Posts Tagged ‘NBA’

Breaking It Down With Brooks

Posted: May 5, 2013 in Brooks' Sports
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This video was shot earlier in the week.

UPDATE: Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Houston Rockets in 6 games. Series: 4-2

UPDATE: Golden State Warriors defeated Denver Nuggets in 6 games. Series: 4-2

UPDATE: New York Knicks defeated Boston Celtics in 6 games. Series: 4-2

I wanted to give you something informative and enjoyable to watch. As much as I love print, broadcast has also been calling my name. I’ll continue to work at it. I’m becoming more passionate doing on-camera work by the day. Follow me @BrooksWeekly and @DevynAire who also played a vital part in the photography and production. Check him out djonesum.tumblr.com

CONTINUE WATCHING FOR THE BLOOPER BREAKDOWN. You will get a nice laugh from it. Comment and like.

The Impact of Kobe Bryant’s Injury on the Lakers

Posted: April 14, 2013 in Brooks' Sports
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kobe2

If the Lakers make the playoffs, how will they fair without their fallen star?

They say time waits for no man, not even the competitive, driven warrior that is Kobe Bryant.

How can one fathom the thought of the Los Angeles Lakers without Bryant? In his illustrious 17 seasons of wearing purple and gold,  he has played in 1,239 of 1,346 possible regular season games and 220 of 223 playoff games. Besides his impeccable game winning step-back jumpers, sheer will to win and five NBA titles, his grit and durability belongs in a category of its own.

Due to the sad events that transpired April 12th against the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers  will have to move on without Bryant because of an Achilles tendon tear. Throughout the turmoil of the Lakers season, Bryant “guaranteed” his team will make the playoffs. True, Kobe has been playing in a youthful manner as of late, but how long could his injury riddled body at the age of 34 sustain the grind of the NBA? Many analyst, commentators and experts say his increased minutes of play doesn’t coincide with the injury.

Come again?

In his last 7 games, he has played 48, 47, 43, 47, 41, 48, 45, and headed towards another 48 minutes of play.

And that doesn’t equals to an Achilles tendon tear of the battled, future first ballot Hall-of-Famer who constantly played through a slew of injuries?

According to WebMD, an Achilles tendon injury might be caused by:

  • Overuse
  • Stepping up your level of physical activity too quickly
  • Not stretching enough before exercise
  • Wearing high heels, which increases the stress on the tendon (Doubt Kobe wears heels)
  • Problems with the feet. An Achilles tendon injury can result from flat feet, also known as fallen arches or overpronation. In this condition, the impact of a step causes the arch of your foot to collapse, stretching the muscles and tendons.
  • Muscles or tendons in the leg that are too tight

You’re more likely to tear an Achilles tendon when you start moving suddenly. For instance, a sprinter might get one at the start of a race. The abrupt tensing of the muscle can be too much for the tendon to handle. Men older than age 30 are particularly prone to Achilles tendon injuries.

Bryant aims to return next year, and the timetable for his return is six to nine months. He would most likely miss the start of the 2013-14 season, but he could possibly return during the middle of the season. In the meantime, LA will have to find a way to play without him.

Not only will the Lakers miss his 27.3 points a game, but the Lake Show will be without  32.6% of the its points production, 31.4% of the team’s field-goal attempts, and 34.9% of their free throw attempts. While I understand Bryant’s increased minutes were fueled by the chances to make a playoff push, I’d hate to play the blame game, but how can the Lakers organization not be at fault?

They opted to bring in Steve Nash who is a shell of himself and his coach in Mike D’Antoni who Bryant respects, but I wouldn’t say listens to. Phil Jackson was the only coach who could get in the head of Kobe and force him to rest on the bench. They drove Kobe into the ground. However, I will admit that I’m curious to see the impact of Nash’s return when he has both 7-footers at his disposal in Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol.

The Lakers have put out 41 different lineups this season with 32 of them including Bryant. While LA awaits for the return of Nash, if the playoffs started today, the starting lineup would be Steve Blake, Jodie Meeks, Earl Clark, Gasol and Howard. Not the scenario D’Antoni envisioned.

The obvious key factor for the Lakers survival, and their future, is Howard.

But in my opinion, Dwight cannot lead a team on his own. He’s too nice, not into the game at times, not the demanding, dominating, killer instinctive player like Bryant, but who is? And we can’t forget about the mess that went down in Orlando. While Howard unquestionably has the skill set, I can’t see him as the face of the franchise for the Lakers.

The Lakers will eventually have to part ways with the Black Mamba, but right now, the Lakers need Bryant. Especially going up against the San Antonio Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. Can they even make it a series against either team without Bryant if they make the playoffs?

That remains to be seen, but the loss of Kobe and his impact on the team and organization is huge to say the least.

If the NBA Playoffs Started Today…

Posted: April 11, 2013 in Brooks' Sports
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MeloVino

More likely to lead his team to a championship in 2013, Carmelo Anthony or Kobe Bryant? 

Only 6 days away until the end of the regular season, teams are now resting players, fine tuning their roster or clinging on to everlasting hope as teams battle it out for the no. 8 seed.

As the playoff picture is quickly revealing itself, let’s take a look at the matchups if the playoffs started today:

EASTERN CONFERENCE 

No. 1 seed: Miami Heat

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vs.

No. 8 seed: Milwaukee Bucks

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The Heat are 3-1 against the Bucks this season. At times, the defending champs struggle with the speed and tenacity of the Bucks’ dynamic duo backcourt. Barring an unforeseen, all-time performance by Brandon Jennings and Montae Ellis, I don’t see why LeBron James and the Heat won’t pull out the broom against a sub .500 team.

Series Winner: Miami in 4

No. 2 seed: New York Knicks

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vs.

No. 7 seed: Boston Celtics

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The Knicks have reached 50 victories for the first time since the 1999-2000 season. Carmelo Anthony is playing out of his mind and scoring at will right now. My only concern is what will happen to the Knicks when Amar’e Stoudemire returns to the lineup? When Melo doesn’t have to defer, is when he is at his best. Regardless of the friction between the two stars, New York’s onslaught of 3-pointers and athleticism will prove to be too much of a hassle for Boston.

Series Winner: New York in 6

No. 3 seed: Indiana Pacers

Pacers

vs.

No. 6 seed: Atlanta Hawks

Hawks

After this season, the Hawks are due for a major makeover. For the past couple of seasons, Atlanta is consistently in the middle of the pack. While teams are improving, they have either remained the same or gotten worse. I do enjoy the improved play of point guard Jeff Teague, but neither him nor Josh Smith are ready to endure Indiana’s physical style of play. They tied the season series at two games apiece, so the Hawks won’t go down without a fight.

Series Winner: Indiana in 6

No. 4 seed: Brooklyn Nets

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vs.

No. 5 seed: Chicago Bulls

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Unless Derrick Rose comes running out the tunnel of the United Center, the Bulls are destined for a one-and-done in the playoffs. In this league, superstars prevail. The Nets superstar point guard Deron Williams has been picking up steam as of late and looks to carry his performance into the postseason. The Bulls have a 3 games to 1 regular season record against Brooklyn, but I look for the Nets to flip the script in a long, fought series.

Series Winner: Brooklyn in 7

WESTERN CONFERENCE 

No. 1 seed: Oklahoma City Thunder

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vs.

No. 8 seed: Los Angeles Lakers

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Honestly, there is no clear cut favorite to come out the West, but this is a matchup the Lakers are hoping to avoid. The Thunder ran the Lakers off the court beating them in 5 games in the playoffs last year. Oklahoma has too much speed on the court for a team that Kobe Bryant called old and slow. Bryant guaranteed his Lakers will make the playoffs, but playing 40+ minutes a night with his recent rash of injuries? This future Hall-of-Famer may not have what it takes to shock the Thunder. My only concern with OKC is Kevin Durant’s passiveness. Night after night Durant is becoming second fiddle to Russell Westbrook as the charismatic point guard is taking more shots than arguably the best player in the NBA. Message to Kevin Durant: You are the best player on your team, demand the ball and become more assertive.

Series Winner: Thunder in 6

No. 2 seed: San Antonio Spurs

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vs.

No. 7 seed: Houston Rockets

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Nothing like a good ole Texas showdown. The Spurs need to get healthy, and quick. The absence of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have led the Spurs to a 5-5 mark in their last 10 games. Sharp shooting Danny Greene is taking full advantage of his increased time on the court, but the Spurs must lean on their stars for a deep playoff run.  Tim Duncan has taken a dip into the fountain of youth, but at this stage of his career, he can no longer carry a team by himself. James Harden has elevated himself to a top-10 player in the league as she shows he has what it takes as the main attraction. IF the Spurs are healthy, they will win this series, but if not, I’m taking Houston with the upset.

Series Winner: Houston in 7

No. 3 seed: Denver Nuggets

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vs.

No. 6 seed: Golden State Warriors

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The baby faced assassin will make his first appearance into the postseason and head coach Mark Jackson deserves coach of the year honors. This may be the most entertaining first round matchup we have seen in a while. In there four meetings, 100 points was scored in every game. The loss of Danilo Gallinari is a tough pill to swallow for the Nuggets, but Wilson Chandler is more than capable of picking up the slack.

Series Winner: Denver in 6

No. 4 seed: Los Angeles Clippers

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vs.

No. 5 seed: Memphis Grizzlies

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Another heavyweight bout in the making. Last year’s epic 7 game series proved to be memorable as both teams refused to yield. Lob City is more poised this year to challenge for a legitimate shot at the championship. The Clippers currently lead the regular season series 2-1 with one more game left between the two conference foes. Perhaps a statement game by the Clippers is in order to prove they are worthy to compete for a title.

Series Winner: Clippers in 6

Thanks for reading.

#BrooksWeekly

-Kelton

Brooks Bits: What’s Going on Around Here?

Posted: April 1, 2013 in Brooks' Sports
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Tony Romo's seven-year, $119.5 million deal is the 15th deal worth at least $100 million in NFL history

Tony Romo’s seven-year, $119.5 million deal is the 15th deal worth at least $100 million in NFL history

So many genius, bold, head-scratching moves and events have happened as of late. It’s almost a troubling task to figure out where to start. The Final Four is upon us, teams are fighting for their playoff lives in the NBA, the NFL draft is less than 30 days away and how sweet it is to have baseball back. Let’s not waste anymore time, let me tell you how I feel about what’s going on around here:

1. The Carson Palmer dilemma 

What do you mean you don’t want to take a pay cut? What has Carson Palmer done in his dull, mediocre and pedestrian 11-year NFL career that has led him to believe he has any right to call the shots? Is it his two Pro-Bowls? I hope not. Maybe it’s his outstanding postseason record? Oh, wait, that’s right, Palmer has  zero playoff wins. With Palmer opting not to reconstruct the $13 million he is owed this season, the Raiders are forced to cut him or make him take a pay cut.

Well, they had another options in mind by trading a fifth-round pick in the 2014 draft and a conditional pick in 2015 for Seahawks quarterback Matt Flynn. Now, Palmer is involved in trade discussion with the Arizona Cardinals.

About that pay cut, aye Palmer?

2. 119.5 million reasons why the Cowboys have lost their mind

Maybe Jerry Jones grew weary cooped up in his million dollar home. Maybe he wanted to slick back his silver hair, dust off the cobwebs and spend a little money to get back at the NFL for basically voiding the Cowboys off-season. But Jones is walking the a line of insanity by investing over a 100 million dollars in perhaps the biggest gamble of a QB in Tony Romo. Sure, I get it. Romo does put up great numbers in the regular season, has a knack for ad libbing and extending plays and uncanny accuracy when he has time in the pocket, but I can’t help but to watch Romo with one eye open and one eye closed. There is so much love about Romo as a QB, but somehow he always seem to let you down. The infamous botched snap against Seattle, the 3 INTs in the second half against Detroit in 2011, two back-to-back season in a win and you’re in only to lose both times, he continues to prove he is untrustworthy.

Judging Romo on his numbers is like judging porn solely off the dialogue, you’re missing the point. Romo will continue to break hearts right along with the Jones’ pockets.

3. Eight games left

Will the Lakers make the playoffs?

Will the Lakers make the playoffs?

Injuries, lack of chemistry, old and slow and now on the cusp of not making the playoffs? Say it and so, Lakers. I’m saying so. Six of the Lakers last remaining eight games are against playoff teams. The Lakers are a half game out of 8th place trailing the superstar-less Utah Jazz. Quite frankly, a team loaded with 32 combined all-star appearances, two players earning MVP honors, three-time defensive player of the year and the best center in pro basketball should not waltz on the brink of missing the playoffs. Kobe Bryant guaranteed his Lakers will not miss out on the post season, but the only guarantee I see is a first round exit even if they do manage to back their way in.

Against the Sacramento Kings this past Saturday, Bryant passed the legendary Wilt Chamberalain  for fourth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. No doubt a historic feat by one of the best players in NBA history. However, if Bryant is unable to lead this talented group of players to the playoffs, this Laker team will go down as one of the biggest busts in professional sports history.

4. The nation’s capital

Slowly, but surely I saw the Washington Nationals becoming a force in the National League. With the two phenoms  in Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper, the sky is the limit for this team. Harper went deep twice and Strasburg threw seven shutout innings while retiring 19 batters in a row after allowing a single to Juan Pierre.

As a sellout crowd at Nationals Park watched the two stars put on a show on Opening Day baseball in a 2-0 victory over the Marlins, could the thought of a World Series appearance prance through the minds of fans? Call me a prisoner of the moment, but right now, I am saying the Nationals will win the World Series. If these two can stay healthy, along with Washington’s solid rotation and stacked roster, baseball might see a new dynasty come of age.

5. Fantastic Four

As it stands, (1) Louisville vs. (9) Wichita State and (4) Michigan vs. (4) Syracuse. The Cardinals began the season ranked second, shared the Big East regular-season title, soared through the Big East tournament, transformed that into an overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and found themselves back to the Final Four.

Syracuse started the season at No. 9, climbed as high as No. 3 in the country and then trickled all the way to 19th, but the Orange are here. Michigan started the season ranked fifth in the nation, eclipsed the No. 1 overall ranking and then lost to Indiana to end its reign atop the standings, but alas, the Wolverines are here. Wichita State had a different journey. They started the year unranked and worked their way up to as high as 15th in the country. But alas, the Cinderella Wichita State  Shockers are here.

A 9 seed vs a 1 seed and two 4 seeds will battle it out come Saturday. My pick remains the same, I have Michigan winning it all. Three legit stars in Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Glenn Robinson III with sharp shooter Nick Stauskas on the wing, and not to mention a 6’10″ 250 pound immovable object in Mitch McGrary. Besides a lack in bench scoring, this team has no glaring weakness.

Thanks for reading.

#every7days

-Kelton

Shuffling The Deck: 2013 NBA Trade Deadline

Posted: February 21, 2013 in Brooks' Sports
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Sacramento Kings ship high first round pick to Rockets (Thomas Robinson)

Sacramento Kings ship high first round pick to Rockets (Thomas Robinson)

As we enter the second half of the NBA season, the NBA trade deadline has come and gone. All the wheeling and dealing has shedded expiring or lofty contracts, shipped role players to a more prominent status and sent headline names to plant their roots in new cities.

Big names were dealt, but not the names we expected. I find it a little puzzling that teams were not making offers to the Boston Celtics for Rajon Rondo. Maybe it’s because of the injury, but a walking triple-double and floor general does not come around often in this day and age. Rondo has been known of a ball-hog with his excessive dribbling and alienating his teammates. Still, Rondo is a top-10 point guard, maybe top five.

And what about Josh Smith? The Brooklyn Nets were aggressively pursuing the versatile big man, as well as Phoenix, and Milwaukee. But I’m guessing the Hawks decided to keep their leading scorer and longest-tenured player for another playoff run and will re-evaluate their stance on Smith at season’s end.

No doubt the biggest prize whose name was swirling in trade speculations also stayed put, Dwight Howard. And he won’t be moved anytime soon as the Lakers view him the most dominant center in the league and their franchise player post-Kobe era. However, the Lakers’ general manager Mitch Kupchak was a little less adamant about trading Pau Gasol in the future. Here is a quote from Kupchak on his appearance  on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” (via ESPN)

We’re not going to trade Pau today or tomorrow, but his name has come up in the past, and it would be misleading to say it won’t come up in the future- Kupchak

To me, the most surprising trade was between the Rockets and Kings (look below for details). These two are the overall winners and losers of the trade deadline. The Rockets received Thomas Robinson, the number five overall pick in the 2012 draft. Why would the Kings give up a lottery pick in his rookie season? Adding the likes of Aldrich, Douglas and Patterson does nothing to address the Kings’ fundamentally dysfunctional makeup. I always thought Sacramento had good, young individual talent, but they never could mesh as a cohesive unit.

Robinson was a dominant and disruptive force at Kansas with a high ceiling, if Houston decides to offer him an extension, he could immediately fill the void left by Patterson. Robinson’s potential easily outweighs Patterson’s realized status as a fringe starter/quality rotation player. This deal makes sense in no form or fashion for the Kings. The duo of DeMarcus Cousins and Robinson could have been the centerpiece for that franchise.

Hurry up and send the Kings to Seattle.

Houston just made themselves more formidable now and in the future. With Robinson’s potential matched with superstar James Harden and combo guard Jeremy Lin, this team can become a legitimate championship contender.

Trade Deadline  Winner: 

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Here is a recap of the new faces in new places:

             Phoenix SUNS ACQUIRE
Marcus Morris, forward
             Houston ROCKETS ACQUIRE
2013 second-round pick

Houston

 ROCKETS ACQUIRE
Thomas Robinson, power forward
Francisco Garcia, small forward
Tyler Honeycutt, small forward

Sacramento

 KINGS ACQUIRE
Patrick Patterson, power forward
Cole Aldrich, center
Toney Douglas, point guard

Memphis

 GRIZZLIES ACQUIRE
Dexter Pittman, center
Second-round pick

Miami

 HEAT ACQUIRE
Rights to Ricky Sanchez, center

Toronto

 RAPTORS ACQUIRE
Sebastian Telfair, point guard

Phoenix

 SUNS ACQUIRE
Hamed Haddadi, center
Second-round pick

Atlanta

 HAWKS ACQUIRE
Jeremy Tyler, power forward

Golden State

 WARRIORS ACQUIRE
Future draft pick

Philadelphia

 76ERS ACQUIRE
Charles Jenkins, point guard

Golden State

 WARRIORS ACQUIRE
Future draft pick

Dallas

 MAVERICKS ACQUIRE
Anthony Morrow, shooting guard

Atlanta

 HAWKS ACQUIRE
Dahntay Jones, small forward

Charlotte

 BOBCATS ACQUIRE
Josh McRoberts, power forward

Orlando

 MAGIC ACQUIRE
Hakim Warrick, power forward

Boston

 CELTICS ACQUIRE
Jordan Crawford, shooting guard

Washington

 WIZARDS ACQUIRE
Leandro Barbosa, shooting guard
Jason Collins, center

Oklahoma City

 THUNDER ACQUIRE
Ronnie Brewer, small forward

New York

 KNICKS ACQUIRE
Second-round pick

Portland

 BLAZERS ACQUIRE
Eric Maynor, point guard

Oklahoma City

 THUNDER ACQUIRE
$2.2 million trade exception

Milwaukee

 BUCKS ACQUIRE
J.J. Redick, shooting guard
Gustavo Ayon, power forward
Ish Smith, point guard

Orlando

 MAGIC ACQUIRE
Tobias Harris, power forward
Beno Udrih, point guard
Doron Lamb, shooting guard

-Kelton

‘The King’

Posted: February 13, 2013 in Brooks' Sports
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LBJ

Can anyone dethrone the King?

Throughout the first couple of weeks of season, you couldn’t mumble MVP without saying “Melo.”

But this is an 82 games season.

The NBA season is filled with stretch runs, hot streaks and flat out dominance, but what LeBron James is doing is absolutely mind-boggling. The reigning 3-time MVP and NBA champion has catapulted himself to a level where he stands alone. James is on a historic six-game run that has transformed into the vocal point of him winning a fourth most valuable player award.

In this six- game stretch, James has become the only player in NBA history to score 30 points while shooting a prolific 60 percent from the field. Let me put this into perspective, King James has made 60 of his last 80 shots. He continues to showcase is uncanny ability to drive to the basket as he has made 42 of his last 50 shots in the paint. James is also scoring at an alarming rate from beyond the arch shooting 59 percent (10-17). Not to mention his efficient scoring has led the Heat to a six game winning streak.

Let that breathe for a second.

Now exhale. James is the ultimate stat-stuffer, I can throw a mass amount of numbers at you all day. Another stat to bring to your attention is that LeBron averages 27 PPG, 8.1 RPG & 6.9 APG this season. Who is the the last player to average 27-8-6 in a single season?

Not surprising that it’s Michael Jordan isn’t it? He did it in the 1988-89 season.

I’m not comparing LeBron to Jordan, but with MJ’s 50th birthday rolling around, these comparison continues to surface. Check out this side-by-side comparison by ESPN:

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With the elevation of his play this past season and throughout his career, the Jordan comparison will always arise, but why is it so hard to view LeBron on his own merit? To put LeBron’s stretch performance is Layman’s terms, he is  playing a game within the game. He is sort of impersonating  Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez by throwing the perfect game. Well, shooting 9-11 against the Clippers on Feb. 8 and 13-14 against the Bobcats is almost perfect.

Now I can’t recall too much about Jordan seeing that I am only 22, but I do remember Jordan having a few lingering labels. In the early stages  of his career, Jordan was “too much of a ball hog to win a championship.” Before he he finally won his first ring in 1991, no one had won a scoring title and a championship in the same year since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971, so it was apparent that he couldn’t achieve both, right? Well as we know,  MJ captured six rings. The NBA in this day and age is guard driven, but in the Jordan era, you couldn’t win a ring without a dominant force at center.

LeBron has the chance to do both.

He already has abolished the notion that he can’t win the big games. Perhaps LeBron will create a  new standard for a winning a championship. A versatile, dominant player who can bring the ball upcourt, posses an array of  low post moves, score anywhere on the court and guard all five positions. No one has ever done that, right?

see Erving “Magic” Johnson. I’ve always though James was more Magic than Michael, but that is an entirely different discussion. As we continue to marvel at LeBron’s greatness and historical run, it is still evident that he has much more to prove, but he is inching closer.

In a generation where social media is becoming a top news outlet, LeBron summed it up for all his criticizers in an 18 character tweet as they weighed in on the #MJvsLeBron comparison:

I’m not MJ, I’m LJ – LeBron James

NBA Power Rankings: Top 5

Posted: December 20, 2012 in Brooks' Sports
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BY JUSTIN LONG

Welcome back Justin Long. To add to the theme every7days, look for Justin to make his NBA Power Rankings a weekly column. Follow Justin on Twitter @ItsFlyyingJ 

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1. 21-4

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12 wins in a row makes this number one slot easy to fill. The Oklahoma City Thunder are flat out unstoppable offensively. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are having their usual amazing seasons averaging 27/8/4 and 21/3/9 (points/rebounds/assists respectively). Durant, in particular, appears to be on the verge of a 50% FG, 40% 3Pt, 90% FT season, a feat only accomplished in recent memory by Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, and Reggie Miller. The bench play by Kevin Martin, Nick Collison, and even the once-problematic Hasheem Thabeet have proven vital to the rotation.

2. 19-6

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The Knicks are really making a statement this year. Big wins in close games, and minus the Houston Rockets fiasco, the team comes up big in the big games. Despite not having Carmelo Anthony for the past few games, the core of Raymond Felton, J.R. Smith, and Tyson Chandler have come up big for coach Mike Woodson. The games are packed and the wins are big. Keep watching for the Knicks.

3. 19-6

Los_Angeles_Clippers_2010 Possibly the most exciting team in the league, the Clippers seem to have found the piece they were missing last season in Jamal Crawford. Coming off the bench, Crawford has placed himself atop the race for Sixth Man of the Year, averaging 16.5 PPG at a 43% clip. The Clippers, having 7 players averaging over 9 points a game, are a young team with a lot of promise this season. However, continue to watch if they can keep up their clip this season.

4. 19-8

San_Antonio_Spurs_logo

The Spurs, also known as the Fundamental Mafia, have continued to impress this season despite having their aging core miss games throughout the season. Casual fans have slept upon the new-look Spurs, with like Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, Gary Neal, DeJuan Blair, and Tiago Splitter (all under 29) have played an integral part in the success of the Spurs season.

5. 16-6

logo-1 The defending champions seemingly came into this season with a sense of entitlement. They’ve given their losses to teams also in this power ranking, but have won their games to lesser opponents in very convincing fashion, with the exception of a 30 point drubbing at the hands of the Washington Wizards.

Outside looking in:

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The team is downright dangerous. They’re due for one of the spots on this list, SOON. Keep watching.

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Possibly the most frustrating team in the league. Great when they’re on, terrible when they’re off.

 

 

 

Thanks for reading.

#every7days

edited by Kelton Brooks

5 for the Title

Posted: November 8, 2012 in Brooks' Sports
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BY JUSTIN LONG

Aaah, another season of the sport that helped mold and shape me as a youth: professional basketball. No offense to any other sport, but the NBA is unique in that each season, the storylines of the league may change drastically, and cellar dwellers can turn into championship contenders with the turn of one or two trades. Here are some storylines from what I see as the 5 true contenders to the title this season.

Miami Heat: After many attempts, a ring was finally presented to the “King,” Lebron James. The Heat maintained their core team of James, Dwyane Wade, and the always comical Chris Bosh; Miami is in position for another run to the title adding one of the greatest shooters of all time in Ray Allen and one of the greatest thieves of all time in Rashard Lewis. Will the Heat’s additions prove to be enough to take them to the top again?

LA Lakers: Obviously the big winners in the summer’s ongoing Dwight Howard sweepstakes, the Lakers came up with a windfall, only losing their sputtering young center Andrew Bynum and a handful of bench players. Also, the Lakers came up with yet another bonus by scoring the aging, yet still excellent point guard Steve Nash. Creating what is yet ANOTHER team of “super starters” with Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol, and Howard. Although this team is very capable, it is faced with the daunting future of very short term contracts. How will this team respond to its new challenge of “championship or bust?”

Oklahoma City Thunder: Last year was a phenomenal year for the young team; advancing all the way to the NBA Finals. Expect young stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to continue their streak of dominance at their positions. However, this year’s team is indeed a different one due to the loss of the $80 million dollar man James Harden off the bench. Although the starting 5 won’t change much (the addition of Kevin Martin), there will be undoubtedly a different dynamic in the bench play of the Thunder. Will this move hurt or help the budding team?

Boston Celtics: With the loss of Ray Allen to their conference rivals, this team just keeps looking older and older. The addition of Jason Terry and Courtney Lee should help their chances of remaining relevant, as well as drafting a pair of young centers in Fab Melo and Jared Sullinger. The  stalwart play of all-star PG Rajon Rondo will provide a huge burst of energy to the team. Although, the overriding question of the season will remain: Will this team have enough gas at the end of the season to make the most of what will more than likely be its last season at its current state?

Dallas Mavericks: The Mavs were one of the many teams who were jilted by Dwight Howard in this summer’s soap opera, as well as missing out on the Deron Williams boat. The Mavericks endured all sorts of lineup changes and could end up having the most solid starting five in the league. The addition of Chris Kaman and Elton Brand provides them with much needed toughness in the post, and the addition of OJ Mayo and Darren Collison provides a young, explosive backcourt with room to grow. Look for the Mavs to make a deep run.

 

 

Thanks for reading.

#every7days

-Justin Long

edited by: Kelton Brooks

Week 9 NFL Predictions; Start of the NBA season

Posted: November 1, 2012 in Brooks' Sports
Tags: , , , , , , ,
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Back for another round of predictions is Randall Thomas; and you all know Delonte Wooten. You know the drill BrooksWeekly faithfuls, read ‘em and weep.

Game Pick’s

Chiefs vs Chargers Brooks Thomas Wooten
Broncos vs Bengals Broncos Broncos Chargers
Ravens vs Browns Ravens Ravens Broncos
Cardinals vs Packers Packers Packers Packers
Bears vs Titans Bears Bears Bears
Dolphins vs Colts Colts Colts Colts
Panthers vs Redskins Panthers Redskins Redskins
Lions vs Jaguars Lions Lions Lions
Bills vs Texans Texans Texans Texans
Buccaneers vs Raiders Buccaneers Raiders Buccaneers
Vikings vs Seahawks Seahawks Seahawks Vikings
Steelers vs Giants Giants Giants Giants
Cowboys vs Falcons Falcons Cowboys Falcons
Eagles vs Saints Saints Eagles Saints


He’s back 

Denver Broncos (4-3)  at Cincinnati Bengals (3-4)

My preseason pick of Peyton Manning as the league MVP looks to be coming to fruition. Manning has thrown 14 TD passes in the last 5 games, in which 4 out of 5 he has thrown 3 TDS. He has also thrown for 300 plus yards in that span of games. Manning can tie the record set by Hall of Famer Steve Young, who posted five straight games of 300 yards and 3 TDs for San Francisco during the 1998 season.

Underrated Games

Miami Dolphins (4-3) at Indianapolis Colts (4-3) 

As dazzling as RGIII is, the number 1 overall pick has led his team to a 4-3 record (Redskins are 3-5). Thanks to Andrew Luck, the Colts are the 9th best passing team in the NFL. Barring any catastrophic meltdown, Luck will win the honors of offensive rookie of the year.

Are the Dolphins for real? After their BYE week, they dismantled the New York Jets cruising to a 30-9 victory. They are on a 3 game winning streak and 2nd in the AFC East behind the division leading Patriots.

PrimeTime Matchups

Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3) at New York Giants (6-2)

Eli Manning and “Big Ben” Roethlisberger will be forever linked as both are multiple Super Bowl winners who were selected in the 2004 draft. (Manning went number 1 overall and Roethlisberger went 11th)

Pittsburgh’s posses the NFL’s top passing defense allowing 182.6 yards per game. Manning will struggle, but like Roethlisberger, he has an uncanny ability to exceed late in games. (24 4th quarter comebacks in his career)

Thomas Thought’s 

Bills (3-4) at Texans (6-1)
I don’t think this will be as close as other people might.  The Texans’ defense has been lights out, and will get after Fitz-magic.
Texans by 17
Steelers (4-3) at Giants (6-2)
The Steelers record is not indicative of how good this team can be, especially on the offensive side of the ball.  Big Ben is playing lights out, his receivers are catching balls, and the run game is, for lack of a better description, doing its best.  The Giants D-Line is in great shape and in playoff form, and we all know what Eli is doing (for those who don’t: 184-294, 2300 yds, 12 tds).  This one is close.
Giants by 6
Cowboys (3-4) at Falcons (7-0)
People are going to think I’m crazy for picking against the Falcons two weeks straight.  Others who know my sports history will rag on me for picking THE COWBOYS!
Despite the early struggles and late collapse in last week, Tony Romo had career highs passing, and the defense stepped up mightily.  Rob Ryan will throw everything at Matt Ryan, and we’ll find out how cold he is.  The Cowboys have the secondary to match up with these Atlanta receivers.  It’ll be close, but Big D breaks through in an important conference game.
Cowboys by 4
Words from Wooten
Kansas City (1-6) at San Diego (3-4)

For the record, this is definitely a hot seat game for Norv Turner. If he doesn’t win this one, we can see Him Charging out of San Diego.

Buffalo Bills (3-4) at Houston Texans (6-1)

If Houston beats the Ravens the way they did, then we can only imagine what’s going to happen. Look forward to a blowout in this one.

Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3) at New York (6-2)

This one will be good. The only problem is that Polamalus & Co. is still injured Eli may pull down the steel-curtains.

Brooks Bits

In the midst of the NFL season, the NBA has returned.

*The defending champions started off their title defense with a bang, defeating the Boston Celtics in a competitive 120-107 victory. Newcomers Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis combined for 29 points.

*Lakers fans, settle down. On a scale from 1-10, your panic level should be at a -2. When the Heat formed their alliance of super friends, they were winning on talent alone with little chemistry and they still reached the Finals. With 80 games left on their schedule, this team should easily win 50+ games

*It made total sense for the Oklahoma City Thunder to choose Serge Ibaka over James Harden. For one, scorers are easily plugged into a line-up, and two, in the small market of Oklahoma City, they could not afford 3 max contracts. But after signing a 5-year 80 million dollar deal with the Houston Rockets, in the words of my colleague and BrooksWeekly writer Justin Long, “James Harden just got breaded up like fried shrimp.” In his Houston debut, Harden finished with 37 points, 12 assist and 4 rebounds.

Rookie Surprise

*The “brow-ed bomber” and number 1 overall pick, Anthony Davis, debut stat-line was 21 points 7 rebounds and 1 block. Portland’s number 6 overall pick out of Weber Sate, Damian Lillard finished with 23 points, 11 assist and 3 rebounds. The more coveted rookie such as Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards and finished with 8 and 3 points respectively.

Kudos to the NBA

*Because of the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the league postponed the opener between the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks. It would have been a great sight to see these neighborhing franchises square off, but traveling through the effects of Sandy wasn’t worth the trouble.

#every7days

Thanks for reading.

-Kelton Brooks

What’s on my mind; who’s hot, who’s not

Posted: October 4, 2012 in Brooks' Sports
Tags: , , ,
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After a more in-depth approach to my weekly picks, I improved to a 12-4 record after posting a subpar 8-8 last week. So far, my overall record is 40-24. Not too shabby huh?

Moving along…

The phrase expect the unexpected is the theme of this year’s NFL season. The Arizona Cardinals are undefeated and the Drew Brees led Saints couldn’t buy a win, even if it was on layaway.

Quarterbacks such as Christian Ponder, Andy Dalton, Kevin Kolb and Matt Schaub, have an overall better record than the likes of the usual suspects; Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Eli Manning. (14-2 to 8-12 respectively)

And the ONLY reason why Rex Ryan and the Jets haven’t given up on Mark Sanchez is because of pride. It’s evidently not money because they signed Sanchez or San-chise as they like to call him, to an extension in the off-season.

Ryan is beating that same drum over and over and over again, “Sanchez is our quarterback.”

It was the defense and a sound running game that led them to two back-to-back AFC championships, not the GQ model Sanchez.

Trust me, I have more on Sanchez later.

As I resume…

While we strap ourselves down to this roller coaster ride of a season, let’s look at who’s making some noise and who’s barely creating a whisper:

WHO’s HOT

Houston Texans (4-0)

With the franchise’s first 4-0 start in team history, no team is hotter than the Houston Texans right now, period. Quarterback Matt Schaub is the NFL’s 3rd leader in passer rating with 105.3, and they have the NFL’s sack leader. (J.J. Watt-7.5) Only a quarter through the season, you can start to hear chatter of this team going undefeated.

San Diego Chargers (3-1)

Every year someone always pick the Chargers to represent the AFC in the Superbowl, only to have them inexplicably to spiral into a freefall and miss the playoffs. Perhaps this season may be different, or perhaps this talented-rich team is teasing us once more.

Atlanta Falcons (4-0)

Ahh yes, another undefeated. The Falcons have won shootouts, clawed their way back from the brink of defeat, and just flat out steamrolled their opponent. On the offensive side of the ball,  it’s pick your poison with Michael Turner out the backfield, and Roddy White and Julio Jones on the outside; not to mention future hall of fame tight end Tony Gonzales. However, my final judgement will depend on how they do in the playoffs.

WHO’s NOT

Tony Romo 

Is it me, or have we heard this story before? Botched snaps, late fumbles and costly interceptions? Let me know when you have read something new about Romo. This guy is an accident waiting to happen. With 5 INTs thrown, and 2 returned for touchdowns in the Monday Night drumming by the Chicago Bears, Tony “Uh-Oh” was up to his old tricks.

Mark Sanchez

49.2 completion percentage, 813 yards, 5 TDS, 4INTs, and a 69.6 passer rating… can you hear the chants? Tebow… Tebow… Tebow… Oh yeah, their next game is against arguably the best team in the NFL, the Houston Texans. Someone should warm up the bench for Sanchez.

Tied for last; New Orleans Saints (0-4) and the Cleveland Browns (0-4)

Never thought i’d see the day when the Saints and Browns would be mentioned in the same sentence. The Saints are snake-bitten this season. For those who believe in karma, this disappointing start to the season would lead you to believe Bounty Gate was true. I truly believe the absence of Head coach Sean Payton illustrates how coaching is undervalued. The NFL has granted him to attend the games, but of course not to coach. Maybe his presence will ignite a flame in his team.

Browns’ fans, Kyrie Irving is recovering well from his broken hand. Oh, I’m sorry, wrong sport. With a 28-year-old rookie quarterback, Brandon Weeden better start winning now; and fast. Once Trent Richardson is 100 percent, they can lean on him more, which will take a load off of Weeden.

That is all. Thank you.

Thursday Night Football; Rams over Cardinals 21-18

Week 5 NFL Predictions tomorrow

*In other news*

According to an ESPN article,

The NBA will penalize floppers this season, fining players for repeated violations of an act a league official said has “no place in our game.”

Those exaggerated falls to the floor might fool the referees and fans during the game, but officials at league headquarters plan to take a look for themselves afterward.

Players will get a warning the first time, then be fined $5,000 for a second violation. The fines increase to $10,000 for a third offense, $15,000 for a fourth and $30,000 for the fifth. Six or more could lead to a suspension.

Clippers point guard Chris Paul flopping from a slight bump by Heat guard Dwayne Wade. Can you determine the call?

You have to be kidding me with this?

If I’m not mistaken, which I’m not, isn’t it the refs jobs to determine the deception by players? Most flops stick out like a sore thumb; you can easily tell when a player fakes flying 10 feet backwards by the flick of fingernail over an actual incidental elbow to the face.

Flopping as been around forever. (see Vlade Divac) In my eyes, flopping is pure gamesmanship. Players are not gaining a competitive advantage, they are trying to win by any means necessary. The goal is to get the refs to call foul on the offensive player. In a sports you compete, compete means to strive to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others who are trying to do the same.

So the NBA is going to fine players because they want to win?

*exhale*

#every7days