Team USA Wins Gold

The U.S. Men's National Basketball team won the 2016 Rio Olympics gold medal Sunday with a dominating 96-66 win over Serbia. It was the culmination of a surprisingly arduous journey to the gold medal game, at least by U.S. standards. The U.S. faced three straight tough challenges in pool play, scrounging a 10-point victory against Australia, a three-point win over these Serbians, and a three-point win over France. Even in the semi-final, they only beat Spain 82-76. The Americans didn't play up to their label for most of the tournament.

That changed Sunday. The U.S. dominated, led by Kevin Durant's 30 points, 24 of which came in the first half. It seemed like we were heading for another underwhelming performance when the score was 19-15 after the first quarter, but the second period is when the Americans started to play their best basketball of the tournament. They dropped 33 and 27 points in the second and third quarters respectively, so that they were up by 36 points by the time the fourth quarter started. And the contest was decided well before then.

So what was the key to the U.S. unlocking its considerable potential? Defense. The Americans stifled the Serbs for three quarters, allowing less than 15 points in each of the first three periods. It was something you could predict based on the results of the previous two games. After giving up 92 points per game on 53% field goal percentage in pool play, here are their defensive numbers from the last three games:

                                                              Opp. Points                    Opp. FG %

Quarterfinal vs. Argentina                          78                                   38%

Semifinal vs. Spain                                     76                                   39%

Final vs. Serbia                                           66                                   38%


There were nowhere near as many stupid mental mistakes on defense that characterized pool play. The Americans had an energy on that end that was nowhere to be found before the Argentina game. They flew around the court, following the ball as a team as if they were all on a string. It was by far the most connected I've seen the team since its inception. There's no explanation except that they were finally motivated by the prospect of the gold medal that was just beyond their fingertips.

It's understandable that the team simply wasn't motivated to give maximum effort until today. It's a habit for Team USA to get lazy because they know they're so much better than everyone else. Still, I have to think there are better ways of constructing the team so that the games are more entertaining. Like I've said, a team of players 25-years-old and younger would make the tournament more competitive and give young players a chance to prove themselves. It would mean something to them.

But the biggest takeaway I got from today's gold medal game? I have been interpreting Carmelo Anthony wrong all along. For the longest time I've thought Melo was a selfish gunslinger who put money, fame, and his shots above team and winning. I thought he was your typical, self-absorbed star athlete. But the fact that he was the first current athlete to speak out about some of the issues in this country coupled with the role he filled on this team and who he's shown himself to be along the way have changed my opinion, just a little bit. 

After winning his third gold medal, Anthony got very emotional in his post game interview. 

"I committed to this in '04. I've seen the worst and I've seen the best. And I stuck with it. And we stuck with it. And I'm here today, three gold medals later. I'm just, I'm excited for me but also for the other guys who never experienced anything like this," Anthony said, tears streaking down his face.

You know what that tells me? That tells me Anthony has never been the wrong-headed guy I painted him to be. That means he does understand the importance of a team culture and that it matters to him. It means he might be willing to do what it takes to be a player on a championship team. Or maybe it means he'll be the perfect mentor to the new generation of New York Knicks. I don't want to say it means he's learned from his mistakes, because that would be unfair. Carmelo has always had a number of interests, from business to activism, and who am I to say what should and shouldn't be important to him?

So I say, congratulations to Carmelo Anthony, three-time gold medalist. You will always have your place as a champion of international basketball, and a legacy of forging your own path.

It's Easy To Be Uneasy About The Patriots Right Now

For 15 years, the New England Patriots have been the NFL's most stable franchise. Since 2001, they've never had a losing season and have missed the playoffs just twice, and in one of those seasons they became the second team in league history to go 11-5 and miss the playoffs. That season, 2008, was also the only one in which quarterback Tom Brady missed significant time since taking the starter's role in 2001, going down for the season after suffering a torn ACL in Week 1. Other than that season, New England fans have enjoyed unwavering stability from Brady and head coach Bill Belichick, and it's made for a lot of wins the past decade and a half.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think that's about to end this season. I firmly believe the Patriots will make the playoffs for the eighth year running. It's just there's a little more room for doubt than there has been previously, for a couple of reasons.

Number one is, obviously, Brady's four-game suspension. It's never good to replace one of the league's best quarterbacks with an unproven youngster, but it's even worse when you consider the intricacy of the Patriots' offense and the young quarterback's projected performance within that. We've seen all the talented young receivers who have gone by the wayside because they couldn't think through their role in the offense. Imagine the pressure on a third-year QB who hasn't played any significant snaps as a pro to have to run the show for a quarter of the season.

Now let's zoom in on Brady's side of things. As long as he has been playing at such a high level, it does have to end at some point. Perhaps the year that Brady misses the first four weeks of the season without being able to practice with his teammates is the one in which he starts to show his age. The Patriots' offense is so based on timing and familiarity that four weeks of being unable to work with his targets may be impossible to overcome. But hey, he's Tom Brady. He does deserve the benefit of the doubt.

The other issue that has arisen is the same one that capsized the Patriots' 2015 campaign: injuries. Injuries to the receivers ruined their chances of getting the number one seed. Injuries to the offensive line destroyed their chances in the AFC Title Game against Denver. If you get enough bad injury luck, it's sure to derail any team's season, no matter how well prepared the players and coaching staff are. Patriots fans know that better than anyone.

The chief injury concern for Pats fans the last half-decade has been tight end Rob Gronkowski. Gronk is a game-breaker with his ability to run block, route run, and make spectacular catches and even more spectacular runs after catches because of his frame and athleticism. When Gronk leaves the field, the Patriots aren't the same team. And that's happened a number of times since he was drafted in 2010. He's missed time or been hampered by injuries to his ankle, back, left arm, and knee, including an play where he tore his ACL and MCL and missed the rest of the 2013 season. Each time Gronk went out, the Patriots fell short of their Super Bowl aspirations.

Pats fans had to face that prospect again as Gronk was reportedly injured in practice Monday and proceeded to miss the next two practices. Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reports that Gronkowski just has a bruise on his waist above his left leg and that he will be fine. I exhaled when I read that, but Gronk's injury history is long and arduous. It's hard not to get nervous.

And Gronk isn't the only injury issue the Patriots are facing. DE Rob Ninkovich tore his triceps last week. He'll miss at least a few regular season games. Julian Edelman has had a few injury setbacks since getting surgery for the broken foot he suffered last season. Defensive lineman Jabaal Sheard has missed a few practices for a mysterious injury. There are a number of other injury concerns, but they may not end up being an issue. But Patriots' fans know all too well how injuries can decimate a season, like last year.

Anyway, none of these issues seems big taken individually. But when they're added together, and with a little bad luck, everything can crumble. In the past, New England has been able to weather the storm because they had Brady at quarterback. But he won't be there the first four weeks to save the day. And when he comes back, he may not be the same guy.

All I'm saying is it's fair to be a little worried about the 2016 Patriots.

Ranking the NBA's Christmas Day Games

The NBA released the schedule for the upcoming 2016-17 season, which of course includes the Christmas Day games. Christmas marks the real start of basketball season when fans start to focus a lot more on the game, so it's important to have good contests on the holiday. This year's slate is fun, with familiar faces in new places and an abundance of rivalries and story lines, even if it highlights the fact that only two teams really have a shot at the title this year. However, it is a holiday, which means you might be spending time with your family. If you need to know which games you should sneak away to the bathroom for, read on.

5) Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers, 10:30 p.m. ET.

I was kind of disappointed with how the Clippers' off-season went. They knew that the team they ran out there last year wasn't up to snuff against the league's best, yet they basically just brought everyone back. If you know your team isn't good enough to win a title, you need to go in a different direction. I suppose in a league where no job is safe, any GM would keep the chance to get a sure 50 wins and job security, but I feel this is just another example of Doc Rivers the GM hurting Doc Rivers the coach.

Meanwhile, the Lakers seem to be on the upswing. They finally got out from under the volume shooting, inefficient, $30 million corpse of Kobe Bryant, and drafted Brandon Ingram with the second overall pick. They now have a promising young core of Ingram, D'Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, and Jordan Clarkson. It pains me to say it, but it seems as though the Lakers have a bright future. I think they'll be a contender again in a few years, provided they play their cards right. But for this year, at least, they'll have to settle for getting knocked around by the Clippers in the late game on Christmas.

4) Chicago at San Antonio, 5 p.m. ET.

It's really very sad what's happened to Chicago since 2011. They were a contender, the best defensive team in the league, with the MVP as their point guard. Now they have Jimmy Butler, a past-his-prime Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo, and not much else. Does that group sound like it can space the floor, share the ball, or coexist in any way? It doesn't to me. I suppose Wade coming home is a cool story, even if he would rather be in Miami (which he definitely does).

To be honest, most of the entertainment value of this game comes from the Spurs. They still have Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, and coach Gregg Popovich, so they will be good again next year. I want to see if the team can get back to that style of ball movement that made them so much fun to watch before Aldridge's arrival. It will be weird and sad to watch San Antonio without Tim Duncan, but the Spurs are the Spurs. They'll find a way to get along without the Big Fundamental.

3) Boston at New York, noon ET.

It will be nice to have Christmas Day back at Madison Square Garden, hopefully with a somewhat relevant Knicks team. That venue is the best in the NBA, and a great way to kick off Christmas Day.

The Knicks should be improved over their 32-win record last season. They added Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah this off-season, which, alongside Carmelo Anthony, led to a lot of jokes about building a 2011 All-Star team. However, Rose can't possibly be worse than the point guards the Knicks had last year, and I think the Garden crowd will really enjoy Noah's signature hustle. Look for Melo to have a comeback year as he has appeared to be in top form and great shape early on in the Olympics.

Even though Boston didn't acquire the star they were looking for this off-season, they're still a contender for the second seed in the Eastern Conference. Free agent signing Al Horford gives the Celtics the interior defender at the big that they've sorely lacked the last two years, while also projecting as a great fit in Brad Stevens' motion offense. By Christmas we may see the Celtics flourish as Cleveland's only real challenge in the East, and who knows, maybe the team will look completely different (hopefully for the better) by the time this game comes around.

2) Minnesota at Oklahoma City, 8:00 p.m. ET.

Now this is a fun one. Russell Westbrook will be appointment television all year as he goes on his inevitable "Screw KD, I'm going to win without him and get the MVP" tirade of thunderous dunks and triple-doubles. I'll also be intrigued to see how Victor Oladipo develops his game as Russ' assumed wingman, and the big man combination of Steven Adams and Enes Kanter against prodigy Karl-Anthony Towns should be great.

The Timberwolves are a team I'm really excited to see this year. Towns is a franchise player in the making, having just had the best rookie year since LeBron James. Andrew Wiggins is always liable to go off, have a few incredible highlight plays, or both. The same goes for Zach Lavine. And by this point, we should have an answer to the point guard conundrum around Ricky Rubio and talented rookie Kris Dunn.

It will be very interesting to see the new Thunder go up against the smoldering remains of the actual Thunder.

1) Golden State at Cleveland, 2:30 p.m. ET.

And, of course, the main event. The rematch of the last two Finals, only this time there's a small wrinkle; the Warriors have Kevin Freaking Durant. Durant vs. LeBron James is always a great match-up, but now that LeBron is the David to the Warriors' Goliath super team, it becomes that much more enticing. Cleveland is going to walk in the arena, with LeBron leading them, thinking "There is no
f— ing way they're leaving here with a win." Kyrie is going to relish the chance to dominate Stephen Curry again. The entire Cleveland team will be extra hungry and motivated.

However, the same goes for the Warriors. I can guarantee they're all pissed that they let that title get away after being up 3-1 in the series. Steph is going to want to prove that Kyrie doesn't have his number. Draymond Green is going to be in everyone's ear, motivating them, reminding them of what happened last year. And the pressure's already going to be on Kevin Durant to win with this team, aside from his less-than-stellar history against LeBron. When these teams get on the court, there is going to be bad blood, and it will make for great entertainment. You know, unless Golden State reaches it's final form by then and destroys everything in its path like Keyser Söze.

USA Basketball Under-25 Team

So I just watched the US Men's National Basketball Team beat Serbia 94-91. And they were lucky to escape, because they gave up two different looks from three in the final minute that would have tied the game. It wasn't exactly the performance you look for from the world's best collection of basketball talent, especially when you factor in that they should be playing for the pride of a nation.

This comes after another lackluster performance against Australia on Wednesday. The lack of energy has been apparent, and it's clear that the Americans believe they can just coast to the gold medal while giving minimal effort. That may have been entertaining with the Dream Team of 1992, but that's not the case for this year's team. It's not fun to watch a team that thinks it's better than it is take one-on-one isolation shots and suffer mental defensive lapses that result in lay-ups.

If we're not going to assemble the best team possible, let's go in the other direction: Make the Olympic and World Championship teams consist only of players 25-years-old and younger (credit to Bill Simmons for the idea).

I think this would help the entertainment value of Olympic basketball in a number of ways. Firstly, it would mean not all the players on the roster would be established stars who think they're the best player in the world, looking for their shots and working to their own agenda. They would be young, hungry players with something to prove and it would be great for their development to work with the best players in their age group. Plus, it would mean more US games would be competitive and entertaining as these young stars take on more experienced opposition.

So what would the current team look like if it was comprised only of players 25-years-old and younger?

STARTERS

PG: Kyrie Irving

SG: CJ McCollum

SF: Kawhi Leonard

PF: Anthony Davis

C: DeMarcus Cousins

BENCH

John Wall

Karl-Anthony Towns

Devin Booker

Rodney Hood

Jabari Parker

Avery Bradley

Harrison Barnes

I really like all of the players on this roster, except for maybe Barnes. They're all talented but with room to grow, which will be accentuated by the competition of playing against one another. Only Irving and Leonard played crucial roles on championship teams, which means everyone else should have something to prove (which, in turn, will motivate Irving and Leonard when everyone starts to go at them).

This team has the talent and athleticism to take home gold anyway. Shooting is necessary in the international game, but there are players on the roster who could rise to the occasion. And they would have a higher defensive energy and activity than the current team.

I would have a few worries about this team, however. One, it's traditional for Team USA to downsize in the Olympics and move everyone down a position. It's just what works best, because it creates tough match-ups for opposing big men against traditional small forwards who are big enough to battle in the paint, but quick and skilled enough to wreak havoc on the perimeter. But this line-up starts two bigs in Davis (the prototypical international center) and Cousins (who has never played great in international play), so if Boogie starts to lose it, Towns or Davis can take over the five spot. And there are a number of players who can play in that stretch four role in Leonard, Parker, and Barnes.

My other worry is that Kyrie will see it as his team and try to take over too much. Olympic basketball is about the team, and one of the reasons I want it to go U-25 is to get more movement offensively. If Kyrie starts pounding the ball in isolation without involving others, we have Wall to come in and run the offense.

Think about how much fun this team would be. We would get to see them grow and mature against more experienced competition. And the match-ups in practice everyday would be riveting. Kyrie vs. Wall? Towns vs. Davis vs. Boogie? McCollum vs. Booker? It would be so helpful for each player's development to be around these other great, young players. For the fans it would be a glimpse at the future of the NBA.

Look at that roster and tell me it wouldn't be more fun watching them than it is watching these current stars fish for their own shots. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for the US to face a little more competition and the threat of losing. This way is much more entertaining.

Jimmy Garoppolo: The Good, Bad, and Ugly, Preseason Week 1

This is the first in a series of posts I will do grading Jimmy Garoppolo's play in all of the games he starts at quarterback for the New England Patriots while Tom Brady is suspended. Tonight is the first chance Patriots' fans have had to get a look at how the 2014 second round pick performs when given the reigns of the offense, going up against the New Orleans Saints at home.

THE GOOD

Garoppolo showed the talent to be a good starting quarterback. After the first few drives, he displayed good timing, a strong arm, and a quick plant and release.

He displayed a strong connection with rookie WR Malcolm Mitchell, with whom he connected with on four receptions for 55 yards, including an impressive throw where he set the defense up by faking to the right, then driving the ball between defenders 24 yards down the field to the left. 

Garoppolo's accuracy also encouraged me, despite some shaky throws early on. There were a number of times where Garoppolo had to squeeze throws into very tight spaces and he rose to the occasion, particularly on a throw into the right corner of the end zone to RB James White that would have been a touchdown if not for a great play by the covering linebacker to strip it away.

Garoppolo also showed the ability that Brady doesn't have, which is athleticism to escape pressure in the pocket and gain yards as a scrambler. 

Garoppolo proved he could take a hit and keep playing, because he got popped a couple times early on and only got better. His toughness especially stood out to me on a screen pass to White that went for 56 yards and a near touchdown.

THE BAD

The number one negative that most have noted against Jimmy G? He holds on to the ball for two long. On the first drive he took a sack because he didn't sense the pressure and didn't throw the ball away in time. 

He cleaned it up after the first few drives, but with the way I think the Patriots' offensive line will struggle, he needs to make sure he's getting the ball out fast.

Although I just applauded Garoppolo's accuracy, the bad stuff I saw from him was mainly ball placement. The reason I still say his accuracy impressed me was because I think the plays I'm going to point out were mental errors instead of poor physical accuracy.

He had one throw that was important to me because it will be key to his success this season. On the second drive, he tried to hit TE Martellus Bennett over the top of the defense and under-threw him. We know how important tight ends are to New England's offense, and Bennett is 6'6, so there's really no excuse for under-throwing him.

On that same drive, Garoppolo had a scary throw to WR DeAndre Carter on a deep out to the right sideline. Garoppolo needed to put the throw all the way on the sideline, but left it a little inside, allowing the coverage to make a play on the ball and almost intercepting it. 

THE UGLY

The third drive was killed when Garoppolo was sacked for an astonishing 14-yard loss. He did well to escape initial pressure, but then he just kept going backwards, and well....

Needless to say, he can't do this against the Cardinals Week 1.

WRAP-UP

Garoppolo was very solid in his first action as starter. He went 11/18 for 168 yards. He began the game shaky, but gathered himself as the contest progressed, which is a good trait for a young QB. He showed that he can play with poise, and remember, he will have much better weapons during the regular season. If he plays like this the first four weeks of the season, the Patriots should be in position to make a playoff run when Brady returns.

What Klay Thompson Might Have Meant

It's the dog days of sports right now. It's that unfortunate time of year after NBA free agency has ended, before NFL preseason begins, when a sport with a 162-game regular season is the only major sport going on in America. So, to get through this rough patch, the sports media usually takes little quotes, events, and occurrences and blows them way out of proportion.

The latest subject of controversy is Klay Thompson. Last week, the Vertical published an article about what Thompson will have to sacrifice now that Kevin Durant will be added to the Warriors. Thompson, who is also Durant's current teammate on Team USA for the Summer Olympics, responded in an interesting way in this excerpt from the piece:

“'I feel kind of disrespected that people keep using the term sacrifice to describe me and describe us,' Thompson told The Vertical. 'We all want to see each other do well. But I’m not sacrificing [expletive], because my game isn’t changing. I’m still going to try to get buckets, hit shots, come off screens. I want to win and have a fun time every game we play.'

“'The NBA season can get mundane; 82 games are so long and there can be some boredom. Now, we can embrace being the hated team and getting everyone’s best, and adding some tension every night. It’ll be a fun experience going into arenas on the road, with opposing fans hating what we’ve built.'” 

After this Thompson was vilified by some in the press for being "selfish", and only thinking about the number of shots he's going to get. Others interpreted it as a professional shooter just wanting to maintain his role and what makes him so important to a historically great team. But there are more quotes from Thompson in the article that one has to take into account before judging his intentions.

"Three years ago, Thompson had entered the then-coaching staff’s office in training camp, posed with the possibility of filling a sixth-man role. The Warriors considered avenues to increase their bench scoring, and Thompson had conceded to the direction of the coaching staff. It ultimately never was even experimented, and the accolades – two All-Star appearances, a 3-point competition title – and one championship followed for him.

'Even back then, it never mattered to me about starting, coming off the bench or scoring 12, 15 or 20 points,' Thompson told The Vertical. “This league can get caught up in scoring, and caught up in the stars. I’ve really just wanted to keep the Bay a winner – we all do.'"

"'I wouldn’t have flown to New York when we met KD if it was about sacrificing,' Thompson told The Vertical. 'We knew what we wanted to do, and we talked it out.

'We want to do something historic.'”

That doesn't sound like a selfish player to me. His comments in the back half of the piece directly contradict that notion. But I also think he didn't mean it as a person who just wants to maintain his role on the team but is afraid that role may be in jeopardy. 

I think Thompson knows that, the way the Warriors offense runs, there isn't any ball-dominant player. You may say Stephen Curry, but he spends a ton of time coming off of off-ball screens, just like Thompson. I mean, just think of how many times the Golden State bench has gone off these last two years. That means the offensive scheme that coach Steve Kerr has implemented isn't predicated on one player, or even two running the show. The entire team generates the offense because they pass, cut, and shoot so well. Adding Durant to the mix doesn't mean Thompson necessarily loses touches. First of all, it means Thompson is going to be open a whole hell of a lot. But more importantly, Thompson knows that sometimes it's going to be his night to shine and sometimes it won't, just the same as it has been on this team the last two years.

So when Thompson said the "I'm not sacrificing (bleep)," line that was plastered all over ESPN for the following days, I don't think that was him consciously resisting a possible trend towards less shots for him. I think he was saying that he has such trust in the unselfish culture of ball movement and inclusion that Golden State has established, that he believes his game really won't have to change.

And honestly, why should it? Sure, Thompson has taken on more ball-handling duties the last two seasons, but that's still not a big part of his game. He may have to come off of less screens designed for him to shoot, but I think the amount of open spot-ups he'll get from the gravity of Durant and Curry on the court will make up some of the shot total. The loss of certain bench players from the team means he can make up his attempts from the ones they're leaving behind. And we know he's always going to compete defensively and guard the other team's best backcourt player.

So no, I don't think Klay Thompson is selfish, as evidenced by the quotes he had in the article about winning as a team. I think he's on a team that may be the greatest we've ever seen, and that he's aware that the Warriors will be able to include Durant without taking away from their incumbent stars because of their strong team culture and offensive philosophy. I just think Thompson was the latest victim of the 24-hour sports media's thirst for topics in the August heat.

My Five Favorite High School Basketball Mixtapes Ever

One of the things I like to do in my spare time, being a basketball nerd, is watching some of the basketball mixtapes the best high school prospects from around the country have on YouTube. The reason that I find this exercise so enjoyable is because these are guys with college and even NBA-level talent and aspirations, and they're going up against peers who have no way of competing with them, thus producing more incredible highlights. If you want to enjoy yourself watching people much more talented than you or I, read (and watch) on.

5) Cassius Stanley

This guy is in 9th grade in this video. 9th Grade! A freshman! Stanley is the sixth ranked prospect in the class of 2019, and you can see why. I've hardly ever seen anyone who can jump like Stanley does. His bounce is very similar to Gerald Green, because he just glides, staying up in the air forever. He basically spends the entire 2:48 of this video with his head at or above the rim. And if he's not doing that, he's breaking someone's ankles in the open court. And he's a freshman! He's only going to get better! My God.
Favorite Highlight: At the end of the video, 2:17, Stanley is alone in the open court and whips out a between-the-legs, two-handed reverse dunk. I mean, how much more athletic can the guy get?

4) Kwe Parker

Parker may have the most incredible natural vertical I've ever seen. He's 6'2 and he's doing stuff like this? Are you kidding me? The number of times that his whole forehead is above the rim is astounding. What's even more impressive is how much he can do with the ball in the air at his size. His hang time is what strikes me the most, because he can do so many things after he's hit his initial peak. Which brings me to...
Favorite Highlight: It's actually not his famous twisting, cupping, tomahawk dunk. It's at the 0:17 mark when he tips the ball to himself from left hand to right hand in the air and slams it down. Oh, and his neck is at the rim.

3) John Wall

The OG Hoopmixtape. I remember watching this as an 11-year-old with my friend Will, freaking out about the left-handed dunks, insane blocks, 360 lay-ups, etc. That type of variety is what sets the next three videos apart, because while it's fun to watch Parker and Stanley above the rim for 2 minutes, Wall combines that with crazy acrobatic passes and lay-ups and unfathomable ball handling and flashy rim protection.
Favorite Highlight: Okay, so I'm going to cheat a little bit here. I'm going to discuss three plays in this mixtape, but it's alright because they're all in succession in the video, which makes it about 20 times cooler. It all starts at 2:39, when he splits two guys around half-court, loses the ball, and regains control of it just in time to hit a guy with a 360 lay-up. Then he makes a pass to a teammate on the left-wing, who misses a three, only Wall comes out of nowhere to to throw the ball in from way above the rim. Then he somehow pulls out a between-the-legs, double behind the back, crossover move on this poor unsuspecting sucker who had the misfortune of guarding John Wall in high school. This video is the stuff of legends.

2) Aquille Carr

They say the crime rate went down in Baltimore when Aquille Carr played, and I believe it from his mixtape. If I knew some 5'6 guy was dunking, hanging in the air for eternity, and breaking ankles, I wouldn't be trying to jack a car, either. I can't even explain how Carr makes his body do the things on the tape. It's inimitable, it's mind-boggling. He changes direction so quickly and stays in the sky forever when he takes off. If you don't understand, just watch the video.
Favorite Highlight: At 1:27, Carr gets the ball in the backcourt and some genius getting back on defense decides to reach for the ball. Carr goes between his legs and behind his back to avoid his arm, and just to embarrass the poor guy even more, starts dribbling up the court between his legs in the most exaggerated, disrespectful way possible. Again, my words don't really do it justice, so watch the video if you're confused. It's not the craziest move he makes, but it shows the absolute contempt he had for his "competition".

1) Marcus Lovett Jr.

This isn't even Lovett's senior year tape (although that one is pretty cool, too). This is when Lovett was a sophomore, and it's incredible the how many ankles he shattered at such a young age. The number of defenders falling over due to Lovett's crazy handle makes it seem like a Life Alert video on steroids. Lovett's handle, even then, is reminiscent of Jamal Crawford, so it's no surprise he drops defenders to their knees and backsides regularly. The other thing I like about Lovett is that he's cocky and knows he can back it up. He starts out the video by nailing a three right in someone's mug and yelling "He can't guard me!" He follows that by making someone fall and then pointing at them with a contemptuous look and an arrogant shake of his head. You gotta love it.

Favorite Highlight: I love the one at the very end of the video where Lovett strings about 75 different moves together in a millisecond, but I'm going to pick the one at 0:13 where he hits a defender with a step-back crossover so vicious, it makes the poor kid fall to the floor with the power of a thousand suns. I'm surprised the kid got up. That's the brilliance of Lovett's handle; he's so good at going hard one way and being able to transition to another direction both seemingly and incredibly hard. He's just impossible for mere high school players to guard.

The Best and Worst Case Scenarios for the New England Patriots Without Tom Brady

The New England Patriots will be without Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady for the first four games of this upcoming season as he serves his suspension for his "role" in the Deflategate scandal. I could go on all day about how bogus the punishment is in the first place, but that's not what this is about. Now that they know Brady will miss the first four games, the Patriots have to prepare to succeed in his absence.

The start to a season is very important in the NFL. If a team starts off well, it can give them momentum moving forward. If a team starts 1-3, it's very hard to recover and make the playoffs. So this time without Brady will be key if the Patriots want to have a shot at their fifth Lombardi Trophy. Here are the best and worst case scenarios for the Patriots' four games without Tom Terrific:

Best Case

The Patriots go 3-1. Back-up QB Jimmy Garoppolo assimilates into the offense well because of the weapons he has to throw to. Those weapons are led by the two-headed monster at tight end of Rob Gronkowski and the recently added Martellus Bennett. He also utilizes the great route running trio of wideouts in Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan, and Danny Amendola. The X-Factor for the offense may be the return of halfback Dion Lewis, who tore his ACL in Week 9 last season after eight games of electrifying performance out of the backfield. Lewis gave the Pats a spark last season as the first back they've had in a while who could hold his own catching and running the ball, giving the offense some much needed variety. If Lewis gets back to his sharp-cutting, pace-changing self, the Patriots have a good chance to succeed, even without Brady.

Another key will be the offensive line. Brady was sacked 38 times last year, and the struggling, injured offensive line was the biggest reason the Pats fell to Denver in the AFC title game. New England spent a lot of time this off-season on the line, drafting Joe Thuney and Ted Karras, acquiring Jonathon Cooper in the Chandler Jones trade, and bringing back former offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia. This group will need to be better if the Pats want to start 3-1.

But most important is the defense. They won't get as much support from the offense, even if Garoppolo plays well. The defense has really good players, led by linebackers Jamie Collins and Dont'a Hightower and safety Devin McCourty. Coach Bill Belichick is a defensive mastermind, known to befuddle even the league's most prolific offenses. In the best case scenario, the defense plays at a top-five level and carries the team to that 3-1 mark. After the opening week game at Arizona, the Pats have the Dolphins, Texans, and Bills, all at home. Those are teams Belichick's defense usually dominates, especially at home.

Now, you'll notice my best case scenario doesn't have the Patriots undefeated after four weeks. I don't think the Patriots have much of a chance against Arizona Week 1; I might even pick against them if they had Brady. Arizona is just a really good team. Even if they did pull off a miraculous win that week, it would probably take so much out of them that they drop one of the other three games.

So that's the best case scenario for the Pats the first four weeks without Brady: 3-1. Now onto the...

Worst Case

The Patriots go 1-3. Garoppolo gets knocked around in Week 1 at Arizona, loses any confidence he might have had, and plays scared for another three weeks. He brings the team down because he's unable to make plays for his teammates. This wouldn't be a surprise; it's hard to succeed in your first few games as a starter. Gronk gets hurt, Edelman and Lewis struggle to come back from off-season surgeries. LaGarrette Blount doesn't take any pressure off Garoppolo with the run game. The off-season additions don't have the expected effect.

The offensive line continues to struggle against four talented defensive fronts. Coach Scarnecchia and the new line are still unsatisfactory to help Garoppolo gain confidence. In fact, they remove any possibility of Garoppolo playing well because he keeps getting lit up. In addition, they don't let Blount and Lewis get any traction on the ground.

Even in the worst-case scenario, the defense is above average, probably top-ten. It's just not good enough to carry the offense to wins. Belichick doesn't quite hit every decision right, bringing back memories of some of his blunders from last year.

Arizona embarrasses New England in Week 1 on Sunday Night Football. The last three games are close, but the opposition always pulls out a winning drive against a defense tired from supporting a struggling offense.

This scenario sounds bad, and it is. If the Patriots start 1-3, it will take all of Brady and Belichick's brilliance to bring the season back. But the Patriots have been too successful for the last 15 years to contemplate a 0-4 start. Belichick deserves more credit than that, so the worst I can give is 1-3.

If you want my prediction for the Patriots' record when Brady returns Week 5 against the Browns, I would say 2-2. I think they'll lose to Arizona and Houston, but pull out big divisional wins against Miami and Buffalo. I would be alright with that as a Patriots fan, and hopeful that Brady would come back with enough fury to lead the Patriots to the number one seed, and possibly another Super Bowl title.

Here's Why the Timberwolves Are the Next Thunder

Come back to 2010 with me. Ke$ha's "Tik Tok" is the year's hottest song, "Lost" is finishing it's final season, and "Toy Story 3" is the highest-grossing movie (God, that was a long time ago). Also, a potential dynasty is blossoming in Oklahoma City, as the young tandem of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook lead the team to the playoffs and a surprisingly competitive six game series with the defending (and eventual) champion Los Angeles Lakers. And that series could have gone seven, as evidenced by the one-point margin in the deciding Game 6.

The optimism around the early Thunder was incredible. They were young, they were talented, they were athletic, and they were relentless, as shown in the below video.

I mean, just remember watching that version of the Thunder. Weren't they so exciting? Didn't you want them to succeed? Even if you were a fan of another team, weren't you drawn to what was going on in Oklahoma? After hitting on Durant, Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, and James Harden in three consecutive drafts, OKC was seen as the next great team and the model for how to build a potential dynasty through the draft.

The subsequent failures and ultimate demise of OKC is a different topic for another day. Think about that team before three of their four core pieces took off one-by-one. They were set for the future because they had a once-in-a-generation combination of young talent on one roster.They were ready to be in the Finals for the next seven years.

I miss that team. I miss how fun they were to watch. I miss seeing them grow and mature as players from year to year. I miss the growing pains in the playoffs against the Lakers and the Mavericks. Now that the team has really imploded, I look back at the 2010 Thunder like the opening act of a Greek tragedy. They missed so many opportunities to become the defining team of the era, whether it be through fault of their own (the Harden trade) or things they couldn't control (injuries to Westbrook/Durant). It bums me out that they didn't realize their full potential.

But you know what softens the blow just a little bit? The Thunder have a bit of a clone building here up north. That's right: For the first time in a while, people have reason to fear the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Let's break this down, building block by building block. The Thunder had Durant, completely unique offensive force, 7-footer who can shoot and handle the rock, long-limbed athlete. The Wolves have Karl-Anthony Towns, most versatile center ever to come out of the draft, able to do anything on the floor, moves like a guard, defends and finishes at the rim like the behemoth he is. He averaged 18 PPG, 10 RPG, 2 APG and almost 2 BPG as a rookie.Towns has a chance to be a top-five player ever, and I don not say that lightly. He will win multiple MVP's in his career barring injury or historic fall from grace.

Next up, the Thunder had Russell Westbrook, a beast of an athlete with unbridled intensity. Andrew Wiggins doesn't have the same ferocity that Westbrook does, but you can bet he's right there athletically. And while some have questioned his motivation at times, all you need to do is look at how well he always plays against the Cavaliers, the team that traded him for Kevin Love. He has that fire inside, he just needs to figure out how to turn it on when he needs it.

Next, both teams had young, dynamic ball handlers who spent a significant amount of time coming off the bench: Harden for OKC, Zach LaVine for MN. This isn't a great comparison because I don't think LaVine could become an MVP candidate anytime soon. But he's an incredible athlete who can carry the offense if Towns and Wiggins are off that night.

And then, of course, there's this.

Other young talent on the Wolves include big man Gorgui Dieng and wing Shabazz Muhammad, both of whom have the ability to be good role players on this upcoming team. But there are two players on the roster who could help enable these young studs to become the next Thunder.

Ricky Rubio is the perfect point guard to help guys build confidence at the NBA level. He gets his guys so many easy looks and lives to make others better. I think he'll be especially helpful in helping Wiggins find his scoring niche in the NBA. Rubio will be able to hit Wiggins in the spots he likes most and direct him away from areas he's less successful in. Maybe Rubio can even teach LaVine a little about being a pure point guard so LaVine can add that to his skills.

But most importantly, if you could pick someone to mentor Towns, it would be Kevin Garnett. Towns is like KG if KG could shoot threes, although minus the intensity. Towns is already a great team player, and the lessons Garnett gives about teamwork and unselfishness should carry over to the rest of the team.

Which brings me to the final, and possibly most encouraging connection between the 2010 Thunder and the current day T-Wolves. The young Thunder loved playing with each other, fed of each other's talent and athleticism, and enjoyed every minute of their time on the court together. That's something I get from these Wolves. Sure, they have a lot of talent, but if they don't enjoy each other as teammates, they're never going to be championship contenders. But that's not the case.

I got the chance to interview Tyus Jones in March. We went to the Wolves practice facility towards the end of their practice. When it ended, everyone split off to do individual work. Except Towns and LaVine. They went to one of the baskets and started playing one-on-one, but the only shots they would take were contested 30-footers off the dribble. They were having so much fun with each other, and whenever something noteworthy happened, the entire gym would be engaged. One time when LaVine hit a particularly tough shot, Towns ran off in disbelief (nearly killing me and my friend in the process) while Wiggins chimed in from across the gym sporting his signature wide grin. It was awesome to see the camaraderie the team had developed in such a short amount of time, and it let me know that the team was definitely going places sooner rather than later.

The talent Minnesota has assembled is a great foundation, but the players have followed up by making it a real team atmosphere. If the Wolves can keep up what they have right now, the entire league better be on notice about the kids from up north.

Would Larry Bird Be Able to Play in Today's NBA?

Even though I never got to see him play, Larry Bird is my favorite player ever. I think part of the reason I love the Legend so much is that I saw someone who dominated my favorite sport who didn't have world class athleticism. He overpowered opponents with his mind to make up for a lack of foot speed, quickness, or leaping ability. When Bird retired, he was revered as possibly the greatest all-around player ever because of how he was always a step ahead of the other team.

But as the NBA has gotten more athletic, mostly due to improved training knowledge and technology, some have raised the question: Would Bird be able to play in today's uber-athletic league? My answer is a yes and I am incredulous that the question has been legitimately asked.

I agree that it's hard to imagine Bird guarding small forwards like LeBron James or Kevin Durant because he just doesn't have the foot speed to handle them. But in today's game, Bird wouldn't play the three. He would move to the four, and maybe even the five in certain line-ups. Imagine Bird as a stretch four, picking defenses apart with his passing and long-range shooting. That's what I see for him in the game today.

Also, Bird would benefit greatly from modern work-out regimens. These days, he would have Pilates to save his ailing back, and he would pay someone to shovel stone for his mother's driveway, which is when he hurt his back in the first place. His career would have lasted longer.

I think the question of if Bird could play comes from when people see his athletic ability and (possibly) his skin color and assume his success was a product of his era. Well that's stupid because the eighties might have been basketball's greatest era. There's just no question Larry Bird could survive and thrive in the league now. The NBA is completing its transition back to ball movement and team play as the way to win after the nineties ushered in an era of isolation play around one great scorer. That ball movement is what Bird killed people with. His vision was incredible and it would fit so well today. He would live to make everyone around him better, and take over with his scoring when he needed to.

I know this is an extreme example because the Warriors have two of the greatest shooters ever, but imagine Bird in the low post in the Warriors post split action, featured from 4:30-6:13 in this video.

(By the way, how scary are the Warriors going to be next year? Yikes.)

Bird's passing and scoring out of the post would make this play lethal if he had two good shooters around him. He could do this type of thing for any team today.

If you want a projection of Larry Bird today, think Kevin Love during the 2014 season when he averaged 26 PPG and 12 RPG, only an exponentially better passer, smarter and more capable defender, and better team leader. I would take that guy on my team. I'm taking Larry Bird.