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.