The NFL Draft starts with the first round this Thursday, April 25 at 8pm and the Detroit Lions currently hold the 5th overall selection. They have a lot of needs to fill and have plenty of options to consider. Let's go over their possibilities and who might be the best fit.
Eric Fisher 6-7 306 OT Central Michigan
Why They Should - Eric Fisher is the #2 offensive tackle behind projected #1 overall pick Luke Joeckel. He already has the size of a NFL lineman and great foot-speed as well. Fisher was first-team All-MAC in his senior year and had a standout game in the Senior Bowl, which even further boosted his draft stock. Not only can Fisher run and pass block well, but he has the athleticism to get downfield blocks to help bust big runs. Coming out of Central Michigan University, naturally he'll be compared
to Joe Staley, who has been a Pro Bowl tackle for the San Francisco
49ers the last two years. If he's anything like Staley, that bodes well for whoever drafts the fellow Chip.
Why They Shouldn't - There's not much to say negatively about Fisher as he has almost all the tools to look for in an offensive tackle. One knock on him is that he has size but maybe not the strength to handle NFL defensive ends, but that can come over time. Also, the Lions drafted another offensive tackle, Riley Reiff, at #22 overall in last years draft. However, with the departure of Gosder Cherilus to the Indianpolis Colts and the retirement of Jeff Backus (and his false starts), the Lions might have room to add another tackle.
Dee Milliner 6-0 201 CB Alabama
Why They Should - It's well-known that the Lions need a lot of help in their secondary, especially at the cornerback position. That position has been a revolving door lately and Dee Milliner would definitely provide an anchor for that part of the defense. Already being labeled as the next Darrelle Revis, Milliner ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the combine (fastest for his position) and shut down Notre Dame's Tyler Eifert in the BCS Championship game. He's shown that he has size and enough strength to handle bigger receivers and the speed to stay with quicker players. He was named a unanimous first-team All-American and All-SEC member last year after his junior season.
Why They Shouldn't - Milliner has decent size but is not the best tackler. Strong receivers and runningbacks are able to break through most of his tackles. He's great at defending passes, he had 22 PD's last year, but doesn't have the best hands, only two interceptions. If you are going to take a corner in the top five you better make sure they are either Pro Bowl material or have longevity for your team.
Dion Jordan 6-6 248 OLB Oregon
Why They Should - Dion Jordan has the combination of size and speed you look for in great defensive players as he has ability to rush the passer and cover tight ends down the field. Jordan's numbers from Oregon won't wow you but he was troubled with a lingering shoulder injury his senior year. Even with that he was still able to rack up 44 tackles, 10.5 for loss and five sacks. The potential for Jordan to grow is obvious and that's why he's so high on draft boards. Detroit lost Justin Durant to the Dallas Cowboys in free agency so they are looking to fill a linebacker spot to go along with Stephen Tulloch and DeAndre Levy.
Why They Shouldn't - Jordan is looked at to be a tweener in the NFL, which is never a good label for anybody in any sport. Depending on what type of defensive scheme the team that drafts him runs, he might find himself as a defensive end or linebacker. Also, I mentioned his shoulder injury that was aggravated in the Ducks bowl game, it required surgery in the offseason and could develop into a continuous problem the longer his career goes. His numbers were good but not great at Oregon and for a this high of pick you would want to be wowed when looking at his stats, could have been the system though with how much he was in coverage.
Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah 6-5 271 DE BYU
Why They Should - A player that whose draft stock has sky rocketed since the combine and Senior Bowl has been Ziggy Ansah. In some mock drafts he's going as high as #2 overall. Coming out of BYU, the native from Ghana originally wanted to play basketball and when that didn't work he turned to the gridiron. He showed surprising quickness for a 270-pound defensive end and is similar to the New York Giants Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul. In his senior year at BYU he recorded 62 tackles, 13 for a loss and 4.5 sacks. That was his only year as a full-time starter as he went from never playing the sport, to special teams player, to starter in three seasons. The improvements and learning ability over that time shows that Ansah is very coachable and applies what he's taught. Not to mention he's the freak athlete of this class. The departure of Cliff Avril to the Seattle Seahawks and decline of Kyle Vanden Bosch leaves a lot of room open for a new stud defensive end to join Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley.
Why They Shouldn't - He is the biggest project in the entire draft. To go from trying to play basketball to projected top five pick in the NFL draft before he even fully learned how to fully play the game of football is a quick turnaround. Like Jordan, he had good numbers but not great and when playing in a non power conference you should be more dominant against lesser competition. He's completely raw and risking this high of a pick on someone that needs a lot of coaching isn't always the best move. The high risk, high reward of players like this is enticing for some general managers but it scares others away. It will be interesting to see if, first of all he makes it to #5 and secondly if the Lions are willing to take him.
Chance Warmack 6-2 317 OG Alabama
Why They Should - Chance Warmack was the stud of the NFL draft combine as he was the highest graded player by NFL.com once it was all said and done. A massive man, he's paved the way for Alabama running backs Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, and Eddie Lacy on their way to the NFL. Warmack has proved he has NFL talent playing on those Alabama teams and if his health allows it, he's someone that will have a long career and multiple Pro Bowls. The offensive guard spot has been a big problem for Detroit for a long time and Warmack has a the ability to sure up the inside of the line quickly.
Why They Shouldn't - Offensive guards are the least important part of an offensive line and can be found later in the draft. Since 1980 only seven OG's have been drafted in the top 10 and only one in the top five, Bill Fralic #2 overall in 1985. Also, with how much the Lions like to throw the ball, led the league in passing attempts the last two seasons, and even adding Reggie Bush doesn't make it necessary to bolster the interior linemen when the outside is more important.
So here we are, the Detroit Lions sit at #5 in the draft with five options at five different positions. Now, it all depends on who is going to be available because Fisher, Jordan, and Ansah could be gone before the Lions have a chance to pick. But I definitely think they should go with Fisher. He is the most sure thing out of these players to produce at a high level and when you have a franchise quarterback like Matthew Stafford you have to protect him. Ansah has the most upside out of the group so he might get called but when drafting in the top five it's difficult to take risks. Milliner was the choice early on but seems to dropping quickly. Jordan doesn't have a natural position and might struggle finding himself in between roles. Warmack, let's face it offensive guards just shouldn't be drafted this high. And that's my rankings for these players...
1. Eric Fisher
2. Ziggy Ansah
3. Dee Milliner
4. Dion Jordan
5. Chance Warmack
All of these players have a chance to great in the NFL but like every draft there's always going to be busts near the top. Let's just hope we don't see a wide receiver picked at #5, Tavon Austin anyone?
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Saturday, April 20, 2013
NBA Western Conference First Round Predictions
The West is filled with story lines and great matchups. Can James Harden get revenge on his old team? Can the elder Spurs handle the Kobe-less Lakers? Can the short handed Nuggets out run the young Warriors? Will the Clippers and Grizzlies give us another 7-game thriller? If you like watching teams put points on the board these are the games for you as seven of the top eight scoring teams are in the West.
1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs 8 Houston Rockets
The Thunder and Rockets pulled off the biggest trade of the year before the season even started when OKC shipped James Harden and others to Houston in exchange for Kevin Martin and draft picks. When the trade went down back in November we discussed it here and thought that it worked out great for both sides and it turns out, it did. And wouldn't you know, they get matched up in the first round of the playoffs. With the move to Houston, Harden put up career bests across the board including 25.9 points, good for 5th in the league. In their first meeting Harden had a tough time in his return to OKC going 3-16 with 17 points. But in the Rockets lone win against the Thunder, Harden went off for 46 on 14-19 shooting with seven 3s. Also in that game Kevin Durant recorded his 2nd triple-double of the year in the 122-119 loss. With the departure of Harden, Serge Ibaka hit a career high with 13.2 points and 7.7 rebounds. As for Martin, he saw his points drop to 14 a game but 3-point percentage was his best at 42%. Both of these teams can score as they were second and third in the league in points. But OKC plays better defense, giving up six fewer points a game. The Thunder were the best in point differential at +9.2 and have the players to slow down the Rockets. Thabo Sefolosha, Kendrick Perkins, and Ibaka can all play lockdown defense and Westbrook and Durant have improved from a year ago. The Rockets are just in a bad matchup with a team that is similar but better. Houston can score but they don't have the weapons to match the Thunder. They might get one game in Houston but that's it.
Prediction: Thunder in 5
2 San Antonio Spurs vs 7 Los Angeles Lakers
After Kobe Bryant went down with only three games left in the year with a torn Achilles the playoff picture didn't look bright. However, Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol seem to be rejuvenated. In their last two games, against San Antonio and Houston, Howard looked like back in his Magic days dominating at both ends of the court and Gasol posted a monster triple-double against the Rockets with 17 points, 20 rebounds, and 11 assists. Also, with Steve Nash still out, Steve Blake scored 23 and 24 points in both of those games. Bryant won't be back this year and it didn't take long for the new look Lakers to mesh and come up with big wins when they needed them most. If LAL lost either of those games we would have seen the Utah Jazz in the playoffs instead. But the Lakers reward for barely squeaking in is a chance to play the Spurs. Speaking of rejuvenation, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker are having their best seasons in the past three or four years. Duncan (17.8 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 2.7 bpg) looks like Timmy that played with David Robinson, and Parker (20.3 ppg, 7.6 apg) is carving up defenses more than ever, averaging 20 for the second time in his career. But Manu Ginobili on the other hand is have his worst season (11.8 ppg) since his rookie year. We've seen Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green step up in his stead as both of them are putting up double-digits for the first time. The Spurs have more experience than any other team in the playoffs with Kobe now out. It's interesting to see how Gasol has now become the playmaker which has opened the lane up for Howard to do what he does best, dunk. It will be a battle down low with them and the Spurs Duncan and Tiago Splitter. So to me it's going to come down to guard play and even though Blake has played well lately, including getting the better of the Frenchman in their recent matchup, Parker is too good and too experienced to let that happen over a 7-game series. I do think this will be a great series even without Kobe, but the Spurs are too deep for the Lakers.
Prediction: Spurs in 6
3 Denver Nuggets vs 6 Golden State Warriors
I hope you can keep up if you're going to watch this series as these might be the two fastest teams in the NBA. The Denver Nuggets come into the playoffs short-handed with their second leading scorer Danilo Gallinari out for the season with a torn ACL and Kenneth Faried, their leading rebounder, questionable with a sore ankle. The Nuggets have done well all year without a superstar player but unless Faried can get back in the lineup soon they might have some problems. One thing Denver has going for it is their great home court advantage. The Nuggets had the best home record in the NBA at 38-3. With Gallinari out, Wilson Chandler and Corey Brewer have seen more minutes and both have played well. Denver has so many weapons, nine players average between eight and 16 points, which is a main reason they led the league in scoring. But for the Golden State Warriors, they rely heavily on their three main guns of Stephen Curry, David Lee, and Klay Thompson. Curry averaged a career high 22.9 points while setting a NBA record 3-pointers made with 272, breaking Ray Allen's old mark by three. Curry is the best shooter in the league and his backcourt mate, Thompson, also likes to let it fly from deep. In only his second year, Thompson averaged 16.6 a game and hit 40% from downtown. But their most consistent player was Lee who put up 18.5 points and 11.2 boards a game and gives the Warriors an inside presence to go with their great guard play. Both these teams will run and gun as this might be the most entertaining series in the first round. But while GS likes to shoot from beyond the arc, Denver scored more points in the paint than anybody. It's because of that, I think the Nuggets will take this series easily. The fact that they get easy buckets and the Warriors need to be hitting jumpers bodes well for the rich and creamy's.
Prediction: Nuggets in 5
4 Los Angeles Clippers vs 5 Memphis Grizzlies
In the first round of last years playoffs these two teams met and gave us an exciting 7-game series. The Clippers were also the 4-seed a season ago and benefited from having the deciding game at home. Both teams have new editions, but the Clippers have gotten more production out of theirs. LAC added Jamal Crawford, Matt Barnes, and Lamar Odom in the off-season and all have contributed in their own right. But, none more than Crawford. His last four years he's provided instant offense from the bench and has given the Clips 16.5 a game in his first season with the team. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin have seen their points go down from last year but they are getting help from all over as they are scoring more as a team. DeAndre Jordan has provided an offensive lift to lob city and has the poster of the year, sorry Brandon Knight. For the Memphis Grizzlies, they traded away their leading scorer, Rudy Gay, midway through the year. Along with Gay, the other main guy sent away was Marreese Speights and in return they received Tayshaun Prince and Ed Davis to fill those voids. Prince stepped into the starting lineup and added more defense to an already great defensive team. The Grizzlies score the least out of any West playoff team with 93.4, but give up the fewest points in the NBA at 89.3. With getting rid of their leading scorer, the offense falls on the shoulders of Zach Randolph, Mike Conley, and Marc Gasol. Randolph and Gasol are a load inside for anybody. In a league that is starting to play smaller, the Grizzlies are one of the few teams that still like to play big. Conley has improved and raised his production, putting up 14.6 points, which is a career high. This series going to come down to who controls the tempo of the game. Paul likes to get the Clippers in transition and Conley wants to slow things down to take advantage to Memphis' bigs. But LAC is a team that can handle the Grizz down low. Jordan and Griffin have the size to matchup with Randolph and Gasol. But can Conley and Tony Allen slow down Paul and Crawford? That's the biggest question and also to me the Clippers are just too deep. They have too many scoring threats and even though Memphis is one of the best defensive teams, the Clippers will still find ways to put points on the board.
Prediction: Clippers in 7
1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs 8 Houston Rockets
The Thunder and Rockets pulled off the biggest trade of the year before the season even started when OKC shipped James Harden and others to Houston in exchange for Kevin Martin and draft picks. When the trade went down back in November we discussed it here and thought that it worked out great for both sides and it turns out, it did. And wouldn't you know, they get matched up in the first round of the playoffs. With the move to Houston, Harden put up career bests across the board including 25.9 points, good for 5th in the league. In their first meeting Harden had a tough time in his return to OKC going 3-16 with 17 points. But in the Rockets lone win against the Thunder, Harden went off for 46 on 14-19 shooting with seven 3s. Also in that game Kevin Durant recorded his 2nd triple-double of the year in the 122-119 loss. With the departure of Harden, Serge Ibaka hit a career high with 13.2 points and 7.7 rebounds. As for Martin, he saw his points drop to 14 a game but 3-point percentage was his best at 42%. Both of these teams can score as they were second and third in the league in points. But OKC plays better defense, giving up six fewer points a game. The Thunder were the best in point differential at +9.2 and have the players to slow down the Rockets. Thabo Sefolosha, Kendrick Perkins, and Ibaka can all play lockdown defense and Westbrook and Durant have improved from a year ago. The Rockets are just in a bad matchup with a team that is similar but better. Houston can score but they don't have the weapons to match the Thunder. They might get one game in Houston but that's it.
Prediction: Thunder in 5
2 San Antonio Spurs vs 7 Los Angeles Lakers
After Kobe Bryant went down with only three games left in the year with a torn Achilles the playoff picture didn't look bright. However, Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol seem to be rejuvenated. In their last two games, against San Antonio and Houston, Howard looked like back in his Magic days dominating at both ends of the court and Gasol posted a monster triple-double against the Rockets with 17 points, 20 rebounds, and 11 assists. Also, with Steve Nash still out, Steve Blake scored 23 and 24 points in both of those games. Bryant won't be back this year and it didn't take long for the new look Lakers to mesh and come up with big wins when they needed them most. If LAL lost either of those games we would have seen the Utah Jazz in the playoffs instead. But the Lakers reward for barely squeaking in is a chance to play the Spurs. Speaking of rejuvenation, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker are having their best seasons in the past three or four years. Duncan (17.8 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 2.7 bpg) looks like Timmy that played with David Robinson, and Parker (20.3 ppg, 7.6 apg) is carving up defenses more than ever, averaging 20 for the second time in his career. But Manu Ginobili on the other hand is have his worst season (11.8 ppg) since his rookie year. We've seen Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green step up in his stead as both of them are putting up double-digits for the first time. The Spurs have more experience than any other team in the playoffs with Kobe now out. It's interesting to see how Gasol has now become the playmaker which has opened the lane up for Howard to do what he does best, dunk. It will be a battle down low with them and the Spurs Duncan and Tiago Splitter. So to me it's going to come down to guard play and even though Blake has played well lately, including getting the better of the Frenchman in their recent matchup, Parker is too good and too experienced to let that happen over a 7-game series. I do think this will be a great series even without Kobe, but the Spurs are too deep for the Lakers.
Prediction: Spurs in 6
3 Denver Nuggets vs 6 Golden State Warriors
I hope you can keep up if you're going to watch this series as these might be the two fastest teams in the NBA. The Denver Nuggets come into the playoffs short-handed with their second leading scorer Danilo Gallinari out for the season with a torn ACL and Kenneth Faried, their leading rebounder, questionable with a sore ankle. The Nuggets have done well all year without a superstar player but unless Faried can get back in the lineup soon they might have some problems. One thing Denver has going for it is their great home court advantage. The Nuggets had the best home record in the NBA at 38-3. With Gallinari out, Wilson Chandler and Corey Brewer have seen more minutes and both have played well. Denver has so many weapons, nine players average between eight and 16 points, which is a main reason they led the league in scoring. But for the Golden State Warriors, they rely heavily on their three main guns of Stephen Curry, David Lee, and Klay Thompson. Curry averaged a career high 22.9 points while setting a NBA record 3-pointers made with 272, breaking Ray Allen's old mark by three. Curry is the best shooter in the league and his backcourt mate, Thompson, also likes to let it fly from deep. In only his second year, Thompson averaged 16.6 a game and hit 40% from downtown. But their most consistent player was Lee who put up 18.5 points and 11.2 boards a game and gives the Warriors an inside presence to go with their great guard play. Both these teams will run and gun as this might be the most entertaining series in the first round. But while GS likes to shoot from beyond the arc, Denver scored more points in the paint than anybody. It's because of that, I think the Nuggets will take this series easily. The fact that they get easy buckets and the Warriors need to be hitting jumpers bodes well for the rich and creamy's.
Prediction: Nuggets in 5
4 Los Angeles Clippers vs 5 Memphis Grizzlies
In the first round of last years playoffs these two teams met and gave us an exciting 7-game series. The Clippers were also the 4-seed a season ago and benefited from having the deciding game at home. Both teams have new editions, but the Clippers have gotten more production out of theirs. LAC added Jamal Crawford, Matt Barnes, and Lamar Odom in the off-season and all have contributed in their own right. But, none more than Crawford. His last four years he's provided instant offense from the bench and has given the Clips 16.5 a game in his first season with the team. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin have seen their points go down from last year but they are getting help from all over as they are scoring more as a team. DeAndre Jordan has provided an offensive lift to lob city and has the poster of the year, sorry Brandon Knight. For the Memphis Grizzlies, they traded away their leading scorer, Rudy Gay, midway through the year. Along with Gay, the other main guy sent away was Marreese Speights and in return they received Tayshaun Prince and Ed Davis to fill those voids. Prince stepped into the starting lineup and added more defense to an already great defensive team. The Grizzlies score the least out of any West playoff team with 93.4, but give up the fewest points in the NBA at 89.3. With getting rid of their leading scorer, the offense falls on the shoulders of Zach Randolph, Mike Conley, and Marc Gasol. Randolph and Gasol are a load inside for anybody. In a league that is starting to play smaller, the Grizzlies are one of the few teams that still like to play big. Conley has improved and raised his production, putting up 14.6 points, which is a career high. This series going to come down to who controls the tempo of the game. Paul likes to get the Clippers in transition and Conley wants to slow things down to take advantage to Memphis' bigs. But LAC is a team that can handle the Grizz down low. Jordan and Griffin have the size to matchup with Randolph and Gasol. But can Conley and Tony Allen slow down Paul and Crawford? That's the biggest question and also to me the Clippers are just too deep. They have too many scoring threats and even though Memphis is one of the best defensive teams, the Clippers will still find ways to put points on the board.
Prediction: Clippers in 7
Friday, April 19, 2013
NBA Eastern Conference First Round Predictions
The NBA playoffs have arrived and in the East can anybody dethrone the Miami Heat?
1 Miami Heat (66-16) vs 8 Milwaukee Bucks (38-44)
The Miami Heat start their run for a second straight title against the Milwaukee Bucks, a team they went 3-1 against during the regular season. Teams that rebound the ball well cause the Heat problems and the Bucks rank 5th in the league in that category. Milwaukee is also the 2nd best offensive rebounding team partly because they are the 3rd worst shooting team in the NBA. More missed shots mean more rebounds but thankfully for the Heat they have the best shooting percentage by a large margin at 49%. That's the team matchup but I want to know who's going to guard LeBron James, the likely regular season MVP. Marquis Daniels, Ersan Ilyasova and Mike Dunleavy will all get their shot but will they be able to at least slow him down, probably not. The Bucks leading scorer Monta Ellis struggled in each of the four meetings, scoring double-digits only once. Milwaukee needs more from him and consistency from Brandon Jennings, both can fill it up but also miss a lot. But let's face it, Miami has been on a roll the second half of the year going 37-3 since the beginning of February. LBJ, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Co. should have little trouble disposing the Bucks.
Prediction: Heat in 4
2 New York Knicks (54-28) vs 7 Boston Celtics (41-40)
One of the oldest rivalries in the game is renewed when the New York Knicks meet the Boston Celtics. With the city of Boston dealing with the recent tragedy of the Boston Marathon bombings it might give the Celtics the edge they need to make this series interesting. The Celtics lost Rajon Rondo 38 games into the season and have been dealing with more injuries as of late. Kevin Garnett has been tending to a sore ankle the last few weeks and should serve as an integral part of this series. The Knicks like to play small-ball and if KG can take advantage on the boards and in the post he could be the x-factor. But the Paul Pierce-Carmelo Anthony matchup is what we need to keep our eye on. Anthony went on a torrid pace to rip the scoring title away from Kevin Durant down the stretch and this might be his best chance to make the NBA Finals. But never sleep of Paul Pierce. The Truth (one of the best nicknames ever) has been in this situation plenty of times and always seems to step up. Pierce is one player that can slow Melo down on defense while causing him trouble on the offensive end. But with that being said I feel the Knicks have too much fire power with the emergence of J.R. Smith and Tyson Chandler coming back from injury. It should be a good series but Boston will have trouble keeping up with the New York offense.
Prediction: Knicks in 6
3 Indiana Pacers (49-32) vs 6 Atlanta Hawks (44-38)
These two teams split their four meetings this year with the home team winning each game and I see more of the same in the playoffs. Indiana is one of the best defensive teams in the league holding opponents to 90.7 points per game, good for second fewest, and are also one of the biggest. Their front line of Roy Hibbert (7'2), David West (6'9), and Paul George (6'8) causes matchup problems for almost any team in the NBA. George and George Hill are also two of the most improved players this year, both benefiting from more playing time. After the loss of Danny Granger to injury, George was put in a similar role and flourished with 17.4 points and 7.6 rebounds a game. As for Hill, the departure of Darren Collison opened the door for him to put up his best numbers of 14.2 points and 4.7 assists. The Atlanta Hawks saw Joe Johnson leave for Brooklyn which led to Jeff Teague and Al Horford having their best seasons. Teague finished with 14.6 points and 7.2 assists while Horford averaged his first double-double with 17.4 and 10.2 boards. These teams are very similar, both are big and both have seen players step up in new roles. As with all Hawks games the x-factor for them is their leading scorer Josh Smith. He is a great player but finds himself on the perimeter too often when he should be in the post. Also, depending if the Hawks decide to put him on West or George his defense is going to be key if Atlanta wants to win. In the end Indiana's defense and rebounding will determine who advances. The Hawks will put up a fight but the Pacers will move on.
Prediction: Pacers in 7
4 Brooklyn Nets (49-33) vs 5 Chicago Bulls (45-37)
After missing the playoffs a year ago while playing in New Jersey, the Nets made the move to Brooklyn and secured home court advantage against the Chicago Bulls. Deron Williams is one of the best point guards in the NBA and Brook Lopez is one of the best center's nobody really talks about. Williams' numbers are slightly down from previous years (18.9 points and 7.7 assists) but is still capable of carrying a team. Lopez had a solid year with 19.4 and 6.9 boards while Reggie Evans dominated the glass in the late stages of the season. Evans put up Dennis Rodman like numbers the last two months averaging over 15 rebounds a game and he had nine games of 20-plus throughout the year. But how much better would this series be if Derrick Rose was back from his ACL injury. It was in the first game of the playoffs a year ago when Rose went down and you could hear the entire city of Chicago hold their breath. He still is not ready to return and he shouldn't at this point. It's more important for him, and the Bulls organization, that he does not come back until fully healed. The Bulls have had other injury problems as well with Joakim Noah, Kirk Hinrich, Richard Hamilton and Taj Gibson all missing a significant time. The biggest question mark is Noah. The energy and defense he brings to this team is hard to replace. With Noah on the court he provides a stopper to Lopez in the post but him being able to play is still up in the air. Honestly, I haven't been impressed with the Nets at all this year. I think Joe Johnson and Gerald Wallace are at the tail end of their careers and will have trouble with Luol Deng and the young upstart Jimmy Butler. Noah is a significant piece to the puzzle but I still think the Bulls will pull this out in a gritty battle.
Prediction: Bulls in 6
1 Miami Heat (66-16) vs 8 Milwaukee Bucks (38-44)
The Miami Heat start their run for a second straight title against the Milwaukee Bucks, a team they went 3-1 against during the regular season. Teams that rebound the ball well cause the Heat problems and the Bucks rank 5th in the league in that category. Milwaukee is also the 2nd best offensive rebounding team partly because they are the 3rd worst shooting team in the NBA. More missed shots mean more rebounds but thankfully for the Heat they have the best shooting percentage by a large margin at 49%. That's the team matchup but I want to know who's going to guard LeBron James, the likely regular season MVP. Marquis Daniels, Ersan Ilyasova and Mike Dunleavy will all get their shot but will they be able to at least slow him down, probably not. The Bucks leading scorer Monta Ellis struggled in each of the four meetings, scoring double-digits only once. Milwaukee needs more from him and consistency from Brandon Jennings, both can fill it up but also miss a lot. But let's face it, Miami has been on a roll the second half of the year going 37-3 since the beginning of February. LBJ, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Co. should have little trouble disposing the Bucks.
Prediction: Heat in 4
2 New York Knicks (54-28) vs 7 Boston Celtics (41-40)
One of the oldest rivalries in the game is renewed when the New York Knicks meet the Boston Celtics. With the city of Boston dealing with the recent tragedy of the Boston Marathon bombings it might give the Celtics the edge they need to make this series interesting. The Celtics lost Rajon Rondo 38 games into the season and have been dealing with more injuries as of late. Kevin Garnett has been tending to a sore ankle the last few weeks and should serve as an integral part of this series. The Knicks like to play small-ball and if KG can take advantage on the boards and in the post he could be the x-factor. But the Paul Pierce-Carmelo Anthony matchup is what we need to keep our eye on. Anthony went on a torrid pace to rip the scoring title away from Kevin Durant down the stretch and this might be his best chance to make the NBA Finals. But never sleep of Paul Pierce. The Truth (one of the best nicknames ever) has been in this situation plenty of times and always seems to step up. Pierce is one player that can slow Melo down on defense while causing him trouble on the offensive end. But with that being said I feel the Knicks have too much fire power with the emergence of J.R. Smith and Tyson Chandler coming back from injury. It should be a good series but Boston will have trouble keeping up with the New York offense.
Prediction: Knicks in 6
3 Indiana Pacers (49-32) vs 6 Atlanta Hawks (44-38)
These two teams split their four meetings this year with the home team winning each game and I see more of the same in the playoffs. Indiana is one of the best defensive teams in the league holding opponents to 90.7 points per game, good for second fewest, and are also one of the biggest. Their front line of Roy Hibbert (7'2), David West (6'9), and Paul George (6'8) causes matchup problems for almost any team in the NBA. George and George Hill are also two of the most improved players this year, both benefiting from more playing time. After the loss of Danny Granger to injury, George was put in a similar role and flourished with 17.4 points and 7.6 rebounds a game. As for Hill, the departure of Darren Collison opened the door for him to put up his best numbers of 14.2 points and 4.7 assists. The Atlanta Hawks saw Joe Johnson leave for Brooklyn which led to Jeff Teague and Al Horford having their best seasons. Teague finished with 14.6 points and 7.2 assists while Horford averaged his first double-double with 17.4 and 10.2 boards. These teams are very similar, both are big and both have seen players step up in new roles. As with all Hawks games the x-factor for them is their leading scorer Josh Smith. He is a great player but finds himself on the perimeter too often when he should be in the post. Also, depending if the Hawks decide to put him on West or George his defense is going to be key if Atlanta wants to win. In the end Indiana's defense and rebounding will determine who advances. The Hawks will put up a fight but the Pacers will move on.
Prediction: Pacers in 7
4 Brooklyn Nets (49-33) vs 5 Chicago Bulls (45-37)
After missing the playoffs a year ago while playing in New Jersey, the Nets made the move to Brooklyn and secured home court advantage against the Chicago Bulls. Deron Williams is one of the best point guards in the NBA and Brook Lopez is one of the best center's nobody really talks about. Williams' numbers are slightly down from previous years (18.9 points and 7.7 assists) but is still capable of carrying a team. Lopez had a solid year with 19.4 and 6.9 boards while Reggie Evans dominated the glass in the late stages of the season. Evans put up Dennis Rodman like numbers the last two months averaging over 15 rebounds a game and he had nine games of 20-plus throughout the year. But how much better would this series be if Derrick Rose was back from his ACL injury. It was in the first game of the playoffs a year ago when Rose went down and you could hear the entire city of Chicago hold their breath. He still is not ready to return and he shouldn't at this point. It's more important for him, and the Bulls organization, that he does not come back until fully healed. The Bulls have had other injury problems as well with Joakim Noah, Kirk Hinrich, Richard Hamilton and Taj Gibson all missing a significant time. The biggest question mark is Noah. The energy and defense he brings to this team is hard to replace. With Noah on the court he provides a stopper to Lopez in the post but him being able to play is still up in the air. Honestly, I haven't been impressed with the Nets at all this year. I think Joe Johnson and Gerald Wallace are at the tail end of their careers and will have trouble with Luol Deng and the young upstart Jimmy Butler. Noah is a significant piece to the puzzle but I still think the Bulls will pull this out in a gritty battle.
Prediction: Bulls in 6
Thursday, April 18, 2013
2012-13 NBA Awards Picks
With the 2012-13 NBA season coming to an end it's time to hand out some hardware.
Rookie Of The Year
Damian Lillard - This was one of the easier awards to hand out as Damian Lillard was consistent throughout the season and played more minutes than anybody in the league. Also, one of the few top rookies to actually play the entire year without an injury. On the season, the Weber State product averaged 19 points and 6.5 assists for a young Portland team. Lillard creates a great building block to go along with LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicholas Batum.
Second Place: Anthony Davis
Most Improved
Paul George - When Indiana Pacers all-star Danny Granger was going to start the season on the injured list, Paul George was looked at to try and fill his shoes. And he didn't disappoint. George led the Pacers in scoring at 17.4 and steals with 1.8 a game. He was also second on the team in rebounds (7.6) and assists (4.1). George has the Pacers as a 3-seed in the East with a 49-32 record.
Second Place: Nikola Vucevic
Sixth Man
J.R. Smith - Always the first guy off the bench, J.R. Smith put up the best numbers of his career while helping the New York Knicks secure the 2-seed in the East. Smith played his most minutes in any season and led all NBA reserves with 18.1 points per game, good for second on his team. He was an integral part of the Knicks and will need to continue his great play if they hope to challenge the Heat in the playoffs.
Second Place: Jamal Crawford
Coach Of The Year
George Karl - Nobody expected the Denver Nuggets to be as successful as they were this year but they managed to get the 3-seed in the West thanks to George Karl. With out a premier player, Karl has the Nuggets playing great team basketball with nine players averaging at least eight points a game. He lost Danilo Gallinari to a season ending ACL tear but are still a threat in the West as they lead the league in points with 106.1 a game and had the best home record at 38-3.
Second Place: Mike Woodson
Defensive Player Of The Year
Joakim Noah - This was a tough category but Joakim Noah was a defensive force for the Chicago Bulls helping them hold opponents to 92.9 points per game, good for third in the league. He posted career bests in rebounds (11.1), blocks (2.1), and steals (1.2). Noah also recorded a triple-double against Sixers on Feb. 28 with 23 points, 21 rebounds, and 11 blocks.
Second Place: Tony Allen
Most Valuable Player
LeBron James - In the middle of the season there was some debate to Kevin Durant being the MVP but once he lost his scoring title there is no question LeBron James will get his 4th MVP trophy. James is fourth in the league in scoring with 26.8 points and fifth in shooting percentage at .565 with also grabbing a career best 8.0 boards and dishing out 7.3 assists. He's led the Miami Heat to the best record in the NBA (66-16) and has them poised for another title run.
Second Place: Kevin Durant
Rookie Of The Year
Second Place: Anthony Davis
Most Improved
Paul George - When Indiana Pacers all-star Danny Granger was going to start the season on the injured list, Paul George was looked at to try and fill his shoes. And he didn't disappoint. George led the Pacers in scoring at 17.4 and steals with 1.8 a game. He was also second on the team in rebounds (7.6) and assists (4.1). George has the Pacers as a 3-seed in the East with a 49-32 record.
Second Place: Nikola Vucevic
Sixth Man
J.R. Smith - Always the first guy off the bench, J.R. Smith put up the best numbers of his career while helping the New York Knicks secure the 2-seed in the East. Smith played his most minutes in any season and led all NBA reserves with 18.1 points per game, good for second on his team. He was an integral part of the Knicks and will need to continue his great play if they hope to challenge the Heat in the playoffs.
Second Place: Jamal Crawford
Coach Of The Year
Second Place: Mike Woodson
Defensive Player Of The Year
Joakim Noah - This was a tough category but Joakim Noah was a defensive force for the Chicago Bulls helping them hold opponents to 92.9 points per game, good for third in the league. He posted career bests in rebounds (11.1), blocks (2.1), and steals (1.2). Noah also recorded a triple-double against Sixers on Feb. 28 with 23 points, 21 rebounds, and 11 blocks.
Second Place: Tony Allen
Most Valuable Player
LeBron James - In the middle of the season there was some debate to Kevin Durant being the MVP but once he lost his scoring title there is no question LeBron James will get his 4th MVP trophy. James is fourth in the league in scoring with 26.8 points and fifth in shooting percentage at .565 with also grabbing a career best 8.0 boards and dishing out 7.3 assists. He's led the Miami Heat to the best record in the NBA (66-16) and has them poised for another title run.
Second Place: Kevin Durant
Top 5 Rasheed Wallace Moments
One of the most controversial and argumentative players ever, Rasheed Wallace, has retired from the NBA for the second time and probably for good. The 38-year old first retired after one season with the Boston Celtics in 2010 and joined the New York Knicks earlier this year. Wallace won one title with the Detroit Pistons in 2004 and is the all-time leader in technical fouls with 317. He was always one of my favorite players as I would rock his jersey from back in his Portland Trailblazer days and was thrilled when the Pistons got him as he turned them into a championship team in two months. A versatile player on offense, a factor on the defensive end, and never afraid to let the refs know how he feels. With that I had to give you my top 5 Rasheed Wallace non-basketball moments.
5. Ejected For Staring At Ref
This one came in the first game of the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000. Wallace almost carried the Blazers to the NBA Finals but fell short in game 7 in LA after the Blazers blew a 15-point 4th quarter lead. I think he's the only player that can get tossed from a game without saying a word. Oh, wait, so can Tim Duncan.
4. They Will Not Win Game 2
After the Pistons lost game 1 against the Indiana Pacers in the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals we got this great post game sound byte from Wallace, known as the "Guaran-Sheed". In the end, he was right, they didn't win game 2 but thanks in large part to Tayshaun Prince's amazing block on Reggie Miller. This isn't the last we'll see of Sheed in a post game interview.
3. 2004 Championship Belts
Long before Aaron Rodgers was doing his "Discount Double Check", the Pistons won the title in 2004 and Rasheed presented every member of the team with a world championship belt, WWE style. Yes, even Darko got one.
2. Both Teams Played Hard
Another post-game gem from Sheed came after game 4 of the first round in the Western Conference playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks. This was a game Portland actually won 98-79 but of course he still didn't want to talk to the media.
1. Ball Don't Lie
If Rasheed Wallace ever gets called for a shooting foul, you better pray you make it. If not, you'll hear this classic quote from the big man. This year against the Suns was the first time he ever was ejected for shouting his famous line. I guess the officials have heard it enough. Not only is it what Wallace is known for but it's also the name of a popular blog on Yahoo! Sports.
5. Ejected For Staring At Ref
This one came in the first game of the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000. Wallace almost carried the Blazers to the NBA Finals but fell short in game 7 in LA after the Blazers blew a 15-point 4th quarter lead. I think he's the only player that can get tossed from a game without saying a word. Oh, wait, so can Tim Duncan.
4. They Will Not Win Game 2
After the Pistons lost game 1 against the Indiana Pacers in the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals we got this great post game sound byte from Wallace, known as the "Guaran-Sheed". In the end, he was right, they didn't win game 2 but thanks in large part to Tayshaun Prince's amazing block on Reggie Miller. This isn't the last we'll see of Sheed in a post game interview.
3. 2004 Championship Belts
Long before Aaron Rodgers was doing his "Discount Double Check", the Pistons won the title in 2004 and Rasheed presented every member of the team with a world championship belt, WWE style. Yes, even Darko got one.
2. Both Teams Played Hard
Another post-game gem from Sheed came after game 4 of the first round in the Western Conference playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks. This was a game Portland actually won 98-79 but of course he still didn't want to talk to the media.
1. Ball Don't Lie
If Rasheed Wallace ever gets called for a shooting foul, you better pray you make it. If not, you'll hear this classic quote from the big man. This year against the Suns was the first time he ever was ejected for shouting his famous line. I guess the officials have heard it enough. Not only is it what Wallace is known for but it's also the name of a popular blog on Yahoo! Sports.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
The NBA Center Is A Dying Breed
Today is the last day of the NBA regular season and we are about to see history. For the first time ever in the NBA we will not have a player average 20 points and 10 rebounds in a single season. Yes, you heard that correctly. To me this is a clear indication that the NBA center is becoming extinct. A
position that once dominated games is now almost non existent.
It first came to my attention last week when the New York Knicks were trying to extend their 13 game winning streak against the Chicago Bulls. It was a great game as the Bulls pulled it out in overtime 118-111. But, it was obvious right from the opening tip when the Knicks 6'8 small forward Chris Copeland was jumping against the Bulls 6'7 small forward Jimmy Butler. But when you start smaller players at the center and power forward spots you have no choice. Then, later in the game we saw Carmelo Anthony and Butler playing the 5-spot on the floor. I understand that the Knicks were playing with a lot of injuries on their front line (Tyson Chandler, Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin) but this is a trend we are starting to see across the NBA. Most teams start one "big man" and four guards or swingmen that can handle the ball. The Knicks have been doing it all year with Anthony and the Miami Heat as well with LeBron James starting at the power forward spot. Long gone are the days of starting a point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward and center. The NBA has evolved into starting lineups that consist of the best five players on the team regardless of position. But it's not entirely the league's fault that center's are disappearing.
Back in the 90s the league was filled with dominate players at the center position. Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, and Alonzo Mourning all roamed the paint and were among the best players in the league. Before them it was all-time greats Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Moses Malone. Every one of those players averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks multiple times in their career and liked to play with their back to the basket. All of these players were a threat on the offensive and defensive side of the ball and if your team didn't have a center to counter them, you had no chance. Once Shaq's decline started in the mid-90s the position slowly started going with him. You still saw guys like Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett that averaged 20, 10 and two, but they were the start of the hybrid post player, not a true center. Most recently Dwight Howard was starting to become a 20 and 10 staple, doing it four out of five years, but his stint with the Lakers this year has seen a decline in both categories.
This year, nine players are putting up 20 points a game but the closest to 10 boards is LaMarcus Aldridge with 8.9 a game. Only eight players are grabbing 10 rebounds a game and the highest scorer is David Lee with 18.4 ppg. Last year Howard, Kevin Love and Blake Griffin were all in the 20 and 10 club but have had their numbers drop for various reasons. Howard's problem is being on a team with Kobe Bryant. Love has been battling a broken hand all year and hasn't played since January 3. Griffin has had a solid year (18 and 8) but has given up minutes and stats to a very deep Clippers team. The other statistic all these players are missing, except Howard, are the blocks. We just don't see players have the skill-set to perform extremely well on both ends of the court.
If you take a look at who the best true center's in the league are, it's a list of good but not great players. Howard, Marc Gasol, Joakim Noah, Brook Lopez, Tyson Chandler and Al Horford all suffice in the role but again, other than Howard it's a big stretch for any of those players to reach 20 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks. We'll have to see what guys like DeMarcus Cousins, Roy Hibbert, Andrew Bynum (if he can ever stay healthy) and Andre Drummond can do as they grow through the years.
But what's the reason why the center position is becoming a lost art? In my opinion there's three main culprits and some are more fixable than others.
It first came to my attention last week when the New York Knicks were trying to extend their 13 game winning streak against the Chicago Bulls. It was a great game as the Bulls pulled it out in overtime 118-111. But, it was obvious right from the opening tip when the Knicks 6'8 small forward Chris Copeland was jumping against the Bulls 6'7 small forward Jimmy Butler. But when you start smaller players at the center and power forward spots you have no choice. Then, later in the game we saw Carmelo Anthony and Butler playing the 5-spot on the floor. I understand that the Knicks were playing with a lot of injuries on their front line (Tyson Chandler, Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin) but this is a trend we are starting to see across the NBA. Most teams start one "big man" and four guards or swingmen that can handle the ball. The Knicks have been doing it all year with Anthony and the Miami Heat as well with LeBron James starting at the power forward spot. Long gone are the days of starting a point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward and center. The NBA has evolved into starting lineups that consist of the best five players on the team regardless of position. But it's not entirely the league's fault that center's are disappearing.
Back in the 90s the league was filled with dominate players at the center position. Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, and Alonzo Mourning all roamed the paint and were among the best players in the league. Before them it was all-time greats Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Moses Malone. Every one of those players averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks multiple times in their career and liked to play with their back to the basket. All of these players were a threat on the offensive and defensive side of the ball and if your team didn't have a center to counter them, you had no chance. Once Shaq's decline started in the mid-90s the position slowly started going with him. You still saw guys like Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett that averaged 20, 10 and two, but they were the start of the hybrid post player, not a true center. Most recently Dwight Howard was starting to become a 20 and 10 staple, doing it four out of five years, but his stint with the Lakers this year has seen a decline in both categories.
This year, nine players are putting up 20 points a game but the closest to 10 boards is LaMarcus Aldridge with 8.9 a game. Only eight players are grabbing 10 rebounds a game and the highest scorer is David Lee with 18.4 ppg. Last year Howard, Kevin Love and Blake Griffin were all in the 20 and 10 club but have had their numbers drop for various reasons. Howard's problem is being on a team with Kobe Bryant. Love has been battling a broken hand all year and hasn't played since January 3. Griffin has had a solid year (18 and 8) but has given up minutes and stats to a very deep Clippers team. The other statistic all these players are missing, except Howard, are the blocks. We just don't see players have the skill-set to perform extremely well on both ends of the court.
If you take a look at who the best true center's in the league are, it's a list of good but not great players. Howard, Marc Gasol, Joakim Noah, Brook Lopez, Tyson Chandler and Al Horford all suffice in the role but again, other than Howard it's a big stretch for any of those players to reach 20 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks. We'll have to see what guys like DeMarcus Cousins, Roy Hibbert, Andrew Bynum (if he can ever stay healthy) and Andre Drummond can do as they grow through the years.
But what's the reason why the center position is becoming a lost art? In my opinion there's three main culprits and some are more fixable than others.
- Players aren't developing their skills enough in college. For a guy 6'10 or taller, he really doesn't know the limitations of his athleticism and body because he's still growing into his frame in his college years. But players always want to make the early jump to the NBA without taking the time to refine their skills in school. This in turn leads to players never panning out they way they should.
- The European influence on the NBA is taking players away from the post. Every big man that comes over from Europe wants to play on the outside and shoot jump shots instead of banging down low and dunking on people. We are also starting to see that more often with players from the states as well. For as great of scorers Dirk Nowitzki and Aldridge are, neither has ever averaged 20 and 10 in their career.
- Injuries have slowed down some of the premier centers in the league. Greg Oden, Yao Ming, Andrew Bynum, Kevin Love, and Andrew Bogut have all suffered from the injury bug. Bynum, Love and Bogut are still in the NBA but have had injury plagued season's the last two years. Bynum missed the entire 2012-12 season while Love only played 18 games and Bogut managed 33.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Louisville, Luke Hancock, Stave Off Michigan
The national championship game had the potential to be a classic matchup between the best offensive and defensive teams in the country, and it didn't disappoint. The Louisville Cardinals were able to survive a first half push by Michigan, and an unlikely hero, to win the schools third title and coach Rick Pitino's second in an 82-76 victory. Also, Pitino became the first coach ever to win a national championship at two different schools, his other was with Kentucky in 1996.
The big question heading into the game was how will Michigan handle the relentless pressure from Louisville. Right from the jump Trey Burke was out to show why he was the consensus Player of the Year. Burke shook off any remaining rust from his 1-8 night against Syracuse to hit his first three shots and score Michigan's first seven points, matching his total in the Final Four game. The opening five minutes were fast and furious as both teams were trying to run and when the TV timeout came it was almost as everybody watching needed to catch their breath.
Unfortunately for Burke, he was called for hist second foul early in the first half on a questionable call, one of many for both teams. But luckily for Michigan their freshman backup point guard, Spike Albrecht, who averaged 1.8 points a game went off for a career high 17 points on four 3-pointers. He started his 3 barrage while Burke was still in the game and continued once he had left. At one point all five freshmen were on the court together and brought Michigan fans to memories of the Fab Five, the last time the Wolverines were in the title game. With Burke on the bench, Michigan was able to build a 12 point lead, 35-23, with about three minutes left in the half.
For 17 minutes of the first half Louisville struggled to get anything going on offense as Michigan wasn't turning the ball over and the best scorer in the tournament, Russ Smith, couldn't make a shot. Just like in the Wichita State game, it was Luke Hancock that brought the Cardinals back in the blink of an eye. He matched Albrecht with hitting four straight 3s of his own in a two minute stretch before the half scoring 14 straight for Louisville. The Cardinals finally took the lead with a Montrezl Harrell lob from Peyton Siva. Next, Glenn Robinson III hit two free throws and Michigan had a 38-37 edge after the most entertaining half in the entire tournament. Amazing plays by bench players and huge swings by both teams only left us wanting more.
The second half starts and for Louisville, Russ Smith (who finished with 9 points on 3-16 shooting) is on the bench. This is a guy that had at least 21 in every game of the tournament, but Pitino stayed with the hot hand of Hancock. Burke was back in the lineup though and picked up right where he left off hitting a deep 3 early. But it was Siva and Chane Behanan that started to control the paint and in turn the game.
Michigan had no answer for Siva's penetration and playmaking ability in the second half. The senior guard was getting to the rim at will scoring 14 or his 18 points in the latter half of the game also adding six boards, five assists, and four steals. As for Behanan, he became a man amongst boys in the post scoring 11 of his 15 points and grabbing 11 of his 12 boards (including all seven of his offensive rebounds) in the second half. Gorgui Dieng also decided to show up after a MIA performance in the Final Four game where he missed his only field goal attempt. Dieng was not only a defensive and rebounding presence (three blocks and eight rebounds, five offensive) but a facilitator as well leading the Cardinals with six assists.
Even after all of this, Michigan was still hanging around within striking distance. But a turning point in the game was with just over five minutes to go and Louisville up 67-64. Albrecht misses a layup which turns into a break for Siva and Burke measures him up for one of the biggest blocks/plays of the tournament but is called for a foul. It could have been a huge momentum shift in Michigan's favor but instead it led to Louisville going on a run for their biggest lead of the game, 76-66. If no foul is called there and Michigan goes on to win a title, that play would be just as big as the 3-pointer he hit to tie the game against Kansas.
A lot of talk during the game was about how bad the refs were and for good reason because they missed a lot of calls for both teams. Less than two minutes into the game they missed an obvious goal tend that was called a block by Dieng on Tim Hardaway Jr. Two fouls on Burke were very questionable, including his second that sat him the rest of the first half on a Hancock ball fake and the aforementioned block on Siva. Late in the game Mitch McGary clearly kicked the ball and no whistle blew. Behanan was getting absolutely mugged in the paint while still getting offensive put-backs. And every time Burke or Siva drove the lane they ended up on their back but rarely was a call made. Both teams have serious complaints and it's a shame that in a game of such high importance the refs had as much influence as they did.
In the end the better team won as Michigan just wasn't able to get rebounds or stop penetration in the second half. Burke tried to do everything he could to keep his team in it but wasn't getting enough help as Louisville proved to have too many weapons on offense. The Final Four Most Outstanding Player went to Luke Hancock who put in 22 points with 5-5 from downtown. Hancock became the first non-starter to win the award. It was announced at halftime that Burke won the Naismith Award, sweeping all of the Player of the Year awards. He finished with 24 points, but who knows how this game would have played out if he didn't get into early foul trouble. Tournament standout, Mitch McGary, had a very pedestrian showing after putting up 16 ppg and 11 rpg coming into the title game. He also was suffering from foul trouble and only managed six points and six rebounds. Louisville was looked at as the best team in the country coming into the tournament and showed it, running through opponents early and coming back in the later round. After the horrific injury to Kevin Ware you might have thought this was going to be a team of destiny. The Cardinals and coach Pitino, along with Ware, cut down the nets to cap off an amazing game, tournament and year of college basketball.
The big question heading into the game was how will Michigan handle the relentless pressure from Louisville. Right from the jump Trey Burke was out to show why he was the consensus Player of the Year. Burke shook off any remaining rust from his 1-8 night against Syracuse to hit his first three shots and score Michigan's first seven points, matching his total in the Final Four game. The opening five minutes were fast and furious as both teams were trying to run and when the TV timeout came it was almost as everybody watching needed to catch their breath.
Unfortunately for Burke, he was called for hist second foul early in the first half on a questionable call, one of many for both teams. But luckily for Michigan their freshman backup point guard, Spike Albrecht, who averaged 1.8 points a game went off for a career high 17 points on four 3-pointers. He started his 3 barrage while Burke was still in the game and continued once he had left. At one point all five freshmen were on the court together and brought Michigan fans to memories of the Fab Five, the last time the Wolverines were in the title game. With Burke on the bench, Michigan was able to build a 12 point lead, 35-23, with about three minutes left in the half.
For 17 minutes of the first half Louisville struggled to get anything going on offense as Michigan wasn't turning the ball over and the best scorer in the tournament, Russ Smith, couldn't make a shot. Just like in the Wichita State game, it was Luke Hancock that brought the Cardinals back in the blink of an eye. He matched Albrecht with hitting four straight 3s of his own in a two minute stretch before the half scoring 14 straight for Louisville. The Cardinals finally took the lead with a Montrezl Harrell lob from Peyton Siva. Next, Glenn Robinson III hit two free throws and Michigan had a 38-37 edge after the most entertaining half in the entire tournament. Amazing plays by bench players and huge swings by both teams only left us wanting more.
The second half starts and for Louisville, Russ Smith (who finished with 9 points on 3-16 shooting) is on the bench. This is a guy that had at least 21 in every game of the tournament, but Pitino stayed with the hot hand of Hancock. Burke was back in the lineup though and picked up right where he left off hitting a deep 3 early. But it was Siva and Chane Behanan that started to control the paint and in turn the game.
Michigan had no answer for Siva's penetration and playmaking ability in the second half. The senior guard was getting to the rim at will scoring 14 or his 18 points in the latter half of the game also adding six boards, five assists, and four steals. As for Behanan, he became a man amongst boys in the post scoring 11 of his 15 points and grabbing 11 of his 12 boards (including all seven of his offensive rebounds) in the second half. Gorgui Dieng also decided to show up after a MIA performance in the Final Four game where he missed his only field goal attempt. Dieng was not only a defensive and rebounding presence (three blocks and eight rebounds, five offensive) but a facilitator as well leading the Cardinals with six assists.
Even after all of this, Michigan was still hanging around within striking distance. But a turning point in the game was with just over five minutes to go and Louisville up 67-64. Albrecht misses a layup which turns into a break for Siva and Burke measures him up for one of the biggest blocks/plays of the tournament but is called for a foul. It could have been a huge momentum shift in Michigan's favor but instead it led to Louisville going on a run for their biggest lead of the game, 76-66. If no foul is called there and Michigan goes on to win a title, that play would be just as big as the 3-pointer he hit to tie the game against Kansas.
A lot of talk during the game was about how bad the refs were and for good reason because they missed a lot of calls for both teams. Less than two minutes into the game they missed an obvious goal tend that was called a block by Dieng on Tim Hardaway Jr. Two fouls on Burke were very questionable, including his second that sat him the rest of the first half on a Hancock ball fake and the aforementioned block on Siva. Late in the game Mitch McGary clearly kicked the ball and no whistle blew. Behanan was getting absolutely mugged in the paint while still getting offensive put-backs. And every time Burke or Siva drove the lane they ended up on their back but rarely was a call made. Both teams have serious complaints and it's a shame that in a game of such high importance the refs had as much influence as they did.
In the end the better team won as Michigan just wasn't able to get rebounds or stop penetration in the second half. Burke tried to do everything he could to keep his team in it but wasn't getting enough help as Louisville proved to have too many weapons on offense. The Final Four Most Outstanding Player went to Luke Hancock who put in 22 points with 5-5 from downtown. Hancock became the first non-starter to win the award. It was announced at halftime that Burke won the Naismith Award, sweeping all of the Player of the Year awards. He finished with 24 points, but who knows how this game would have played out if he didn't get into early foul trouble. Tournament standout, Mitch McGary, had a very pedestrian showing after putting up 16 ppg and 11 rpg coming into the title game. He also was suffering from foul trouble and only managed six points and six rebounds. Louisville was looked at as the best team in the country coming into the tournament and showed it, running through opponents early and coming back in the later round. After the horrific injury to Kevin Ware you might have thought this was going to be a team of destiny. The Cardinals and coach Pitino, along with Ware, cut down the nets to cap off an amazing game, tournament and year of college basketball.
Monday, April 8, 2013
What To Watch: Michigan Wolverines vs Louisville Cardinals
It all comes down to this. Two teams, one title. For Louisville's Rick Pitino it would be his second, but Michigan's John Beilein is still looking for his first. These teams have had opposing styles all year as Louisville has the #1 defense and Michigan has the #1 offense in Ken Pomeroy's rankings. But both teams have picked it up on the other side of the ball in the tournament. The Cardinals have upped their points per game to 79 while the Wolverines have kept four of their five opponents under 60. To get to the title game both needed their benches to provide huge lifts when the starters were faltering. For Louisville it was Luke Hancock, who seemed to do everything right when Russ Smith and Peyton Siva couldn't find driving lanes. Nik Stauskas had his worst shooting performance of the year but Caris LeVert and Spike Albrecht hit timely 3-pointers to help the Wolverines. Both squads will again need a total team if they want to go home with a championship.
Player To Watch
Louisville - Peyton Siva doesn't put up the best numbers but he is just as important to this team as Russ Smith. Siva is the engine that makes this machine go. Not only does he run the offense but spearheads their pressure defense. Siva will not be able to match Burke in the scoring column but he can definitely make it harder for the POY to get his own buckets. Siva needs to bring the pressure early and often on Burke to get the ball out of his hands. Michigan struggles when Burke is not able to at least set up the offense and Siva will be the catalyst to stop that. Also, Siva went 1-9 against Wichita State with only three assists and if Louisville wants a title they need their point guard to be closer to his 10 points, six assists average.
Michigan - Trey Burke is raking in all the post season awards and will have to be on top of his game to take the one he covets most, the National Championship. Against Syracuse's long 2-3 zone, Burke had his worst game of the year going 1-8 with seven points and four assists. To get a title Michigan can't have another performance like that or the Wolverines will be in trouble. But more than scoring, Burke needs to take care of the ball because turnovers lead to points when going up against Louisville. He's done a great job all year as he's posted the best assist/turnover ratio in the country but he will now be going up against the best defense in the nation. When Michigan faced a similar pressure team in VCU in the round of 32 the Wolverines had 12 turnovers, seven from Burke alone.
Key Matchup
Louisville pressure vs Michigan ball handling. These are the two strengths of each team. Louisville is second in the nation in steals and Michigan first in turnovers per game. The Cardinals defense has forced an average of 15.4 TOs and created 11.2 steals in five games in the tournament. Not only do they take the ball from you but most likely they will score off those turnovers. Michigan on the other hand only averages 9.4 giveaways a game and Burke is as good they get when it comes to protecting the ball. Can Siva and Smith force Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. into bad decisions or will the latter minimize mistakes and keep the game in their control?
Prediction
In a battle of strength vs strength it usually come down to pace of play because most defensive teams like to slow it down (Syracuse) whereas offensive teams like to get it and go. But both teams like to run. So pay attention to which teams "weakness" stands out. Can Louisville score on the much improved Michigan defense or will the Wolverines shut down the Cardinals? Let's not forget in the Big Ten tournament Michigan gave up 51 points in the second half to a Wisconsin team that failed to score more than 46 in its last two losses of the year. In the tournament, Louisville has outscored opponents by an average of nine points in the second half. The Cardinals offense comes and goes with Russ Smith as he's scored over 20 in every game of the tourney but if he doesn't get help from the likes of Siva, Gorgui Dieng and Hancock, this team will have a hard time keeping up with Michigan. The one thing Michigan has that they didn't during the regular season is the amazing play of Mitch McGary. Averaging 16 ppg and 11.6 rpg in the tournament, he has become the inside presence Michigan has been looking for all year to compliment its guard play. Gorgui Dieng will have his hands full down low with the bigger and stronger McGary. Also, I feel like Michigan won't wilt under the pressure the Cardinals bring. Look at how well Wichita State State looked when they didn't turn the ball over. For 33 minutes they had four TOs and 12 point lead, then proceeded to give the ball away seven times in the last seven minutes and lose the game. It's been a long time coming for Michigan. The Fab Five in 1993 was the last time the Wolverines were in the title game. Since then they've had to deal with NCAA sanctions, bad coaches and high profile players not wanting to come to a school with a lot of baggage. One of the youngest teams in the country will do what the Fab Five couldn't and cut down the nets. Michigan will earn it's second National Championship in a hard fought game 68-64.
Player To Watch
Louisville - Peyton Siva doesn't put up the best numbers but he is just as important to this team as Russ Smith. Siva is the engine that makes this machine go. Not only does he run the offense but spearheads their pressure defense. Siva will not be able to match Burke in the scoring column but he can definitely make it harder for the POY to get his own buckets. Siva needs to bring the pressure early and often on Burke to get the ball out of his hands. Michigan struggles when Burke is not able to at least set up the offense and Siva will be the catalyst to stop that. Also, Siva went 1-9 against Wichita State with only three assists and if Louisville wants a title they need their point guard to be closer to his 10 points, six assists average.
Michigan - Trey Burke is raking in all the post season awards and will have to be on top of his game to take the one he covets most, the National Championship. Against Syracuse's long 2-3 zone, Burke had his worst game of the year going 1-8 with seven points and four assists. To get a title Michigan can't have another performance like that or the Wolverines will be in trouble. But more than scoring, Burke needs to take care of the ball because turnovers lead to points when going up against Louisville. He's done a great job all year as he's posted the best assist/turnover ratio in the country but he will now be going up against the best defense in the nation. When Michigan faced a similar pressure team in VCU in the round of 32 the Wolverines had 12 turnovers, seven from Burke alone.
Key Matchup
Louisville pressure vs Michigan ball handling. These are the two strengths of each team. Louisville is second in the nation in steals and Michigan first in turnovers per game. The Cardinals defense has forced an average of 15.4 TOs and created 11.2 steals in five games in the tournament. Not only do they take the ball from you but most likely they will score off those turnovers. Michigan on the other hand only averages 9.4 giveaways a game and Burke is as good they get when it comes to protecting the ball. Can Siva and Smith force Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. into bad decisions or will the latter minimize mistakes and keep the game in their control?
Prediction
In a battle of strength vs strength it usually come down to pace of play because most defensive teams like to slow it down (Syracuse) whereas offensive teams like to get it and go. But both teams like to run. So pay attention to which teams "weakness" stands out. Can Louisville score on the much improved Michigan defense or will the Wolverines shut down the Cardinals? Let's not forget in the Big Ten tournament Michigan gave up 51 points in the second half to a Wisconsin team that failed to score more than 46 in its last two losses of the year. In the tournament, Louisville has outscored opponents by an average of nine points in the second half. The Cardinals offense comes and goes with Russ Smith as he's scored over 20 in every game of the tourney but if he doesn't get help from the likes of Siva, Gorgui Dieng and Hancock, this team will have a hard time keeping up with Michigan. The one thing Michigan has that they didn't during the regular season is the amazing play of Mitch McGary. Averaging 16 ppg and 11.6 rpg in the tournament, he has become the inside presence Michigan has been looking for all year to compliment its guard play. Gorgui Dieng will have his hands full down low with the bigger and stronger McGary. Also, I feel like Michigan won't wilt under the pressure the Cardinals bring. Look at how well Wichita State State looked when they didn't turn the ball over. For 33 minutes they had four TOs and 12 point lead, then proceeded to give the ball away seven times in the last seven minutes and lose the game. It's been a long time coming for Michigan. The Fab Five in 1993 was the last time the Wolverines were in the title game. Since then they've had to deal with NCAA sanctions, bad coaches and high profile players not wanting to come to a school with a lot of baggage. One of the youngest teams in the country will do what the Fab Five couldn't and cut down the nets. Michigan will earn it's second National Championship in a hard fought game 68-64.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Final Four Recap
Michigan survives late Syracuse surge to reach championship game
If you told me Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr, and Nik Stauskas would be a combined 5-29 from the field and Caris LeVert would outscore Burke, I would think Michigan lost by double digits. But that wasn't the case because the Wolverines used defense and offensive rebounding to overcome Syracuse 61-56. In the first half Michigan was down 17-15 before ending the half on a 21-8 run spurred by the bench. In the second, Syracuse slowly fought back and made it close in the waning minutes. Cuse started pressing late and the pressure seemed to be getting to the Wolverines. With less than a minute left the Orange started fouling and Michigan only made 4-8 free throws down the stretch to keep the game undecided. But the controversy came on a questionable call with 19 seconds left and Cuse down two, after Burke split a pair at the line. Brandon Triche drove the lane and Jordan Morgan stepped in for a charge. The block/charge is the hardest call to make in basketball and refs like to swallow their whistles late. But with how much contact there was, something had to be called and the ref went with a charge. After another split at the stripe, this time by Jon Horford, Syracuse was down three but turned the ball over and Morgan finished the game with a breakaway dunk. The two main stories leading up to this game was how will Michigan handle the Orange 2-3 zone and who will win the point guard matchup between Trey Burke and Michael Carter-Williams. Let's talk about the zone first and in the first half Michigan was tearing it apart. Mitch McGary became a play maker from the high post with a career high six assists. Reserves Spike Albrecht and LeVert came in to hit two huge 3s each to provide a much needed lift from the bench. Stauskas was looked at to be a key part to beating the zone after he went 6-6 in the Elite 8 from beyond arc but last night he missed all four of his attempts. When the 3-point shot wasn't on, McGary and Glenn Robinson III where able to keep possessions alive with five offensive rebounds apiece. As for the great PG matchup, neither was impressive. Burke was 1-8 from the field with seven points and four assists, while MCW went 1-6 with two points and two assists. Not only did MCW account for six total points, but he also had five turnovers and fouled out. It was a night he'd much rather forget. The one player that kept Syracuse in the game the whole night was C.J. Fair. He realized he had a height and athletic advantage over anybody that Michigan put on him as he put up 22 and got the Orange back in the game in the second half. Triche played good down the stretch as well, finishing with 11 points and 8 assists. But, again for Michigan it was McGary, who might be having the best tournament of anybody so far. He had his third double-double with 10 and 12 boards. They now head to National Championship game 20 years after the Fab Five last did it for U of M. This was only the second game of the year Burke scored single-digits and if Michigan wants its second national title, they will need more out of the National Player of the Year. On a side note, Michigan called its last timeout with 1:51 to go in a very tight game. I started having flashbacks of 20 years ago and Chris Webber's fatal timeout when they didn't have any. I just pictured in my head Mitch McGary (who wears #4 like Webber) finding himself trapped in a corner and calling one more TO.
Louisville uses their bench to rally past the Shockers
Wichita State was ready to continue shocking the world for about 30 of the 40 minutes in their Final Four game against top seed Louisville. That was until the pressure ramped up and Luke Hancock took over. In the first half Wichita State did exactly what they needed to, handle the Louisville pressure and limit turnovers. While doing so the Shockers were able to hold a 26-25 lead and only had four turnovers. Louisville has owned the second half of games in the tournament but WSU came out ready to play and opened up a 47-35 with about 13 minutes left. The dominate Cardinals now look vulnerable but an unsuspecting player stepped up, Luke Hancock. Just like coming to the aid of Kevin Ware after his injury, Hancock did not shy away from the big moment and carried his team. The junior captain averages seven points a game but scored 14 of his 20 in the second half to bring Louisville back on a 21-8 run to take a 56-55 lead with 6:30 left. It seemed like this was the run we were all waiting for Louisville to make and they were going to close it out easily. But Cleanthony Early didn't stop fighting. Down five with less than two minutes left, Early scored six straight for the Shockers as they were extending the game with fouls. This game had its share of controversy as well when it was Hancock at the line with a two point lead and eight seconds to go. He makes the first but misses the second and Wichita State's Ron Baker grabs the long rebound but Hancock ties him up for the jumpball. The possession arrow favored Louisville and Russ Smith hit a free throw to give us our final score 72-68. Now some think the whistle was blown too early and Baker had actually wrestled the ball away, but my problem is with the alternating possession rule of jumpballs. You are telling me that refs are that bad in throwing the ball straight up in the air that we can't have an actual jumpball after tie-ups? Nonetheless, Louisville gets the win and a chance to play for a championship even with their starters being out played by the bench. The starters were 10-33 from the field for 38 points, the bench was 12-16 for 34 points. Smith scored 21 but on 6-17 shooting and only 5-12 from the line, Peyton Siva was 1-9 for seven points and three assists, while Gorgui Dieng was almost non-existent missing the only shot he took but grabbing six rebounds. Along with Hancock's 20, Montrezl Harrell had eight and Tim Henderson (who only had 16 points all year) hit two back-to-back 3s when Louisville was down 12. For the Shockers, Early finished with 24 and 10 rebounds and Carl Hall added 13 points. Malcolm Armstead was the MOP of the West region but only managed 1-10 shooting with seven assists. Louisville looked shaky for 3/4s of the game but when they needed it, their defense created turnovers and their bench became the scoring threats. They move on to play Michigan, a team that commits the fewest turnovers in the country, which should make for a great matchup.
If you told me Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr, and Nik Stauskas would be a combined 5-29 from the field and Caris LeVert would outscore Burke, I would think Michigan lost by double digits. But that wasn't the case because the Wolverines used defense and offensive rebounding to overcome Syracuse 61-56. In the first half Michigan was down 17-15 before ending the half on a 21-8 run spurred by the bench. In the second, Syracuse slowly fought back and made it close in the waning minutes. Cuse started pressing late and the pressure seemed to be getting to the Wolverines. With less than a minute left the Orange started fouling and Michigan only made 4-8 free throws down the stretch to keep the game undecided. But the controversy came on a questionable call with 19 seconds left and Cuse down two, after Burke split a pair at the line. Brandon Triche drove the lane and Jordan Morgan stepped in for a charge. The block/charge is the hardest call to make in basketball and refs like to swallow their whistles late. But with how much contact there was, something had to be called and the ref went with a charge. After another split at the stripe, this time by Jon Horford, Syracuse was down three but turned the ball over and Morgan finished the game with a breakaway dunk. The two main stories leading up to this game was how will Michigan handle the Orange 2-3 zone and who will win the point guard matchup between Trey Burke and Michael Carter-Williams. Let's talk about the zone first and in the first half Michigan was tearing it apart. Mitch McGary became a play maker from the high post with a career high six assists. Reserves Spike Albrecht and LeVert came in to hit two huge 3s each to provide a much needed lift from the bench. Stauskas was looked at to be a key part to beating the zone after he went 6-6 in the Elite 8 from beyond arc but last night he missed all four of his attempts. When the 3-point shot wasn't on, McGary and Glenn Robinson III where able to keep possessions alive with five offensive rebounds apiece. As for the great PG matchup, neither was impressive. Burke was 1-8 from the field with seven points and four assists, while MCW went 1-6 with two points and two assists. Not only did MCW account for six total points, but he also had five turnovers and fouled out. It was a night he'd much rather forget. The one player that kept Syracuse in the game the whole night was C.J. Fair. He realized he had a height and athletic advantage over anybody that Michigan put on him as he put up 22 and got the Orange back in the game in the second half. Triche played good down the stretch as well, finishing with 11 points and 8 assists. But, again for Michigan it was McGary, who might be having the best tournament of anybody so far. He had his third double-double with 10 and 12 boards. They now head to National Championship game 20 years after the Fab Five last did it for U of M. This was only the second game of the year Burke scored single-digits and if Michigan wants its second national title, they will need more out of the National Player of the Year. On a side note, Michigan called its last timeout with 1:51 to go in a very tight game. I started having flashbacks of 20 years ago and Chris Webber's fatal timeout when they didn't have any. I just pictured in my head Mitch McGary (who wears #4 like Webber) finding himself trapped in a corner and calling one more TO.
Louisville uses their bench to rally past the Shockers
Wichita State was ready to continue shocking the world for about 30 of the 40 minutes in their Final Four game against top seed Louisville. That was until the pressure ramped up and Luke Hancock took over. In the first half Wichita State did exactly what they needed to, handle the Louisville pressure and limit turnovers. While doing so the Shockers were able to hold a 26-25 lead and only had four turnovers. Louisville has owned the second half of games in the tournament but WSU came out ready to play and opened up a 47-35 with about 13 minutes left. The dominate Cardinals now look vulnerable but an unsuspecting player stepped up, Luke Hancock. Just like coming to the aid of Kevin Ware after his injury, Hancock did not shy away from the big moment and carried his team. The junior captain averages seven points a game but scored 14 of his 20 in the second half to bring Louisville back on a 21-8 run to take a 56-55 lead with 6:30 left. It seemed like this was the run we were all waiting for Louisville to make and they were going to close it out easily. But Cleanthony Early didn't stop fighting. Down five with less than two minutes left, Early scored six straight for the Shockers as they were extending the game with fouls. This game had its share of controversy as well when it was Hancock at the line with a two point lead and eight seconds to go. He makes the first but misses the second and Wichita State's Ron Baker grabs the long rebound but Hancock ties him up for the jumpball. The possession arrow favored Louisville and Russ Smith hit a free throw to give us our final score 72-68. Now some think the whistle was blown too early and Baker had actually wrestled the ball away, but my problem is with the alternating possession rule of jumpballs. You are telling me that refs are that bad in throwing the ball straight up in the air that we can't have an actual jumpball after tie-ups? Nonetheless, Louisville gets the win and a chance to play for a championship even with their starters being out played by the bench. The starters were 10-33 from the field for 38 points, the bench was 12-16 for 34 points. Smith scored 21 but on 6-17 shooting and only 5-12 from the line, Peyton Siva was 1-9 for seven points and three assists, while Gorgui Dieng was almost non-existent missing the only shot he took but grabbing six rebounds. Along with Hancock's 20, Montrezl Harrell had eight and Tim Henderson (who only had 16 points all year) hit two back-to-back 3s when Louisville was down 12. For the Shockers, Early finished with 24 and 10 rebounds and Carl Hall added 13 points. Malcolm Armstead was the MOP of the West region but only managed 1-10 shooting with seven assists. Louisville looked shaky for 3/4s of the game but when they needed it, their defense created turnovers and their bench became the scoring threats. They move on to play Michigan, a team that commits the fewest turnovers in the country, which should make for a great matchup.
Friday, April 5, 2013
What To Watch: Michigan Wolverines vs Syracuse Orange
In this game we have a battle of strengths, the classic offense vs defense matchup when Michigan takes on Syracuse. This is the first time two 4-seeds meet in the Final Four and it could be a memorable one. Michigan is averaging 79 points a game and Syracuse is holding opponents to just under 46 a game. Can Michigan score on the Orange stingy D? Will Syracuse be able to keep pace with the Wolverines? John Beilein and Jim Boeheim have history from when Beilein was coaching West Virgina in the Big East. Boeheim holds a 9-0 record.
How They Got Here
Michigan - South Dakota State 71-56, VCU 78-53, Kansas 87-85 OT, Florida 79-59.
Against VCU and Florida they played two of their best games of the season as they got contributions from the entire team on both ends of the court. The Kansas game was a whole other story. Mitch McGary was solid throughout but Trey Burke carried the team late. We all remember this, right?
Syracuse - Montana 81-34, California 66-60, Indiana 61-50, Marquette 55-39.
All four teams left in the bracket have pretty much dominated every opponent they've faced and that's no different for Syracuse. Their defense has been tremendous, holding Montana, Indiana and Marquette to season low's in scoring. Their zone defense has been ran to perfection so far.
Player To Watch
Mitch McGary has vastly improved his play in the tournament but Glenn Robinson III has been the x-factor for Michigan all year. Robinson will be more important than any other game as he is one of the main keys to causing havoc for the Syracuse 2-3. He will be looked upon to get in the middle of the zone and hit mid range jumpers. Also, step outside to knock in a few corner triples to stretch the defense. But Michigan will need him to hit the boards hard. Robinson will have to use his speed and athleticism against the bigger Syracuse front line to keep possessions alive if his teammates aren't making outside shots.
Key Matchup
Trey Burke vs Michael Carter-Williams. Burke is racking up all kinds of awards this year, while Carter-Williams has gone somewhat under the radar to have a stellar sophomore season of his own. Here are the two by the numbers...
PPG RPG APG SPG TO FG% 3P%
Burke - 18.8 3.1 6.8 1.6 2.2 46.4 38.1
MCW - 12.1 4.9 7.4 2.8 3.4 39.7 29.7
As you can see Burke has the advantage in all the shooting categories and turnovers while MCW takes rebounds, assists and steals. Since Syracuse plays zone MCW won't have to guard Burke one-on-one but his length on the top of that 2-3 has been big all year. He almost takes three steals a game because of his 6'6 frame with an even longer wingspan. Burke is going to have to find creases to penetrate and clear passing lanes against the size of MCW. Also, it provides somewhat of a mismatch on the other end as Carter-Williams has a six inch height advantage over Burke. Don't be surprise to Burke matched up with the smaller Brandon Triche while Tim Hardaway Jr checks MCW.
Prediction
This game is definitely tough to call, it's basically which teams strength will prove stronger. I believe Michigan, with their outside shooting, is going to be the one to escape with the win. In the Elite 8 Nik Stauskas finally found his stroke again, hitting on all six of his 3-point attempts. Along with Burke and Hardaway, this team has multiple outside threats. Let's not forget about Michigan's defense in the tournament either. Aside from the Kansas game, the Wolverines have been stingy as well, keeping their other three opponents under 60 points a game. I don't think this will be a shootout by any means but Michigan has the better offense. And in a game when buckets will be tough to come by, I have to go with the team that can put up points.
Game: Michigan
Bet: Michigan -1.5
How They Got Here
Michigan - South Dakota State 71-56, VCU 78-53, Kansas 87-85 OT, Florida 79-59.
Against VCU and Florida they played two of their best games of the season as they got contributions from the entire team on both ends of the court. The Kansas game was a whole other story. Mitch McGary was solid throughout but Trey Burke carried the team late. We all remember this, right?
Syracuse - Montana 81-34, California 66-60, Indiana 61-50, Marquette 55-39.
All four teams left in the bracket have pretty much dominated every opponent they've faced and that's no different for Syracuse. Their defense has been tremendous, holding Montana, Indiana and Marquette to season low's in scoring. Their zone defense has been ran to perfection so far.
Player To Watch
Mitch McGary has vastly improved his play in the tournament but Glenn Robinson III has been the x-factor for Michigan all year. Robinson will be more important than any other game as he is one of the main keys to causing havoc for the Syracuse 2-3. He will be looked upon to get in the middle of the zone and hit mid range jumpers. Also, step outside to knock in a few corner triples to stretch the defense. But Michigan will need him to hit the boards hard. Robinson will have to use his speed and athleticism against the bigger Syracuse front line to keep possessions alive if his teammates aren't making outside shots.
Key Matchup
Trey Burke vs Michael Carter-Williams. Burke is racking up all kinds of awards this year, while Carter-Williams has gone somewhat under the radar to have a stellar sophomore season of his own. Here are the two by the numbers...
PPG RPG APG SPG TO FG% 3P%
Burke - 18.8 3.1 6.8 1.6 2.2 46.4 38.1
MCW - 12.1 4.9 7.4 2.8 3.4 39.7 29.7
As you can see Burke has the advantage in all the shooting categories and turnovers while MCW takes rebounds, assists and steals. Since Syracuse plays zone MCW won't have to guard Burke one-on-one but his length on the top of that 2-3 has been big all year. He almost takes three steals a game because of his 6'6 frame with an even longer wingspan. Burke is going to have to find creases to penetrate and clear passing lanes against the size of MCW. Also, it provides somewhat of a mismatch on the other end as Carter-Williams has a six inch height advantage over Burke. Don't be surprise to Burke matched up with the smaller Brandon Triche while Tim Hardaway Jr checks MCW.
Prediction
This game is definitely tough to call, it's basically which teams strength will prove stronger. I believe Michigan, with their outside shooting, is going to be the one to escape with the win. In the Elite 8 Nik Stauskas finally found his stroke again, hitting on all six of his 3-point attempts. Along with Burke and Hardaway, this team has multiple outside threats. Let's not forget about Michigan's defense in the tournament either. Aside from the Kansas game, the Wolverines have been stingy as well, keeping their other three opponents under 60 points a game. I don't think this will be a shootout by any means but Michigan has the better offense. And in a game when buckets will be tough to come by, I have to go with the team that can put up points.
Game: Michigan
Bet: Michigan -1.5
Thursday, April 4, 2013
What To Watch: Louisville Cardinals vs Wichita State Shockers
The first game in the Final Four is a matchup between a team most picked to win a championship against a team some picked to lose in the first round. Louisville, the #1 overall seed, is here by no surprise as they are the only team left to win their conference tournament and have rode that momentum in the Big Dance. The also have a little extra motivation after the terrible injury suffered by backup point guard Kevin Ware against Duke. The Cardinals will sport "Win It For Kevin" t-shirts during warmups. The Wichita State Shockers on the other hand are this years Cinderella, becoming the 5th team seeded 9th or lower to reach the Final Four. However, none of those previous teams made it to the championship game. If the Shockers hope to do that they will have to slow down a team nobody has been able to in the Cardinals last 14 games.
How They Got Here
Louisville - North Carolina A&T 79-48, Colorado State 82-56, Oregon 77-69, Duke 85-63.
The Cardinals have ran through every opponent they've faced and have lived up to their #1 overall seed. The nine point win over Oregon was the slimmest margin but it was not that close.
Wichita State - Pittsburgh 73-55, Gonzaga 76-70, LaSalle 72-58, Ohio State 70-66.
The Shockers upset the #1 and #2 seeds in their region to reach the Final Four but even won those games in impressive fashion. They led the entire first half against 1-seed Gonzaga before needing to comeback from seven down with less than six minutes to play. Against Ohio State they led for all but 42 seconds when OSU was up 9-7 early.
Player To Watch
Russ Smith is the hottest player in the tournament averaging 26 a game on 54% shooting and scoring in ever way. In transition, jumpers, 3s, and from the line. Smith is a catalyst on defense as well with over two steals a game and a season high eight against UNC A&T in the round of 64. Basically, Smith is the barometer for how Louisville will play as he's their leader on both ends of the court.
Key Matchup
Malcolm Armstead held his own going up against Aaron Craft, the best on-ball defender in the country, only turning the ball over three times. Armstead now gets to face even more pressure from the Louisville press, spear headed by Smith and Peyton Siva, that has forced over 60 turnovers in four games. Being able to get the Shockers into their offense is going to be key to them staying in the game. Cleanthony Early and Carl Hall will only be able to do damage if Armstead can get them the ball. He's made a name for himself in the tournament as a solid PG but if he has trouble getting passed half court it's going to be a long night for the senior.
Prediction
Louisville was already going to be a tough out for any team in the tournament but now are on a mission playing for Kevin Ware. They are playing the best basketball of anybody left and want to bring a championship to their fallen teammate. Wichita State has made a great run but I don't think they can handle what Smith and Siva will bring in terms of pressure and Gorgui Dieng will negate anything Early tries to do inside. The Cardinals defense has been suffocating teams and Wichita State has seen nothing like them. They will treat Cinderella poorly and send her home from the tournament.
Game: Louisville
Bet: Louisville -9.5
How They Got Here
Louisville - North Carolina A&T 79-48, Colorado State 82-56, Oregon 77-69, Duke 85-63.
The Cardinals have ran through every opponent they've faced and have lived up to their #1 overall seed. The nine point win over Oregon was the slimmest margin but it was not that close.
Wichita State - Pittsburgh 73-55, Gonzaga 76-70, LaSalle 72-58, Ohio State 70-66.
The Shockers upset the #1 and #2 seeds in their region to reach the Final Four but even won those games in impressive fashion. They led the entire first half against 1-seed Gonzaga before needing to comeback from seven down with less than six minutes to play. Against Ohio State they led for all but 42 seconds when OSU was up 9-7 early.
Player To Watch
Russ Smith is the hottest player in the tournament averaging 26 a game on 54% shooting and scoring in ever way. In transition, jumpers, 3s, and from the line. Smith is a catalyst on defense as well with over two steals a game and a season high eight against UNC A&T in the round of 64. Basically, Smith is the barometer for how Louisville will play as he's their leader on both ends of the court.
Key Matchup
Malcolm Armstead held his own going up against Aaron Craft, the best on-ball defender in the country, only turning the ball over three times. Armstead now gets to face even more pressure from the Louisville press, spear headed by Smith and Peyton Siva, that has forced over 60 turnovers in four games. Being able to get the Shockers into their offense is going to be key to them staying in the game. Cleanthony Early and Carl Hall will only be able to do damage if Armstead can get them the ball. He's made a name for himself in the tournament as a solid PG but if he has trouble getting passed half court it's going to be a long night for the senior.
Prediction
Louisville was already going to be a tough out for any team in the tournament but now are on a mission playing for Kevin Ware. They are playing the best basketball of anybody left and want to bring a championship to their fallen teammate. Wichita State has made a great run but I don't think they can handle what Smith and Siva will bring in terms of pressure and Gorgui Dieng will negate anything Early tries to do inside. The Cardinals defense has been suffocating teams and Wichita State has seen nothing like them. They will treat Cinderella poorly and send her home from the tournament.
Game: Louisville
Bet: Louisville -9.5
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Elite 8 Day 2 Recap
Louisville recovers after gruesome injury to get past Duke
It was a simple play that turned into a horrific injury for Louisville guard Kevin Ware. With 6:33 left in the first half, Ware jumped to contest a 3-pointer but when he landed his leg buckled and his tibia was fractured. It's a play that happens hundreds of times in each game but I don't think anybody has ever seen anything like that injury in a basketball game. I'm not going to post a link because it's seriously that bad, but If you don't have a weak stomach you can search for it yourself. At that point Louisville was up 21-20 and took a 35-32 lead into halftime. While on the stretcher about to be taken off the court, Ware kept repeating, "just go win the game," and after composing themselves in the locker room Louisville came out strong in the second half. About four minutes in, the score was tied at 42, but the Cardinals went on a 20-4 and never looked back as they cruised to an 85-63 win. Russ Smith continued his hot streak with 24 points and Peyton Siva contributed 16. Gorgui Dieng, who missed the first meeting with Duke, added 14 points, 11 boards and four blocks. The Blue Devils struggled all game from the outside going only 4-16 from 3. Mason Plumlee was the lone bright spot with 17 points and 12 rebounds. A big mention has to go to Louisville reserve Luke Hancock. When Ware went down with his injury, it was right in front of the Louisville bench. Once his teammates saw his leg they either ran away or instantly fell to the floor. But, Hancock came to the side of his fallen teammate to give support while the doctors worked to stabilize Ware's leg. After the initial shock to the team went away, Louisville seemed to be on a mission to win for Ware. They get the surprising Wichita State team in the Final Four, but so far nobody has been able to compete with the Cardinals.
Michigan, Nik Stauskas, shoot Florida out of the gym
After a thrilling comeback against Kansas, everybody was wondering how Michigan would fare in a quick turnaround game with Florida. From the opening tip the Wolverines showed they were ready while the Gators couldn't get anything going. Michigan jumped out to an early 13-0 lead with Mitch McGary scoring eight of those points. Then Nik Stauskas caught fire. The freshman sharp-shooter connected on 6-6 shots and 5-5 3-pointers in the first half. It seemed like every time Florida tried to get back in the game Stauskas would come through. The Gators started to close the gap to end the first half but fouled Stauskas on a 3-point attempt right before the halftime buzzer. Then in the second, Florida cut the lead to 11 with just over 16 minutes to play and again Stauskas buries a triple, he finished with 22. In the end Michigan wrapped up a Final Four birth 79-59, their first since the Fab Five in 1993. The Gators were never able to keep up offensively and learned nothing from watching Kansas dominate the paint as they were satisfied with taking jumpers all day. Florida was a popular pick by many to win the South region, mainly because Ken Pomeroy had them ranked #1 overall after the regular season. But I felt their offensive and defensive numbers were highly inflated (and deflated) due to playing in a very bad SEC. The only other team to make the tournament was Ole Miss, who did win their first game, but if they didn't beat Florida in the SEC Championship game they would have been a bubble team. After his late game heroics on Friday night, Trey Burke cooled off, only hitting 5-16 shots for 15 points. The B1G POY still controlled the game with a season high eight rebounds, seven assists, and only one turnover. Statistically Michigan is the best offensive but worst defensive team remaining. They next matchup with Syracuse and their vaunted 2-3 defense.
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It was a simple play that turned into a horrific injury for Louisville guard Kevin Ware. With 6:33 left in the first half, Ware jumped to contest a 3-pointer but when he landed his leg buckled and his tibia was fractured. It's a play that happens hundreds of times in each game but I don't think anybody has ever seen anything like that injury in a basketball game. I'm not going to post a link because it's seriously that bad, but If you don't have a weak stomach you can search for it yourself. At that point Louisville was up 21-20 and took a 35-32 lead into halftime. While on the stretcher about to be taken off the court, Ware kept repeating, "just go win the game," and after composing themselves in the locker room Louisville came out strong in the second half. About four minutes in, the score was tied at 42, but the Cardinals went on a 20-4 and never looked back as they cruised to an 85-63 win. Russ Smith continued his hot streak with 24 points and Peyton Siva contributed 16. Gorgui Dieng, who missed the first meeting with Duke, added 14 points, 11 boards and four blocks. The Blue Devils struggled all game from the outside going only 4-16 from 3. Mason Plumlee was the lone bright spot with 17 points and 12 rebounds. A big mention has to go to Louisville reserve Luke Hancock. When Ware went down with his injury, it was right in front of the Louisville bench. Once his teammates saw his leg they either ran away or instantly fell to the floor. But, Hancock came to the side of his fallen teammate to give support while the doctors worked to stabilize Ware's leg. After the initial shock to the team went away, Louisville seemed to be on a mission to win for Ware. They get the surprising Wichita State team in the Final Four, but so far nobody has been able to compete with the Cardinals.
Michigan, Nik Stauskas, shoot Florida out of the gym
After a thrilling comeback against Kansas, everybody was wondering how Michigan would fare in a quick turnaround game with Florida. From the opening tip the Wolverines showed they were ready while the Gators couldn't get anything going. Michigan jumped out to an early 13-0 lead with Mitch McGary scoring eight of those points. Then Nik Stauskas caught fire. The freshman sharp-shooter connected on 6-6 shots and 5-5 3-pointers in the first half. It seemed like every time Florida tried to get back in the game Stauskas would come through. The Gators started to close the gap to end the first half but fouled Stauskas on a 3-point attempt right before the halftime buzzer. Then in the second, Florida cut the lead to 11 with just over 16 minutes to play and again Stauskas buries a triple, he finished with 22. In the end Michigan wrapped up a Final Four birth 79-59, their first since the Fab Five in 1993. The Gators were never able to keep up offensively and learned nothing from watching Kansas dominate the paint as they were satisfied with taking jumpers all day. Florida was a popular pick by many to win the South region, mainly because Ken Pomeroy had them ranked #1 overall after the regular season. But I felt their offensive and defensive numbers were highly inflated (and deflated) due to playing in a very bad SEC. The only other team to make the tournament was Ole Miss, who did win their first game, but if they didn't beat Florida in the SEC Championship game they would have been a bubble team. After his late game heroics on Friday night, Trey Burke cooled off, only hitting 5-16 shots for 15 points. The B1G POY still controlled the game with a season high eight rebounds, seven assists, and only one turnover. Statistically Michigan is the best offensive but worst defensive team remaining. They next matchup with Syracuse and their vaunted 2-3 defense.
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Elite 8 Day 1 Recap
Wichita State shocks another top seed to earn a trip to Atlanta
Cinderella is still dancing as Wichita State took down the 2-seed Ohio State 70-66. The Buckeyes couldn't hit anything in the first half as the Shockers built a 35-22 halftime lead as Cleanthony Early led the way. In the second it was more of the same for the first nine minutes as WSU pushed the lead to 56-36 with 11:01 left. But Ohio State wasn't about to give up yet. After seeing Michigan erase a 14-point deficit with less than seven minutes to go against Kansas the night before, OSU started to chip away. The Buckeyes went on a 23-6 run to make it 62-59 with 2:49 remaining. In a spot where most thought the 9-seed Shockers would continue to wilt, they came up big. First it was Tekele Cotton who hit a 3-pointer on their next possession. Then after Deshaun Thomas scored, Fred Vanvleet made a shot in the lane that bounced at least six times on the rim before finally dropping. From then on it was a foul fest and OSU wasn't able to complete their comeback. Wichita State had great balance on offense as six players scored at least eight, led by Malcolm Armstead with 14 and Early with 12. The Shockers also played great defense holding the Buckeyes to only 31% from the field and 5-25 on 3-pointers (OSU was 50% in the tournament prior). On the outside, Armstead held Aaron Craft to only 2-12 shooting while Carl Hall controlled the paint with six blocks. OSU star Deshaun Thomas finished with 23 and LaQuinton Ross played well for the third consecutive game adding 19 but it wasn't enough. Wichita State only won by four but pretty much dominated for 3/4's of the game and earned their ticket to the Final Four. Their region was decimated with upsets but they managed to get past the #1 and #2 seeded teams in the West. The Shockers might be a mid-major 9-seed but they have proven themselves worthy and should not be taken lightly by either Louisville or Duke.
Syracuse continues its strong defense, knocking off Big East foe
It wasn't the prettiest game but that's how Syracuse is making their opponents look on offense, ugly. The Orange held Marquette to only 18 points in the first half and 39 for the game as they smothered their Big East counterpart for the 55-39 victory. Marquette's 39 points was the fewest ever scored in an Elite Eight game in the shot clock era. The Syracuse 2-3 zone has been dominating opponents all tournament with their length and athleticism. To have a guy like Michael Carter-Williams (6'6) at the top of the zone is what causes trouble for other teams. His length makes it difficult to find passing lanes and he's able to challenge 3-point attempts. MCW had 12 points, eight rebound, six assists, and five steals with only one turnover against Marquette. Speaking of turnovers, Marquette is now the third team to have more turnovers than field goals made against the Orange in this years tournament, joining Montana and Indiana. The Golden Eagles had 14 TOs but only 12 shots made on 22% shooting. Cuse's defense is unbelievable right now, they are holding teams to 14 less points than in the regular season (45.8 per game), 29% from the field and 15% from long range. James Southerland was a big spark in the scoring department, putting in 16 and can be a killer from deep. The remaining teams should be fearful of Syracuse and their zone, nobody seems to be able to figure it out. If defense wins championships, the Orange are in prime position to cut down the nets.
Follow @JasonShusteric on Twitter
Need more basketball action? Check out Watch Like A Champion and get all of your hoop updates, trivia, and tournament talk! Then enter to win a Samsung 60" LED TV, Galaxy Note Tablet, Panasonic Cordless Phone System, and One Year of Free Service through the Cox Ultimate Entertainment Sweepstakes! http://shout.lt/gD9t
Cinderella is still dancing as Wichita State took down the 2-seed Ohio State 70-66. The Buckeyes couldn't hit anything in the first half as the Shockers built a 35-22 halftime lead as Cleanthony Early led the way. In the second it was more of the same for the first nine minutes as WSU pushed the lead to 56-36 with 11:01 left. But Ohio State wasn't about to give up yet. After seeing Michigan erase a 14-point deficit with less than seven minutes to go against Kansas the night before, OSU started to chip away. The Buckeyes went on a 23-6 run to make it 62-59 with 2:49 remaining. In a spot where most thought the 9-seed Shockers would continue to wilt, they came up big. First it was Tekele Cotton who hit a 3-pointer on their next possession. Then after Deshaun Thomas scored, Fred Vanvleet made a shot in the lane that bounced at least six times on the rim before finally dropping. From then on it was a foul fest and OSU wasn't able to complete their comeback. Wichita State had great balance on offense as six players scored at least eight, led by Malcolm Armstead with 14 and Early with 12. The Shockers also played great defense holding the Buckeyes to only 31% from the field and 5-25 on 3-pointers (OSU was 50% in the tournament prior). On the outside, Armstead held Aaron Craft to only 2-12 shooting while Carl Hall controlled the paint with six blocks. OSU star Deshaun Thomas finished with 23 and LaQuinton Ross played well for the third consecutive game adding 19 but it wasn't enough. Wichita State only won by four but pretty much dominated for 3/4's of the game and earned their ticket to the Final Four. Their region was decimated with upsets but they managed to get past the #1 and #2 seeded teams in the West. The Shockers might be a mid-major 9-seed but they have proven themselves worthy and should not be taken lightly by either Louisville or Duke.
Syracuse continues its strong defense, knocking off Big East foe
It wasn't the prettiest game but that's how Syracuse is making their opponents look on offense, ugly. The Orange held Marquette to only 18 points in the first half and 39 for the game as they smothered their Big East counterpart for the 55-39 victory. Marquette's 39 points was the fewest ever scored in an Elite Eight game in the shot clock era. The Syracuse 2-3 zone has been dominating opponents all tournament with their length and athleticism. To have a guy like Michael Carter-Williams (6'6) at the top of the zone is what causes trouble for other teams. His length makes it difficult to find passing lanes and he's able to challenge 3-point attempts. MCW had 12 points, eight rebound, six assists, and five steals with only one turnover against Marquette. Speaking of turnovers, Marquette is now the third team to have more turnovers than field goals made against the Orange in this years tournament, joining Montana and Indiana. The Golden Eagles had 14 TOs but only 12 shots made on 22% shooting. Cuse's defense is unbelievable right now, they are holding teams to 14 less points than in the regular season (45.8 per game), 29% from the field and 15% from long range. James Southerland was a big spark in the scoring department, putting in 16 and can be a killer from deep. The remaining teams should be fearful of Syracuse and their zone, nobody seems to be able to figure it out. If defense wins championships, the Orange are in prime position to cut down the nets.
Follow @JasonShusteric on Twitter
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