SB Nation User Blog: Pete1020

NBA Conference Finals Breakdown

Pete1020 — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:21:30 -0000

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.

NBA Conference Finals Breakdown

Pete1020 — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:20:03 -0000

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets

NBA Conference Finals Breakdown

Pete1020 — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:21:13 -0000

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets

NBA Conference Finals Breakdown

Pete1020 — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:14:48 -0000

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets

MLB's Downfall Continues

Pete1020 — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:20:19 -0000

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.

The Best Ever!!!

Pete1020 — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 21:59:18 -0000

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.

This elite goaltender has been poised for greatness since his rookie year. Marty’s best known for his unique style and knack for making spectacular; crucial saves in the clutch. His remarkable glove reflects and headstrong personality combine with his ultimate conistency of greatness make him the best goaltender in NHL history.

Brodeur has been the backbone to this New Jersey Devils franchise in the last 16 or so years. Marty has been the last line of defense and led the Devils to being one of the most successful teams in all of sports during his tenure. Three Stanley Cup Championships and plethora of division championships have solidified the Devils as a constant Championship contender.

Marty clearly has a trophy case of wonders that includes his three Stanley Cup Championships and 4 Vezina Trophys. Brodeur also has a 2002 Olympic Gold Medal leading Canada to the promise land. He basically has his own record book filled with various feats from his newly achieved regular season wins record, to record for wins in one season (48), to most 40 win seasons (7), to the most consecutive 30 (12) and 35 (11) win seasons, and most shutouts in regular season and playoffs combined.

When comparing Martin Brodeur with the former record holder Patrick Roy the numbers seem to already favor Marty Brodeur in most categories. As for the playoff stats, it just seems like a matter of time till Brodeur rules them too. The only record that is sure to favor Roy at the end of it all is Conn Smythe Trophy wins as he currently leads 3-0 over Marty, as Brodeur was robbed of this achievement in 2003 when he shut the Ducks out three times in the Stanley Cup finals. Roy also leads Brodeur in Stanley Cup Championships 4-3.

Reg Season Games Wins GAA SO

Brodeur 987 552 2.20 100

Roy 1029 551 2.54 66

Playoffs Games Wins GAA SO

Brodeur 169 95 1.96 22

Roy 247 151 2.30 23

Lost in this mix was yet another incredible achievement. New Jersey Devils, Patrik Elias became the franchise’s all-time leader in points surpassing John MacLean with 702 points. Elias has had a great career and is known for his excellent puck control and superb stick skills. He has won two Stanley Cups with the Devils and showed his loyalty in staying with the franchise despite higher contract offers from big name teams across the league. Elias is also the player who has been on the winning side with Brodeur the most times (398).

On top of that the Devils have inched even closer to the Boston Bruins at the top of the conference, as they now only trail the Bruins by four points with two games in hand and an upcoming battle against each other on Sunday.

NBA Back in Business

Pete1020 — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:10:15 -0000

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.

The New York Knicks have been in the gutter and made headlines for all of the wrong reasons for basically the entire decade. The Knicks haven’t finished a season over .500 since the 00-01 season and have been dragged through the mud with constant negative storylines like Isiah Thomas and Stephon Marbury. But all of a sudden there is a light at the end of the tunnel for the New York Knicks. With the tremendous coaching job done thus far from newly appointed head coach Mike D’Antoni and the opening of some major cap space after the 09-10 season, the “Quest” has built a lot of momentum. Yes, 2010 is a while away, but D’Antoni has proved that he can produce a team that cannot only entertain but win some basketball games in the mean time. Though the playoffs are still an option, it seems like it will just be too much of a hill to climb for the Knicks this season. But after another good draft pick and a year under D’Antoni’s system, the Knicks are likely to see the playoffs next season right before they make the headlines for a big spending spree in the summer of 2010.

The face of the Knicks has to be the head coach Mike D’Antoni at the moment, but multiple players have really stepped up this season and proven their worth. Lets start with the dynamic duo of Nate Robinson and David Lee. Nate Robinson has become a well-known commodity across the league because of his electricity and show stopping ability. He’s a fixture on all highlight shows and has proven that he is not afraid to take on any moment, shot, or player in the league. David Lee has quietly solidified himself as the double-double king of the NBA. He is a hustler and a player who can be relied on to give 110% throughout his time on the court. Unfortunately for the Knicks both of these guys are free agents at the end of the season, and rumor has it that only one of these two fan favorites will be able to stay with the budget management in preparation for the 2010 off season. The other three main contributors for the Knicks have been Al Harrington, Wilson Chandler, and Chris Duhon. Al Harrington brings the constant 3-point shooting threat, Chandler the versatility to get to the rim, and Duhon the court leader and playmaker that runs the masters offense. And then there is the young draft pick, Danilo Gallinari. The potential of this youngster excites the crowd, as he is a spectacular shooter who will be a key piece to the rise of the Knicks franchise back to its prominence in the near future.

The New Jersey Nets obviously don’t get the same spotlight and attention as the nearby Knicks, but it has become no secret that their youth movement and recent front office moves have been nothing but successful for the franchise. Led by Devin Harris and Vince Carter the Nets have brought solid promising youngsters into the mix, that are sure to brighten the franchise’s future, wherever it may call home. Yi Jianlian, Ryan Anderson, and Chris Douglas-Roberts are the youth additions to this franchise that the Nets are hoping to provide the surroundings to Devin Harris and Brooks Lopez. Harris has established himself as a top five, point guard in the league and looks like he is still improving. And Lopez has shown the promise the Nets were looking for when they drafted him, and is almost certain to be a legit star amongst big men across the league. The Nets are also clearly on the way up thanks to the bright front office that seems to always get the best of their acquisitions.

Yes, many NBA fans in cities like Los Angeles and Boston might laugh at this current optimism, but it cant be ignored that all metropolitan area sport fans are starting to find it necessary to flip through the Knicks and Nets games every night in recent times. It seems you can always count on an exciting game and finish even if they come up on the losing end. Despite the fact that both of these squads are under .500 they are both currently in the hunt for a playoff berth with the Nets only 2 games out of the 8th seed and the Knicks only 1.5 games out.

So it may seem a bit optimistic, but one thing is for certain the Metropolitan area has definitely taken a big step forward in their NBA progression and it looks that soon both of these franchises will be back to being East contenders, where they belong.

Brodeur Returns In Style

Pete1020 — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:29:17 -0000

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.

Brodeur looked sharp as usual as he turned aside all 24 Colorado Avalanche shots sent his way. He barely showed any rust as he was quick from post to post, handled the puck as good as ever, and was mentally sharp as well. Marty might not have had to make any remarkable breathtaking saves, but it was great to see him back there as the last line of defense making it look easy. Brodeur’s 545 career wins are 6 short of Patrick Roy’s record of 551 wins, and Marty’s 99th regular season shutout is just 4 short of Terry Sawchuk’s record of 103 regular season shutouts. Two huge milestones that Marty definitely has his sights set on and that he is extremely close to eclipsing.

The Devils were obviously sparked by Marty’s return, as they had some extra motivation to make this comeback a complete success. The captain Jaime Langenbrunner scored early to give the Devils the lead, and the Devs never looked back from that point on. It was nice to see Jay Pandolfo back on the ice, as he was working as hard as ever, as New Jersey was skating hard and hustling to every loose puck. Patrick Elias doubled the lead to 2-0 midway through the 2nd period on the power play. This finally ended the recent power play struggles and unorganized man advantage play that was being displayed by the Devils that night. Zach Parise put the game out of reach midway through the 3rd period with a highlight reel goal, giving him 36 on the year. He outskated the defender and bodied him off beautifully as he was able to roof his shot skillfully. Travis Zajac added goal number four with three minutes to play on a nice rebound. But the icing wasn’t completely on the cake till the shutout was complete, and Martin Brodeur came out to acknowledge the crowd’s appreciation as the number 1 star of the night.

But with the good news comes some disappointing news too. Scott Clemmenson was sent down to the minors because of Brodeur’s return and the front office’s decision to keep Kevin Weekes as the backup. This news though expected still hurts, as you have to feel for Clemmer who did a tremendous job at filling in for Marty while he was injured. Clemmenson will get what he is due at seasons end, as he is sure to be a highly coveted goaltender during free agency.

Martin Brodeur looks to continue his winning ways this weekend when the Devils invite the Florida panthers and hated rival Philadelphia Flyers to The Prudential Center. It will be interesting to see if Marty gets the start in both of these contests, as it is almost certain he will play Sunday vs. the division rival Flyers. New Jersey currently sits at 3rd in the Eastern Conference and 1st in the division with 81 points.

Under The Radar

Pete1020 — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:38:52 -0000

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.

This second year player has not only been putting up tremendous numbers so early in his career, but more importantly his game continues to improve. Durant showed flaws in his rookie year with his poor shot selection and lack of success from behind the arc, but he has already showed tremendous progress in these areas midway through his sophomore season.

Could you even imagine the headlines on ESPN if say LeBron James or draft counterpart Greg Oden were to produce such a performance? We all know they would both get the headline to every sport show on the agenda, but for some reason this young superstar in bloom just isn’t getting the spotlight he deserves.

The 2007 NBA Draft battle for the number one spot between Greg Oden and Kevin Durant was a laughable debate. Durant has shown that he was clearly the better player and this miscued pick by the Trail Blazers might put them in the history books yet again, dare I say Sam Bowie. Yes Oden is still young and has had injuries, but Oden never had that superstar potential. He just became an overblown ESPN character that they create every year, similar to this years Hasheem Thabeet of the UCONN Huskies.

What many may not realize is that if you contrast LeBron James’ first two seasons to Kevin Durant’s, they are extremely comparable. For those who will try to combat this comparison with team success, LeBron missed the playoffs in both his first two seasons as will Durant. And when looking at supporting casts, it really can’t get as bad as what Durant has been dealt, with one of the most inexperienced thin squads we have seen in a while. Not even mentioning how his franchise got moved halfway across the country.

Min Pts Rebs Ast Stl Blk To FG% 3Pt% FT%

LeBron Year 1 39.5 20.9 5.5 5.9 1.6 0.7 3.4 41 29.0 75.4

Durant Year 1 34.6 20.3 4.4 2.4 1.0 1.0 2.9 43 28.8 87.3

LeBron Year 2 42.4 27.2 7.4 7.2 2.20 0.7 3.28 47.2 35.1 75.0

Durant Year 2 39.9 25.9 6.6 2.8 1.21 0.8 3.11 48.2 43.7 85.7

In this case, the numbers don’t lie and with the proper help from the front office, the Oklahoma City Thunder can soon be a playoff regular. With young studs Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Jeff Green, a little veteran help and a piece here or there and this team will be a contender soon.

Hopefully as Kevin Durant continues to improve we will get to see a lot more of him on National television. He put his skills on display last weekend during the All Star Break netting the Horse Competition victory and dominating the rookie sophomore game. This kid has earned the spotlight and we as fans deserve to see him in action.

A-Rod Fails To Impress

Pete1020 — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:43:04 -0000

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.

A-Roid failed to charm me with his lame smile and faked emotions. I was not impressed by his dramatic pause when mentioning his teammates. Anyone that couldn’t see through this pathetic poor acting job obviously wasn’t watching the same press conference as the rest of the sports world. It just was very aggravating to see Alex walking into this press conference smiling and joking around with whatever colleague of his, walking aside him. Yes, I do know he feels bad, but it’s only for getting caught. There is no way this guy lost any sleep over this big baseball controversy that he has found himself knee deep in.

The fact that there were no follow-up questions allowed in this press conference basically made this whole media occasion a big shenanigan. Without giving the media the proper opportunity to question Rodriguez there was rarely any confrontations or deeper digging to push for further truths. Alex could really have been replaced with a soundboard up there as all of his responses lead to the same drawn out responses. The constant referrals to the Culture and being young, stupid and naïve and so on and so on got old real quick. Forget about being 24 or 25, Alex because you looked just as stupid yesterday.

To say that he didn’t know if the substances were working or if he was taking it properly is yet another baffling statement made by Rodriguez. Lets not forget that he took these performance-enhancing drugs for over three years at the least. If they weren’t showing signs of working would Alex really have continued to use them over and over? Would he have hid these actions from everyone if he felt that he wasn’t doing anything wrong or illegal? These common sense views of his performance enhancing drug usages are clear and Alex had to step up and just say I cheated. Admit to it and say he did it to get the upper hand on his opposition and get the best of his body and performance. Admit that he knew everything he was doing and that he straight up lied. No sugar coating and phony bogus excuses that make us all laugh in disbelief. But Alex didn’t man up. He decided to damage control and play dumb.

This also wasn’t the time to bring your generosity and future donation plans to prevent steroid usage for minors into the equation. Don Hooten and his foundation are something that obviously needs to be honored and respected, but it was a bad move to publicly try to impress us and make yourself look honorable. That should have been saved for a whole other time and place.

The only progress that was really made in this press conference is the fact that he admitted to injection and threw another main character to the story with this mysterious cousin. Who knows if this character even exists, but we will find out soon enough as the whole media world has started the search party already, and it won’t be long till they dig up proof of another lie from A-Roid.

When questioned if he would do anything more to prove himself with more stricter and frequent testing, Alex responded saying something along the lines of, “baseball is doing a fine job,” and “ that there is no need to do that.” I still think he had a tremendous opportunity to become a pioneer to Major League Baseball. I understand he has obligations to the Players Union, but look where that has gotten him and the sport currently. Rodriguez could have made history and subjected himself to further testing preferably blood, that would not only clear his name currently of any growth hormone controversy, but would have been a huge step to an extreme change in the awful condition MLB is in with their well overrated drug testing system.

I have nothing against Alex as a person as I have always respected him for who he is, but his credibility and status as a baseball player has dropped significantly. He can basically guarantee himself even more attention and criticism in this upcoming season, and if he thought the past year or two has been rough, he better get ready for the next few. His mishandling of his mistakes will force him to pay the price from so many different angles in the near future, as the real stress has yet to begin for him.

Is it asking too much to just want to hear the truth? If Alex thinks that this press conference put an end to his time in the spotlight for his steroid usage, he is in for a rude awakening in the near future. It won’t be long till he is up at the podium again with yet another part of the story he forgot to mention, and it’s a shame that we are all going to have to go for the ride with him and other superstars for many years to com