Monday Spread Option 01-13-14/ What We Learned Last Week

Colin Kaepernick. "Superman dem' Foes"

1. There is only 2 more weeks of real football and 4 teams left. Who you got in the Superbowl?

Ty-

I guess nobody is really surprised that the four teams left have made it to the conference finals. I mean all the teams that made it to this round were favored in Vegas. The Broncos and Patriots definitely have the history ties. It seems only right that Peyton Manning and Tom Brady meet at least one more time with a Superbowl on the line. Specially with reports that Peyton's future is tied to an offseason neck check up. I am inclined to pick the Broncos to pull this one out because the Broncos have a better team. I can't say im 100 percent confident picking against Tom Brady. But keep in mind that the Patriots haven't won a Superbowl in almost a decade and this Patriots team doesn't seem to be very good.

I have to go with the Seahawks over the Niners as well. Although San Fran is the better overall team, the Seahawks have their number in Seattle. The Niners have lost by a combined 55 points in the last 2 games in Seattle. Something tells me that this is more of a trend than a fluke.

Spencer-
Two great games coming up next weekend, two tough ones to pick for us sports bloggers. Wouldn't have it any other way. You got Brady vs. Manning one more time for a shot at the Super Bowl, and arguably the best rivalry in the game right now in the 49ers and Seahawks. Should be two great games. That being said I'll start with the AFC...We saw these teams play earlier in the season and it was a great 34-31 OT win for NE. The irony about this match-up is that the Broncos are a great passing team with a good running game going up against an above average passing defense but terrible rushing defense in the Patriots, while the Patriots have become a dominant running team with an average passing attack and face a defense that focuses on stopping the run but struggles against the pass. With that in mind, I think things are going to be different this time around for the Broncos. I think they will navigate the New England defense and although I believe the Patriots will have success in their passing game against Denver's dismal secondary, I still think the Broncos will get the stops they need.

The NFC match-up intrigues me more with two divisional rivals who hate each other going at it. One thing is for sure, this game is going to be physical. The only place home field advantage matters in the NFL today...is Seattle. We've seen how well the Seahawks play at home, we know that crowd is going to be riled up. I expect Seattle to continue to play the stout defense that left a high powered New Orleans offense out of sync all day. I think that may be enough to beat the 49ers again at home. Seattle knows better than any team how to contain Kaepernick and limit that offense. I think the Seahawks will score enough points to win and the defense will take care of the rest.

Alex Rodriguez

2. It was announced that A-Rod's suspension was reduced to 162 games. Do you feel that the decision was right? Should he have gotten more or less?

Ty- 

I definitely don't enjoy Alex Rodriguez at all. But I would have to say I agree with the suspension although I understand why people want more. At the same time he has to be treated like every other player that has been suspended for suspected steriod use. The fact that he never failed a test doesn't help either. As bad as A-Rod is, this whole thing just shows why the MLB and Bud Selig are at fault for not correcting their steriods problem. The system put in place is what failed and the MLB is trying to pass all the blame on to the players.

Spencer-
I think A-Rod deserves what he is getting based on what he is accused of. That being said I do think the MLB needed to do a better job with their gathering of evidence, explanation of said evidence and letting the judicial process do its job. For as big of a scumbag A-Rod is, Bud Selig looked like one for the way he handled things. Like I said though A-Rod is an idiot for trusting Anthony Bosch, who was basically a mall kiosk nutritionist, in the first place and is desperate for trying to paint himself as the victim. Just glad this things over and baseball can move on hopefully in a positive direction.

3. It is officially time to start paying attention to college basketball. #1 Arizona is 17-0 but who do you think is the best team?

Arizona Forward Aaron Gordon

Ty- 

This college basketball season was hyped up because of all the incoming freshmen talent. The freshmen have lived up to some of the hype but have also failed in some ways. Although Jabari Parker has been slumping and Wiggins has had his ups and downs they have both played well. So has Julius Randle but all of their teams have not lived up to the hype. So the somewhat forgotten freshman Aaron Gordon has been showing out for the unbeaten Arizona Wildcats. He hasn't been transcending the team but a great cog In their team oriented success. They also have been getting strong contributions from Nick Johnson and T.J. McConnell. The Wildcats are the best team in the nation for now. I will say that they could have played a little better competition but if they can keep running the table in a decent Pac-10 conference than they should still be #1.

Spencer-

Syracuse Guard Tyler Ennis

For me I gotta go with my #2 ranked Syracuse Orange. I thought it was going to be tough to beat last years final four run but with the squad Beoheim has put together they may be able to do it again. I think the Orange have made a very easy transition to the ACC and just beat one of the old time powerhouses of the conference UNC 57-45. Ennis is so crisp, I think he is better than Carter-Williams was, Grant has a bigger hand in games, Trevor Cooney who was air balling threes last year is knocking them down from anywhere on the floor this year and obviously CJ is the senior leader who brings it all together. Their biggest test will come in facing Duke coming up on Feb. 1 but if they beat them I see no reason why they won't win the conference and earn a number one seed heading into March Maddness.

Knicks guard Iman Shumpart

4.Since the start of the new year both the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets have been playing a lot better. Who do you think has a better shot to reach the playoffs?

Ty-
Knicks.
Right now if the season ended today then the Brookyln Nets would be in the playoffs with a record 15-22. The Knicks are only one game behind them for the eighth spot. If the Nets still had Brooke Lopez then I would easily pick them because their problems seemed to be more about meshing together new parts and injuries more than just being a bad team. Although the Knicks have also had injuries it hasn't been on the same scale. They were just bad in the early part of the year. Since the New Year though the whole team besides J.R. Smith has played better. Most notably Iman Shumpart, while Tim Hardaway Jr has played well all year and now it's starting to come together. Carmelo Anthony no longer has to carry the load that he had to earlier in the season. So I think the Knicks have a better shot to make the playoffs at seasons end but I wouldn't be surprised if both teams made it in the Lackluster east and a team like Chicago falls out after all their injuries and trades.

Spencer-
Gotta agree with Ty on this one. The Knicks. Although really with the Eastern Conference as bad as it is they could both make a run at it potentially. But still i think the Knicks have the best shot. It took a while for guys to get it going like Shumpart and Hardaway Jr. and it looks like even Stoudemire is playing more minutes and actually contributing in some way. Also once Chandler is healthy they will have a better presence down low too so they can only improve from here. I think they are finally figuring out how to work with Carmelo. If they do happen to make it, I don't think they will make it too far in the playoffs and if they want to be a championship contender they need to make it a priority to keep Carmelo and get the right pieces around him....but that is another discussion for another time!

5. Interesting thing we learned over the past week.

Ty- The overpraising of Andrew Luck or QBs in general.

Indianapolis Quarterback Andrew Luck

This past week before the Indianapolis Colts' game against the New England Patriots in the divisional round of the playoffs we learned a lot about the media and the general public's affection for Andrew Luck.

I understand that we all tend to overreact to single players' good and bad games in the NFL. Which is a little crazy because football is the ultimate team game. There are so many factors that decide who wins games in the NFL. I won't pretend like quarterbacks don't affect wins more than other players do in most games. But man have some people overreacted to Andrew Luck these past 2 seasons.

Let me preface my next couple of sentences by saying that I do believe Luck will be great but he has to show me more. But other people are just ready to put him in the same category as the Peytons and the Bradys. Those people tend to ignore the fact that he had an awful lot of turnovers (28) last year and had 7 ints in 2 playoff games this year. A lot of people talk about Lucks 11 game winning drives but fail to mention that he has only done it against 4 good teams and he has only scored a TD in 2 of those games. Or that he played the 3rd easiest schedule last year and that he plays in a weak division in the weakest NFL conference.

Yes Luck is good and has showed a lot of promise. I expect him to have a great career and maybe be a hall of famer. But It's crazy how much people gloss over his faults but pick apart guys like Cam Newton and Robert Griffin III. This also goes for Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick to some extent, both guys have great teams around them but get a lot of praise. Meanwhile Kaepernick struggled to begin the year but has gotten better. While Wilson has been more of a game manager than a prolific QB, he was 9-18 yesterday and has struggled the last couple of weeks.

Bottom line is that those guys are great up and coming quarterbacks, but we shouldn't put them in the Hall of Fame just yet.

Spencer- Big East basketball was better than ACC basketball 

The Syracuse Orange are 3-0 in ACC play.

I touched on it earlier in my Syracuse talk but as basketball season continues we see why the splitting up of the Big East and several teams moving into the ACC was strictly a football move. It's no fluke why Syracuse and Pitt the two new additions to the ACC have so far handled the new schedule no problem and lead a conference they are freshman in. Because when you are used to playing tough, physical big east basketball for years other teams just aren't a threat. Add in the fact that these ACC teams may have seen a two-three zone before, but not the Syracuse two-three zone. 

I will stand by the Big East long after its break up this year as being the best basketball conference there was. People complained Big East teams would go into the NCAA Tourney with more losses and the teams weren't as good but that's because they played better teams all year and beat up on each other so naturally you're gonna lose. Other than UNC, Duke what other match-ups in the Big East intrigued us to watch the ACC.......NONE! Meanwhile you had match-ups like Georgetown, Syracuse. Marquette, Louisville. UConn, Pitt. Syracuse, Nova. Match ups that people wanted to watch. Game that were lower scoring but physical and always had some of the best teams in the league going head to head. 

Now, obviously the Big East is dead and we're not going back to that, and even though I would throw things at the TV watching my Orange lose those tight games, at least we saw good basketball. Now I get to watch them and former Big East teams just steamroll through the ACC until they play each other. Guess I better start getting used to winning more.

Monday Spread Option 01--06-2014

1. After a few crazy games, the NFL wildcard weekend is over. Which losing team disappointed you the most this weekend? Also which of the wildcard game winners do you think has the best chance to win the Superbowl?

Ty-

I would have to say that the Bengals disappointed me the most. Although, I can't say that I'm surprised that the Bengals lost. There was so much history and odds stacked against them. They have not won a playoff game in 23 years. The Chargers beat the the Philadelphia in the Eagles home opener this season. The last 5 teams to beat the Eagles in Philly's home opener has gone on to win the Superbowl. But thats just a fluke stat so the Bengals should have won the game but they choked in the playoffs again. Andy Dalton has so much talent around him, so it is inexcusable for him to have 1 touchdown and 6 picks in 3 playoff games. They should have been able to win at home against an 8 and 8 team easily.

As for the second questions, I'm inclined to pick the Chargers just because of the stat that I gave earlier. The Chargers have also beat the Broncos in Denver this year so we all know that the Chargers are capable of pulling off the upset. Also the last couple of SuperBowl winners have barely made the playoffs and got hot at the right time like Ravens and the Giants. Yes I know that it doesn't make much sense to bash the Bengals for not being able to beat the Chargers, but then pick the Chargers to win the whole thing. Oh well I'm just going with what happens every year.

Spencer- 

 For me I’m going with the Chiefs. Here’s why…I think the Bengals were expected to win, but with their playoff history especially, under Marvin Lewis, and the history of teams barely making it into the post season and going on a postseason run, I saw it coming. With that in mind, when all the games were said and done I had to look at the Chiefs and say what were you doing!? Now I know injuries hurt them. However, Charles was out on the opening drive and they still managed to get a 38-10 lead in the third quarter without him. Their secondary was mutilated too but last time I checked second-string players still go to practices, watch film, study their opponent and should know the Colts are basically a one dimensional offense, with their best weapon being T.Y. Hilton. A second string defense back also know if you have the deep third or half of the field YOU DON’T LET ANYONE BEHIND YOU! I know that from playing high school ball! I just don’t see how they let a 28-point lead slip away so easily and that falls on the offensive play calls too. Even with second or third string running backs in the game they should have been running the ball more in the second half. Obviously the Alex Smith intentional grounding didn't help either in a big spot for KC. Either way the Colts had no business winning that game at that point and the Chiefs had plenty of chances to close it out even with injuries and blew it.

That being said I think the 49ers are an easy pick of the teams that played this weekend to make it to the Super Bowl. They have the recipe of past champs entering the playoffs hot on a six game win streak and obviously with the experience of being in the postseason before they don’t get rattled easily. They looked poised and I wouldn’t be surprised if they made it to NYC come Feb. 2. 

Zach-
To me, it would have to be the Bengals. The Chiefs lost a very disappointing game that should have been locked up by the time they were up by 28 points, but I expected the closer match-up that they did end up having with the Colts. Plus, I think that is a team with nowhere to go but up. I didn't really expect them to go that far in the playoffs. Maybe the divisional round, but that is about it.  But I'm tired of waiting for the Bengals to be good again. This team coming into the season was a team that was supposed to make a solid playoff run. Sunday, they looked like a team that didn't belong there at all.  They were completely outclassed.  Granted, you don't want to take anything away from the streaking Chargers who are playing arguably their best football of the season right now.  But four turnovers is completely unacceptable in the playoffs. And for a team that was supposed to have the cold-weather, home field advanatge, I expected a better performance out of them.  This team supposedly has the pieces to compete. They sured up their defense this year and have found a franchise QB in Andy Dalton (although his performance is sure to come into question soon).  Why can't they win in the playoffs if they have the pieces they need? If they fall apart like this in the post season again, do not be surprised if management starts making some serious changes, starting with Marvin Lewis.

My pick for the second question is the Colts.  The defense when properly motivated has the potential to make some stops when they need to, as evident of the fact that they were able to hold off the Chiefs offense nearly the entire time they waited for the offense to respond. Combine that with Andrew Luck, who is maturing and growing every game, and the threat of T.Y. Hilton, and you have a dangerous team who is coming off a spectacular comeback with a lot of confidence.

2. The Buccaneers hired Lovie Smith and the Texans hired Bill O'Brien last week to coach their football teams. Rank the remaining 5 NFL teams (Detroit, Minnesota, Tennessee, Cleveland, Washington) from best to worst. Give reasons why?

Ty-

1. Detroit- They have the best talent throughout the team. They already have their franchise quarterback, they just need someone to bring more accountability and poise to the organization. They can possibly have a top 5 offense and a top 10 defense under the right head coach. The only drawback is that it's in Detroit.

2. Tennessee- The Titans didn't have as bad a year as you think that they did. Jake Locker was actually playing well before he hurt himself. Chris Johnson played well and Kendall Wright emerged to be a viable threat. They can easily turn their fortune around in the AFC South and contend for a playoff spot with a couple of pieces 

3. Washington- Contrary to what flip floppers are saying, RGIII is the franchise quarterback and has shown that he can be excellent when healthy and given an offseason. The Skins need to get better on defense and on the offensive line. They are hurt by not have a 1st round draft pick  but they also have tons of salary cap space to spend. They should have no problem filling holes in the secondary. The only drawback is having to work for Dan Snyder.

4. Minnesota- They don't have the best defense but they are a quarterback away from being a legitamate playoff team on a regular basis. It just sucks that viable qb's are hard to come by.

5. Cleveland- Cleveland is last on the list because it's front office seems like it doesn't know what it's doing. They just hired a coach for their bad team but then decided to fire him because they were only slightly better in his first year as a coach. Nobody is going to want to work for an organization that is known for losing, especially if they are giving that coach a short leash.



Spencer- 
1. Detroit: Obvious choice at number one here. Despite the fact that you have to live in Detroit the Lions are clearly the most talented of the teams with a coaching vacancy. Lot to build on moving forward just need the right coach to mesh it all together.

2. Washington: I know the Redskins were really terrible this year but one year removed from winning the NFC East you have to believe they have a lot of major pieces. A coach that can come in draft/sign the right guys while bringing a fresh, positive mindset to the team could have success here. I think the coach does need to understand how to use RGIII in the right ways though. That is so important to the success of the offense and the team as a whole. Otherwise a great market that tasted recent success and could certainly turn it around in a year, much like the Chiefs did this year.

3. Tennessee: With the market Tennessee is in I feel they go a little unnoticed at times, making it an appealing job (less pressure to win right away) and has kept people from seeing the Titans were 7-9 this year. That being said they played in a division with Houston and Jacksonville, went 2-2 against those teams, and only beat one team over 500 all year in the Chargers. I think the offense underperformed with Jake Locker’s absence but still some work to do on this team to be in the playoff race on both sides of the ball.

4. Minnesota: Not only is it freezing in a Minnesota but this job doesn’t have too much of an upside right now. The best news for an incoming coach is you have the best running back in the league in Adrian Peterson to run your offense through. Otherwise the team has glaring holes in the secondary (their pass defense was 31^st in the league) and not having a dominant QB to lead the offense. It’s never easy finding a franchise QB for your team and until the Vikings find that they will be one-dimensional.

5. Browns: You don’t have to tell the Browns about franchise QB’s cause they don’t even know what that is. But their QB issues aren’t even the main reason Cleveland is the worst coaching option open in the NFL. For one I am convinced they are cursed. I have never seen one call, one big play, one field goal ever go their way. That is maybe a coincidence but what’s not is the fact that there is no job security in Cleveland and with news coming out that players called the organization a joke after Chud’s firing, it is tough to be confident about your ability to get guys to buy into your system and succeed in an environment like that. Whoever takes the Cleveland job god bless him...I'll pray for you every Sunday next season.

Zach-

1. Detroit:  Matt Stafford is a good quarterback who has the option of Calvin Johnson every single game.  That is a combination that is deadly no matter what defense is up against it. And the defense isn't really that bad either.  It seems like the Lions are missing one piece that would make them a playoff-caliber team. That piece may be a good head coach.

2. Washington: There were a lot of distractions towards the end of the season for this team, a lot of them involving the head coach.  I don't think this team that made the playoffs last year is as bad as their record was.  R.G.III didn't have a fantastic year which was to be expected in his second year. It is a bit superstitious of me, but I believe in the Sophomore Slump. The good news is, he will get better. He has the potential.  This team just needs to regroup and refocus and I think they'll be right back in the post season in no time.

3. Tennessee: The Titans had a decent year this year. 7-9 is a respectable record for a team where the QB position seems to be a big question mark.  Chris Johnson certainly helped that but I think this team needs to find a franchise QB and find one quickly.  Jake Locker and Ryan Fitzpatrick are not the answer. Find a guy who the team can commit to and keep working around him. The wins will come. And in a division where two of the teams are in the bottom table of the league, this is a good time for young players to compete, learn, and win.

4. Minnesota: The Vikings have problems on their roster, no doubt about that. They don't have winners on the team and they don't have anyone who strikes me as someone who can properly turn the team around (besides AP). That aside, they also have a huge distraction on their hands involving the alleged anti-homosexuality scandal they are investigating. A good coach won't be too keen to jump into that situation.  These off the field problems have to be resolved as quickly and efficiently as possible so that they can focus on making the team better.  If they can't do that, I don't see this team improving at all.

5. Cleveland: The players are tired of losing. The fans are tired of losing. The front office is tired of losing.  Who on this team has the talent to step up and start winning? No one right now.  They need to overhaul the entire franchise.  Find a coach who can teach these guys what it means to play in the NFL. And start making draft picks that will have more than a couple good games a season. The AFC North is a hard division to play in. If you can't find guys who can play at a high level on a daily basis, do not expect to move up in the standings.

  

3. The BCS championship game between Florida State and Auburn is tonight.  Who you got? Why?

Ty-

I got the Seminoles of Florida State. Yes, Auburn played better competition but their defense has been very bad all year. Florida State has had a weaker strength of schedule but they have DOMINATED all year against those teams and higher ranked opponents. This isn't like last year where Notre Dame was in close games with teams like Pitt. It will come down to wether the Florida state defense can slow down the Auburn rushing attack enough for the Seminoles ' offense to outscore them. From what i've seen all year, I trust that the Florida State offense will be able to score on Auburn. I'm not so sure that Auburn can score as much with their rushing attack after Florida State had a month to prepare for it.

Spencer-

After going back and forth on this I am sticking with my original pick. Auburn. I think this game is going to be a shootout honestly. Auburn's defense is obviously lackluster, but their rushing offense is number two in the country and with Marshall at QB there is options and an average passing game to worry about as well. I don’t have to talk about Florida States offense they have a Heisman Trophy QB and haven’t trailed n a game since September. That being said I don’t buy into Florida States defense being as dominant as it is made out to be. It is definitely a great defense that deserves to be in the championship and has helped in the cause but I just can’t get over the fact that the games they played were against ACC teams many of which, in my opinion many, were overrated throughout the year. I’m just not that impressed when you beat Syracuse 59-3 or a #25 ranked Maryland team 63-0. That just tells me they were overrated. Sure Auburn had two once in a lifetime finished to wrap up their season, but I just think they are more battle tested and played more quality opponents. I’m excited for this match-up to see how FSU fairs against an SEC team. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a similar SEC Championship game outcome. 42-38 Auburn for the Championship.

Zach-
I'll take Florida State.  They have the best offense in college football that is lead by their explosive, Heisman winning QB Jameis Winston. Auburn is going to have a tough time stopping him and the rest of the FSU attack which can beat you on the ground or through the air.  The Tigers have the best rushing attack in the country but even they can only rely on that for so long. At some point, you'll probably have to go through the air, and Florida State is loaded with a great secondary that has the most interceptions this season.  It'll be tough to get anything going on offense once FSU's defense picks up on the running game.
 

4. With the BCS format coming to an end after tonight's championship game, will we miss it? Or is the new playoff-style format better for college football? 

Ty-
I have never liked the BCS system or the NCAA for that matter. Mainly because the BCS system just seems like a big money grab. The NCAA gets to made massive amounts of money by selling the rights to the bowls to companies and TV channels as stand alone bowl games. I understand though that they can't have a huge tournament like they do for basketball but a tournament just makes a lot more sense. There is more drama in a tournament and any thing can happen. Instead of just waiting a month for 2 teams to play, more teams can have a chance to actually prove they belong in the championship. So yes I favor the new playoff style but I also think they should expand the amount of teams to maybe 6 or 8. It's worked for the NFL so why not try it in college?

Spencer-
When the last seconds tick off the clock tonight I will let out a huge sign of relief in reaction to this joke of a system, the BCS, being over. I have wanted a playoff for years. If you look at the smaller FCS schools and even DII and DIII schools the playoff system has been their way of deciding a champion for years and it works great and just makes more sense. The BCS has never been logical and it puts so much importance on not losing even one game, especially late in the year or it may keep you from a shot at the championship (cough, cough Alabama). Imagine if in the NFL they just said the Seahawks and Broncos were the two teams in the Super Bowl because they finished with the best records this year or were ranked the highest? There would be riots in the streets over that. Also it eliminates teams calling themselves co-champions when they didn't get a shot at the championship team but were ranked #3 or #4, and felt slighted. I will preserve my judgement on the number of teams that should be in the playoff tournament until after we see how it works with four over the net few years. Regardless this move has taken too long to happen and I think it is smart for college football in keeping their relevance come bowl season and it makes it more dramatic and fun.

Zach- 
This playoff system will be the best thing to happen to college football in a long time.  Good riddance, so long, adios. Anyone who says that it takes away from the experience of the Bowl games needs to get over it.  The Bowl games mean absolutely nothing now. You could have five Orange Bowl wins and no one would care because you didn't have one BCS win.  On top of that, this system has been flawed from the start. There will never be a way to tell who is the actual best in college football until you give the top teams a chance to play each other.  This will put aside [most] doubts about National Champions and at the same time, keep the NCAA happy by bringing in lots of money that will be shared with all of six people. This system is dated and only kept alive by people who want to hold on to the past.  There is too much Parity in the NBA

5. It's early in the NBA season but who do you think has been the best team in the league so far? Which team is the biggest surprise?

Ty-

The best team in terms of how they were playing the first half of the season was the Thunder before Russell Westbrook got hurt again. The Thunder bench was ranked among the highest in the league in bench points. Jeremy Lamb, Steven Adams, Reggie Jackson and Perry Jones have all exceeded expectations for the season. Not to mention Kevin Durant has somehow been better than he was last year. Durant is posting career highs in assists and rebounds. This could be the year Durant finally wins the MVP if he continues to elevate his game during Westbrook's absence. He showed he could carry the Thunder to victory last week against the Timberwolves, where he put up 48 points and 21 points in the fourth quarter to will the Thunder to victory.


The biggest surprise this year is the Phoenix Suns! I know that the Blazers are catching some people by surprise but  expected them to be good because they had all the pieces to be good. The only reason the Blazers where bad last year was because of their bench and they fixed that in the offseason. The Suns are a complete surprise. Las Vegas projected the Suns to only have 19 wins all season and they sit at 20-12 only 2 months through the season. The reason they have been so good is because they have successfully played Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic together. It allows them to run pick and roll on both sides of the half court. The Morris brothers have also exceeded expectations and Gerald Green has found a way to be a reliable 3-point shooter. 

Spencer-
Recently I think the Thunder was the best team after they went on a tear in December, but with Westbrook out I can't say they are the best team right now. Obviously by record they are one of the top teams by record and should be a potential favorite to win the west but I have to say I think the Pacer's are the best team in the league so far this season. Obviously the east is lacking in good teams this year but I think the Pacers have made it clear they are in the elite group beating some of the best teams, including the defending champs. After flying under the radar last year playing in Indiana in a small market they have earned the attention now and are a complete team.

I'm torn on whether the biggest surprise team for me is the fact that Toronto is a top our team right now and right at .500 with a 16-16 record or that the Cavs have been as disappointing as they have been so far. I guess Toronto can't be that big of surprise considering how bad the east is so I'll go with Cleveland's struggles. I expected a lot more from Cleveland with Kyrie in his third year and a young team that showed promise at moments last year. 

Zach-
Like my co-authors, I  too would have picked the Thunder if not for the injury of Russel Westbrook. But I think I am going to have to go with the team that everyone loves to hate, the Miami Heat.  They have the second best record in the NBA right now and have a lot of swagger and confidence about them. We saw last year what can happen when the Heat find a groove, and if other teams aren't careful, Miami could pull away from the pack as long as they stay healthy.  Call it a cop-out answer if you want, but I am a man who tends not to pick against LeBron.

My biggest surprise goes to the whole Atlantic Division. The Raptors are currently first with a .500 record of 16-16 and other teams like the Knicks and the Nets are being left behind in the dust. However, it is still early in the season and I personally don't expect the standings to stay the same in the next couple of weeks.