NBA Playoffs....Finally

Well folks, the playoffs are finally here and I'll tell you - I can get used to this shortened season. 66 games seems like a nice amount. Things were actually interesting in early March. It was nice....

Regardless, here we are at what I consider to be one of the best sporting seasons of the year. Yes, I know, the drawn out format is ridiculous and maddening, but I can live with that. We actually have a pretty nice slate of match ups this year. At the end of the day I think there are 4-5 teams who have a real shot at the title, but none of them are immune from upset potential if the dominoes fall right. Let's have a peeksy...

(Editor's Note: I'm writing this on Wednesday evening so match ups may tweak from what I've got, but I'm pretty sure it's a done deal.)


Western Conference:
Spurs vs Jazz - Although I think the Jazz are underrated the Spurs should make quick work of this team. San Antonio is playing at the top of their game right now and honestly couldn't be playing much better. The only question would be is how will they sustain it. The good news is even with drop off and sluggish play, they should still have enough to get by Utah. Don't forget, the Spurs were a 1 seed that were knocked off by an 8 seed Memphis team a few short years ago...they won't forget.
Spurs in a sweep.

Thunder vs Mavs - I'm very interested in this series in that we'll see how far this Thunder team has really come. Remember, Dallas dismantled the fast-paced the Thunder last year (4-1) with veteran savvy - slowing the game down and attacking holes. Well, the Thunder are certainly better while the Mavs have are redefining title hangover. Nevertheless, veteran, experienced teams know how to turn that switch when the playoffs role around and the Mavs are full of playoff-tested players. But you can't deny Durant is better, Westbrook is better, Harden is MUCH better, and that whole team is buying in - I expect OKC to run them out of the gym, but don't be shocked if we look up in a week and a half and this series is 2-2 heading back to OKC...I'm not saying it's GOING to happen, but I'm just saying....
Thunder in 5.


Lakers vs Nuggets - Going to be honest, the loss of Artest (yes, I'm going to keep calling him that) is a little scary. The Lakers should be able to handle them with their bigs, but Denver ranks first in the league in points scored and first in assists - so it's not just one guy killing you. They have a roster full of some really nice, but young players. The flip side of the above-mentioned stats is they are almost last in points allowed and with next to zero inside presence to speak of in Denver, the Lakers twin towers should control this game. Inside-out all series long. I'm giving Denver a victory here because Lakers have lost one of their top 2 perimeter defenders.
Lakers in 5.

Clippers vs Grizz - Easily the series of the first round. Should be wildly entertaining. Yes, I know, Blake Griffin can dunk like a mad man. Great, but he still has some growing to do in other areas to be a more complete player. He's got all the tools/potential, but he's not there yet. Chris Paul alone is worth a win or two, but I think Memphis is just too physical and a little more experienced. And Del Negro is certainly not going to get it done.
Grizzlies in 6.


Eastern Conference:
Bulls vs 76ers - The Sixers are a nice story and a young and fun team, but Chicago is dialed in right now and they are all bought into the whole system. Rose's inconsistency in the lineup could potentially cause some minor hiccups, but the team has handled it quite well thus far. Bottom line, they should use this series as a means to ease him back into playing shape/grooving with the team. Confidence has to be high in Chi-Town - this could be their year.
Bulls in a sweep.

Heat vs Knicks - Blah, blah, blah - this will not be close. Say what you will about Bosh being ready or not - Lebron and Wade will be and that's that.
Heat in a sweep.

Pacers vs Magic - Thankfully someone will now be able to put the Orlando Magic out of their misery. What a complete mess down there - this team needs a new everything. But I digress....In all honesty, Indiana could easily put a significant scare in, or even beat any team in these playoffs. They are well balanced in all aspects of the game - with one key flaw being they rely A LOT on Granger for their scoring - they'll need to find a way to get more guys in the mix. Either way, they oust the Howard-less Magic pretty easily.
Pacers in 5.

Celtics vs Hawks - The Hawks are weird. They're a good team, but it seems as if they're just a couple of pieces (or replacement pieces) from really taking a big step and competing in the east. On paper they match up well with Boston, but this ain't paper and you know you're going to get a big step up in production from the Big 3, if only for the first round (they aren't young anymore). What determines how far Boston goes are the players around the Big 3 - if they can maintain consistency in stepping up they'll make some noise. I'm taking Boston fairly easily here.
Celtics in 5.

Finals Matchup:
I'm taking Miami this year to beat out the Spurs in the finals. I don't like it either folks....

Enjoy the weekend. I'll dive into this more in our podcast later this week - along with the NFL Draft action.

NFL Stealing the Madness This March

I can't recall a time in my sports-watching history where the 3.5 days between the first and second round of the NCAA Tournament was completely dominated by the NFL....in March. Anyone who has ever had any illusions about where the NFL sits in the pecking order of sports in this country can look no further than those 3+ days.

Let's keep this odd trend going - my quick thoughts on this eventful NFL off season...

• John Elway must be sleeping quite well these days - this was literally the only scenario that would allow him to get out from under Tebow without being run out of town by Denver fan. This move just makes sense on so many levels - good for Manning, good for the Broncos, and good luck Denver fan. Oh, and by the way, we STILL don't know what Manning can actually do on the football field.
  
• Let's talk about the flip side of this deal - Tebow to the Jets. I like this on a number of levels. It's a low-risk move for the Jets. They aren't deeply invested with Tebow and they aren't paying him tons of money. He's a great locker room guy, he won't embarrass the program and frankly he can do things that Sanchez can't do. I don't see him taking Sanchez's spot anytime soon, rather as a nice complement to Dirty Sanchez. Meanwhile, they aren't terribly invested in Sanchez either - don't let the recent contract extension fool you - he didn't get a ton more money, rather the Jets paid him a little more to allow them to restructure his contract. So, if Sanchez continues to be inconsistent, or even regresses, they have a backup they can turn to who's got experience and who is a great leader - they wouldn't be handing the offense over to a, let's say, Matt Moore. And finally, and a little redundant, the Jets can make some sweeping changes at QB should they need to in the next year or two without eating tons and tons of money. Not a bad move...now let's just see how the coaching staff handles it.
  
• Tony Sparano (new O-coordinator for Jets) is the master of the Wildcat (see Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams in Miami). If he's smart, he'll find a way to work in Tebow for a few plays a game as a change-up player and to keep defenses on their toes.
  
• You have nothing to bitch about Saints' fans, so don't....
• The Niners have had quite a good off season so far - it wasn't always looking this way with the team courting Manning and Smith courting Miami. But all is good in NoCal - they've fortified their receiving corps by adding Manningham and uh-hum, Randy Moss. And, they just added Brandon Jacobs which will beef up that running game, allowing them to better control the clock and games. Good moves by the Niners.
  
• Is there anyone more giddy in this year's draft than Ryan Tannehill? This guy is going to fall ass backwards into a pick that is way, WAY above his head. Take the money and run Tannehill. Look, he's not a bad player at all, but two things are working for him: 1) there a LOT of QB-needy teams this year and the pool of (seemingly) good QBs is small. 2) The restructured rookie pay scale allows teams to take more chances on players in the first round. 3) The Miami Dolphins. If you don't know what I'm talking about than you haven't been paying attention to this team for a while. They'll take him....
• Personally, I just don't see Parcells coaching the Saints this year. They just need a care taker to get them through the season and as much as I love and respect Parcells, you don't need HIM to be that caretaker. Maybe he'll do it, but it would be purely a favor. Oh, and he's 71.
  
• I'm not suggesting the Browns stick with McCoy as THE guy in Cleveland, but I would suggest you start putting better pieces around the QB (whomever it may be) before you start looking for a savior. They were clearly interested in RGIII at 2, who wouldn't be, but they were willing to give up a king's ransom to get him - what were they going to do then? The only other arguable weapon was Peyton Hillis and he's gone. Now it would appear they are interested in Tannehill at #4? Keep your eye on the ball Holmgren...
• Great signing Dallas, getting Orton as a backup QB - a little puzzled that Orton would do that when he could probably get a starting gig somewhere, but I still say backup QB is one of the best jobs in the world.
  
• Headline: "Sanchez had no say in Tebow decision" - oh, no shit? Guess what, Mark Sanchez ain't Peyton Manning or Tom Brady or Drew Brees - he doesn't get a say in things like that.
  
• Looking forward to this year's draft....

NOW let's touch on this year's NCAA Tournament (and a little general college bball)....

• VEEEERY much looking forward to Kentucky/Louisville. Honestly, you couldn't ask for a better match up than this. These teams HATE each other; these coaches HATE each other. Sprinkle all that together and you've got yourself a hell of a game. It's an intriguing one: Kentucky has the better talent, but Louisville is just one of those tough teams that can beat anyone. Plus, and more importantly, they are a bit more battle tested - couple that with the fact that it's a bitter, in-state rivalry and you've got yourself a hell of a game.
  
• Ohio State vs Kansas? Certainly doesn't live up to the hype as the first game, but I'm most interested in seeing how Kansas handles Sullinger. Kansas has been playing with fire for a few games and that can be both good and bad. They know how to battle through adversity and win games, but you get up against the right opponent and it could spell danger. We'll see...
• What I love most about this year's final four? You've got four REALLY good coaches who are seasoned and have solid tournament/championship experience. Great coaching usually means great games - Kentucky will need theirs the most with so many freshman.
  
• Tough, tough loss for Kstate losing Frank Martin. GREAT coach who got more out of his players than most coaches. Good for S. Carolina....and good for Texas, who can't seem to solve the Kstate enigma.
  
• Texas basketball will be very interesting in the coming year - Kabongo staying is big. Don't blame Brown for leaving - he wasn't going to really improve his draft stock by staying one more year. We'll see what happens, but Barnes has been hurt by players leaving early. If the pinnacle this year was making the tournament, fine, but I think Barnes is going to need to see the sweet 16 next year to keep things from heating up.
• I'll take Kentucky to outlast Louisville and Kansas to hold off a tough Buckeye team - with Kansas knocking off Kentucky in the championship game.
  

That's what I got folks - enjoy the games this weekend.