Monday Spread Option 05-19-14

1. How shocked are you that the Pacers beat the Heat so handily?

Ty-
Honestly I am shocked and not shocked at the same time. The Pacers have been up and down since the all-star break. The one thing that they have been consistent about is playing up to good teams. I could have seen the Pacers losing by 20 because they haven't played well but they got their groove back a little during the Wizards series. I picked the Pacers to win yesterday because I thought that they would finally play with energy. They had to because this is the series that they have been waiting for all year. They match-up well with the Heat and have the tools to beat them. So I'm not that surprised but I didn't think it would be as easy as it was. The reason it was so easy was because the Heat don't have the same team they had last year. The Heat bench and role players are not playing nearly as well as they were last year. The only player who played great was LeBron. The Heat need more contribution from other players next game. I do think the Pacers need to win game 2 to really have a chance to win the series.

Spencer-
I'm not shocked at all. For one that is the level of basketball I expected the Pacers to play when the playoffs started. Obviously they lived on the edge for the first two series and only looked their best when they knew it was win or go home. All that aside though I knew if the playoffs weren't enough to motivate the Pacers to play harder, a rematch with the Heat was. The Pacers had the Eastern Conference Finals circled on their calender since game 7 ended last year and they wanted home court advantage this time around and got it so they could have an edge when they met Miami there again. They got just that and they're play yesterday showed that this is what they were built for, dethroning Miami. Indiana spent the last three years building that team and getting them playoff experience and they came so close last year. This series is about two teams that hate each other and I expect the Pacers to play inspired like they did in game one all series.


2. How much do you think the Serge Ibaka injury effects the Spurs vs Thunder series?

Spencer-
I think is definitely hurts the Thunder in a big way. I know he isn't by any means the focal point of the offense and that they needed him more in the first two series than they will in this match-up with the Spurs, but I still think him being out of the lineup will cost the Thunder this series.

His offense is helpful enough at times that they will miss it, but what is more important is the absence of his defensive presence. Ibaka averages 8.8 rebounds a game this year and nearly three blocks a game. I know that other guys like Steven Adams and Nick Collison can step up in that spot and contribute in a big way, but they won't have the same effect as Ibaka. Obviously Perkins will guard Tim Duncan, which makes Tiago Splitter's effectiveness huge for the Spurs. He'll step up his game down low and that could be costly for the Thunder. Playing small ball more, could be the one saving grace with the absence of Ibaka, because they have had success with that line up before, including against the Clippers last series.

Ty-
I think it is a big effect on the Thunder. A lot of people under-rate Ibaka when he is playing and downplay his impact on the game. He is a beast defensively and change a lot of shots in the lane. But I do think that if Ibaka is lost this is the time where it doesn't hurt as much. Ibaka was good offensively but not somebody the Thunder relied on. They can get his offense from somewhere else, probably Reggie Jackson, Caron Butler or even a wildcard like Perry Jones III.

The Spurs don't have the bigs that the Clippers and the Grizzlies had that you needed Ibaka for. Perkins would have guarded Duncan anyway and he isn't the focal point of the offense. Spurs center Thiago Splitter has played well but he isn't as athletic as DeAndre Jordan or physically imposing as Zach Randolph or Marc Gasol. Nick Collison and Steven Adams are capable of guarding him. This also forces Scott Brooks to maybe play small more which benefits the team and also play a lineup of Westbrook, Jackson, Durant, Collison, and Adams. That lineup came back against the Clippers in game 6. They still played great defense with rim protection from Adams and had great spacing offensively. Nick Collison's passing and Adam's ability to finish at the rim really opened the floor for Durant and Westbrook. The injury hurts because Ibaka usually kills the Spurs but the whole team plays well against the Spurs so they can still win.

3. Now that the Bruins and have been knocked out of the playoffs and the conference finals under way, who do you have winning the Stanley Cup?

Ty-
The Blackhawks should be the favorite for now. They have the pedigree of winning and they are the defending champions. I do like all the teams left and could see all of them winning the cup. The Rangers did beat Montreal easily so they can be a force to worry about as long as they have Lundqvist. But I think the Blackhawks have the defense and offense to win it again.

Spencer-
When the playoffs started a few weeks back I felt the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues were the two best teams in the playoffs with Chicago as a close third. I thoroughly believed whoever won the Blues, Blackhawks series was destined to at least make the cup and now with the Bruins out of the picture it is the Blackhawks to lose. They should handle L.A. for the second straight year and I don't see either team in the East being a problem for them either. The defending champs will take it again.


4. Which NFL Rookie will have the biggest impact next season?

Spencer-
Kahlil Mack will have the biggest immediate impact next year. This guy is a play maker and don't tell me "he played in the MAC conference," cause I don't care. No conference can hide raw talent and he has it. The Raiders have been stuck in neutral for a while now and defensively they are taking steps forward now. Mack's quickness will allow him to be a play maker all year on an Oakland defense that will face three playoff teams in San Diego, Denver and Kansas City. He will get a lot of reps on defense and with a veteran like LaMarr Woodley to lead him, he can develop into a solid NFL pass rusher. Also the pressure is off of him to take his time to develop because he isn't a quarterback expected to turn around a franchise in a season and he plays in Oakland. That works in his favor as well. I see Mack making a lot of great defensive plays for the Raiders this year and in years to come.


Ty-
Sammy Watkins should have the biggest impact next year. Although I could have leaned on a quarterback like Manziel or Bridgewater. I think that Watkins is the only sure fire starter and star in the draft. Also with the Stevie Johnson trade Watkins is the #1 wide receiver for the Bills already. Although the Bills have other decent wide receivers like Robert Woods and Mike Williams, Watkins is by far the best wide receiver in the group. It all really depends on if E.J. Manuel can get him the ball. They will probably scheme for him to get the ball on screens which should work because Watkins is so good in the open field. I suspect that Watkins has 1,300 yards receiving and 6 touchdowns for the bills this year.




What we learned?

Ty- Coaching Changes Could Decide the Future of NBA

Basketball is just like every other sport. Sometimes even if you have the talent to succeed you need a good coach to mesh everything together. Last year the Pistons cultivated a lot of talent on their team. But they made two bad moves in a row.

First the Pistons signed Josh Smith to play small forward, which he had proven to be bad at. Then they hired Maurice Cheeks who is a good coach but isn't great in a lot of areas that you need and has

never been a proven winner with a tried and true system. They didn't have the right fit of players or coach. Now they have hired Stan Van Gundy to be the coach and the president of basketball operations. He has a great system that is also analytics friendly that should utilize more three point shooting and Drummond's pick and roll prowess.

I do think they need to get rid of Josh Smith or let Greg Monroe walk in free agency. SVG might get rid of them both and opt for a stretch forward like he had in Orlando. But he could win with 2 of those guys and not three unless one of them comes off the bench.

The other coaching change that happened was the Steve Kerr spurning the Knicks to sign with the Warriors. Although I love Steve Kerr and he was a decent GM with the Suns he has yet to prove if he is a good coach. That is however his least important problem. He has to deal with coaching a team that was absolutely not on board with the firing of the successful Mark Jackson.

The team might not want to buy into Kerrs style because of how much loyalty they have for Jackson. The only way they do is if he makes them better. I do think that the Warriors could have played with a lot more pace than they did with all their shooters and open floor athletes. That could really open their game up by they have to remember to play defense. Also hopefully Steve Kerr is better at drawing up plays and not relying on his stars as much as Jackson did. Either way they hiring could really effect the landscape of the NBA.

Spencer- The early MLB season has been a lie 

This year the MLB season has gotten off to a very unpredictable start as the teams that everyone expected to be dominant and prove it from the beginning of the year have been slow, while teams expected to struggle have come out hot. Only three teams in my mind have really lived up to their predicted start and that is the Detroit Tigers, the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics. The Tigers for obvious reasons were picked by most to be a top team and so far have been as they hold a 27-12 record and lead their division by seven games already. With the Giants, although I predicted it completely wrong, they have jumped out to a 28-17 start and lead a division that most thought was owned by the Dodgers. Then there is the A's who hold a 28-16 record and lead the AL West Division by three and a half games over the Angels, which again has been predictable.

Now looking at the rest of the league things seem all out of whack compared to what everyone kind of expected to happen. In the AL East, which I and many predicted to be the toughest division the Yankees lead and the two teams I predicted to finish in first and second, the Rays and Red Sox, sit in the bottom of the division and are slumping. It still could end up being the most competitive division because the teams are all within a few games of each other, but it is kind of opposite of what many thought thus far. In the AL West the Angels, as I said, are just three and a half back of the A's, which has some people surprised. I know I predicted the Angels would bounce back this year with the roster they have but some people still felt they weren't going to compete. What is more surprising about that division is that Texas sits in second to last with a 21-23 record. The Rangers can't seem to score though right now so that has been the cause of their early season struggles.

In the NL the biggest surprise to me is the Milwaukee Brewers ridiculous 27-17 start, which has them leading the NL Central by four games over St. Louis. I don't know anyone who really saw that coming. Then in the NL west the Colorado Rockies have seen some early success as they are in second, just three games back of the Giants and two ahead of the Dodgers who are just a game above .500 at 23-22. I for one saw Kershaw's return as a jump start to L.A.'s season but he struggled mightily in his last start. We may still have to wait for a run by the Dodgers but I still think it's coming. For Colorado though they are hitting out of this world right now particularly at home.
Troy Tulowitzki has kind of been the spark for that offense as he started the month an insane 28-for-47 (.560) at home back on May 5. I don't expect the Rockies to keep this up forever though. The most sane division in the NL is the East where the Braves and Nationals are in a tight race for first. Marlins surprisingly though have used solid pitching to hang in there as well only a game and a half back. I expect the Jose Fernandez injury to have a huge impact on that teams ability to keep this up though.


As we enter summer it is going to be interesting to see which teams can turn their slow starts around or which teams fall off a bit. Baseball is a long season so nothing is set in stone yet, but for baseball fans out there it hasn't been the start we saw coming.

Monday Spread Option 05-12-14

1. The Thunder and Wizards both blew big fourth quarter leads in game four against the Clippers and Pacers respectively, do you see it as choking by Oklahoma City and Washington, or as a historic comeback by Los Angeles and Indiana? 

Spencer- 
I think it was more of Oklahoma City choking than a great comeback by the Los Angeles. Look I'm not discrediting the Clippers late rally, but obviously they weren't going to roll over and quit in a playoff game. The Thunder just looked lost in the final six minutes of the game. They couldn't run an offense to save their lives, there was no ball movement and guys weren't working to get open, on top of that no one was working to get rebounds and got boxed out on both ends. It just looked like the OKC thought they were coasting to a win. For the Pacers and Wizards I think that was an unreal comeback by Indiana. Anytime one player takes it upon himself to will his team back into it like Paul George did, it has to be a comeback. He was knocking down everything yesterday and down the stretch he came up with two huge threes in a row to cut it to 85-82 Wizards. Then he made the free throws to put Indiana up and then snatched the game clinching steal at end of the game. Regardless both of these games were terrific after the first few games in all the series had kinda been lopsided for the most part.

Ty-
I think that in both cases it was a lil bit of both. I do think that the Clippers came back because Doc Rivers made adjustments that Scott Brooks didn't counter but I also think that the Thunder relaxed on the Clippers. The Clippers needed this game and yet the Thunder was roasting them for most of the game. The Thunder look like the better team but they just took their foot off the gas to much. The Same thing happened to the Wizards. Except that they don't know how to close out teams. Even in the first round there were a couple games that the Wizards should have won easily but they let the Bulls stick around. They did the same thing yesterday. But you have to give the Pacers some credit, especially Paul George who went off from 3 point range.

2. Roy Hibbert broke out of his slump over the weekend, which saw him put up a 0 in the points column in three of four games in a row, to post double digit points and add a combined 23 rebounds in three straight games. Is Hibbert back, and if so what are the Pacers chances of winning it all with his contributions? 

Ty- 
Hibbert is back.... I guess. I think his impact has been more on defense. John Wall loves getting into the pant and now Roy Hibbert is playing great inside. The Scoring helps because Indiana struggles but that's not his main contribution. The Pacers have been playing great defense over the last two games and if they do that then they can be the team that can compete with the Heat. But honestly they still did not look very good or at the level they did earlier in the season.

Spencer- Yes, based on the last three games Hibbert is back. Honestly I don't know where he went to begin with but his play has been great over the last three games and has been a huge part of the Pacers 3-1 series lead over Washington. As far as his impact on their championship chances, it's HUGE. If Hibbert continues to contribute offensively and get blocks and rebounds for his team the Pacers are the scary team they were in the beginning of the year. It has taken some time for them to come around but it looks like, at least of of now, and will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. If they meet the Heat there we will all get the match-up we wanted since Miami won that series last year.

3. The NFL Draft has come and gone. Which team had the best draft and which team had the worst? 


Spencer- For me its got to be the St. Louis Rams who had the best draft this year, and no I'm not just saying that because of the emotional and historic pick of Michael Sam in the seventh-round. Although it was a cool moment. Still the Rams targeted their needs and stuck to their board in this years draft and they could be a much improved team in the future. They had two top 13 picks, because they held the number two pick from the Redskins trade two years ago, and used them to select offensive tackle Greg Robinson and defensive tackle Aaron Donald. I think Robinson was key because the best way to get a gauge on Sam Bradford's chances of being their franchise quarterback is to get him protection and keep him healthy for the grind of a full season. Donald obviously will add even more pressure to an already aggressive defensive line. I expect defensive coordinator Greg Williams to have some fun with those guys. Then they added cornerback LaMarcus Joyner who was possibly a reach in the second round but adds some depth and potential in the secondary. Later on they got runningback Tre Mason and another corner in E.J. Gaines who can both become difference makers in their positions. Then obviously the Sam pick helps potentially bolster the defensive line a little more as well. I think all in all the Rams won this draft and I expect a turn around from them, if not this year down the road.

The worst draft in my mind goes to the Philadelphia Eagles. I think the one pick that made perfect sense and will benefit the Eagles immediately is the pick of Vanderbilt Wide receiver Jordan Mathews in the second round. Otherwise some of the other picks are question marks. The Eagles must of known something we didn't about Marcus Smith to feel he was worth the first round pick. He definitely could pan out but only time will tell. Josh Huff and Taylor Hart are similar in that regard, that I don't know what the Eagles will get from them. Jaylen Watkins in the third round made sense there and was probably the one bright spot of Florida's secondary this year so that wasn't a terrible pick either. Mostly I just felt they reached in a lot of places they didn't have to and also traded away Bryce Brown who added some quickness and depth at running back behind LeSean McCoy. I think the draft could potentially benefit Philadelphia in the long run but right now it didn't impress me and left some questions on how these guys will turn out.

Ty- 
It is hard to say which teams had the worst and which teams had the best draft because the players haven't played. but....

It looks as though the Rams had a great draft. They added two great players on the offensive and defensive sides of the lines in the first round. They also added Joyner who could help in the secondary after some time. I really like them adding Tre Mason, he went later in the draft but that has more to do with the NFL right now and I think he could absolutely contribute to the Rams right away.

The worst draft to me was the Saints. They got the WR that they needed with Brandin Cooks but they could have gotten another WR later as well. I think that they also didn't draft a bunch of guys that can fill their needs. The Browns are also in this category if they knew they didn't have a receiver and they passed on Sammy Watkins and any other WR in this packed class.

4. Ole Miss shooting guard Marshall Henderson posted this tweet today in response to the emotional video of Michael Sam getting drafted: 


He is now claiming it was just a psychology experiment for his gay friend. Do you buy Henderson's story and what is it going to take for athletes at all levels with this kind of notoriety to realize how quickly social media can get them into trouble? 

Ty-
I don't know id Henderson is telling the truth or not but although I could see him saying something like that and meaning it just based off of his usual demeanor. But I also think that Henderson tends to speak his mind so I don't think he would cover his tracks like that or do it that instantly so I'm slightly inclined to believe him. But I will say that the NCAA and other sports leagues need to employ a social media literacy program. I think fining people after the fact doesn't always work. But if they learn certain things that they probably should not say on social media it can help.

Spencer- I don't think anyone is falling for Henderson's excuse. He's just doing damage control at this point. It really is crazy how many athletes fall victim to this and in some cases it's not even the punishment they receive from their respective organization, but the fact that the comments they make can hurt their image and character more than anything. Now with Henderson I don't know if he cares about his image much given his rebellious past, but he obviously cares enough to try to cover it up after the fact. I think the bottom line is that these athletes need to be educated on social media and it's impacts as well as proper use of their accounts. For student athletes I would understand a high level of inspection of their accounts by the school or team because obviously that reflects badly on the athlete as well as the school. For professional athletes I think if they speak their mind it is more on them, I mean they are grown adults and can make their own choices knowing what repercussions there could be, but I still think again, educating them about the impacts could be helpful. Sometimes I think athletes let the spotlight get too big for them and don't think publicizing their opinions like that won't cause any harm when they are so high profile, but it's quite the opposite. I believe in freedom of speech but the world is always ready to give their input on things too and when it's a controversial issue like this it's obviously going to cause a stir and leave room for response.


5. What We Leaned: 

Ty- The Sterling Family Just Don't Get it

In life we are able to make mistakes and be forgiven for those mistakes if we apologize and ask for it. But usually when a person continues to make the same mistake, forgiveness becomes less of an option. Now Donald Sterling is finally apologizing about the comments he made that was leaked over 2 weeks ago. But why didn't he come out and apologize as soon as the tape was leaked? Oh it's because he didn't know if he had to and didn't want to because he is not sorry. But instead he wants to retain ownership of the Clippers team. There is nothing that he can say that would change his history of not only saying racist things but also discriminations in his business practices. I honestly don't care what he has to say.

Sherly Sterling also does not seem to get it. Yes she was cheated on, but you would have to be naive to think that she didn't know about her husbands actions. I get that it would not seem fair for her to be stripped of ownership for something her husband said but there is more to this. First she has an alleged history of discriminatory actions as well. Also she does not seem to understand that she is in an entertainment business where the general public is your customer.

It is just like the episode of the Newsroom where they had to retract their story about abuse in the war because the evidence fell apart. Then Charlie Skinner tells Will McAvoy that they have lost the public's trust an that they should quit. Sure it worked out int the end on the Newsroom but this is real life. The Sterling name is tarnashed and players will not want to play for the teams. It will hurt sponsorships and ticket sales. Sterling is too toxic of a name to be able to own the team.

If the Sterling family weren't a stubborn bunch of billionnaires that are used to getting their way. If they were decent people they would have already sold the team because they didn't want to distract the team.
But why should I expect better out of people that don't lnow who to dhis law

Spencer- It's Johnny Manziel's World and we're just living in it 

Assuming many of you watched the draft or at least the first round live on ESPN, I'm sure you noticed the networks love affair with Johnny Football. Now I'm not here to say it wasn't for good reason, because obviously he was a tremendous talent in college and an electrifying player to watch that could turn around a franchise in Cleveland, and I love Manziel as much as the next guy and want to see him succeed. But I couldn't believe how after every pick the discussion went right back to Manziel. Before he was drafted it was all about where he could get taken, after it was all about his play and how excited people were to see him play and give Cleveland a chance.

As much as I understand the media attention, I think we missed the fact that other talented players were getting drafted this past weekend as well. When he finally was picked it seemed like everyone at the discussion table was on a Johnny Football high talking about him and how they think he's going to succeed until Mel Kiper brought them back down to earth and said "look I think he is going to have a chance to be a good player in Cleveland but..." and he went into talking about some of the other impact players who were drafted and how they will help their respective team as well. As much as Manziel deserves the attention and popularity it is important to remember that all of these guys reached the ultimate football goal this weekend and that they earned it as much as him. Look at Blake Bortles for example. Dude was the first quarterback taken and the third overall pick but all people had to say was "oh ya he'll be the future for this Jaguars team down the line, How bout this Johnny Manziel!?" Bortles in my opinion was a reach but there was barely any talk about it or his impact on the Jaguars organization.

When the Cowboys were on the clock with Manziel still on the board the TV rating for the draft went up an entire point as America waited to see if Jerry Jones would pick the highly coveted QB who he raved about earlier that week. That is statistical evidence that this draft was the "Johnny Football Show." As a celebrity Manziel will put butts in seats, he'll sell jersey's and grow in popularity if he succeeds. The draft was just the tip of the iceberg for this Johnny Football fanfare, the NFL's got a new main attraction. So in a year or two when you're sick of every Sportscenter topic being a headline with Manziel's name, remember we saw this coming.

NBA 1st Round Playoffs Preview

This has to be one of the most unpredictable NBA Playoffs in recent history. I have never been so unsure and excited about an NBA playoff before. 

The Western Conference is going to be epic and the Eastern Conference has some story lines as well. So needless to say I;m going to be making these predictions with very little confidence. But here you go.

The Obvious Picks:

East:

(1) Indiana Pacers vs (8) Atlanta Hawks:

The Pacers have been playing terrible. They lost to the Atlanta Hawks by 20 points a couple of games ago and the Hawks play well against them. But the Pacers are by far the better team. There is no way they could lose this series to a team that is way under .500, Right?

I mean I completely understand if you lost all confidence in the Pacers but they have to be able to win this series. I also think winning the series will help them get there confidence back.

Pacers in 5.

(2) Miami Heat vs (7) Charlotte Bobcats:

The Bobcats are way better than everybody thinks. The have a top 10 defense and a quick scoring guard in Kemba Walker. They also have one if the Heats major weaknesses, which is a scoring big man. Al Jefferson is definitely going to give the Heat some trouble. But it doesn't matter the Heat own the Bobcats almost as much as Michael Jordan does.

Heat in 5


West:

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs (8) Dallas Mavericks:

The Spurs have had trouble with some of the better teams in the league. Well as much as you can have and still win 60 plus games. But the Dallas Mavericks isn't one of those teams that the Spurs have trouble with. The Spurs swept them last year and has won 4 of the last 5 meeting in the playoffs. I don't think the Mavericks are an easy team but this is a terrible matchup for them.

Spurs in 5

A Lil' Tougher:

East:

(3) Toronto Raptors vs (6) Brooklyn Nets:


Everybody is just sleeping on how good the Raptors have been since trading Rudy Gay. They went from looking like a team headed for the lottery to the 3rd seed in the East. They have been beating teams. Sure the Nets have looked like a team that can compete since January but that has been more about their record against the Heat. This is going to be a highly contested series that I can see going both ways but......



Nets in 7


(4) Chicago Bulls vs (5) Washington Wizards

The Wizards are a good team but they probably don't have enough offense to win the series against an offense like this. The Bulls has their own problems scoring but they are the better team. The Wizards are a year and a player away from being a legit team.

Bulls in 6

West:

(2) OKC Thunder vs (7) Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies is a team that nobody wanted to face in the playoffs. Unlucky for them they are playing a team that has the people inside to contend with Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. The Thunder lost to the Grizzlies in the playoffs last year but that series had 4 straight close games that could have swung in either direction. Now the Thunder have Russell Westbrook back and played pretty well against the Grizzlies in the regular season. The Thunder finally has there team back to full health and they should be able to win this time around.

Thunder in 6

(4) Houston Rockets vs (5) Portland Trailblazers

This could be a toss up as well. Both these teams play a fast pace style and shoot a ton of 3's . The Blazers have an edge in the post because LeMarcus Aldridge is better offensively than Dwight Howard. This should be a fun series to watch. It should come down to wether one of the teams start to play defense and the Rockets are more likely to do that than the Blazers.

Rockets in 7

I Have No Idea:

(3) LA Clippers vs (6) Golden State Warriors

Yeah I have zero confidence in any pick I could make for this series. These teams play a fast pace and match up well against each other. They also don't like each other which means that the series is going to be heated. With Bogut out for the Warriors, the Clippers might have an edge inside but they need to hope that the splash brother (Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson) don't get hot for a game in LA because they are tough to beat in the Oracle Arena. I could see this series going Clippers in 7 or Warriors in 6 or vice versa. I'm not going to pretend to be any kind of confident but....

Clippers in 7

Second round teams:

East:

Indiana Pacers vs Chicago Bulls

Miami Heat vs Brooklyn Nets

West:

San Antonio Spurs vs Houston Rockets

OKC Thunder vs LA Clippers

I will continue this preview into the second round.

Monday Spread Option 04-07-14

1. The NCAA Championship game is set and much to some's surprise it is UConn and Kentucky. Who do you think will be the 2014 NCAA Champion? 

Ty-

I had a great feeling that Kentucky would be here and I have been picking them to win for a while now or since my Bracket became completely obliterated. But I really have no idea who is going to win this game. Kentucky has beaten so many great teams on their run but it has been in all close games. It speaks to their mental toughness but it also means that they got some lucky bounces a few times on this run. I can't keep picking against UConn right? especially after how they handled Florida. I guess with a gun to my head I have to ride with Kentucky. I do think this game is either going to be UConn in an easy win or another close game where you would think Kentucky would pull it out but I think UConn has clutch players that can win that way too. I know thats hedging on my pick a little bit but I'm going to stick with Kentucky because I have changed my picks too much.

Monday Spread Option 0-3-10-14

The Heat, Thunder, and Pacers have all struggled recently. Which of these contenders are you the most worried about?

Ty-

Although all of these teams have struggled I think I would rank my level of concern in this order
1. Pacers
2. Thunder
3. Heat.

The Heat have lost 3 straight but I think it has more to do with LeBron James getting tired after playing his hardest to try to win the MVP race. You have to also couple that with the fact that the heat played two teams that usually give the Heat and LeBron trouble with the Spurs and the Bulls. The Heat will be fine once LeBron gets through this stretch.

The Thunder have played great offensively since Westbrook has returned. Both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have had triple-doubles in the last 8 games and are threats to do so every night. But the Thunder have two problems they must shore up. They have to learn how to play better defense without Kendrick Perkins and Thabo Sefalosha for an extended period of time. They have been absolutely terrible defensively, giving up open layups and 3's regularly. Their opponents have averaged more than 10 three pointers made a game in the last 8. That said I think that they will get it together, it just might take a little time for them to get their feet defensively, but they have the youth and athleticism to cause problems defensively against anybody.

The Pacers worry me the most because they lost 4 straight and they have gotten worse offensively and defensively over that stretch. The eye test just tells you that they just seem a step slow at everything right now. It also doesn't help that Paul George has struggled. The Pacers need to get it together because I don't think they can beat the Heat in a series without home court advantage.

Spencer-

I'm most worried about the Pacers too because the thing with them is that they aren't the most prolific offense in the league. They are 20th in the league in points per game, so I worry about them keeping up with teams especially in the west with great offenses. The have prided themselves on defense all year but have dipped in that category even allowing the most points per game in the league. I think this team is similar to Golden State a few years back when they beat Dallas in the playoffs. They have the match-ups to beat the Heat but will struggle against other, better teams come playoff time. Luckily they may have an easy road to meeting the Heat in the Eastern Conference Championship with how weak the other teams in the East are.

The Thunder are next for me. Similarly to what Ty said they are a scoring machine but can't stop anyone n defense without guys like Perkins and Sefalosha. That worries me especially come playoff time when they play other western opponents that can put up big scores. I know they can maybe keep up with anyone offensively but to use football as an example the Broncos fanfare of an offense ran into a great defense in the playoffs and well we saw what happened. Different sport but bottom line is you gotta be able to play defense.

The Heat are obviously the least worrisome to me. Look I've said it all year, I'm not gonna worry about a team that isn't even full strength every night. I'm not gonna fall for this trap where the Heat aren't crazy good and then when they make the finals be all surprised. No way Dwayne Wade is going to miss games in the playoffs, they're saving him for that time of year, and no way Lebron isn't gonna push through fatigue in the postseason either. We know who the Heat are.

The Houston Rockets have the best record in the league since the beginning of 2014. Do you think that they have to be considered as a legitimate threat to win a championship?

Ty-

The Rockets are a legitimate threat to win the championship. I'm not saying they are a favorite though. They would need for everything to break their way in order to do that. But they have been playing outstanding because James Harden and the rest of the team have been playing a lot better defensively. It seems like Harden has finally figured out how to output on offense at an all-star level while still playing defense. Dwight Howard is obviously a big part of their defense and his offense has looked a lot better than he did last year. The reason why I don't think they will win the championship is because the top 3 teams, (Clippers, Spurs, and Thunder) all have a guy who can guard Dwight Howard one on one and The Rockets survive too much on their 3 point shot falling. Right now they are shooting well but that usually takes a hit in the playoffs. But if they continue to play like they are playing now then they will have more than a punchers chance.

Spencer-

I thought they were a contender from the beginning of the year honestly. Just like when the Heat first got together with their big three I thought it would take some time for the Rockets to build the chemistry and play as a team with Dwight, Harden and company. They have reached their peak I think and at the right time with the regular season winding down over the next month. They can score (hence the 3rd best points per game average with 106.6) and rebound (5th best in rebounds per game with 45.5) and are right in the thick of things in a competitive Western Conference. I don't know if they are my favorite to win it all necessarily but I think the deserve the respect of being in the running especially if they continue to win games against conference opponents. Wouldn't be surprised to see them there come June if they play like they are right now.

The Wichita State Shockers are now 34-0 and ranked #2 in the nation. Is it time to start recognizing them as a threat to make the Final Four again?

Ty-

I didn't know how else to phrase this question without seemingly admitting that people don't really believe in this team. Now people have their arguments when it comes to who they have played on their schedule. Although they have played an easy schedule, it still means something to win every game. Even their tougher out of conference schedule has to be looked at as a plus. The other reason we should take this team serious is because they made the Final Four last season! So it is not as if they can't do it. This team has to remind everyone of Butler when they went to the Championship game in back to back years. This team just knows how to win and we all have to start recognizing that. Now I also wouldn't be surprised if they lost early in the tournament, because nothing in the tournament surprises me anymore. But we should probably give these guys a little more respect. Mainly in a year like this when the tournament will probably be wide open.

Spencer-

They have been a threat in my mind for a while. Despite playing in the Missouri Valley Conference it's been evident that they are more than just a good team in a bad conference. They have been beating teams in their conference by nearly 20 or more points most games. Now that doesn't necessarily scream that they will do that against teams like Florida and Kansas and Duke but I think they can at least play with those teams. For that reason I don't doubt they could repeat to the Final Four. A handful of guys on their team were there last year and know what it takes to win in the tournament, and their coach, Gregg Marshall, is a phenomenal leader and keeps his team focused but confident that they can beat anyone. The biggest thing working against them in my opinion is they haven't played a ton of close games this year, and went to overtime just once so I wonder how they will do in a tight game with time winding down. Still lets not discredit going 34-0 no matter what conference you play in and lets not be surprised if they make a run again. This time around though I wouldn't consider them a Cinderella because they have earned my respect as a top team. 

Tiger Woods was bothered by a persistent back problem for the second straight tournament in a row yesterday. Do you think that people Tiger Woods will ever be able to get back to Majors winning form?

Ty-

It is crazy how much the world has changed for Tiger after his scandal. Tiger isn't losing because of that though, it is more just a landmark in time that people remember as a turning point to when Tiger became a less feared opponent to the rest of the golf field. Now this has happened because he has been injured over the last few years. First he had a knee problem and now he has a back problem and both of those body parts are extremely important in the sport of golf. He finally seemed to get over the knee problem but i'm not sure if he is having a back spasm problem, if he can return to majors winning form. Back problems are one of those things that are hard to shake but if he ever gets healthy for a stretch I think he can still win a major this year because he has been putting a lot better lately.

Spencer-

The older Tiger gets the tougher it gets for him to get back to major winning form. I know in golf you can win majors in your 40s but Tiger's body is already bothering him now with these issues I don't see that just getting better with age. That doesn't mean he won't win a major again. When Tiger was dominating the game it was almost like he had major winning form weekend after weekend. The thing is you don't need that every weekend you just need it one weekend. I find it hard to believe that Tiger won't find his form ever again for a major, especially cause we see glimpses of it now and then.

What we learned. 

Ty- Carmelo Anthony should go to the Chicago Bulls whether the Knicks get Phil or not.

Let me just say that I doubt that Phil Jackson will take the Knicks up on their offer to become the President of Basketball Operations. It also doesn't matter because it is a stupid idea for both parties. Phil Jackson usually only go to situations that are already promising. He is not a fixer, he is a coach who can put an already talented team over the top. I can't see him wanting to go to the Knicks, with that team and those players. On the Knicks side it's stupid because Phil Jackson has never had a front office position and nothing about Phil Jackson really screams somebody who is good at evaluating talent in that capacity. He also seems to laid back for the demands of an executive position. 

(Update: Sources tell ESPN that Phil Jackson is expected to take the job)

But none of that even matters because regardless of if they get Phil Jackson or not, Carmelo Anthony should leave New York if he wants to have a legitamate chance to win a championship. He should become a Chicago Bull! Why? Because for all of the flack that Melo takes, people can't dispute that he has been a winner in the NBA. This season could be the only season in Melo's career in which he didn't make the playoffs. So I don't think Melo would enjoy having to be bad in New York again next year because the Knicks have all their money tied up in Amar'e Stoudemire, Tyron Chandler, and Andrea Bargniani. 

This is why Carmelo needs to go the the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls and Tom Thibodeau with how well they play defense. There is no question that Thibs could get Melo to exert himself on defense. While Melo has the offense that the Bulls are surely lacking right now. I honestly think that if you added Carmelo to this Bulls team now, even without Derek Rose, that team would be better than the Knicks were last year. A team with the starting five of......

Pg- Derek Rose

Sg- Jimmy Butler

Sf-Carmelo Anthony

Pf- Taj Gibson

C- Joakim Noah

That is a great team with 3 All-Star starters. Carmelo and Derek Rose are 2 of the top 15 players in the NBA at least. While Noah is one of the 5 best Centers in the league. how could that not be enticing for Carmelo Anthony after the year he has had in New York.

 

Spencer- ESPN will find a way to make "Lebron Breathing" a new story. 

I want to start off saying I don't hate Lebron James and that I concede that he is hands down the best player in the league. That being said though I can't stand ESPN making everything Lebron does a story. 

When you see one story about Lebron broken into 8-10 different segments on the Sportscenter rundown, you know the network s bored. Here is a picture of said rundown the day after Lebron dropped 61 on the Bobcats last week...

I will be the first to admit that 61 points is impressive, it was against the Bobcats so I'm not necessarily surprised, but it is impressive. Does it really have to make up every topic on an hour long show consecutively though? We might as well change it to "Lebroncenter," honestly. They basically take one Lebron topic and rewrite it 10 different ways to continue talking about it. SMH! I remember last summer a topic on Lebron going to jury duty and taking a picture before he left the house. Why is that even news man? People go to jury duty everyday. You don't see any news station covering the guy who left work for a few weeks to go do what is required of him as a citizen. Its just too much. It's literally Lebron overload. Every night/day its the same thing too. There are 30 NBA teams in the league and ESPN spends the whole day talking about one guy on one of those teams. I know he is a marketing tool but is there nothing else to talk about? 

 All in all I don't mind talking about Lebron and his performance and the Heat in comparison to other teams, but when an an entire show is dedicated to one guy and we call it "sports news" I change the channel. There is a lot other stories out there that go unnoticed or untouched. Let's start talking about what your name says and start talking about sports, or change the name to Lebroncenter.