NBA Award Odds

NBA Award Races are often talked about. There are many awards, including Defensive Player of the Year, Most improved player, Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, and Sixth Man of the Year. I think all of these awards will go to different players than last season, except for possibly MVP. These are my predictions and what I think about how NBA players match up with each other at this point in the season.
MVP
1.) LeBron James- Lebron is the favorite to win MVP by a long shot, for the 3rd year in a year, as he is shooting nearly 60% from the field and putting up great stats season by season, consistently.
2.) Kevin Durant
3.) Paul George
Rookie of the Year
1.) Michael Carter-Williams- Lighting up the NBA game ever since his great opening night vs the Heat, will have a close competitor by the Orlando Magic's guard, Victor Oladipo.
2.) Victor Oladipo
3.) Trey Burke
Most Improved Player
1.) Eric Bledsoe- Coming first in MIP voting is Eric Bledsoe, having a great year with the Suns and leading them to many victories after backing up Chris Paul last year on the LA Clippers.
2.) Anthony Davis
3.) Jared Sullinger
Coach of the Year
1.) Terry Stotts- The Portland Trailblazers are having an amazing year after not even making the playoffs last year, and this is pretty self explanatory as to why he should win this award, and possibly some games in the playoffs.
2.) Frank Vogel
3.) Jeff Hornaceck
Defensive Player of the Year
1.) Roy Hibbert- Racking up the blocks on the Pacers, being the heart and soul of the defense.
2.) Deandre Jordan
3.) Anthony Davis

Patriots HOF

The New England Patriots Hall of Fame is awesome. It had many great features such as the lineman game where it test your reaction time, kicking machine testing your kick power and accuracy, as well as a referee game where you can determine if a play call should be overturned. The Patriots HOF was an overall great experience for everyone. There were many historical things such as the championship footballs, tractor, and retired jerseys. The tour was also very good because it showed us where everything was, and how cool it was, involving the history behind everything. The Patriots are obviously a great organization, and they look to have more history in the future years.

My favorite part about the hall of fame was the movie we watched. It showed a lot of history of the team, and some very interesting games. If I had the chance, I may even go back to watch it multiple times. It was just an amazing experience and I'm glad I had the opportunity to go on the field trip. The interview was also very good right after the movie, while clapping and chuckling until the player got their. Another interesting part of the experience was how Romeo was there. My classmates had some great questions for the player as well.

Although the player didn't seem too interested, it was a fun interview. He was asked personal questions as well as questions about the football team. I found it very interesting how he was close to the veterans such as Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, and Brandon Spikes. He was clearly a large and young player. Having the opportunity to learn more about him and get a picture with him was very interesting. Therefore, I had a great experience at Patriots Place, including the interview, movie, and Five Guys after the interview.

Struggling Eastern Conference in the NBA Today

The Eastern Conference is struggling mightily in the NBA, and there are many teams who have the rosters to be playoff and even championship contenders, who have terrible records right now. Something that is extraordinary, is that the Boston Celtics, who are supposed to be tanking, and many believe are tanking, are 8-12, as expected, but are in 4th place in the Eastern Conference. That is simply absolutely ridiculous. Another thing that seems crazy is that the Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Brooklyn Nets, who were all favorites to make the playoffs, and probably get great seeds in the playoffs, have the three worst records in the Eastern Conference, except for the Milwaukee Bucks. All of these three teams have worse records than every team in the Western Conference, not counting the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings.

The Eastern Conference is struggling so much that the Celtics may be in a great position come playoffs. The starting lineup of Raymond Felton, Iman Shumpert, Carmelo Anthony, Andrea Bargnani, and Tyson Chandler looks much better than almost every starting lineup in the NBA. The starting lineup of Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, Alonzo Gee, Tristan Thompson, and Anderson Varejao looks better than a lot of lineups in the league. The Brooklyn Nets' starting lineup is probably the best in the NBA, being, Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Brook Lopez. A lot of starting lineups in the NBA do not even compare to these. There are many starting lineups in the NBA who are much worse but in the playoffs as of now. Whether these teams improve or not is just a matter of waiting.

The thing that is weirdest about this situation is that a team in the East will probably win the NBA championship. This is because the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers are probably the two best teams in the NBA, along with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, LA Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, and SA Spurs, who are all great teams in the NBA. Therefor, the West is clearly better than the East, but the East has some superpowers amongst it.

Jack Taylor back at it once again

Remember the kid from Grinnell College that scored 138 points in a single game last year? Well, he has already scored 109 in a game this season, and he shot both 50% from the field and 50% from three point land. This is unbelievable, as he is averaging 90 points per game so far this season. He had a much more efficient game in the 109 point outing, as he made 24 three pointers and only attempted 48. Taylor said this about the offense, "I knew it would work perfectly in my game because I'm a scorer." Grinnell's offense consists of not much defense and then scoring as quickly as possible. They destroy teams, scoring a ridiculous amount of points every game.

Jack Taylor had hopes of playing division 1 basketball, but suffered a knee injury which prevented him from playing. He eventually decided to play for Grinnell, which is only division 3. The Grinnell head coach said, "I'll be quite honest, when I'm watching our games live, everything is going so fast that I'm not even sure what's happening. But we've found something that has turned into a reasonably competitive strategy that's a little outside the box." Both coach Arsenault Jr. and Jack Taylor love the offense, because they destroy teams and Jack gets to score a lot of points.

These type of games are very rare, and Jack Taylor does them without problem. He's even attracting views from famous people on the national level. Dick Vitale tweeted, "Will someone massage his arm -with no D in practice this would be a challenge - Congrats to Jack Taylor !" This kid is not only showing off his basketball skills, but is becoming a celebrity in his own kind of way in the national view of him. Jack is loving the offense as much as Grinnell fans are loving him, just scoring as many points as he can whenever he wants to, basically dominating all competition on the offensive side of the floor during every single game in college.

The year for Paul George

The Indiana Pacers have a great young star in Paul George. This could be his year to shine amongst everyone in the NBA. LeBron has won the MVP award the past two seasons, as well as the NBA Finals MVP award the past two seasons. Paul George looks to take both of these from LeBron this season, and he has a chance. George has an overall great game, being a solid perimeter shooter and scorer, as well as a strong and athletic finisher. His versatility is a huge part of his game, but another great asset of his is his lock down defense. His numbers over the season have shown his amazing improvement.
           pts    reb  ast   stl  fg%   3p%  ft%
10-11 7.8    3.7  1.1  1.0  45.3  29.7  76.2
11-12 12.1  5.6  2.4  2.0  44.0  38.5  80.2
12-13 17.4  7.6  4.1  1.8  41.9  36.2  80.7
13-14 24.9  7.8  3.6  1.5  47.9  40.4  84.6

He has clearly improved year after year, and many said his breakout year was last year. This year may actually be his breakout year, where he may fall into the MVP discussion. The Pacers also are getting Danny Granger back, as well as acquiring CJ Watson, Luis Scola, and Solomon Hill in the offseason. Paul George hopes to lead this team to winning their first championship in a long time, as well as earning even more respect from LeBron James. LeBron gave Paul George a high five during the Eastern Conference Finals last year, after George and LeBron were making great plays against each other. He clearly earned the respect of LeBron, now hopes to overthrow LeBron's legacy as reigning champ and MVP.

Little men in the NBA?

Although most NBA players are extremely tall, there are some little guys that play basketball as well, and are very good at it. Most people know Nate Robinson because of his kryptonite costume in the dunk contest against Dwight Howard. Nate Robinson is only 5'8", and is a very successful player in the league. Isaiah Thomas is another short player in the NBA, as him and Nate have actually worked out together. He is only 5'9".

Another young basketball player hopes to follow in their footsteps. His name is Aquille Carr and he is a small player from a big city, Baltimore. He is playing overseas this upcoming year, choosing to do so over going to Setan Hall. Huge stands at only 5'6", but is a quick and explosive player, as he joins Nate and Isaiah. All three have tremendous jumping ability, as they can all dunk very easily, which is amazing for someone of that size and stature.

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.

College Basketabll Season Preview 2013-2014

College basketball is oozing with talented teams for the upcoming 2013-2014 season. Many big name schools have improved, while others have gotten significantly worse. The Kansas Jayhawks have become one of the favorites to win the NCCA March Madness Tournament. They have signed a  freshman small forward and the projected #1 overall pick for the 2014 NBA Draft, Andrew Wiggins. He is freakishly athletic and already has a great skill set. They also have a couple other solid freshmen in Wayne Seldon and Joel Embiid, Embiid swatting away shots in the paint, as Wayne Seldon can lock players down on the perimeter.

Duke is also a very talented team for the upcoming season. They signed another freshman small forward, Jabari Parker. He is not as athletic as Wiggins, but he has a refined skill set with a strong build, with allows him to bully people in the post. Duke obviously has success in the NCAA, as they have one of the best coaches in College Basketball, Mike Krzyzewski. They also have two great perimeter threats in Rasheed Sulaimon and Quinn Cook. Although they are great players, Jabari Parker will most likely be running the show, while trying to prove that he is a top 5 talent in the NCCA.

Kentucky is supposed to be one of the best teams in College Basketball, if not the best team. From point guard to center, their whole lineup is filled with superstardom, much like their team when they won the NCAA Tournament in their 2011-2012 run. This team is full of depth and has a great mix of inside scoring and outside shooting. Julius Randle, another freshman star who is in the top 5 conversation with Wiggins, Parker, and a few other stars. He is a very versatile power forward who uses his great strength and athleticism to finish in the paint. Twin brothers Andrew and Aaron Harrison are most likely going to be the two starting guards for the Kentucky Wildcats. Andrew is a fantastic playmaker and ball handler at the point guard spot, while Aaron is an athletic 2 guard with tremendous shooting ability. James Young is another player who can contribute perimeter scoring to the Wildcats with his great jumper from the three-point line. With these four stardom-filled freshmen, and a talented center named Willie Cauley Stein returning to Kentucky for his sophomore season, the Wildcats should be a highly thought of contender for winning the NCCA Championship.

Fantasy Football Start Em' Sit Em'

Fantasy football owners worry every week about which players to start and how well their players will do. There are matchups every week that favor certain players, while there are matchups that do not. These predictions do not involve injured or inactive players.
QB:
Start Em'- Matthew Stafford
He has put up good stats, and is playing against a Redskins defense that Aaron Rodgers tore apart last week. Look for a big game for Stafford and his partner in crime, Megatron.
Sit Em'- Jay Cutler
He is playing a great defense in the Pittsburg Steelers, but Jay Cutler is an unreliable quarterback as it is.
RB
Start Em'- Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson always sits back and relaxes, then has a breakout game out of the blue. It's time for a breakout game against San Diego, a team that Tennessee may actually be able to compete with.
Sit Em'- Darren McFadden
Going up against a Broncos team that is basically demolishing every opponent in their path, it is very unlikely for McFadden to have a good game.
WR
Start Em'- Anquan Boldin
Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers will look to bounce back from last week's embarrassing loss to the Seahawks, so expect big numbers from Anquan Boldin against the Indianapolis Colts,
Sit Em'- Julian Edelman
I expect Thompkins to have a great game, but not Edelman. The Pats are playing the Bucs, and it is very likely Amendola and Gronk will be injured and not playing. This will lead to Edelman getting covered(and likely shut down) by the Buccaneers new cornerback, Darrell Revis.

NBA Season Preview Power Rankings

The NBA season is approaching, and there are many questions lingering about playoff teams and title contenders. As many fans are hoping their team makes the playoffs, there are other who are hoping their team does as bad as possible, because the upcoming NBA Draft is supposed to be one for the decades. There are many teams that have a quality young core, but the players are young and haven't reached their potential, so their teams aren't title contenders yet. Their are only a few true title contenders as well. Therefore, The Power Rankings below list my predictions for the 2013-2014 NBA season. *= young core #=title contender

1. Miami Heat#
2. Indiana Pacers#
3. Oklahoma City Thunder#*
4. Los Angeles Clippers#
5. Chicago Bulls#
6. Houston Rockets#
7. Brooklyn Nets#
8. San Antonio Spurs
9. Golden State Warriors#
10. New York Knicks
11. Memphis Grizzlies
12. Atlanta Hawks
13. Cleveland Cavaliers*
14. Portland Trailblazers
15. Los Angeles Lakers
16. Denver Nuggets
17. Detroit Pistons
18. Minnesota Timberwolves*
19. Dallas Mavericks
20. New Orleans Pelicans*
21. Washington Wizards*
22. Milwaukee Bucks
23. Toronto Raptors
24. Sacramento Kings*
25. Boston Celtics
26. Charlotte Bobcats*
27. Utah Jazz*
28. Phoenix Suns
29. Orlando Magic*
30. Philadelphia 76ers*