NFL Divisional Round Picks

Last week, when I made my Wild Card Round picks, I only felt confident about one pick; Steelers over Ravens. Of course, that was the one pick I got wrong, in a weekend of wonky games that almost seemed designed to mess with my head. I feel much more confident about this weekend's games. What does that mean? I'll probably go 1-4 this weekend. Remember, all times are Central, and the home team is in caps. Without further adieu...

Baltimore (+7) over NEW ENGLAND                                                     Saturday, 1/10, 3:35 PM

As a Patriots fan, it pains me to do this. Last week's outcome could not have been worse. I would much rather be playing Indianapolis or Cincinnati at home, two teams we have already destroyed this year and who wouldn't have any confidence going into New England. What I don't want, is a Ravens team coming off shellacking their rivals in Pittsburgh , brimming with confidence (or arrogance in the case of the Ravens). I just really don't like the Ravens. They've beaten us before in the playoffs, and they haven't been shy about their dislike for us. They're also liable to have some sketchy punks on their roster (they've employed a wife beater, a possible murderer, and (shudder of disdain) Terrell Suggs). I really dislike Suggs. He's always been a loudmouth who hated the Patriots for some reason. I just never took much of a liking to him. Needless to say, the Ravens are in my head.

It's not the same team as those Baltimore squads that gave New England trouble in the past, but John Harbaugh knows how to beat the Pats. The formula for beating New England is to get pressure on Brady, hit everyone as hard as you can, and force turnovers, and the Ravens can definitely do that with Haloti Ngata, Elvis Dumervil, and Suggs taking it to a Patriots offensive line that has looked shaky at times. Joe Flacco is in his crazily effective playoff mode, and he could change the game with just one deep attempt, whether it be a completion or a pass interference penalty (I'm looking at you Brandon Browner). Baltimore can run the ball and get big plays in the special teams from Jacoby Jones. They have a bunch of big game players. The home favorites never all cover, and this is a better bet than Dallas at Green Bay. I really don't like it but...

Ravens 24,  Patriots 21

SEATTLE (-11) over Carolina                                                              Saturday, 1/10, 7:15 PM

There's not much to say here. This is the easiest game to pick. Seattle is not messing around. They've won nine of their last ten, they only lost one game at home all season (to Dallas who unbelievably went 8-0 on the road), and they will not lose to the team that only made it into the playoffs because their division sucked, and only won a playoff game because they faced a historically bad, third-string quarterback who didn't even have his number one running back. Cam Newton didn't really look good against an Arizona defense that is good, but lost its will once they realized that if they were down ten, the game was over. Newton was inaccurate and seemed to sulk at times. That vaunted Seahawks defense is licking their lips in anticipation for this. Carolina never really pulled away even while the Cardinals gained the fewest yards in NFL Playoff history! And they're supposed to win at Seattle? I just don't thinkthe Seahawks screw around with this one. They've been playing with such a swagger and confidence lately, and I think it's fair to say their early struggles are behind them.

Seattle 33, Carolina 10

GREEN BAY (-5.5) over Dallas                                                                   Sunday, 1/11, 1:00 PM

The game I'm most excited about. It's the Ice Bowl II. Two classic franchises who have battled before. You don't know how badly I wanted to pick Dallas in this game. Living in Minnesota and having my dad and brother as Bears fans, I've developed a healthy dislike for the Packers, especially the admitted football perfection that is Aaron Rodgers. Dallas is, as previously stated, undefeated on the road this year. Ndamukong Suh stepped on Rodgers' leg in Week 17, taking him out of the game and bringing this week's news that Rodgers had a slight tear in his calf muscle. Dallas' running attack with Demarco Murray behind that stellar offensive line can shred that weak Packers defense and keep Rodgers off the field. The frigid conditions could take the fans out of the game and reduce the home field advantage that Green Bay usually enjoys when the Cheeseheads come out in full force. That same cold could also harden the field to the degree that any good hit Dallas lays on Rodgers could be the one that takes him out of the game. Dallas got the playoff monkey off their backs with last week's win against Detroit.

All of these are reasons why I could take Dallas. But I won't.

The reason I'm taking the Packers is basically just Aaron Rodgers. And the weapons he has around him, I guess. Rodgers has just been otherworldly at Lambeau, having not thrown a pick there for a solid two years. He does have the right weapons around him, with Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson, and Eddie Lacy among the playmakers Rodgers has to work with. The Packers' offense is too much for this questionable Dallas defense to handle. That Cowboys defense looked better than it is in the second half against a secretly shaky Lions offense last week that didn't have the classic Calvin Johnson we all know and love, and I think Matthew Stafford is one of the most overrated quarterbacks in the league. Rodgers will tear through Dallas, even on a busted wheel. I'm anticipating a high scoring game, I just don't think the Cowboys can get the stops when it matters.

Green Bay 38, Dallas 33

DENVER (-7) over Indianapolis                                                             Sunday, 1/11, 3:40 PM

It's just like Denver to deteriorate the last half of the season, get the two seed, and still pull the easier game after the bye over the one seed Patriots. As I said earlier, I'd much rather have Indianapolis traveling to Foxboro than the Ravens. The Colts haven't beaten anyone all that good this year. Their best win was either their shut out of Cincinnati or a seven point win over suddenly scary Baltimore in Week 5. Other than that they were destroyed by Denver, Philly, Pittsburgh, New England, and Dallas (you know, five of the best seven teams they played) by a combined point differential of 84 points! Are you kidding me? These guys cant play with the good teams! And no matter how bad they may have looked recently, Denver is still really freaking good.

Denver's new found rushing game could exploit a glaring deficiency in the Colts' defense. They can't stop The run when they have to respect the pass of the other team, which they didn't need to last week against the Red Rocket minus the services of AJ Green. Even though the Colts have Pro Bowl cornerback Vontae Davis, the reason Denver is so scary is that they have so many weapons. Between Demaryius and Julius Thomas, running back C.J. Anderson, and Emmanuel Sanders, there's too many weapons for Indianapolis to handle. I can't trust the Colts. They looked better than they are last week against the perpetually disappointing playoff version of the Bengals. Don't get drawn in by their success and Denver's noted struggles.

Denver 31, Indianapolis 20

Last Week: 3-1





        

NFL Playoffs Wild Card Picks

     In this column I'll be previewing the NFL Wild Card round playoff games. I'll make my picks for the games and I'll post the odds for the game from Vegas. The home team is in caps. If you don't know how Vegas odds work, the - sign is how many points the favored team should win by, the + sign is how many points the underdog should lose by. I will also list the day, date, and time of the game, all times are central. After my explanations, I'll give my expected score. Let's go.

CAROLINA (-6.5) over Arizona                                                                      Saturday, 1/3, 3:35 PM

     This one comes down to the ultimate in picking playoff games; don't take a shaky quarterback, especially on the road against a Carolina defense that is quietly rounding into the poor man's version of the 2013 Panthers. Seriously, I was looking for any reason to pick the Cardinals in this game. They earned the right to be in the playoffs, winning nine of their first ten games before losing their QB Carson Palmer in their Week 10 win over the St. Louis Rams. That's when their dreams of playing at home in the Super Bowl effectively vanished. With Palmer, they looked like the best team in the NFC, but it's hard to look all that great with a backup QB. It only got worse when their backup QB Drew Stanton was injured in Arizona's Week 15 victory over the Rams. That's when third-stringer Ryan Lindley entered the fold. Lindley entered next week's game against the vaunted Seattle Seahawks defense with 181 pass attempts without a touchdown, the most in NFL history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
     I honestly hope I'm wrong, because it's so unfortunate that a season that started with home Super Bowl aspirations could end without a playoff victory, all because of terrible injury luck. Even if Stanton, the back-up, were starting, I would pick the Cardinals. But the fact that Arizona has to start the historically bad Lindley on the road is just too much to overcome.
     Another reason this annoys me is that Carolina didn't deserve to make it into the playoffs. They only made it because they play in a terrible division, the NFC South. They have a losing record on the season. After they won on October fifth at home against Chicago, they tied the Bengals the next week at Cincinnati, and then lost every game they played until a December 7th win at New Orleans (they had a Week 12 bye). They didn't win for nearly two months! And this team deserves to be in the playoffs?
     However, none of this matters now. They destroyed Atlanta last week to win the division and secure a playoff game at home. And however unfair it may seem for these two teams to be in the positions they are, I'll take Cam Newton, national champion in college who played in the playoffs last year, over Ryan Lindley any day.

Carolina 13, Arizona 6


PITTSBURGH (-3) over Baltimore                                                                  Saturday, 1/3, 7:15 PM

     As a Patriots fan, I'm abjectly terrified of the Steelers, so I'm hoping I'm wrong on this one, too. The one thing they're bad at (defending the deep pass) is the one thing the Pats have struggled with on offense this year, as Tom Brady is slowly moving into the Peyton Manning zone in terms of losing the ability to throw powerfully and accurately downfield. And sure, Joe Flacco is one of the quarterbacks you would pick out to exploit that deep pass deficiency for Pittsburgh's defense. But I can't pick the Ravens after their seeming attempt to throw away a playoff spot recently. Here's how their last five games have gone:
Week 13: Chargers 34 RAVENS 33
Baltimore throws away a 30-20 lead with 6:13 remaining at home to a very beatable Chargers team. remember, the Ravens were fighting San Diego for a playoff spot until Week 17, so they should have gotten up for this game.
Week 14: Ravens 28 DOLPHINS 13
Not exactly a great win. The Dolphins proved themselves to be mediocre this year, and it's not like the Ravens dominated the game.
Week 15: Jaguars 12 RAVENS 20
Same as the Dolphins game, only Jacksonville was worse than Miami this year, the win was even less dominating, and Baltimore was at home. Not impressive.
Week 16: Ravens 13 TEXANS 25
This is where I really lost confidence in Baltimore. Flacco went 21 of 50 for 195 yards (a completion percentage of 42% and YPA of 3.9) with three INT's, two TD's, and a QBR of 3.2. 'Nuff said.
Week 17: BROWNS 10 Ravens 20
 In a must-win game against the rival Browns, a team that lost its final five games of the season and, amid the chaos of the Johnny Manziel debacle, had to start CONNOR FREAKING SHAW, the Ravens never really showed that they were a playoff team. They never pulled away from a reeling Browns squad in a game they had to have to win? How could you back that team?

     And please don't forget about these few things going Pittsburgh's way:
Big Ben in a big game, the Ravens having beaten just one team all season with a record above .500, Antonio Brown, Flacco's recent performance, the karmic ramifications of how the Ray Rice ordeal went down, Antonio Brown, all of Pittsburgh's weapons at receiver, Pittsburgh's ability to rush the passer, and Antonio Brown kick/punt returns. It hurts for the Steelers to lose Le'veon Bell, but that just serves to make the game closer in what should be a classic Steelers-Ravens chippy slugfest.

Pittsburgh 27, Baltimore 24

INDIANAPOLIS (-3.5) over Cincinnati                                                              Sunday, 1/4, 1:00 PM

     I really don't like this one. I don't trust either of these teams. It comes down to a few factors: Andrew Luck and Chuck Pagano over Andy Dalton and Marvin Lewis in a big game, Indianapolis getting home field, and AJ Green probably not playing. That last one is key. When Green missed the Bengals' game against the Colts in Week 7, Indy shut Cincy out en route to a 27-0 thrashing. With no deep threat, the Colts were able to stack the box and limit Cincy's output on the ground. I'm betting on the same thing happening on Sunday. A few things that worry me:
1) The Jeremy Hill/Gio Bernard running attack for Cincy destroying the weak run defense of the Colts. Because of the aforementioned absence of AJ Green, I hope the Colts can overcome this by stacking the box against the run and forcing Dalton into typical Dalton-in-a-big-game mistakes.
2) Luck quietly has a lot of turnovers this year, and the Bengals' secondary is excellent. Watch out for that.
3) Indianapolis might have the worst running backs in the league. After Ahmad Bradshaw's injury, they've been playing Trent Richardson at RB. TRENT RICHARDSON!!! Very dangerous territory.

     But, like I said, I'll take Andrew the Giant and Chuck Strong over the Red Rocket and Marvin Lewis (sorry, he's too bland for anyone to have given him a nickname) in a playoff game.

Indianapolis 24, Cincinnati 21

DALLAS (-6.5) over Detroit

I wavered on this one a lot. Let's consider the cases for both teams.
DETROIT
 -Got Ndamukong Suh for the game after the league repealed Suh's suspension for stepping on Aaron Rodgers (to me, on purpose). Suh has been their best player this year and the key cog in Detroit's excellent run defense, key in stopping the Cowboys' Demarco Murray behind the league's best offensive line.
-Tony Romo and Jason Garrett in a big/playoff game. So far these two have done well in big games this season, but the monster could rear it's ugly head at any point.
-Calvin Johnson might just be getting healthy just in time to rip apart a sub-par Dallas defense.
-Dallas' biggest strength (running the ball) is what the Lion's stop best.
-The Cowboys haven't had much of a home field advantage this year, going just 4-4 at Jerry World.
-The possibility that Suh knocks Murray out of the game by stomping on his previously broken left hand.
-Wouldn't it be the most Cowboys-esque thing if Dallas lost in the first round once they finally made it above 8-8 and into the playoffs?

DALLAS
-Demarco Murray got the single season rushing record in Cowboys history. Remember how Emmitt Smith was once on the Cowboys? Murray is really freaking good, especially behind that offensive line.
-Matthew Stafford and Jim Caldwell in a road playoff game. Little less than trustworthy.
-Sure, Detroit's defense has looked great, but usually only when they're playing bad teams. The only two times they played really good offensive teams, they gave up at least 30 (Week 12, lost 34-9 to the Pats, Week 17, lost 30-20 to the Packers). I'm not counting that first Packers game because Green Bay wasn't what they are now.
-Stafford is 3-31 all time against teams that finished the year with winning records, and he's never beaten an above-.500 team on the road. Not so impressive.
-Along with Murray's broken record, Dez Bryant passed Terrell Owens for most TD catches in a season by a Cowboy. Dez is also really freaking good.
-Romo's 114.4 passer rating for the season is sixth best in NFL history. The running game really allowed him to play well this year, since he wasn't having to throw so much in every game. He's like Jay Cutler in that if you make them throw the ball a lot, of course they'll have turnovers. You just have to call the game right, leaning more on the running game to set up easy throws.
-Dallas went 4-0 in December, contradicting recent history.
-With Murray, Dez, that offensive line, Terrance Williams, the surprising Cole Beasley in the slot and veteran TE Jason Witten, Romo has a ton of weapons to work with.
- At times, Detroit's offense has looked totally stagnant this year. Stafford makes a lot of mistakes, Megatron has not looked himself with all the injuries, and their running game is non-descript. Lucky for this below average Dallas defense.
-Jim Caldwell is the Lions' coach. This is not good for Detroit. Caldwell literally shows no emotion while he's out there, and the camera hardly ever finds him talking or moving. It's like the Lions send out a cardboard cut-out each Sunday.
-Everything is setting up for the Cowboys to go to Lambeau next week for The Ice Bowl II. If you can't get excited for that, I don't know what to tell you.

See how there are many more points in the case for Dallas? That's why I'm picking them.

Oh, and because they're playing the freaking Lions.

Dallas 28, Detroit 21

End of Year NBA Predictions, Part One

The NBA season is fast approaching, and if there's anything NBA fans want to do, it's skip the regular season (except the really good match-ups) and get right to the playoffs. So I'm going to try and tell you what all the end of year awards and honors will be.

All-Rookie 2^nd Team

G Elfrid Payton

G Nik Stauskas

F Doug McDermott

F Aaron Gordon

C Noah Vonleh

Gordon is the most talented player on the list, McDermott is on one of the best teams, and Vonleh is talented and on a playoff team. However, I think Gordon is the only one who could jump to first team. The two guards, unfortunately, are stuck on bad teams riding the pine (for now), but they're the best players at their positions on their respective teams.

All-Rookie 1^st Team

G Marcus Smart

G Andrew Wiggins

F Jabari Parker

F Julius Randle

C Nerlens Noel

Once the Rondo trade occurs, Smart is going to start in Boston, and this guy's drive is incredible. He'll make first team. The rest of these guys are all starters on what look to be lottery teams. Parker is in the best situation, but I loved the way Noel played in the preseason, it's a race between those two for Rookie of the Year. Wiggins and Randle both have players who will help them ease into the NBA somehow (Ricky Rubio and Steve Nash respectively).

All-Defensive 2^nd Team

G Chris Paul

G Mike Conley

F LeBron James

F Anthony Davis

C Marc Gasol

We've got two superstars in the back half of their primes, a star just hitting his prime, and a future MVP who just spent the summer blowing up the FIBA World Cup. Oh, and Mike Conley. This would be a very good team offensively, too.

All-Defensive 1^st Team

G Eric Bledsoe

G Jimmy Butler

F Kawhi Leonard

F Serge Ibaka

C Joakim Noah

We're going very young on this squad, except Noah. All of the younger guys use their incredible athleticism (Bledsoe and Ibaka in particular) to shut down anywhere the opponent wants to go. I'm also a huge fan of Bledsoe's mirror tactic, which is where a defender shadows and offensive player by mirroring everything he does with his body. Kawhi is a star in the making who should continue to develop, and Ibaka will have to make the Thunder into a top-five defense without Durant's scoring punch to start the season. Butler and Noah (but especially Butler) will benefit from being on national television a lot if Rose's comeback is successful.

All-NBA 3^rd Team

G Kyrie Irving

G Goran Dragic

F Kawhi Leonard

F Kevin Love

C Dwight Howard

It'll be tough for Love or Irving to make higher than 3^rd Team, since a lot of the credit for Cleveland's success will go to LeBron, but they're going to be so good it would be impossible not to have them on an All-NBA team. Moving on to the others, I think Dragic ekes the Suns into the eight seed in a loaded Western Conference, which should be good for 3^rd Team. Howard is still a dominant force at times, but no longer a consistent superstar. And as I said before, Kawhi is developing into a star. He'll get All-NBA honors this year.

All-NBA 2^nd Team

G Chris Paul

G James Harden

F Carmelo Anthony

F Blake Griffin

C LaMarcus Aldridge

I think Carmelo will tear it up once again this year, mainly because he's the only real individual offensive threat the Knicks have. The Griffin-Paul duo will have it's best year yet under Doc Rivers' keen eye. Harden will continue to put up big numbers (look for his assists to go up with the loss of Chandler Parsons' creating ability) while hopefully playing improved defense. Aldridge will be the best player on a high seeded Blazers team in the West.

All-NBA 1^st Team

G Stephen Curry

G Russell Westbrook

F LeBron James

F Kevin Durant

C Joakim Noah

The frontcourt remains from last year's First Team, as I think all of these guys continue to get it done, even though Durant will miss significant time to start the year. As for the guards, Westbrook is going to show everyone the true force of his talent and athleticism while Durant is out. There's a reason former player analysts like Charles Barkley love him so much. He'll be easily the best second banana on any team in the league. I also believe Curry will lead the Warriors to another playoff spot, and his numbers will be too much to ignore. I think he's a real MVP candidate as he could end the year with a 25-9 with two steals per game.

AWARDS

Comeback Player of the Year: Kobe Bryant

Both Bryant and Derrick Rose have a great storyline to go along with their season, as long as they come back well: Bryant is the stubborn, all-time great who came back from one of the worst injuries an athlete can suffer in the twilight of his career. Rose, by all accounts a great guy, has had a string of depressing, serious injuries that kept an MVP on the sidelines for a solid three years. I do think Rose will (and should) win it if he stays healthy, that hasn't been something to bank on in three years. Kobe will definitely put up numbers, though not at his normal elite pace. I see him finishing around a 19-4-4 or so. If both Bryant and Rose com back strong, it will be interesting to see which storyline the voters pick.

Rookie of the Year: Jabari Parker

Everyone says Jabari is the safe pick here, and they're right. He's the most NBA ready rookie in terms of skills that apply right away. With Joel Embiid most likely sidelined for the year, only Noel and Wiggins are threats, and they're on terrible teams they didn't pick to be on. He's in the situation he wanted, being just a car ride away from home in Chicago. He's the safe pick.

(By the way, remember when the Bulls traded Luol Deng last year? That was obviously a tanking move, but Noah and Thibodeau wouldn't have it, carrying a less than scary Chicago squad to a four seed. What if they had gone along with the tank job, gotten to the lottery, and somehow ended up with another hometown kid- Jabari Parker? How scary would that roster be right now?)

6^th Man of the Year: Isaiah Thomas

Many people don't realize that Thomas was one of three players on the Kings to average 20 PPG last year. The Suns, already very deep at guard, are bringing a 20-point scorer off the bench! I think Thomas will shine as instant offense off the bench, and he fits well with Dragic and Bledsoe. Thomas has a very unorthodox game that makes up for his small stature. I like the Suns to make the playoffs in the West, even with the loss of Channing Frye.

Coach of the Year: Doc Rivers

With Durant out the first month and a half or so of the season, I think this is the year the Clippers get a top two seed in the West. They have a very talented team that just had another year to mesh, and they got that third big they were missing in Spencer Hawes. Griffin and Jordan are getting better together, and Chris Paul is still an elite point guard. But Rivers is a big reason the Clips have improved so much, especially Griffin and Jordan. It will all pay off for Rivers this year.

Defensive Player of the Year: Serge Ibaka

Again, because Durant is going to miss an extended period of time, Ibaka will need to anchor a top five defense in OKC. It's necessary to combat the loss of Durant's offense. Ibaka has always been one of the league's best defenders, and everyone will get to see his defense under a microscope to to start the year, minus Durant. If Ibaka plays like the second guy on a playoff team, it'll be hard to stop OKC this year. The only thing that could derail them is the lack of a fifth guy to go with Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka, and Reggie Jackson.

MVP: LeBron James

I know this is a boring pick, but I'm here to tell you what I think will happen, not a fun thing that could happen. Just look at the facts: This is the most talented team in the league. The only team that could match the Cavs' top three is OKC, and Cleveland has much more depth than them. Cleveland is going to be a monster offensively, which is the key to getting regular season wins. This team could easily win the most games in the league just on their offense alone. Plus, LeBron's defense will seem even better compared to his teammates' lackluster efforts. And we all know how the national media keys in on LeBron. Now that his biggest competition is gone to start the year in Durant, there's not really anybody else who stands out right now.

My Flex Pack

Every year since 2010, my family has gotten the Flex Pack of tickets for Timberwolves games. The way it works is we can pick ten games to go see that season and we can pick which teams. We always have the same seats, and the price varies depending on the level of the team. I pick the teams based on who's on them, how good they have been, how good they are projected to be, and the overall state of fun around the squad.

Why am I telling you this? Well, I felt the need to tell you which teams I will pick this year. Without further ado:

The Honorable Mentions

These are the teams I would have chosen if I could go to 15 games.

Dallas Mavericks

Dallas had an unexpected renaissance last year, eking into the eighth seed and giving the Spurs their toughest test in their playoff run. Bill Simmons and Jalen Rose are right in saying that what Dirk did with that supporting cast earned him a spot on the MVP ballot. Just look at that roster.

They also added one of my favorite guys in free agency, Chandler Parsons. Why do I love Parsons? I appreciate when a player uses ingenuity to make up for lesser athletic traits. For example Andre Miller, the point guard who uses a refined post game to punish smaller guards. Parsons creates on the perimeter, will love to throw lobs to Tyson Chandler, and will have the occasional 10 three-pointer game. Good signing by Dallas to get Parsons away from in-state rival Houston. Hey, speaking of Houston...

Houston Rockets

You may think it's crazy for me to pick 10 teams over the one that has Dwight Howard, James Harden, and Harden's YouTube-worthy bad defense, especially after the game I went to last year. Corey Brewer scored 51 points and the Wolves got a dramatic win at home. But that's the point; I don't really want to see a team that let Corey Brewer drop 51 on them.

New Orleans Pelicans

The only reason I would go to this game would be for Anthony Davis. He's the next in line to LeBron and Durant for the MVP. I'll get to see him a few years down the road.

Charlotte Hornets

I love everything Charlotte did this offseason. Signing Lance Stephenson. Changing their name. Changing their uniforms. Love all of it. I'll definitely watch them on TV, and we'll all be watching them come playoff time. They just couldn't match up with some of the other teams on the main list.

Golden State Warriors

Now you're surprised. I know this is a little iffy, but I'm confident in my choices. There will be other years to go see Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, or as they're also known, the entire Warriors team. If they trade for Kevin Love, they'll bump the last team on here off the list. I have to see Love's return.*

The No-Doubt-About-Its

Keep in mind, there is no order of importance on this list.

Boston Celtics

My Celtics are easily going to be the worst team on this entire post, but I have to see how Marcus Smart and James Young are doing. I have to see them with or without Rondo, and if without, I have to see what they got back for him (Nik Stauskas anybody?). Stauskas would provide them some shooting, confidence, and fill the role of next great Celtics white guy. I'd be happy going forward with Smart, Stauskas, and Young as our perimeter of the future.

Even if nothing like that happens, the C's are my team and I have to see them. Long live the Green.

Cleveland Cavaliers

For all the obvious reasons (LeBron, LeBron back in Cleveland, possibility of a Love trade, Wiggins + LeBron = Havoc athletically) and a few not so obvious ones (Is Waiters still there? If he is, did LeBron have an effect on his relationship with Kyrie Irving? Would Love and Irving work as well together as they did in the Uncle Drew commercial?). Easily the most interesting team out there.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Just the athleticism, youth, and talent that Durant, Westbrook, and Ibaka bring to the table is enough for me to come back every year. As a fan, watching Durant in action is almost an epiphany, a revelation not just because of his skills at his height, but how he looks. He's so long and skinny, and he goes back so far on his step back. He's incredible.

Westbrook is perhaps the best specimen of an athlete in the league not named LeBron James. Just the way he flies around, covering space astoundingly fast, makes him seem superhuman. The craziest thing about Westbrook is how he'll pull down a rebound, come out of the pack, shift three gears higher than everyone else, accelerate and absolutely destroy a big man at the rim. It's amazing. I'm definitely looking to see if they fill that last scorer's role they need. If they do, they'll be incredibly hard to beat.

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls are on the list for a few reasons:
1) My dad is from Chicago, so I have some allegiance to all Windy City teams.
2) I want to see if Derrick Rose will ever really make it back. Personally, I doubt it. I hate to say it, but I think he's this generation's Penny Hardaway, a supremely gifted athletic specimen, who just can't seem to make it past the injuries. And if it happens again this year, it's definite. I sincerely hope I'm wrong, because Rose is so gifted and by all accounts a great guy and teammate, but I don't see it happening for him.
3) If I'm wrong, and Rose does make it back to around 85% of what he was in his MVP year, does Gasol push them over the top? The East is wide open and they don't even need to be as good as they were in 2011 (which I don't think they will be) as long as Cleveland doesn't get Love.

The Bulls will be interesting for sure.

Los Angeles Clippers

As long as Donald Sterling is no longer the owner, and all the players don't sit out the season, this is a definite choice.

   

Tebow Time- Two Years Later

      I look back on that one season Tim Tebow had in Denver, and I know that's the highest he's ever going to go. That one season was an incredible mix of huge media coverage, and a fundamentally flawed player who had something that made his team win down the stretch. It got to the point where every Monday I'd wake up, turn on SportsCenter, and see analysts arguing for three different five minute segments about how Tim Tebow played yesterday.

      He came in after the bye week and won 7 of the next 8, the last win coming against the Chicago Bears in overtime. Almost all the wins came in dramatic fashion after his repeated mistakes during the game. He had built almost a cult following, not just in Denver, but all across the country. However, it didn't extend to the QB experts on any of the sports networks. They all thought his throwing motion was flawed, he couldn't read defenses, and he should be counted lucky for all those wins. It appeared they were right when the Broncos lost their next three games, including a 41-23 drubbing at the hands of the New England Patriots. They eked into the playoffs at 8-8 on tiebreakers in a putrid AFC West.

     Then came the Wild Card game. Because of one of the NFL's many stupid rules, the 8-8 division winning Broncos got the home game against the 12-4 wild card Pittsburgh Steelers, who allowed the fewest passing yards, points, and total yards that season. Everyone was taking the Steelers, the previous year's AFC champs. The Broncos got it into overtime, somehow, and elected to receive. They never gave the Pittsburgh offense a chance. On the first play from scrimmage, Tebow connected with Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard touchdown.

      Pause. Tebow is Tebowing in the end zone, and the Denver crowd is losing their drunken minds.

This is the best it's going to get for Tim Tebow.

      After that season he was traded to the Jets once John Elway got Peyton Manning. Tebow in New York was too much media attention. The Jets hardly used him all year. It was a wasted season, an unmitigated disaster. Tebow not only got worse, but I think he lost his manic drive and confidence. That season also killed Mark Sanchez's confidence with Tebow behind him. Leave it to the Jets to ruin two of their own quarterbacks in one season. After the season New England picked him up, and people thought "Well, if anyone knows how to use him it's Bill Belichick." Not so. Released before the regular season started. He couldn't throw in preseason.

      Today on Sunday NFL Countdown on ESPN, there was a segment showing former QB Trent Dilfer working with Tebow on everything about being a quarterback (which begs the question: if you could pick a QB to work with you, why Trent Dilfer? I realize he was a fundamentally sound QB but... he wasn't a master or anything). Dilfer said at the end that if you put Tebow out there with any other QB in the NFL and just watch the flight of the ball, you wouldn't know which one is Tebow's.

      Maybe so, but there's a lot more to playing QB. I don't see Tebow coming back, not just because of his inability to read the defense, but because he already got three chances. Even in New England, they couldn't salvage him. In the NFL, three chances is too many. Of course, I could be wrong. Tebow definitely showed flashes in Denver, and I respect his ability to win at the end of games. I just think that the Jets management mishandled that year so badly that Tebow couldn't come back.

The lesson, as always: the Jets suck.