Cue the Defense

Today's Blog is brought to you by the number 41

41, the number Jaroslav Halak wears Montreal uniform. 41, the number of saves Halak made on Wednesday night vs. the Washington Capitals. 41, the number of blocked shots by his forwards & defensemen in the same game; a combined 82 shot attempts that a Montreal player turned away against the top seeded Caps.

If you don't watch the NHL on a regular basis, the first 55 minutes of Wednesday night's game 7 between the Montreal Canadians and the Washington Capitals most likely had you clawing your eyes out with boredom. The Canadians took a 1-0 lead after defense man Marc-Andre Bergeron slapped home a rocket on a power play with 30 ticks left in the 1st.

Cue the defense

The Canadians immediately revved up their go-to center ice trap (aka Neutral ice trap) for the remainder of the game and executed it to perfection. The capitals are a highly talented, score first team and the frustration was palpable for superstars Alex Ovechkin and company. The Canadians were disrupting the flow of the Capitals forwards in the neutral zone and pushing everything wide in the defensive zone. The Caps and Habs are about as opposite as they come in hockey and on Wednesday night we learned that there is something to be said about hard work and defense come playoff time.

The Capitals knew they would be in the post season since New Year's while the Canadians fought through every one of the 82 regular season games just to catch an 8-seed. The Caps had high expectations and nothing less than a Stanley Cup would fulfill those goals. Every attempt the Caps made to get their offense chugging along was denied by the shin pads or sticks of a Canadian player. Any shots that managed to find their way to the net were turned away by Halak. For most of the game the Caps could hardly manage to find a shot that wasn't from just inside the blue line or from a corner. Game 7 of this series made it tough to tell which team was playing for the cup as the Caps came out sluggish and the Habs were all over the ice in one of the most inspiring clutch performances in recent hockey history.

With 3:36 Dominic Moore gave the Canadians a 2-0 lead after Mike Green, Caps defensmen lost a battle to a lose puck with Montreal D Hal Gill. The Canadians had gone minutes without seeing a good scoring opportunity, but managed to deliver on Washington mistakes as they had all series. The Caps finally managed a goal with 2:16 remaining in the 3rd on a rebound put-back from Brooks Laich. The score would remain 2-1 Montreal even though the Habs had to fight off a penalty for the last 1:44 of the contest. For a game dominated by defense, the last 5 minutes of game 7 were about as tense as they come on both ends of the ice.

With the upset of the #1 seed Capitals, the Canadians will now face Evgeni Malkin and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens took care of business against Ottawa in round 1 with a 4-2 series victory. The Canadians will have to find a way to spend more time in their opponents zone and put a clamp down on star forwards Crosby and Malkin as they did vs the Caps. They must also continue to capitalize on mistakes they force with their traps.

Typically seeing a match-up vs the 8-seed in the playoffs will leave any team, especially the defending Stanley Cup champs, salivating; After game 7 this week the Canadians have Pittsburgh players/fans thinking otherwise.

STAT LINES OF GAME:

• Montreal Defense - 41 blocks, Halak 41 saves
• Marc-Andre Bergeron (6 shifts - 4:06 Ice Time, 1 Goal)
• Scott Gomez (17 Faceoffs Won)

3 STARS

• 1st Star - Andrei Markov (25:12 played, 1 Goal, 6 Blks)
• 2nd Star - Jaroslav Halak (41 saves, 1GAA)
• 3rd Star - Hal Gill (23:35 played, 1 Assist, 6 Blks)

Round 2 of the NHL playoffs includes:

1 San Jose vs 5 Detroit (San Jose leads 1-0)

2 Chicago vs 3 Vancouver

4 Pittsburgh vs 8 Montreal

6 Boston vs 7 Philadelphia

Links

• Red Wings land plane late (kind of funny)
• Hart Finalists

Draft Recap - Chicago Bears

I'm Drew, representin' the Chi. So with that comes knowledge of all of the Chicago sports teams, including soccer but unfortunately not lingerie football (go Chicago Bliss!). Don't ask me about the Bulls because since Michael Jordan I've refused to watch a full NBA game (and don't intend to until the Bulls get back to the Finals). I also have a sick fascination for certain California teams because basically I'm a California wannabe. Oh, and I went to Notre Dame. So hate away.

Draft Recap - Daaaaa Bears

Two words: Jay Cutler. Totally worth first and second round picks, right? Let's get down to business: Da Bears definitely needed to address concerns on both sides of the ball - in particular the offensive line and the defensive secondary (let's face it if Cutler turns out to be a bust many people in the Bears organization will be fired; I never thought I'd be rooting for Mike Martz to do well). But at least they'll still have the cool stadium that was pooped out by a UFO into the shell of Old Soldier Field.
Free agent acquisitions Julius Peppers and Chester Taylor were encouraging moves, despite the possibility that, like Cutler, Peppers will have difficulty adjusting to the Bears' schemes or just flat out play like crap. Chester Taylor should have an impact immediately, but even with that the Bears still need o-line help.

Back to the draft...

Major Wright, S (round 3, 75 overall). Wright was the best safety available, and the Bears desperately need to have a solid free safety to compliment SS Kevin Payne... except I just learned that they traded Payne, a hard-hitting SS, to St. Louis for a 2011 draft pick and finally got back S Chris Harris from Carolina, for Jamar Williams, a promising young LB. Do they think Brian Urlacher will live forever??

Corey Wootton, DE (round 4, 109 overall); Dan LeFevour, QB (round 6, 181 overall). These are the Bears' obligatory picks that have Chicago connections (no matter how pointless they are the Bears always draft somebody from the Chicago area); Wootton being from Northwestern and LeFevour originally from Downers Grove. Two moronic picks as Wootton has been injury-plagued (...and they just acquired Peppers, with DE Mark Anderson a young impressionable DE to learn from him) and LeFevour - there's no way he can be anything more than a backup, and there's nothing wrong with QB Caleb Hanie.

Joshua Moore, DB (round 5, 141 overall). A bit young but has the skills and capability to (eventually) get playing time. J'Marcus Webb, T (round 7, pick 11). This being a strange draft in which lots of o-linemen and defensive grunts were drafted high, this is an OK stretch only if there was no decent OL left in the 3rd round. Basically the Bears addressed their defensive concerns, but slacked off on an o-line that last year led to one of the NFL's poorest run offenses. It doesn't matter if it's RB Matt Forte, Taylor, or Walter Payton, the o-line will prevent them from running effectively.

Grade: C. For Cutler.

Why Oklahoma City can beat the Lakers

The ending of Game 4 of the Oklahoma City Thunder/Los Angeles Lakers series was a strange sight. None of the usual suspects were on the floor due to the game being a blowout, but not in the direction that anyone would have expected. Final score: Thunder 110 Lakers 89. Many expected the Thunder to compete in this series and maybe even steal a game or two, but ultimately everybody knew that the defending champs would defeat the young Oklahoma City team without being tested too much. Nobody foresaw the Thunder manhandling LA as thoroughly as they did in Game 4, and now with the series tied at 2 games apiece, the Thunder have a realistic chance at winning this series.

If OKC can steal Game 5 in LA, then they take a series lead home for Game 6 to a great home crowd which creates an environment that makes them tough to beat. The notion of winning in LA isn't as far-fetched as one might think, as the Thunder only lost by 8 in Game 1 and 3 in Game 2. If they can continue to play the way the have then this team will put themselves in a position to win tonight. In their two wins this series the Thunder have gotten balanced scoring, which makes them a very difficult team to beat. Kevin Durant is averaging 27 points and Russell Westbrook 22 points, however contributions from Jeff Green and especially James Harden off the bench kept the scoring pressure off of the two stars. If the role players continue scoring, then shutting down Durant doesn't kill Oklahoma City's chances to win.

Rebounding has also been extremely key to the Thunder's success. This is strange since the Lakers enjoy such a large height advantage, however in the Thunder's two wins they have outrebounded Los Angeles. Both Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum are averaging 11 and 10 boards respectively, but the rebound-by-committee approach of OKC has allowed them to win the battle for the boards. Seven Thunder players are averaging at least 3.8 rebounds in this series, led by Durant (19 boards in Game 3) and Westbrook (6.5 rpg). Getting solid rebounding contributions from multiple players, especially from the guard positions, allows the Thunder to overcome 21 rpg from Bynum and Gasol.

The Lakers have multiple issues that need to be addressed, foremost of which is shot distribution. Not only did Kobe Bryant only attempt 10 shots in Game 4, he didn't even take a shot until the second quarter. Los Angeles needs Kobe to score and not spend an entire quarter 'getting his teammates involved'. While that may sound like a good teammate, this Lakers team needs Kobe to lead by scoring, or at the very least looking for his shot. In addition, Bynum and Gasol have to get more touches; both these players are shooting well over 50% for the series, however they are only taking a combined 22 shots per game. The Lakers need to use these skilled post scorers to abuse the Thunder in the paint and dominate the remainder of this series. Where should these extra shots come from? Why, Derek Fisher of course! Fisher is putting up 9 shots per game, and while he is shooting 50% from beyond the arc, he is only shooting 27% on two point shots. Fisher needs to only be shooting spot of threes when the ball is kicked out of the post; that is when he is at his best and that is what will give LA the best chance to win.

Oklahoma City has been able to take the Lakers height 'advantage' and turn it into a positive situation for themselves, by hitting outside shots and getting into transition. Gasol has had enormous amounts of trouble guarding Jeff Green the last two games due to Green's quickness and ability to knock down threes. If OKC can continue to use their quickness and athleticism to get fast break opportunities, then they have a chance to pull off this upset.

Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Recap

In the midst of a tumultuous off season the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the annual "winners" at the draft, had some serious needs to fill for the first time in a while. Age, departures, and sub-par performances left holes on the offensive line, in the secondary, at wide receiver, and at running back. A much larger article on the Ben Roethlisberger saga will be appearing later, but for now just a few quick hitters on how they did on draft day.

Draft Thoughts

• Despite some unexpected players (Brian Bulaga, Dez Bryant) being available when the Steelers went on the clock with the 18th pick, the Steelers stuck with the guy they had targeted from the beginning of the off season. Florida center Maurkice Pouncey is a 6'4" 304 pound bulldog and will provide instant help to an offensive line coming off an underwhelming year.
• In one of the more discussed moves of the draft, the Steelers drafted three outside linebackers in the 2nd, 4th, and 5th rounds respectively. Pittsburgh is a team traditionally known for its pass rushing outside linebackers, but only two can ever play a down together, and, perhaps more importantly, it is not a position that was considered a need. Some suspect however that this was a strategic move to improve the Steelers coverage unit on special teams; an area where they struggled mightily last year.
• Replacing traded WR Santonio Holmes became a priority in this draft. Along with the continued improvement of second year blazer Mike Wallace, the Steelers hope 3rd round draft choice Emmanuel Sanders out of SMU will help replace Holmes. Sanders should also help in the return game right away.
• In a league that is increasingly moving towards a two-back system, the Steelers may have struck late round gold by snagging Jonathan Dwyer out of Georgia Tech with 188th overall pick. Dwyer is a bruiser and should help spell starting running back Rashard Mendenhall immediately.
• The biggest trade of the draft for Pittsburgh happened when the Steelers traded for Bryant McFadden, a former Pittsburgh defensive back that spent the last year with the Arizona Cardinals. The veteran player should make a difference on a unit that had a rough year.

Steelers Picks

1. C Maurkice Pouncey - Florida (18th pick, 1st round)
2. OLB Jason Worilds- Virginia Tech (52nd pick, 2nd round)
3. WR Emmanuel Sanders - SMU (82nd pick, 3rd round)
4. OLB Thaddeus Gibson - Ohio State (116th pick, 4th round)
5. OG Chris Scott - Tennessee (151st pick, 5th round)
6. CB Crezdon Butler - Clemson (164th pick, 5th round)
7. OLB Stevenson Sylvester - Utah (166th pick, 5th round)
8. RB Jonathan Dwyer - Georgia Tech (188th pick 6th round)
9. WR Antonio Brown - Central Michigan (195th pick, 6th round)
10. DE Doug Worthington - Ohio State (242 pick, 7th round)

Grade: B

Let's Catch Up

NHL Playoff Series

East

• Capitals 3 - Canadians 1
• Flyers 3 - Devils 1
• Bruins 3 - Sabres 1
• Penguins 3 - Senators 1

West

• Sharks 2 - Avalanche 2
• Predators 2 - Hawks 1
• Canucks 2 - Kings 2
• Red Wings 2 - Coyotes 2

Some Extra NHL Notes:

• The #1 seed Washington Capitals pulled starter Jose Theodore for backup Semyon Varlamov after Theodore lost game 1 in OT and proceeded to allow 2 goals on his first 2 shots in game 2.
• Sidney Crosby leads the NHL in playoff points - 4 goals and 7 assists for 11 points.
• Nicklas Backstrom is second - 5 goals & 4 assists
• Alex Ovechkin - 4 goals & 4 assists for 8 points
• Henrick Zetterburg - 5 goals @ 2 assists for 7 points
• New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur has given up 14 goals in 4 games vs. the Flyers.
• Flyer forwards Simone Gagne & Jeff Carter both suffered foot injuries in game 4 in Philly on Tuesday.

Other Sports News:

• Drew Brees was officially named the Madden 11 cover boy today. The cover was decided based on fan voting for the first time in history. The game Madden 11 will be released by EA Sports on August 10.
• Tonight (April 22) is the NFL draft. It can be seen on ESPN at 7:30 pm.
• NBA playoff action on Thursday includes the Lakers, Cavaliers, and Suns.

Links:

• Check out this LeBron Dunk
• Katz - NCAA rules for entering the NBA draft

Detroit Lions 2010 Draft

As a life long Detroit Lions Fan, this Thursday is my super bowl. The NFL draft is the only time of the year i have hope for my team for the upcoming season. After a 2-14 season the Lions earned themselves the number 2 pick in the upcoming draft. This year is one of the deepest drafts in terms of defensive talent in recent memory and I fully expect the Lions to take advantage of it.

With the number 2 pick in the NFL draft the Detroit lions select Ndomukong Suh, Defensive Tackle from Nebraska.
Yes, the Lions have many other needs that need to be addressed especially in the secondary, offensive line, and at running back, but I cannot see Jim Schwartz and Gunther Cunningham passing on the best player in the draft. They have also had the worst defense in league history the last two years and the along with the additions they have made on the Defensive line this off season, Suh will be a major piece in getting the Lions to respectability.



With the 34th pick in the 2010 NFL draft the Detroit Lions select Sean Weatherspoon LB Missouri. I can also see Brandon Spikes being drafted here but i don't think he will get out of the first round. Everything i have seen on Weatherspoon shows that he can really play; and he did it at Missouri (which isn't exactly known for strong defensive teams).
*Authors edit: recent news has me thinking that the 34th pick could be Taylor Mays from USC (not as a safety but as a Linebacker).

With the 66th pick in the NFL draft the Detroit Lions select Myron Rolle, SS Flordia state. If Rolle falls to the 3rd round the Lions will be getting a steal. If he would have entered the draft last year he would have been a late first round or early second round pick. A tandem of Rolle and Delmas at safety will greatly help the rest of the defense and along with the addition of 1st round pick Ndumkong Suh, the Lions could resemblance that of an actual NFL defense.

This is what i believe should happen though i can see other scenarios playing out. I would like to see the Lions focus on improving the worst Defense in the NFL. Now, having said all this and knowing the Lions, they will most likely draft Okung from Oklahoma st. in the first round, Best from Cal in the second round, and a receiver in the 3rd round... Maybe this is the year where the Lions actually do something right to improve their defense, for once.

The Curse of the John Madden

EA Sports has narrowed down their next victim for the 2011 Madden cover to 3 players; Front-runner Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints, Reggie Wayne of the Indianapolis Colts, and Jared Allen of the Minnesota Vikings. What exactly is the Madden Curse you ask? Prior to 1999 the video game series of Madden NFL Football features John Madden himself on every cover. It was during the 1999 season that a tradition of putting a prominent player from the previous years season on the cover began. That is when all the trouble started:

Madden 1999

Garrison Hearst was the original Madden cover boy. He had a great regular season but broke his ankle in the divisional playoff game vs the Falcons. Hearst would miss two full NFL seasons to start off what has become an annual phenomenon.

Madden 2000

Barry Sanders is pictured in this version of Madden and retired before training camp even began.

*Madden 2001

Eddie George escaped the curse unharmed as he rushed 403 times for 1,509 yards while playing in every game.

Madden 2002

Daunte Culpepper was the league leader in TD passes in 2000 with 33. After being placed on the cover Daunte threw for only 13 TDs and 14 INTs. He also missed the final 5 games of the season with a knee injury.

Madden 2003

Marshall Faulk had rushed for 1,000 yards in 7 of his first 8 seasons as a pro. After being on the cover Faulk never hit the mark again and missed 2 games with an ankle injury.

Madden 2004

Michael Vick broke his leg in a pre-season game. He would miss the first 11 games of the season.

*Madden 2005

Ray Lewis got away for the most part but he failed to get an INT for the first time in his career and injured his wrist in week 15.

Madden 2006

Donovan McNabb missed the final 7 games of the season with a hernia.

Madden 2007

Shaun Alexander rushed for 1880 yards in the previous year. His first 3 games produced only 187 yards and he went on to break a bone in his foot causing him to miss 6 games in 2006.

Madden 2008

Vince Young suffered a knee injury in week 3 of the 2007 season. He would be replaced by backup QB Kerry Collins who would take over as starter for the rest of the year.

Madden 2009

Brett Favre played for the Jets in his first season away from the Green Bay Packers. Favre led the Jets to a fast start (8-3) but saw the season fall apart as he threw 2 TDs and 9 INTs in the last 5 games. Favre admitted to having an arm injury after the season but he played through the pain.

Madden 2010

Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers sprained his MCL in the first half of the Steeler's first game and would go on to miss 13 games in the 2009 season. Madden 10 feautured 2 athletes on the cover, the second being Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald who escaped the curse.

Maybe you don't believe in curses and think that being on the Madden cover is no big deal. It is hard to ignore the fact that in 12 versions of the Madden game we have seen such consistent injury and decline in performance from players that appear on this cover. I can just picture Madden sitting there poking the cover with pins and needles voodoo doll style. He must have been busy in 01 and 05. Maybe this jinx is just a 12 year coincidence and players in the NFL are just subject to off-seasons and injury. No one knows for sure but taking a look at the track record...

Drew Brees may want to give Eddie George a call.

Michigan Ultimate Sectionals

While this blog normally deals with the major sports, I would like to take some time writing about a sport that is far from major. This sport doesn't have a professional league, isn't sanctioned by the NCAA, and doesn't even have referees. I am talking about a sport that has quickly become one of my favorites, Ultimate Frisbee.

Most people are familiar with Ultimate only as a pickup sport, but many don't know that there are Ultimate leagues across the country and the world. I stumbled into the world of Ultimate while in college when one of the players that I was playing pickup with twice a week invited me to join the team at Western Michigan. Thus I entered the realm of competitive Ultimate that most people, other than those playing in it, don't even know exists. In the US leagues are governed by the Ultimate Players Association, or UPA, and are broken into a college and club season. Club ultimate is split into divisions that include Open, Womens, Mixed and Masters, while the College season has only Open and Mixed divisions. The college season is played in the spring and every year teams compete in three tournaments to crown a national champion: sectionals, regionals and nationals.

This past weekend college Ultimate teams from all across the state of Michigan descended upon Kalamazoo for the Michigan Ultimate Sectionals, with the top four teams moving on to the Great Lakes Regional in Boomington, Ill. Coming into the weekend it was known that traditional powers Michigan State and Michigan would place 1st and 2nd, leaving two bids to regionals to be fought for among the remaining teams, namely Kalamazoo College, Western Michigan, Michigan Reserve, Calvin College, and Hope College.

Wind can play a major factor in Ultimate, and that was very evident during Saturday's games; none more so than WMU's Dark Horse vs Hope College. With neither team able to score an upwind point (when the offense scores while throwing into the wind), the two teams traded points and the game ended with Hope scoring a downwind point to win (due to the fact that Hope won the opening flip and thus got to be on offense first). It was a tough loss for Dark Horse, but its all a part of the game.

While the majority of my time was spent watching my alma mater and former team, Dark Horse, I was able to watch some other games, including the championship game of Magnum (Michigan) vs Burning Couch (Michigan State). These two teams went into the weekend ranked 11th and 12th in the nation, adding to the already fierce rivalry that these teams have. Couch controlled the game for most of the contest, taking half at 8-5 before eventually leading 13-10, however Magnum made a comeback, evening the score at 14 all and forcing a winner-take-all Universe Point. State scored to take the game and the section, ending a string of sectional wins by Michigan.

Another major rivalry was renewed this weekend, as the always heated game between crosstown foes Dark Horse and the Ultimate Buzz of Kalamazoo College was played Sunday morning. The game was hard-fought, with many momentum shifts, but in the end the Buzz ended a string of three consecutive losses by defeating Dark Horse 13-11, and reclaiming the Alyson Cup (a rivalry trophy given to the winner of each Dark Horse/Buzz matchup).

The weekend ended with Michigan State, Michigan, K-College, and Michigan Reserve moving on to regionals. Dark Horse's dreams of regionals ended when they finished 6th, which was not a major surprise given the amount of youth on the team. However, losing only two seniors and with a strong showing by the recruits of this past year, Dark Horse is primed to make several regional runs in the next few years. Next up for the top four is a trip to Bloomington where they will attempt to be one of the top two teams that gets to compete for the championship at nationals in Madison, WI.

NBA Postseason Preview

1 Cleveland Cavaliers

vs

8 Chicago Bulls

Cleveland
The Cavs bring the best record in the league to the playoffs with them, and a determination to avenge last years loss to the Magic in the Conference Finals. New faces Antawn Jamison and Shaquille O'Neal were brought in for this time of year only. Jamison to be the reliable second scorer Cleveland hasn't had in years and Shaq to guard the likes of Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum. Then there's also that LeBron kid, who said that the Bulls would see a 'different animal' in these playoffs. Watch out Chicago.

Chicago
The strong play of Derrick Rose and the return of Joakim Noah from injury allowed the Bulls to scrape into the playoffs. This team does have playoff experience from last years epic 7-game series with Boston, however key players Ben Gordon and John Salmons, who carried Chicago in much of that series, have moved on to other teams. Kirk Hinrich is playing solid basketball, as usual, and Taj Gibson has proven he can play in the frontcourt along with Noah.

Key Matchup - Luol Deng vs LeBron James
Since it is doubtful that anybody on the planet can guard LeBron, the goal becomes simply slowing him down, which might be an impossible task for Deng. LeBron will be able to get anywhere on the court, while shutting down Deng on the other end with his ever improving defense.

X-Factor - Bench Play
While both teams have solid starting lineups, the bench is what sets the Cavs apart. Cleveland knows it will get production from Varajao, Big Z, Delonte West, and Daniel Gibson. Can Chicago get anything from Flip Murray, James Johnson, and Brad Miller?

Prediction
Cavs in 5

2 Orlando Magic

vs

7 Charlotte Bobcats

Orlando
The Magic began the year with one goal in mind: return to the championship and finish with a ring. The addition of Matt Barnes helped to bring toughness and perimeter defense that Orlando lacked last year, while Vince Carter has filled the scoring and playmaking void left by Hedo Turkoglu. Dwight Howard is a force that few teams can contain on either end of the court.

Charlotte
This is the Bobcats first appearance in the playoff, made possible by the trade for Stephen Jackson at the beginning of the year. Jackson combines with Gerald Wallace and Boris Diaw to form one of the most versatile lineup in the league, with each of those players capable of playing multiple positions. Tyson Chandler left the Bobcats game Wednesday night after landing hard on his elbow and hip. X-rays were negative, but this may limit his playoff minutes and effectiveness.

Key Matchup - Dwight Howard vs Charlotte's Bigs
The Bobcats do not have anybody capable of guarding Dwight, especially with the injury to Chandler. If Dwight demands the ball in the post, instead of disappearing while his teammates jack up threes as he has been known to do, he will dominate this series and end it swiftly.

X-Factor - Bobcats perimeter defense
The three point shooting of the Magic will make or break them in the playoffs. Larry Brown turned the Bobcats into one of the best defensive teams in the league this year, if he can get them to crowd the likes of Lewis, Carter, Barnes, and Redick then Charlotte will have a chance to steal a few games.

Prediction
Magic in 5

3 Atlanta Hawks

vs

6 Milwaukee Bucks

Atlanta
Still holding distinction of most athletic team in the league, the Hawks have built on that athleticism to become one of the top teams in the East. The addition of Jamal Crawford gives Atlanta energy and scoring off the bench, along with a fearless crunch time shooter. The frontcourt tandem of Al Horford and Josh Smith is one of the best in the league at rebounding, defending, and blocking shots.

Milwaukee
Two weeks ago the Bucks were the team that nobody in the East wanted to see in the first round of the playoffs. Since the injury to Andrew Bogut, that sentiment has cooled off, but the Bucks haven't. Milwaukee has won four of six since losing Bogut, with veteran Kurt Thomas and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute filling in and doing a good job defensively. The offense, however, has become extremely perimeter oriented, with Brandon Jennings, John Salmons, and Carlos Delfino shouldering much of the load. Veterans Luke Ridnour and Jerry Stackhouse provide solid minutes off the bench.

Key Matchup - Brandon Jennings vs Jamal Crawford
It is the first time in the playoffs for both of these players, and while each has been spectacular during the regular season, this is a different brand of basketball. Each of these players has the ability to shoot their team into or out of a series; which one will take (and make) the right shots at the right times could be the deciding factor in the series.

X-Factor - Ersan Ilyasova
The 'other' rookie on the Bucks has shown that he can pick up some of the scoring slack left by Bogut's injury. Ilyasova has scored 13 ppg in Milwaukee's four wins and just 7.5 ppg in the two losses after Bogut went down. He is the only offensive post presence that the Bucks have and his scoring would take pressure off of the guards, who occasionally try to do too much.

Prediction
Atlanta in 6

4 Boston Celtics

vs

5 Miami Heat

Boston
Boston has limped into the playoffs nursing injuries, bad chemistry, and old age. The Celtics struggled to find a rhythm down the stretch, as their defense has been poor (opponents have scored over 100 in 8 of the last 9 games) and the offense hasn't been good enough to compensate. The Big Three are aging and have sputtered a bit lately, while the bench hasn't produced well enough to be counted on in the playoffs. Rajon Rondo has been the teams best player, but on a team with the likes of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, that isn't a good thing.

Miami
The Heat are clicking on every level right now, winning 12 of their last 13 games. Dwayne Wade has been awesome, but it is the role players that have stepped in to give the Heat a boost. Scoring from Michael Beasley and Quentin Richardson, and solid inside play from Jermaine O'Neal and Udonis Haslem make this team a difficult matchup.

Key Matchup - Rajon Rondo vs Mario Chalmers and Carlos Arroyo
Point guard play will have a large impact on the outcome of this series. As previously stated, Rondo has been the best player on the Celtics, while point guard has been the weakest position for the Heat. Will either Chalmers or Arroyo be able to prevent Rondo from scoring and setting up his teammates? It is highly likely that Rondo could average 17+ points and 12+ assists in this series. (Note - disregard all of this if Wade takes on the task of guarding Rondo)

X-Factor - Dwayne Wade
I know it seems like a cop-out, but Wade has the ability to take over a playoff series. If he decides that he won't let the Heat lose, then he can carry them to a series win as he has shown in the past.

Prediction
Miami in 6

1 Los Angeles Lakers

vs

8 Oklahoma City Thunder

Los Angeles
The Lakers have lost 7 of their last 11 games heading into the postseason, with the biggest problem seeming to be a lack of intensity (missing Andrew Bynum and Kobe for a few games doesn't help either). The defending champs have been coasting for a while now, and it remains to be seen if they can flip the proverbial switch now that the playoffs are here. The champs switched out Ariza for Artest hoping for a shutdown defender, and while Artest has slowed a bit, he can still defend well when he is properly motivated.

Oklahoma City
The Thunder are one of the most exciting teams in the League to watch. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green form an extremely athletic and talented top three that are backed by solid bench players. James Harden can ball and will be a solid pro in the years to come, while Eric Maynor is the best pure point guard that can be found coming off of the bench. OKC also has a solid collection of big men, the most intriguing of whom (Serge Ibaka) has shown the potential to be a great defensive center. The biggest knock on this team is lack of experience, but they make up for it with a collective swagger of a team that expects to win games.

Key Matchup - Russell Westbrook vs LA point guards
It is highly doubtful that Derek Fisher can stay in from of Westbrook for long past the opening tip, so how will young backups Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar fare? If Kobe ends up guarding Westbrook, can the Thunder's 2 guards take advantage and score on Fisher? A big series for Westbrook would be huge for OKC, and conversely, shutting down Westbrook and not giving the Thunder a second scoring option would give the defending champs an enormous advantage.

X-Factor - Andrew Bynum's Health
If a healthy Bynum plays, there is very little chance that the Thunder can win this series. Playing Bynum allows Pau Gasol to switch to power forward, forming one of the tallest front lines in the NBA. The Thunder's best lineup is small, with Jeff Green at the 4, but he would get abused by Gasol in the post. Anytime Bynum and Pau can be on the court there will be huge matchup problems for the Thunder.

Prediction
LA in 6

2 Dallas Mavericks

vs

7 San Antonio Spurs

Dallas
The Mavericks have been on a tear ever since trading for Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood. Butler has been the reliable scorer that Josh Howard never turned into, while Haywood gives Dallas a younger, taller version of starting center, Erick Dampier. Jason Kidd defies age and continues to play great basketball, and Dirk is Dirk. This is one of the most talented teams in the NBA and they are built for a deep playoff run.

San Antonio
Tim Duncan and Co. are getting healthy at just the right time, which is bad news for the Mavericks. The combination veterans with championship experience and energetic young players is nearly perfect. Duncan, Ginobli and Parker all have rings, while Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess are no strangers to the playoffs either. Recent injuries to Parker have allowed George Hill to mature as he received extra playing time and DeJuan Blair has been outstanding every time he is on the floor.

Key Matchup - Jason Terry vs Manu Ginobli
Assuming Manu returns to the bench, the top sub from each of these teams will be the last two Sixth Man of the Year award winners. Both teams rely on their respective player for energy and scoring off of the bench, and whichever player can provide it more consistently could swing the series.

X-Factor - Richard Jefferson
When Jefferson was traded to the Spurs, many labeled them as the team to beat in the entire league. While those expectations may have been a bit lofty, Jefferson's presence hasn't given quite the boost that was expected. Jefferson can silence all his critics with a solid playoff showing. If he can be the scorer that he has been in the past, then he gives the Spurs an extra dimension that would make them extremely tough to beat.

Prediction
Dallas in 7

3 Phoenix Suns

vs

6 Portland Trailblazers

Phoenix
The Suns blazed through the second half of the season (23-6 since the All-Star break) to the three seed. Steve Nash has been his usual self, leading this team with expert passing, great leadership, and stellar shooting percentages. Amare Stoudemire responded to all the trade talks by averaging nearly 27 points on 56% shooting and 9.6 boards in the last two months of the season. The real reason for the Suns success has been *gasp* defense. Phoenix has moved from one of the leagues bottom defenses to the middle of the pack, which combines with their offense (best in the league) to form a dangerous combination (top 5 in point differential).

Portland
The TrailBlazers have struggled past a myriad of injuries to make it into the playoffs, only to be stripped of their best player for at least the first series. Brandon Roy will have surgery to repair a torn meniscus, leaving Portland searching to replace his production. They will need increased contributions from frontcourt players LaMarcus Aldridge and Marcus Camby, while veteran point guard Andre Miller now seems like an excellent free agent pickup this offseason. Miller will need to combine with Rudy Fernandez and Jerryd Bayless to account for Roy's lost playmaking and outside scoring.

Key Matchup - Suns Bigs vs Blazers Bigs
Once a weakness due to season ending injuries to Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla, the Blazers froncourt has been bolstered through a trade for veteran Marcus Camby. Camby and Aldridge could take advantage of a Suns frontcourt that is without its top post defender in Robin Lopez. If Portland can beat up the Suns down low, and possibly get Stoudemire in foul trouble, then they have a shot at extending this series.

X-Factor - Rudy Fernandez
The best thing about Brandon Roy being injured is that the world gets to see a lot of my favorite current NBA player, Rudy Fernandez. Fernandez will start at shooting guard for the Blazers, and they will need him to play well to have chance at winning this series. 'Rudy Buckets' is a very athletic player who can play above the rim, shoot the three, and create for his teammates. A good showing in this series may just allow the Blazers to forget about what they are missing in Roy, and give them a chance at upsetting the Suns in round 1.

Prediction
Phoenix in 5

4 Denver Nuggets

vs

5 Utah Jazz

Denver
The Nuggets enter the playoffs a bit disappointed. After losing to the Lakers in a tough series last year, the goal was to have a solid regular season and obtain home court advantage throughout the playoffs; now the Nuggets may only have if for the first round. Carmelo Anthony can score from anywhere on the court, and Chauncey Billups is one of the best game managers in the league. J.R. Smith is the streakiest shooter in the NBA and can make or break the Nuggets this year. The frontcourt of Nene, Kenyon Martin, and Chris Anderson is solid, but not spectacular.

Utah
The Jazz were in position to be as high as the two seed a week ago and now don't even have home court advantage for the first round. Regardless, any Jerry Sloan team is going to be solid defensively and execute well on offense. Deron Williams has complete control of this team, and it often goes as he goes. Carlos Boozer is a presence in the post, but backup Paul Milsap is not too shabby either. The scoring from the remaining players can be a mystery from game to game, with any player capable of going for anywhere from 0 to 20 points in a game. The offense is predicated on the pick and roll, and how well the Nuggets defend this will impact this series in a large way. It also looks as if perennially injured Andrei Kirilenko will miss at least the first series.

Key Matchup - Carlos Boozer's Rib Cage vs Kenyon Martin's Knee
The health of these two players will have a huge influence on the outcome of this series. Both these players play a key role in their teams offenses, and while it looks like Martin will play, Boozer will be a game-time decision. Boozer may be more instrumental to his teams success, but he also has a more talented backup in Paul Milsap, who attack the boards with the best in the league but lacks Boozer's post scoring ability. The availability for one of both of these players could swing a game and with it the series.

X-Factor - J.R. Smith
As was touched on earlier, Smith is a player that can be nonexistent for games at a time, but can also drop 40 without batting an eye. If he gets hot, this series could be over very quickly, because he can be very tough to cool off.

Prediction
Nuggets in 7

Lebron James and the MVP

Let me start out this post by saying... I don't like LeBron James. I know, I hear the collective gasp. Why, you ask? He is a showboater, he travels more than Marco Polo, the majority of his game is predicated on drawing contact, and (perhaps most importantly) he plays for Cleveland. In a superstar's league, the ultimate superstar gets every break from the refs and media. His annual candidacy for Defensive player of the year is a joke as LeBron essentially plays the role of free safety through the first 45 minutes of a 48 minute game. In last year's MVP race, if I had a vote, it would have gone to Kobe Bryant. The Black Mamba remains the best closer in the game, is an outstanding on ball defender and has forgotten more about basketball than LeBron will ever learn. This year however, it isn't even close.


LeBron James is officially the best player in basketball in 2010 and the Most Valuable Player. This season was supposed to be a struggle for the Cavaliers. Mike Brown is still the worst successful coach in basketball, and the LeBrons only added an ancient Shaquille O'Neal to the mix, failing to fix their biggest issue, which was a lack of speed at the power forward position (Antawn Jamison didn't show up until later). The Cavs and LeBron were always going to be measured by postseason success one year after a 65 win season with an MVP win that ended in the conference finals. Not to mention the fact that the potential for LeBron's departure at the end of the year was supposed to put a damper on the whole proceedings. None of it mattered.

The other names you typically see around an MVP race all fell off. Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant were injured for long stretches. Kevin Garnett has aged drastically the last two years. Dwyane Wade was fabulous, but never got his Miami Heat into high gear like the Cavaliers. Dwight Howard was the anchor for the second best team in the country, but he failed to dominate on a nightly basis. LeBron on the other hand, upped his game. He played more minutes shot a better FG%, increased his assists by 1.4 per game, and pushed up his scoring. Now he leads the heavily favored Cavaliers into the playoffs with the overall #1 seed. King James played like a king.

In the playoffs, if he fails to win the title this year, questions will rain down upon LeBron. Everyone will doubt his ability to lead a team to the promised land, people will want to know if he is going to flee Cleveland (or as I like to think of it, the mistake by the milake). None of it really matters in the long term view of his career. Wherever LeBron is, there will be media cameras and a 60 win playoff contender, and at some point, an NBA Championship team. I just won't be rooting for him.

The Home Stretch

Just a few quick notes about recent happenings in the NBA as the regular season comes to a close:

• In the playoff picture, Toronto beat the Pistons tonight to come within a half game of the Chicago Bulls for the 8th playoff spot in the East. Chicago has two games left, while the Raptors only have one, however Toronto does own the tiebreaker if both teams end with the same record.
• Atlanta has won three games in a row and now has a 1.5 game lead over Boston for the 3rd seed, likely playing Milwaukee in the first round.
• Portland has won its last two games, but lost G Brandon Roy to a torn meniscus. Roy will miss the last two regular season games, but may choose to postpone surgery in order to play in the playoffs.
• The Oklahoma City Thunder will likely end up with the 8th seed in the West after losing to Portland tonight. OKC has only one game left (against Memphis) and currently sit a game behind Portland and San Antonio. Kevin Durant needs to score 22 points to wrap up the League's scoring title, assuming LeBron sits out Cleveland's last game.
• The biggest news in the NBA from the past week surprisingly came out of Golden State, where Warriors coach Don Nelson passed Lenny Wilkins to become the NBA's all time winningest coach. The Warriors beat the Timberwolves last Wednesday to give Nellie his 1,333 career win. Nelson coached Milwaukee from '76-'87, Golden State from '88-'95, spend one year coaching the Knicks in the '95-'96 season, coached Dallas from '97-'05, and Golden State again from '06-present.

Quote of the Day:

"Statistics are like bikinis. They are nice to look at, but they don't tell the whole story."

- Brent Barry, NBA TV analyst

For Your Viewing Pleasure: Will Bynum blocks a layup by Jose Calderon.

BC is too good

Boston College is good. Too good. The Eagles won their 4th National Title in Men's D1 Hockey this Saturday night with a 5-0 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers. The college of just under 1,000 undegraduates and 4,000 grad students has produced one of the greatest programs in sports that you may not know much about. Coach Jerry York took over the program in 1994 and had instant success. Since 1998 the program has been a college hockey mecca. Drool on this...

Since 1998:

• Winners of 4 Hockey East (HEA) conference titles (2001, 2003, 2004, 2005)
• Winners of 7 Hockey East Tournament titles (1998, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010)
• 11 NCAA tournament appearances in 13 seasons
• The Eagles have been in College Hockey's Frozen Four 9 times
• Played in the Championship Game 7 out of 9 times
• BC has won 3 National championships over this stretch (2001, 2008, 2010)

This team has set the gold standard in college hockey and is producing talent that can compete at the next level; Over 50 players have been drafted into NHL from BC and 16 are currently playing in the league. Coach Jerry York has more wins that any current active coach with 850 which is second all time to Michigan State's Ron Mason (924). York has 4 total Championships, 3 with BC and 1 with former team, Bowling Green. The Eagles skated into the Frozen four this past weekend as an underdog vs the #1 overall seed & #2 nationally ranked Miami(OH) Red-hawks and promptly destroyed them 7-1. Saturday night had the Eagles matched up with the #1 nationally ranked and #3 overall seed Badgers; The Eagles delivered scoring 4 goals in the 3rd period to bury the favored Wisconsin squad. Goaltender John Muse made 20 saves and recored the shutout to make his NCAA tournament record 8-0. The Frozen Four was held in Detroit, MI this year and Saturday's game recorded a record for an indoor college hockey game with 37,592 fans in attendance. Boston College is going to be around for a long time and winning is something that has become a yearly tradition for this team. When it comes to college hockey, this is one team to keep a sharp eye on.

Other Notes:

• Make sure you are inviting your sport-loving friends to check out The Goal Posters!!
• Be sure to check out the Routinely Average movie blog with Adam and Ben as well.

Welcome to the D-League

It was announced Wednesday that 5 players from the University of Kentucky declared for the NBA draft. Departing stars John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Patrick Patterson were joined in leaving by freshmen Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton. I'll pause a second for everybody that isn't a Kentucky fan to say, "Daniel who?"

...and we're back. Wall, the likely #1 pick, has the makings of an NBA star (check out this monster slam), while Cousins, though flush with character issues, is an extremely talented ball player who will be a lottery pick. Junior Patterson nearly left for the NBA after last season, but chose to remain with the team and work on his game. While his numbers are down across the board, that can be attributed more to the arrival of Wall and Cousins than to any regression in skill. Patterson impressed scouts by using this season to add an outside shot, making 24 threes after not making any in his previous two seasons.

I have no qualms about the departure of these three players, however Bledsoe and Orton cause me to scratch my head. Bledsoe has talent, averaging 11.3 ppg this season, and will likely be a first round pick, however he could benefit greatly from another year on campus. A great example for Bledsoe to follow is Ohio State's Evan Turner. Turner averaged similar numbers to Bledsoe his freshman year, yet he stayed for another two years, improved both his game and his mentality to become the 2010 Naismith Award Winner. I'm not saying that Bledsoe could win player of the year honors, but he has areas in his game the would benefit vastly from staying another year at Kentucky, such as decision making and cutting down on turnovers.

Orton's decision to enter the draft just seems moronic. What NBA team would draft a player who averaged a whopping 3.4 points and 3.3 rebounds? Sadly, when the person averaging those stats is a 6-10, 255 lb man-child, then numerous teams are willing to take a chance on that tantalizing mystery that is 'potential'. NBA teams are starving for big-men, and so a player who only played 13 minutes per game in college can be selected in the NBA draft. It appears that Orton may have gotten caught up in all the success that the Wildcats had this year and didn't want to be left at school while Wall and co. jumped to the NBA, a la Taurean Green. Green left the University of Florida after his junior season and back to back national titles in 2006 and 2007. Also leaving that year were current NBA players Al Horford, Joakim Noah, and Corey Brewer, and it is my speculation that the sole reason Green left was because he didn't want to be left alone at Florida after all of his buddies went to the NBA. Green was drafted 52nd overall in the draft, got sent to the NBA-Developmental League just a few months into the season, and was cut after only a year in the league. In all likelyhood Orton will spend next year, and possibly many more years, in the D-league and probably end up in Europe, where failed NBA players, like Green, play.

With this as his most likely destination, why would Orton leave the situation he was in at Kentucky to for an outside shot at the NBA? Obviously money is a large factor in this decision, but Orton could make much more if he stayed in college, developed his game, and declared for the draft in a few years when he has a more realistic chance of making, and contributing to, an NBA team. It makes much more sense to me to stay and be 'the man' at Kentucky for a year or two. He wouldn't be playing on depleted teams either; Coach John Calipari has proven that he has no trouble recruiting talent (legally or otherwise) and he has another top class coming to campus next fall. Doesn't it make more sense to star on teams that are competing for SEC titles, if not national titles, every year? Not to mention Orton would be playing at a school with one of the richest basketball traditions in the country and one of its largest fan bases. He would have a chance to be a player that Kentucky fans remember, rather than a 'one and done' player who even the most die-hard fan will easily forget in 5 years.

Alas, we have to wait until the draft on June 24 to learn the fate of Orton and his fellow Wildcats, but I suppose I can wish them good luck in the draft.

And Daniel Orton, welcome to the D-League.

Detroit and the 1st Round

Hello everybody. I'm here to discuss the Detroit Lions and the NFL draft. In recent history the Lions have a miserable draft record... and that is putting it kindly. Under former GM Matt Millen, a series of disastrous picks and free agent signings doomed the Lions. The downward spiral culminated two years ago in the now infamous 0-16 season. Since it is mathematically impossible to get worse than 0-16, the Lions had only one direction to go. After a 2-14 season last year the Lions appear to be breathing again at the very least. Lets take a quick look back at the Matt Millen era before moving on to this month's draft.

Millen was the GM from 2001 to 2008. Eight catastrophic seasons during which the Lions assembled a jaw dropping record of 31 wins and 97 losses. Of the 45 draft picks the Lions made from '01-'06, three of them are currently on the active roster. Some of those noticeably absent include such high picks like Charles Rogers (who appears to be in trouble again), Mike Williams, and Joey Harrington. In 2005 alone, a mere five years ago, the Lions had six picks in the draft. Two of those players are now on other teams, and four of the Lions' selections in that draft are no longer in the league. That includes the Lions' first round pick and the 10th overall selection, WR Mike Williams, who was drafted ahead of such NFL mainstays as Demarcus Ware, Shawne Merriman, and Aaron Rodgers. Other wide receivers selected after Williams include Mark Clayton, Roddy White, and Vincent Jackson. In other words, poor choices were made.

In 2009 things seemed to start to turn around for the Lions (as much as a 2-14 season can be a turnaround). New GM Martin Mayhew used the first overall pick in the draft to net the Lions a gutty and talented franchise QB in Matt Stafford. The rest of the draft also provided players like safety Louis Delmas, who started for much of last year and will be expected to contribute again in 2010. Now with seven picks, including the #2 overall, the Lions are looking to improve through the draft.

The Lions have been fairly busy during the offseason, acquiring Kyle Vanden Bosch, Nate Burleson, Shaun Hill, OL Rob Sims and others. The Lions are essentially set at QB, TE, and WR, but just about everything else is a need. With the Saint Louis Rams all but locked in to QB Sam Bradford with the first overall pick, most are projecting the Lions will draft Ndamukong Suh, the DT out of Nebraska. Suh is widely considered the best player in the draft and fills a pressing need for the Lions. This seems like a slam dunk right? Well, not quite.

There are several rumors coming out of Lions central about a possible trade with the Washington Redskins for their leviathan of a DT Albert Haynesworth. This is attractive for a few reasons. First of all Haynesworth used to play for current Lions coach Jim Scwartz when they were with the Tennessee Titans. The trade for Haynesworth would allow the Lions to trade down a few picks so some other team could climb into a position to take Suh, or Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen. Not only would the trade down provide the Lions with a few more picks at their disposal, but ideally, it would allow them to take the #2 guy on the board for them, OL Russell Okung out of Oklahoma State. This would be quite a coup for the Lions to snag not only the highest rated offensive line prospect in the draft, but also get one of the top players in the NFL at the defensive tackle position. It will also be difficult to pull off.

Another thing to watch for later round picks is the secondary. The Lions have been mentioned as being interested in the talented but troubled defensive back Adam 'Pacman' Jones. If the Lions grab a few secondary players with their later picks, it could mean their interest has waned. They have already added former Carolina Panthers CB Dante Wesley through free agency.

It will be interesting to see how the next month shakes out personnel wise. But finally, after almost a decade of hand wringing, I can say that the Detroit Lions are moving on up.