NY OTA's

Giants:

Although the Giants have won 2 Superbowls in recent memory, they have struggled in the other years. The team fired offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride and hired Ben McAdoo from Green Bay, the first major firing of someone who was part of the championships. McAdoo brings a simple offense that is far less reliant on option routes. They lacked depth at the receiver position, and Cruz and Nicks missed time in the offseason last year. This led to a lack of continuity with the offense. The new offense will likely improve the fate of the offense because Manning will have a better idea of where his receivers are, but it is still new terminology to learn. This may have a negative impact in the short term. Although they lost Nicks to the Colts, drafting Odell Beckham Jr. with the 12^th pick was a nice pickup. The LSU receiver is smaller than Nicks, but he is faster and could potentially be a better playmaker. He will flourish in this offense if he stays healthy. The o-line will be better because McAdoo didn’t have much talent in Green Bay either, but the running game needs to take a huge step forward. I was never a fan of David Wilson even before the fumbles, and the fact that Peyton Hillis is still on the team indicates a problem at the position. Drafting Boston College rookie RB Andre Williams in the fourth round could be a steal, but he must be used as a prototypical power back. Despite being a Heisman finalist, he fell due to his inability to catch passes/run routes.

The defense will look different this year, in both names and philosophy. They notably lost defensive linemen Justin Tuck and Linval Joseph, leading to opportunity for second year players Johnathan Hankins and Damontre Moore. They signed Robert Ayers from Denver, who had a solid 29 combined tackles and 5.5 sacks last year. The secondary added Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie from Denver and Walter Thurmond from Seattle. This should improve the secondary, which was never stellar due to the Giants’ d-line obsessed system. More will be asked of the linebackers and secondary, which can only have positive effects.

Jets:

Coming into the season for the Jets, the biggest question is whether or not the offense can take the next step.  The QB battle between Geno Smith and Michael Vick is intriguing, as well as the acquisitions of WR Eric Decker and RB Chris Johnson. Adding Johnson makes the Jets running attack one of the best in the league. They were sixth in the league in rushing last season, and now they have a legit 3-headed monster with Johnson, Bilal Powell, and Chris Ivory. The receivers have been a problem for a while now, with Jeremy Kerley being the only one who showed promise. Decker put up gaudy numbers last year, but he was playing with Peyton Manning. One can hope that this experience will bring high football I.Q. to the team, but he is limited physically. Rookie WR Shaquelle Evans from UCLA could end up being a factor. Stephen Hill has been a complete non-factor, having only 44 receptions and 4 touchdowns in 2 years. Rookie TE Jace Amaro from Texas Tech will be the x-factor for this offense if they have one. He was widely considered to be the second best receiving TE in the draft behind Eric Ebron, but he fell to the second round nonetheless. The TE position will be huge for the passing game, especially since Jeff Cumberland took positive strides as well.

Rex Ryan coached teams always have great defenses, and last year was an example. They were 11^th in overall defense, but third in rushing yards allowed. Their front seven was unstoppable, stacked with stars like Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, Quinton Coples, David Harris, and Calvin Pace. They still struggle in the secondary, however, and they seemingly could have done more to fix it. Drafting FS Calvin Pryor from Louisville in the first round was huge, but the cornerback position is still suspect. They need Dee Milliner to take a huge step in his second year, but the Jets have zero depth at the position. Kyle Wilson has never become great, and acquisitions like Ras-I Dowling will not have much effect. The Jets are much better than people give them credit for, but not quite good enough to overtake New England atop the AFC East.

NBA Finals 2014

Courtesy of Inner-City Newspaper

The Finals are here, and hopefully they are better than the Conference Finals. The Heat took care of Indiana pretty easily, while the Spurs eventually emerged over the Thunder in the ultimate see-saw series. LeBron James now has a long history against Tim Duncan and the Spurs, facing them in the Finals for the third time. This is a rematch of the Finals from last year, which was one of the most entertaining in recent memory. This year will not be as close, however.

The Heat have two ball dominant players like OKC, but they do not solely rely on them. The Thunder won a lot of games based on the talent of Durant and Westbrook, but the role players usually became non-existent. The Heat gets contributions from their role players, even if they do not appear on the stat sheet. It may be a drive by Mario Chalmers or Norris Cole, a screen by Birdman or Udonis Haslem, or a 3-point shot by Battier or Allen. Everyone touches the ball, making them tough to defend. 

Kawhi Leonard is going to make the difference in how much of a chance the Spurs have to win. Leonard is averaging 13.3 ppg in the playoffs, which is a huge improvement over recent years. Despite his newfound offense, Leonard’s defensive prowess is why he will likely have to guard LeBron James most of the time. This will make it hard for Leonard to have energy on both sides of the court. He offense is paramount because of how much the Spurs need Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili offensively. Parker is not 100% physically, and Ginobili disappeared in the Finals last year. Chris Bosh is averaging an impressive 15.2 ppg and has a better 3-point % than LeBron in the playoffs, but he can disappear during stretches of games. Due to the system Spurs coach Gregg Popovich runs, the scoring gets spread around evenly. No one averages more than 20 ppg, but Parker, Duncan, Ginobili, Leonard, and Boris Diaw are all averaging double-digits. Their next four scorers are Danny Green (9.3), Tiago Splitter (7.9), Patty Mills (6.5), and Marco Belinelli (5.7). 

I felt all along that if this rematch happened, it would come down to who was healthier between Parker and Dwyane Wade. The answer still remains to be seen, but Wade appears to have the edge. He has been playing stellar basketball in these playoffs, so it will be interesting to see how much he has left in the tank. San Antonio has the clear size advantage, averaging almost 10 more rebounds per game than Miami. But Miami has the ability to do what hurt the Spurs most against OKC, which is getting out in transition. The Spurs age will show late in the series.

There is a reason teams do not three-peat. There is a reason teams do not appear in the finals four straight years. The physical tolls these playoff runs take are unbearable, and the Heat is basically the same team they were in 2011. Coach Erik Spoelstra wisely managed Wade’s minutes during the regular season, although doing so may have cost them the one-seed. It is paying dividends now, because Wade is the reason they are here. Rashard Lewis has emerged as an important defender for Miami, despite being an afterthought the last two years. The real key to this series is what I mentioned before: transition points. The Spurs overcame this against the Thunder because they knew they would eventually be able to coax Durant and Westbrook into making mistakes. The Heat will not make these mistakes because their stars are champions, and their role players can pick up the slack. The Spurs came so close last year because Wade did not play well. LeBron seems to be more focused than ever, possibly because this team can become a dynasty if they win. Everyone knows what to expect from LeBron, so the success of the Heat depends on everyone else. When Wade is clicking, they are impossible to stop. Although common sense says the Heat should be exhausted, I am picking them. Miami wins in 6.

Photos courtesy of bleacherreport.com

NBA Playoffs

Courtesy of Inner-City Newspaper

I.

The second round of the playoffs have not lived up to the first round. As of Wednesday, May 14, 2014, the Heat and Spurs have 3-1 leads over Brooklyn and Portland. Assuming those series end as expected, I will focus on the other two series.

LA Clippers vs OKC Thunder (Thunder leads 3-2)

This has felt like the most evenly matched series in the second round. Both teams are clearly flawed, but neither one necessarily seems worse than the other. The first two games were blowouts on both sides, and the last two featured riveting comebacks by each team. LA erased a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter of game 4, and OKC came back for 13 down in the final 3:30 to win game 5. The controversial possession call gave OKC the ball when Reggie Jackson clearly touched it last, but a foul should have been called on Chris Paul anyway. The Thunder has one of the most potent offenses in the league when Durant and Westbrook are clicking, but they do not seem to have a cohesive system. This is a problem because it is close to impossible for this team to make late game adjustments if their big two are struggling. Durant and Westbrook are first and third in playoff scoring, but the top two in turnovers. (8.4 per game) Westbrook scored 38 in game 5, but Durant only went 6-22. Instead of Coach Scott Brooks making adjustments, he just lets Westbrook continue to shoot. For the last three years I have been saying that Brooks was not the right coach for this team, and that appears true now. OKC needs a low post offensive presence, just like they have for years. Serge Ibaka is becoming a perimeter shooter, and Kendrick Perkins has no offensive game now despite being the default big lineup center. Durant has no post up game even though he is 6’10”, which is why shorter defenders can guard him. 6’4” Tony Allen defended Durant well in the Memphis series, and 6’0” Chris Paul shut him down during the Clipper comeback in game 4. I still think OKC will win this series because of their ability to heat up quickly, but I do not think they can get past the Spurs. They need to rethink their overall philosophy moving forward, and the first step is a coaching change.

Washington Wizards vs Indiana Pacers (Indiana leads 3-2)

This has been a very odd series due to the inconsistent play of both teams. The Wizards have the skill advantage because of their superior backcourt, but the Pacers have the superstar advantage in Paul George. George has been able to take over games, while John Wall has been struggling. The Pacers are lethal when Roy Hibbert shows up, but that is hard to count on. The entire Pacer roster is full of headaches like Hibbert, Lance Stephenson, George Hill, and Paul George on his off-nights. David West is known as one of the biggest hotheads in the league, and yet he has been forced into a leadership role solely due to his experience. This is still an immature team, and having a young coach in Frank Vogel compounds the problem. Three of the five games were close, but the bad games for Indy were than the ones for Washington. Hibbert had a zero point, zero rebound in game 1, the second time this happened to him in the playoffs. The fact that a 7’2” center can get no rebounds is unthinkable, but he scored 28 in game 2. He seems to play based on how he feels that day. This inconsistency makes George’s job that much more important, meaning that going 4-17 like in game 1 will not be enough. Washington has a better overall starting five, considering than their frontline of Marcin Gortat and Nene can compete with Indy. They spread the scoring around exceptionally well. I want to predict that the Wizards will win the series because of guard play, but I felt all year that their bench would be their downfall. Picking up Andre Miller midseason added some much needed veteran leadership. Despite their flaws, I think Indy will figure out a way to outlast the Wizards. But losing game 5 by and being outrebounded by 39 is troubling moving forward.

II.

The NBA conference finals are underway, and they have been interesting thus far. As of May 21, the Heat and Pacers are tied 1-1, and The Spurs lead the Thunder 1-0. Here is my take on the two series:

Heat vs Pacers

I fully expected the Heat to win game 2 after their dismal performance in game 1, but the Pacers made it closer than I thought. LeBron James did not play well for most of the game, but he took over in the fourth. The Pacers should have closed the Heat out earlier since the game was so low scoring. Indiana had a chance to win in the last few minutes, but they succumbed to turnovers as usual. Lance Stephenson had a huge 10-point third quarter, and looked like the best player on the floor. His fourth quarter was lackluster, however. He was not as aggressive, which could be due to picking up two early fouls in the quarter. Indiana has a significant size advantage over Miami, but they did not exploit it as much as they should have. Indy runs their offense from the high post through David West, but this keeps him away from the basket and makes him a jump shooter. Roy Hibbert is often the only true low post scorer. He can dominate for stretches, but he clearly has cold stretches. Their guards and wings, like Paul George and George Hill need to shoot fewer jumpers and feed the ball into the low post more. I have been saying for a while that Paul George is a liability when he is handling the ball because he turns it over too much. That was evident Tuesday, especially late. Stephenson should handle the ball more because of his playmaking abilities. The Heat got they typical great performance out of James, but Dwyane Wade showed just how good he could be. He scored 23 points on an efficient 10-of-16 shooting. Miami got key contributions from their role players. This means the guard-play of Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole, The perimeter shooting of Ray Allen and Shane Battier, and the energy and low post passing of Birdman. Unlike the Thunder, the Heat get multiple role players involved despite having what is usually the two most talented players in a game. Miami went on a 13-2 run in the fourth to win the game, which was all because of their experience. James and Wade alone outscored the Pacers in the fourth quarter. The Pacers will win two more because of their size, but the Heat are better. Miami wins in seven.

Spurs vs Thunder

I am writing this before game 2, but I believe the Spurs are simply a better team than the Thunder. I have been critical of Coach Brooks’ overall philosophy for a long time, and the Serge Ibaka injury exacerbates the situation. Ibaka is no longer the low post scorer this team desperately needs, but he had excelled as a defender. He kept Blake Griffin under control against the Clippers. Without him, the Thunder has no size to speak of. People constantly underrate the Spurs every year because of their age, but a widespread acknowledgement of Gregg Popovich’s genius is necessary. He is the best coach in basketball because he knows how to teach fundamentals, manage lineups, and get key contributions from everybody on the roster. This series comes down to the matchup between the coaches, and Brooks is not in the same class as Pop. The Spurs have no problem letting Durant and Westbrook shoot as much as they want, because they can score at will on the other end. Kawhi Leonard had always been a great defender, but his offensive game has come along. He is averaging 14.2 ppg in the playoffs. Tony Parker will get to the rim whenever he wants, another ramification of the Ibaka injury. I personally do not think OKC can figure out a way to win from a schematic standpoint. Durant and Westbrook will score at will, but two guys cannot win a title. Spurs win in 5.

Donald Sterling

Courtesy of Inner-City Newspaper

Over the last week, the biggest story in America has been the racist comments by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Sterling, the LA real-estate mogul, made waves when he said bigoted things in a phone conversation illegally recorded by his mistress, V. Stiviano. Among the offensive comments was Sterling saying to Stiviano "It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people" in response to an Instagram picture she took with Magic Johnson. “Bring him here, feed him, **** him, I don't care. You can do anything. But don't put him on an Instagram for the world to see so they have to call me. And don't bring him to my games. ok?" The news of this incident made the rounds quickly, putting pressure on new NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to act swiftly and firmly. In their first game following the comments, the Clippers staged a silent protest by turning their warm up shirts inside out and putting them at half court. The Miami Heat also turned their shirts inside out to show solidarity. Numerous NBA legends like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson publicly ripped Sterling. It is now known that a league-wide boycott was planned if Silver was soft in his punishment.

These comments took the country by storm because they point out a type of racism that many people are unfamiliar with. People know how to react to incidents like Philadelphia Eagles receiver Riley Cooper threateningly saying the n-word on camera. It is also easy to grasp the idea of a bigot who disassociates with the group he/she hates. Donald Sterling shows that sometimes the most bigoted people are the ones smiling in your face. His comments point out the incredibly deep-seeded superiority he feels. People like Sterling have no problem associating with minorities as long as they are still in a position of power. The fact that Sterling referenced hiring blacks as “giving them” things is an example. What makes Sterling so despicable is that he is an authority figure with the ability to hire and fire people, not just his comments alone.

Many are concerned that this punishment will set a precedent for Silver to unfairly enforce rules in the future, but I disagree. As commissioner, Silver can hand down whatever punishment he wants based on his own judgment. He has the right to ban DeJuan Blair for life for kicking Tiago Splitter in the head. Silver would never do this, however, because there would be tremendous backlash. Much like a government could imprison someone for life for stealing a loaf of bread, but knows it isn’t worth the impending riot. People know when the punishment does not fit the crime. Silver knew that he would be universally supported, so he went forward without asking permission first. This does not mean Silver will throw around life-banishments whenever he wants, only when it is truly warranted. So the only precedent being set is one against comments as bad as what Sterling said.

Silver’s strong verdict and the universally positive reaction to it shows progress in our society, but I am still somewhat cynical. What if Sterling owned an NHL team instead? Would his comments have resonated as strongly? NBA players were ready to boycott, unsurprising since 78% of the league is black. I do not know if they would have taken such a strong stance if they were mostly white players who were not personally targeted by the comments. His lifetime ban is a significant decision, but there are still many bigots out there who are skilled at hiding it.