The Dwightmare is Over.....For Now

The Orlando Magic gave Dwight Howard exactly what he wanted, to get out of Orlando and on a contending and big market team. Howard was part of a 4-team trade that sent the former Magic star to the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers receiving Andrew Bynum from the Lakers, Denver Nuggets received Andre Igudala from the 76ers, and the Magic received six players which involved Arron Afflalo and Al Harrington from the Nuggets and three furure first round picks (one from each team).

The Lakers finally received the true center they've been waiting for. With Bynum's knee issues and inconsistent play, he became unreliable. They pulled off a blockbuster deal, which didn't involve Pau Gasol (many thought in order to get Howard, they've have to give up Gasol). Earlier in the offseason, the Lakers acquired one of the top point guards in the NBA, Steve Nash. The Lakers now have a big 4 of their own (Bryant, Gasol, Nash, and Howard). The two big name stars can be the key pieces to the puzzle for the Lakers and Kobe Bryant's chase to his sixth NBA championship, which will tie Michael Jordan.

With Howard coming off of back surgery, will he produce at a high level this season and not face any setbacks? Will the Lakers succeed with all of these big names, in a big NBA city (Los Angeles) or will egos destroy their season? Are the Lakers now the favorite to beat the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals and go on to win the NBA title?

After this season, Howard's contract is up. Will this chaos start all over again or will Howard stay "committed" to the Lakers for the future?

Are You Ready For Some Football?

The 2012-13 NFL season has officially begun. This season should be tight with more competitive teams and full of exciting football. Playoff spots will be harder to capture this season with stronger divisions and key additions to teams.

Who will be the surprise team this year? Which player will have an unsuspected MVP caliber season? Which play will have a breakout season? Which playoff bound team will crumble under pressure? Which team/player will be the talk of the NFL this season?

Stay tuned in the upcoming week(s) for division by division breakdown and analysis of all 32 NFL teams.

Free Agent Frenzy

The Los Angeles Lakers landed one of the top point guards this offseason, Steve Nash. Nash was formally the rival Phoenix Suns, who is from Canada considered playing for the Toronto Raptors. This will be the first time in the Kobe Bryant era that the Lakers have a true star point guard facilitating the ball and commanding the offense. With the arrival of Nash, Bynum and Gasol will receive the rock in the post more often and Kobe will not have all the pressure on him to be the point guard and shooting guard this season. With the acquisition of Nash, will the Lakers be a viable title contender for the next three seasons? Will the Lakers pursue options to trade one of their big men, Gasol or Bynum?


The blockbuster trade so far this offseason was Atlanta Hawks trading star shooting guard, Joe Johnson to the Brooklyn Nets. To get the All-Star shooting guard, the Nets gave up five role players and a first-round draft in 2014. Johnson agreed to be traded to the Nets well before All-Star free agent point guard Deron Williams decided his future. Williams, who is a Dallas native had to choose between his hometown team and returning to the Nets. After the Nets showed an aggressive pursuit this offseason to acquire better talent, Williams decided to re-sign with the team. The future of the Nets looks promising and a contending team in the Eastern Conference. The bar is set high for the Nets this season with two All-Star guards on the roster. The Nets were in discussion of try to acquire Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, the process took too long for the Nets and it fell through. The Nets ended trade talks with the Magic and decided to re-sign center Brook Lopez. Will they live up to expectations? Will they be able to keep up with powerhouse teams in the Eastern Conference such as Boston Celtics and defending NBA Champion Miami Heat?

Breakthrough player of the year, Jeremy Lin being was offered a contract from the Houston Rockets, the New York Knicks seemed to look elsewhere and pursue Dallas Mavericks free agent point guard Jason Kidd. The Knicks signed Kidd for veteran leadership both on and off the court. The Knicks according to sources are going to match the Rockets offer to retain Lin. Lin will be the starting point guard, while Kidd will be the mentor. Lin had a breakout year last season but needs guidance and a accomplished backup to help him improve. Will the veteran leadership of Kidd have an impact on the teams performance and how they operate their offense? Will Jeremy Lin succeed or crumble this season?


Free agent, Ray Allen had a tough decision to make this offseason, re-sign with the Celtics or pursue the last few years of his career elsewhere. The Celtics offered him a two-year contract worth $12 million, while the Miami Heat offered him $3 million a year.  Prior to Allen's decision, the Celtics  still look to entice the Mavericks into a sign-and-trade deal to land shooting guard Jason Terry. This may have been a sign to Allen that the Celtics were moving on without him. Allen decided to take the Heat's offer because he thought it would be his best opportunity to win another title. Going to a rival team, will Allen be looked at as a trader to Celtics fans? Is signing Allen the key to back-to-back championships? Will Jason Terry be able to fill the shoes of all the success and admiration that Ray Allen received from the Celtics fans?

The Dwightmare continues as the Rockets and Lakers try to acquire the All-Star center.
         
         

NBA Draft Recap

First Round Selections

1. Anthony Davis - New Orleans Hornets

2. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - Charlotte Bobcats

3. Bradley Beal - Washington Wizards

4. Dion Waiters - Cleveland Cavaliers

5. Thomas Robinson - Sacramento Kings

6. Damian Lillard - Portland Trail Blazers (from Brooklyn Nets)

7. Harrison Barnes - Golden State Warriors

8. Terrence Ross - Toronto Raptors

9. Andre Drummond - Detroit Pistons

10. Austin Rivers - New Orleans Hornets (from Minnesota Timberwolves)

11. Meyers Leonard - Portland Trail Blazers

12. Jeremy Lamb - Houston Rockets (from Milwaukee Bucks)

13. Kendall Marshall - Phoenix Suns

14. John Henson - Milwaukee Bucks (from Houston Rockets)

15. Maurice Harkless - Philadelphia 76ers

16. Royce White - Houston Rockets (from New York Knicks)

17. Tyler Zeller - Dallas Mavericks (traded to Cleveland)

18. Terrence Jones - Houston Rockets (from Minnesota Timberwolves)

19. Andrew Nicholson - Orlando Magic

20. Evan Fournier - Denver Nuggets

21. Jared Sullinger - Boston Celtics

22. Fab Melo - Boston Celtics (from LA Clippers)

23. John Jenkins - Atlanta Hawks

24. Jared Cunningham - Cleveland Cavaliers (from LA Lakers) (traded to Mavericks)

25. Tony Wroten Jr. - Memphis Grizzlies

26. Miles Plumlee - Indiana Pacers

27. Arnett Moultrie - Miami Heat (traded to 76ers)

28. Perry Jones III - Oklahoma City Thunder

29. Marquis Teague - Chicago Bulls

30. Festus Ezeli - Golden State Warriors (from San Antonio Spurs)

Notable Second Round Selections

35. Draymond Green - Golden State Warriors

37. Quincy Acy - Toronto Raptors

41. Tyshawn Taylor - Portland Trail Blazers

42. Doron Lamb - Milwaukee Bucks

44. Kim English - Detroit Pistons

The 2012 NBA Draft was history making, it was the first time in the common draft era that the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks were from the same college (University of Kentucky Wildcats). The Wildcats tied an all-time high with six players being drafting. University of North Carolina had the second most players drafted in the 2012 draft with a total of four Tar Heels selected.

Which was the biggest surprise of the draft for you? Dion Waiters
a projected pick to the Toronto Raptors at No. 8, going to the Cleveland Cavaliers with the No. 4 overall pick? Perry Jones III dropping to No. 28 overall? Miles Plumlee being drafted in the first round? Did the Celtic's take a huge risk by selecting injured (back issues) Jared Sullinger at No. 21?


This was one of the deepest drafts and consisted of a lot of talented players. The Houston Rockets had three great selections and look to rebuild their franchise, they will emerge into a great young team. The Cleveland Cavaliers were another team that had a great draft, Dion Waiters and Kyrie Irving playing on the floor together could be devastating for opponents. The 2012-13 NBA season looks to have less parity and more contending teams. Hope you all are anticipating the start of the season to see this new rookie class shine on the court.


Stay tuned for the chaos that is NBA free agency, which officially began today! 

NBA Mock Draft

First Round (considering no trading of draft picks)
1. Anthony Davis - New Orleans Hornets
2. Thomas Robinson - Charlotte Bobcats
3. Bradley Beal - Washington Wizards
4. Harrison Barners - Cleveland Cavaliers
5. Andre Drummond - Sacramento Kings
6. Damian Lillard - Portland Trail Blazers (from Brooklyn Nets)
7. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - Golden State Warriors
8. Dion Waiters - Toronto Raptors
9. John Henson - Detroit Pistons
10. Austin Rivers - New Orleans Hornets (from Minnesota Timberwolves)
11. Tyler Zeller - Portland Trail Blazers
12. Meyers Leonard - Houston Rockets (from Milwaukee Bucks)
13. Jeremy Lamb - Phoenix Suns
14. Terrence Ross - Milwaukee Bucks (from Houston Rockets)
15. Perry Jones III - Philadelphia 76ers
16. Arnett Moultrie - Houston Rockets (from New York Knicks)
17. Kendall Marshall - Dallas Mavericks
18. Moe Harkless - Houston Rockets (from Minnesota Timberwolves)
19. Jared Sullinger - Orlando Magic
20. Andrew Nicholson - Denver Nuggets
21. Terrence Jones - Boston Celtics
22. Royce White - Boston Celtics (from LA Clippers)
23. Marquis Teague - Atlanta Hawks
24. Fab Melo - Cleveland Cavaliers (from LA Lakers)
25. Evan Fournier - Memphis Grizzlies
26. Draymond Green - Indiana Pacers
27. Quincy Miller - Miami Heat
28. Doron Lamb - Oklahoma City Thunder
29. Jeffrey Taylor - Chicago Bulls
30. Will Barton - Golden State Warriors (from San Antonio Spurs)

Teams without a first round pick = LA Lakers, LA Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves


Which players will rise and fall?

Will the Charlotte Bobcats look to trade down from No. 2 in order to pile up draft picks? With all of the moves the Houston Rockets have accomplished prior to tomorrow's draft, will three first round draft picks lure the Orlando Magic into trading C Dwight Howard? Would the Rockets invest so much into a player who has been very outspoken about where he wants to play? Houston wasn't one of the destinations Howard would be interested in playing for. If Howard doesn't stay with the Magic, he wants to go to a big market team such as Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, or Los Angeles Lakers. Will the Clippers look to acquire PF Lamar Odom from the Dallas Mavericks in a possible three team trade, which would involve PG Mo Williams? Will the Boston Celtics move up in order to draft coach Doc Rivers' son Austin Rivers? Will any blockbuster deals that involve star players happen during the draft?

The King is Crowned

After waiting nine years, LeBron James has finally won the NBA Title.  James has taken 9 years to reach his ultimate goal, but in his second season as a member of the Miami Heat, the organization captured their second NBA Title after experience a devastating loss in the 2011 NBA Finals just one year ago. In last years NBA postseason LeBron was non-existence, folded under pressure, and became known as the "Frozen One" instead of the "Chosen One". Due to the lack of inability to perform by LeBron, the Miami Heat lost in the NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks in a come-from-behind 3 game win streak to claim the NBA Title.

Originally LeBron James looked to be a home-town hero and bring an NBA championship to the Cleveland Cavilers, as he grew up only 40 miles away from Cleveland in Akron, Ohio. The Cavs were able to make it to the NBA Finals in 2007 but fell short as they were swept by the Sanantonio Spurs in a lopsided series dominated by the Spurs. During the 2009-10 NBA Playoffs LeBron and the Cavs were ranked as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but failed to live up to the expectations of being the No. 1 seed. In the Eastern Semifinals, the Cavilers suffered in a unfortunate 4-2 series loss to the Boston Celtics. After having his second best season in his NBA career, LeBron James also won his second straight MVP Award. LeBron added these two MVP awards to his other accolades as James was a 6-time NBA All Star, NBA scoring champion (2008), 4-time All-NBA First Team, 2-time NBA All-Defensive First Team, an NBA Rookie of the Year (2004), All-Rookie First Team (2004), and a 2-time NBA All-Star Game MVP. Even though, at this point James seemed to of reached his full potential, being the No.1 draft pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, sports analysts and fans expected LeBron to captured at least one NBA Finals trophy. After an outstanding 2009-10 season, LeBron James made the decision of a lifetime.

Unlike any other professional athlete who decides that they want to play for a different team, LeBron James decided to make his move on an hour long, live, televised segment on ESPN known as "The Decision". On Thursday, July 8, 2010 LeBron shocked the world, and devastated his home town, and broke the heart of Caviler fans as he said the words "I'm going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat." This decision brought together the NBA's newest Big Three as Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and LeBron James came together to play for the Miami Heat. Many scrutinized that James was now playing on Wade's team, but as we all know now LeBron has taken over as the face of the franchise. On July 9, 2010, South Beach became the site of a welcoming party for the new Big Three. This welcoming party was much more of a pep rally for the Miami Heat, as James continued to amuse the media and put more pressure on the Miami franchise. LeBron did not state that he came to South Beach just to win one NBA Title, but stated that he came to win eight NBA Championships. With all this pressure on LeBron, he became more of a criticized athlete in his first season as a member of the Heat due to the pressure and hype to win the NBA title in just his first season in Miami.  

From day one, LeBron has been compared to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. The one huge difference between these two and LeBron is that they never worried about what said about them, and just showed all of their emotions and talent on the court. Before last night, LeBron James could never be compared to Jordan or Bryant as he never had a NBA Title under his belt. Even today, James cannot be brought up in the same category as other NBA Hall of Famers and future Hall of Famers, until he wins at the least 4 more NBA Titles just to catch up to the Lakers Kobe Bryant. Since leaving Celevland, LeBron has captured one NBA MVP, 2 time NBA All-Star, 2 time All-NBA First Time, 2 time NBA All-Defensive First Team, NBA Champion, and NBA Finals MVP.

This year the Miami Heat's supporting cast helped in a huge way to win the franchises second NBA Championship. In the postseason the Big Three did their part in each of the four series, the surrounding players did their part as well. Between Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier, Mike Miller, and Norris Cole; they all stepped when their number was called. If not for the supporting cast, the Miami Heat would not have won the NBA Title nor get through the Eastern Conference Finals against the experienced Boston Celtics. The reason for such an outstanding performance by these individuals in The NBA Finals, they all fed off of the double team on LeBron James, which left these outside shooters available for the open shot.

Has LeBron finally silenced his critics? Does he had the clutch gene? Would he have won a title if he didn't have Wade and Bosh? Many people argue that any superstar would win a title if they had two other star athletes on their team. Will LeBron be considered one of the greatest NBA players ever once his career is finished?

Congratulations to the 2012 NBA Champion Miami Heat

Year of the Pitcher

Just over two months into the 2012-2013 Major League Baseball season, we've witnessed five no-hitters, one combined no-hitter, and two perfect games. In the 2011-2012 season, there were a total of three no-hitters and not one perfect game. Since 2009, there have been 15 no-hitters (including combined no-hitter by Seattle Mariners) and five perfect games.

The first to start this trend of the pitching phenomena was Chicago White Sox pitcher, Philip Humber. When he pitched his perfect game at Seattle on Saturday, April 21st, it was only his second start of the season. Humber had nine strikeouts and 0.63 ERA in a 4-0 victory. Wednesday, May 2nd, Los Angeles Angels pitcher, Jered Weaver threw a no-hitter against Minnesota Twins. Weaver had nine strikeouts, one walked batter, and 1.61 ERA in a 9-0 win. On April 1st, New York Mets LHP, Johan Santana made history by pitching the Mets first ever no-hitter since the franchise was established 44 years ago. Santana struck out eight batters, gave up five walks, and threw 134 pitches in an 8-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Seattle Mariners are the first team since June 11, 2003 when the Houston Astros defeated the New York Yankees 8-0. The Astros used six pitchers to complete their combined no-hitter. The Mariners coincidentally used six pitchers as well in their combined no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1-0 win. The most impressive pitcher performance in the MLB was pitched by Matt Cain, the No. 2 pitcher in the San Francisco Giants rotation. He managed to pitch the Giants first perfect game in franchise history as he shut down the Houston Astros on June 13th. Cain struck out 14 Astros and threw 125 pitches, as the Giants beat the Astros in a 10-0 dominating victory.

This week alone, there were three one-hit games. Jason Hammel (RHP Baltimore Orioles) and Ervin Santana (RHP Los Angeles Angeles) both threw one-hit shutouts last night (June 16, 2012) against the Atlanta Braves and Arizona Diamondbacks, respectively. It is extraordinary to have two pitchers throw one-hitters and is the first time since 2002 (10 years), that two pitchers threw one-hit shutouts on the same day. New York Mets RHP R.A. Dickey pitched a controversial one-hitter on Wednesday, against the Tampa Bay Rays. The only hit allowed was in the first inning, when Mets third baseman David Wright mishandled a difficult ground ball hit by speedster B.J. Upton. The Mets tried to appeal the ruling of a hit, to be changed to an error so R.A. Dickey would be awarded a no-hitter. The Mets lost the appeal because Upton may have beat the play out even if Wright didn't mishandle to grounder.


Only a few years ago, we were in the era of the hitters and steroid scandals. Have times changed in the majors, to a dominant pitching league? Should R.A. Dickey have been awarded a no-hitter? Who will be the next pitcher to make MLB history?