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Showing posts from May, 2019

AFC North Predictions

With the Browns aquiring the star wide reciever Odell Beckham Jr, the Steelers losing Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell in the same offseason, and the Ravens going all in with quarterback Lamar Jackson, the AFC North looks to be totally different. As the Browns look to be the favorite to win the AFC North (as they should) I think you might be surprised with how I think things will shake out. Division Winner: The Pittsburgh Steelers. Yes I said it, the Steeler will win the AFC North with a 11-5 record without Brown or Bell. I beleive they will improve and have a better locker room without all of the drama those two caused, and they still have the best quarterback in the divison. 2nd place: The Baltimore Ravens. I could be a homer here, but the Baltimore Ravens have dominated the offseason. They killed the draft this year with building around their new offense, and they added Earl Thomas to their already stacked secondary. Oh and guess what? Lamar Jackson will improve this year and

Kyrie Irving Doesn't Fit

The Boston Celtics were the favorite to represent the Eastern Confrence this season in the NBA Finals, now they find theirself down 3-1 in the 2nd round of the NBA playoffs. After a dominating game one in which they beat the Bucks by 20 points, they haven't won a game since. The Bucks have totally dominated the Celtics ever since game one and it looks like they will eliminate the favorite Boston Celtics... what happened? Kyrie happened. Is he the only reason why they are under preforming? No. But last year this same Celtics team went to the Eastern Confrence Finals without him and now all of a sundden they are the most inconsistent team in basketball. The Celtics thought Kyrie would fit perfect with this young team with players such as Jayson Tatum and Jaylon Brown, but it hasn't and it seems like the young guys aren't fans of Kyrie either. Kyrie likes to play iso ball, and play on his own at times, while this Celtics team is full of players who like to distribute the

Top 5 Quarterbacks in the NFL 2019.

I have always wanted to do a list of the best quarterbacks in the NFL today, and now I get the chance to do just that. Before I show you this list, just know that I am doing this based off skill at the position, not team accomplishments. So for you Tom Brady fans... you might want to look away. Number 1: Aaron Rodgers. This was an easy pick, even though Rodgers has been dealing with injuries the past couple of years, he is by far the most talented at the position and he is nothing but spectacular. Number 2: Patrick Mahomes. He has only played one full season in the NFL, but throwing over 50 touchdowns and 4,000 yards in your first year and winning the MVP will get you high on my list. Cheifs fans will be very happy with Mahomes for the next 10 years. Number 3: Russell Wilson. What can you say? He is the reason the Seahawks made the playoffs and are consistently talked about, and he is the best two way player in the league using his arm and legs. Number 4: Tom Brady. Best quarte

What Are The New York Giants Doing?

The New York Giants have confused fans and anaylst's every where as they have been a total train wreck in the past couple years. It all started this season as they finished last in their divison with a 5-11 record. They seem to of had all of the pieces, right? They had one of the best wide recievers in football with Odell Beckham Jr, they have the best running back prospect who was selected the number two overall pick in the 2018 draft with Saquan Barkley, and they have... Eli Manning, who can be a question mark at times. After the season the Giants made one of the most head scratching decisions we have ever seen, and that is trading star Odell Beckham Jr to the Cleveland Browns for a first and third round picks. The questionable thing wasn't the trade in general, it was the timing of the trade. The Giants signed Odell Beckham to a 5 year 100 million dollar contract last offseason, and then trade him a year later. Don't ask, I dont know why either. They then said Eli Mann

Ravens Go Hollywood

The 2019 NFL Draft is now finished and teams have selected their players for the future, and the Baltimore Ravens go 'Hollywood'. Hollywood meaning Marquise Brown, the speedy wide receiver out of Oklahoma. Brown received the nickname in college from his teammates after they found out he was from Hollywood Florida. Brown was projected to go in the first round, and he was indeed picked at the 25th spot by the Baltimore Ravens. Does this make sense for the Ravens? Absolutely. Brown fits the Ravens new style offense with Lamar Jackson, and that style is speed. After Lamar Jackson was named the Ravens starter for the future when they traded away Joe Flacco back in February, they wanted to build an offense that fits their young quarterback. Brown will fit right in with Jackson as he will try to grow a relationship with his quarterback and make big plays in different types of ways, whether that is playing at the wide receiver position or running back position at times. The good qu

Will Lamar Jackson improve?

The last pick of the first round of the NFL draft in 2018 was a surprising one. The Baltimore Ravens already selected a first round pick with the tight end Hayden Hurst, but they weren't finished. The Ravens then shocked the world by moving up to the 32nd pick with the Eagles to select quarterback Lamar Jackson from Lousiville. Jackson had a lot of critism coming out of college with his accuracy throwing the football, he was also told that he cannot be a quarterback in this league because he is more of a running back then he is a quarterback with his freak athletic ability to run the ball in college. How did Jackson answer? After Joe Flacco was injured in the ninth game of the season against the Steelers, Jackson was asked to do the impossible... lead the Ravens to the playoffs for the first time in three years after a 4 win 5 loss start to the season with Flacco. Jackson answered, in a big way. He led the Ravens to a 6-1 record over the last 7 games, and the Ravens were AFC Nort

Ravens Extend Justin Tucker

The NFL's best career field goal percentage of all time has been extended by the Baltimore Ravens. Justin Tucker gets the deal he deserves, the biggest kicker deal in the history of the NFL. Tucker gets a four-year, $23.05 million extension, including $12.5 million fully guaranteed in the first two years and an $8 million signing bonus. NFL teams are starting to realize how important the kicker position is. The kicker can decide a game, just ask the Chicago Bears who lost in the first round of the playoffs with a missed field goal to send the Philadelphia Eagles to the second round. The NFL changed the extra point rule two years ago, from a 20-yard chip shot, to now a 33-yard kick. This has made extra points more intriguing. We saw the most extra point misses in the NFL in the past ten years, and it cost teams games. Tucker, who is arguably the best in the game missed an extra point that would have sent the Ravens to overtime against the Saints, even the best have felt the effe

Will the Steelers have a bounce back season?

The Steelers were one game away from winning the AFC North last year and punch their ticket to the playoffs. But the Ravens won their last two games and the Steelers lost a crucial game in New Orleans in week 16 that put the Ravens ahead of the Steelers in the divison. The Steelers have had a crazy offseason. They traded their best wide reciever in future hall of famer Antonio Brown, and a top 3 running back in the game in Leveon Bell. With the Steelers not having Bell or Brown this upcoming season they have a lot of holes to fill. A big hole is their defense, as the Steelers had a bottom tier defense in 2018 and they have done nothing to fix it. They do have James Connor to fill in for Bell who had a great year for his first full year as a starter, but he was also something other teams haven't seen on film yet which will change this upcoming season. They also have JuJu Smith Schuster to fill in for Antonio Brown which he posted big numbers and looked to be a number one reciever,

Should the Cardinals trade Josh Rosen?

The Arizona Cardinals have the number one pick in the draft, this could be the most interesting number one pick we have seen in a long time. Usually teams have the number one pick decided weeks before the draft, but the Cardinals have a unique situation. Josh Rosen was selected 10th overall by the Cardinals last year, should they consider taking another quarterback after only one year of Rosen? Rosen was far from good last year, he had arguably the worst year from the first round rookie quarterbacks last year which include Sam Darnold, Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield, and Josh Allen. Rosen posted 2,278 yards, 11 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, with a 55% completion percentage. This could be a reason that the Cardinals move on from Rosen, but he was also a rookie who was thrown into the fire early in the season. The Cardinals were also the worst team in the league last year, being bottom tier in defense which caused Rosen to not be on the field as much to make plays, also he had a very be

N'Keal Harry the best WR in the draft?

There is so much talent this year in the NFL draft, especially at the wide receiver position. Names such as D.K Metcalf, Hakeem Butler, Marquise Brown, and Parris Campbell. N'Keal Harry has been a name thrown around in that conversation as well, especially with the draft just a couple days away. Could he potentially be the best wideout in this stand out class? Let us take a look into some eye-popping features to his game. Harry has a huge frame, posted as 6'4 height, and 213 pounds makes him a freak with that size and one that teams love. With that size he is also very fast, he ran a 4.59 40 yard dash, that is incredible for how big this kid is.  He also has shown over and over again that he is the best hands in this draft, while Hakeem Butler and D.K Metcalf both have a 15% drop rate, Harry only has a 7% drop rate which is very low considering the quarterbacks he played with at Arizona State. Harry is also dynamic, he can play on both sides of the ball playing from the slot

Malcolm Brogdon Expected to Play in Game 5

The Milwaukee Bucks have been without Malcolm Brogdon, a key member of their backcourt, for most of the postseason. The athletic guard from Virginia has been dealing with a foot injury and hasn't suited up since the month of march.  Khris Middleton has come up huge for the Bucks during his absence, averaging 19 points during the postseason. Milwaukee has a 3-1 lead over the Celtics and may seal the deal tonight. Game 5 could be the dagger for the Boston Celtics, due to Brogdon being a real force when in the game for the Bucks. When Brogdon was on the floor this season, he was a major threat around the perimeter. Brogdon shot 43 percent from the three point line in 64 games for Milwaukee. The official tag line for Brogdon is that he is probable for tonight and if he were to go, this would give the Bucks even more depth in their backcourt. Brogdon and his perimeter shooting could be a huge threat to the Celtics, as they have yet to stop Milwaukee from the three point line this se

UNC Basketball is On the Rise Again After Adding Cole Anthony

The Carolina Tar heels lost a lot of players once the 2018 season came to a conclusion, with one of Roy Williams' best guards, Coby White, declaring for the draft. Fans of UNC wondered how they would replace the athleticism and IQ of White and they have already found their answer, one month after March Madness. The Tar Heels landed No. 1 guard Cole Anthony of the 2019 recruiting class, ESPN 100 guard Anthony Harris, and Charleston Southern graduate transfer Christian Keeling all in a matter of days. UNC didn't have to rebuild this offseason like many fans believed would happen. North Carolina has reloaded. Anthony is just as good as Coby White at the point guard position, possibly better. After having an incredible career at Oak Hill during his high school years, it was an easy decision for Williams to recruit the 6-3 guard. Starter Garrison Brooks is returning to Chapel Hill and will be a force inside the paint this upcoming season. The ACC is wide open this year but knowi

Kansa Football Can Only Go Up!

Les Miles, the two time SEC champion and national championship coach with LSU, has returned to college football after being fired back in 2016. Miles was hired by Kansas right after the 2018 season and will face almost an impossible challenge, putting Kansas football on the map. Miles has been spotted at several Kansas Jayhawks basketball games, while also being seen at every practice, right in the spotlight. The 65 year old coach looks revitalized again, after a terrible finish to his career at LSU. The Jayhawks now have a proven head coach, who has been very successful in recruiting, but now its different at Kansas. There is a massive difference between recruiting at LSU and Kansas. The Jayhawks have yet to crack the Top 50 since rankings on ESPN began in 2013. What Kansas has going for them is that people love Les Miles and he alone can attract a large number of recruits. The Jayhawks have everything in place to rebuild their football program and there is nowhere else to go but

The Browns Are The New Patriots?

Recently acquired WR Odell Beckham of the Cleveland Browns has really high hopes for his new team. Beckham was quoted saying that the Browns were going to be the next Patriots in the next couple of years. The Browns and Patriots have had the biggest difference in relation to their storylines over the past ten years. Since 1999, the Browns have only totaled 95 wins, while the Patriots have collected a record of 233 wins to 87 losses. Fans of the NFL must give Cleveland the benefit of the doubt because as of now, the Browns appear to have a bright future. After years of drafting and free agency decisions, it looks like Cleveland may be one of the better teams of the AFC, especially due to the fact of their second year quarterback Baker Mayfield. The former Heisman winner will have so many weapons this upcoming season, from Beckham, to Landry, Chubb, Kareem Hunt, and Njoku. After working out with the team on a consistent basis, Beckham had high praises for Mayfield, comparing him to t

Le'Veon Bell is Skipping Once Again

During the offseason, Le'Veon Bell became a New York Jet after his dramatic end with the Steelers. The trouble has already begun, due to the fact that Bell has not joined the Jets on the field yet. Voluntary workouts started a few weeks ago for New York and even though Bell has the option of attending, he's missing out on valuable time with his new team. Voluntary workouts are voluntary, but the possibility of the Jets offense meshing with Bell earlier in the offseason could have been very beneficial. The New York Jets offense was not up to par last season and Bell could maximize the surrounding casts talent. Unfortunately, Bell should have used this time getting to know his other teammates. Bell is extremely talented and has already shown his capabilities for several seasons. The Jets are young and need a leader like him and thats why him not showing up for workouts already is concerning. The 5 year veteran will not be able to carry the team single handedly and honestly, h

Why Has Dallas Keuchel Not Been Signed Yet?

Former Houston Astros pitcher and now free agent Dallas Keuchel entered the MLB offseason as on of the best pitchers to hit the market. At 31 years old, he has pitched to a career 3.66 ERA. Last season he finished with the fourth best ERA at 3.74.  One would think that teams would be eager to lock him up for the next three to four years. That has not happened though. As of May 7th, Keuchel remains a free agent. It is not known what the exact number he values himself at, but he has stated that it is"fair". Obviously, the rest of the MLB does not see it that way, otherwise he would have been signed by now. It is unseen if and when Keuchel will be picked up. It may not even happen this season. He has said that he will hold his ground on his value. This may just end up being an old fashioned stand off between Keuchel and his agent and the rest of the league.

Liverpool's Dominant Comeback

Liverpool, down 3-0 after the first leg of a semifinal against Barcelona, had every odd stacked against them going into the second leg. To win this series, they would have to beat Barcelona by 4 goals and stop dominant goal scoring forces such as Messi, who scored twice in the first leg, and Luis Suarez. To do this, would be nearly impossible. Against all the odds however, Liverpool did it, winning 4-0 in the second leg, making the full score 4-3 for Liverpool to move on to the finals. Not only was it a fantastic game for Liverpool, who despite having less overall possession in the game, saw great performances Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum, who each scored two goals, but it was a miserable game for Barcelona. The team couldn't get any of their scoring opportunities to succeed and had plenty of chances to score the one or two goals they needed to keep themselves alive. Not only that, but the defense played horribly, letting Liverpool make the most of the opportunities given

The Massive Payoff of Trading Chris Archer

There have been many surprising records to come out of this season, such as the success of teams like the Twins and Mariners and the shortcomings of teams like the Nationals and Red Sox, but even more surprising than that may be the success of the Tampa Bay Rays. Currently sitting atop the AL East at 22-12, the Rays have played incredibly through the first part of the season. A big portion of that success has come at the hands of the pieces they received from trading away former ace Chris Archer. During the trade deadline last season, the Tampa Bay Rays pulled the trigger on a trade to send Chris Archer to a team no one expected, the Pittsburgh Pirates. In this deal the Rays received Tyler Glasnow, Austin Meadows, and Shane Baz. Glasnow and Meadows were both young players who showed they had the skills to play at the major league level but never showed consistency, even once traded to Tampa Bay both still showed their inconsistencies. This season however, they have both been lights o

The Boom or Bust of the Knicks

The Knicks are going to be a big team to keep an eye out for this NBA off-season. With young pieces, a top draft pick in the lottery, and plenty of space to sign some big name free agents, this offseason could be make or break for the New York Knicks. In a scenario where everything goes right for the Knicks, they end up with the no.1 overall pick and sign two big free agents. In this scenario, they take Zion Williamson no. 1 overall to be their power forward. The biggest name in college basketball would thrive in the Big Apple and would be helped to thrive even more in this scenario by two big name free agents; Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Adding Kyrie and KD to a team like the Knicks would instantly work to make them a contender, and having a player with so much potentially such as Zion right alongside them, they could instantly become a threat in the East. However, what happens if everything goes wrong for the Knicks? Their pick falls in the lottery, and no one chooses to go to

The Return of ShoTime

Shohei Ohtani was one of the biggest names of the offseason last season, the big name two way player from Japan, who eventually signed with the Los Angeles Angels. He did well in his rookie season in the MLB on both sides of the ball, hitting and pitching effectively when he played, until an injury cut his season on the mound short and eventually led to him having Tommy John surgery in the offseason. While his return to the mound has to wait until next year, Ohtani has officially been cleared to hit today and has been taken off the DL. This should hopefully give the Angels a consistent power bat to side with Mike Trout, on a team that has struggled to surround the superstar with big name talent. The hope is that Ohtani can return to his old form at the plate, and it seems they have confidence in him, already batting him 3rd in the lineup in his first game back. If the Angels want a chance to make it big in a tougher than ever AL West division, they have to hope that ShoTime comes bac

Can Josh Rosen prove them wrong

When taking Kyler Murray no. 1 overall in the NFL draft, the Cardinals were giving up on the quarterback they had just taken last year in Josh Rosen. Sure enough, he would be traded after the first day of the draft to the Dolphins for a 2nd and a 5th round pick, much less than you would expect for a prospect just the year before they had traded up to get with the 10th overall pick. While Josh Rosen did not play great his rookie year, he did about as well as anyone thrown into a terrible team like the Cardinals could have, compiling a 3-10 record over the games he started. He had little to no help on his roster and did everything he could to perform with the makeshift roster. It feels like he was given an unfair shot in Arizona, but its more than likely with a new coach coming in, they wanted a brand new start wherever they could get it. The question comes now if Josh Rosen can prove they shouldn't have moved on from him. Even analysts are showing their doubts about Rosen, alrea

Can the 76ers stop Kawhi?

The Raptors and 76ers, currently tied 2-2 in their series, have had a fantastic back and forth series that could potentially go 7 games. While other players for the Raptors have not shown up in the playoffs, such as Kyle Lowry and Danny Green, one player has been nearly unstoppable against the 76ers, and that man is Kawhi Leonard. Kawhi Leonard is currently averaging 30.3 PPG while shooting 48% from the field and 50% from three. When a star is as dominant as Kawhi Leonard, you have to be able to find someone to stop him, but no one they've but up against him has had any success. The main defense played against him has been Jimmy Butler, who is a very solid defensive player and should be able to match up well against Kawhi. However, that clearly hasn't been the case since Kawhi is destroying any defense hes faced. It makes you wonder who they could possibly put up against him. You could possibly try to put Tobias Harris up against him but that leads to questions then of who wo

NBA Free Agency Preview

As we begin to wind down the NBA season, all teams and General Managers are preparing for a wild summer of free agency. There are plenty of star players going into free agency or with the option to go into free agency, but none bigger than Kevin Durant. After leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder three years ago to join the Golden State Warriors, many saw Durant as "weak" and "a snake" because he left the team that drafted him to join the team that he could not beat. But now he has the chance to right the story on him and leave the Warriors for a team where he can be the lead star. This is also a free agency class with big name point guards like Kyrie Irving, Deangelo Russel, and Kemba Walker. These three players all have the option to join new teams and become instant contenders in the right situation. Also in the mix is star small forward Kawhi Leonard. After just one season with the Toronto Raptors, Leonard has a player option that will allow him to opt out of

The Improbable but Impressive

The Carolina Hurricanes are heading to the Eastern Conference Finals in the NHL Playoffs. No one could have seen this coming but here we are. The team does not have any "stars" on it but instead they are a well oiled machine with a gritty attitude. They will never back down and will always fight til the end. After beating the defending champion Washington Capitals in a double overtime game seven, the Canes then swept the New York Islanders to punch their tickets to the next round. They will take on the Boston Bruins. Who knows what will happen. The Canes had not made the playoffs for 10 straight seasons and were the laughing stock of the NHL for the majority of the drought. Now, they have their eyes set towards the Stanley Cup. These "Bunch of Jerks", as they have been called and owned, are doing whatever it takes to win the ultimate goal. 

LeBron and the Lakers

Over this past summer, LeBron James signed a contract to join the Las Angles Lakers for the next four years. He joined some talented young players like Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram and brought along some weathered veterans like Rajon Rondo, Tyson Chandler, and JaVale McGee with him. After one season with the Lakers, James may be questioning whether he made the right decision. The team ended the season with a 37-45 record and 10th in the Western Conference. Not a great season for anyones standards. The Lakers, who have not made the playoffs in the last six seasons, are a storied franchise who are used to lots of wins and hanging championship banners from the rafters of the Staples Center. They envisioned immediate success after one of the biggest free agency signings in all of sports. On the other hand, James has his legacy to consider. After starting his NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he left his hometown to join Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. He won two championship

Rookie Tight End T.J. Hockenson will be a day 1 starter for the Detroit Lions

Former Iowa TE T.J. Hockenson was the number eight overall pick in the 2019 draft for the Detroit Lions and their is a reason why. Hockenson has had an unbelievable career with the Iowa Hawkeyes for the past two seasons. Totaling nine touchdowns and over 1,000 receiving yards, Hockenson produced some of the best statistics for tight ends in college football over the past few years. Hockenson can start week 1 and on for the Detroit Lions this season and heres why. The 6-5 tight end can dominate the run game as a blocker, while also dominating the passing game. T.J. knows how to create separation from receivers and catches anything that comes his way from the QB. A great comparison of Hockenson's play would be longtime Dallas Cowboy tight end, Jason Witten. In relation to the Detroit, the Lions and especially QB Matthew Stafford, love throwing to tight ends. Unfortunately their most successful TE of recent years left last season for the Colts, Eric Ebron. With the Colts, Ebron ha

Which NFL Team's won the 2019 Draft?

All 32 teams were able to upgrade over a three-day span, but only two are above all and landed big time players that could turn their franchise around. The Washington Redskins won significantly on draft night, landing a franchise Quarterback in Dwayne Haskins from Ohio State. Haskins, who was a highly rated QB for the draft, fell to the 15th pick for the Redskins and were not forced to trade up for their future leader. Not only did the Redskins improve at the quarterback position, Washington added WR Terry McLaurin of Ohio State and RB Bryce Love of Stanford.  The biggest factor is that Haskins and McLaruin know each other very well and have the same style of play that they can bring to D.C. Back to Love, this could be the biggest steal of the draft. Love had an outstanding career with Stanford, before getting injured this past season and creating questions about his health. If Love can make it back to his ultimate skills that fans witnessed for several years at Stanford, the Re

The Celtics are on the verge of Elimination and possibly Irving too

The Milwaukee Bucks and MVP favorite, Giannis Antetokounmpo, continued their domination in game 4 vs. the Celtics. Antetokounmpo finished the night with 39 points and 16 rebounds, leading the Bucks to a 113-101 win and a 3-1 series lead. Boston still has no answer for the "Greek Freak" and fear elimination, as they travel to Milwaukee for game 5. The Celtics defense was split once again by Antetokounmpo with long strides to the hoop for monstrous dunks. The Garden was ready and loud for game 4, but the crowd would eventually turn on their home team, booing loudly and targeting a single player, Kyrie Irving. Irving led the Celtics with 23 points and 10 assists, but he and the entire Boston team struggled to make shots for most of game 4. Overall, the Celtics shot 38 percent from the field and 22 percent from three. Tonight's game in the Garden, may have been Irving's last, as he becomes a free agent this summer. Mixed comments were flying around the Garden. Many

Update on Bryce Harper

After receiving the largest contract in Major League Baseball history (at the time), Bryce Harper has now played just over a month with his new team, the Philadelphia Phillies. So far he has played 32 games with a batting average at .235. He leads the National League in walks with 25 but has only 6 home runs and 20 RBIs. Obviously it is still early in the season, but these are not the type of numbers that you would expect from a player who is getting $30 million a year. You expect this type of player to be tearing it up like Christian Yelich or Cody Bellinger who are leading the league in home runs and RBIs. At this point, I would not even have Harper as an All Star. He will need to turn up his production level in order to get his season back on track.

Speed Kills

The Baltimore Ravens may have their new niche for years to come. After drafting Lamar Jackson in the first round of last year's NFL Draft and moving him to the starting quarterback in week 10, they reworked their offensive scheme to become more run and speed oriented. Jackson's running ability allows for that type of versatile offense. The Ravens added to their speed attack in this years draft. They drafted wide receivers Marquise "Hollywood" Brown from Oklahoma and Miles Boykin from Notre Dame in the third round and running back Justice Hill from Oklahoma State in the fourth round. All three of those players ran under 4.45 seconds in the 40 yard dash. Each of them have blazing speed and can turn a short gain into a big play. The addition of these young players and Mark Ingram (from free agency) alongside a matured Lamar Jackson can really create issues for opposing defenses. The Ravens' offense essentially became one dimensional towards the end of the season

Kyle Lowery in the Playoffs

As it stands right now, the Toronto Raptors are losing their Eastern Conference Semifinal round 2-1 to the Philadelphia 76ers. Star Kawhi Leonard has led the way for Toronto thus far but the lack of consistent help from his teammates has led to the teams' poor performance. The player most notably underperforming for the Raptors is point guard Kyle Lowery. In a game one victory, Lowery only came away with nine points. In game two, Lowery pulled out 20 points but fellow starters Marc Gasol and Danny Green only combined for eight points and the team lost. In game three, Lowery only scored seven and the starting lineup, outside of Leonard, only combined for a total of 29 and shot 21% for the game and the team was blown out. It is hard enough to win games in the NBA, especially in the playoffs. But when your starters are as inconsistent as the Raptors have been, then it is nearly impossible to win. In order to come away with a series win, Lowery needs to play like the All Star he is

Now Starting for the New York Giants......Daniel Jones?!

The Giants selected the former Duke quarterback Daniel Jones with the 6th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. This pick surprised almost everyone. Just about every analyst had Jones as their fourth ranked quarterback entering this draft. Many thought the Giants would go with Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins, or even pass up on a quarterback this year and wait until next years draft to get a player like Justin Herbert from Oregon or Tua Tagovioloa from Alabama. Dave Gettleman, the General Manager for the Giants, said that they felt that the team needed to grab Jones at 6 because he thought other teams would try to draft him before their next pick at 17. It is unclear why Gettleman and the Giants had Jones rated so high, other than the comparison he has with current Giants quarterback Eli Manning. Throughout his high school and college career, Jones attended multiple Manning Football Academies and Camps. Gettleman must have thought that since he trained under the Mannings, Jones w

High School Stars

Imagine a world where the phenom that became Kobe Bryant was already a household name even before the NBA Draft. Well, Kobe isn't the player but we are living that world here and now. The introduction of sites like HoopMixtape, Ballislife, and other basketball highlight sites have kids as young as 12 making a name for themselves on social media and the internet. In the 80s and 90s, you started to see some broadcasts of high school basketball like the McDonald's All-American Game, which gives a glimpse of who the future stars could be but there still wasn't a lot of publicity around players unless they were a top college player. Nowadays players like Zion Williamson or RJ Barrett already had thousands of followers and social media views from his high-flying dunks and blocks that he did in high school as a sophomore. The culture around basketball and basketball recruiting has changed drastically in the modern era. No longer are players first mentioned in national sports

The Rockets vs. The Officials

The Rockets have had issues with the officiating crews of the NBA for seemingly the entire season. First, it was the issues that they had with Scott Foster. Now, they cannot seem to get a break with the refs in the playoffs. There were multiple "no-calls" in game one of the Western Conference Semifinals. Both players and coaches on the Rockets made obvious complaints both during the game and in their post-game press conferences. Chris Paul even got fined $35K for his comments and actions against the officials. While most people would just say move on and don't let the refs dictate the game, I am a bit of the exception. I agree with the Rockets' actions. It is hard enough that they have to face off against the Warriors, but now they have to go up against the officials too. That does not see very fair. The only solution that I would say to the Rockets is to just play the same way they have been playing. Not everything will go in their favor but they made it this far

Zion Williamsom NBA potential

Zion Williamson has now become one of the biggest names in all of sports. He is the most anticipated athlete to come to the NBA draft since Lebron James and has gained a cult following of fans.  But that hype has not come without scrutiny. But all this comes with a generational talent like Zion it's something to be expected. But the question of how good he will be is always something to be asked. and Zion is going to be someone that will be a monster in the NBA. Zions ability to get into the paint at will and that ability will only grow once he gets into the league . His athleticism  is already at the top of nearly all NBA players. And just like NBA Star Giannis Antetokoumpo, Zions 285 pound frame is still developing. With NBA regimented training all of hat will turn in defined solid muscle mass. He has the intangibles that any one would want. He coachable and wants to learn. He has the potential to be a real leader for an NBA franchise and immediately turn them around. Zion has th

Young Potential Star

There is a young player in Triple A ball right now that is tearing it up for the Reno Aces, affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. This kid is from my home town, Auburn, NY and played Division-III baseball at nearby Ithaca College. He's a 6-1, 200 pound utility player who has played every position in his professional career except for pitcher and catcher. He was the shortstop at Ithaca College and started to diversify himself to multiple positions. He is now primarily playing outfield with the Aces and in some time with the Diamondbacks. This young star was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2013 and has speed that will catch anyone's eye. He was then traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers Organization for international pool money to acquire Vladamir Gurerro Jr. He made his MLB debut last year. His name is Tim Locastro, aka TLo. Locastro is hitting the lights out of the ball and has a .390 batting average in Reno with 5 HRs. In 16 plate appearances in Arizona he has a .364 battin