Tuesday, July 10, 2012

FREE TO TRAVEL

When you come to the NBA you sign a contract, and that contract you sign will eventually come to an end. And at the end of that contract, the team that you were on has a the option to try to resign you or let you go to another team; depending on how you contributed in the first 3 or 4 years of your career. With that said, the free agency games of 2012 have begun.

There has already been big names moving to a different team and some have resigned to remain with their current team. Here is a list of the top players and the teams they have committed to and other free agents that have yet to sign with a team:



  • Kevin Garnett- Boston Celtics (The Celtics made KG their main target this off season to give themselves another push at winning another title.)

  • Jason Terry- Boston Celtics (Terry who many thought would go to Miami, did the exact opposite and went to Boston.With the C's losing Allen to Miami, Jason will play the same role Ray Allen did, spot up and shoot.)


  • Ray Allen- Miami Heat- (The Heat made it clear during the season that Ray Allen would be their priority come this off season, and he has agreed to take his talents to South Beach.)

  • Deron Williams- Brooklyn Nets (This was one of those bitter sweet deals, D.Will had to choose to either go to his hometown of Dallas and play or stay with the Nets as they transitioned to Brooklyn.)

  • Steve Nash- LA Lakers (This was maybe the biggest surprise so far, seeing that the Lakers were not even a team on his list. Kobe now gets a true point guard)

  • Roy Hibbert- Indiana Pacers (The All Star free agent was a restricted free agent and was offered a max contract by the Portland Trailblazers of $58 million for 4 years. The Pacers will match that offer and Roy will remain a Pacer. That would've been a huge blow for them if he were to leave.)

  • Jamal Crawford- Los Angeles Clippers (Jamal Crawford is one the most exciting players in the league to watch. This is a great pick up for the Clips, especially with Nick Young headed to Philly)

  • Eric Gordon- Phoenix Suns (Eric Gordon likes the Suns, and after the Hornets drafted Austin Rivers in the draft he felt the Hornets were moving in a different direction.)

  • Gerald Wallace- Brooklyn Nets (The Nets traded their first round pick last year to Portland for Wallace. They have signed him to a 4 year $40 million deal.)

  • Nicolas Batum- Minnesota Timberwolves (The T'Wolves have agreed with Batum on a 4 year $45 million deal. He was a restricted free agent with Portland, and will be a great wing player for Minnesota.)

  • Brandon Roy- Minnesota Timberwolves (B.Roy has come out of his brief retirement. The T'Wolves will sign him to a 2 year $10 million deal. This could be a high risk for them. But, if Roy is healthy...this is a great signing.)
This is just the beginning. To keep track with all the free agent frenzy, you know where to stop at.

DETROIT'S PRINCE

Major League Baseball has reached the All Star break, which means the leagues best will be on display for the next few days. The most entertaining thing about the whole weekend took place last night. The State Farm Home Run Derby.


In this event, you will see a power display from the leagues best hitters. In this years home run derby the contestants were:

National League:
Carlos Beltran- St. Louis Cardinals
Carlos Gonzalez- Colorado Rockies
Andrew McCutchen- Pittsburgh Pirates
Matt Kemp- LA Dodgers

American League
Jose Bautista- Toronto Blue Jays
Mark Trumbo- Los Angeles Angels
Prince Fielder- Detroit Tigers
Robinson Cano- New York Yankees




Now, my pick coming into this was Prince Fielder. I had two reasons; 1. because he's won before and 2. he plays for the Tigers. I didn't think i needed any other reason. Sounds pretty legit to me. Although Robinson Cano put on show last year, I didn't think he would be able to do the same thing this year. In the first round, Jose Bautista hit 11 home runs, the most of any hitters in that round. Prince hit 5 and all i could do was simply hope Robinson hit 4 so he could sneak into the 2nd round. Prince didn't even have to sneak in. After the defending champion hit 0 home runs. YES, I said 0. The fans in Kansas City cheered every time Cano got an out. Ive never seen anything like that before in my life.



In the 2nd round, Prince caught fire. He hit 11 home runs and about 4 of those landed in the pool at the stadium. The farthest home run he hit traveled 476 feet. He did that twice. I was just sitting there watching, and all i could say was my goodness. The ball just jumped off the bat. The big fella has some serious bat speed. He would move on to the final round against Bautista where he just salivated at the plate. He hit 12 home runs in the final round to win his 2nd home run derby in the last 3 years.


The All Star game is tonight, where Prince Fielder and Justin Verlander will represent Detroit as starters in the American League.

Time Off

Like most athletes, when the season comes to an end the need a little "R &R." Well, im no different, after the shortened season and the intense playoffs, I took sometime to myself. In my time of relaxing, I starting blogging for prosportsblogging.com for the Chicago Bulls. So, if youre a Bulls fan you can check that out and let me know what you think.



Now, its time to get back to work. Ill get you up to date with all the free agent signings and trades going on in the league. And if thats not enough, ill be talking about the upcoming Olympics...off season injuries, and NBA Summer League. Keep it locked in right here to the best sports blog.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Kings of Miami

First there was the resigning of Dwyane Wade; then Chris Bosh joined the Heat; and then the most talked about charity show EVER, "The Decision" where LeBron James took his talents to South Beach. After a full season of every fan in America hating the Heat and them making it to the NBA Finals and losing to the Mavericks in 6 games, "The Decision" finally paid off.


The Miami Heat are Champions of the basketball world for the 2nd time in franchise history. After many seasons in the league, well deserved vets earned their first ring; Shane Battier, Mike Miller, and Juan Howard. They all contributed throughout the season and in the playoffs. Despite the injuries Mike Miller played the whole season with, game 5 was his coming out party for the playoffs. Mike had an out of body experience. For a minute i thought i was watching Mike Miller from Florida or even his early years in the league with Orlando and Memphis. Miller was 7-8 from the three point line. At one point in the game, Norris Cole was checking in for him and he waived him back to the bench. If this is Mike's last game in his career, i couldn't think of a better way to go out.













Chris Bosh who joined the Heat last year, also received his first ring after 9 seasons in the league. He was in the same draft class as his fellow teammates of LeBron and Wade. Last year after losing to the Mavs, Chris dropped to the floor in tears as he was walking to the locker room. Many said Chris was a good player, but shouldn't be considered a member of the "Big 3"because he was soft. The world realized how big of a role Bosh played on the team after he was injured in the Indiana series and missed 9 games. The team seemed to struggle at times, but once he was back in the line up, you could see how much it helped his team and caused problems for other teams.


The biggest story of all, is that the King has been crowned. LeBron James has won his first ring after 9 years in the NBA. After not having a triple double, LeBron picked the right game to have one. He finished with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. His performance was only the fifth in NBA history to get a triple double in a Championship close out game. After leaving Cleveland, and being ripped for taking his taking his talents to South Beach, he can finally say he's an NBA Champion and Finals MVP. He will still have naysayers, they re not going anywhere. But, the thing about it is they cant take away the fact that he is an NBA Champion.


After taking a step back on the team and handing the keys over to King James to drive the team, my guy Dwyane Wade gets ring #2. This was not an easy thing for him to do, to give the team to LeBron the team after he was drafted by the team in 2003 and was the franchise player. In order to win a chip he knew what needed to be done. Injuries kept Wade from being the player that we know. Throughout that he found a way to help his best friend LeBron James and the Heat organization bring a title back to South Beach. He will probably get knee surgery this summer and forgo the Olympics in London, but it will be beneficial for the Heat when the 2012-2013 season begins.


   MIAMI HEAT 2012 NBA CHAMPIONS


Thursday, June 21, 2012

ONE MORE

The Miami Heat are one game away from winning their 2nd Championship in team history. One win away from "King" getting his crown and one win away from the "Big 3" getting their 1st ring together.


LeBron limped his way out the game in the 4th quarter with the game still in question, but that was no problem for the Heat. Mario Chalmers was there to save the day. Yes, I said Mario Chalmers. After the first game of the NBA Finals, Chalmers basically disappeared. And after being pulled in the 1st quarter last night for the lack of production and rookie Norris Cole coming in and providing a spark for the team; Chalmers returned to the Finals. He did that in a huge way, by dropping 25 points with 12 of those coming in the 4th quarter.


LeBron went on the game late with leg cramps; returned the next possession and hit a 3 that put the Heat up for good. Despite the leg cramp, it was an all around great performance by LeBron; he had 26 points, 12 assists, and 9 rebounds. His partner in crime D.Wade had 25 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 big blocks towards the end of the game. Bosh was solid as well with 13 points and 9 rebounds. Despite an epic performance by Thunder guard Russell Westbrook who had a career playoff high of 43 points, the Heat were able to get key stops and get timely buckets.


The day is finally here. South Beach couldnt be any hotter today. For the 1st time in his 9 year NBA career and his 3rd NBA Finals apperance, LeBron James is 48 minutes away from his 1st NBA Championship and possibly Finals MVP. Although the Heat lead the series, I feel this is a must win game for them. Could they possibly win one game in OKC, yes. But, why play with fire when you can just put it out at home tonight. Everything must go right for Miami to win. They have to hope James Harden continues to struggle and that they keep getting production from their role players, which is one of the main reasons they are winning this series right now. Game 5 is tonight at 9 and possibly the last game of the NBA season on ABC. #HEAT



Tuesday, June 19, 2012

BACK FIRE



2 time All American Jared Sullinger is drawing red flags from NBA doctors. Jared was predicted to be lottery pick in next weeks draft, but now with the back problems doctors are talking about his stock has seemed to drop. Reports are saying that with his back problems, his NBA career could be shortened. Last season when Sullinger was at Ohio State he sat out 2 games in December due to back spasms. Jared Sullinger's father said,

"We've got nothing to hide. At this stage it's all about what they can't do. Jared is a skilled player. A two-time All-American. He can play."

HEAT WAVE



The Miami Heat are once again 2 more games from winning the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Last year against the Dallas Mavericks the Heat held a 2-1 lead before going to Dallas and losing 3 straight games and losing the series. They're in the same position now, except they have 2 more games at home to try and close it out.


LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are 2 games away from winning their first championship together for the second year in a row. Personally, I think they will get it done. In game 3 the Heat ran away with the game in the first quarter, by opening up with a 18-2 run. Despite the Thunder effort to make it a close game and the questionable foul at the end of the game, the Thunder cant really blame no one but themselves. Miami hasnt played a good game yet in this series. They've played good in key stretches of the game, while OKC played bad, which is why they lead the series 2-1.  Also, I believe LeBron James is starting to slow down Kevin Durant a tad bit.


After KD scored 17 points in the 4th quarter of game 1, 16 in game 2, and only 4 points in game 3; I think he might be getting tired by time the 4th quarter arrives. When you have a guy like LeBron guarding you for an entire game, that can be tiring. I don't care what level you've played at or how good you are. Kevin Durant is listed at 6'9, but many say he's close to 6'11. That's a tough cover for anybody. But, what LeBron is doing is simply putting all 270 pounds of his weight on KD when he doesn't have the ball and making him work to get open. So, you figure for the first 3 quarters of the game KD will be fine offensively, but by the time the 4th quarter arrives; he doesn't have much left. Maybe that's the secret for success for the Heat.


I'm not worried about Kevin Durant or even Russell Westbrook's erratic play at times. I'm more concerned about James Harden. Where has he been? They will not win this series if he does not show up. The Thunder have 2 chances remaining in South Beach to steal a game, so the series can shift back to OKC. I picked the Heat to win in 5 games, and I will tell you this; if the Thunder do not win game 4 tonight, this series is over. I say that because, not only will LeBron and Chris Bosh be closer to their first NBA Championship, but because Dwyane Wade will takeover in game 5. I don't think Wade will want to go back to OKC and try and close out the Thunder at home. That can be a tough task, especially if the series is tied. Game 4 is tonight at 9 on ABC.


Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Round 1...Young Guns

Despite a slow start for the Oklahoma City Thunder, they got on track in just enough to time to pull away from the Miami Heat in game 1 of the NBA Finals.


If you thought OKC would've been rattled or had any jitters, you were wrong. Maybe in the opening minutes of the game, that was all. The Thunder eased their way back into the game and eventually took the lead and never let it go. Kevin Durant was just....sensational. There were points in the game yesterday when I just watched him. You would think, well you would be watching him anyway. What I mean is, I only watched him. I watched everything he did on the offensive and defensive end. Kevin is a silent leader.He doesnt say much, but he is a leader. When things werent looking good for some stretches in the first half yesterday, you could look at him and see how calm he was. He picked his spots to score and when it was money time in the 4th quarter, KD turned into the Durantula.


KD finished with 36 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. All this while shooting 60% from the field and 50% from the 3 point line. Russell Westbrook flirted with a triple double by droppin 27 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds, and only 2 turnovers. The scary part about OKC winning this game is that, 6th Man of the Year James Harden only had 5 points. If he gets rolling, along with KD and Westbrook, this could be a long series for the Heat. Game 2 is tomorrow night at 9:00 on ABC.


Tuesday, June 12, 2012

THUNDER VS HEAT #NBAFINALS

The NBA Finals are finally here. This will be one of the most watched Finals in NBA history I'm sure. I can give you 2 reasons as to why this will be the most watched; LeBron James and Kevin Durant.


What a better way to end the NBA season. You have the top 2 players in the league battling head to head to win a chip. 3 time scoring champ versus 3 time MVP. If that doesn't get you amped, I don't know what does. The energy and electricity that will be in Chesapeake Energy Arena tonight will be at an all time high. There will be lots of offense in this series, a lot of highlight plays, and some last second shots.


Ive rooted for both teams all season long. I said at the end of last season that these two teams will meet in the NBA Finals this year. Well, the time is here and i cant root for both teams now. I can sit back and watch two superstars go at it for 48 minutes every game. There are so many different match- ups and line- ups we will see in this series, it gets your wheels turning if you re a basketball junkie. It almost makes you feel like you are about to coach. As a Thunder fan, you probably sitting there trying to figure out how deep Scott Brooks will go into his bench, or how many minutes KD or Westbrook will play. Or, as a Heat fan you probably thinking, is DWade gonna show up in the first half or is the bench gonna give good minutes and produce. Its a lot to think about.


So, its prediction time. Oklahoma City has shocked the world i think. Not that they've made it to the NBA Finals, but the fashion they did it in. It didn't surprise me though; when you have a talent like Kevin Durant who eat, sleeps, and drinks basketball and can lead a team, its not hard to believe. James Harden will play a huge roll in this series and will probably play starter minutes even though he comes off the bench. Miami has LeBron, D.Wade, and Chris Bosh. The only question is, will the role players produce? It doesn't necessarily have to be points, maybe play good defense and muck the game up a little bit and cause OKC to struggle on offense, that way the score can stay close. But, I give the Miami Heat the edge because of the experience and also I feel they have something to prove. Not saying OKC doesnt, but LeBron has a chip on his shoulder and I feel that Dwyane Wade will be ready for the entire game, not just the 4th quarter. With that said, the Miami Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in 5 games and will be the 2012 NBA CHAMPIONS!!!

Monday, June 11, 2012

BEAST OF THE EAST

They say 3 times a charm. Well, it was definitely a charm for the LeBron James and the Miami Heat as they advance to the NBA Finals for the 2nd straight year.


The Heat and Celtics went the distance in the Eastern Conference Finals and the Heat prevailed and are headed to the NBA Finals to face the Oklahoma City Thunder. LeBron had 31 and 15; D.Wade had 23 and 6; and the x factor Chris Bosh played the best game possible after coming back from injury. He had 19 points and 8 rebounds, including three 3 pointers. Shane Battier also chipped in with 12 points, with timely 3 pointers in the 4th quarter. For a while you had a feeling the way the game was being played, you thought the Celtics would close the game out, but then you could see the tired legs and Miami's "BIG 3" completely take over the game.



LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh scored the last 31 points of the game for the Heat. Including all 28 in the fourth quarter. The three stars came together last season with the hopes of winning a title together, copying the blueprint of the Boston Celtics when KG and Ray Allen joined Paul Pierce in 2007. Now they get their 2nd crack at it. Last year they didnt get it done against the Mavs and this year it doesnt get easier as they take on the young and very talented Oklahoma City Thunder.

Friday, June 8, 2012

KING JAMES

Words can not describe the performance LeBron James put on display last night in Boston. LeBron played like the 3 time league MVP last night. There was nothing the Celtics could do to stop him. Boston could've thrown the kitchen sink at LeBron last night and i don't think it would've mattered.


In a game where the Celtics were looking to close out the Miami Heat and head to the NBA Finals, things didnt go as planned. The Celtics were witnesses to LeBron James "silent" explosion. Let me explain what i mean by "silent." Throughout the ball game you can usually hear LeBron talking to the refs after a call or even to the other team at times. None of that last night, he just went out there got his 45 points and 15 rebounds like it was routine...did his post game conference with Doris Burke...went to the locker room...read his book...did his press conference...and ended it by saying, "Looking forward to game 7, see yall in Miami."


This was one of the most impressive performances ive ever seen. Its not just the fact that he scored 45 points. Its the stage he did it on. Down 3-2 in the series to a team completely capable of ending your season. On the road in a hostile environment, and you just go in there and crush the spirits of everybody in the arena. If Boston thought they were going to just show up and win, they thought wrong. The most jaw dropping play, had to be late in the 1st half when he took off and caught a tip dunk after flying in from the 3 point line. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln3GSDPUzdg

Now the series shifts back to South Beach in the final game of the series. What should we expect from both teams...honestly, i couldn't tell you. This has got to be one of the most confusing games to predict. But, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say Miami wins the game. I think Bosh will be the x factor in this game. Miami will get out to a fast start just like in game 6. Boston will make their runs, but it just wont be enough. Dwyane Wade will have a good game; close to a triple double, and LeBron will just be LeBron. The Miami Heat will advance to play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2012 NBA Finals.

KINGS OF THE WEST

You can throw away the saying, "they're too young to win" or "its not time yet." The Oklahoma City Thunder made that clear as they slammed the door shut on the San Antonio Spurs to win the Western Conference Championship and advance to the NBA Finals.


Kevin Durant and company are headed to the NBA Finals. Lets just take a look back as to how the Thunder have reached the Finals.
  • 1st round they swept the defending champion Dallas Mavericks
  • 2nd round they beat the Lakers in 5 games
  • 3rd round they beat the Spurs in 6 games (winning 4 straight after being down 2-0)
  • 4th round ???

Kevin Durant finally got his wish from his head coach Scott Brooks and played the entire game. A very productive 48 minutes. He finsihed with 34 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists. We can look at everything he did offensively, but thats expected. We know he can score the ball, but on defensive the kid played great. Late in the game, you saw him sprinting back on defense...giving up his body and taking a charge, snatching rebounds from his own teammates. KD was amazing to watch. It really made you think to yourself, can Kevin Durant...Russell Westbrook...James Harden and the Oklahoma City Thunder possibly become a dynasty? Only time can tell. OKC awaits the winner from the Eastern Conference Finals between Miami and Boston.



Wednesday, June 6, 2012

TIGER BACK?

This past Sunday, Tiger Woods seemed to be back to his normal self. Tiger Woods got his 73rd win and ties Jack Nicklaus for career PGA Tour victories at the tournament that Jack built.


The U.S. Open starts in 8 days, and Tiger looks like he might have got his swing back. Making some impossible shots, and coming from behind to win...Woods looked like his old self. He won for the second time this year and moved to #4 in the world. This was the second time this year Tiger won in his final warm up before a major tournament. He won Bay Hill, but then tied for 40th at the Masters. The U.S. Open at starts June 14, and im sure he would be quite happy to take the game he palyed with Sunday to the U.S. Open.