End 3rd: Rockets 74 Blazers 56

Portland came out in the beginning of the period and played well, they just couldn't get stops. When the Rockets struggled offensively they couldn't take advantage. They are letting the officials frustrate them. Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge have combined for 42 points, the rest of the team has 14. I think the Blazers have one last run in them early in the 4th, if the Rockets can withstand they will be packing their bags for LA.

Halftime: Rockets 52 Blazers 37

The Rockets were able to get some breathing room because Portland became a jump shooting team, and they aren't shooting it well. Since LaMarcus Aldridge picked up his 3rd foul they have been able to get scoring out of anyone other than Brandon Roy. For the Rockets Ron Artest is playing his best game of the series. Carl Landry has also been great off of the bench. The Rockets haven't gotten much from Luis Scola and Yao, but they are shooting it well. The Rockets can finish this thing with a good start to the second half. 

End 1st: Rockets 21 Blazers 19

LaMarcus Aldridge is off to a great start with 12 points. He is also hitting jump shots. Portland is running a litle bit more than they have all series long, and that has gotten them some cheap points off of Rockets missed shots. The Rockets are wasting too much time trying to get the ball inside. They waste 12 seconds off the shot clock and are left to scramble to find a shot. Ron Artest is playing well and being agressive, but he's talking a lot to the offcials. I think he is settling for jumpers on occasion as well.

Fernandez in Batum Out

Nate McMillan is changing things up for game 6: Nicolas Batum had started the previous 5 games, Rudy Fernandez will start tonight.

The officials are:

Bennett Salvatore

Mike Callahan

James Capers

11 minutes to tip off

Right now Von Wafer is on the floor, so I think he will play. I will probably have updates at the end of each period. Here are 2 keys for both teams:

Portland

1. Start fast and quiet the crowd

2. Get Aldridge off to a fast start and try to get fouls on Scola

Houston

1. Get Artest going early, he needs to be agressive

2. Aaron Brooks has go to get the other 4 on the floor involved. He needs to dribble less and pass more. 

Wafer upgraded to a game time decision

Von Wafer just went through pregame drills after being pronounced out for Game 6. He looked fine. Maybe a little stiff at times, and he walked a little gingerly when he was done, but it sounds like he will be a game time decision. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him test it early.

***************UPDATE****************

Wafer said he felt good, but that he wanted to make sure his back doesn't stiffen between now and tip off. 

Again, if I had to guess I think he will play.

The Barkley/Weber/Smith response to the Artest interview

Earlier I posted the interview that Ron Artest did with Craig Sager yesterday. Now here is the reaction to it from the Inside the NBA crew:

Von Wafer doubtful for Game 6

Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle reports Rockets reserve guard Von Wafer is doubtful for tonights game against Portland with back Spasms. Wafer is averaging 10 points per game in 18 minutes per game in the series. He has provided instant offense off the bench for the Rockets, and not having him tonight would be a huge blow in what is close to a must-win for the Rockets. If Wafer cannot play, Brent Barry would get most of his minutes off the bench. 

******UPDATE: Wafer has been ruled out for game 6.

The Hawks radio team mocks Dwayne Wade

This video is a compilation of calls from Hawks radio broadcaster Steve Holman essentially making fun of Dwayne Wade during the tense moments of the Hawks game 5 win over the Heat.


The games in this series have been brutal, but between what Erik Spoelstra said after the game about Josh Smith's attempted dunk and this stuff from Holman, the series could get interesting.

"You can't foul me when I have a hurt head"

"I'm Dwayne Wade, I do commercials"

"Look, I'm Dwayne Wade, I'm Dwayne Wade, you can't call that"

"The Heat have resorted to thuggery"

Ron Artest's bizarre interview on Brandon Roy and Charles Barkley

Craig Sager interviewed interviewed Ron Artest Wednesday. This is part of what ensued:


That was incredible. This video leaves out the part where Ron Artest says who Roy supplanted as the best player he ever played against, the guy is in jail coincidentally. They played the whole thing on Inside the NBA Wednesday night. I am looking for the video of that, it is hilarious.

Rockets in Game 6's past

Here is the Rockets past history in game 6:
2008 1st round @Utah (Loss)
2007 1st Round @Utah (Loss)
2005 1st round vs Dallas (Win)
1997 West Finals vs Utah (Loss)
1997 West Semis @Seattle (Loss)
1995 West Finals vs San Antonio (Win)
1995 West Semis vs Phoenix (Win)
1994 Finals vs New York (Win)
1994 West Semis @Phoenix (Loss)
1993 West Semis vs Seattle (Win)

5-5 overall

They have lost 4 of 5

They are 5-1 at home. 

They are 1-3 in close out games.

Back to Houston they go

Even though they are up 3-2, all the pressure has swung towards the Rockets as they try to close out Portland tomorrow night at Toyota Center. I said before the series started that the Rockets would win in 6. I repeated that prediction after they split the first 2 games, and I still believe it now, but some doubt has crept in. That’s why I thought it was important for them to close this thing out the first chance they get. Even though all the Blazers did was win a home game, you get the feeling that they picked up a great deal of confidence and have some momentum, especially when you consider how well they played in the last 7 minutes of the game.

To be honest I think most of that doubt comes from the fact that this team hasn’t won a playoff series in 12 years, and every opportunity they lose the doubt starts to grow. They are now 0-4 in close out games, only one of those losses came at home (’07 game 7 vs Utah), so tomorrow night’s game 6 will mark the first time since the ’97 west semis vs Seattle that the Rockets play a close out game at home that isn’t a game 7. That was a game 5, and the Rockets lost that game only to comeback 4 days later and win game 7. Not sure if that erases the doubt, oh one more thing, Nate McMillan was on that Seattle team, but he didn’t play in the series. Does that help?

Speaking of doubt, Portland is 0-4 at Toyota Center this season. They haven’t won a game in Houston in a long time. They had chances down the stretch in 3 of the 4 games to win. Do they doubt that they can win in Toyota Center?

Now onto the game. Aaron Brooks has got too play better. He has been very frustrating, and you have to wonder if the Rockets regret the Rafer Alston trade right now. It is impossible to stay in front of him, but he has shot poorly in this series, and he can’t finish. Portland has shot blockers, and he tosses up finger rolls from a foot below the backboard. He needs to start finishing at the basket and getting to the free throw line. He also needs to be more decisive and stop dribbling out the shot clock. I would really like to see Ron Artest getting the ball on the low block a couple of times early and let him go to work.

I’ll have more keys to the game prior to tip off tomorrow night, but I leave you with this: Last year the Jazz led the Rockets 3-1 going into game 5 at Toyota Center. The Rockets blew the Jazz out of the building, but the Jazz did the same in game 6 back at Salt Lake to win the series. Don’t get caught up on one game. Home court is valuable.

Yao Ming and Shane Battier on the game 4 win

Shane Battier and Yao Ming did their press conferences together after the game. There some funny moments, including the beginning when Yao talks about Battier's pants. I don't have a picture of them, but they were very ugly.

Rick Adelman on the game 4 win

Here is Rick Adelman's postgame press conference after game 4:

Nate McMillan and Brandon Roy on the game 4 loss

Here is Nate McMillan and Brandon Roy following the loss in Game 4 to Houston. It sounds McMillan is going to get second guessed in this one on not getting Rudy Fernandez a shot with the Blazers down 3 with 10 seconds to go. Travis Outlaw took a 3, and Fernandez didn't touch the ball.

Nate McMillan

Brandon Roy

Final: Rockets 89 Blazers 88

I said after the third period that the Rockets needed a spark if they were to comeback and win game 4. They got a bunch of them in their come-from-behind 1-point win against Portland. It started with Von Wafer who found Yao for an easy bucket, and then the next time down the floor kept a rebound alive and on the same possession drilled a 3. Then It was Yao Ming who scored 8 of his 21 points in the 4th period. After that it was Shane Battier who canned back-to-back 3’s. Then came Carl Landry, who entered the game late in the period, having only played 8 minutes through the first 3 periods. He got a couple of big offensive rebounds, and also drained a jump shot. Then with the Rockets up and only 24 seconds left, Chuck Hayes drew a charge on Brandon Roy.

The Rockets had to make 2 runs in the period. They were able to get within a point early in the period, only to see Portland get the lead back to 6, but then the Rockets went on an 8-0 run to grab the lead. The Battier 3’s came after that, the second came with the Rockets trailing, they never trailed again.

The Rockets simply wanted this game more. They had 16 offensive rebounds. A lot of those came in the 4th period. Landry had a couple, and even Kyle Lowry had 2. Portland was the best rebounding team in the NBA during the regular season, but they have been outrebounded in every game this series. Portland has lost 2 very close games in Houston; it will be interesting to see how they come out in an elimination game on Tuesday night in Portland.

I will post the audio from the postgame press conferences soon. I will also have more expert analysis of this game for you tomorrow.

End 3rd: Blazers

The Rockets were simply ineffective offensively except for a very short stretch when they scored 5 straight points. Portland outscored them 26-14. Houston is shooting just 41% from the field. Ron Artest and Aaron Brooks have combined to go 5 for 17. This is the first game the Blazers have led after 3 quarters. The Rockets need a spark from someone. 

Halftime: Rockets 50 Blazers 44

Both teams played well in the 2nd period. Portland was able to get within 4, but never closer. Oden picked up his 3rd foul, and Przybilla has been ineffective, and has played less than 10 minutes. Portland went small for much of the period with Blake Fernandez, Roy, Outlaw, and Aldridge. I think that is their most effective lineup, and poses the most matchup problems for the Rockets. Aaron Brooks has got to play better in the second half. He hasn't scored yet, and he has only 1 assist. He has done way too much dribbling. Yao has played well, and got through the half without committing  a foul. The Blazers also started playing behind him with Aldridge at the end of the half. I am interested too see if they continue playing him that way. Fronting Yao has contributed to both the ineffectiveness of Oden and Przybilla tonight. Just like the first period, the leader at the end of the first half has won the first 3 games of this series. 

End 1st: Rockets 30 Blazers 22

Nate McMillan said he wanted to get off to a good start so that they wouldn't have to play from behind like they have had 2 do in the previous 3 games at Toyota Center. The first 5 minutes were great for them, but after that the Rockets took over. They closed the period with a 24-9 run. Both Joel Przybilla and Greg Oden picked up 2 fouls, so it will be interesting to see they go small, which is how they finished the first period. Von Wafer gave the Rockets a big lift off the bench, scoring 9 points in 2:37 of play. 

What the Jets gave up according to the chart

There were groans from the Jets fan after it was announced what the Jets gave up to get Mark Sanchez. If you look at the draft pick value chart, they pretty much gave up what they should have. Here is what the picks are worth:

5th pick: 1700 points

17th pick: 950 points

52nd pick: 380 points

There is a difference of 320 points. That is equivalent to the 58th pick in the draft. So the Jets traded 3 players instead of either a 2nd or 3rd round pick. 

Raiders select Darius Heyward-Bey

Michael Crabtree might have just fallen into the laps of the Jaguars. They have talked about wanting to trade the pick all week, do they keep it now in order to take the best receiver in the draft?

I know Al Davis likes speed, but this is a bad pick.

The Raiders are on the clock

What wil Al do? There are some guys left that maybe weren't expected to be there. Al Davis likes speed, could they go Macklin or Heyward-Bey? Crabtree is the best reciever, but not necesarily an Al Davis guy. I think they should take Eugene Monroe, the Tackle from Virginia.

It just got interesting: Browns trade the pick to the Jets

Eric Mangini trades the pick to the guy who fired him. The Jets have finally gotten a quarterback. They wanted Mark Sanchez and they got him. 

The Jets send 3 players who played for Mangini as well as the Jets 1st and 2nd round picks. Its a lot to give up, and this could very well be what defines the Ryan/Tannenbaum era. Its a good trade for the Browns. It will be interesting to hear if any other teams were close to moving up to get Sanchez. I feel like the Jets could have waited a couple of more picks.

Bengals are next, I think they go with Andre Smith.

Seahawks select Aaron Curry

I think its a great pick. He will step in immediately and help that Seahawks defense. I think once they signed TJ Houshmanzadeh they were going to go defense. I think people gave up on Matt Hasslebeck to quickly. Seattle could be in for a big bounce back season in '09. 

Cleveland now at #5. They could go Sanchez, Raji, Orakpo, or Crabtree. I think they will take BJ Raji. There is talk that they want to trade down so they can take Orakpo. Could this be where Washington or the Jets try and trade for Sanchez?

Chiefs select Tyson Jackson

Everyone has talked about how the stock of Mark Sanchez soared at the end of this process, but they should be talking about how Jackson has risen. Everyone seems to think that he is the perfect fit in the 3-4. There has been talk about the Chiefs looking to trade Glen Dorsey, possibly to Atlanta for their first and third round picks. Kansas City would take an enormous cap hit, but if they don't think he fits in the scheme, they might as well trade him now. If he has another bad season, they won't be able to get anything for him. It is a very similar situation to Dwayne Robertson and the Jets. 

Seattle at #4 is where it starts to get interesting. Sanchez, Curry, Crabtree or a trade.

Rams select Jason Smith

Makes a lot of sense. The Rams were great when Orlando Pace was great. Its a new era in St. Louis with a new coach, and the departures of Torry Holt and Pace. Last year the Rams went Dline with the second pick, and this year they go Oline. I really think the Rams are building the right way. I think Kansas City will go defense with their pick, then it starts to get interesting. 

Lions select Matthew Stafford

Matthew Stafford is officially a Lion. He was greeted by a rousing chorus of boos at Radio City Music Hall, which he laughed off. Since Barry Sanders retired before the 1999 season the face of the Lions has been Matt Millen. The face of the franchise is now Matthew Stafford. 10 years ago the Browns had the first pick in their first year back in the NFL, they took Tim Couch. The year before the Colts took Peyton Manning. Where will Stafford fall?

Rockets/Blazers postgame press conferences

As Promised here are the postgame press conferences from game 3 of the Rockets/Blazers series:

Rick Adelman

Nate McMillan

Yao Ming

Brandon Roy

Rockets 86 Blazers 83

Game 3 between the Rockets and Blazers was strange because the 2 best players on each team played didn’t have great games. The Rockets had 4 players score in double figures, and Ron Artest and Yao Ming were not one of them. Artest had 9 points, and he didn’t even attempt a shot until midway through the 3rd period. Yao Ming had just 7 points, taking just 7 shots. He has taken just 13 shots in the last 2 games. Brandon Roy scored 19 points, but he needed 18 shots to do it, he also fouled out. LaMarcus Aldridge played bad, scoring only 13 points on 6 of 15 shooting. He did not get to the free throw line. He did hit a 3 at the end of the game.

Portland got good games from Rudy Fernandez and Steve Blake. They combined to make 9 of 14 three-point attempts, and that was a big reason why the Blazers had a chance at the end. Carl Landry was big off the bench for Houston scoring in double figures, but the players of the game for the Rockets were Luis Scola and Shane Battier who led the team in scoring with 19 and 16 respectively. Scola was big in the first period to get the Rockets off to a quick start, and Battier was key late, hitting a couple of big shots when the Blazers were trying to comeback.

The Rockets will look to take a commanding 3-1 series lead Sunday night. Portland needs to get off to a good start, it is something they have struggled with in the 3 games they have played at Toyota Center. Houston needs to figure out a way to get Yao the ball. Rick Adelman said after the game that they had chances to get it too him, but for some reason they didn’t.
I will post the audio from the pressroom. Rick Adelman, Nate McMilllan, Brandon Roy, and Yao Ming took the podium.

One other thing- Tracy McGrady was on the bench for the game, but he did not talk to the media. Reporters were waiting for him by the player’s entrance, but they were told he would not be speaking to them. He also did not come out on the floor until the lights were off during the Rockets introductions.

The Red Rockets Blazers are out in force

Remember early in the season when he was hurt, Shane Battier was wearing a red blazer with the Rockets logo on it? They are everywhere tonight with many of the Rockets staff wearing one. General Manager Darryl Morey has one as do the entire Rockets TV crew. The PA announcer is also wearing one. I am praying that someone talked Rick Adelman and Tracy McGrady into wearing one as well. 

Welcome to the Playoffs

The crowd has begun filing into Toyota Center for Game 3 of the series between the Rockets and Blazers. The teams split in Portland with Houston winning game 1 and Portland winning game 2. This is the first time since 1997 that the Rockets have split the first 2 games in a best of 7. In the 1997 West semis against Seattle they split the first 2 games at home. They won the series in 7, since then they have either taken a 2-0 lead or been down 0-2 in their last 5 best of 7 series.

One thing I am interested to see is how Portland reacts to playing a road playoff game. It is a lot different playing a playoff game at home than it is on the road. I also want to see if anyone other than Roy or Aldridge can put the ball in the basket. For the Rockets the key will be getting the ball into Yao, they have to figure out a way to do it.

The officials for tonight’s game are Dick Bavetta, Tony Brothers, and Jason Phillips.

The Super Bowl in London?

There have been rumblings today that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is looking to play a Super Bowl in London. Goodell denies that the league has discussed it, which is a good thing because I think it is a horrible idea. It’s an American event, and taking it out of the country means taking a lot of money out of the American economy giving it to the Brits. Goodell also wants to expand the game worldwide like David Stern and Bud Selig have done over the last decade. I don’t think that American football will ever catch on around the world. The NFL tried with NFL Europe and it failed.

But lets have fun and pretend a Super Bowl is one day played in London. This would be my dream: The Raiders some how make it. How much fun would Raider fan in London be? And you thought soccer hooligans were bad. Just imagine 30 thousand Raider fans invading London pubs. Just think of the scene at Heathrow Airport. A plane full of Raider fans get off the plane dressed in their Raider gear. It would be reminiscent of when Fidel sent Tony Montana and the rest of his prisoners to Miami. Once the Raider fans are let into the country the just wreck havoc everywhere, like they do in this country. London would never be the same.

Winning percentages after 2 games in a best of 7

Earlier in the week I went through the last 111 best of 7 NBA playoff series, and I gave you the winning percentages for the team that has home court advantage following game 1. I will repeat the info here, and add what the percentages are following game 2.

In the last 111 best of 7 series the team with home court won game one 83 times, 72 of those teams won the series (86.7%)

When the team with home court advantage took a 2-0 series lead they won the series 90.7% of the time (59/65)

In the past 111 best of 7 series the road team has won game one 28 times, half of those teams went onto win the series (14 of 28)

Just 4 of those 28 teams would go home with a 2-0 series lead, 3 of those teams held on and won the series (2005 Houston lost to Dallas in 7 games after winning games 1 and 2 in Dallas.)

Of the last 111 best of 7 series, 42 have been split after 2 games. The team that began the series with the home court advantage won the series 28 times (66.7%)

Editing my NBA first round predictions

All 8 NBA first round playoff series have played 2 games so I thought I would re-evaluate my predictions.

Eastern Conference
#1 Cleveland vs #8 Detroit
Prediction before series: Cavs in 4
Prediction after 2 games: Cavs in 4

The first 2 games showed the Pistons are just not good enough. I think they will be competitive in the 2 games at home, but they will come up short.

#2 Boston vs #7 Chicago
Prediction before series: Celtics in 6
Prediction after 2 games: Celtics in 7

Its been the best series so far. I can see the Bulls winning it, but I think they will drop one of the next 2 games, and I don't think that they can win in Boston again, game 2 was probably their last chance to get another road win. It only gets harder to win on the road as the series goes on.

#3 Orlando vs #6 Philadelphia
Prediction before series: Magic in 5
Prediction after 2 games: Magic in 6

The Sixers have played well, and Orlando can't put together an entire game. I wouldn't be surprised if the series goes 7, but I think Orlando eventually wins it.

#4 Atlanta vs #5 Miami
Prediction before series: Hawks in 7
Prediction after 2 games: Hawks in 7

I am sticking with Atlanta, even though I hate the way they play. This series could go either way but I think Atlanta is better, and because of their size and athleticism Dwayne Wade won’t be able to carry Miami 3 of the next 5 games.

Western Conference
#1 LA Lakers vs #8 Utah
Prediction before series: Lakers in 6
Prediction after 2 games: Lakers in 5

I wouldn’t be shocked to see this series tied 2-2 after this weekend, but with Mehmet Okur I don’t think it will happen. I think the Jazz will win game 3 because they play so much better at home, but I don’t see them winning game 4. Remember the Lakers closed out Utah last season in Salt Lake.

#2 Denver vs #7 New Orleans
Prediction before series: Nuggets in 5
Prediction after 2 games: Nuggets in 5

I said before the series started that I didn’t understand how anyone who watches basketball could pick the Hornets to win this series, and after 2 games that assertion looks good. New Orleans just isn’t good enough.

#3 San Antonio vs #6 Dallas
Prediction before series: Spurs in 7
Prediction after 2 games: Spurs in 7

I think this series could go either way, but I will stick with the Spurs. I didn’t like the way Dallas played in Game 2. The Mavs are playing with a confidence they haven’t always had which is why I am not 100% solid with this prediction.

#4 Portland vs #5 Houston
Prediction before series: Rockets in 6
Prediction after 2 games: Rockets in 6

I have been underwhelmed by Portland’s supporting cast. They were all bad in Game 1, and Portland needed incredible performances out of Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge to eak out a win in game 2. They are going to need other people to step up to win a game on the road, and I’m not sure if it will happen

Salary Cap space for all 32 NFL teams

This is from Pro Football Talk:

Arizona Cardinals: $1.29 million.

Atlanta Falcons: $23.67 million.

Baltimore Ravens: $968,000.

Buffalo Bills: $11.82 million.

Carolina Panthers: $2.69 million.

Chicago Bears: $20.96 million.

Cincinnati Bengals: $16.26 million.

Cleveland Browns: $20.27 million.

Dallas Cowboys: $10.35 million.

Denver Broncos: $16.3 million.

Detroit Lions: $10.72 million.

Green Bay Packers: $27.89 million.

Houston Texans: $10.75 million.

Indianapolis Colts: $7.10 million.

Jacksonville Jaguars: $16.94 million.

Kansas City Chiefs: $32.3 million.

Miami Dolphins: $13.19 million.

Minnesota Vikings: $17.32 million.

New England Patriots: $4.67 million.

New Orleans Saints: $4.29 million.

New York Giants: $4.37 million.

New York Jets: $12.62 million.

Oakland Raiders: $9.33 million.

Philadelphia Eagles: $37.44 million.

Pittsburgh Steelers: $440,000.

San Diego Chargers: $8.56 million.

San Francisco 49ers: $26.11 million.

Seattle Seahawks: $7.41 million.

St. Louis Rams: $10.67 million.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $35.54 million.

Tennessee Titans: $13.05 million.

Washington Redskins: $5.96 million.

Did the Rockets just get the kiss of death?

Tracy McGrady has been at one Rockets game since undergoing micro fracture surgery on his knee. That game was in Chicago, and the Rockets and coincidentally the Rockets blew a big 4th quarter lead and lost. McGrady has stayed away from the team since, and I can't even remember the last time he was in attendance for a home game. That will change Friday night. Richard Justice reports in his blog that McGrady will be on the bench for Game 3 of the Rockets series against the Blazers Friday night. I know there are a lot of people who just want Tracy to stay away, but I think having him in attendance will be a good thing. Hopefully Dikembe Mutombo will be on the bench as well. It should be interesting to see what kind of reception McGrady gets from the fans at Toyota Center.

Tom Crean likes to Twitter

I am not on Twitter and hopefully I never will be, but Tom Crean is, and the Hoosier Scoop has posted some of his best Tweets:

• My wife hates when i am on the phone to much when driving. Almost side swiped a car today on the phone with a recruit.
• When you have to eat in a hurry but dont want fast food you can never go wrong with a authentic Mexican restraunt. A meal served in 5 minutes! HUGE!
  
• Unless there is something i missed YOUNG JEEZY will b performing at the little 500 next week. Bloomington is HUGE
  
• Has coach izzo shaved his head yet???? I still say no way
  
• Paul davis from msu and the clippers is trying 2 find the girl of his dreams on bravo. An indiana alum would never need a show 2 get a date
  

I always knew Paul Davis was a loser. 

Possible adjustments for Portland in Game 2

I was reading the Oregonian online and there are two major adjustments that the Blazers may make for game 2 against the Rockets on Tuesday night.

1. Play Przybilla and Oden at the same time

Apparently Nate McMillan has done that a little throughout the season, and it has worked. Maybe it worked against bad team, but I don't see it working against the Rockets. It would give them 2 elite shot blockers, but I think the Rockets could take advantage of the matchup. They can't guard Yao without fouling, so having them guard someone quicker would expose them more. I think it could work if Chuck Hayes or Dikembe Mutombo is in the game alongside Yao, but otherwise I think it hurts more than it helps. If McMillan were to try it, I would love to see Rick Adelman counter with a lineup of Aaron Brooks, Kyle Lowry, Shane Battier, Ron Artest, and Yao. Having Przybilla and Oden on the floor together doesn't help Portland offensively, in fact it makes them much worse, and going small against them would make Portland worse defensively.

2. Sit Channing Frye and play Travis Outlaw at power forward

This I think could work. LaMarcus Aldridge moves over to center, this will allow Portland to be much better on offense. Yao would struggle to guard Aldridge, and Scola would have problems with Outlaw. Aldridge also has done a nice job on Yao defensively this season. When the two teams played in Houston back in February, McMillan did this, and Portland had a lot of success and was almost able to pull out a win. The key to beating the Rockets is to take Yao away from the basket and make him play defense. Yao doesn't really have to play defense with Przybilla and Oden in the game. 

Charles Barkley tries to eat a piece of bread; struggles mightily

Last night at the end of Inside the NBA on TNT Chris Weber challenged Charles Barkley to eat a piece of bread in 25 seconds without water with the loser of the bet donating money to the winners charity. Chuck accepted the challenge. Here is what happened:

Incredible. Chris Weber needs to be apart of the TNT studio team on a full time basis. Between this and him yelling at Kenny Smith earlier in the night he has more than earned it. A great start to the playoffs for TNT.

I personally have never heard of the thing with the bread, but I will certainly try it. I have done the thing with the saltine crackers, I think I ate 6 in one minute without water, something I am very proud of. 

The importance of winning game 1

You heard all weekend about the importance of winning the first game of a playoff series. Its is true that the winner of game 1 wins the series about 80% of the time, but I went back to the year 2000 and looked at all of the best of 7 series. In all I took 111 NBA playoff series. 86 of the 111 teams that won game 1 went on to win the series, that is about 77.5%. I then separated the series into two categories: the first being when the home team wins game 1, the second being when to road team wins game 1. Here is what I found:

In the last 111 best of 7 series the home team won game one 83 times. 72 of those teams won the series (86.7%).

In the last 111 best of 7 series the road team won game one 28 times. Only 14 of those teams won the series (50%).

This shows that having home court advantage is just as important as winning game 1 because not only did 86 of the 111 that won game 1 go on too win the series, but 86 of the 111 teams that had home court advantage won the series. 

The home teams went 4-4 this weekend. They should win those series not because they won game 1, but because they are the better team. I personally would be very surprised if the Lakers, Cavs, Hawks or Nuggets lost their series, but I also could have said before the weekend since I picked all 4 to win. Of the 4 teams that won game 1 on the road (Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Philadelphia), can you see more than 2 of them actually winning 3 more games? I don't think so.

Its getting a little intense on TNT

Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley said before game 1 of the Philly/Orlando series that the Sixers had NO chance to win the series. Chris Weber isn't quite sold on the Magic and he laid into them as well ask Kenny Smith for not giving the 76ers a chance at halftime of game 1 with Orlando up by just 4 points. 

Chris Weber is much more entertaining than Magic Johnson, and he makes good points, it looked like he caught Kenny off guard a little, but he was right as Philly came back and won game 1 by 2 points. Hopefully CWeb brings it like this all postseason.

Welcome to the playoffs Portland

The Blazers found out the hard way that a playoff game is just a little bit different than playing Memphis on a Tuesday Night in February. In Game 1 at the Rose Garden, the Rockets came out ready to play, seemingly catching Portland by surprise. The Blazers played like they were feeling their way through the early parts of the game, Houston didn't give them a chance to do that. Like a heavyweight fighter, they came after the young Blazers from the start, and never let up. Before the Blazers even worked up a sweat in the team's first playoff game in 6 years, they were down 7-0, and it only got worse from there. 

Shane Battier said after the Rockets beat Portland 2 weeks ago at Toyota Center that though it was a big game at the time, it was nothing like a playoff game. That is where the experience of the Rockets is a big advantage when compared to Portland, who saw most of its key players make their playoff debuts. I don't think the Blazers realized coming into the game how different it would be when compared to a regular season game. Now they know.

For the last 3 days Portland has been talked up more than any team in the league outside of Cleveland and the Lakers. Since the loss Wednesday night in Dallas, the Rockets have been dismissed by most people. I think Portland came into Saturday nights game very confident. It will be interesting to see where that confidence is now after being dragged up and down the floor by the Rockets in Game 1. They don't play again until Tuesday. I think their confidence could be shot, but I know they will come out angry on Tuesday night. They were angry after game 1, just watch Brandon Roy's press conference. They will be angry during the 2 days off between games. Don't mistake that for confidence though. Young teams are fragile especially after they get embarrassed. If the Rockets can withstand the early onslaught in Game 2 and take a lead by halftime, they will kill the spirit of the Blazers.

Preview: #4 Portland vs #5 Houston

Maybe this is the Rocket fan in me, but I don't understand why people seem to think Portland is a bad matchup for the Rockets. People seem to forget that they have played twice since the trade deadline, and the Rockets won both meetings, including an easy win just 2 weeks ago. I know Portland has home court, but I don't think that will be enough for them.

The Rockets biggest undoing in the playoffs has been that they have been owned by the opposing point guard. Whether it was Gary Payton, John Stockton, Jason Terry, or Deron Williams, it was the point guard that got the best of the Rockets. I don't put Steve Blake into that category. 

Brandon Roy is great, but people seem to underestimate the affect that Shane Battier and Ron Artest will have on him. Roy will get his points, but over a long series I think that Battier and Artest will wear on him both mentally and physically. They are going to be physical with him, will Roy be able to handle it?

I think Chuck Hayes will play a big role in this series. He is the Rockets best on ball post defender, and he has given LaMarcus Aldridge problems this season. People have been talking about the Portland depth up front, but remember the Rockets have 5 real good bigs they can throw at the Blazers.

I keep hearing about Portland's 2-headed monster at center, but honestly I don't think its that good. Pryzbilla and Oden are basically the same player. Neither can do much on the offensive end, and that covers up Yao's biggest weakness which is his defense away from the basket. Yao will not have to waste much energy at the defensive end, and since he won't have to guard anyone 1-on-1 he shouldn't get into foul trouble. Portland's big guys, especially Oden cannot defend without fouling, thats the best way to get beaten by Yao. You can't send Yao to the free throw line, he doesn't miss. 

The biggest issues the Rockets will have is finding a way to score when Yao is being fronted. It has been an issue all season, and is the Rockets achilles heal. They cannot afford long droughts against a team that is as efficient offensively as Portland. They also need to hold their own on the glass. Portland is a great rebounding team, and the biggest back breaker for any team is playing great defense only to give up offensive rebounds.

Prediction: Rockets in 6

Preview: #3 San Antonio vs #6 Dallas

I think this is the biggest toss up of the first round out West. I think that both teams are very even in terms of talent now that Ginobli is out, but they each have guys that create serious matchup problems. First of all Dallas has nobody that can slow down Tony Parker, Jason Kidd has no chance, the Mavs also have nobody that can handle Tim Duncan inside. Erick Dampier can, but he will only be able to play around 20 minutes because of fouls. 

Dallas poses problems for the Spurs as well. San Antonio will have problems with Dirk Nowitzki, especially with Tim Duncan being so banged up. I also think that the Dallas bench is much better than the Spurs. San Antonio really misses the lift that they get off the bench from Ginobli, and Dallas has that with Jason Terry, who like Ginobli is capable of taking over a game. Dallas is playing its best basketball of the season, and San Antonio finished strong with the help of some clutch shooting. This one could go either way.

Prediction: Spurs in 7 

Preview: #2 Denver vs #7 New Orleans

I think this is a major mismatch, and I don't understand why so many people think this series is a toss up. I get that people aren't totally sold on Denver, but have you seen the Hornets play recently. I just saw them score 66 points in a game last week. They may have the best player on the floor, but the rest of that team in very average. They don't have guys that can score, even if Chandler plays what makes anyone think he will be effective? The Hornets are going to have to score 100 points to win games, and I don't think they can do it. 

I also think Denver matches up real well with New Orleans. Their bigs are athletic, and that will help guarding the pick and roll. I also don't think that they can guard Carmelo Anthony, and Billups will give Chris Paul problems. Don't forget Denver is explosive off the bench, which is something the Hornets lack. This could be a very quick series. It reminds me a lot of the Hornets first round series with Dallas last season. It was also the 2/7 matchup. New Orleans was the team that was unproven, Dallas underachieved during the regular season, but for some reason a lot of people thought Dallas would win the series. They lost in 5 games. 

Prediction: Nuggets in 5

Preview: #1 LA Lakers vs #8 Utah

I want to take you back to the 1 vs 8 matchup in the West in 1998 between the #1 seeded Jazz and #8 seeded Rockets. Here are some similarities:

1. It is a rematch from the previous year. The top seeded Jazz beat Houston in '97, the Lakers beat the Jazz lat season.

2. In the Rockets/Jazz series from '97 and the Jazz/Lakers series from '08 the home team held serve until game 6 when both series were won.

2. Both the Jazz in '97 and last years Lakers lost the Finals in 6 games.

3. Both the '09 Lakers and '98 Jazz have the MVP from the previous season.

4. Both the '98 Rockets and '09 Jazz had big expectations, but underachieved because of injuries. 

The Rockets like this Utah team were not your average 8 seed. They stunned the Jazz in Game 1 at the Delta Center and cruised to a win. They then won game 3 at Houston to take a 2-1 lead. In Game 4 they led for 2 1/2 periods, but Charles Barkley got hurt, and the Rockets fell flat and lost. They played game 5 in Salt Lake City without Barkley and lost by double digits. 

This Lakers/Jazz series reminds me a lot of that Rockets/Jazz series, and while I don't think Utah will win it, I think that they will push the Lakers harder than anyone thinks they will. Utah has depth, and they are more physical than the Lakers. They also have a big edge at point guard with Deron Williams. The Lakers are better, but Utah can make it a series because they are so tough at home. Remember they lost games 1 and 2 in LA only to comeback and tie the series in the arena formerly known as the Delta Center. I wouldn't be shocked if that happened again. If Utah gets out of LA with a split we will be in for a great battle.

Prediction: Lakers in 6

On the Eastern Conference

Here are my thoughts on the Eastern Conference. I will have the West up a little later. I am going to preview all 4 East series in this post, but will have a separate post for each West series because I know those teams better having seen all of them in person, in fact, I have seen 6 of the 8 West playoff teams in person more than once, and I have only seen 3 of the East teams in person.

#1 Cleveland vs #8 Detroit

The only question in this series is whether or not Detroit can win a game. They have veterans who have won a championship, so you would think that they will play with some pride. I don't think it will happen. I think a couple games will be close, but in the end Detroit just isn't good enough. 

Prediction: Cavs in 4

#2 Boston vs #7 Chicago

This series is going to be very interesting especially with Garnett out. The Bulls are an enigma. They have played well the last couple of months, but like we saw Wednesday are capable of reverting back to their first half of the season ways. They are athletic up front, and I think that could give Boston problems. I think the Celtics will be pushed in this series, but in the end their defense will be too much for the Bulls.

Prediction: Celtics in 6

#3 Orlando vs #6 Philadelphia

This series could be entertaining because both of these teams like to play fast, but Orlando is great at shooting the 3, and Philly is awful at it. Orlando is limping in, but I think they are much better than the Sixers who really struggle at times to score points. It doesn't help that they can't generate points inside. 

Prediction: Magic in 5

#4 Atlanta vs #5 Miami

Atlanta has given Dwayne Wade problems before, and they have a lot of athletes to throw at him, but I still think he will have a great series and carry to a few wins, unfortunately I don't think it will be 4 wins. I think the guys around Wade are a little too young and inexperienced too win on the road, where Atlanta is a different team. It will be a fun series to watch.

Prediction: Hawks in 7

The Spo P.R. Machine is churning again

I made David Barron's TV/Radio Notebook in the Houston Chronicle on Friday for the first time ever. He mentions me at the end. As formidable as my P.R. machine is, it only got me into the online version. Barron left me out of the print article. Maybe next time. 

Astros shutout again

I think the Astros are like that team you always schedule for homecoming because its as close to a guaranteed win as you can get. Opening day is baseball's version of homecoming, and the Pirates had their opening day this afternoon, and lucky for them, they played the Astros. Pittsburgh scored a run in the first inning, and it would hold up. The Bucs won the game 7-0, as the Astros were shutout for the second straight game, this time by Zach Duke. They had 4 hits. They have scored 16 runs in 7 games, and have been held too 5 runs in the last 4 games. Lets update the Astros inning breakdown after today's loss:

Ended the inning tied: 10
Ended the inning ahead: 3
Ended the inning behind: 51

Now lets take out Tuesday's win over the Cubs out of the equation:
Ended the inning tied: 5
Ended the inning ahead: 0
Ended the inning behind: 49

The Astros are off to their worst start since 1984.
"Don't blame Cecil Cooper" says Richard Justice (I agree)

Is May too early for a Biggio/Bagwell Day?

The Astros are 1-5 through the first week of the season. I don't like to get all hysterical after less than 4% of the season because teams can have bad weeks, but my extreme pessimism isn't just because they are 1-5, its because they have looked awful. They really haven't done many things in anything right through 6 games. They have been outscored by 20 runs, which is the worst in all of baseball. They are in the bottom 3rd in runs allowed, but they are 29th in runs scored with 16, only the Royals have scored fewer runs, but they are 3-3. The Astros have scored more than 3 runs in one game, that was Wednesday when they scored 6, but they trailed 8-0 after an inning and a half. 

Sometimes when you are going through a rough stretch you are blowing games in the late innings because our bullpen can hold a lead. That is not the case with the Astros through 6 games. In three of their 5 losses, they fell behind in the first inning, and trailed the entire game. They played a total of 55 innings this week. Here is the breakdown how in how many of those innings they led, trailed, or were even:

Ended the inning tied: 10

Ended the inning ahead: 3

Ended the inning behind: 42

The 3 innings that they have led all came in Tuesday's win, a game that they needed extra innings to win after blowing a lead in the 8th inning. That means in the 5 games they lost, not once did they have a lead. Lets take the inning breakdown above, but leave the 10 innings from Tuesday night:

Ended the inning tied: 5

Ended the inning ahead: 0
Ended the inning behind: 40

The Nationals are baseball's only winless team. Here is their inning breakdown:

Ended the inning tied: 8
Ended the inning ahead: 7
Ended the inning behind: 40

Cooper to shake things up?

During last nights Astros/Cardinals game, Bill Brown and Jim Deshaies spent some time discussing something that Cecil Cooper said before the game. With the Astros playing against Tony LaRussa, a natural question that came up was "would you ever move your pitcher up to the 8th spot in the order?" Cooper responded by saying not only has he thought about it in the past, but he is thinking about doing it now. I haven't been a fan of it in the past, but after thinking about it I think Cooper should do it. 

Here is the Astros lineup from last night:

1. Kaz Matsui (S)

2. Hunter Pence (R)

3. Lance Berkman (S)

4. Carlos Lee (R)

5. Miguel Tejada (R)

6. Geoff Blum (S)

7. Ivan Rodriguez (R)

8. Michael Bourn (L)

9. Mike Hampton

Here is how I would have written out the lineup card:

1. Kaz Matsui (S)
2. Hunter Pence (R)
3. Lance Berkman (S)
4. Carlos Lee (R)
5. Miguel Tejada (R)
6. Ivan Rodriguez (R) 

7. Geoff Blum (S)
8. Mike Hampton
9. Michael Bourn (L)

First of all, I love the idea have having Bourn, Matsui, and Pence hitting back-to-back-to-back. All 3 are so fast it would put a lot of pressure on the defense. This also gives Hunter Pence more of a chance to drive in runs from the 2 hole. I think Cooper should try it for a few games and see what happens. They are last in runs scored, so things can't get any worse. 

Big Announcement

I have accepted a job with the Casper Ghosts, which is the Pioneer League (Rookie) affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. I will be the radio broadcaster on all Ghosts road games among other things. I leave for Casper, Wyoming after Mother's Day. This is a great opportunity for me, and I couldn't be more excited to get there. We open the season on June 23 in Idaho Falls. 

Here is the release sent out by the club

Here is an article about the hire

One more picture from last night

I'm turning into the paparazzi. This lady sitting court-side next to the Orlando bench, is sitting on her man's lap. Last picture, I promise.

A Shawn Kemp sighting

The man in the middle of that picture is none other than former all star Shawn Kemp. Apparently Kemp lives in Houston, I knew he got arrested here once, but I didn't know he lived here. Kemp last played in the NBA in 2003, he is only 39. He really should still be playing in the NBA. Think about the big guys you had in Toyota Center last night: Kemp, Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo, Dwight Howard, and Yao Ming. Not bad. I first saw Kemp at the bar at halftime, he was still there when the game ended. 

Yao is the best center in the NBA

For the 7th time in their nine meetings Yao Ming's Rockets beat Dwight Howard's Magic, and just like in their previous 8 meetings, Yao was not only better than Howard, but he was a lot better. Yao went for 20 and 16, Howard went for just 13 and 10, way below his season averages. When Yao was taken out at the 3:27 mark of the first period, he had 8 points, Howard was scoreless, but he scored 5 of his 13 points in the last 3:27 with Yao out. While Howard is certainly more athletic than Yao, he's not a better basketball player. Yao is much more skilled, and he is bigger and stronger than Howard (at least his lower body is), so Howard can't push Yao around like he does every other big man in the league. 

Postame reaction from Rockets/Magic

Here is postgame audio from the Magic/Rockets game from Tonight. I will have more on this game tomorrow.

Rick Adelman

Shane Battier

Stan Van Gundy

Rashard Lewis

Dwight Howard

Welcome back Skip

Here is the ovation the Rockets fans gave Rafer Alston during the pregame intros:

Also, speaking of returns, Carl Landry is dressed and will play for the first time since he was shot 3 weeks ago. 

Howard at Yao (Magic at Rockets)

Tonights Magic/Rockets matchup is intriguing for a lot of different reasons. First of all it is a rematch of the 1995 NBA Finals, a series the Rockets swept. Second of all Rafer Alston makes his return to Houston after being dealt at the deadline. Rafer had a rocky tenure as the Rockets point guard mostly because everyone thought he was the weak link and that they couldn't win in the playoffs with him at point guard, so every offseason it was thought that they were looking for a point guard. Rafer was on the list of Houston athletes that were talk show whipping boys, a distinguished list that includes Derek Bell and Robert Horry. Here are some other connections between the two teams:

1. The two teams were involved in the blockbuster back in 2004 when the Rockets acquired Tracy McGrady for Steve Francis.

2. Rashard Lewis is from Houston, and says that the Rockets promised to draft him.

3. Magic assistant coaches Steve Clifford and Patrick Ewing are former Rocket assistants.

4. Tyronn Lue, who is back with Orlando, was acquired by the Rockets in the McGrady deal.

5. I had forgotten this until a few minutes ago: Brian Cook was acquired by the Rockets from Orlando in the Rafer trade. 

The big draw to tonight's game is the battle in the middle between Yao and Dwight Howard. They have faced each other 8 times prior to tonight, and Yao had really dominated as you can see below (click on it to enlarge):

When the Rockets beat Orlando in November Yao went for 22 and 13, Howard went for just 13 and 9. I know Howard is great, but is it possible that Yao is better?

North Carolina win the National Championship

North Carolina entered the season the favorites to win the NCAA Tournament, and aside from 2 early ACC losses, the clearly were the best team in the nation. They capped off a great season by beating Michigan State handily at Ford Field to win a second championship in 5 years. In the 6 games the Heels played in the tournament, they were pushed once, that came in the second round against LSU. They played better defense than anyone gave them credit for, and they could scored points at will. If they wanted, they could have scored over 100 points whenever they wanted. Roy Williams has now won as many championships (2) in 6 years at North Carolina as Dean Smith did in his whole career.

Here is One Shining Moment, the best part comes at the 2:15 mark. Enjoy:

Texas embarrasses itself

This is a picture taken in the team meeting room at the Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletics Center at the University of Texas:In case you can't read it, it says " Big 12 Champions- 1996, 2005, 2008*"

You have got too be kidding me. There can't be an asterisk next to a Big 12 championship because there is a Big 12 Championship Game, so basically Texas is assuming that they would have beaten Missouri which is incredibly stupid especially when you consider Mack Brown's record in big games without Vince Young. Texas could have done it if they were just talking about a Big 12 South championship because technically, they won a share of the Big 12 south, but its time to move on. Get over it. I can't believe Mack Brown allowed that to go up. 

Postgame reaction from the Cubs clubhouse

Here is postgame reaction from the Cubs following their 4-2 win over the Astros on opening day. One thing that you will hear from all 4 is the importance of Alfonso Soriano in the leadoff spot, something that has been debated in Chicago since he became a Cub. Soriano hit his 51st leadoff homer. That puts him in 3rd place all time, just 2 behind Craig Biggio who is in second place. 

Lou Pinella

Aramis Ramirez

Ryan Theriot

Carlos Zambrano

Astros do all the little things wrong in opening day loss

After two pitches the Astros trailed the Cubs 1-0, and while 4-2 doesn't seem like a bad loss, Cubs did the things that good things do, and the Astros did the things that bad teams do. Here is a list of mistakes/bad plays that the Astros made on Monday:

1. Bottom 1- with Zambrano laboring a little, the Astros had runners at first and second with one out. Carlos Lee hit a little flare down the right field line that was caught by Milton Bradley. Kaz Matsui was already around 3rd base when the ball was caught, he was doubled off, inning over.

2. Bottom 3- Astros have runners at 1st and 3rd with one out. Pudge Rodriguez strikes out, Lance Berkman grounds out. Inning over. 

3. Bottom 7- First 2 men reach in the inning, knocking Zambrano out of the game. Hunter Pence swings at the first pitch from Aaron Heilman and grounds into a double play. 

4. Top 9- With one out Carlos Lee lazily lets a Mike Fontenot fly ball drop in front of him. Fontenot would score the Cubs 4th run. After the Fontenot single, someone in the press box said to me "Its good to see Lee is just as lazy on opening day as he is the rest of the season".

I don't like to overreact to one game out of 162, especially when its a loss to one of the best teams in baseball against one of the best pitchers in baseball, but this loss was troubling because of the above things they did. The only "little thing" they did right was a Michael Bourn RBI single with 2-outs, it was an infield single that traveled 25 feet. If Cecil Cooper makes it through this season I will be shocked, the sad thing is that if he does get fired, he probably won't deserve it.

The Astros have now lost 6 of their last 8 openers, ironically they have made the playoffs twice in that span. 

Gotta love Opening Day

Its a bit on the chilly/windy side at Minute Maid Park as the Astros open the '09 season against the Cubs, but its opening day, so who cares. I love baseball's opening day, there's just something about it thats sets it apart from the other sports. I think its a April thing. Personally I think that everyone should wear suits to opening day. I'm not, but I would if everyone else did. Its my first opening day at Minute Maid Park since 2002, when it was called Astros Field. They are commemorating 10 years at Minute Maid Park/Astros Field/Enron Field. Lyle Lovett is singing the anthem, as he did 10 years ago when the opened the place. 

Roy Oswalt goes up against Carlos Zambrano in what is the best pitching matchup of the day. The last time Zambrano faced the Astros he no-hit them. The big topic of conversation around the press box today is that the Astros raised the price of the media food from $8 to $10. It was $7 in 2007. Hey, Brian Moehler's $2.3 million dollar contract won't pay itself. 

Rockets 102 Blazers 88

Big win for the Rockets Sunday night. Not only did they snap a 2-game losing streak, but they also leap frog Portland for 4th place in the west, win the season series with Portland, and they pick up a game on the Spurs for first place in the Southwest Division, they trail San Antonio by a half game. 

I thought the Rockets played real well, except for the 3rd period. They did a good job of getting the ball to Yao when Portland fronted him, and they were balanced offensively, and they had just 8 turnovers. Luis Scola got in foul trouble, and Chuck Hayes came in and did a great job on LaMarcus Aldridge. 

Aside from the 18 point 3rd period, you really can't point too many negatives in the way they played. Kyle Lowry and Aaron Brooks were on the floor together for extended periods of time, you have to think that Brent Barry might have played his way out of the rotation on the 2-game trip. Here is audio from both coaches. Adelman makes the game so simple when he talks about the things the Rockets need to be doing, and you can hear the frustration in his voice, but he was happy with the overall play of his team, he just knows they can and should be better.

Rick Adelman

Nate McMillan


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Oh ya, almost forgot- Greg Oden: 11 minutes, 4 points, 0 rebounds, 4 fouls. 

Should the Lions pass on the #1 pick?

Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe is reporting that the Lions are looking to trade the #1 pick in the NFL Draft, but aren't garnering much interest because no team wants to make the financial commitment that the #1 pick would get especially when most teams aren't sold on the players that could be taken at the top of the draft. This again illustrates how much the NFL needs a rookie salary cap, teams shouldn't be running away from the top pick in the draft, but they are because of the way the league is structured. If the Lions can't trade the pick and they still aren't sold on on a #1, why don't they just pass and take a guy when they are ready?

Lets say Detroit lets time run out, then the Chiefs jump in and make their selection. Now the Lions technically didn't draft #1 and that saves them some money. Remember the Lions could jump in whenever they want, so if they have 4 guys that they have graded out equally, they could just wait until the first 3 or taken and immediately jump in and take the last guy.

I hope they use this strategy, it would make the draft a lot more exciting. I think teams would rush to get their picks because they would be worried about the Lions jumping in and possibly taking the guy they want. However, there COULD be one downside, and it would be fascinating if this happens: Detroit lets time run out on the first pick, but KC doesn't want to have to pay the top pick so instead of picking, they let time run out as well. Could you have a domino effect with nobody wanting to draft someone #1?

On the Final Four

I thought UConn would be Michigan State yesterday, but I’m not at all surprised that the Spartans won. The game really went all of the games that they have played in this tournament aside from the first round game. Michigan State has done everything right in the second half of their games, and when they have needed a basket they have gotten one, and they have gotten stops when the need them. They also show how much easier the game is when you rebound.
The other game went about the way I thought it would. North Carolina was just way too good for Nova. I thought Carolina would score 60 points in the first half and go into the locker room with a 20-point lead, but Nova did a great job, as they always do of fighting back and cutting it to 9 points. They got the lead down to 5,but then UNC followed with a 6-0 run, and you pretty much figured that Nova just didn’t have enough to challenge the Heels.

I don’t see North Carolina losing this game. They remind me a lot of the Michigan State and Maryland teams in 2000 and 2002. Both teams made the Final Four the year before only to lose, then made it back with a lot of seniors and won a championship. Michigan State has been underestimated all season, mostly because people have undervalued the Big 10, and they can win this game if they rebound on both ends. They need to slow North Carolina down, and really the only way to do that is to make them bring the ball in under their own basket. The recipe for a North Carolina blowout is for Michigan State to get impatient on offense. That will lead to dumb shots and turnovers that allow North Carolina to get transition buckets.