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Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
It May Finally be a Time of Change for Melo
It may be time for Carmelo to move on... |
The Blake Show
When the number one pick in the 2009 draft finally had his debut Wednesday night on ESPN, Blake Griffin was nothing short of impressive. His first career basket was quite a spectacle to watch, as Blake threw down a one-handed alley-oop from a pass from Randy Foye. It was Blake Griffin's play early in the game that got the stadium buzzing, and well worth the cheers. After his sweet alley-oop, he had a layup along with a put-back slam dunk after a missed Ryan Gomes jumpshot. Not only did he do this, but Griffin also scored off a tip-in layup after his two previous misses in a row. Blake's presence on the glass is extremely impressive, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The Clippers fan's truly have something to cheer about, as this year-late rookie has added a spark to the Los Angeles squad and gives them a positive outlook for the future. It will still take time for Griffin to develop and grow as an NBA player, but at the moment his first NBA game was outstanding.
But regardless, the Clippers still are the Clippers and executed poorly in the four quarter with a five minute scoreless drought that led the Portland Trailblazers to pull away with a solid lead. Blake Griffin did not get many touches in the second half, but I believe that this all comes with time and experience and will eventually lead to isolation plays specifically aimed at dominating the inside. Even though the Clippers lost to the Blazers 98-88, fans still have hope because of the highly talented Blake Griffin. Blake's final numbers were 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists obtaining a double-double easily. If Baron Davis can become an efficient player like he was in 2007, then the Clippers have a chance to contend for the playoff race. But as of right now, it is easily seen that the Clippers have something special and want to build off that. Long story short; Last night Blake Griffin put on a "Blake Show".
But regardless, the Clippers still are the Clippers and executed poorly in the four quarter with a five minute scoreless drought that led the Portland Trailblazers to pull away with a solid lead. Blake Griffin did not get many touches in the second half, but I believe that this all comes with time and experience and will eventually lead to isolation plays specifically aimed at dominating the inside. Even though the Clippers lost to the Blazers 98-88, fans still have hope because of the highly talented Blake Griffin. Blake's final numbers were 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists obtaining a double-double easily. If Baron Davis can become an efficient player like he was in 2007, then the Clippers have a chance to contend for the playoff race. But as of right now, it is easily seen that the Clippers have something special and want to build off that. Long story short; Last night Blake Griffin put on a "Blake Show".
Blake Griffin's first points of his NBA career was an amazing one-handed alley-oop. |
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
World Series Preview SPECIAL POST! (Shoutout to Ben Shcolnik for writing this article)
Which exciting team can win it all this season? With both teams including an excellent pitching squad, and Texas with an offense that is on fire, who will step up to the plate and get the job done? |
This is a World Series matchup that no one could have predicted back in March. Because of that, this makes this World Series much more exciting to watch and attracts many more viewers across the nation. Neither of these two teams have been a regular in the postseason recently so it creates a matchup of two underdogs in a sense. I personally can't wait to see how this series pans out, it should be a very competitive and dramatic one. The Rangers are a powerful hitting team while the Giants have the dominant pitching staff. And with Tim Lincecum going toe to toe with Cliff Lee (3-0, 34 K, 0.75 ERA), it is going to be a great start to this World Series. I look to see Nelson Cruz (batting .375, 5 HR, 8 RBI) and Ian Kinsler (.342, 3 HR, 9 RBI) continue their hot hitting and Cliff Lee dominate game one to give the Rangers a 1-0 series lead. I also look forward to seeing how youngsters Elvis Andrus of the Rangers and Buster Posey of the Giants respond to the big stage as they can make a big name for themselves.
First Night of NBA, Nothing Short of Entertaining
Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics
Tuesday night, the highly anticipated newest threat in the NBA the Miami Heat, faced the old veteran Boston Celtics trio in Boston. As Dwayne Wade, Lebron James, and Chris Bosh entered the arena, they were surrounded with chants of "overrated" and loud boos, which just may have the been the perfect term to describe the Heat's play that night. The Miami Heat almost seemed out of sync the first quarter, only being held to 9 points to a Celtic's 16, and ultimately down by 15 points, 30-45 at Halftime. It truly was surprising to see how poorly the Heat shot from the field in the first half; 11 of 41 (a weak 26.8 percent) opposed to Boston shooting a solid 17 - for - 38 (44 percent). While the Heat faced a difficult first half, they did seem to finally connect as a team more in the third and fourth quarter cutting the deficit to 6 heading into the final twelve minutes.
Lebron James seemed to be the only dominant force for the Heat Tuesday night, as Dwayne Wade only accumulated 13 points on 4- for -16 shooting and Bosh only producing 8 points and 8 rebounds. It makes people believe that because of the minor injury (strained right hamstring) Wade had faced during the pre-season showed Tuesday night. Only playing three minutes overall in the pre season, Dwayne Wade seemed out of sync shooting wise and just did not seem to "flow" well, leading LBJ alone to carry the team. Although Lebron had 8 turnovers throughout the entire game compared 7 times total by the four other starters on the floor, he was the most productive on the floor by far with fifteen of his points in the third quarter to even keep the Heat close in the game and give them a chance. As entertaining these three all-stars may seem, the Miami Heat look more productive when the trio are not all on the floor together. The men in this trio are not yet accustomed to the other threats available on the team, and still need to get comfortable and try to find their role or style of play as a whole. As Lebron James quoted after the game, "It's a feel-out process." Although the Heat fell to the Celtics 88-80, I am not too worried about this new squad as I am confident they will continue to play better as a team and dominate the East.
Phoenix Suns vs. Portland Trailblazers
Brandon Roy and his Trailblazers saw it was necessary that it was time for revenge against the Phoenix Suns, as they fell to them last season in the first round of the playoffs in six games. The first three quarters of the game seemed to be fairly productive for both teams, but more of an edge to the Suns as they carried the lead 81-75 into the fourth quarter. Up to this point, Steve Nash and Jason Richardson were the only Suns players producing, which ultimately led to the first loss of the season. With 26 points total from Nash and Richardson's 22, they were nearly the only players with points in double digits (besides power forward Hakim Warrick's 10) and just couldn't get enough help from the other teammates in the front court. These players such as Grant Hill (4 points in 26 minutes), Hedo Turkoglu (6 points in 27 minutes), and Robin Lopez (5 points in 25 minutes) combined a total of 15 points compared to recently traded Amare Stoudemire's 23.1 points per game last season. If these players as well as the rest of the Phoenix squad do not provide more points and fill the scoring gap of missing Amare Stoudemire, the Suns may be in trouble. It still is the beginning of a new season, so this is not something too severe to worry about, but changes need to be made and players need to start creating more scoring opportunities.
Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
It was an emotional night as the Los Angeles Lakers held a touching ceremony for their season opener as each player accepted their NBA championship ring, and celebrated their 16th championship by hanging the golden banner up in the Staples Center. The back-to-back champions sure needed every ounce of emotion they had to win this game Tuesday night against the fast and high-scoring Houston Rockets. The Lakers seemed to be fighting all night long as the Rockets held the lead for the majority of the game until the fourth quarter. The two teams traded the lead four times within the final minute the game and the final score wasn't ultimately decided until the final buzzer. While down by 11 points at half, the Lakers outscored the Rockets 61-48 in the second half and received their third straight season-opening win. Although Yao Ming had returned and played his first game since April 15 2009, and racked up 9 points and 11 rebounds it was not enough to stop the final surge of Kobe Bryant and his team.
With the new addition of Steve Blake and his helpful clutch back-to-back 3 point baskets to help trim the Rocket lead, along with the obvious scoring support of Pau Gasol and Shannon Brown, the Los Angeles Lakers were able to reel in the W. Even though the game was a battle till the end, the Lakers had the will and heart to finish when needed most and played as a team to start off 1-0 for the new 2010-2011 season. The defensive stance during the final seconds sealed the victory for the Lakers, as Lamar Odom blocked Houston guard Aaron Brook's attempted reverse layup ending the game. Tuesday, October 26th, was the start of the NBA season and was definitely entertaining to say the least.
Any thoughts?
Lebron James was the only Heat player to show up, shooting 10-for -21 from the field and putting up a solid 31 points. |
Lebron James seemed to be the only dominant force for the Heat Tuesday night, as Dwayne Wade only accumulated 13 points on 4- for -16 shooting and Bosh only producing 8 points and 8 rebounds. It makes people believe that because of the minor injury (strained right hamstring) Wade had faced during the pre-season showed Tuesday night. Only playing three minutes overall in the pre season, Dwayne Wade seemed out of sync shooting wise and just did not seem to "flow" well, leading LBJ alone to carry the team. Although Lebron had 8 turnovers throughout the entire game compared 7 times total by the four other starters on the floor, he was the most productive on the floor by far with fifteen of his points in the third quarter to even keep the Heat close in the game and give them a chance. As entertaining these three all-stars may seem, the Miami Heat look more productive when the trio are not all on the floor together. The men in this trio are not yet accustomed to the other threats available on the team, and still need to get comfortable and try to find their role or style of play as a whole. As Lebron James quoted after the game, "It's a feel-out process." Although the Heat fell to the Celtics 88-80, I am not too worried about this new squad as I am confident they will continue to play better as a team and dominate the East.
Phoenix Suns vs. Portland Trailblazers
Although Steve Nash may still be one of the best point guards in the NBA, he cannot carry the entire Phoenix squad and expect to keep a solid winning record. |
Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
It was an emotional night as the Los Angeles Lakers held a touching ceremony for their season opener as each player accepted their NBA championship ring, and celebrated their 16th championship by hanging the golden banner up in the Staples Center. The back-to-back champions sure needed every ounce of emotion they had to win this game Tuesday night against the fast and high-scoring Houston Rockets. The Lakers seemed to be fighting all night long as the Rockets held the lead for the majority of the game until the fourth quarter. The two teams traded the lead four times within the final minute the game and the final score wasn't ultimately decided until the final buzzer. While down by 11 points at half, the Lakers outscored the Rockets 61-48 in the second half and received their third straight season-opening win. Although Yao Ming had returned and played his first game since April 15 2009, and racked up 9 points and 11 rebounds it was not enough to stop the final surge of Kobe Bryant and his team.
The Los Angeles Lakers reveal their sixteenth NBA championship banner at the season opener before they faced the Houston Rockets. |
Any thoughts?
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Some more sweet Marvel NBA preview pics...
Is it Time for Tarvaris Jackson to Rise?
It was reported recently that 41 year old Brett Favre has two fractures in his left ankle and is in a walking boot. Although Brett has not had a stellar season by any means, it is still a very unfortunate injury that may hold the Minnesota Vikings back from contending in the NFC. At the moment the Vikings are faced with a poor record of 2-4 placing them second to last in their division (the NFC North). It still is uncertain whether Favre will play next sunday against the Patriots, especially because of his high tolerance of pain and competitiveness like we all have witnessed at least once throughout his career.
But Tarvaris says he is ready to play, reassuring his confidence by telling reporters Monday, "This is the best I've ever felt. Hopefully it will translate to the field, but this is the best I've ever felt since I've been in the league." It will be interesting, hands down, to see if Jackson will stop Favre's 314 consecutive starts (including playoffs) in the league and pull out a W against the highly talented Patriots. It is hard to tell whether Favre will sit on the sidelines next Sunday, but regardless of the situation, next week will be a challenge and truly is a much needed W to get back into the playoff race and not fall far behind in the first half of the season. It is hard to believe that a quarterback can improve significantly by just watching on the sidelines, but this Sunday it just may be the resurgence of Tarvaris Jackson...
Will Favre miss the game next Sunday against the Patriots and give Jackson a chance to redeem himself? |
Thought this was a pretty cool picture of the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat especially because the season opener is tonight...you don't want to miss this game.
With Tony Romo Injured, are the Cowboys no More?
With a broken left collarbone, Romo and the Cowboys hope seems to have run out completely. |
Once he had walked off the field with the collarbone injury, the opposing team, the New York Giants, went on a 31-10 scoring tear to take a comfortable 38-20 lead heading into the four quarter. Jon Kitna took over for Romo following the injury, but it was obvious that he did not hold the same poise Romo contains, eventually leading to a 41-35 and falling to a rough record of 1-5. Kitna finished the game 16-33, 187 yards, and 2 TD's but still makes you wonder only how far can he take the Cowboys as a contending team? Not far at all I believe. With the doubts about Tony Romo as a starting quarterback, it will be interesting to see how poorly the Cowboys will perform with Kitna in his place. With this season gone haywire, it seems the Cowboys are ultimately done for the season and makes fans and haters alike wonder, are the Dallas Cowboys no more? Can they ever make it back to the dominant and consistent team they used to be?
here are some NBA preview photos created by Marvel...so siickk....more are to come.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Shoutout to Quickdraw Mcgraw for Contributing his Power Rankings
1. NEW YORK JETS (5-1)- I am completely sold on the Jets. The Jets are backing up the hype Rex Ryan made for his team back in August.
2. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (5-1)- This team was very impressive even without Ben Roethlisberger back. Now, with Big Ben back, this team has the makings of a juggernaut—a relentless defense mixed with a now high-powered offense.
3. BALTIMORE RAVENS (5-2)- It was a close-call last game with the historically bad Buffalo Bills. But this team is good, much like the Jets and the Steelers, this team has a dominating defense with an excellent offense.
4. TENNESSEE TITANS (5-2)- The Titans’ defense has showed up this year, mix that with the rushing attack of CJ and Ringer and this team could possibly be a super-bowl contender.
5. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (5-1)- The Patriots are a team that have been a bit off the radar for a team that has only lost one game. All I can say is they still have Tom Brady and Bill Belichick this guarantees them to be super-bowl contenders.
6. ATLANTA FALCONS (5-2)- The best NFC team so far in a league dominated by the AFC are the Falcons who are very, very solid on both sides of the ball.
7. NEW YORK GIANTS (4-2)- This team has a relentless pass-rush, and the emergence of a high-powered running attack with Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs has me sold.
8. HOUSTON TEXANS (4-2)- This team has some issues—especially the loss of Pro-Bowl linebacker Demeco Ryans. Their pass defense is also suspect. But this team has a high-octane offense that is able to drop points on every opponent they play.
9. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (4-2)- Even though the Chiefs do not have the most impressive wins, they should have won at Houston and they did keep it very close with the Peyton Manning and Co. at Lucas Oil Stadium. In my opinion, the Chiefs not only have the makings of a contender to win their division, but also, this team is built to make a deep play-off run having a number-one rushing attack in the league with Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones and a 5th ranked rushing defense—this team is legit.
10. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (4-2)- This team has regressed a bit since last year—but last time I checked they still have Peyton Manning.
11. CHICAGO BEARS (4-3)- I don’t think this team has lived up to their potential yet—if Jay Cutler can cut the costly interceptions this team will be golden.
12. PHILADELPHIS EAGLES (4-3)- This team should have a top-ranked offense from here on out since Andy Reid made Mike Vick the starter again. If Vick can stay healthy, this offense will be scary.
13. WASHINGTON REDSKINS (4-3)- The Redskins still have question marks. But this team finally has a franchise-quarterback in Donovan McNabb. Which, in my opinion, is what has been holding this team back for years.
14. MIAMI DOLPHINS (3-3)- This team has had a very tough schedule thus far, and are a good team. And, they most certainly would be 4-2 right now if it wasn’t for the terrible call against Pittsburgh.
15. GREEN BAY PACKERS (4-3)- Injuries have killed this team. Regardless, they are still well into the NFC North race, and will be till the end.
16. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (4-2)- This team has had an easy schedule and play in a very weak NFC west division, regardless, they still are finding ways to win.
17. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (3-3)- They need to find out why they are losing games they should easily be winning. Losing to the Cleveland Browns at home is absolutely unacceptable for the Saints.
18. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (4-2)- Yes, they do have four wins thus far—but I am not sold on this team. They have been blown-out by every opponent with a winning record.
19. ST. LOUIS RAMS (3-4)- This is a young team who is astronomically better than last year. Watch for them to be contenders next year.
20. CINCINATTI BENGALS (2-4)- They have all the parts to be a great team, but still are not producing. Too bad they have to face the Ravens and Steelers twice.
21. OAKLAND RAIDERS (3-4)- You never know what you are going to get with the Raiders this year. But after seeing their showing last Sunday, this team could be scary.
22. ARIZONA CARDINALS (3-3)- They have a lot of question marks—but I like their young QB Max Hall reminds me of a young Kurt Warner.
23. CLEVELAND BROWNS (2-5)- Hey, they did just beat the defending champs in their backyard. They also have their most promising QB prospect in years. They have kept all of their losses close, but still haven’t produced many Ws.
24. SAN DIEGO CHRAGERS (2-5)- This team confuses me extremely. Number one in scoring and number one yardage allowed. Yet only two wins. What is going on?
25. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (2-4)- Much like the Chargers, the talent on this team does not reflect their record. They just can’t find ways to win in close games.
26. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (3-4)- This team puts up a fight—I’ll give them that. Maybe Bauman should be the starting quarterback.
27. DALLAS COWBOYS (1-5)- Just like the two teams ahead of them, they have all the talent in the world but haven’t found a way to use their ridiculous talent. Wade Phillips is probably one of the worst coaches in NFL history.
28. DETRIOT LIONS (1-5)- They have something going for them, but still same-old pitiful Lions.
29. DENVER BRONCOS (2-5)- This team is awful. I think it is fair to say that if you get beat by the Oakland Raiders by 45 pts. at home you do not fair well in the NFL. I think some college teams could have walked into Mile High last Sunday and gotten a W the way the Broncos played.
30. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (1-6)- Mike Singletary is an awful coach. The 49ers should be better, but they struggle immensely thanks to Mike.
31. CAROLINA PANTHERS (1-5)- Hey at least they finally got a win, but this team is still really, really bad.
32. BUFFALO BILLS (0-6)- Give them credit for putting up a fight with the Ravens. But this is still a historically bad team that I could see going 0-16.
Pistons Seem to Continue to Roll downhill
For years, the Pistons have been one of the NBA's proudest franchises accompanied with fantastic playoff success and loyal and zealous fans. But recently, this team has been in all types of adjustments with on-court issues as well as off-court such as the search for the new owner. Ever since Bill Davidson left the franchise, it seems the Pistons are in disarray and cannot seem to do anything productive. The rumors of leaving economically challenged michigan have diminished, but the franchise still needs a new owner and the process has not been smooth, to say the least. It is said that former Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers owner Mike Ilitch, is close to closing a deal with the purchase of the Pistons. Not only does this prolonging issue cause worry for the fans, but the team is not spectacular by any means and have not shown any significant signs of improvement and are not in the position to improve any time soon. The Detroit Pistons have fallen downhill ever since the beginning of the 2008-2009 season with a 39-43 record overall. Although this record is satisfactory for the teams in the eastern conference, this was ultimately the sign of the Pistons declining as a superior franchise.
Is Gilbert Arenas Fading Away?
Maybe it is time for a change in Washington...no more Arenas? |
NBA Preview...What to expect?
what can we expect for the upcoming NBA 2010-2011 season? |
Not only are the Heat the talk of the NBA, but the Los Angeles Lakers are on track for a 3 peat if no one can stop their recent dominance the past few seasons. Even though Kobe's knee and increasing age may create some anxiety for all the Laker fans, there truly is nothing to worry about. Now get this, i am not a Lakers fan at all but I need to give them props; they are a legit team and have a very strong chance to make it back to the NBA finals and get a 3peat...I don't like saying that, but that seems like the most likely situation to occur in the West Conference. With two solid additions; Matt Barnes and Steve Blake, the Lakers have no reason to not make to the Western Conference Finals this season.
Although I believe the Lakers may win the title a third year in row, it wont happen without a tough journey. The Oklahoma City Thunder are an up and coming young team that has tremendous potential, especially with Kevin Durant playing out of his mind. Kevin Durant has finally evolved into a solid and reliable player that just may be the face of the franchise the Thunder have been looking for...this seems like the perfect time for Durant's breakout season to show that he is a great and consistent player. This is the first time the Thunder have real expectations and have a chance of playing deep in the playoffs; past the first round unlike last year.
Who will steal the Title this year? Possibilities are nearly endless...but only one team can come out on top. |
The Los Angeles Clippers also pose an interesting team with the return of Blake Griffin after his rookie season ending knee surgery. Is it possible that the beast Griffin will stay consistent and dominant all season? And which Baron Davis will we really see? It is hard to tell but I don't see the Clippers getting more than 35 wins this season...but definitely a team to watch out for in the future.
With so many teams in the NBA from the West and East conferences, I cant elaborate about them all, but I feel this year will definitely be an interesting season to say the least. With the dominant Lakers aiming for another championship to the new and posing threat Miami Heat, who will bring it home this season? Only time will tell....What are your thoughts?
pictures courtesy of espn.com
Kansas City Chiefs Up and Rising...
Jamal Charles and Thomas Jones provide an ultimate spark to the Chiefs offensive gameplan. |
With over 900 yards rushing this season as a duo, Jamal Charles and Thomas Jones have surprised fans around the NFL with providing the Kansas City Chiefs with the top ranked rushing yards per game. With Thomas Jones averaging 4.7 rpg behind secondary back Jamal Charles extraordinary 6.0 rushing yards per game, the rushing attack can hardly be stopped. Not only has the rushing game improved from previous years, but the Chiefs rushing defense has improved dramatically from 31st in the entire league to 5th overall up to the point in the 2010-2011 season. One of the main reasons this team has improved so greatly in such a small matter of time is because of the smart and bold actions head coach Todd Haley had made during the offseason. Two key additions to the Chief's coaching staff were Charlie Weis as Offensive Coordinator and Romeo Crennel as Defensive coordinator. It is obvious they are making an impact on this Kansas City squad because of their coaching abilities and only provide hope from here on out. It is interesting to see just what this Chiefs team can do the rest of this season, as they have already gotten off to a hot 4-2 start leading their division the AFC West and already matching the total number of wins from the previous 2009-2010 season.
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