How Does the Return of Derrick Rose Affect the East?

The return of Derrick Rose could make the Bulls so dynamic that they emerge out of the East.

For Knicks, Heat, Nets and possibly even Pacers fans there is a harsh reality looming over there championship aspirations. The Chicago Bulls are 28-17, a game and a half behind the Knicks, and playing Thibodeau-basketball the way Thibodeau basketball is supposed to be played, gritty, ugly and pretty damn successful. Problem is, they're doing it without their main cog, their floor general and their best offensive player, Derrick Rose. But the 24-year-old superstar has just been cleared for contact and within 10 days, barring a mishap, he should return to the hardwood.

Right off the bat Rose will be limited to probably 20 minutes a game. You're not going to endanger your superstar by running him into the ground after he shredded his ACL last April. Consider the fact that the Bulls are playing fine without him he'll be eased into the lineup without any distress. Honestly, it's a win-win. And even if he disrupts the defensive sets early on because of rust, it most likely won't be for long. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if Thibodeau was already game planning a rusty Rose, I mean he is a defensive genius. Either way the Bulls won't be scary until the playoffs and that's coincidentally scary in it's own right.

Now let's play the eye test game. Is there a team in the East that has looks like a true favorite in the East? The Heat? No one on that team scares me anymore other than LeBron. The only thing really going for them right now is the benefit of the doubt. New York? Started hot, cooling off right now and their perimeter defense is completely absent. Jury's still out on my Knicks. Indiana and Brooklyn are pretenders in my eyes.

The re-addition of Rose to the Bulls lineup may take time, but it could completely alter the Bulls play. Rose is instant offense as well and a key ingredient to some impressive ball movement. He's their main cog and makes their offense truly dynamic. They've already shown that their defense alone should scare the rest of the East and if they can become even better on offense, which they most likely will with Rose, then this playoff picture becomes a three-headed monster.

It's a big "if" for Rose to come back at the high-flying, exhilarating play that made him MVP only two years ago. Adrian Peterson is the only athlete in recent memory to come back even better post-ACL surgery and I'm not sure if Rose will do the same. When he was finally diagnosed with the ACL tear last season, I thought they should shelve him for the season. I mean the guy is only 24 and his franchise changing value is nothing to mess around with. But the Bulls are in a unique scenario in which they probably won't even need full strength from him until the playoffs. That decreases the risk on Rose re-tearing his ACL and potentially threatening his career.

For Knicks and Heat fans it's time to take notice at how well Chicago operates on the floor and truly fear the return of Derrick Rose. My Knicks are 0-3 against the Bulls already; that doesn't bode well for championship aspirations at all. 

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I'm Not Sold On DeMarcus Cousins

DeMarcus Cousins might be ultra-talented, but is he really worth the headaches?

With the NBA trade deadline a little less than a month away, one name has come up over and over again in discussion and it baffles me every time. 

DeMarcus Cousins has all the talent in the world. He's an elite rebounder, solid defender and a great low-post player on offense. His 6'11", 270 lbs frame is immovable in the paint and and he's only 22 years old. The sky is the absolute limit for the former fifth overall pick. Yet while his high ceiling is unknown, it seems to me that he'll unlikely fulfill his potential.

If locker room cancer was an occupation, Cousins would be employee of the month every time. He's immature and portrays his immaturity in some of the most rash ways. One minute he won't play hard, next minute he's getting in an argument with the coach in the locker room, the next he's suspended indefinitely. This is his third season in the NBA and yet he's still as immature as he was on day one. Some people just won't change and this sort of sentiment is slowly becoming apparent in Cousins' mentality.

What's funny is that we've seen this type of player in the NBA countless times before. The dark years (early 2000s, post-Jordan Era) were chalk full of selfish and immature players who never turned it around. Anyone remember Corey Maggette? How about Vin Baker? Jerome James? All of these names haunted David Stern's sleep for years, but the NBA has really turned it around lately. So my question is why do so many teams want to go back in time and acquire an overly talented, yet wildly sophomoric individual like Cousins. Don't try to sell me on, "this coach will get a hold of him and really turned it around," I'm not buying it. And don't sell me the contender card either, this guy doesn't seem like he'll react well to veterans trying to straighten him. 

Watch this video after he was suspended earlier this season and don't tell me he's wreaks like a selfish problem child:

 

If I were a team really looking to make a splash in this NBA Trade Deadline I'd avoid Cousins like the plague. His 17 pts/10 rebs is enticing, but this is a read between the lines case. Teams need to stop drooling over the what-if and take a look at the reality of the situation. If this guy is ever going to change then it's going to come internally. You could point to J.R. Smith and Mike Woodson this season to counter me, but Smith's hustle and effort was never in question, the issues was on-court decision making. Cousins is a different beast.

I'm just glad Isiah Thomas isn't the GM of the Knicks because Cousins would've been on the Garden Hardwood faster than a LeBron James fast break. 

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Randy Moss Claims He's the Greatest? No Way

Moss might have made some of the greatest catches in NFL history, but he isn't the greatest of all-time.

ESPN.com -- One day after San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh took on President Barack Obama, receiver Randy Moss challenged Jerry Rice's status as the NFL's greatest receiver.

Wait, weren't the AFC champion Baltimore Ravens supposed to be the big talkers during Super Bowl week? They're multiple-syllable underdogs at this point. 

Moss stole the show at Super Bowl media day by declaring himself the greatest receiver of all time. 

"I think I'm the greatest receiver to ever do it," Moss said. "Because I think back when Jerry was playing -- and no disrespect to Jerry Rice, because he's arguably the greatest -- but for me to be able to go out here and change and revolutionize the game from a single safety to a Cover 2 safety and dropping three guys deep and dropping four guys deep and still be able to make it happen? That is why I really hold my hat on that, that I really feel in my heart and in my mind that I am the greatest receiver to ever play this game." 

If Rice had the greatest career of any receiver in NFL history, which seems indisputable based on longevity and raw numbers, Moss at his best was arguably the most feared. 

Let me just start by saying I never remember watching Jerry Rice, Cris Carter or Michael Irvin shred defenses live like the highlights showed, but the way the old timers talk about passing in their day it makes believe that setting records in a run-heavy era is just a tad bit more admirable.

The "greatest of all-time" argument in any sport is difficult, even when it seemingly shouldn't be. I liken the Randy Moss-Jerry Rice argument to the LeBron James-Michael Jordan argument in this way; the generational difference should not be ignored. Like Jordan, Rice played in an era where the defender had the advantage and muggings both down the lane and over the middle were commonplace. If LeBron and Moss were sneezed during any point of their careers so far they'd get a foul or a 15-yard penalty.

I'm not taking away anything from Moss. He was certainly the most dominant wide receiver of the post-Rice era and his "throw it up and go get it" abilities were unparalleled in his day. The 23 TDs he caught in '07 were more a product of him embarassing defenses than Brady's excellence or Belichick's wisdom. But really it was his days in Minnesota that made him the living legend we think of today. Oh and don't for get this catch which started his career off exactly how it should be remembered (just ridiculous). He single-handedly built up Daunte Culpepper's career and then destroyed it in an instant. Then he sauntered around in Oakland and looked like he was going to retire like a whiny little child. Once again resurrecting his career in New England, only to go downhill another time. While he hasn't found his young legs here in San Francisco, he's played pretty well and kept his mouth shut...until today. If it wasn't for Terrell Owens bizarre career, Moss would have had the most bizarre career of any great NFL player.

Rice's numbers alone prove that Moss is his inferior, but I think even Moss's style of dominance and greatness could be surprised in the next decade. Calvin Johnson has already wowed us in the way Moss did and I think he's only improving. Megatron is the same type of "just throw it up to him" kind of guy that Moss was, but he's bigger stronger and might even have a higher leaping ability. The other thing that CJ has over Moss is his attitude. Megatron knows he's the best in the league, but he'll never tell you it. He let's his absurd play do the talking and that's what people will remember him for.

So while Moss did walk most of his talk over the years, he could quickly be surpassed in public opinion if his numbers are matched by Megatron. As for either of these guys catching up with Jerry Rice? I just don't know if the generation gap will let them. 

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Don't Look Now Boston, It's Time to Blow Up These C's

If the Celtics want to contend in the coming years, then it's time to deal Garnett and Pierce

By about halftime of Sunday's epic Celtics, Heat game, Boston had met a crossroads. Yes, the team was locked into an important game with the Eastern Conference's leaders, but the game had become an afterthought. Even though most of the Celtics locker room was uninformed to the dire situation, the outcome of this game wouldn't nearly have the impact on this season and Boston's future as much as these coming days will have. And so on the heels of what probably was the best Celtics win of this season, major decisions are lurking in the shadows.

Don't be delusional Celtics fans, this current Rondo-less team has no chance of getting any higher than a seventh seed nor do they have a chance to exit the first round. Danny Ainge will have to make moves.  There will be no sitting back in his office chair waiting for Jason Terry to return to form or  for Avery Bradley to magically morph into Rondo. Garnett won't wait, Pierce neither. With Brandon Bass and Jason Terry struggling and Jeff Green still floating in the unknown (is he good? is he a bust? is he a devastating injury away from never playing again?) Ainge can go two ways. One, he can try to make a trade to pick up a mid-level point guard who can at least facilitate the ball. If this is his decision, I still don't think it makes them a formidable squad even in the weak Eastern Conference. My question is can they even make that move? Do they have any pieces they'd really be willing to give up? Sullinger looks  like he could be a solid NBA player. I wouldn't give him up. Is Fab Melo's 11/7 worth anything? How about Jeff Green's inconsistent play and heart concerns? It's just hard to see them picture them making a move to improve without a heavy future cost.

That leads me to option number two and it's one I thought they should have done after last season's  Game 7 loss in the ECF. Pierce and Garnett are on the decline, Jason Terry looks like a big bust (though I thought it was a good off season signing) and the Brandon Bass/Glen Davis trade is haunting Ainge every night. This team needs a complete re-haul. Ainge needs to clean house immediately. I was almost 100-percent sure Garnett was going to hang 'em up after last season, so he'll surely call it a career after this year unless he's traded to another contender. Pierce still has years on him, but his worth is already less than it was at the start of the season. If you can package Terry and/or Bass in a deal with Garnett or Pierce I'd call it a successful trade. I'm also not sure clearing cap space is as important as getting solid young players/draft picks with the decreasing value of this year's free agent class (pretty much Dwight Howard and Josh Smith). Either way, moves must be made.

I understand that the blow-up-the-team scenario sucks, but this team is going to slide even further into oblivion if they just let this train-wreck continue without a shining light somewhere down the road. You obviously never want your team to give up players who still have superstar abilities, but this team was already struggling even with Rondo. Sometimes you just have to let go. These guys won you a championship and you don't want this situation to be like it was in the late 90s. Boston handled the Mchale, Parish, Bird twilight years poorly and basically landed itself an eight-year playoff drought (made it in '94-'95 with a 35-47 record???). If Ainge can get good value out of Garnett and/or Pierce along with the dumping of Terry and Bass' contracts then he might be able to save face from the nightmare-inducing Perkins-Jeff Green trade.

Rest assured Ainge is getting calls from probably every GM in the league, so it's up to him to pull the trigger on it and get this done. I admire Doc Rivers' attitude, "You can write our obituary, but I won't." But don't worry Doc, Danny Ainge will write it for you, like he should.

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The Heat are Just Plain Boring

This scene isn't even exciting anymore...

I think it comes as an appropriate time to rip the Miami Heat to shreds for being one of the league's most un-interesting teams. This loss to a devastated, Rondo-less Celtics team doesn't mean that the Heat are all of the sudden going to fold like a plastic chair, finish fifth in the East and get swept in the first round. I'm not saying that, but I am indicting them as an overly boring entity with far too much National TV time for anyone's good. And where does this start? Of course, with LeBron.

With the Team Hate LeBron phenomena sort of dying out as he continues, with ease, to prove that he is the best basketball player on the planet (I only consider two players even remotely in his stratosphere, Durant and 'Melo). His domination of the game is absolutely unparalleled, no doubt, but it comes almsot too easily to him. Right now LeBron is on cruise control. An average of 26 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the league's best player is chump change, effortless for a guy of his skill. If James wanted to average a triple-double he would average a triple-double. I have no doubts in my mind he could do that. I'd go as far as to say he could average 30, 10 and 10 if he wanted, but he understands the longevity required to successfully complete an 82-game season and 20-25 playoff games. You can't play at an eye-popping level like that for 100+ games. However, another factor that adds to LeBron's low regular season entertainment value is actually how he plays the game.

James isn't a dominant scorer like Carmelo Anthony or Kevin Durant and he doesn't dazzle you like Rondo or CP3. He's probably as boring of a superstar as I've ever witnessed. The game comes so easy to him and he is so freakishly athletic that every play he makes looks like a cake walk. Everyone is wowed by his cake walks, but that doesn't mean they're not sick of it. I understand the backhanded nature of this compliment, but it's true and it annoys me. A guy hitting wide open, aging three point shooters because of his unbelievable penetration abilities (too strong, too fast) isn't fun. Neither is him beating his opponent of the dribble for an easy layup, or the same dunk we've seen a million times (cock it back and try to destroy the rim). It's like Blake Griffin dunking these days, his game just gets old.

Now don't mistake all of this boring talk as a knock on 'Bron's game. The dude is the best in the business and if you try to argue with me, you're absolutely delusional. But the 40+ National TV games for this team is too much. People don't care about LeBron losing as much as they used to, Dallas already took care of that right hook to the jaw we all wanted once these clowns had danced on stage talking about winning 100 championships. I know I'm not the only one who doesn't care that the Heat are on TV unless they're playing my team.

Again, don't mistake this for a shot solely at LeBron. His teammates do very little to add to the entertainment value. For one, Dwyane Wade is on the decline. Yes, he is still averaging a nice 21, 5 and 5 but his body is wearing down. He no longer is the vicious, unstoppable penetrator that he used to be. Now he settles for jump shots that don't fall at the rate his finishes used to. Chris Bosh? Well, Bosh has quickly accepted his role as third fiddle and is actually playing extremely well this season (most likely a product of LeBron). But again, is his game exciting? No absolutely not, watching his lanky frame flop around and knock down 18-footers isn't fun to watch. The rest of the team? No thank you. 3-point shooting Ray Allen is a snoozer. Norris Cole and Mario Chalmers are seriously overrated and Rashard Lewis is...well...Rashard Lewis.

Is this a ridiculous complaint? Yes, it is. Although, it doesn't mean it's not reality. The Heat have 13 more nationally televised games (TNT, ABC, ESPN) and while they are all "marquee" matchups, I personally will be boycotting all of them except for the games against the Knicks. Laugh at this article all you want, but next time you're sitting on your couch watching the Heat play the intensely over-covered Los Angeles Lakers think about what you read today. You'll be nodding your head in agreement, thanks to their ugly jerseys, mundane players and "you-can-hear-a-pin-drop" quiet arena.

And just shoot me if they win another NBA Championship. At that rate every single one of their games will be on National TV.

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25 and Under Western Conference All-Star Team

Durant and Westbrook not only headline the NBA West All-Stars, but also our 25 and under West All-Stars as well.

Since I can't change anything about this current All-Star game situation, I decided to go out and craft my own All-Star game, which will be called the 25 and Under All-Star Game. Anyone 25 and under is eligible even if they are already selected to the real All-Star game and they must have played at least 25 games as well. Here we go with the West:

25 and under Western Conferences Starters
Guys that missed out because of injury: Kevin Love

PG: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City, 24 years old
22.7 PPG, 8.1 APG, 5.3 RPG, 42% FG
Westbrook is an absolute freak. Not only is he a superior athlete when it comes to getting up and making plays around the rim, but his motor is unstoppable. Yes, too unstoppable at times, but he's still one of the top-10 players in the NBA. The Thunder are the league's best team and Westbrook has played an enormous part in leading them to that "title."

SG: James Harden, Houston, 23 years old 
25.8 PPG, 5.4 APG, 4.5 RPG, 43% FG
Harden was brought into Houston through a mega trade and mega contract in order to be a leader on this young Rockets squad. That's exactly what he's been. Now that he's actually playing starter minutes we can see that this dude is absolutely for real. The Rockets made a great move trading for him, now they just need to get rid of the overpriced Lin and really build around him with some nice, appropriately priced guys.

SF: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City, 24 years old
29.6 PPG, 4.4 APG, 7.4 RPG, 52% FG
If it wasn't for a guy named LeBron James, Durant would be the league's best player. Every season he seems to grow, improving his game ten fold. This year we've seen it on the defensive end where he has transformed himself from a liability into a solid defender. Oh and if you forgot, this guy is a once in a lifetime scoring talent, shooting 52-percent!!!!!! from the field this year. With Durant and Westbrook on the court, I'm just not sure how the Thunder aren't going to come up victorious come June.

PF: Kenneth Faried, Denver, 23 years old
12.0 PPG, 9.8 RPG
Faried's numbers aren't going to blow you away, not by any means. However, this guy certainly has the abilities to vie for a defensive player of the year award sometime down the road. He's a banger down low and is such an intimidating force in the post that he forces players into poor shots all the time. Just a mean dude all-around.

C: JaVale McGee, Denver, 25 years old
10. PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.9 BPG
I will say that McGee got the starting nod simply because he was the best young center in the West, but that also doesn't mean he didn't deserve it. He and Faried present a nightmare to opposing team's front courts with phenomenal defensive post play. McGee can block shots from almost anywhere with his mind-blowing reach. You also got to realize this guy is still unbelievably raw and that his ceiling is about as high as his reach is.  

Reserves

PG: Stephen Curry, Golden State, 24 years old
20.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 4.1 APG, 44% FG
I've always seen Curry as a shooting guard type, even with his lanky frame; that's how he really plays as a PG. He's a surprisingly good rebounder on top of his excellent shooting ability. I'm most happy for him because he's a quality individual who finally is playing on a really underrated Warriors team and he's definitely a main cog.

PG: Damian Lillard, Portland, 22 years old
18.3 PPG, 6.6 APG, 3.5 RPG, 42% FG
Lillard might be a rookie out of little known Weber State, but dear lord is he playing like a veteran in his rookie year. We knew out of college that he was a pure scorer, yet this season he's shown that he has good court vision and quality passing abilities. It's hard to say that he's not the front runner for Rookie of the Year as probably one of the most unlikely Rookie of the Year winners of all-time.

SG: O.J Mayo, Dallas, 25 years old
18.2 PPG, 4.1 APG, 3.8 RPG, 46% FG
For a guy with as much pre-NBA hype as Mayo got, it's taken him a long time to get to where he is now. The 25-year-old really emerged this year in Dallas with the absence of Dirk Nowitzki and he's scoring at an impressive clip for a guy who has been known as an overshooter. Mayo is looking like he's worth every penny the Mavs spent on him in the off-season.

SG: Gordon Hayward, Utah, 22 years old
13.5 PPG, 2.4 APG, 2.9 RPG, 41% 3P-FG
Hayward isn't going to run anyone out of the building. He's not going to wow you with athleticism or do anything you've never seen before. Yet, I will go as far as to say he's one of the most intelligent basketball players in the league, playing the game to his abilities and never over doing it. He's also a pretty damn good three point shooter.

F/C: Nicolas Batum, Portland, 24 years old
16.5 PPG, 4.6 APG, 6.0 RPG, 43% FG
The Blazers were forced to make a serious decision over Batum when the T'Wolves offered him a monster contract this offseason. So far this season, the decision to match that offer sheet looks like a brilliant idea. Batum has proved that he is an all-around talent with superstar potential if he continues to improve. 

F/C: Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City, 23 years old
14.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.8 BPG
This guy has improved every season he's played in and this season is no different. His offensive game continues to improve and as well as becoming more of a well-rounded defender than just a shot-blocker. The Thunder definitely made the right decision keeping him over Harden because of his unique skill set and long, strong frame.

F/C: Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers, 23 years old
18.3 PPG, 8.6 RPG
I'm not the biggest fan of Griffin's game, but I just don't know how you keep him off this roster. He's just too athletic and too imposing on offense not to. His defensive deficiencies are often overlooked because of the Clippers success and DeAndre Jordan's shutdown post mentality. Of course, a major ingredient to Griffin's improvement over the past two years is Chris Paul, who could make you and I look good out there on a basketball court.

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25 and Under Eastern Conference All-Star Team

With Derrick Rose out all season, Irving has assumed the role as the Eastern Conference's best youngin'.

I think I've made it clear in my past posts about All-Star games that I only care about the NBA All-Star game and I don't believe I'm alone in that school of thought. Yet, even with my favorite All-Star game, there's an issue. I cannot stand the popularity contest that is the All-Star starters portion of the game. Good thing they have the coaches pick the reserves, because sometimes it's mind-boggling when a guy like Jeremy Lin gets into the All-Star game because of one exciting week and some B.S. phenomenon from last year that has basically fizzled out (thank god it didn't happen).

Anyways, since I can't change anything about this current All-Star game situation, I decided to go out and craft my own All-Star game, which will be called the 25 and Under All-Star Game. Anyone under-25 is eligible even if they are already selected to the real All-Star game and they must have played at least 25 games as well. Here we go with the East.

Under-25 Eastern Conference Starters
Guys that missed out because of Injury: Derrick Rose, John Wall

PG: Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers, 20 years old
23.7 PPG, 5.7 APG, 1.8 SPG, 47% FG
It's truly unfortunate that Kyrie Irving plays in Cleveland because he is beyond-his-years good. He controls the game like Chris Paul and might be an even better shooter. This guy can go out there and win you a game in two ways. One, by scoring 45 and burning the building or two, by growing an apple tree out there on the court with his assists. He's coming for CP3's throne probably faster than we expected; he's only 20...

SG: Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia 76ers, 22 years old
19.0 PPG, 9.0 APG, 4.2 RPG, 45% FG
Holiday has exploded here in his third season in Philly and has truly assumed the leadership role. If only Andrew Bynum's knees were a little bit healthier and we might be talking about this guy as an All-Pro (more assists, duh). Yes, I realize he's a tad too small to play the SG role, but how can you not have this guy on the court as well as Kyrie. When you're talking about this kind of ball control and fire power in your back court, you cannot pass it up.

SF: Paul George, Indiana, 22 years old
17.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.8 APG, 42% FG
Danny Granger, who? No seriously, Paul George's emergence in only his second year has helped the Pacers more than whether the storm without Granger. The Pacers are 10 games over .500 with George leading the charge and most of it stems from George's great all around play.

PF: Greg Monroe, Detroit, 22 years old
15.4 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 3.2 APG
Monroe has the misfortune of playing for one of the league's worst teams, but that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to be a starter. He's a presence offensively and he's still growing immensely. His post game is elite and his passing abilities as a big man are seriously good. The only issue with Monroe is that he has to get mentally tougher; right now he doesn't impose his will enough.

C: Brook Lopez, Brooklyn, 24 years old
18.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.1 BPG
It's not as much as apparent that Lopez is vital to the Nets success when he's on the court as it is when he is absent. The Nets went 2-5 when he was out of the lineup. I know I placed him on the softie team earlier this year, but he certainly has become a man this season.

Reserves:

PG: Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee, 23 years old
18.7 PPG, 5.8 APG, 3.5 RPG, 41% FG
Jennings can be a headache at times, overshooting and making silly plays, but his talent is undeniable and he's played under control this season. The Bucks 22-18 record is mostly a result of his maturity and cohesion with fellow wild child, Monta Ellis. 

PG: Kemba Walker, Charlotte, 22 years old
17.9 PPG, 5.7 APG, 3.4 RPG, 43% FG
Now that Walker is actually starting, it really shows how unbelievable he is. We all know how he's a lights-out shooter, but he's really coming along as a point guard. Like many of his 25 and Under teammates, he's been hurt by his squad, but he hasn't let that deter him. One day I imagine Kemba Walker knocking down all types of shots for a Knicks/Lakers/Heat/Celtics type team and I cannot wait.

SG: Demar DeRozan, Toronto, 23 years old
17.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 43% FG
Let me get this out here first, this dude is a HIGH FLYER. Now that we've got that out of the way, DeRozan has really matured. He's a big body at 6'7" for the 2-guard position, and he uses it to his advantage. He gets to the line about five times a game which shows that he uses his size and strength and he's also a great free-throw guy at 84%. Will say he's got to make more threes if he wants to truly blossom as a scorer.

SG: Jordan Crawford, Washington, 24 years old
15.0 PPG, 4.4 APG, 3.8 RPG, 42% FG
The guy most famously known as the "dude that dunked on LeBron" is really the only shining star on the league's worst team. He's been doing the best he can on the offensive end to make up for the loss of John Wall, so the re-entrance of Wall into the lineup should only help him thrive in his own role as a inside-outside scorer.

PF/C: Larry Sanders, Milwaukee, 24 years old
8.2 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 3.2 BPG
Sanders isn't going to wow you with a post game or really anything on offense, but damn is this guy good on the defensive end. He's 6'11" with absurd length and he's leading the league in blocks by a legitimate margin. With him and Jon Henson the Bucks will be formidable defensively down low for years to come. He had a triple-double vs. Minnesota with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 12 blocks...wow.

PF/C: Tristan Thompson, 21 years old
10.6 PPG, 9.3 RPG
Thompson is extremely raw still, yet he is improving. It definitely helps when you have Kyrie Irving feeding you the ball. He will need to shoulder even more of the load as a starter with Anderson Varejao done for the year. It'll take time, but this kid is on the right track to being a solid NBA player.

PF/C: Byron Mullens, Charlotte, 23 years old
11.6 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.5 APG
Despite only playing 27 games and being one of the ugliest players in the NBA, Mullens had been pretty solid for the 'Cats. He might be a shot-blocker per say, but he does provide solid defense and a solid overall game. He certainly has the potential to be a starter for years. The 'Cats are 3-11 without him and 7-13 with him...just saying.

Western Conference selections will be up tomorrow...

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The Best of the Seattle SuperSonics

It's great news for the NBA that the Sonics are back.

The apparent news of the Kings moving to Seattle is an absolutely great thing for the NBA. The Kings were a franchise moving in the wrong direction with the wrong type of players leading their squad. Hopefully this move will change the culture in the locker room; the first move? Get rid of DeMarcus Cousins immediately. He pretty much represents the epitome of the Kings problems with maturity and unprofessionalism.

But anyways, this isn't time to rip on DeMarcus Cousins for being a clown or make fun of these lowly Kings. It's time to enjoy the fact that basketball is back in a city with one of the most rabid fan bases (see the Seahawks fans). I'm especially excited for the new jerseys they'll produce, because every jersey they've ever put out is absolutely unreal. That is, of course, if they bring back the Sonics name and if they don't then it better not be anything like the Pelicans.

We're going to give you some of our favorite videos of the Sonics over the years for your enjoyment here on MLK Day.

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Terrell Suggs Calls it as He Sees it

Terrell Suggs' wasn't wrong when he called the Pats arrogant you know whats...

ESPN.com -- Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs didn't hold back after his team's 28-13 victory in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, shouting as he ran through the Gillette Stadium tunnel that the New England Patriots were "arrogant f------!"

"(We) shut them out in the second half! Tell them to have fun at the Pro Bowl!" he shouted as he exchanged congratulatory hugs and high-fives with teammates as they walked into the locker room. Seven Patriots were selected to play in the Pro Bowl, which is slated to be played Sunday. Players on teams that reach the Super Bowl do not play in the Pro Bowl the weekend before.

Maybe Terrell Suggs didn't say it in the most appropriate way, maybe he let his comments drift too far towards class-less, but the ultra-athletic linebacker was far from wrong.

Last night, New England walked on that field expecting to win, an expectation that had strong backing. Yet, they didn't play like it. An aire of arrogance filled the stadium's atmosphere both on the field with the Patriots and in the crowd with their fans. They expected the Ravens to fold like a plastic chair simply because they were New England, they were at Gillette in January and they were the better team. But by halftime the realization that this was actually going to be a game, not a blowout, didn't resonate with the Patriots. Yes, they were up 13-7, but the team's mindset still was one of arrogant expectation and their play in the second half proved so.

For some reason the Pats abandoned their running game and let Joe Flacco dictate the time of possession and really the entire pulse of the game. New England's defense was sliced and diced by Baltimore's run game in the second half and Flacco converted a few big plays. It also didn't help that cornerback Aqib Talib left the game early with a thigh injury leaving the Pats already weak secondary absolutely obliterated. That play completely changed the course of the game, yet the Pats continued to play over confident and increasingly confusing.

Why in the world would you throw 54 times when the running game was what got you to the AFC Championship. It wasn't even like the Ravens went up 28-13 that early in the second half, so the necessity to throw every play as if it's Madden wasn't as immediate as the Pats made it seem. Honestly, the game was over the minute Bernard Pollard wrecked Stevan Ridley, because Belichick clearly had no trust in Shane Vereen (only had four carries). That moment carried more significance than just shelving Ridley, though, it showed that the Ravens' intensity had completely overwhelmed New England. 

Oh, and dear lord was Tom Brady bad. Not only did he throw two INTs and 25 incompletions but his poor clock management cost Patriots a chance at a touchdown and a 17-7 lead going into half time. For Tom Brady, supposedly the Patriots "leader," to be so careless in his decision making shows a clear indication that this team believed all they had to do was show up. Well just like Boobie Miles the Pats god given talent's weren't enough to beat an extremely determined and apparently seriously underrated Ravens squad. They were absolutely dominated both on the field and in the psychological game.

Belichick and Brady are now 8-7 since winning their third Super Bowl in 2004 and while Brady still remains an elite quarterback the squad around him isn't as talented as those teams in the early 2000s. Something is off about this team and the scariest part is that Brady isn't getting any younger. He'll be 36 in August and has shown some signs of slowing down. I'm not saying he's close to being done, but I am saying that if the pieces around him don't improve from this year than the Patriots will no longer be the dominant force they've been over the years.

A dynasty crumbles when pompousness and arrogance plague its leaders. If the Pats don't improve their attitudes going forward, we could watch this empire slowly plunge to its death.

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Will Matt Ryan Get his Man Card Back this Weekend?

Matt Ryan might have gotten the playoff monkey off his back, but he hasn't gotten his man card back.

Let me start by prefacing that Matt Ryan is not Tony Romo. He doesn't provide us with the type of overwhelming comedy that comes from a Romo-esque fourth quarter meltdown. Ryan doesn't choke in the exhilarating nature as a classic Romo pick six or some butter fingers. But, Matty Ice has been more Matty Meltdown than anything over his five year career; now he has a chance to retrieve his man card.

No, I didn't forget about what happened last weekend and how Matt Ryan captured his first playoff victory with a last second drive. However, I also didn't forget that his inability to make plays allowed his defense to tire and the Seahawks to miraculously come back from 20 points down. Actually, if the the Seahawks hadn't botched that late first half drive or Marshawn Lynch didn't fumble the football in Falcons territory we'd probably be talking about Ryan being Romo Jr. It didn't happen, I get it, he still won and a win in the playoffs is taken at any cost. Yet at the same time, that performance doesn't exactly make the 49ers tremble nor does it turn the public opinion around on Ryan. He still is soft and still hasn't proved that he is a winner. And no, regular season wins don't count in my book.

Thanks to Ryan's win last Sunday, he has a chance to truly take the next step. The Niners are the real deal, but the Falcons are at home and most likely feeling confident. They are a extremely talented squad  and I think they match up well with San Francisco. Yet, that means nothing if they don't bring a killer mentality on Sunday. They don't need any motivation from haters or a pump up from their coaches, this team showed in the regular season that they are laden with talent and the Niners shouldn't scare them. But we've said this before and they haven't performed. And that really comes down to Ryan inadequacies.

Ryan has thrown 6 INTs and 6 TDs in the post season, while losing two fumbles and never posting a QB rating hasn't been higher than 73 before this go around; of course you also can't forget that he's 1-3. However, the 0-for wins and the ugly numbers are in the past. It's time for him to go retrieve his man card from the depths of the Charmin factory and win his first NFC Championship. But another dud of a game, unclutch as usual, and Ryan will officially be dubbed Tony Romo Jr.

I personally think Ryan's a good guy and good for the game so I hope he gets it done, but history isn't on his side.

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Why We Never Should have Doubted the New England Patriots

The Pats have revitalized their running game with Shane Vereen and have re-discovered their "it" factor.

Over the past few years the New England Patriots had lost their mojo, void of the "it" factor that had propelled them to three Super Bowls in four years. Tom Brady was still one of the elite quarterbacks in the league, but he was more Drew Brees all-out passer than the old winning Tom Brady we were originally introduced to. The Pats defense, which was the backbone of those three championships, had grown old and had abandoned them. Their ground game? Non-existent. Two late game Super Bowl disasters later and this team was reeling (I say that comparatively) coming into the season. Then a fourth quarter meltdown in Seattle left the Patriots at 3-3, tied atop the AFC East and looking like they were going to be battling all three division rivals just for a chance to make the playoffs.

However, this team changed. They won a surprisingly close overtime game vs. the Jets in Week 7 and wandered right into "the zone." Reeling off a dominant 9-1 in their last 10 games, the Pats had re-established a ground game (7th in the league) and had young players on defense performing at an extremely high. If it wasn't for a wild game vs the Niners, in which strangely both should have easily won and easily lost, this team would have been cruising into the playoffs on a 10-game winning streak. But, that's neither here nor there, the old Patriots are back and that's scary for the rest of the league.

For a minute there from the years 2005 'til last year, the Patriots were in a transition period. They had abandoned an effective run game because their lineman were aging and Belichick thought they could get away with throwing the ball 50 times a game. Rookies on defense just weren't ready to step up. They were fortunate to even win two AFC Championships let alone lose two Super Bowls on the last drive of each respective game. But this is all in the past. This team has all the makings of a fourth Brady-Belichick Super Bowl and the official mark of a decade of dominance. I made it very clear that I thought the Patriots had lost "it," well they've certainly found "it." Factor in the way the cards have fallen in the AFC playoffs and the opportunity door has been blown off its hinges. No Manning? A home game in Gillette in January? You might as well buy your tickets to Nawlins, Patriots fans, this one is over.

Well, of course, they do have one more hump to get over and it has very little to do with what happens on the football field. There is no question the Patriots are the superior team and that their home field advantage is undeniable, but if the football gods want Ray Lewis to win a Super Bowl then Ray Lewis is going to win a Super Bowl. Add in the fact that this is a rematch from the devastating Billy Cundiff missed field goal last year and it makes the game even more difficult mentally for the Pats to win.

But, I will say Belichick often makes deals with devil and if anyone can defy the Football Gods it's Billy B. It also helps that this is by far his most complete, not just talented, team since 2004. If you're out there searching for the best chance for the Patriots empire to slip up, it's the Niners. They beat the Pats in Gillette earlier this season, but it was a wild, uncharacteristic game for the Pats and trying to defeat the New England Patriots twice in one season is about as difficult as watching Tim Tebow go through passing drills. I just don't see it happening.

It'd honestly be truly fitting for Brady to tie his childhood hero Joe Montana against Montana's franchise and it's looking more and more like that will happen.

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How the New York Jets Did a Beautiful Thing this Season

Even the refs were caught laughing, pointing and totally forgetting about Tim Tebow this season.

6-10. It's an ugly record, one cannot doubt. It probably meant that your team either:
A: Got destroyed by all the good teams and won big against a few cupcakes.
B: Wasn't good enough to beat that many teams, but hung around in enough of them to be a couple field goals away from 10-6.
C: Whatever the Jets did this season.

I wrote before this season that the Jets' circus needed to be shut down. That the shenanigans in MetLife Stadium had lost its place among the New York, except among New York Post writers and cover creating geniuses. To them it's the wilder the news, the better. Anyways, the Jets were beyond wild off the field, sometimes wild on the field and most of the time just down right ugly by mid-afternoon on Sundays on the field. Despite the porous record, the potential end of Mark Sanchez's career (thanks butt fumble) and the turmoil in the front office, there is one shining light to the Jets season. They just annihilated everything Tim Tebow had going for him.

Let's settle this now, Tim Tebow is not an NFL quarterback. He cannot throw, he cannot run an offense and his decision making is impeccably bad. You don't need to watch him in a real NFL game to grasp his inadequacies in the backfield. That's why the Jets never gave him a chance. Originally, they brought him in to be a specialist, a curveball to the ground and pound game. Maybe they even acquired Football Jesus Jr. to light a fire underneath a struggling Mark Sanchez. However, they quickly realized that this man has no qualifications to be under center. Even Tony Sparano, who proved his own inabilities this season, realized that watching that lefty sling sputtering pigeons eight yards down field was enough to warrant only eight pass attempts (surprisingly six of which he completed). After Ryan and Sparano agreed that this man has no right behind the center, they eventually grew viciously tired of him and just shut him out. Their new goal by midseason was to make Tim Tebow as middling of a sports subject as possible and despite multiple attempts by the New York Post to bring him back into the limelight, the Jets succeeded. Tebow had 32 rush attempts for a scintillating 3.2 yards per carry average and six completions for a mind-boggling 39 yards (no INTs!!!!). By season's end, Tebow was crying out for attention by reportedly asking to be left out of the wildcat formation. He of course denied, but that moment there meant that the Jets won and he was waving his white flag.

With wobbly-pass-lefty Jesus out the door in New York, the Jaguars were poised to bring him in. Obviously he would fit perfectly with the heavily religious ties in Northern Florida. The Jags wouldn't mind another 2-14 season as long as they were selling out seats to those excited to watch Tebow's 36.4 passer rating and rousing post game speeches sermons . But then something magical happened, Jacksonville actually transformed back into an organization again by bringing in David Caldwell at GM. Most impressively, he reportedly had a lengthy discussion with the Jaguars front office before signing wanting no part of Ole Miss-post-game crying Jesus either. The NFL franchise in Jacksonville is looking like it's going to saved after all and Tebow's credibility is taking a nose dive.

I will say two small things in response to Tebow's magical 9-7 run to the AFC Divisional Playoffs that you're all probably thinking about. One, look what happened when they played the Patriots in the next game (far superior team to the Steelers as we saw this year) on the road: a 45-10 shellacking, if you magically forgot. Two, Peyton Manning (a truly fantastic quarterback) has led that same Broncos team to a 13-3 record and into serious contention for the franchises third Super Bowl. Simply put, Tebow was carried by a stellar Broncos defense, running game, talented wide receivers and a once-in-a-lifetime season of luck.

Truthfully all the credit goes to the New York Jets organization. They refused to let Tebow dominate the headlines even with their real quarterback having his own on-the-field struggles. Horrendous mechanics Jesus has been cut down to size these days and hopefully his career at quarterback has come to a screeching halt, forever. It was the one true success of the 2012 New York Jets season and for that I thank them tenfold.

We're not in Gainesville anymore it's-really-red-paint-all-over-my-jersey Jesus.

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The Ultimate 2013 MLB Hall of Fame Snub

Mike Piazza provided too many great moments as a Met not too be a first ballot Hall of Famer

Let's be honest, today was one of the more odd days in the history of Major League Baseball. For one, many of the guys on the ballot were in a grey with this whole steroid issue; they had more than the appropriate HOF stats, but had probably juiced in their day. Two, not one player was elected into the Hall, the second occurrence of such an oddity in the last 40 years. Third, which comes on the heels of the last reason, is the lack of a Mike Piazza election to baseball immortality.

Piazza is the greatest hitting catcher of All-Time. Not only does he lead all catchers with a 427 home runs, but he also hit .308 over a 15-year career behind the plate (played 16 years, one primarily as a DH). He also drove in 1,335 RBIs and also had six seasons of 30+ home runs and 100+ RBIs. It didn't even matter that he had a below average arm behind the plate or couldn't stop a wild pitch in the dirt, the guy was so unbelievable at the plate for so many years it's mesmerizing. Piazza most likely survived as a catcher because he barely used his knees when he swung. Unforgettable is his seemingly flick of the wrist home runs that came at such a frequent rate. He was so calm in the batter's box and at times was so unstoppable.

What is even more wild about Piazza's career is that his years as a Met were far more memorable than his years as a Dodgers, despite the fact the numbers weren't as good. He won Rookie of the Year in '93 as a Dodger, batting .318 with 112 runs batted in, and then didn't bat below .300 the rest of his time in L.A. That includes a mind-boggling '97 campaign when he batted .362/40/124. Those numbers are absurd even when you don't include the fact that he only sat 10 games that season as a catcher. He finished second behind Ken Griffey Jr. in the MVP voting and rightfully so, Griffey made a joke of the league by scoring 124 runs, smashing 56 homers and 147 RBIs; all three categories he led the league. But that's not the point. Piazza's remembered for his heroics in New York, even though he ripped the absolute cover off the ball as a Dodger.

Obviously his time as a Met was still extremely special, but in a different way. He batted .296 as a Met in the second half of his career, while hitting 220 homers and 655 RBIs. Piazza's value in Queens wasn't judged on stats though, he carried an overachieving Mets squad to back-to-back NLCS appearances including a National League Pennant in 2000. In those two years, Piazza's first full ones in N.Y., he batted .314 with 78 combined home runs and 137 RBIs. The catcher had some absolutely magical moments as a Met, but there was none bigger than the September 21, 2001 home run. Down 2-1 in the first game back since 9/11, Piazza hit an eighth inning bomb to give the Mets a 3-2 lead and an eventual win. It was the perfect moment by the perfect guy in a reeling city, giving the people at least a moment's rest from the horrific tragedy that occurred only 10 days earlier.

And that's exactly what Mike Piazza was, a hero. For any Met fan born after 1986, Piazza is the guy. Everytime he stepped up to the plate, you expected a big hit and most of time he delivered. He's the most memorable Met I've ever watched and I'm stunned that he's not in the Hall of Fame right now. I think a lot of people would agree with me that his mind-numbing stats as a Dodger combined with his numerous magic moments in Shea Stadium makes him an undeniable Hall of Famer. The fact that he is almost unanimously dubbed "The greatest hitting catcher of all-time," just makes this snub all that more stunning.

Since we can't enjoy Piazza's HOF speech this year, let's enjoy his greatest moment in a historic career.

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NCAA Football Legacies Shouldn't be Overlooked

There's no reason that successful coaches like Saban and Meyer should leave college for the NFL.

For two straight years now Chip Kelly has flirted with the NFL, interviewing with big league clubs only to decide to turn around and head back to college football. Kelly's indecision over the past two years has prompted a question out of me: Why are college football legacies so over looked in favor of getting a NFL coaching job?

Who's the last truly "great" college coach that we've seen retire as a college coach? Jim Tressel (I know he was pushed out because of the violations, but still)? Well he only won title. Lloyd Carr? Again, only one National Title. Bobby Bowden? I guess sort of, he won two titles, but he faded down the stretch. We'll have to go with Tom Osborne who won three in four years with Nebraska in the mid-90s. That was more than 15 years ago. So why do we see so many coaches lately just easily give up their chance for college immortality?

A couple of names come to mind when you think of guys that just got up and left for the NFL amid a fantastic college run. First is Pete Carroll who coached USC from 2001-'09. In that span he had some of the filthiest college players in Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, Troy Polamalu and Mike Williams winning himself a BCS National Title, appearing in another and winning back-to-back AP National Championships. The guy had built a dynasty right before his eyes, and instead of going down with the ship when NCAA violations emerged, he bolted for the NFL where he has a done a mediocre job with the Seahawks. Surely he could've gotten the program back to a National Title even with a few postseason-less seasons. Another name that comes to mind here is Butch Davis. His Miami teams in '99 and '00 had shown us that the U was back to it's dominant ways that were in the 1980s. Davis then missed out on his 2001 National Championship by bolting for the Cleveland Browns, where he had four mediocre years and only one playoff appearance. Again, Davis was primed to become a legend with those Hurricanes teams that followed afterwards. Remember they won 34 straight games from when Davis coached in 2000 all the way to the middle of the 2002 season in which Larry Coker coached.

Now with the likes of Chip Kelly and Nick Saban creating the foundations of their own amazing coaching legacies, there really is no reason for them to leave. Saban, of course, is well on his way to becoming one of the greatest coaches to ever roam a college sideline. Chip Kelly has won back-to-back BCS bowls and has established one of the most exciting and impressive programs in college football. You could even add Urban Meyer into the mix once his Buckeyes get their postseason eligibility back; he's won two National Championships and led Ohio State to a perfect record this year in his first campaign in Columbus.

Yes, Saban might have left the college ranks for the NFL, but he realized it was a mistake two quick years later. Once he returned to NCAA football, he immediately grabbed himself three more National Championships in only five years. Right now he is by far the best college coach in FBS and as he rightly said, college is where he belongs. He'll probably get paid more at 'Bama than he would in the NFL and he knows he's coming back with one of best groups of players next year, so he might be contending for his third straight title. Why would you forego a chance to match Bear Bryant to coach the Cleveland Browns? Or in Chip Kelly's case, why would you give up a chance to bring home Autzen's first National Title? How about Urban Meyer, who certainly has an opportunity to catch Saban at some point? There's just no reason for these successful head coaches to leave their perch in college for a what-if scenario in the NFL.

Coaches need to realize that America loves football, whether it's college or the NFL it does not matter. Is going out and winning one Super Bowl better than winning three National Championships? I just don't think so, especially considering the fact that college football is going to become even more exciting with the addition of a playoffs.

When you have a chance to make it Nick Saban Field at Bear Bryant Stadium, you have to do it.

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The NHL Saves Itself in the 11th Hour

Don't forget, the Wild made incredible moves bringing in Ryan Suter and Zach Parise.

I will be completely honest with you, I had not an ounce of faith in the NHL owners nor the players to get a deal done before January 11th. There was so much animosity, the most childish of attitudes, between the players and the owners that I believed they didn't want to get a deal done, just to spite each other. But something magical happened last night and it sent every hockey fan into hysterics when they woke up this morning.

You can guarantee that this season will be like no other. Hopefully, these 48 games will be played only within the respective conferences and if so, every game will matter. There will be no waiting around to get the team chemistry going. Rivalries will explode almost immediately. The playoffs won't start in April this year, they'll start in a couple weeks, and we will get some of the most exciting hockey ever witnessed.

But with all the good, passionate hockey we'll see this season we may see some wild injuries and completely altered playoff races. The compressed schedule, I'm sure with back-to-backs all over the place, will put so much physical onus on these players' bodies that some will break down. Some teams will get their hopes dashed because a star was lost to a major injury. This will open up the gates for darkhorse teams and for those teams that can magically stay healthy.

Either way, hockey returning is a phenomenal thing both for us fans and the league as a whole. Another fully locked out season would be an absolute disaster for the NHL's image and I'm not sure it would have survived. Thankfully both sides put away their childish sentiments for the greater good of the sport. Hockey was truly on the upswing and it should get back on that path with one of the most fast-paced, electric seasons we've ever seen.

And just in case you forgot, the Rangers robbed Columbus blind for Rick Nash, the Wild locked up studs Suter and Parise and Carolina bolstered their roster with the additions of Alexander Semin and Jordan Staal. Big moves were made this offseason before Bettman locked everyone out and it should make the season even better. We'll see what type of magic the surging Rangers can conjure up or how the Wild and Hurricanes will bounce back from miserable seasons, but even more ridiculous story lines will unfold right in front of our eyes real soon. No one likes a lockout, but a beautiful rose can grow out of the ashes of this ugly work stoppage.

Hockey's back, should be a wild time.

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Day 12 of the 12 Days of BCS: National Championship Preview

A.J. McCarron's experience in last year's National Championship Game will be the deciding factor in this year's big game.

It's hard to say this, as a defender of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but they are the Dallas Cowboys of college football. They're full of history, tradition, great coaches, players and leaders alike, but over the recent years they've been full of empty hype. Since Lou Holtz stopped coaching in 1996 the Irish have only finished the season once in the AP top 10 and are 0-3 in BCS bowls in that time frame. But here they are, 12-0, atop the BCS rankings about to play in their biggest bowl game since they won the Fiesta Bowl (and the National Championship) in 1988.

On the other hand, the Crimson Tide are in the middle of potentially one of the greatest runs in college football. Nick Saban, who took over the team from Mike Shula in 2007, has truly re-energized one of the most storied football programs and is on putting his name up in lights with the great Bear Bryant. Bryant may have won back-to-back National Championships twice in his reign as head coach for the Tide, but he never won three out of four like Saban has the chance to do. Especially in this era of dominant SEC teams, Saban's Crimson Tide are close to doing something so spectacular, so mind-blowing that I can't fathom Nick Saban ever ceding the chance to be the greatest college football coach ever to graze the brutal NFL pastures. Now, these two teams collide, one on a magical run and one trying to put a monster stamp in the record books, for a chance to be named the best team in the land.

Quite fitting that these two teams rich with some much history and tradition, find themselves in a matchup of old school smashmouth, defense-oriented football. 'Bama is led by a two-headed monster of Eddie Lacy and T.J Yeldon, who both ran for a thousand yards this season. Notre Dame has a beastly combo of Theo Riddick and Cierre Wood themselves, yet it will be hard for both of these teams to establish a consistent running game because they're facing the two best defenses in the nation.

I'm not exactly sure we'll ever see two defenses in a National Championship game with more individual NFL talent then this matchup. C.J Mosley, Dee Milliner, Manti Te'o, Stephon Tuitt all have the skills that make NFL scouts salivate and all will certainly have their time on the first round podium sometime in the future. Yet, just because the individual talent is amazing, doesn't mean that the team defenses haven't completely gelled. These are well oiled machines and each have no plan on backing down to the other.

With the defenses basically cancelling each other out, this big game will come down to the quarterback play. Everett Golson has had his struggles this season, but Brian Kelly has entrusted him with the keys to the offense and Golson's responded nicely. Being a sophomore is certainly a disadvantage for Golson in this big game spotlight, however his ability to make plays with his feet could help ease the chaos that the strong Alabama often creates. Despite Golson's athleticism being somewhat of a unique factor, the Tide have the advantage at quarterback. A.J. McCarron isn't going to wow anybody with his arm strength or make any kind of game-changing throws, but he has valuable experience in the big game and is a high quality decision maker. The junior QB only threw three INTs as opposed to 26 TDs for a sensational QB rating of 173.1. Most importantly though, is the fact he already won a BCS National Championship last season against an equally intimidating defense. Voted player of the game, McCarron managed his offense going 23-34 for 234 yards and no turnovers, setting up five field goals and a final touchdown run by Trent Richardson. If McCarron wins this National Championship, he'll be the first QB in the BCS era to win two BCS Championships as a starter and he's only a junior (Tebow won only one as a starter).

Don't get your hopes about this game being some kind of a surprising shootout, these defenses are too well-prepared and simply too dominant to let that happen. But that doesn't mean this game will be a blowout in anyway. I think the pressure on Notre Dame will finally bust their pipes, unlike games against Stanford, Pittsburgh and USC in which they never crumbled. Alabama is just too well coached and too determined to allow the Irish to capture its first National Championship since 1988. Manti Te'o and the ND defense will play their hearts out, but it will be the lack of talent on offense that ultimately fails them.
Alabama 23, Notre Dame 17
 

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