but defeated, trailing by 27 points late in the third quarter. Most people probably already had stopped watching this game, and who could blame them. But for those of us who stuck with it, we got to witness one of the greatest comebacks in postseason history as the Clippers won 99-98. Obviously this was a team effort to complete the comeback, but Reggie Evans was the catalyst. He entered the game with a little over a minute left in the third quarter when the team was down by 25 points. He would stay in the remainder of the game, exerting a seemingly infinite amount of energy at both ends of the court. His passion and energy rubbed off on his teammates, affecting the game much farther than his stat line would suggest. The culmination of his effort was a go ahead lay up with under a minute left to take the lead for the first time in the game. The most telling stat was his plus/minus number of +24, showing how his presence on the floor was extremely helpful for his team. Clearly no matter how large the deficit, you can never count out the Clippers.

5. LeBron James is on a mission and will do whatever it takes to win an NBA Championship.
LeBron James sent a message out to the NBA on Saturday that everyone better watch out because he is more focused and determined than he has been his entire career. He played a phenomenal game as the Miami Heat blew out the New York Knicks 100-67. James had 32 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals, while shooting 10 of 14 from the field. The efficiency of his performance was extremely impressive, but it was his defense that truly got his message across. Carmelo Anthony came into the playoffs as one of the league's hottest players, scoring 29.8 points per game while shooting 49.5% from the field during the month of April. LeBron had the job of guarding 'Melo for a large portion of the game and did so with sheer excellence. 'Melo was never able to get going, only scoring 11 points while shooting a mere 20% from the field. Now, as a Heat fan, I understand there is a long way to go for them to win it all, and I'm not going to overreact to just one game. But if LeBron continues to play with that same intensity, then the NBA better watch out.

My NBA Regular Season Awards

Rookie of the Year: Kyrie Irving

Stats: 18.6 ppg, 5.6 apg, 3.9 rpg, 1.0 spg, 46.5 FG%

They might as well have given this award to Irving back in January because the competition hasn't even been close. His efficiency from the field is part of what sets Irving apart from his fellow rookies as he shoots 46.5% from the field and an outstanding 40.1% from three point range. His stats make him deserving enough, but what's even more impressive is the fact that he is already "the guy" on his team. No other rookie this year has had to put a team on his shoulders like Irving has, especially after the Cavs lost Anderson Varejao back in February. Although his play hasn't resulted in a winning record he provides hope for a team that watched their hope leave for Miami less than two years ago.

2nd place: Kenneth Faried

3rd place: Klay Thompson

 Most Improved Player: Andrew Bynum

Stats: 18.9 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 1.9 bpg, 56.2 FG%

Let me start off by saying that I'm not a big fan of Andrew Bynum, due to what I perceive as a major attitude problem. I spent a long time looking for someone else I could give this award to. Unfortunately for me I was unable to find someone more deserving than Bynum. One of his biggest improvements has simply been the fact that he finally stayed healthy for an entire season. But if you actually watch him play you can see that his statistical improvements are the result of much more than simply getting to play more. He has exhibited more skill in the low post as well as a greater defensive prowess, especially on the pick and roll. This improvement has resulted in an increase in rebounds per game and points per game of 2.5 and 7.6 respectively. By transforming himself from a perennially injured non-factor to the second option in the Lakers offense Bynum has earned himself this award.

2nd place: James Harden

3rd place: Greg Monroe

Coach of the Year: Frank Vogel

This was definitely the toughest award to give out simply because there are so many deserving coaches. Gregg Popovich has handled the Spurs lineup masterfully, dealing with the age of Tim Duncan and the injuries to Manu Ginobili. Tom Thibodeau has the Bulls as the number one seed in the East despite missing the defending MVP Derrick Rose for a large portion of the season. However, I have been extremely impressed with the job Vogel has done with the Indiana Pacers, leading them to the fifth best record in the league and the third seed in the Eastern Conference. The most impressive aspect of what Vogel has done is how he has this team playing together as a unit since the team is devoid of a star. The Pacers are the only team in the league that has all five of its starters averaging double-digit points. They also play well as one cohesive unit on defense, resulting in the 9th best scoring defense in the league. In a league where star players are given all the credit and coaches receive all the blame, Vogel has made the case that a star player isn't necessary to win.

2nd place: Gregg Popovich

3rd place: Tom Thibodeau

Sixth Man of the Year: James Harden

Stats: 16.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.7 apg, 48.9 FG% 84.4 FT%

Fear the Beard!!! James Harden is one of the most improved players in the league this year. His scoring has increased 4.7 ppg largely as a result of his increased efficiency from the floor (43.6% last year to 48.9% this year). He has also improved greatly as a play maker, almost doubling his assists per game from 2.1 to 3.7. This improvement has resulted in him being the runaway winner of this award. Harden is the leading scorer among bench players in the NBA and could easily start on at least 25 teams, including his own. However, he not only accepts his role off the bench, but actually embraces it since it is in the best interest of his team. He provides the Oklahoma City Thunder with a scoring punch off the bench and has been a crucial part of the team's success this season.

2nd place: Thaddeus Young

3rd place: Jason Terry

Defensive Player of the Year: Serge Ibaka

This was another tough decision for me. On paper this decision probably makes me look extremely foolish, but hear me out. Yes I acknowledge that Dwight Howard is probably the most dominant defensive force in the league right now and I also concede that he probably will win this award in real life. I have just one problem with that though. If you have watched the Orlando Magic play this year you will notice that in many close games Howard is not on the floor. One must wonder why the best player on the team isn't playing with the game on the line. Unfortunately he is shooting a career low 49.1% from the free throw line which makes him a liability in crunch time. I cannot in good conscience give this award to a player whose defensive skill is often useless when it matters the most. So now on to my recipient of this award, Serge Ibaka or as I like to call him, I-Block-a. This man is a force on the defensive end of the court protecting the rim and blocking shots with reckless abandon. At 3.63 blocks per game he leads the league in blocks by a large margin (JaVale McGee is second with 2.19 per game). Ibaka has the ability to protect the rim like no other player in the league, recording double digit blocks on three separate occasions this season. His defensive intensity and ability to block and alter shots at the rim make him more than deserving of this award.

2nd place: LeBron James

3rd place: Dwight Howard

Most Valuable Player: LeBron James

Stats: 27.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 6.3 apg, 1.9 spg, 53.1 FG%

This has been a two man race almost all year. LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant. Both have had extremely impressive seasons while leading their teams to great records, so there really isn't a wrong choice here. When simply looking at their stats and the records of their teams this is pretty much a wash between the two of them. What gives LeBron the edge in the competition in my eyes is his defensive prowess. Durant has taken great strides on the defensive side of the court this year but there is no competing with arguably the most versatile defender in NBA history. Never before has there been a player who can defend all five positions on the floor as well as LeBron. He often takes on the responsibility of guarding the opposing team's best player in crunch time regardless of his position. Most people complain that LeBron is surrounded by too much talent to win this award but if you have watched the Miami Heat then you know that just isn't true. He leads the team in points, assists, rebounds, and steals, but more importantly he does whatever is required of him on any given night. If the rest of the team is struggling shooting, he'll pour in 40 points. If his teammates are on fire he'll facilitate and pile up the assists. If they're getting torched by an opposing player then he will shut them down on the defensive end. He does whatever it takes to win and that is what makes him the MVP of the league.

2nd place: Kevin Durant

3rd place: Tony Parker