2013-14 NBA Season

Many things were learned from the first couple days of the start of the NBA Season. Main headlines were about the return of Derrick Rose, the influence of Dwight Howard on the Rockets, and the new look rosters in the NBA. The NBA clearly changed this past offseason. Teams such as the Detroit Pistons and Dallas Mavericks signed free agents and took big gambles. A few things were learned about all of these topics in each teams NBA season opener.

Dwight Howard is back to his regular self, and is a beast in the paint. He finished his first game with the Houston Rockets by recording 17 points and 26 rebounds in the win over the Bobcats. Another big man has returned to himself, and is also a monster on the boards. His name is Kevin Love, and he got 31 points and 17 rebounds in the Timberwolves overtime win over the Orlando Magic. Both of these big men proved they can live up to their superstardom, and possibly have a new beginning for their franchises, as a young player, Michael Carter-Williams, looks to be the centerpiece around a new 76ers era. He shocked many fans and analysts by getting 22 points, 12 assists, 9 steals, and 7 rebounds in his first ever NBA game. He is only a 22 year old rookie, and was drafted 11th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2013 NBA Draft.

The return of all star players Derrick Rose and Andrew Bynum were key moments for the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers didn't play Bynum much, as he is still getting back into the swing of things, but Rose started for the Bulls, and his athleticism is back to normal. Well, normal for him, as he has athleticism that is well above average and is not normal by any means for the average human being. The Bulls and Cavaliers hope to have better seasons than last season, with the Bulls hoping for a top seed in the Eastern Conference and the Cavs looking for a playoff spot, also in the Eastern Conference. Another surprising team hoping to make the playoffs is the Detroit Pistons. Their new lineup, including Josh Smith playing at the small forward position, is new and had questions. Josh Smith, Greg Monroe, and Andre Drummond flourished in their roles in the season opener vs. the Washington Wizards.

Teenage Internet Usage

I do not think that there should be time restrictions on laptop, phone, or TV usage. Especially not only 2 hours a day. Most people interact and talk to their family and friends through cell phones and social media websites. Sure, this leads to cyber bullying, but isn't bullying in person very bad as well?

How long with LeBron overpower the NBA?

Throughout all of Lebron James' career, he has been considered one of the best players in the NBA, if not the best. The past couple years, he has clearly proven that he is the best player in the NBA, but how long will his overpowering stardom last? There aren't many challengers to his  reign, but there are a few. These few players will hope to challenge LeBron's rank as the best player in the league.

The few players that can try to overthrow LeBron are young stars, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Stephen Curry, and Derrick Rose. A few players who are in their prime such as Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, and Carmelo Anthony could potentially overthrow LeBron. They will all try to overthrow him, but will King James allow it? The question is when will LeBron be taken over? Will he keep progressing, season after season, in the case where he will be the best player until he retires, or will he regress and get overthrown in his 30's, if he is out of his prime. The chase after LeBron is on, especially after winning two straight NBA Championships. Who will catch him, and when will it be?

Patriots

How the Patriots stack up in the AFC

The Patriots turned some heads when they beat the Saints on a game winning touchdown pass. They have been battling small injuries all season, including Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola, and Aquib Talib. They also have recently lost both Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo to serious injuries for the whole season. This is clearly a difficult position the Pats are put in, but they find a way to grind out wins, standing at 5-1 for the season. The Patriots gave fans hope and proved that they could be a Super Bowl contender by beating the Saints. The NFL only has two undefeated teams remaining, being the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos, who are both 6-0. The Patriots still have to prove that the Saints game wasn't a fluke and that they can play without the presences of Mayo and Wilfork.

The Patriots have some important games coming up, and how they perform is strongly up to if Rob Gronkowski plays or not. People are both optimistic and doubtful about his return every week, and his return will help the Patriots a lot. Having Gronk and Amendola healthy will let Tom Brady pass more confidently and it will drastically improve the Patriots offense. The Patriots are 5-1, even with not having their top receiver yet to play all season. This really shows how well their organization is run and how Tom Brady can find a way to pull out a win almost every week.

The Patriots have some games they should win coming up, against the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburg Steelers, and Carolina Panthers. The only tough competitor is the Miami Dolphins, who are looking to make a change in the AFC Standings. After that, the Patriots have some tough games against the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, and Cleveland Browns. The Browns have been surprisingly good so far this season, and if they continue, then they can give the Patriots a run for their money. These games will really test their value in the NFL, especially against the Broncos, and will show if they can be a contender, or a pretender. So far, the Pats have shown that they are a contender.

AFC East

The AFC east hasn't allows been very competitive. This year it looks to change as the Dolphins and Jets aren't doing bad at all. The Pats are 4-1, with he Dolphins and Jets both at 3-2, and the Bills at 2-3. It looks like the Pats will make the playoffs and probably win the division, with the Dolphins possibly grabbing a wild card spot. The Dolphins cannot be counted out though, because they have a good young team that can take the division at any time.

The Jets are 3-2, but they don't have a great chance of making the playoffs, or a great deal of talent. They have a rookie quarterback who is still learning and understanding the NFL game, as the Bills  also have a rookie QB doing the same thing. Both Geno Smith and EJ Manuel have looked pretty good at times, Ty need to cut down on turnovers. Because of this, I don't think either team will make the playoffs.

As he Pats receivers become healthy, the Pats will improve. The NFL needs to watch out for he Pats once they get a healthy Gronk and Amendola back. Therefore, the Pats are the superpower in the AFC East.

Boston Celtics Season Preview

The Boston Celtics are supposedly going through a rebuilding year,after trading Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry to the Brooklyn Nets on draft day. In return, we received a solid young player in Marshon Brooks, as well as an aging Gerald Wallace, Kris Humpfries, and Kris Joseph. These few players will most likely not contribute much to he Celtics in the long run, except for Marshon Brooks. Humpfries has an expiring contract and there is still a chance that Danny Ainge may pull out another deal and trade Wallace and Humpfries. With Rondo out until hopefully early December with an ACL injury, the Celtics will have a team full of inexperienced players which will truffle without the help from their star point guard, Rondo.

The Celtics depth chart looks as is:

PG: Avery Bradley, Phil Pressey

SG: Courtney Lee,  Marshon Brooks, Jordan Crawford, Keith Bogans

SF: Jeff Green, Gerald Wallace

PF: Jared Sullinger, Brandon Bass, Kris Humpfries

C: Kelly Olynyk, Vitor Faverani

Until Rajon Rondo comes back, this is what the Celtics depth chart is going to look like. 7 of these players were not on the Celtics roster at all last year, and 3 of them are rookies. The season depends on how rookie big man Kelly Olynyk can do, as well as the developments of Avery Bradley and Jeff Green. This upcoming season may be a bad one for the C's, as they will most likely be a bottom feeder in the NBA. If the Celtics do have a bad season, then they will hopefully try to improve for the future by drafting one of the top prospects such as Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Julius Randle, Aaron Gordon, Dante Exum, Joel Embiid, Chris Walker, or Marcus Smart.