Beast of the East

The Orlando Magic may be the smartest of the three leading Eastern Conference teams. They decided that their big trades and acquisitions would be in the offseason, not at the trade deadline. After a rocky start, the Magic have decided to wisely wait for those moves to produce. Their patience not only exhibits confidence, but it also yells out a message. The Magic are acting like defending champs should: Like they’re the team to beat.

The other two Eastern Conference giants seemed to do the opposite. The Boston Celtics recently picked up Nate Robinson to give them more consistent point guard play. The move sent sharp shooter Eddie House to the New York Knicks. The acquisition also shows a concerted effort to make the team more energetic, perhaps to better compete with the younger Eastern Conference teams.

The Cleveland Cavaliers perhaps created the biggest splash. With the best record in basketball, they also may have the best player. Yet the Cavaliers are desperate. They’re past concerned. Put it this way, they’re in emergency mode.

The Cavaliers were full of activity as the trade deadline neared. They made offers to any, and every big-name player who would insure they beat the Magic this year.

Worried? Please believe it. They virtually need a guaranteed championship and then plenty of prayers to keep LeBron James from leaving the Cavaliers for a bigger market. Another playoff ousting at the hands of the Magic could tip the ship over.

According to experts, the Magic are not headed for a Finals return. Really? The Magic not only beat the Cavaliers last year, but the hobbled Garnett-less Celtics even took the Magic to seven games. The Cavaliers lost in six, and truly it could have been in five had James missed the 36-foot miracle three-pointer in Game 2 of the conference finals.

I’m not even sure the Cavaliers believe they will beat the Magic. Their significant roster changes indicate they are preparing for a playoff hurricane, with the Magic directly in the eye of the storm.

Was it a coincidence that the Cavaliers so readily signed an aged Shaq? Or did they need someone to match-up against Dwight Howard? With efficient rebounders in Anderson Varejao, J.J. Hickson, and Zydrunaz IIgauskas, was there a need to seek an undersized power forward in Antwan Jamison? Or did they need a power forward to defend Rashard Lewis on the perimeter?

These questions linger, however one thing is for sure: The Eastern Conference champions will reign until they are dethroned. It seems as if the Cavaliers and the Celtics got the memo, now they just need to forward it to the “experts.”

Dwight Howard, Stop Smiling

Dwight Howard, stop smiling. You are the most dominant Center in the NBA. Coaches devise game plans and complex schemes to construct your downfall. Teams grant their bench warmers playing time for the sole purpose of deliberately fouling you. Point guards are told you can’t control the ball, so they swipe and slap your hands at any dribble attempt. You are alone in the paint, every single one of your teammates is positioned outside of the 3-point line, patiently waiting for a pass. All rebounds, and all blocks fall into your hands. Your responsibility is enormous. Referees are constantly being reminded to call offensive 3-seconds on you. Your opponents draw offensive fouls by flopping. Your frustration satisfies your foes. Dwight Howard, you are alone, why are you smiling?

If anything can limit the vast potential of Dwight Howard, it may come from an unlikely source. Elite NBA players are competitive, and anyone sporting a different logo is an adversary. Super Man’s benevolence and naïve character may be his kryptonite. He sometimes acts as if he is still on Team USA overseas. Howard fails to realize the most basic reality, that the best NBA players are fierce competitors. Friendships are pulled aside when a championship is at stake.

The nasty and ferocious competitive nature of Kobe Bryant makes him perhaps the most feared athlete in sports. NBA players who share a similar competitive approach include LeBron James, and Kevin Garnett. All of these competitors are willing to do whatever it takes to get a win. They establish a tough presence, and get into their opponents face when needed. This idea rarely crosses Howard’s mind.

Dwight Howard can certainly be more intense, or at least more emotional. The “good boy,” image is possibly caging the beast within him. Dwight Howard was recently seen chuckling and mingling after a loss, with friends of the Los Angeles Lakers. The game was televised nationally, and Howard’s actions were embarrassing. When in the history of mankind did you ever see Kobe Bryant or LeBron James joking after a loss? I understand the NBA is a fraternity of talented ball players, but the desire to win is a reality. Getting into an altercation with an Olympic or All-star teammate is not uncommon, especially when both athletes are competing against each other.

Howard has been easily frustrated this season. An avid Christian, Howard was recorded at a Pistons game saying someone would get “get F***** up” down low, if they kept fouling him. His technical fouls are at an all-time high. His toughness and aggression isn’t earning him these tough-guy brownie points, it’s his complaining.

Howard simply needs to act his size. An obvious enforcer statistically, Super Man just needs to get angry. After a dunk, why not yell and show a mean-face. Get angry. Instead, Howard just smiles and points to the passer. When he blocks a shot, why not scream, intimidate, and look thoroughly offended that someone tried to score in the paint. Instead, Howard pretends nothing happened and emotionlessly awaits the next defensive possession. When Howard’s team loses to another elite team, why mingle after the game? Just leave to the locker room, get livid, or at least show some grief. That is what competitive athletes do when they don’t win. There is no joking matter.

In the NBA Finals, Kobe Bryant ripped the ball out of Dwight Howard’s hands, and flared an elbow towards his face. Howard came up to Kobe in kinship, Olympic-teammate form, and asked, why did you do that? Kobe Bryant, aware of what was at stake, replied, “shut the f*** up and play ball.” Until Dwight Howard can get into Kobe's face, show more aggression, or fierce competitiveness, his potential will be capped. Howard’s muscles resemble that of a pit bull, however if Howard doesn’t get meaner, he and the Magic will be the poodles Paul Pierce so avidly twittered at the start of last year’s finals.

King James a No-Show

Lebron James was quick to enter his name into the 2010 Sprite Slam Dunk contest during the All-Star break a year ago. A year later and King James is a no-show. Instead he is replaced by the likes of Shannon Brown, DeMar DeRozan, Nate Robinson, and at least one all-star in Gerald Wallace. With no explanation, Lebron James misses yet another well anticipated opportunity to display his obvious dunking and high flying talents.

Is a dunk contest appearance in order for James? Does it have anything to do with his legacy?

Let’s look at other elite All-Star players to enter and win the dunk contest. .

Micheal Jordan, 1987, 1988
Kobe Bryant 1997
Vince Carter 2000
Dwight Howard, 2008

Michael Jordan, arguably the game’s greatest talent competed in three slam dunk contests and won two.

Kobe Bryant, perhaps the best player since Michael Jordan, won his first and only dunk contest.

Vince Carter, a perennial all-star at the time, lived up to his hype and won his only Dunk contest.

Dwight Howard, an All-Star Center won one of three slam dunk contests.

Lebron James is often compared to Kobe Bryant as both are regarded as the two best players in the NBA today. A dunk contest championship would only add to the King’s resume’. Does he owe it to us?

What do I think?

Lebron James is already cemented in NBA history as one of the greatest players of all time, even with just seven years in the league. He doesn’t quite need a dunk contest appearance to better his career. However it would be something that would certainly create excitement, and would fit neatly with the theme of dominant high-flying great players winning, or competing in dunk contests.

Lebron James owes it to us! Come on! If there was a year to participate in the contest, it would be this year with the lack of star power. I believe he will one day participate in the dunk contest, and when he does it will be a spectacle.

Technical Foul – Goes to Lebron himself who said he would primarily put his name on the 2010 dunk contest list. He left us all at the alter.

Did you see, VC?

Vince Carter, are you back?

Vince Carter recently erupted for 48 points in a game where the Orlando Magic may have needed him most. Following an impressive victory over the Boston Celtics, the Orlando Magic faced the New Orleans Hornets in a grueling back-to- back. The Magic appeared slow-footed early as they fell behind by as much as 17 in the first half. The Magic, in need of energy looked for Carter and he delivered.

The Fans could not believe the unexpected performance. Dwight Howard even poked fun at Vince Carter following the game for his uncharacteristic scoring output. An Orlando Magic fan on Realgm.com noted that the TNT broadcast crew also made several references to a changed revamped Vince Carter. “How many times throughout this video did Marv Albert say "And we're seeing a different Vince Carter." (See the TNT broadcast below) The widespread amazement in Carter’s performance sparked several questions. Is this Vince Carter here to stay?

What do I think?

Vince Carter has shown recent progress as a member of the Orlando Magic. He may be beginning to understand his role on the team. The idea is to not force much but to remain aggressive.

Keep in mind Carter excelled in a situation where he was the go-to guy. This is similar to his days in Toronto and New Jersey when Carter was the main scoring option. However in Orlando, this is not case with Dwight Howard down low, and Rashard Lewis on the perimeter. Thus the situation was calling for a Vince Carter eruption Monday night, Howard was in foul trouble and the team fell down by 17 points early. Carter became Orlando’s go-to-guy.

Carter had a terrible month of January averaging less than 10 points per game. In February he is averaging above 25 points per game. Carter usually avoids contact and has relied heavily on his jump shot as of late. The results are indicative in his monthly stats, its either feast or famine. The inconsistency in his offensive production is alarming considering he doesn’t provide much on the defensive side of the ball.

End Result: Vince Carter is effective when he is driving to basket as a slasher and passer. Until he can establish himself in this role, he will not completely replace the utility of Hedo Turkoglu and the Magic will not improve from a year ago.

Vince Carter’s 48 point performance is due to?

Let’s access our Technical foul to the terrible Hornets Defensive strategy. They allowed carter to get any shot he wanted. James Posey‘s defense was as embarrassing as Damon Jones underneath a Lebron James tomahawk dunk. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jUUMCvLPFU) No double team was considered and Carter dictated and took whatever he wanted as he scored over 30 points in the second half. Check out the description of the fourth quarter according to nola.com...

“Vince Carter is running circles through the Hornets' defenders. Carter's 15-foot jumper and 3-pointer has tied the score at 106 with 5:22 remaining. Carter has scored 38 points. The Hornets are unraveling…”

A final and honest assessment of Vince Carter's season can be reviewed when the playoffs arrive. Scoring 48 points is impressive, yet it means little in the grand scheme of things. Sadly, anything short of a finals appearance will be seen as a failure for the Orlando Magic and Vince Carter whether Vince does well or not.

Vince Carter's 48 point performance.





Fan Reaction Link: http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=985231
Nola.com http://www.nola.com/hornets/index.ssf/2010/02/new_orleans_hornets_vs_orlando_1.html

Saints March to Victory

The New Orleans Saints are your new Super bowl world champions. The Saints won their first championship and surprised the heavily favored Indianapolis Colts. Drew Brees was terrific and the Saints defense proved its resiliency. Terry Porter's 74 yard interception return for a touchdown picked took advantage of a rare Peyton Manning miscue. The Saints stunned the league after winning the Super Bowl following a season where they failed to make the playoffs.
The Colts, Super Bowl winners in 2007, were prepared for the electric atmosphere. The Saints, culprits of minor miscues early, appeared nervous and stunned in the early stages of the game. Marcos Colston dropped a perfect pass from Drew Brees eliminating a potential first down. The Colts scored the first 10 points of the game. The Saints got their usually high-octane offense moving soon after. The Colts were unable move the ball with ease as the game progressed. They experienced some tough dropped passes as well as defensive break downs. The biggest play ended up coming from Terry Porter who intercepted Manning and then ran it back for a score. The game became a double digit contest with 3 minutes left. The Colts could never recover. Let’s examine some of the reasons why the Colts lost.
What in the world happened to Peyton Manning? When the game mattered most and the Colts were in desperation to tie the game and perhaps the most reliable quarterback failed. However the results of the Super Bowl hardly fell independently on Peyton Manning’s shoulders. Instead we could always point a finger at Jim Caldwell for running the ball three times in a row in a horrible attempt to run the clock out at the end of the second quarter. Hey how about Pierre Garcon, must we remind you of the dropped pass which created a fourth down situation? If Garcon catches that, open field states more points would have been in order. Ohhh Reggie. I question whether Reggie Wayne truly is a number one Pro Bowl receiver but I keep my judgments inside, I’m sure Brandon Marshall would have made some of those tough grabs. Dropped passes, mistiming on routes, Mr. Wayne looked like the soft Colts receivers the Patriots ate for Sunday dinner a few years back. Dwight Freeney, his one sack in the first half certainly translated into a bum ankle in the second. His performance was valiant but it may have caused the defense to slow down. Drew Brees easily found each h receiver with ease. Let’s blame the Colts kicker good ol’ Matt Stover. What in the world are you doing pointing to the sky after a missed field goal? I guess at least one Colts player agreed it was God’s plan for the Saints to win. So let’s blame the Colts for their lack luster performance. The Colts that won the Super Bowl in 2007 were better and that’s why they won then. This year’s version played well through adversity but in the end lacked the big plays to finish with the championship.

Fireworks

The two best teams from each conference will face each other in the Super Bowl. The Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints both went undefeated for the earlier part of their season. It became clear that both teams were dominant and could face each other at the end of the year in Miami to play for it all.

Here is what needs to happen for a long anticipated Saints victory. The Saints will have to keep Peyton Manning on the sideline. That means that the Saints will have to do something they have excelled at all season, score a lot of points and provide a high dosage of running. The Saints will probably have to score roughly four to five touchdowns to put the pressure on the Colts offense to score and at least keep Manning under some form of pressure.

On Peyton Manning, the guy is a genius. Making Pierre Garçon look like an all-pro receiver never looker easier. Austin Collie looked like an upgraded Brandon Stokley against the Jets. The talent around Manning never seems to be an issue, he makes the best with his pieces and his detailed demeanor does not leave room for many mistakes. The Colts have the worst running game in the league and this still doesn't make Peyton's play-action a tad bit less effective.

The Colts defense will be without Dwight Freeney most likely due to terrible ankle injury. The Saints may benefit heavily from this. Drew Brees is coming off a record breaking season. His height has always been a topic of criticism yet his numbers are undeniably impressive and his consistency in recent years proves he is a star quarterback. The Saints have three fantastic running backs in their arsenal to show off on of the best running attacks in league. Mike Bell, the castaway from the Denver Broncos two years ago provides a tough running presence and a unique change of pace. Pierre Thomas is an all-around back with fantastic balance and strength. He is the featured back. Then you have Reggie Bush, a home run hitter with electric speed and unbelievable athleticism, he can change a game in seconds. The running attack will be critical especially if the Saints jump out in front and are able to hold on to the ball and win the time of possession battle.

My prediction is that the Saints will win 35 to 31. The Colts and the Saints will go back and forth scoring throughout the first half. The game will than become somewhat defensive towards the third and fourth quarters. The Saints will have the last possession down 28-31. They will score a touchdown with seconds left and win the championship.

The Colts have been here before but the Bears were no Saints. After beating two low scoring defensive teams in the playoffs, the Colts are entering a show of fire works, one which may have them steadily unbalanced and even shell shocked. The Saints fresh off of a tug-of-war match with the high scoring Vikings know scoring will be key, and it falls neatly into what they do best.

Pro Bowl Success

Long and Behold... the Pro Bowl was a success. Following a week of bashing, and complaining from many, the All-Star football contest not only was shown at night during prime-time, but it also generated the highest viewer ratings for a Pro Bowl since 2000. It was a steep increase from last years Pro Bowl. Around 8 million viewers tunned in to last years Pro Bowl following a Steelers Super Bowl victory. This past Sunday 12.3 million viewers tunned in. The outcome was obviously successful.

Many fans, experts, and even players bickered about this years Pro Bowl contest. First it was in Miami instead of Hawaii. This turned out to be a great move by the NFL in my opinion. The location allowed for 7:30 pm start eastern time which automatically makes the game more marketable for its viewers. The location of the Pro Bowl is also strategically the location for the Super Bowl. This allowed the Super Bowl environment to continue its buzz, which many also feared would be lost. Usually during the week before the Super Bowl there is no football played. The primary objective for this is to rest both competing teams while also stirring up momentum for the contest. The Pro Bowl certainly created buzz and it should be noted that fans did not have to wait a dreaded two weeks for football, they got to see a low-contact version of football with the leagues best players. At the same time now the Super Bowl has its buzz by becoming the final game of the year.

Recently players for both championship teams headed to the Super Bowl expressed frustration for not being able to land in Miami (Super Bowl Location) at the same time as their Pro Bowl teammates. Acknowledging those players who are in the Super Bowl for their Pro Bowl selections is imperative for the fans who voted those players in, and thus it is important that those players arrive in Miami earlier to be present at the game. The argument of separating teammates can create some emotional and chemistry issues if your team captain is not their to land with you as you enter the Super Bowl stadium. However lets be serious, a one day difference in arrival should not be taken so seriously. And besides that, the NFL will cater to where the money comes from and that is the fans. Players still have a week to build up whatever may have been lost in being unable to arrive with their Pro-Bowl teammates. As of now, expect this to become a pattern. Ratings talk. If there is any success in perhaps the least competitive all-star game of all sports, the NFL will make sure to juice it out.