Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic

 

          The Cleveland Cavaliers have been awaiting their opponent after easily competing their second consecutive sweep of the playoffs taking down the Atlanta Hawks 4-0. That opponent will come in the form of the Orlando Magic, who promptly ousted the reigning NBA Champion Boston Celtics in Game 7 at The Boston Garden.

 

Cleveland Will Win If- They come up with a strategy to stop Dwight Howard in the post. Ben Wallace is going to have to bring back his defensive play from his championship days in Detroit, when he frustrated Shaquille O’Neal. If Wallace can contain Howard on the glass and prevent his easy buckets Cleveland is sure to take this series. Moe Williams has a nice match up with Rafer Alston, as he should definitely be able to take advantage of this on the offensive end. Lebron James is going to have to continue his high level of play, which we all expect him to do, but this series will be his chance to develop the lacking clutch game to his repertoire, thanks to Orlando’s struggles to finish close games late.

 

Orlando Will Win If- They bring their game from Game 7 in Boston to the Eastern Conference Finals. Dwight Howard is going to present the biggest mismatch of the series. He has to completely dominate in the post and on the glass on both ends of the court. Howard will also have to improve his scoring output. Dwight must also stay out of foul trouble while also providing an effective last line of defense on Lebron’s drives. The Magic have to continue to penetrate and find Howard for the easy baskets. Hedo Turkoglu has to continue to be the playmaker and finisher throughout the series. Rashard Lewis has to needs to play up to his paycheck and take advantage of his skill set and versatility. Mistakes and bad shots need to be kept at a minimum from Rafer Alston. The bench will also play a tremendous role in this series. Pietrus is the best option to shadow Lebron and his clutch shooting from 3-point range will be necessary. Anthony Johnson and Courtney Lee will also play big defensive roles off the bench as Johnson can defend Moe Williams much better then Alston and Lee will be constantly working hard to shadow his assignment while also picking up his involvement in the offense.

 

 

Prediction- This series will in no way resemble either of the first two series the Cleveland Cavaliers have been involved in so far this playoffs. Orlando is the team that matches up best with the Cavs in the Eastern Conference and I expect an extremely competitive series. LeBron James will obviously get his, but expect him to get somewhat frustrated and limited by the length and athleticism of Pietrus and Turkoglu. The Dwight Howard mismatch is going to be too much for Lebron to overcome. I’m sure David Stern will be disappointed, but look for the Magic to fight past Lebron and the Cavs despite some controversial calls that are sure to go Lebron’s way late in games. Orlando in 7.

 

 

                        Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets

 

          The LA Lakers seesaw performance continued throughout the Western Conference semifinals, but they managed to survive a tight series against the banged up Houston Rockets with a rather comfortable Game 7 victory. The Lakers reward, a match up with the hungry highflying Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets have contentedly eliminated both the New Orleans Hornets and Dallas Mavericks in five games apiece, and now set their sights on the Lakers. 

 

Los Angeles Will Win If- They play to their talent and keep their effort going at a more consistent pace. Kobe Bryant will need to dominate on the offensive end of the ball. Laker big men will need to take advantage of their size advantage inside. Pau Gasol will be counted on to produce at a high level throughout the series. Trevor Ariza will need to provide some sort of containment on Carmelo Anthony and will have to continue to be a big producer on offense. Lamar Odom is going to have to step his game up and produce up to his skill set. The Lakers bench will also play a key role in this series, as Luke Walton will be a pivotal versatile producer. Farmar will have to continue his solid playoff production and the dangerous Sasha Vujacic has to get back to his sharp shooting ways.

 

Denver Will Win If- The Lakers slip up or try to snooze through the series. Denver is an explosive team that is full of weapons. Melo is the team’s best offensive force and he will have to continue to dominate and score at will. Billups’ leadership will be at full force and his ability to post up Fisher should work to his advantage. Kenyon Martin and Nene need to keep the movement at a constant pace, as their speed and explosiveness are what can get the best of the Lakers bigs. Off the bench JR Smith will need to be making the majority of the long distance shots he’s guaranteed to fire up. The “Birdman” will be a key energy guy off the bench. He will need to have a presence on defense and a key rebounder on both ends of the court. Kleiza will need to be the x factor for Denver, especially in Los Angeles, as his game on offense can be a huge addition to the Nuggets.

 

Prediction- Don’t be surprised to see this series go the distance with the combination of the Lakers inconsistency and the Nuggets firepower. Expect a back and forth series that will come down to another Game 7 at The Staples Center. Denver will get their wins thanks to their energy and hard work on both sides of the court. Look for Kobe to have a high scoring series as Denver lacks a “Kobe container”, and for Gasol to get the Denver big men in foul trouble when the series is on the line. Game 7 will go down to the wire unlike in the LA-Houston series and Kobe will prove why he is considered the best closer in the NBA having just enough to out clutch Carmelo Anthony.  Los Angeles in 7.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic

 

          The Cleveland Cavaliers have been awaiting their opponent after easily competing their second consecutive sweep of the playoffs taking down the Atlanta Hawks 4-0. That opponent will come in the form of the Orlando Magic, who promptly ousted the reigning NBA Champion Boston Celtics in Game 7 at The Boston Garden.

 

Cleveland Will Win If- They come up with a strategy to stop Dwight Howard in the post. Ben Wallace is going to have to bring back his defensive play from his championship days in Detroit, when he frustrated Shaquille O’Neal. If Wallace can contain Howard on the glass and prevent his easy buckets Cleveland is sure to take this series. Moe Williams has a nice match up with Rafer Alston, as he should definitely be able to take advantage of this on the offensive end. Lebron James is going to have to continue his high level of play, which we all expect him to do, but this series will be his chance to develop the lacking clutch game to his repertoire, thanks to Orlando’s struggles to finish close games late.

 

Orlando Will Win If- They bring their game from Game 7 in Boston to the Eastern Conference Finals. Dwight Howard is going to present the biggest mismatch of the series. He has to completely dominate in the post and on the glass on both ends of the court. Howard will also have to improve his scoring output. Dwight must also stay out of foul trouble while also providing an effective last line of defense on Lebron’s drives. The Magic have to continue to penetrate and find Howard for the easy baskets. Hedo Turkoglu has to continue to be the playmaker and finisher throughout the series. Rashard Lewis has to needs to play up to his paycheck and take advantage of his skill set and versatility. Mistakes and bad shots need to be kept at a minimum from Rafer Alston. The bench will also play a tremendous role in this series. Pietrus is the best option to shadow Lebron and his clutch shooting from 3-point range will be necessary. Anthony Johnson and Courtney Lee will also play big defensive roles off the bench as Johnson can defend Moe Williams much better then Alston and Lee will be constantly working hard to shadow his assignment while also picking up his involvement in the offense.

 

 

Prediction- This series will in no way resemble either of the first two series the Cleveland Cavaliers have been involved in so far this playoffs. Orlando is the team that matches up best with the Cavs in the Eastern Conference and I expect an extremely competitive series. LeBron James will obviously get his, but expect him to get somewhat frustrated and limited by the length and athleticism of Pietrus and Turkoglu. The Dwight Howard mismatch is going to be too much for Lebron to overcome. I’m sure David Stern will be disappointed, but look for the Magic to fight past Lebron and the Cavs despite some controversial calls that are sure to go Lebron’s way late in games. Orlando in 7.

 

 

                        Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets

 

          The LA Lakers seesaw performance continued throughout the Western Conference semifinals, but they managed to survive a tight series against the banged up Houston Rockets with a rather comfortable Game 7 victory. The Lakers reward, a match up with the hungry highflying Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets have contentedly eliminated both the New Orleans Hornets and Dallas Mavericks in five games apiece, and now set their sights on the Lakers. 

 

Los Angeles Will Win If- They play to their talent and keep their effort going at a more consistent pace. Kobe Bryant will need to dominate on the offensive end of the ball. Laker big men will need to take advantage of their size advantage inside. Pau Gasol will be counted on to produce at a high level throughout the series. Trevor Ariza will need to provide some sort of containment on Carmelo Anthony and will have to continue to be a big producer on offense. Lamar Odom is going to have to step his game up and produce up to his skill set. The Lakers bench will also play a key role in this series, as Luke Walton will be a pivotal versatile producer. Farmar will have to continue his solid playoff production and the dangerous Sasha Vujacic has to get back to his sharp shooting ways.

 

Denver Will Win If- The Lakers slip up or try to snooze through the series. Denver is an explosive team that is full of weapons. Melo is the team’s best offensive force and he will have to continue to dominate and score at will. Billups’ leadership will be at full force and his ability to post up Fisher should work to his advantage. Kenyon Martin and Nene need to keep the movement at a constant pace, as their speed and explosiveness are what can get the best of the Lakers bigs. Off the bench JR Smith will need to be making the majority of the long distance shots he’s guaranteed to fire up. The “Birdman” will be a key energy guy off the bench. He will need to have a presence on defense and a key rebounder on both ends of the court. Kleiza will need to be the x factor for Denver, especially in Los Angeles, as his game on offense can be a huge addition to the Nuggets.

 

Prediction- Don’t be surprised to see this series go the distance with the combination of the Lakers inconsistency and the Nuggets firepower. Expect a back and forth series that will come down to another Game 7 at The Staples Center. Denver will get their wins thanks to their energy and hard work on both sides of the court. Look for Kobe to have a high scoring series as Denver lacks a “Kobe container”, and for Gasol to get the Denver big men in foul trouble when the series is on the line. Game 7 will go down to the wire unlike in the LA-Houston series and Kobe will prove why he is considered the best closer in the NBA having just enough to out clutch Carmelo Anthony.  Los Angeles in 7.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic

 

          The Cleveland Cavaliers have been awaiting their opponent after easily competing their second consecutive sweep of the playoffs taking down the Atlanta Hawks 4-0. That opponent will come in the form of the Orlando Magic, who promptly ousted the reigning NBA Champion Boston Celtics in Game 7 at The Boston Garden.

 

Cleveland Will Win If- They come up with a strategy to stop Dwight Howard in the post. Ben Wallace is going to have to bring back his defensive play from his championship days in Detroit, when he frustrated Shaquille O’Neal. If Wallace can contain Howard on the glass and prevent his easy buckets Cleveland is sure to take this series. Moe Williams has a nice match up with Rafer Alston, as he should definitely be able to take advantage of this on the offensive end. Lebron James is going to have to continue his high level of play, which we all expect him to do, but this series will be his chance to develop the lacking clutch game to his repertoire, thanks to Orlando’s struggles to finish close games late.

 

Orlando Will Win If- They bring their game from Game 7 in Boston to the Eastern Conference Finals. Dwight Howard is going to present the biggest mismatch of the series. He has to completely dominate in the post and on the glass on both ends of the court. Howard will also have to improve his scoring output. Dwight must also stay out of foul trouble while also providing an effective last line of defense on Lebron’s drives. The Magic have to continue to penetrate and find Howard for the easy baskets. Hedo Turkoglu has to continue to be the playmaker and finisher throughout the series. Rashard Lewis has to needs to play up to his paycheck and take advantage of his skill set and versatility. Mistakes and bad shots need to be kept at a minimum from Rafer Alston. The bench will also play a tremendous role in this series. Pietrus is the best option to shadow Lebron and his clutch shooting from 3-point range will be necessary. Anthony Johnson and Courtney Lee will also play big defensive roles off the bench as Johnson can defend Moe Williams much better then Alston and Lee will be constantly working hard to shadow his assignment while also picking up his involvement in the offense.

 

 

Prediction- This series will in no way resemble either of the first two series the Cleveland Cavaliers have been involved in so far this playoffs. Orlando is the team that matches up best with the Cavs in the Eastern Conference and I expect an extremely competitive series. LeBron James will obviously get his, but expect him to get somewhat frustrated and limited by the length and athleticism of Pietrus and Turkoglu. The Dwight Howard mismatch is going to be too much for Lebron to overcome. I’m sure David Stern will be disappointed, but look for the Magic to fight past Lebron and the Cavs despite some controversial calls that are sure to go Lebron’s way late in games. Orlando in 7.

 

 

                        Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets

 

          The LA Lakers seesaw performance continued throughout the Western Conference semifinals, but they managed to survive a tight series against the banged up Houston Rockets with a rather comfortable Game 7 victory. The Lakers reward, a match up with the hungry highflying Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets have contentedly eliminated both the New Orleans Hornets and Dallas Mavericks in five games apiece, and now set their sights on the Lakers. 

 

Los Angeles Will Win If- They play to their talent and keep their effort going at a more consistent pace. Kobe Bryant will need to dominate on the offensive end of the ball. Laker big men will need to take advantage of their size advantage inside. Pau Gasol will be counted on to produce at a high level throughout the series. Trevor Ariza will need to provide some sort of containment on Carmelo Anthony and will have to continue to be a big producer on offense. Lamar Odom is going to have to step his game up and produce up to his skill set. The Lakers bench will also play a key role in this series, as Luke Walton will be a pivotal versatile producer. Farmar will have to continue his solid playoff production and the dangerous Sasha Vujacic has to get back to his sharp shooting ways.

 

Denver Will Win If- The Lakers slip up or try to snooze through the series. Denver is an explosive team that is full of weapons. Melo is the team’s best offensive force and he will have to continue to dominate and score at will. Billups’ leadership will be at full force and his ability to post up Fisher should work to his advantage. Kenyon Martin and Nene need to keep the movement at a constant pace, as their speed and explosiveness are what can get the best of the Lakers bigs. Off the bench JR Smith will need to be making the majority of the long distance shots he’s guaranteed to fire up. The “Birdman” will be a key energy guy off the bench. He will need to have a presence on defense and a key rebounder on both ends of the court. Kleiza will need to be the x factor for Denver, especially in Los Angeles, as his game on offense can be a huge addition to the Nuggets.

 

Prediction- Don’t be surprised to see this series go the distance with the combination of the Lakers inconsistency and the Nuggets firepower. Expect a back and forth series that will come down to another Game 7 at The Staples Center. Denver will get their wins thanks to their energy and hard work on both sides of the court. Look for Kobe to have a high scoring series as Denver lacks a “Kobe container”, and for Gasol to get the Denver big men in foul trouble when the series is on the line. Game 7 will go down to the wire unlike in the LA-Houston series and Kobe will prove why he is considered the best closer in the NBA having just enough to out clutch Carmelo Anthony.  Los Angeles in 7.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic

 

          The Cleveland Cavaliers have been awaiting their opponent after easily competing their second consecutive sweep of the playoffs taking down the Atlanta Hawks 4-0. That opponent will come in the form of the Orlando Magic, who promptly ousted the reigning NBA Champion Boston Celtics in Game 7 at The Boston Garden.

 

Cleveland Will Win If- They come up with a strategy to stop Dwight Howard in the post. Ben Wallace is going to have to bring back his defensive play from his championship days in Detroit, when he frustrated Shaquille O’Neal. If Wallace can contain Howard on the glass and prevent his easy buckets Cleveland is sure to take this series. Moe Williams has a nice match up with Rafer Alston, as he should definitely be able to take advantage of this on the offensive end. Lebron James is going to have to continue his high level of play, which we all expect him to do, but this series will be his chance to develop the lacking clutch game to his repertoire, thanks to Orlando’s struggles to finish close games late.

 

Orlando Will Win If- They bring their game from Game 7 in Boston to the Eastern Conference Finals. Dwight Howard is going to present the biggest mismatch of the series. He has to completely dominate in the post and on the glass on both ends of the court. Howard will also have to improve his scoring output. Dwight must also stay out of foul trouble while also providing an effective last line of defense on Lebron’s drives. The Magic have to continue to penetrate and find Howard for the easy baskets. Hedo Turkoglu has to continue to be the playmaker and finisher throughout the series. Rashard Lewis has to needs to play up to his paycheck and take advantage of his skill set and versatility. Mistakes and bad shots need to be kept at a minimum from Rafer Alston. The bench will also play a tremendous role in this series. Pietrus is the best option to shadow Lebron and his clutch shooting from 3-point range will be necessary. Anthony Johnson and Courtney Lee will also play big defensive roles off the bench as Johnson can defend Moe Williams much better then Alston and Lee will be constantly working hard to shadow his assignment while also picking up his involvement in the offense.

 

 

Prediction- This series will in no way resemble either of the first two series the Cleveland Cavaliers have been involved in so far this playoffs. Orlando is the team that matches up best with the Cavs in the Eastern Conference and I expect an extremely competitive series. LeBron James will obviously get his, but expect him to get somewhat frustrated and limited by the length and athleticism of Pietrus and Turkoglu. The Dwight Howard mismatch is going to be too much for Lebron to overcome. I’m sure David Stern will be disappointed, but look for the Magic to fight past Lebron and the Cavs despite some controversial calls that are sure to go Lebron’s way late in games. Orlando in 7.

 

 

                        Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets

 

          The LA Lakers seesaw performance continued throughout the Western Conference semifinals, but they managed to survive a tight series against the banged up Houston Rockets with a rather comfortable Game 7 victory. The Lakers reward, a match up with the hungry highflying Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets have contentedly eliminated both the New Orleans Hornets and Dallas Mavericks in five games apiece, and now set their sights on the Lakers. 

 

Los Angeles Will Win If- They play to their talent and keep their effort going at a more consistent pace. Kobe Bryant will need to dominate on the offensive end of the ball. Laker big men will need to take advantage of their size advantage inside. Pau Gasol will be counted on to produce at a high level throughout the series. Trevor Ariza will need to provide some sort of containment on Carmelo Anthony and will have to continue to be a big producer on offense. Lamar Odom is going to have to step his game up and produce up to his skill set. The Lakers bench will also play a key role in this series, as Luke Walton will be a pivotal versatile producer. Farmar will have to continue his solid playoff production and the dangerous Sasha Vujacic has to get back to his sharp shooting ways.

 

Denver Will Win If- The Lakers slip up or try to snooze through the series. Denver is an explosive team that is full of weapons. Melo is the team’s best offensive force and he will have to continue to dominate and score at will. Billups’ leadership will be at full force and his ability to post up Fisher should work to his advantage. Kenyon Martin and Nene need to keep the movement at a constant pace, as their speed and explosiveness are what can get the best of the Lakers bigs. Off the bench JR Smith will need to be making the majority of the long distance shots he’s guaranteed to fire up. The “Birdman” will be a key energy guy off the bench. He will need to have a presence on defense and a key rebounder on both ends of the court. Kleiza will need to be the x factor for Denver, especially in Los Angeles, as his game on offense can be a huge addition to the Nuggets.

 

Prediction- Don’t be surprised to see this series go the distance with the combination of the Lakers inconsistency and the Nuggets firepower. Expect a back and forth series that will come down to another Game 7 at The Staples Center. Denver will get their wins thanks to their energy and hard work on both sides of the court. Look for Kobe to have a high scoring series as Denver lacks a “Kobe container”, and for Gasol to get the Denver big men in foul trouble when the series is on the line. Game 7 will go down to the wire unlike in the LA-Houston series and Kobe will prove why he is considered the best closer in the NBA having just enough to out clutch Carmelo Anthony.  Los Angeles in 7.

As if Major League Baseball needed another hit to the integrity and question marks facing the league in regards to its ties with performance enhancing drugs. Well they surely got one and it came in the form of a 500-foot home run, as Manny Ramirez was suspended for 50 games for his violation of MLB’s drug policy.

 

            Yet another superstar guilty of tarnishing the game and cheating his way to the top of the Major League ranks, Manny Ramirez was counted on, like many still are to be the “completely natural talent”, that dominants the sport. But this thought has been tossed out the window just like Major League Baseball’s honor and legitimacy.

 

            Manny’s bogus excuse, trying to pin the blame on a prescription from a doctor for medical reasons was quickly rebuffed when the drug HCG was revealed to be what sparked the red flags in Ramirez’s documents. HCG is a female fertility drug that helps restart the body’s testosterone, which is commonly used after a steroid cycle. Basically all the proof needed here, as Manny was caught red handed.

 

            Bottom Line is Major League Baseball is in a laughable position of power right now. They are barely in control of their own league and they turn their heads to almost every severe performance enhancing offense until they feel the time is right to release such information. The Players Union has way too much power and MLB seems content to leave it that way as long as they money keeps coming there way.

 

            It’s commonly stated by MLB officials and some former players that at least 70% of the players in the sport are on Human Growth Hormone, which just so happens to not be tested in MLB’s tough drug policy. Yes, there might not be a perfect test out there to detect HGH, but there is way to try to detect this drug with proper blood testing. This of course is not allowed according to the Unions policy, but it has come to a time where the Union’s agreement needs to be shredded and the league as a whole needs to be halted in order to get “America’s Pastime” back on the right path.

 

            What’s even sadder about the league is that the most credible individual attached to MLB is someone who has been blackballed from it, and that’s Jose Canseco. All his opinions and statements have ended up being basic truths we have yet to be informed of. What’s that say about major League Baseball? A rat, who was a big part to the start of this huge performance enhancing issue in the sport is now, the biggest hope for all of us baseball fans who understand, respect and appreciate the morals, ethics, and history of the game.

 

            And for all the so called fans out there who can honestly keep a straight face in saying that the MLB has a policy in place that is as stringent as it should be and is doing all they can to put an immediate stop to this enormous issue is blinded by the league’s corruption and control of the media. Amazing how allegedly 70% of the league is on PEDs, but only two players worthy of naming have been suspended in the past year.

 

            It is beyond belief in my eyes how people could really stand and applaud when Alex Rodriguez was able to launch the first pitch he saw for a home run after the whole steroid controversy he had gone through over the past off season. And doesn’t seem just a bit fishy how the Manny suspension came just before Aroid was able to make his season debut? You may think I’m reaching there, but don’t underestimate the sneakiness of Major League Baseball. Don’t forget they have a list of over 100 steroid offenders that they still don’t feel necessary for the public to know about.

 

            So until MLB makes a drastic change and stand against this era of cheaters I have officially boycotted the sport. Yes I have said this before, but my recent purchase of Phillies-Dodgers tickets, in which I planned to sit front row behind Manny Ramirez himself, has been scratched from my schedule. I got rid of those tickets as soon as I got the line crossing news. And this time I have promised myself not to let my passion for sports drag me back into this corrupt league until the league is legitimately back on the right track. Only if every fan out there was as livid as me because then maybe MLB and the Players Union’s hand could be forced, but that doesn’t look likely to ever happen.

 

            So I hope everyone enjoys the front row seats to the end of baseball because it is only a matter of time till the sport loses all of its credibility even with the oblivious American public. If only there was another sport to watch in the summer, I could basically guarantee to prevent any of my attention towards baseball.

            Martin Brodeur has made NHL history, as he has collected the 552nd win of his spectacular career last night. After kicking away a final effort by his opposition and the sound of the horn, Marty hopped off the ice in excitement as he has added yet another tremendous accomplishment to his long resume.

 

          

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There is a sudden energy flowing back into the New York/ New Jersey area and it’s the unexpected reemerging NBA franchises in the metropolitan area. The Knicks and Nets have all of a sudden stopped being the overlooked teams of and just outside the city, and have become teams of relevance again.

 

           

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The highly anticipated return of arguably the best goaltender in NHL history did anything but disappoint Thursday night as Martin Brodeur returned to the ice in style leading the New Jersey Devils to a 4-0 shutout victory.

 

       

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On Tuesday night, a rising NBA star dropped 47 points in a spectacular performance and it was barely mentioned in highlight shows across the nation. This growing talent is Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The former Texas Longhorn stud has quietly produced in the shadows of fellow NBA superstars consistently throughout his young NBA career.

 

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Alex Rodriguez had yet another opportunity to come completely clean yesterday, and he once again failed miserably. The press conference held in Tampa Bay was just another rehearsed, publicly displayed joke to the American public. Yes, he revealed some new information to this on going drama, but he still left way too much to be desired from truth seekers nation wide.

 

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