Why Not?

Why not see a lady gettin' all feisty over Jeff Francoeur's bat.



Seriously, that old lady has nothing to gripe about. When something ends up in the stands it is an all out free-for-all, and everyone knows it. You're gonna have to bring it a little harder than that, Grandma if you want to get your mitts on a MLB bat.

Ok, all kidding aside though I don't think there is one player on the Royals I would fight over a bat for. Maybe Eric Hosmer in the small chance he ends up with a HOF career.

Steve Williams Pitchin' A Fit

Well, there won't be any more awkward high-fives. Not really sure why this is such a huge story. Yea, yea I know...they've been together for over 12 years and Tiger won 13 of his 14 majors with Stevie on the bag. But come on! It's a G damn caddie for crying out loud. Everyone is acting like Steve Williams made Tiger Woods. Nah. It's the other way around, folks. If any other player fires their caddie - which happens all the time on tour - it gets a little blurb in the paper.

Stevie isn't reacting so well to the whole thing, and is teetering on the edge of throwing darts at Tiger on his way out the door. From a statement on Williams' website (he has a website???)

Following the completion of the AT&T National I am no longer caddying for Tiger after he informed me that he needed to make a change. After 13 years of loyal service needless to say this came as a shock.

Not exactly how you want to handle that change if you're Steve Williams. It looks pathetic. How long before this guy goes all "JetBlue" on us and just does a drunken interview ripping on Tiger. I get that he was probably shocked, but he maybe should have seen it coming when he began caddying for Adam Scott during Tiger's absence.

I know I saw it coming. If you're the caddy for the best golfer in the world, you don't ask him if you can work for someone else while he's hurt. I think Tiger saw that as a sign of Steve not being entirely on his side. Couple that with some off-handed comments made in the last 2 years about Tiger letting down his family and what not, and you've got a recipe for getting your ass fired.

Ultimately, this shouldn't change to much, though I am fascinated to see who Tiger gets on his bag next.

Also, you gotta wonder if Steve Williams is gonna get a book deal or something. I doubt it but you never know. He denies being in the know of Tiger's extramarital affairs, but who knows if that is really the case. Even without that stuff I'm sure he could write a shitty expose that a lot of people would read.

Just The Latest Asshole Move from Andrew Bynum

Lakers Center (for now) Andrew Bynum is in the spotlight again for the wrong reasons. Bynum was ticketed recently for illegally parking in two handicap spots.

He was hit with a $353 parking ticket for parking his black BMW in two marked handicapped spaces outside of a Bristol Farms market in Westchester, Calif.
Bynum reportedly slammed his car door and drove off when NBC4 reporters sought a comment from him.

Someone tell this guy his bum knee doesn't make him better than some poor old lady just trying to get some milk and some cat nip for Fluffy. What an asshole. And you know the only thing worse than parking in a handicap spot without a pass? Parking in TWO handicap spots without a pass.

Like those assholes at the store who park diagonal across two spots because they don't want someone to hit their car with a door or a cart. "Look at me, everyone. My car is nice!"



Meanwhile, you have to park in butt-fuck-Egypt because this knob-slobber took up the only two spots that were close. That sounds like Andrew Bynum to me.

NBA 2011-2012 Schedule (Maybe)

Well, the NBA released its 2011-2012 schedule yesterday despite the fact that most league analysts are predicting a lengthy lock-out and many players are considering going overseas.

Here's a look at some of the big games on the schedule.

11/1/2011 CHI @ DAL, OKC @ LAL
The season will tip-off with the defending Champions, Dallas Mavericks hosting the Chicago Bulls who made the EC Finals. The 2nd half of that double-header will feature the Los Angeles Lakers against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kobe v. Durant.

12/25/11 DAL @ MIA, BOS @ NYK, CHI @ LAL
Everyone usually gets pretty pumped for the Christmas Day games. I know it is always a way for me to escape the family chaos for a few hours. This year we'll get Dallas visiting South Beach to play the Heat. Should be a big crowd, huh? No way people in Miami show up to fill that stadium on Christmas day.
The Celtics will also battle on Christmas Day, this year against New York in another episode of this budding rivalry. That will be at MSG and the Lakers will also host Chicago that night. (That is an awesome lineup of games. Fuck presents and stockings...I'll be stuffing my face with cookies in front of the tv)


3/4/12 Heat @ Lakers
Always an entertaining game, and it should be a good crowd because it is in LA...not Miami.



And a look at the C's schedule -

11/2/11 CLE @ BOS
They'll open up at home against Cleveland. Boring.


11/16/11 BOS @ MIA
The first meeting against Miami will be on ESPN. If they actually play this game I'm guessing Boston will be pretty fired up. Fuck Lebron. He's good at knock-out though.


12/22/11 NYK @ BOS
In order to build up some drama for Christmas Day the C's will host the Knicks. This could work really well if it is a close game, maybe OT. Get some good vibes going for Christmas.


1/11/12 DAL @ BOS
First crack at the defending champions. Jason Kidd is a wife-beater.


1/16/12 OKC @ DAL
Sour taste in the mouth from the loss to them at home last year. Hopefully, they can get rid of that. Fuck Westbrook.


2/9/12 LAL @ BOS
First showdown with the Lakeshow and Kobe and that candy-eating, chubby chasing Lamar Odom.


2/12/12 CHI @ BOS
How are we getting all these teams at home? C's record might be awesome heading into trade deadline. Also, fuck Derrick Rose. Let him shoot. (Sorry, K)


2/16/12 BOS @ CHI
I like it. Close game could be fresh in their minds. Should be good action. Joakim Noah is ugly.


3/4/12 BOS @ NYK
C's visit the Garden on ABC. Fuck Spike Lee. He's a clown.


3/11/12 BOS @ LAL
Only trip to LA, also on ABC. Mike Brown. HAHAHAHA


3/25/12 BOS @ SA
C's visit the Alamo on ESPN. Fuck Tony Parker. He cheated on a dime piece.


4/5/12 BOS @ CHI
This one could be huge for EC seeding. Fuck Carlos Boozer.


Close the season with Philly, New Jersey, Washington, Charlotte, New York and Orlando - in that order. That could be huge for seeding.

My prediction is that the NBA schedule will probably start some time around December or January. I really don't think they want to miss the All-Star Game which will be in Orlando this year. That's a big weekend for the NBA and if you're gonna have that you'll have to start at least a month or two before hand. It'd be great if they've resolved everything by Christmas so we can get those games on Christmas Day.
No word yet on how the schedule would actually play out if they miss games. My guess is it would be altered to fit in an even amount of conference and division games for every team. But I'm not sure. The NBA is coming off an epic season, so I really hope they get it together.

Open Championship Review

The Open Championship, held last week at Royal St. George's in Sandwich, England was the third of the 4 Majors on the PGA Tour. However, the only thing major about the tournament was that it was a major disappointment.

Sure we had the sentimental winner in Darren Clarke - another Major winner from Northern Ireland - who lost his wife to cancer a number of years ago, and has been a good golfer for a while now but never hoisted a Major championship trophy. Clarke battled through stretches of bad weather all week to come out on top.

His was a nice storyline, but to me it wasn't the biggest story of the week. Two big stories emerged as the week wore on. The first is that golf has become increasingly boring as Tiger's absence from the tour continues. His lack of presence was the elephant in the room all week. Golf just doesn't feel the same. No matter how much the people behind the curtain at the PGA Tour try to get me pumped up about guys like Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan and the like, I just can't do it. At some point these guys have to do something for me to get excited about. Truth be told, Fowler had a nice week and finished in the top 5. But Johnson had another choke job in the final holes of a major as he dumped his 2nd shot out of bounds on 14. I don't even know where the others finished - which isn't a good sign.

Mickelson made a late charge but then reverted back to his usual Open Championship style and after getting to -6 and sharing the lead, finished the rest of his round +4 to end at -2 and T3. Even a Mickelson win, though, would not have saved this tournament for me. It would have been a better outcome for American golf, obviously. But it still wouldn't drive ratings. There's still only one guy that can do that.

The other story line from this week was what a whiny bitch Rory McIlroy turned into on Sunday. He struggled all week in the bad weather, and his shot selection was very questionable. Coming off his big win at the U.S. Open, everyone - himself included - expected more. But it was his remarks after the tournament that were disheartening for Rory fans.

"I'm not a fan of golf tournaments where the outcome is predicted so much by the weather. It's not my sort of golf."

"...there's no point in changing your game for one week a year."

"My game is suited basically for every golf course and most conditions but I don't enjoy playing in these conditions, really. I'd rather play when it's 80 degrees and sunny and there's not much wind."

Wow. You can't have your cake and eat it too, Rors. Those comments just come off as petty and spoiled and quite frankly remind me of something Sergio Garcia would have said in his younger years. He was pampered and protected and look where that got him. McIlroy is too good to have that kind of attitude. Does it suck that some guys get stuck in the bad weather and other guys get some calm conditions? Yes. But can you dig down deep and compete? Yes. And how about how those comments sort of throw his fellow countryman and winner Darren Clarke under the bus? He competed in the bad weather and won. So what are you saying? He just "lucked out"?

McIlroy, who already passed on a number of big tournaments in the U.S. - including TPC Sawgrass - isn't doing himself any favors with the U.S. fans. If this guy is supposed to fill Tiger's shoes I think we're all in trouble. If there's one thing Americans don't appreciate it is a whiny European. McIlroy is in need of an attitude adjustment - and I for one am hoping that Tiger returns to give it to him. Something tells me he's sitting at home rehabbing and just licking his chops at getting a shot at this kid.

Dueling Couches DP/Jesus 2011 NBA Mock Draft

So DP and I decided to go back and forth on an NBA mock draft. Because this draft is so weak to begin with we kept it to one round. And to be honest, after about the first 15 picks or so there was some pretty blind picking going on. DP won the coin toss and chose to take the odd number picks, so obviously he led off. Here's how it all went down.

#1 Cleveland Cavaliers - Kyrie Irving, PG Duke

#2 Minnesota Timberwolves - Enes Kanter, C Turkey

#3 Utah Jazz - Derrick Williams, F Arizona

#4 Cleveland Cavaliers - Jan Vesely, SF Czech Republic

#5 Toronto Raptors - Kawhi Leonard, SF San Diego State

#6 Washington Wizards - Klay Thompson SF, Washington State

#7 Sacramento Kings - Brandon Knight, PG Kentucky

#8 Detroit Pistons - Tristan Thompson, PF Texas

#9 Charlotte Bobcats - Marcus Morris, PF Kansas

#10 Milwaukee Bucks - Alec Burks, SG Colorado

#11 Golden State Warriors - Jonas Valanciunas, C Lithuania

#12 Utah Jazz - Chris Singleton, SF Florida State

#13 Phoenix Suns - Jimmer Fredette, PG BYU

#14 Houston Rockets - Kemba Walker, PG UCONN

#15 Indiana Pacers - Markieff Morris, PF Kansas

#16 Philadelphia 76ers - Nikola Vucevic, C USC

#17 New York Knicks - Bismack Biyombo, PF Spain

#18 Washington Wizards - Marshon Brooks, SG Providence

#19 Charlotte Bobcats - Reggie Jackson, PG Boston College

#20 Minnesota Timberwolves - Jordan Hamilton, SF Texas

#21 Portland Trailblazers - Kenneth Faried, PF Moorehead State

#22 Denver Nuggets - Nikola Mirotic, SF Serbia

#23 Houston Rockets - Tobias Harris, PF Tennessee

#24 Oklahoma City Thunder - Tyler Honeycutt, SF UCLA

#25 Boston Celtics - Jeremy Tyler, PF Israel

#26 Dallas Mavericks - Donatas Motiejunas, PF Lithuania

#27 New Jersey Nets - Josh Selby, PG Kansas

#28 Chicago Bulls - JaJuan Johnson, PF Purdue

#29 San Antonio Spurs - Davis Bertans, SF Latvia

#30 Chicago Bulls - Iman Shumpert, PG Georgia Tech


Jesus' Reflections - I started off by taking Kanter with the #2 pick. This might surprise some who have already penciled in Williams here, but from what I've read the T'Wolves haven't ruled out Kanter as an option and I think he's the better fit. Despite what he says, I think Williams is more a PF in the NBA, and that means he'd be competing with Love for minutes which makes no sense. Kanter and Love would be a hell of a front line in a year or two. (Darko can suck it!) On top of that, I'm not convinced Williams is gonna be there, because if I'm CLE I'm taking him #1 and hoping Irving falls to #3 and maybe I can trade up with Utah or stay pat and get Knight at #4. Truthfully, I think Minnesota should trade this pick and haul in some nice vets to put around Rubio.
From there it only got more difficult. When DP snagged Williams for Utah I had to go best available, because CLE needs talent. I picked Jan Vesely who I think has some wicked upside, but could also suck. I tried to fit teams with a need for the most part, but it got increasingly difficult. This draft is deep with wing players, and only so many teams need that.

Favorite picks: #6 Klay Thompson to Washington should give Wall and co. a perimeter threat to open up the paint for penetration and allow McGee to do more work inside.
#18 Marshon Brooks also to Washington should really solidify their perimeter if you think Brooks can translate to the Association, which I do. Wall, Brooks and Thompson should be a nice trio of scoring.
#22 Nikola Mirotic to Denver could be a nice fit. We know they love to shoot the 3 ball and this guy can do it in bunches. He's also sneaky athletic, similar to Gallinari. He might get stashed in Europe until they have a need for him.
#24 Tyler Honeycutt to Oklahoma City would help them fill the void left by Jeff Green. Honeycutt is a similar talent but was up and down in his brief time at UCLA. He's got range and can handle the rock.
#26 Donatas Motiejunas could be a Dirk Jr. for Dallas. I think he'll surely be stashed in Europe for a little more seasoning and maturing, but he's a real nice talent and a good grab if he falls that far.

Least favorite picks: #8 Tristan Thompson to Detroit is maybe not a great fit. Plus I think he's a huge project and probably not something Detroit needs right now. Valanciunas probably would have been better here.
#12 Chris Singleton to Utah is at the spot everyone wants Jimmer, and I wanted to do it too, but with Kirilenko hitting the open market they'll need some defense and Singleton can provide that infinitely better than Fredette.
#14 Kemba Walker to Houston is probably a decent fit, I'm just not a huge Kemba guy. He's slipping as much as anyone right now so this might be a tad early. Others disagree, though. We'll see.
#20 Jordan Hamilton to Minnesota. Honestly, I just wasn't sure what to do there and he was the highest rated guy left on the board.
#30 Iman Shumpert to Chicago to end the first round was another best available, and a bit of a need at the backup PG. But you usually want a vet for that role. Plus, who the hell is Iman Shumpert? Anyone seen him play? Doesn't ring a bell for me.



DP's Reflections -
I know everyone says that the Cavs should risk Irving and take Williams and grab Knight on the way back and as much as that makes sense to many, I think having a solid PG is the best way to go when rebuilding. But thanks to Jesus picking Enes Kanter at 2, Utah gets the steal of the draft in Derrick Williams. Williams can instantly help out Utah and could be the rookie of the year. Another risk I have is Toronto passing on Brandon Knight and him slipping to Sac Town. That may have been a homer pick figuring I didn't want to watch a Kentucky players career go unseen in Canada. If Knight pans out the Kings have a lot of talent in the back court. We both weren't fans of Bismack Biyombo, but with the criminals running the asylum in NY now, I see the Knicks scooping him up for an epic fail. After that I have the Celtics getting the guy I want in Jeremy Tyler. Tyler is certainly a work in progress and with some tutoring from Doc and KG, he could be a huge steal.

Picks I like:
I refuse to pick any foreign player, because their are too many of them in this draft, so here they are:
#27 New Jersey Nets - Josh Selby, PG Kansas
Josh Selby could have been a lottery pick if he stayed in Kansas another year. The Nets aren't the best place to learn, but if he puts his mind to it and stays focused Selby could be a steal here...... or be the next J.R. Giddens.

#3 Utah Jazz - Derrick Williams, F Arizona
Mentioned it above, could be the rookie of the year, be a huge plug into that line up somewhat immediately and could be 1 of the 3 "franchise players" in this draft.

#19 Charlotte Bobcats - Reggie Jackson, PG Boston College
Can play both guard spots, can score in bunches and can play some defense (once he gets groomed). Jackson has some concerns about his knees, but I think teams look passed that.

Picks I hate:
Toronto Raptors - Kawhi Leonard, SF San Diego State
I did this to them purposely because I hate them, a lot better talent on board, plus I don't like many kids from the MWC. I see Chris Wilcox type of impact in the league.

#17 New York Knicks - Bismack Biyombo, PF Spain
These guys never work out, I know it, You know it, unfortunately the Knicks won't.

NBA Draft Preview - Get To Know The Euros

With the NBA draft coming up later this week it's time to start looking at some of the draft prospects. Every blog in the world is talking about Kyrie Irving, Derrick Williams, Enes Kanter and Brandon Knight. And even though most of those guys have played 1 year of college or less, we're fairly familiar with them. The European prospects are a different matter, though. Most of us couldn't tell Donatas Montiejunas from a place on a map or ingredients in a Slovakian dish.

Have no fear. Jesus is here to help you put a face to the names, so when your favorite team picks one of these guys you're not sitting on your couch thinking, "Who the fuck is that guy?!"

*Note - I left out guys like Enes Kanter and Nikola Vucevic who played (or were supposed to play) at American colleges. This list is European players who I expect will go in the first round (based on what I've read).

JAN VESELY (Czech Republic), SF - Not that Chad Ford is the be all - end all of NBA scouting, but he has Vesely at #9 on his list of Top 100 Prospects. If this were an American player with this skill set I'm confident we'd be talking about him as a #1 overall candidate. Some have comapred him to Andre Kirilenko, but last I checked Kirilenko wasn't driving the lane and tomahawking on people, nor catching alley-oop passes and flushing dunks with his head at the rim. Combined with his outside shooting ability and his all-around versatile game some team is going to be very happy to get their hands on Vesely.

Scouting Report:

PROS - NBA ready. Good size and length (sorry, Captain). Great leaping ability. 3-point range. Good ball handler for size.

CONS - (Same tired old Cons scouts give to every Euorpean player) Needs to add strength. Doesn't have a back to the basket game. (Who does these days?) Didn't they say all these things about Nowitzki when he entered the Association? Yes. Yes, they did.


Oh. And his nickname is "The Dunking Ninja"


Prediction: Washington, #6 overall.



JONAS VALANCIUNAS (Lithuania), C - If you like your Centers to play around the rim, rebound and challenge shots then Valanciunas is your guy. The Lithuanian big man is listed at 7'0" and 245, so size isn't an issue. He has been both the Under-16 Euro MVP and the Under-18 MVP twice, so his talents are not unrecognized on the opposite continent. However, most scouts still view him as a project not ready to help a team next season.

PROS - Soft touch around the rim. Good rebounder. Challenges shots. Intelligent basketball player. Large wingspan.

CONS - Not NBA ready. Needs to improve perimeter game. (Why do we need every guy to shoot jumpers and play in the paint?) Needs to improve strength.

Something about this dude just doesn't look right. But Scouts have him rated very highly. Check it out for yourself.

And if you're wondering why he's touching the ball when it's inside the rim, that isn't considered goaltending in Euro leagues.

Prediction: Detroit, #8 overall



BISMACK BIYOMBO (Spain) Spain?!, PF - Not the type of name that comes to mind when I think Spain, but hey what are you gonna do? (He was born in The Congo) This guy is reportedly a raw, athletic defender. Think Serge Ibaka before he developed his game.

PROS - Long, rangy defender with a great wingspan. Tenacious rebounder and shot-blocker. High energy.

CONS - Very raw. Needs lots of work on offense. Lacks experience.

He sounds like Dikembe!


Prediction: Golden State, #11 overall


NIKOLA MIROTIC (Serbia), SF - Mirotic, named Euroleague's 2011 Rising Star, is a sharp shooting small-forward with the kind of size that NBA scouts love. Many think he can play both forward spots in the NBA and Chad Ford calls him a "craft forward." He's got some versatility in his game, thought judging from the limited video evidence I've seen he'll have trouble defending the more athletic SF in the NBA.

PROS - Size and length. Can handle the ball and drive to the basket. Great shooter with range. Good passer from the forward position. Intelligent and aggressive player.

CONS - Not very athletic. Not a great rebounder. Has some contract issues that might keep him from NBA in the very near future.



Prediction: Denver, #22 overall. (draft and stash)


DONATAS MOTIEJUNAS (Lithuania), PF - Montiejunas is an athletic big man who runs the floor, finishes around the rim and has a nice mid-range game. Sounds pretty good to me. He's also 7' tall, which is nice.

PROS - Quite athletic for his size. Can put the ball on the floor and drive. Excellent passer. Smart player. Great quickness.

CONS - Needs to add strength. Needs to become more consistent from the perimeter. Lacks experience.



Prediction: San Antonio, #29 overall (draft and stash)


DAVIS BERTANS (Latvia), SF - Bertans is another small forward with deep shooting range. He's also capable of getting to the rim off the dribble and is listed at 6'9".

PROS - Great shooter. Also a great passer. Good size. Fairly athletic. Lightning quick release on jumper.

CONS - At times can display poor shot selection. Still very young, and needs to fill out his frame more.



Prediction: Chicago, #30 overall (draft and stash)

U.S. Open Wrap-Up - Bad News for American Golf

Now we know why Tiger's eat their young!

Step aside Tiger, there's a new sheriff in town and his name is Rory McIlroy. After completely unraveling on Sunday at The Master's with a 4 stroke lead after 54 holes, Rors came roaring back at the very next major and totally blew the doors off the competition for a week. He became the first since Woods to win the Open while leading wire-to-wire and posted the lowest ever U.S. Open score. Among the many records he set he also became the youngest Open champ since Bobby Jones in 1923 at the ripe age of 22.

Before the week started I would have figured that the winning score might be somewhere in the -5 to -6 range, with the course playing soft all week due to heavy rains leading up to the tournament. Never in a million years would I believe that -16 would be the winning score. (And actually, if you take out McIlroy I would have been right on the money.) That is an insane performance at the U.S. Open - soft greens or not.

Part of me thinks that because we remember so well what Tiger did just a little over a decade ago at Pebble Beach that Rory isn't really getting his due for this performance. Watching it yesterday, it felt so much more anticlimactic than Woods' performance in 2000.

Nonetheless, he's getting his due here on Dueling Couches. That was a masterpiece unlike any I've witnessed and I'm looking forward seeing many more from him in the years to come.


As for the rest of the field, Jason Day finished in 2nd after a great weekend of play. And Y.E. Yang and Lee Westwood finished in a tie for 3rd along with Robert Garrigus, and Kevin Chappel. Nowhere on the leaderboard were any of the young hotshot Americans that everyone likes to keep talking about.


Dustin Johnson: T23 +1
Anthony Kim: T54 +7
Bubba Watson: T63 +9
Rickie Fowler: Missed Cut +5
Hunter Mahan: Missed Cut +5
Ben Crane: Missed Cut +6
Nick Watney: Missed Cut +6

Disgusting. It's the rest of the world's game right now. Hell, Northern Ireland has produced the last two U.S. Open champions. The group of young American golfers mentioned above haven't done anything to warrant all the attention that they get. Between them they have a combined 17 wins on tour, but no majors - though Watson and Johnson have both been close. Kim admittedly needs to focus more on golf and Fowler seems more concerned about being a fashion icon than winning tournaments.

I realize I'm being harsh, and that winning on tour is not an easy thing for any golfer, especially with how much competition there is now. However, I know these guys have tons of game and I'm just getting sick of hearing about how this could be their big break. Enough with the Twitter and youtube. I want to see some damn trophies! Tiger spoiled us all for a long time, and that reign looks to be all but assuredly over. The world team is full of good young golfers who actually WIN tournaments and don't worry about making stupid online music videos. One of those losers made the cut this week - and he finished plus 9. Nice.

Time to put up or shut up for these guys. Only Fowler can even still be considered young. The others are in their 30s or close to it.

That's it from the golf world for now. Check back as we get closer to the British Open from Royal St. George's - a fantastic course.

U.S. Open 2nd round Update

Wow! Rory McIlroy is murdering Congressional CC. At one point he was -13, but finished his round at -11 when he double-bogeyed the 18th after a wayward tee shot and a terrible decision to try and go at the flag and dropping one in the drink. Oh, by the way that was his first bogey of the tournament!

The double bogey on 18 is a little worrisome, because it shows some poor judgement. I think his caddy really let him down at the Master's by not pulling him aside and telling him not to be so aggressive when things were beginning to get unraveled. And I think he definitely needed to tell Rory not to go at the flag on 18 today. Oh well. He's still got an 8 stroke lead.

The good news for the rest of the field? Most of them have over 2 rounds of golf remaining to get into position to challenge McIlroy.

Jason Day and Bubba Watson are two guys to keep an eye on this afternoon. They'll tee off shortly after 2 pm. Matt Kuchar is about to tee off and he's currently at +1. He's another guy that I could see making a move. Unfortunately, I don't see any story line playing out where anyone gets within less than 4 strokes of McIlroy today. As the sun continues to shine this afternoon, those greens will firm up making it really hard to go after these pin locations, even on some of the birdie holes.

This could be the beginning of a new era in golf.

U.S. Open Day 2 Preview

The 2nd round is recently underway and we are seeing history unfold. Rory McIlroy is currently at -10 atop the leader board. He is just the 5th man to reach double digits under par at the U.S. Open, and he is the fastest to reach that mark. Pretty remarkable. However, we've seen McIlroy put up these fast starts at a major before, last year's British Open and this year's Master's. So far, the young man hasn't been able to put it all together over a weekend and win a major, but if he keeps up this Tiger-like pace he should lap the field. This is reminiscent of Woods at Pebble Beach in 2000.

As for the rest of the field, there are some surprises near the leader board. Ol friend, Y.E. Yang is tied for 2nd with Zach Johnson at -3. And Sergio Garcia is back from the bowels of golf at -2. As for my contenders list, so far it is a big disappointment. Only Phil who I put at #10 is even in the Top 20 currently. My sleeper Charlie Hoffman is also in the top 20. Just more proof of how tough the U.S. Open is.

Phil actually played a pretty good round yesterday outside of his double bogey at the 10th which was his first hole - a bear of a par 3, playing over 220 yards today.

Another sentimental favorite near the top of the board is Davis Love III who played a terriffic round yesterday, that should have been even better. He missed two birdie putts by a combined 10 mm, leaving both on the edge of the cup.

Hopefully, someone can put on a charge today and get closer to McIlroy. Although watching him run away with it could be fun too. Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer and Robert Garrigus are the Americans that look to have the best chance heading into today. The course is playing soft again today from the rains overnight. Don't be surprised to see some low numbers today.

I will try to give some updates throughout the day's action as things unfold.

2011 U.S. Open Preview - Top Contenders

Well, now that hockey is over we can get to covering real sports. Nothing says summer has arrived like the start of the U.S. Open. The way The Master's marks the beginning of spring, Father's Day weekend and the U.S. Open bring to mind BBQ and bathing suits. No? Ok, but summer is here and the golf season is heating up...even if the most compelling figure in the sport is sidelined with a bum knee and a sore vagina - I mean ego.

The Open is always the toughest test of golf, with the United States Golf Association (USGA) setting up the nation's finest public courses to be a brutal examination of a player's skill and mental fortitude. From Pebble Beach to Bethpage Black these are not typically courses where you will see really low numbers on the leader board. Such is the case with the 2011 venue - Congressional Country Club in Washington, D.C. suburb of Bethesda, Maryland.

In the shadow of the White House looms a monster of a golf course that has been made even tougher for The Open. The event has not been held there since 1997 when Ernie Els hoisted the trophy and looked like he might be on his way to a monumental career before Tiger emerged and relegated Els to an also-ran. Congressional is the home for regular PGA Tour event the AT&T Classic, but will play quite different this week.

For starters there is a new finishing hole with what used to be #17. With water around the green on the long par 4 there should be plenty of drama on the final hole as the weekend draws to a close. The course has been lengthened by about 360 yards total. The sand is deeper and fluffier, with shaved grass around bunkers that will allow for more balls to trickle in. All told the course should be a very difficult, but a very fair assessment of one's golf game. There will be opportunities to take some risks and get some rewards, but those risks had better be well calculated.

As for who is going to win this week it is anyone's guess. With the force that once was Tiger now all but seemingly gone from the game of golf a plethora of up-and-coming contenders have risen up to give golf a bright future. And don't forget about guys like Phil Mickelson - still seeking his first U.S. Open title, and Ernie Els who has a very good U.S. Open track record with two titles to his name.

Don't look to the top 2 players in the world (all playing together on Thursday by the way) for a winner. Luke Donald, Lee Westwood have 0 majors between them, but that won't stop many from picking either to win. Both come in playing well in 2011, but I don't think they have the kind of game that will fair well at a U.S. Open. While the top 3 players in the world are all from foreign soil, I actually think the Americans will end their major drought this week. If you're looking to pick a winner here's my list of U.S. Open Top 10 Contenders.

1. Dustin Johnson, USA - Looking to break through with first major after two collapses last year at U.S. Open and PGA. Combo of length off tee and accuracy from the fairways will make him a favorite this week.

2. Steve Stricker, USA - Won last tournament at Memorial. He is the tour leader in avoiding Bogeys. That could be huge this week.

3. K.J. Choi, S. Korea - Choi is the kind of player who isn't flashy but on Sunday you look up and somehow he's battled his way onto the leaderboard. That is a great recipe of patience and persistence that could fair well at Congressional. He's won here before (AT&T).

4. Matt Kuchar, USA - Leads the tour in the all-around ranking, and has 8 top 10s this year. Playing well right now having finished 2nd at Memorial. Ranks 2nd to Stricker in bogey avoidance.

5. Bubba Watson, USA - A very likable guy, Watson also has game. He's a long bomber but leads the tour in greens in regulation. Not a great Open track record, but not bad either. Looking for a breakthrough.

6. David Toms, USA - After a brutal playoff loss at The Players Championship, Toms returned the next week to win at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. He ranks highly in all the accuracy stats. Might not be long enough off the tee though.

7. Luke Donald, England - He is the world #1 so it is hard to pick against him. A safe bet to be near the top, I just can't picture him winning...although it certainly wouldn't be a stretch.

8. Kevin Streelman, USA - Good record at Congressional, and one of the hotter players on tour right now.

9. Nick Watney, USA - In the shadow of other young Americans like Johnson, Fowler etc. but has 7 top 10 finishes this year. Ranks 6th in all-around, but might not have driver accuracy needed to contend.

10. Phil Mickelson, USA - What the hell? Why not? Ol' Lefty has been seeking a U.S. Open for over a decade now, and Congressional could be just the course for him to do it. I don't think he will, but you can't help but like the sentimental favorite.

SLEEPER - Charlie Hoffman, USA - If you don't know who he is, he'll be the dumpy looking guy with the blonde locks flowing from under his Waste Management hat and sinking putts all over the place. If he gets hot with the putter he could make a run at the leader board.

And who wouldn't want this guy to win?


That's Andres Gonzalez. @Andres_Gonzales He's a pretty amusing twitter follow. Check it out.

That's it for now. Be sure to check back later for a Day 1 Wrap and look ahead to Day 2.

NBA PLAYOFFS Round 2 Preview

The first round is in the books (as is Game 1 of the second round for both Boston/Miami and OKC/Memphis) and we're on to the Conference Semifinals.

In my playoff power rankings I touched on a few things that proved to be correct, and a few things I narrowly missed on. The Hornets did need Chris Paul to play other-wordly to beat the Lakers, and for two games he was just that. Unfortunately, they couldn't expect him to do that for the whole series and Los Angeles survived an ugly 1st round series. I also mentioned that everyone was loving Portland but I still had a feeling Dallas might have one more run in the tank...and it looks like they do. On the other hand I gave Indiana no chance to win a game against Chicago and they took two! Chicago doesn't look nearly as scary when Rose is shooting poorly. I also misread the ORL/ATL series in round one, despite the fact that my gut told me Orlando was really bad. I still don't believe in Atlanta much, but hopefully they can make the series with Chicago entertaining.

And with that...let's get into some series previews.


EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Chicago Bulls vs. 5. Atlanta Hawks

Indiana did exactly what any team should try and do against the Bulls - which is to try and contain Rose to long jumpers and trap him off of pick and rolls. They had some success, although Rose ultimately was too much to handle with his athleticism. Let's get this out there right now - you can't keep him away from the rim for a whole game unless he decides to do so. He isn't a high percentage shooter, and certainly wasn't shooting well against Indiana, but he still gets his points on layups, dunks and free throws when he's not going well. Keeping him out of the paint and off the line will be paramount to Atlanta's success. The Hawks will also want to keep a long arm in the face of Kyle Korver who was a big shot factory in round one. I normally hate on Korver pretty hard but he was big in round one, when no other Bulls were really stepping up.
Carlos Boozer can sometimes struggle against lengthy defenders like Horford and Pachulia, so it will be key for Noah to have a big series on both ends.

Bulls win if...Rose is Rose and scores and distributes. (I know sounds simple, but I really think that is all they need.)

Hawks win if...Rose continues poor shooting, or gets banged up and Joe Johnson starts earning some of that contract he got.

PREDICTION - Bulls in 5.



2. Miami Heat vs. 3. Boston Celtics

Game one is already in the books, and we know what happened there. Pierce came unraveled and Wade had a tremendous game as Miami jumped to an early big lead and never looked back.
Three things concern me about the first game for the Celtics.
1) Rondo lacked the aggression he showed through most of the NYK series. (Although to be fair, he was in foul trouble)
2) Jermaine O'Neal was nowhere to be found. (He was huge against Knicks and needs to be in this series. He should be tearing up Joel Anthony on both ends)
3) Lack of effort. All game long it looked like they were reaching for loose balls and grasping as Heat players as they got burned on D, instead of moving their feet and getting after it. After a long break they shouldn't come out like that - and you know Doc was on 'em about it. I don't expect that to last, but it needs to change fast.

Van Gundy and company made a salient point yesterday in that Miami has the most athletic perimeter in the league and the extra pass (something Boston usually does quite well) will be key in this series. And on defense they really need to stay home on James Jones and Mike Miller and get their rotations tighter.
Look for Miami to exploit their athleticism all series long and the drive and dish for three should be their main weapon of choice.

Miami wins if...Rondo can't destroy MIA PGs and Wade and James display great cohesion.

Boston wins if...They use their veteran presence to get under skin on Miami role players - and King James for that matter. (NOT reacting like Pierce did yesterday.)

PREDICTION - Boston in 7.



WESTERN CONFERENCE

2. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 3. Dallas Mavericks

Hard to believe but this is the first time in the "Dirk/Kobe" era that these two have met in the playoffs. It should be a great series both on and off the court, as I can't wait to see some Mark Cuban shenanigans and hopefully some firing back and forth between he and Zen Master Phil.
As I think about this series, I'm not really sure what to make of it. Part of me wants to think Dallas has a real shot - especially with the Lakers recent play and Kobe maybe a bit banged up and certainly getting long in the tooth. However, I just think LA has been doing this too long, and ultimately Kobe, Gasol, Odom and Bynum will be too much for Dirk and company. However, if Jason Kidd can exploit the PG position somewhat like Chris Paul - obviously in a much less dynamic fashion - and Jason Terry can shake loose for his patented big shots they might be able to pull it off. I think stealing a game 1 in LA would be a huge boost to the effort.

Los Angeles wins if... Gasol comes out of his hole and starts resembling the player that we saw in last year's playoffs and they dominate the glass.

Dallas wins if... Dirk plays huge all series and Chandler can make Gasol into a jelly donut like New Orleans did.


PREDICTION - Los Angeles in 6.



4. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 8. Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis took game one on the road in convincing fashion yesterday. It might be time to start believing in Memphis. They basically tore up a dilapidated San Antonio team, and have now taken the home court from Oklahoma City - who many saw as the best team in the West. Zach "Zebo" Randolph has been huge in these playoffs and the Grizzlies actually have a very 'OKC up-and-comer' type of feel about them. They are a fairly young team with nothing to lose and playing with a certain swagger. It also seems that Pau had his mojo stolen by his little brother, Marc Gasol who is playing as well as Pau is playing poorly.
On the other hand, if OKC can avoid panicking and another me-against-the-world type of game from Russell Westbrook they should still pull this series out.

Oklahoma City wins if... Durant gets off and Westbrook reverts back to his "Robin" ways and quits trying to play "Batman". (That's Durant's job)

Memphis wins if... Zebo keeps playing well and Durant gets shutdown by Tony Allen and the Grizzlie perimeter defenders.

PREDICTION - Oklahoma City in 7

NBA Playoff Power Rankings - Western Conference

Here's how I see the Western Conference stacking up, power ranking wise as he go into the playoffs tomorrow night. Again, this isn't necessarily how I think things will finish, but gives a different perspective than the rankings. This conference is FAR more interesting than the East again this year, although the East is catching up a bit.
Let's get right to it.

#1 Oklahoma City Thunder

Yea, I said it. OKC is atop my power rankings in the West. Not the Lakers who are the prohibitive favorite. Not the Spurs who have the league's best record. We don't know what Bynum will be able to provide and Manu is dealing with some health issues as well. Do I think the Thunder are going to win the title this year? I don't know. Probably not, but right now I think they're playing the best ball.
Obviously, they have Durant and Westbrook leading the way. But some might not have noticed the tear Serge Ibaka has been on since the trade of Jeff Green and the acquisition of Kendrick Perkins. Playing at his normal position Ibaka has been able to score more in a variety of ways and is a menace to opposing power forwards. Even better than Ibaka's surge (that's pretty fucking good right there!) has been that of James Harden since the trade. Harden has taken the bulk of the offensive void left by Green and he has finally stepped up to the point where he may no longer be a total bust at #3 overall.
Of course there is that whole experience thing. OKC is still very young and only has last year's playoff loss to build on. They added Perkins who has a ring, but he was always a quiet guy in the room in Boston so don't expect him to really be a team leader. He is what he is. A very physical defensive minded center.

OKC wins if... They aren't phased by the big stage and relish the moment.

OKC loses if... Harden can't be relied on to make that big shot when Durant and Westbrook are under pressure.


#2 Los Angeles Lakers

Still most likely the team to beat out of the West, especially if Bynum's injury doesn't prove to be a major issue. If it is then they could be in a bit of hot water. Kobe's frustration has been bubbling over for a couple weeks now, as evidenced by his outburst the other night. The game doesn't come so easy to Bryant anymore. Watching the Lakers what really stands out his how incredibly hard he has to work for just about every bucket now. Anyone else notice his dunks just barely sneaking over the rim now? Dude's gonna be laying it in before too long. Regardless, I think the old dog still has one more great fight in him, and his intensity is infectious - mostly because you know Pau Gasol, or poopface as I like to call him, is scared shitless of Bryant.
The other key component could be old friend Ron Artest. He just doesn't seem to have the focus he had last season, and especially in the playoffs. If he gets it together and gives them something positive, that could be all they need.

Lakers win if... Kobe doesn't become a black hole when he's not hot, and he gets some help from his teammates (which will aide in the former.)

Lakers lose if... Bynum can't get right, and Kobe hogs the ball even though he's not productive.

#3 Dallas Mavericks

Everyone likes to hate on this team, and right now Portland is the sexy upset pick. Beware of the upset pick that EVERYONE seems to like. Let's not forget Dallas finished the year with 57 wins, tied with LA for the 2nd most in the West. Dirk Nowitzki is money in the playoffs. The last 3 seasons he's averaged 26 and 10 come playoff time. He will get his. It's just a matter of whether or not Jason Terry and Jason Kidd and the rest of the Mavs can provide enough help.
Tyson Chandler has given them an interior presence they have never had during Dirk's time in Dallas. He operates in the post and allows Dallas to score from the perimeter, which is their bread and butter.
All that being said, this team still has a lot of questions. The biggest one being, is the window closed? I'm not sure about that and if ever there was a year for them this might be it. Bynum might be hurt, Kobe is older, San Antonio is also banged up and not as fresh as they once were. You know Dirk is hungry for a ring, but who knows if they can play tough enough to get one. Nonetheless, the Mavs are a fun team to watch.

Mavericks win if... Dirk is a star and Terry closes in the 4th.

Mavericks lose if... Pace of play gets too fast and Dirk isn't able to get his spots.

#4 San Antonio Spurs

I like, Ric Bucher, think the Spurs are a bit of a fraud. I'm not sure I trust this team to make another deep run into the playoffs. And in fact, I think they could get a lot of trouble from Memphis if they're not careful. However, the arguments made against the Celtics are the same ones that can be made against the Spurs, and I certainly haven't counted out the C's. The deciding factor could be the health of Manu Ginobili who I would argue is the focus of the offense now, and not Tim Duncan. He is currently listed as doubtful for the opening game, which will mean added pressure on Gary Neal and George Hill to put the ball in the basket. That means a much easier matchup for trick or treat Tony Allen if Manu has to sit out.
When all is said and done, I'm not sure I can bet against these experienced vets and arguably the Coach of the Year in Greg Popovich. But it won't be a hefty bet.

Spurs win if... Manu can play at full strength and role players like, Neal and Bonner give them big contributions.

Spurs lose if... Manu isn't ready to go and Neal
and Hill can't carry the load.


#5 Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers pulled off the deal of the season when they hoisted Gerald Wallace from Charlotte. He gives them the depth they've always needed by pushing guys like Fernandez and Batum and most importantly Brandon Roy to the bench. This team now has tremendous depth, amid the emergence of Lamarcus Aldridge as a bonafide stud this season.
Aldridge should get strong consideration for most improved player this season (although it will probably be Luis Scola). He can score in a variety of ways, and has really improved his toughness in the interior - one area I always thought he was lacking. He'll need to continue playing at that level for Portland to make a real run.
One thing to be nervous about as a Blazers fan would be that everyone is all over them right now as the sexy upset pick. The ingredients are all there but who knows if they'll be able to execute when push comes to shove.

Blazers win if... Aldridge plays well and Roy comes off the bench and is productive.

Blazers lose if... Aldridge shrinks under pressure and Roy is relied upon to do too much.


#6 Denver Nuggets

I feel like everyone is just writing this team off, but they've played great since the Melo trade and have a lot of good mojo working in their favor. They have the whole George Karl recovering from cancer feel-good story and got rid of Melo's big ego for a bunch of unselfish players who have come in and played very well together right away.
The Nuggets are the league leader in offensive efficiency, and have a plethora of offensive options. they kind of remind me of an offensive minded Detroit Pistons team that won it all in 2004. They have no All-Stars on the roster but they have great chemistry and they execute their game plan extremely well. Dano Galinari has played very well They also have J.R. Smith who when he is hot can definitely carry a team to a huge victory. Nene is in my opinion the most underrated Center in the league, and doesn't back down from anyone. They also have a little nastiness in Kenyon Martin, which you need to win in the playoffs.
I like this teams make-up, but unfortunately the West is so good I'm not sure they can escape the first round.

Nuggets win if... They get hot from 3 point range and protect home court.

Nuggets lose if... Play gets sloppy and they can't get stops because they're out of rhythm.

#7 Memphis Grizzlies

Some people are saying Memphis can pull the upset in round one. Indeed they've been a vast improved team this season - despite missing Rudy Gay for the most important stretch. However, I think LA would have been a better round one matchup as crazy as that sounds. Zebo, or Zach Randolph as he is commonly known, has put up arguably the best numbers of anyone not being paid attention to over the last couple seasons. It's like the whole tree-falls-in-a-forest type of thing. He should be on full display for this playoff series, and I can't wait to see what he does. If he can draw Duncan out to the perimeter and get him into foul trouble that could be great news for Memphis. The key to the series though should be Tony Parker vs Mike Conley. If Conley is able to get off and distribute and score the Grizz might have a shot. However, he'll have his hands equally full trying to guard the pesky Parker.

Grizzlies win if...Zebo can outplay Duncan by a wide margin.

Grizzlies lose if...Tony Parker destroys Mike Conley and Tony Allen is in foul trouble.


#8 New Orleans Hornets

Chris Paul...blah blah blah. I saw on Sports Nation where Chris Paul is supposed to be a better clutch player than Kobe because he performs better in the 4th quarter than just about anyone. That is example number 1,347,856 why you can't just go by numbers. I like Chris Paul, but the Hornets don't stand much of a chance here.
Seems like a long friggin time ago that the Hornets sat atop these power rankings, but it was only November. How things have changed. They are 14 out of the 16 playoff teams in offensive efficiency.
I don't really even want to waste a whole lot of time on this team. I hope they get contracted along with a few other teams.

Hornets win if...Chris Paul is a world beater and puts this team on his back.

Hornets lose if...Paul is anything short of what I just mentioned (even if he plays very well).

NBA Playoff Power Rankings

I was gonna do a final power rankings heading into the final week of the season, last week. However, I didn't really feel like writing about all the teams that were no longer compelling and decided to hold off and rank the playoff teams. Obviously, this isn't just ranking them by seed or that would be exceedingly boring. Here's how I think the teams stack up based on their play headed into the most exciting stretch of the season. Let's start with the Eastern Conference.

EAST

#1 Chicago Bulls -

To put another team here would be kind of silly. Since Thanksgiving this has been the best team in the NBA at 54-15. They're also the hottest team in the league at 9-1 over their last 10, including an utter dismantling of a beat up Boston squad. Derrick Rose is essentially the unquestioned MVP among the media types, and has certainly been displaying some dazzling play.
Chicago ranks first in the NBA in defensive efficiency - which may surprise some who view them as a great offensive team. However, Coach Thibs has brought his signature defense to Chicago and they do a terrific job locking down teams and creating off of turnovers - much like the Celtics did under his tutelage. They are also the top offensive rebounding club in the East, which could be huge in tight, physical games as the playoffs wear on.
That defensive mindset they've adopted should help them in the playoffs, although this group of Bulls, with Boozer in the mix, doesn't have any playoff experience on their side. Nonetheless, their body of work has to make them the favorites to come out of the East.

Bulls win if... Rose continues his MVP play and they continue to create extra possessions with offensive boards.

Bulls lose if... Rose goes cold or gets too keen on scoring the ball and forgets to distribute.


#2 Boston Celtics -

Yes. I know they're bumbling their way into the playoffs. But take a second to think back to how they played last year heading into the playoffs. Hard to believe, but it was actually worse. They were getting stomped by bad teams, and still made an epic run to the finals only to lose in 7 games to the Lakers. Fool me once, shame on you. I was all over the C's last season saying that they didn't have a chance. Fool me twice shame on me. I'm not betting against this team of vets - although I'm also not counting on Shaqachusetts to give us anything more than a few decent games. Paul Pierce demonstrated in the most recent game at Madison Square Garden that he has as much want-to as anyone in the league. And he can still get it going when the bright lights are on.
I think resting the guys and settling for #3 was the best move possible. They get a reeling Knicks team in round 1, got some rest and most importantly got some time to practice hard heading into the playoffs. I know the haters will say they don't have Perk, but the defensive numbers have been better since the trade. The offense has been the problem. I'm not scared of Joel Anthony or Rony Turiaf. The Perk hole shouldn't be noticed until they face the Bulls if that happens. Rondo can not have bad games in the playoffs if this team is going to win. Their run will depend on his play and if Paul is able to find that big game mojo.

Celtics win if...Big 3 stay healthy, Shaq plays solid minutes and Rondo distributes.

Celtics lose if...Rondo plays poorly, any injury to a key player or new guys can't find a way to gel with the vets.


#3 Miami Heat -

Combining offensive efficiency and defensive efficiency, this is the best team in the NBA. They average 109.3 points per 100 possessions (3rd in NBA) and give up a stout 100.7 (5th). They are the only team in the top 5 in both categories. That combination is going to make this team a very tough out - despite what any haters might have to say. They are also 2nd in the NBA in true shooting percentage.
So what could possibly hold this team back? Well, for starters they have never been through the playoffs together. This will be the Heatles first real test under pressure. If Lebron reverts to his early season ways and defers too often to his teammates they may be in trouble. They are at their best when he is attacking. At 8-2 in their last 10 they've been at their best often of late.
However, teams like Boston, Orlando and Chicago can still give them fits if they can get plenty of low-post scoring.
The other problem could be free throws. Miami ranks 6th among East playoff teams in FT % and is the only East playoff team other than Milwaukee and Orlando to give up more Free Throw Attempts than they take. We all know about Lebron's FT struggles. Under the pressure of the big moment, that could be compounded.

Heat win if... Wade and James play aggressive and Bosh knocks down some shots.

Heat lose if... James and Wade can't find a balance in play-off atmosphere, or Bosh folds under pressure and physical play.


#4 Orlando Magic -

To be honest, I really think there is a big drop-off in the East after the top 3 teams. If one of the other 5 teams makes an appearance in the EC Finals I will be pretty shocked. From the beginning of the year, many media members have been hyping this team as a finals threat. I recall Barkley saying on TNT that Orlando was assuredly going to the Finals, and basically wrote everyone else off. Funny how no one brings that up now. I'm sorry, I'm just not buying this team anymore. I will buy on Dwight Howard all day every day but this isn't really a big man's league. You need one or two good ones to win, but a great one on his own can't get the job done.
Orlando is far too reliant on the 3-pointer, but not nearly good enough at shooting it. They're 9th in the league in true shooting, though they are far too streaky and every good defensive team will let Dwight have his and close out on the perimeter players.

Magic win if... Nelson, Redick and co. knock down 3's with consistency.

Magic lose if... Howard is the focal point of their offense.


#5 New York Knicks

I'm not really buying this team as much as I just can't stand the rest of the teams that rank below them in the East. If 1-3 has a drop-off it might be even more severe from the 4 spot to the 5-8 teams. The Knicks play no defense. That isn't something that you can just start doing in big moments. I love how this team made one good defensive stand all season against Miami and everyone wanted to talk about how they could play defense if they wanted to. In the words of Chad Ochocinco - "Child, please." If we haven't learned by now that a D'Antoni team isn't going to play defense then we really need to pull our heads out of our asses.
That being said, his teams in Phoenix made regular deep runs in the West by merely outscoring weaker opponents. The problem here is the Celtics are not a weaker opponent in the first round. Amare and Melo is a nice 1-2 on paper, and they can certainly light it up on the big stage in MSG. However, I haven't seen them put together a stretch where both are playing at an elite level the way Lebron and DWade can. Two forwards just doesn't really do it for me. They need a basketball team. The D'Antoni system thrives on motion and ball movement. Problem is Amare and Melo (especially) are both ball stoppers.

Knicks win if... Melo and Stat both go crazy and have a huge series, and they get a boost from MSG playoff atmosphere.

Knicks lose if... Melo becomes a volume shooter.

#6 Atlanta Hawks

We've been watching this core unit of Josh Smith, Joe Johnson and Al Horford for a few years. Looks like a great team, right? Problem is they haven't been able to get over that hump of making the playoffs and turning it into a deep run. A few years ago they took the Celtics to 7 games and everyone thought they might finally emerge. 3 years later we're still waiting for the same thing.
I just can't buy this team as a contender anymore.
Zaza Pachulia should serve as a nice breakfast for Dwight Howard as he eats him up in the paint in round one.
The Hawks are 28th in the league in rebounding and 22nd in the league in rebounding differential. That does not bode well for their playoff hopes. On top of that they are 15th in defensive efficiency and give up more points per 100 possessions than they score. Indiana is the only other playoff team to do that.

Hawks win if... Josh Smith averages close to a triple-double and Joe Johnson plays like the go-to scorer that he is paid to be.

Hawks lose if... They don't find a way to keep opponents off the glass.


#7 Philadelphia 76ers

This is a feisty team that Coach Collins has playing hard every night. Andre Igoudala is their Mr. Everything, and he's going to have to be healthy and productive in order for them to have any kind of shot in round one. Some have compared him to Scottie Pippen for the way he contributes in multiple categories. The numbers might look nice, but he's not on Scottie's planet. Jrue Holiday and Lou Williams provide a nice 1-2 punch from the PG spot which could be their best bet in attacking Miami, since Bibby can't guard anyone.
Philly likes to play uptempo and they'll need to create turnovers that produce points if they're going to win. Among East playoff teams they were 3rd in steals differential, so they have that going for them.

Sixers win if... Igoudala plays like a superstar and the Sixers are able to score in transition.

Sixers lose if... Pace of play slows down.


#8 Indiana Pacers

Why is this team in the playoffs? I wish the NBA took the top 16 teams. That would be a little more exciting. Nonetheless, this Pacers squad does have a little star power in Danny Granger who is probably the best player known by the fewest amount of people. Josh McRoberts is playing better than probably anyone expected and Roy Hibbert has found his groove a bit this season.
However, this team has no shot of advancing past round one, and in fact I would say that they have very little shot at winning a game.
This is a very middle of the road team, and not a lot worth tuning in for except to see Danny Granger - though he'll likely be the focus of the opponents defense so who knows how much he'll really do.

Pacers win if... Derrick Rose gets hurt in game 1 and can't return.

Pacers lose if... Let's be honest, this is most likely.

'Nique Still Knockin' People Out

Dominique Wilkins showed Wednesday night that he hasn't lost a thing since his playing days. Except this time he wasn't doing damage with thunderous assaults on the rim, but with his fists.

Wilkins was allegedly attacked by former NBA and NCAA basketball referee Rashan Michel following the Hawks win over the Magic last night at Philips Arena.

The alleged attack was over a dispute between the two men about some suits that Wilkins purchased from Michel's clothing store, and apparently never paid for.

Michel brought the feud to the twitter world - dropping these bombs -

"I call what happened at Philips Arena earlier, Operation Repo...next time have my money!"

" @DWilkins21 pay your debts, poser."

Hahahaha

This story is hysterical. Check out the damage that 'Nique did on this dude's face.


Yea. I don't think he's paying for those suits anytime too soon.


Witnesses say Wilkins landed at least 3 real good shots to Michel's head. How awesome is it that your VP of Operations guy is straight knockin' people out in the tunnels after the game? I wish Danny Ainge would lay some fools out at the TD Garden. I'd feel a lot better about the Celtics.

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #1 Sidney Crosby

SIDNEY CROSBY - Center, Pittsburgh Penguins




Here we are, sports fans. Numero Uno. The Big Kahuna. The Bee's Knees. Cat's Pajamas. Whatever you want to call it, we've reached the top spot on out Top 25 Athletes Under the Age of 25 list. At #1 we have the young Canadian sensation, Sidney Crosby.

Crosby is our 2nd hockey player on the list and is as much a household name as the NHL has to offer these days. It wasn't easy for me to put a hockey guy at number one, but looking at his career accomplishments at such a young age combined with the way he has dominated every level he has played at it was pretty clear that this guy was deserving of being number one. As I mentioned in the Stamkos post, I am not by any stretch of the imagination a hockey aficionado. However, I don't live under a rock and I am, just like every other sports fan, at least aware of who this kid is and what he has to offer.

What he offers is pure brilliance on skates. Nicknamed, The Next One - in reference to Wayne Gretzky as The Great One - Crosby was considered one of the most sought after draft picks in hockey history. After dominating the QMJHL, also known as the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (yea I had to wiki that one), Crosby was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2005. For hockey fans, and particularly Canadian hockey fans, this was not the first they had heard of Sidney Crosby.

After learning to skate at the tender age of 3, Crosby picked up the game of hockey at a rapid rate. By age 13 he was trying to play against 17 year olds, but ultimately lost a lawsuit challenging his right to play with the older kids. Whereas most super-talented youth are heralded and praised and generally get all they want out of life (see Lebron James) Crosby was the subject of much jealousy and hatred from opponents and league parents. Jealous of his superior talent many kids would try to injure Crosby and parents would often taunt him from the stands. As a result, Crosby attended a prep school in Minnesota. In 2002-03 his prep school won the U.S. National Championship, starting a lengthy string of championships for Crosby.

From there he was the 1st overall selection in the midget draft - surprisingly not a draft of little people - in the QMJHL. He dominated the league in his first year as the Player of the Year and also the Top Scorer. His amateur years caught the eye of Wayne Gretzky who said that Crosby was the best player he'd seen since Mario Lemieux, and that he thought Crosby could break his records some day.

Interestingly enough, like Lemieux Crosby was selected first overall by the Penguins in 2005. In his rookie season Crosby was able to play alongside Super Mario before he was forced to retire due to health. As a rookie in the NHL Crosby was everything that was expected and then some. He set franchise records for assists and points by a rookie - both Lemieux records. He was the youngest player in league history to tally 100 points in a season and the 7th rookie to do so. He finished 6th in scoring and 7th in assists, but lost out to Alexander Ovechkin for rookie of the year.

In his sophomore year, things got even better for Sid the Kid, as he became the first teenager since Gretzky to lead the league in scoring. He was the youngest ever winner of the Art Ross Trophy (scoring leader) and the youngest scoring champ of any North American sport.

By 2008-09 season Crosby was one of the biggest names in hockey, if not the biggest. He had established himself as one of the game's greats, albeit with a bit of a reputation as a whiner and a cry-baby. Mirroring his rise to stardom was the Penguins rise as one of the better teams in the league. In 2009 they won the Stanley Cup, led by Crosby their young Captain. He finished the season with 103 points, good for 3rd in the league, despite some minor injuries.



Hoisting the Cup cemented Crosby's status as the biggest name in hockey, and gave him a leg-up on the individual on-going battle with Ovechkin, who is perhaps more flashy but not quite the winner Crosby has proven to be. It also helped cement Crosby's spot on this list.

What truly puts Crosby apart from others on this list is the fact that he has dominated at every level. In the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Crosby broke the hearts of American hockey fans when he put home a rebound for the game-winning goal in overtime of the Gold Medal game against the upstart USA team. The win avenged an early loss to the American's in the preliminary round and basically avoided disaster for Canada who surely could not have suffered a Gold Medal loss to their big brother from the south.



This season, Crosby has been limited due to concussion suffered from multiple hits to the head in back to back games. He hasn't played since January 5th and it is questionable whether he will return at all this season. Despite playing about 30 less games than the points leaders Crosby still sits at #11 in points with 66. In fact, Stamkos the leader in goals has only managed 11 more than Crosby despite 28 more games played.



Although he is not the flashy highlight machine that Ovechkin is, Crosby is more substance. Think Derrick Rose compared to Rajon Rondo. He is a dominant force on the ice whether he is playing for Canada or the Penguins. And at just 23 years old the flapjack eaters in Canada and the Penguins fans in Pittsburgh alike are looking forward to many more seasons of brilliance and most importantly, winning. Duh!


Here is 2009's Top 25 Under 25 list. We did not do one in 2010.

1. Lebron James
2. Alexander Ovechkin
3. Sidney Crosby
4. Adrian Peterson
5. Evgeni Malkin
6. Chris Paul
7. Dwight Howard
8. Evan Longoria
9. Matt Ryan
10. Felix Hernandez
11. Mario Williams
12. Calvin Johnson
13. Rajon Rondo
14. Derrick Rose
15. BJ Upton
16. Deron Williams
17. Patrick Willis
18. Kevin Durant
19. Matt Cain
20. Justin Upton
21. Adam Jones
22. David Price
23. Josh Smith
24. Reggie Bush
25. Al Jefferson

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #2 Blake Griffin

BLAKE GRIFFIN - Power Forward, Los Angeles Clippers

Much like #3 on this list, Kevin Durant, I've gone back and forth on where to put this guy. Initially, I had him a little further down on the list just because he was very unproven having missed his entire actual rookie season with a leg injury. However, as the season progressed it became clear that this man is a once in a generation type of talent. He is the kind of guy that a franchise can draft and change their fortunes, as Lebron did for Cleveland, Carmelo did for Denver and Wade did for Miami. Unfortunately, only DWade remains with his original franchise - a growing trend in the league. Only time will tell if Blake Griffin will be able to resist temptation to jump ship in Los Angeles.

For now though, he is a Clipper and things have never looked so bright for the younger brother of LaLa land NBA franchises. Griffin is on a highlight reel tear we haven't seen since Vince Carter's best years of nightly gravity defying slams. Blake Griffin has electrified the city of Los Angeles much like a young Kobe did and has put himself in position to challenge Lebron and others as the face of the NBA in coming years.

Before he was known simply as Blake, Griffin was an Oklahoma basketball state champion and a McDonald's All American who chose his hometown Sooners over Jim Calhoun's Huskies. While a Sooner Griffin enjoyed to brilliant seasons of college basketball, even winning the Naismith Award for player of the year. Fellow Sooner, Sam Bradford (#9 on this list)won the Heisman the same year, marking the first time in NCAA history that one school had the Naismith and Heisman winners of the same year.

Griffin's trophy case is littered with college accolades despite only playing 2 years. In hist first season of NBA action he's trying to keep up the trophy pace. He's already won a Slam Dunk competition (which was basically his once he stepped on the court, but we'll debate that contest another day) and is well on his way to Rookie of the Year Award - which in my opinion is a joke. He was able to sit on the bench all last season and presumably attend meetings and generally just learn a lot about the NBA game. If that's not an advantage over John Wall and others in the actual rookie class than I am not sure what is. Regardless, his performance warrants whatever awards people want to throw his way.

While many critics may label him a one-trick pony and just a dunk machine, I think it is pretty evident that Griffin's game is much more advanced than other "dunkers" like Darius Miles, Gerald Green or Desmond Mason - athletic types that became trendy in the early 2000s. Right now Griffin's game needs a little refinement, and he'll be the first to tell you that. In a recent interview he even stated that right now much of what he gets offensively and on the boards comes just from playing harder than everyone else. Most would surmise that Griffin's frantic pace of play and energy would be hard to keep up over a whole career, and that he must make adjustments in his game in order to have longevity. Even young Michael Jordan had to develop his jumper and other aspects of his repetoire when jumping over everyone on every play became too much on a nightly basis. Griffin is in the same boat, but he has already made improvements and is developing a nice little post game to go with his unearthly leaping ability in the open court. Every time he plays against great PF like Duncan, Garnett, Stoudemire, etc. you can see how seriously he takes the task and how he is working at picking up things those guys are doing.

His season statistics suggest a player who is much more than one injury filled season into his career. He is 12th in the league in scoring with over 22 PPG and 4th in the league in rebounding at 12.4 RPG. His Points/Rebounds/Assists averages are behind only Lebron and Kevin Love, and ahead of Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant and Amare Stoudemire.

It will be very interesting to see where Griffin's career takes him. At the moment I think the potential is just about endless. Clippers' front office has already made it clear that they intend to make him a Clipper for life, which obviously excites the fan base, but could potentially alienate Griffin. He comes along at a very interesting time in LA when Kobe's reign is beginning to fade, and a potential shift in basketball power could come along in the city. If the Lakers ride out Kobe's career and fade into oblivion as his old tired legs lead them down an aging path, it is conceivable that Griffin - given a decent team - could ignite the front-running city into a blaze of Clipper glory. No city likes something new and flashy quite like LA does. Plus, all the bloods could finally wear their red clippers gear with pride!

No matter what transpires over the next few years, I think we can agree that Griffin will be an exciting player to keep tabs on. Even if his game never gets much better and he just provides us with years of ridiculous dunk highlights I think fans would be happy. At just 21 years old, though, Griffin indeed has some time to become an all-time great. Clippers fans and basketball fans in general will be excited every time he steps out on the hardwood. Just do us all a favor, and next time go over the roof like a real man.

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #3 Kevin Durant

KEVIN DURANT - Forward, Oklahoma City Thunder

When I started making this list, my first instinct was to put Kevin Durant at the very top of the list. I've since made a few edits, and he has slipped to number three. Make no mistake, though, this young man is as good as it gets for young athletes and the difference between the top 3 are really just splitting hairs.

Durant, also known as The Durantula - one of my favorite athlete nicknames - has quickly asserted himself as one of the NBA's premier scorers. In 2009-10 he was the league's scoring champion averaging a robust 30.1 points per game. During the season he rattled off an unreal streak of scoring at least 25 points in 29 consecutive games! That streak set the NBA mark, breaking a record set by Allen Iverson. During the streak and throughout the season, he seemed virtually unstoppable and able to get his scoring from any position on the floor.

For a 6'9" forward Durant is a deft shooter from all over the court. When he's on his game his jump-shot is really a thing of beauty, and I'd put it up against just about anyone in the league for aesthetics. His combination of size and quickness, make him incredibly difficult to defend one on one, and this season in particular he has faced a myriad of defensive schemes aimed solely at slowing him down.



It has worked to a small degree. In part, that is the reason for his being #3 on this list and not #1. Entering the 2010-11 season most NBA fans and experts were expecting another step forward for Durant. Another 30 PPG effort and perhaps more rebounding and distributing was in order. He stumbled a bit out of the blocks to begin the season, as teammate Russell Westbrook looked to be taking the reigns of the Thunder. Across the board, many of Durant's numbers are down just a tick or two this season. He has struggled a bit to find his stroke from behind the arc, shooting just 34% from three. However, at 28.1 points per night and 7.1 rebounds he is hardly disappointing from a production stand point. Perhaps another step forward might be to much too ask, especially from an unselfish player who knows that for the Thunder to become a contender other guys like Westbrook and Harden are going to have to get theirs too.

In fact, Durant's unassuming superstar temperament might just be the most appealing thing about him. He's much more Scottie than he is Michael. And while that might hinder him from garnering as many commercials or off-court endorsement deals, it certainly helps liken him to the fans. In an age when most athletes of his caliber are always searching out greener pastures (see Alex Rodriguez, Lebron James) Durant was happy to reup with the hometown Oklahoma City Thunder in hopes of making that small market team an annual title threat, and didn't try to force his way out of town onto a so-called "super team".

Durant's resume already boasts many collegiate decorations, a Rookie of the Year Award, two All-Star games, a Scoring Champion award and an FIBA World Championship Gold Medal. When all is said and done with Kevin Durant's career I suspect he will go down as one of the greats. He is well on his way to doing just that, and at the ripe age of 22 and locked into a long-term deal in OKC, Thunder fans are hoping that career just might have a few rings in it as well. If they can keep the talent around him there shouldn't be any reason why not.

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #4 Derrick Rose

DERRICK ROSE - Point Guard, Chicago Bulls

Chicago fans, and in particular our friend K, can rest easy. We've finally gotten to D-Rose on our countdown. I'd have to imagine that any Chicagoan would be pretty pleased with his spot on our list. D-Rose is revolutionizing the point guard position. Whether it is for the betterment of the game is for others to debate. What isn't up for debate is that Rose is as explosive a point guard as the league has ever seen.

Coming out of Memphis there were many critics when he was selected #1 overall by Chicago in the 2008 NBA draft. I'll admit I was one of them. He didn't strike me as a very good shooter, and many wondered if he would be able to expand that part of his game. There were also some rumblings of a lack of leadership qualities as Memphis choked in the tourney. However, that might have been a bit unfair as he was a freshman. I think it is safe to say that he has answered many of those questions with his play on the court, and he is a leader now on the Bulls.

Rose is for all intents and purposes a polar opposite of the other PG in our top 10, Rajon Rondo. A score-first point guard who is a versatile and electric scorer, has improved the other facets of his game in a big way. For all the attention that his scoring gets - and he deserves it - Rose has become a productive distributor of the basketball as well. As of publishing date, Rose was 10th in the league in APG with 8.1. And in Points/Assists/Rebounds he ranks 7th in the league averaging 37 total per game. That ranks ahead of Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook and Kobe Bryant to name a few.

Since the time he entered the league the knock on Rose has been that he was a volume shooter and couldn't hit consistently from the outside. He's since proven both of those things to be myths as he has inserted himself into the MVP conversation in 2010-2011. On the season he is shooting about 44%, which is down from his career average, though that is mostly due to a recent cold streak, and for the most part he's been right around 45-47% which is very serviceable. He has improved his three point shooting to 33%, which isn't elite by any means but is certainly better than 27% which is where he was the previous season. His numbers are up across the board in 2010-11 and he ranks among the league leaders in player efficiency, an important stat when considering a player's impact on his team.

To say that Derrick Rose is a one-trick pony, or is not a great point guard because he looks to score first would be remiss. Rather, his skill set demands that he play the game that way and makes him one of the elite talents in the league. He has the leaping ability and explosion of players that are usually much larger and play the 2 or 3 spot, yet still possesses the quickness of a diminutive point guard. To have him play a Rondo style and simply distribute the ball all game long would be to miss out on a lot of what he has to offer. In turn, he has developed a great play-making ability to go with the rest of his offensive game. This was evidenced in their most recent win over Miami where late in the game he penetrated the defense and made a beautiful dish to Deng in the corner for a 3.

The bottom line is that Derrick Rose does things from the point guard position that most of his counterparts can not. He'll never be John Stockton or even Jason Kidd. What he will be, though, is an incredibly athletic handful for opposing defenders to deal with. And he just may be the next leader of a Bulls championship. Chicago fans are certainly hoping so, and at just 22 years of age he has a good shot at being #1 on this list before all is said and done.