2010 World Series Champions

Love them or hate them. Giants fans from New York to San Francisco are happy to have a winner. Since moving from New York to San Francisco in 1958 the Giants have had some talented teams. From Mays and McCovey. To Will Clark and Matt Williams. Then to Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent. Anyone of those talented teams would have won a World Series.

As the San Francisco Giants they made it to three World Series before this year. They lost in seven games to the New York Yankees in 1962. They were swept by their crosstown rivals the Oakland Athletics in 1989. They blew a 5-0 lead in Game 6 of the 2002 World Series to the Anaheim Angels, who would go on to win Game 7. It hasn’t been a great history in San Francisco, but at some point they were due.

In essence when you think about baseball, you can’t always assume the best teams on paper will be there in the end. The Giants were an after thought during the regular season. I had them finishing second, but not making the playoffs. The main reason why I had them that high was because of their pitching. That wasn’t overlooked by anyone I don’t believe. That’s why they are champions today.

Not since the Florida Marlins championship team of 2003 has a World Series champion had so much home grown talent in the pitching staff. Tim Lincecum is a legitimate big game pitcher. Postseason experience has been thrown out the window as long as you have great pitching. Matt Cain is finally getting the recognition he deserves. Remember he was an established starter before Lincecum. Jonathan Sanchez struggled late in the postseason, but he is a hard throwing left-hander that most teams covet. Madison Bumgarner, another hard throwing left-hander, was phenomenal in the NLCS and World Series.

Hitting was their glaring weakness throughout the year, but it came together at the right time. Aubrey Huff received no other offers in the off-season than the one from San Francisco. He had never played in the postseason before and was playing like a savvy veteran. Edgar Renteria, who was the hero of the Florida Marlins 1997 championship, had another fantastic World Series and was the MVP. Cody Ross, who was waived by the Marlins during the regular season, was eagerly claimed by the Giants. His impact was felt immediately down the stretch and when they played the Phillies in the NLCS.

They had some characters on this team and none more crazy than their closer Brian Wilson. Now you have to be a little crazy to be a closer in baseball. Wilson takes it to a whole other level. I like that though. And so does their manager Bruce Bochy who is one of the most underrated managers in the game today. I knew the San Diego Padres made a mistake letting him go, but the Giants were happy to bring him in after seeing the success he had with the Padres for over a decade.

Say what you want about the 2010 San Francisco Giants, but you can’t deny that they beat the Atlanta Braves in four games during the Division Series. They beat the two time National League champion Philadelphia Phillies in six games during the Championship Series. Then topped it off by beating the offensive juggernaut the Texas Rangers in five games during the World Series. They were underdogs throughout the playoffs. But in the end they were the best team in baseball.

Week 8 Review of the NFL

At the beginning of the season I started doing a weekly segment on twitter called the Good, the Bad and the Ugly after every week in the NFL. With so much futility this year, I feel this is the best way to sum up the half way point of the 2010 NFL season. Each team will be briefly broken down into the Good, the Bad and the Ugly section. Lets get started.

The Good

New England Patriots 6-1
They haven’t missed a beat since trading Randy Moss. Tom Brady looks as good as ever and the defense, while young is performing above their pre-season standards. They are doing this while playing in a very competitive division with the Jets and Dolphins looming behind them.

New York Jets 5-2
A slow start was averted and they won five straight. They hit a snag last week coming off their bye, but this is still the most talented team in the NFL. As long as they return to their roots of running the ball and controlling the clock, they will be fine. The defense is as good as advertised even with a banged up Darrelle Revis.

Miami Dolphins 4-3
All of their wins have come while on the road and for some reason they don’t play the same at home. It has made them a force to be reckoned with the rest of the way. They will need to fix that problem at home if they want to get into the playoffs. It won’t help them beat the Jets or Patriots, but other teams might not have a chance if the Dolphins start winning at home.

Baltimore Ravens 5-2
The defense is performing up to their standard and they now have Ed Reed for the rest of the season. The offense sputtered at times, but it seems that Joe Flacco has a handle on what went wrong and Baltimore seems primed to take a hold of the division. They’ve already beaten Pittsburgh on their home turf and a season sweep would make it a lot easier to claim the division.

Pittsburgh Steelers 5-2
They went 3-1 without Ben Roethlisberger and everything seems to be running pretty smoothly. The Steelers are still rushing the ball pretty effectively, but the Steelers are turning the ball over a little too much for their liking. They have a tough fight ahead with Baltimore in the division, but it isn’t out of the question for them to make the playoffs.

Indianapolis Colts 5-2
When you have Peyton Manning everything else seems to fall into place. Injuries to Dallas Clark and Joseph Addai haven’t slowed down Manning as the Colts are now positioned to clinch another division title. It still won’t be a walk in the park, but how can you doubt the Manning led Colts.

Tennessee Titans 5-3
They have been a little inconsistent lately, but the Titans still have the best running back in Chris Johnson. Now they’ve thrown Randy Moss into the mix to help take pressure off Johnson to produce all the time. Whether the Titans can keep Moss happy is one thing, but going forward they have another weapon defenses will have to gameplan for.

Kansas City Chiefs 5-2
Yes they are playing in one of the worst divisions, but they are the best team in that division. It’s no fluke. They’re winning games they’re supposed to and they have the best 1-2 combination at running back in Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles. Matt Cassell hasn’t been perfect, but no where near what he was last year. It’s a recipe for success the rest of the way.

New York Giants 5-2
The defense is playing with the same tenacity that won them a Super Bowl just three years ago. Eli Manning is on fire. Especially with his favorite target Hakeem Nicks. And surprise, surprise the Giants are running the ball effectively too. The NFC East is theirs until further notice.

Philadelphia Eagles 4-3
Their record is deceiving, but the Eagles are doing a good job while having issues at quarterback. Obviously hindsight tells you that they have to continue to ride Michael Vick until he falters, but what’s to say that he will after a rib injury kept him out the last couple games. For now they are in a good position to succeed, but it all rests on Vick’s shoulders.

Green Bay Packers 5-3
Injuries are starting to mount for the Packers, especially on defense. Has that stopped them? Hardly. Beating the Favre led Minnesota Vikings and the New York Jets has put the Packers back into the conversation of contenders in the NFC. It basically boils down to whether Aaron Rodgers can continue to lead the Packers the way he did last season.

Atlanta Falcons 5-2
They have the slight edge in the suddenly tough NFC South. The defense is coming around slowly, but what matters is that they can continue to run the ball. Matt Ryan will need to continue to find Roddy White. They have become the best quarterback wide receiver combo in the NFL this year.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5-2
The surprise of the NFC. For the Bucs it comes as no surprise because their quarterback Josh Freeman is the real deal. I haven’t seen a young quarterback with this much poise since Peyton Manning burst onto the scene. Tampa Bay will be in the spotlight if they can beat their rivals Atlanta and New Orleans.

New Orleans Saints 5-3
The defending champions still have some life left. Winning the division is priority number one right now. They have to get back in sync on offense and they started to against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. Whether they can get on a winning streak before Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas return is another question they will have to answer now.

St. Louis Rams 4-4
Quite shocking that a .500 team is in this position. The reason is simple. They are playing a lot better. So much so that they have a chance at their division. Sam Bradford is getting better every week. The defense is playing with a sense of urgency on every possession. In the weakest division, the NFC West, the Rams only competition is the lowly Seahawks and Cardinals.

The Bad

Cleveland Browns 2-5
Who is the quarterback? Who is running the offense? Who has all the answers? How much longer will it be til Mike Holmgren takes the headset away from Eric Mangini? The Browns only bright spot is their defense, but they can’t score the points at the same time.

Houston Texans 4-3
If you want to be considered a good football team, you have to beat the lowly Dallas Cowboys and Indianapolis Colts. The Cowboys only win was against Houston. The Colts were fortunate that the Texans forgot that they ran the ball all over the Colts in the first game of the season. How much longer will it be before the Texans use their strengths to their advantage?

Jacksonville Jaguars 4-4
To be fair, the Jaguars are beating teams they’re supposed to beat. The next week against a tougher opponent, they seem to lay down. With the beating they laid at Dallas last week, maybe it finally puts the Jaguars are the right track going into their bye week. They’ve been inconsistent all year long and they have to show something to counter that.

Oakland Raiders 4-4
They are coming on lately, but it could all be a ruse if they fall flat on their faces against the Kansas City Chiefs. You can put them a step ahead of the Chiefs if they win their third consecutive game next week. For now though, there is still a big question mark at quarterback. Is this Jason Campbell’s job or will Bruce Gradkowski have to save the day again?

San Diego Chargers 3-5
Because they play in the AFC West you can’t count them out just yet. Sure they haven’t won a game on the road yet. Why would that matter to a team that plays better in November and December? Can Norv Turner re-create that magic of years past? The Chargers will need to for their sake and Turners.

Washington Redskins 4-4
Things are looking pretty bad right now if Mike Shanahan thinks that Rex Grossman gives them a better chance to win than Donovan McNabb. That’s pretty much what it boiled down to last week when McNabb was benched down by eight points to Detroit. I said at the beginning of the year that Shanahan lost the season with the Haynesworth fiasco and now he’s lost the team with this move.

Buffalo Bills 0-7
Yes they’re winless, but they haven’t looked like a winless team every week. They could have easily beaten the Ravens and Chiefs, their last two opponents. Then you would look at them a little differently. Alas, they still are the Bills and it will be a matter of when not if they win a game. Probably sooner than you think in my estimation, but that’s all they have to look forward to the rest of this year.

Seattle Seahawks 4-3
They are leading their division by percentage points right now, but can you see them being on top at season’s end? Where is the running game? The defense is carrying them, but after that performance against the Oakland Raiders, I don’t see how Seattle can stay afloat. It won’t get any easier for them as only two of the remaining teams they play have no shot at the playoffs.

Detroit Lions 2-5
Things are starting to look better with the return of Matthew Stafford. Him and Calvin Johnson connected for three touchdowns last week. The defense is starting to put a lot of pressure on the quarterback. The only problem is keeping a lead. They haven’t shown the discipline needed to close games out. The running game has slowly disappeared and the Lions fans start to hope for next year.

The Ugly

Chicago Bears 4-3
After a 3-0 start, they’ve fallen back down to earth. Jay Cutler has gone back to the turnover prone quarterback from a year ago. Mike Martz still doesn’t realize he has two running backs capable of running the ball. The only saving grace for the Bears is their defense, but again how far can they carry them? The Bears don’t have a huge window anymore and this is the year to make it happen.

Cincinnati Bengals 2-5
Come to find out this year that it wasn’t the talent around Carson Palmer that has been holding the Bengals back. It was Carson Palmer. This years talent pool is the best he’s ever had in Cincinnati. Now the pressure was on him to make it happen. So far it has been a disaster. This was the make or break year and Palmer is breaking fast.

Denver Broncos 2-6
Josh McDaniels said goodbye to the franchise quarterback his first year in town. Then followed that up with the trade of the franchise wide receiver. What does he have to show for that? Since they started 6-0 last year the Broncos have gone 4-14 going into Week 9 of the 2010 season. That’s what the Broncos have to show for those two moves.

Dallas Cowboys 1-6
If there has been another team with as high of expectations as the Dallas Cowboys and fallen faster than them, please tell me. I didn’t predict them to go to the Super Bowl like some, correction, most pundits did. I however didn’t expect them to start the season 1-6. I would be shocked if Wade Phillips is still head coach for one second after their final game. But Jerry Jones has to look in the mirror as well to cast blame.

Minnesota Vikings 2-5
Favre’s Vikings are the laughing stock of the NFL. Who is really the head coach? Come to find out it’s Brett Favre. Brad Childress admits to making a mistake by acquiring Randy Moss. He fires him and in the process goes back to square one before they brought in Moss. If this team makes the playoffs it will be nothing short of amazing. Favre is done and so is Childress at seasons end.

Carolina Panthers 1-6
The biggest example of why you need a quarterback is right here in Carolina. Matt Moore is not the answer and unless Jimmy Clausen gets the right tutelage, the Panthers future is even bleaker. They are playing in the toughest division in football, but they haven’t even looked competitive against their division rivals. The Panthers need to hope they land a big name coach to help turn their ship around.

Arizona Cardinals 3-4
Something tells me that Ken Whisenhunt wants to have a shot at drafting a quarterback in next years draft. What was going on last week? Max Hall was the starting pitcher and Derek Anderson came on in relief. Was I watching a baseball game? The Cardinals barely lost to Tampa Bay, but Anderson isn’t the answer with that late interception. Max Hall looked promising in the pre-season, but it’s a massive fail in Arizona.

San Francisco 49ers 2-6
Alex Smith at times looked great, but wasn’t consistent and went down with a shoulder injury. Apparently David Carr isn’t the answer as he was passed over for Troy Smith who hasn’t seen much action in the offense. It worked against a porous Broncos team on a neutral site in London, but will that continue? Most likely not, but five of the Niners final eight games are against the NFC West. A 7-9 record is possible in the weakest division.

9. Rookie of the Year

Time to move from the make believe sport (No. 10 Baseketball) to the real sport. Now “Rookie of the Year” is more of an after thought nowadays, but when I first saw this movie, to me it was every kids dream come true. Who wouldn’t want to be playing baseball with their favorite baseball players? Now I won’t refer much to the other movie that came out a year after this one, but I will say that “Little Big League” was totally lame. If you don’t believe me, watch it and tell me otherwise. Both are similar, but “Rookie of the Year” had a better story.

The jest of it is that a 12 year old kid named Henry Rowengartner from Chicago is having a rough time becoming a good baseball player, heck even an okay one. An accident at school results in a broken arm to which he has to wear a ridiculous looking cast for the summer. Once the cast is removed, he goes to a Chicago Cubs game. While sitting in the bleachers, a home run ball hit by the opposing team is given to Henry to throw it back. He does, but it results in a bullet thrown to the catcher at home plate. Henry is there by signed by the Cubs and becomes an attraction at first to get fans to Wrigley Field. What surprises everyone is what he does to help the Cubs become winners.

Without going into too many more details I will just say that there is also a great story between Henry and his mom Mary. I don’t want to give it away, but I’ll just say that there is more to his mom than Henry thinks. I’d be interested to hear what Cubs fans think about this movie. To me it does bring to light the amazing futility of the Chicago Cubs for over 100 years now. They haven’t won a World Series since 1908 folks. But I think it also sheds some light into why the Cubs are always called the “Lovable Losers.” Who doesn’t want to see the Cubs finally win one?

The cast is pretty well known nowadays. The main character Henry Rowengartner was played by Thomas Ian Nicholas of the three original “American Pie” movies. Gary Busey was the star pitcher Chet “Rocket” Steadman of the Cubs. Even John Candy was in the movie as the Cubs play-by-play announcer Cliff Murdoch.

This quote pretty says it all about what would probably be the first thing you would say if you were asked to play baseball for your favorite team. The Cubs General Manager Larry Fisher asks Henry the important question.

Larry Fisher: Hey, kid! How’d you like to play for the Chicago Cubs?

Henry Rowengartner: Great! But I gotta ask my mom first.

Now you can’t say that wouldn’t be your first response. Right? Not a well known movie, but a good one in my view. The list will start to get more intriguing in the coming days so stay tuned. Don’t forget to let me know what you think here and on twitter @WesSportsGuy

This top 10 list is sports movies that I’ve seen. Not what others recommend, but only what my eyes have seen and that I truly enjoy. If you haven’t seen this movie, netflix it, pirate the movie, however you go about watching movies, just do it.

2010-11 NBA Season Preview

* – indicates playoffs

(R) – indicates rookie

# – indicates new to team

MVP – Kevin Durant – Thunder

Rookie – Blake Griffin – Clippers

Coach – Scott Brooks – Thunder

Defensive Player – Dwight Howard – Magic

Most Improved – Michael Beasley – Timberwolves

Sixth Man – Jamal Crawford – Hawks

Executive – Danny Ainge – Celtics

Playoffs

Eastern Conference Finals

Boston vs. Miami

Celtics in 7

Western Conference Finals

Oklahoma City vs. LA Lakers

Lakers in 7

NBA Finals

Boston vs. LA Lakers

Lakers in 6

Finals MVP: Kobe Bryant

Eastern Conference

1. Miami Heat*

2. Orlando Magic*

3. Boston Celtics*

4. Milwaukee Bucks*

5. Chicago Bulls*

6. Atlanta Hawks*

7. New York Knicks*

8. Charlotte Bobcats*

9. Detroit Pistons

10. Cleveland Cavaliers

11. Philadelphia 76ers

12. Indiana Pacers

13. New Jersey Nets

14. Washington Wizards

15. Toronto Raptors

Heat – 1st in Southeast

Projected Starters

C Joel Anthony

F Chris Bosh#

F LeBron James#

G Dwayne Wade

G Carlos Arroyo

Three man rotation

F Udonis Haslem, F Mike Miller#, C Zydrunas Ilgauskas#

The Miami Trifecta is probably the greatest group of talent ever assembled since the Chicago Bulls of the 90s and the “Showtime” Lakers of the the 80s. The most asked question about the Heat is whether they have enough to surround Wade, Bosh and LeBron. Having shooters Miller, Eddie House and James Jones will open things up, but having Ilgauskas, Haslem and Juwan Howard in your frontcourt is a glaring weakness that won’t beat Boston or Orlando.

Magic – 2nd in Southeast

Projected Starters

C Dwight Howard

F Rashard Lewis

F Quentin Richardson#

G Vince Carter

G Jameer Nelson

Three man rotation

G Mickael Pietrus, G J.J. Redick, C Marcin Gortat

Orlando has been talking a lot of trash about Miami in the offseason. They feel that all the talk about the Heat is undeserved. They are right, but now they have to prove it in a new season. Howard and Nelson have to be on their game for Orlando to be in the conversation of the top 3 in the conference. Bringing in Richardson was a nice move that adds to their 3-point arsenal. Carter will need to not show his age. He needs to be the complementary piece the Magic needed from him last year.

Celtics – 1st in Atlantic

Projected Starters

C Jermaine O’Neal#

F Kevin Garnett

F Paul Pierce

G Ray Allen

G Rajon Rondo

Three man rotation

F Glen Davis, C Shaquille O’Neal#, G Nate Robinson

Boston had the right mixture of size to compete with the Magic in the East and the Lakers in the West. Now they have doubled that size with the additions of the two O’Neal’s (Jermaine and Shaquille). The “Big Three” of Beantown stayed intact and Rondo has joined the conversation of one of the best point guards in the game today. Glen Davis will be more involved with Garnett’s health in question now. When Kendrick Perkins returns around the All-Star break, that will be the perfect time for Boston’s playoff run.

Bucks – 1st in Central

Projected Starters

C Andrew Bogut

F Drew Gooden#

F John Salmons

G Chris Douglas-Roberts#

G Brandon Jennings

Three man rotation

F Corey Maggette#, G Carlos Delfino, F Ersan Ilyasova

Milwaukee has a lot to look forward to this year with Andrew Bogut healthy and Brandon Jennings coming off a great rookie season and a tremendous performance in the playoffs. Re-signing John Salmons was the best move of the offseason for the Bucks. What he did in his short stint in Milwaukee last year was phenomenal. Trading for Maggette and signing Gooden provides coach Scott Skiles with two players who have a nose for the ball. Milwaukee’s depth is among the best in the conference and they should make even more noise this year.

Bulls – 2nd in Central

Projected Starters

C Joakim Noah

F Carlos Boozer#

F Luol Deng

G Ronnie Brewer#

G Derrick Rose

Three man rotation

G C.J. Watson#, G Kyle Korver#, F Taj Gibson

The Bulls were seen by most as the team with the greatest chance of landing one of the top 3 free agents in Wade, Bosh and LeBron. They struck out, but managed to build a talented roster around their franchise player Derrick Rose. Boozer was the main piece. He will provide added rebounding and second chance scoring opportunities for the Bulls. Brewer and Korver were teammates of Boozer’s in Utah and both give Chicago some added scoring on the wings. Deng, Noah and Gibson had a productive season, but they need to do more to get Chicago out the bottom of the conference contenders. Watson is what the Bulls used to have with Ben Gordon. Watson is capable of matching what Gordon provided for them before.

Hawks – 3rd in Southeast

Projected Starters

C Al Horford

F Josh Smith

F Marvin Williams

G Joe Johnson

G Mike Bibby

Three man rotation

G Jamal Crawford, C Zaza Pachulia, G Jeff Teague

Atlanta gave Johnson a max-contract and Johnson believes that there is still unfinished business in Atlanta. That means that him, Smith and Horford will have to be better than advertised for the Hawks to make a dent in the playoffs. Crawford will have to match his production from a year ago. Teague will see more playing time with Bibby losing a step. The Hawks will need to see more out of Williams if they are to get a return on their investment of a top 5 pick in him. Atlanta has overachieved in the regular season, but have underachieved so much in the playoffs.

Knicks – 2nd in Atlantic

Projected Starters

C Timofey Mozgov (R)#

F Amar’e Stoudemire#

F Wilson Chandler

G Bill Walker

G Raymond Felton#

Three man rotation

F Danilo Gallinari, G Toney Douglas, F Anthony Randolph#

The Knicks got a star player, but he wasn’t their first choice. That’s not to say they aren’t satisfied with their decision to sign Stoudemire. He is now the face of one of the worst franchises in the past decade in the NBA. He instantly makes them a playoff contender in the East. With Felton as his new point guard, they both will need to be on their A game to get the Knicks back into the lime light. Gallinari, Douglas and Chandler provided some scoring last year and look to provide great support on the depth chart. Randolph will be the key as he’s seen as the missing piece to what coach Mike D’Antoni wants to build in New York.

Bobcats – 4th in Southeast

Projected Starters

C Nazr Mohammed

F Boris Diaw

F Gerald Wallace

G Stephen Jackson

G D.J. Augustin

Three man rotation

F Tyrus Thomas, G Shaun Livingston#, C DeSagana Diop

They will be looking to make their second consecutive appearance in the playoffs this year and they believe they can do it with the same cast of characters. Larry Brown decided to stay for another year as the head coach and there shouldn’t be any learning curves with the same players. Jackson and Wallace had productive seasons under Brown and he will be looking for repeat performances from them. Augustin will be running the show at point guard. How he will fare will depend on if Livingston can regain his old form before his catastrophic knee injury with the Clippers. Charlotte expects another playoff berth, but they won’t be getting very far if they do.

Pistons – 3rd in Central

Projected Starters

C Ben Wallace

F Austin Daye

F Tayshaun Prince

G Richard Hamilton

G Rodney Stuckey

Three man rotation

F Charlie Villanueva, G Ben Gordon, F Jason Maxiell

Detroit believes they have enough talent to get back into the playoff race this year after a dismal 09-10 season. Gordon and Villanueva need to be healthy for the entire year for that to happen. So much of their depth depends on their health. Hamilton and Prince struggled to stay healthy as well which the same can be said for them to stay healthy if the Pistons want to get to the playoffs. Stuckey is in a contract year and the Pistons expect him to be just as good maybe even better. They have tremendous depth in the frontcourt, but no one has stepped forward to add needed offense to the position. They will need that this year.

Cavaliers – 4th in Central

Projected Starters

C Anderson Varejao

F J.J. Hickson

F Antawn Jamison

G Anthony Parker

G Mo Williams

Three man rotation

G Ramon Sessions#, F Jamario Moon, G Daniel Gibson

No LeBron means that they have to find a new face or faces for the franchise. Head coach Byron Scott has his hands full in his third assignment in the NBA. He will have to maximize the most out of Jamison and Williams, both of whom had disappointing seasons last year. Hickson and Varejao showed flashes of amazing ability last year. Now they will be part of the offensive attack for the new look Cavaliers. Sessions was a great pickup in a trade with Minnesota. He will provide steady leadership for the offense that will need someone to call the shots night in and night out. It will be tough, but Cleveland has the right coach to ride this ship.

76ers – 3rd in Atlantic

Projected Starters

C Spencer Hawes#

F Elton Brand

F Thaddeus Young

G Andre Iguodala

G Jrue Holiday

Three man rotation

G Louis Williams, F Andres Nocioni#, G Evan Turner (R)

Doug Collins left the broadcast booth to become the head coach of a disappointing franchise. They have a legitimate star in Iguodala, but no one else has been able to step in to take the pressure off him. Brand needs to be that guy, but with injuries and a bruised psyche it might have to be someone else. Hawes and Nocioni were acquired during the offseason in a trade with Sacramento. Both weren’t given much of an opportunity to play there, but Collins knows what they both bring and will see plenty of minutes. Holiday showed promise as a rookie last year running the offense, but must limit his turnovers. Williams and Turner both provide an offensive spark off the bench, but don’t be surprised if you see Turner work his way into the starting lineup. Collins will have to be patient with the new look Sixers as this is a work in progress.

Pacers – 5th in Central

Projected Starters

C Roy Hibbert

F Josh McRoberts

F Danny Granger

G Brandon Rush

G Darren Collison#

Three man rotation

G T.J. Ford, G James Posey#, F Mike Dunleavy

The Pacers feel they are just a few steps away from being contenders in the Eastern Conference. That’s what led to the acquisition of Collison and Posey from New Orleans. Collison showed amazing playmaking ability filling in for Chris Paul last year and the Pacers were in desperate need of a point guard. Hibbert should have a nice season after his strong finish to last year. Granger struggled with injuries, but is still considered an elite talent even though there isn’t much help around him. Dunleavy will have to be healthy for the Pacers to make any noise in the standings. They won’t be anywhere near the bottom, but they won’t be near the top anytime soon.

Nets – 4th in Atlantic

Projected Starters

C Brook Lopez

F Troy Murphy#

F Travis Outlaw#

G Anthony Morrow#

G Devin Harris

Three man rotation

G Terrence Williams, G Jordan Farmar#, F Kris Humphries

They didn’t make the kind of splash they were hoping for when Free Agency 2010 started, but they still have plenty of space to make a run at other future free agents. Harris and Lopez are still the faces of the franchise that is full rebuild mode this year. Both should continue to put up stellar numbers and new head coach Avery Johnson will be able to mold the rest of the roster will them. Murphy and Morrow were acquired in trades. Murphy provides excellent help for Lopez down low and Morrow will provide some added scoring from the outside. Outlaw was given a pretty hefty contract and will given every opportunity to prove his worth. Farmar was signed to provide a steady backup to Harris in case he is lost to injury. Williams showed a lot of upside last year, but will have to continue on an offensively challenged team.

Wizards – 5th in Southeast

Projected Starters

C JaVale McGee

F Andray Blatche

F Al Thornton

G Kirk Hinrich#

G John Wall (R)

Three man rotation

G Gilbert Arenas, F Yi Jianlian#, G Nick Young

The lowly Wizards were perhaps the luckiest team in the offseason. When they were awarded the number one pick of the 2010 draft, everyone knew they would be drafting John Wall. With there being no surprise there, the Wizards are now left with a logjam at point guard. For now they will give Wall as much playing time as possible and have Kirk Hinrich play off the ball with Wall. Hinrich is an excellent outside shooter and ball-handler. Troubled point guard Arenas will get playing time, but for how long will Arenas stay down is the question. Blatche and McGee have a lot of upside and should provide some needed youth in the frontcourt. Thornton and Jianlian will need to live up to their potential.

Raptors – 5th in Atlantic

Projected Starters

C Andrea Bargnani

F Amir Johnson

F DeMar DeRozan

G Sonny Weems

G Jose Calderon

Three man rotation

G Jarrett Jack, G Leandro Barbosa#, F Linas Kleiza#

Toronto has good intentions for their team this year. The problem will be a lack of consistent talent. Calderon and Bargnani are good players, but they need at least two other pieces to maximize their abilities. DeRozan will be given a bulk of playing time, but has to do more than attack the rim. Jack and Barbosa provide a nice combination at the two guard positions, but their lack of size will hurt the team. Kleiza was a nice pickup in a trade with Denver. He can score a ton of points on any given night. Johnson was given a big contract for being an average player so far in his career. He will have to step up and provide a boost around the basket.

Western Conference

1. LA Lakers*

2. Oklahoma City Thunder*

3. Dallas Mavericks*

4. Utah Jazz*

5. Portland Trail Blazers*

6. San Antonio Spurs*

7. Houston Rockets*

8. Memphis Grizzlies*

9. Denver Nuggets

10. LA Clippers

11. New Orleans Hornets

12. Phoenix Suns

13. Golden State Warriors

14. Sacramento Kings

15. Minnesota Timberwolves

Lakers – 1st in Pacific

Projected Starters

C Pau Gasol

F Lamar Odom

F Ron Artest

G Kobe Bryant

G Derek Fisher

Three man rotation

G Steve Blake#, F Matt Barnes#, G Shannon Brown

With all the talk of what was happening in the Eastern Conference, the Lakers stood by and got deeper. They still have the best player in the game in Kobe Bryant. Pau Gasol is one of the best power forwards in the game. Artest and Fisher provide toughness and can make big shots at any given time. Odom has his ups and downs, but he is the most difficult player to guard aside from Kobe. Adding Blake and Barnes makes the Lakers a deeper team and perhaps even better than the last two championship teams. Brown being re-signed shows that all these guys are committed to continue bringing championships to LA.

Thunder – 1st in Northwest

Projected Starters

C Nenad Kristic

F Jeff Green

F Kevin Durant

G Thabo Sefolosha

G Russell Westbrook

Three man rotation

G James Harden, G Eric Maynor, F Serge Ibaka

They stayed quiet and re-signed their franchise player Kevin Durant. All of their young players gained some valuable experience by taking the Lakers to six tough games in the first round of the playoffs. Durant has a great young point guard in Russell Westbrook. Both will be a great duo for many years. Green and Harden can score with the best at their positions and Maynor is a serviceable backup to Westbrook at the point. Up front the Thunder are deep now with Kristic, Ibaka and 1st round pick Cole Aldrich. It’s hard to find a weakness on this team, aside from their age, but that didn’t stop them last year.

Mavericks – 1st in Southwest

Projected Starters

C Brendan Haywood

F Dirk Nowitzki

F Caron Butler

G Jason Terry

G Jason Kidd

Three man rotation

F Shawn Marion, C Tyson Chandler#, G DeShawn Stevenson

Dirk decided to stay and finish what he started in Dallas. The Mavericks hope that by keeping Haywood and trading for Chandler will be enough to help the Mavericks in the frontcourt. Never have the Mavericks had this much depth at that position and this is their best chance to take advantage of it. Kidd and Terry still can get the job done at their age, but Dallas may have to start thinking about the future in the backcourt. Butler is the best wing man Nowitzki has had since Michael Finley departed. Butler is fast and aggressive on both ends of the court. Marion will be relegated to the bench for this season, but it probably suits him better at this stage in his career.

Jazz – 2nd in Northwest

Projected Starters

C Al Jefferson#

F Paul Millsap

F Andrei Kirilenko

G Raja Bell#

G Deron Williams

Three man rotation

F C.J. Miles, G Earl Watson#, F Gordon Hayward (R)

Utah went through a lot of turnover in the offseason, but they feel they still have enough to compete in the West. Boozer left for Chicago and they replaced him with Al Jefferson from Minnesota. Jefferson has all the tools needed to be an elite big man, but he must stay healthy for that talent to be seen. Millsap will finally get a chance to start. Some would say that he has been there best player next to Deron Williams that last two seasons. Kirilenko and Bell are the defensive stalwarts that coach Jerry Sloan loves. Kirilenko has been in the doghouse of late, but will get a chance to redeem himself. Williams had a bit of a down year, but with a few new pieces, he should have another All-Star season.

Trail Blazers – 3rd in Northwest

Projected Starters

C Marcus Camby

F LaMarcus Aldridge

F Nicolas Batum

G Brandon Roy

G Andre Miller

Three man rotation

G Wesley Matthews#, G Rudy Fernandez, C Joel Przybilla

It starts and ends with Brandon Roy. He has to be playing at a high level every game. With him on his game, the next person will have to be LaMarcus Aldridge. He needs to live up to his potential and continue to be a force on the offensive end. Bringing back Camby is huge. He protects the basket so well and when Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla return from injury, the Blazers might have enough depth at that position to challenge the teams ahead of them in the West. Miller and Batum will need to be more involved in the offense this year. At times they looked lost. Fernandez seems to be happy now and the Blazers do need him as a spark plug off the bench. Matthews was signed to a sizable contract from Utah and is a defensive specialist, but can get hot from time to time.

Spurs – 2nd in Southwest

Projected Starters

C DeJuan Blair

F Tim Duncan

F Richard Jefferson

G Manu Ginobili

G Tony Parker

Three man rotation

G George Hill, F Antonio McDyess, F Matt Bonner

You still can’t count out the Spurs just yet. Yes they are a year older, but they have the swagger and some youth at key positions. Duncan, Parker and Ginobili are as good as it gets in the NBA. A lot of mileage on their legs, but they know how to pace themselves to get ready for basketball in April, May and June. Jefferson had a rough first year in San Antonio, but he should be primed for a bounce back year. Blair and Hill are the youth I was referring to. Blair is a rebounding machine, but a bit undersized for his position. Hill can play either guard position and can play some big minutes to give Parker or Ginobili some time off. McDyess is a crafty veteran who isn’t as explosive as he once was, but can still hit an open jump shot.

Rockets – 3rd in Southwest

Projected Starters

C Yao Ming

F Luis Scola

F Shane Battier

G Kevin Martin

G Aaron Brooks

Three man rotation

G Courtney Lee#, C Brad Miller#, F Jared Jeffries

Houston’s depth looks so much better when Yao Ming is healthy. He won’t be playing a ton of minutes coming off major foot surgery. It helps that they signed Brad Miller. Miller is a capable backup and with Scola primed for a big season, the Rockets shouldn’t have any trouble this year in the frontcourt. Brooks and Martin will have to complement what Scola and Yao will setup this season. Brooks was the most improved player last year and perhaps Martin could be this year with a full year in Houston. Lee and Jeffries provide excellent depth at multiple positions. Jeffries can play three while Lee can play either the shooting guard or small forward spot. Both can score 10 points every time out.

Grizzlies – 4th in Southwest

Projected Starters

C Marc Gasol

F Zach Randolph

F Rudy Gay

G O.J. Mayo

G Mike Conley

Three man rotation

G Tony Allen#, F Darrell Arthur, G Xavier Henry (R)

Seen as a team that had a lot of young talent that was going to take time to mesh. It didn’t take long as the Grizzlies were in contention for most of last season. Gasol and Randolph form a formidable duo around the basket. Mayo and Conley are good combo guards that must improve their shot selection and be more playmaker than shooter. Gay was given a big contract extension and the Grizzlies hope he can continue his upward trend since he arrived. They signed Allen to help solidify their bench. Allen is a good defender, but is somewhat of a liability offensively. Arthur and rookie Henry will need to step up and provide a spark off the bench. Memphis doesn’t have great depth, but enough talent to get in.

Nuggets – 4th in Northwest

Projected Starters

C Nene

F Shelden Williams#

F Carmelo Anthony

G Aaron Afflalo

G Chauncey Billups

Three man rotation

F Al Harrington#, G J.R. Smith, G Ty Lawson

Denver has taken a hit in the off-season with the Carmelo Anthony trade rumors swirling. They will continue to swirl all year long and that will lead to a lot of distractions. Billups and Harrington are the only two viable options that can help take the pressure off Anthony to score for the Nuggets. Smith can get hot, but has a wild streak that ends up hurting more than helping. Lawson and Afflalo brought a nice youth movement to their depth last year. They will need to continue bringing that added energy off the bench. Nene will have to do a lot of work around the basket with Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen recovering from knee surgery. That might tax the Nuggets early in the season.

Clippers – 2nd in Pacific

Projected Starters

C Chris Kaman

F Blake Griffin (R)

F Rasual Butler

G Eric Gordon

G Baron Davis

Three man rotation

G Randy Foye#, F Ryan Gomes#, C DeAndre Jordan

It’s hard to consider the Clippers contenders, but this is the year they could easily make a run at one of the final playoff spots. Blake Griffin is the real deal and with him the Clippers feel the offense can open up in ways that it didn’t last year. Davis and Gordon will have to be sharp and gel with the additions of Foye and Gomes. Kaman had an All-Star year and should continue with Griffin as his running mate. Health will always be an issue with this group, but if they can get past that and finish with a respectable record, they could be in the playoffs in no time.

Hornets – 5th in Southwest

Projected Starters

C Emeka Okafor

F David West

F Trevor Ariza#

G Marco Belinelli#

G Chris Paul

Three man rotation

G Jerryd Bayless#, F Peja Stojakovic, G Willie Green#

Like with Denver, New Orleans had to deal with the trade rumors of Chris Paul. Rightfully so, he is confused as to where the direction is for the Hornets. They listened and made some moves that might help in the short term, but not the long term. In four separate trades they acquired Green, Bayless, Belinelli and Ariza. Out of all of them Ariza is more talented and Bayless is a good combo guard. Belinelli will get a chance to show his skills with Paul as his wing man. Green can score a lot of points off the bench and will provide depth. The question becomes what will happen with West and Okafor? West needs to return to his former self and Okafor is strictly a defensive minded Center now, with not a lot to offer offensively.

Suns – 3rd in Pacific

Projected Starters

C Robin Lopez

F Hakim Warrick#

F Grant Hill

G Jason Richardson

G Steve Nash

Three man rotation

F Jared Dudley, F Hedo Turkoglu#, G Goran Dragic

It’s amazing to see how a team can change with one player departing via free agency. That one player was Amar’e Stoudemire. He was the focal point of the offense and now the Suns have to find someone else to fill the void. The problem is they need more than one player to fill the void. Richardson will see his numbers grow, but will it help the team? Warrick will be given the first shot at taking over for Stoudemire. He’s not the same player, but can keep up the tempo that’s set in place with Nash leading the way. Turkoglu was happy to have a new home, but he has added pressure in Phoenix to produce. Dragic and Dudley figure to be more involved this year, but the roster isn’t as deep as in years past.

Warriors – 4th in Pacific

Projected Starters

C Andris Biedrins

F David Lee#

F Dorell Wright#

G Monta Ellis

G Stephen Curry

Three man rotation

F Reggie Williams, F Vladimir Radmanovic, G Charlie Bell#

The Warriors got a shot in the arm with the acquisition of David Lee. Whether it will help long term is the question. Ellis and Curry are great scorers, but that is the problem with Golden State is that they are scorers first and point guards second and third. Wright hasn’t been a full time starter, but is in an interesting situation. He will be the fourth or fifth option when he’s on the court and will be an after thought leaving him open. As in most years the Warriors bench is thin, but more so this year. They traded off almost every important piece in the off-season. Now they start anew with Williams, Radmanovic and newly acquired Bell to make something out of almost nothing.

Kings – 5th in Pacific

Projected Starters

C Samuel Dalembert#

F Jason Thompson

F Donte Greene

G Tyreke Evans

G Beno Udrih

Three man rotation

F Carl Landry, F Omri Casspi, G Francisco Garcia

Sacramento has a good group that maybe only a year or two away from contending. Evans is a legitimate star and will only get better. Drafting DeMarcus Cousins was seen as a risk, but it has only motivated Cousins which is a good thing for the Kings. Dalembert will be starting ahead of Cousins to ease him along. Dalembert is among the best defensive centers in the game today. The problem with the Kings is depth and a lack of a rotation. Landry, Casspi and Garcia will get their playing time, but coach Paul Westpaul was constantly shuffling his rotation last year that the players never got into a groove. They must settle on a consistent lineup or it will be a repeat of last year.

Timberwolves – 5th in Northwest

Projected Starters

C Darko Milicic

F Kevin Love

F Michael Beasley#

G Corey Brewer

G Jonny Flynn

Three man rotation

G Martell Webster#, Luke Ridnour#, F Wesley Johnson (R)

Last years debacle is over and now the Timberwolves want to see some improvement. Flynn is the point guard now and for the near future. Ridnour was a good pickup to help ease along Flynn’s development. Brewer had a career year and the Wolves would like that to continue. Love has butted heads with head coach Kurt Rambis, but that all seems to be in the past now. Webster was a draft day acquisition from Portland. He can get hot in a hurry and provides instant offense off the bench. Johnson can do the same, but they don’t want to rush him in his rookie season. Beasley will be in a surrounding with less fanfare than in Miami. It can only be a good thing as he will be able to find his comfort zone in a small market.

Week 7 Review of the NFL

Is it too early to count out the Saints?

To put it simply, yes. Have you seen the NFC? They are well within winning their division. Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago and Green Bay have the same 4-3 record as they do. By comparison the Saints have a better team than all of them. Remember, they are the defending champions. Now you might think Saints fan(s) that your season hangs in the balance this Sunday when you play host to Pittsburgh. I don’t think that’s the case. If they lose to Pittsburgh, but beat Carolina before their bye week, they will be 5-4. They have a favorable schedule, except for playing at Baltimore and Atlanta. Lets say they lose those two games. Their final record will be 10-6. That seems to be a respectable record and worthy of a playoff spot. Darren Sharper is back playing for the defense and Reggie Bush is another week away from playing again. The Saints will be fine as long as they realize this wasn’t the way the won the Super Bowl last year.

An unexpected blowout

Those who say they like seeing a low scoring football game are liars. Who asked you the following day, “hey did you see that game yesterday? Man that 6-3 final was intense.” I hope no one did. We want to see scoring. High scoring games when possible. Yes even the games that involve teams that probably aren’t going to contend this year. The Oakland Raiders scoring 59 points against their arch rival the Denver Broncos was a beat down in the classic or football sense. That was the most points the Raiders scored in their franchises history. It was only fitting that they did that against Denver. Most Raider fans will tell you that they would’ve loved it if they did that against the Broncos while John Elway was playing. Either way we as football fans love seeing the blowout games. We act like it doesn’t matter, but this is now an offensive game and we want to see most points scored possible. If you’ve ever played the Madden video games over the years, you don’t ever take a knee. EVER. That same mentality as a fan goes into watching the team score the most points. “You play to win the game” and that applies to us. Score or be scored upon should be the motto.

Pittsburgh wins thanks to inconclusive evidence

I love how the NFL has gone about reviewing plays and wanting to get the calls right. Frankly a lot of the time it shows just how bad the refs really are. It’s sad really, but I understand they have a hard job that most of us don’t want. With that said, they butchered the Week 1 call of no catch of wide receiver Calvin Johnson. The rule is correct, but it’s a stupid rule. Enough said. This past week they screwed up again with the Pittsburgh Steelers getting a tremendous break from the officials. Ben Roethlisberger clearly fumbled before crossing the goal line for what could have been the go ahead touchdown. However, the referees couldn’t tell who recovered the football after the fumble. What? The reasoning as always is “inconclusive evidence” when reviewing a play. They couldn’t tell that four Dolphins were closer to the ball than the two Steelers in the pile. They couldn’t tell that a Dolphin came out of the pile with the football. Again, they are doing a job that neither I nor you want. To me though, it seemed to be Dolphins football.