Call Your Ma and Pa, The Sixers are above .500

It was another defining moment for the Sixers in a season of them. Philadelphia is now 30-29 on the year and now that puts them over the .500 mark for the first time since 2009, wow.

It's been a long time for the Sixers and the team has come a long way since 3-13 and now it feels weird to actually seriously discuss a playoff appearance, but Philadelphia is making really good headway towards that goal of reaching the postseason and the crazy thing is that they might be able to make some noise.

The Sixers are a game behind the New York Knicks for sixth place in the East and are tied with them in terms of victories with 30 each. They are 7-3 in the last ten and have won a season high four games in a row.

This team is peaking right now, at a great point in the season, but it gets a little harder tomorrow night when they host the Dallas Mavericks, but one thing we've all seen about this Sixer team is how tough they play vs. the best teams in the NBA.

Since that 3-13 start to their season, they've beaten Portland, Orlando, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver (with 'Melo twice), San Antonio and lost a couple tough ones to the Celtics,this team has experience vs. the best in the league and they've had some success that they can fall back on going forward.

Part of the reason for their recent rise has to be their awesome bench play, Lou WIlliams and Thad Young have torn it up this season along with a constantly improving Evan Turner, this team has a lot of different looks to throw at the opposition.

While I was watching the game last night on the Cavs feed (terrible homer announcers by the way), there was a good point made about just how well the Sixers can play both the fast-paced style and the half court game.

With the legs of the younger guys, it's not surprise that this team likes to run and can run with the best them and this is evidenced by their very high fast break point total which leads the NBA.

Then they can also slow it down with Elton Brand and Spenser Hawes in the half court being fed from Jrue Holiday, who has improved at a massive clip this season, it's becoming a real treat to watch him play the point and it'll be something we'll hopefully be able to see play over the next decade.

There are many positives about this team going forward, but there are some quirks to this unit as well, but since this is a day for celebration with the team getting over .500 and all, I'll save that for another day.

Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press

Hustle Points: Knicks Get Taken Seriously

Last night was a statement game for the New York Knicks coming off an embarrassing loss to the Cleveland Cavailers, it didn't matter if the roster was new or not, you just don't lose to the Cavs this season unless you want to be the punchline of a joke.

The Knicks had to respond and even though it is the last day of February, New York learned a lot about where they stand today because of last night.

I think all of America realized at the same time over the course of the last couple of days how important Chauncey Billups is to the Knicks in the 'Melo transaction, he's a bonafide big time player who does his most damage in situations like last night when you most need it.

Billups had his lowest scoring game as a Knick but it was arguably his best showing since the sudden change to the Big Apple, he hit a huge go-ahead three pointer with just over a minute to play in the game to put the Knicks up for good and he had a clutch steal with under a minute to play to give the Knicks a couple more at the free throw line courtesy of Shawne Williams.

It wasn't pretty for most of the night, but the one thing I saw that impressed me from the Knicks was the constant fight the team had when they were down 15 and when it was down in the second half to keep coming back and I think that's represntative of the majority of the roster now. We're talking about guys that weren't playing at all and were fighting to stay employed and now they're getting a real chance to be apart of the rotation and we're seeing that same fight on the floor.

The one aspect of the Knicks that's been interesting to watch is Amare's transition in all of this, he's gone from being THE guy to the number two scoring option on the team, there's no question about it.

Amare's opportunities aren't coming as much with 'Melo on the floor even though you would assume it would be the other way around. The Cavs game was a typical Amare game, pre-Melo, he had 31 points and 10 rebounds, but they lost.

How will Amare and Carmelo gel over time? Can they work together sure, but will Amare enjoy getting less opportunities as a result in the long run if that's the way the offense shakes out? I'm not so sure about that.

Photo Courtesy News One

Hustle Points: A Shift in Power

With the acquisitions of Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams in the past week to the East Coast, there have been rumors about the demise of the West and it may be happening before our eyes.

For the last decade on the backs of the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers the Western Conference have had a stranglehold on the top spots in the NBA and now the league is seeing a major shift in talent to the other coast.

The eyes have been on the New York Knicks and the New Jersey Nets in terms of where the NBA is going and it truly is heading in the direction of East Coast superiority because of the major markets that line the Atlantic.

The Boston Celtics notwithstanding with their odd decision to trade Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder, it seems for the most part that the best teams are now sitting in the Eastern Conference, where for years the opposite was always true.

When you look at the top of the West, it's the names that have held true as I said earlier, the Spurs and the Lakers, but when you look at the other major contenders from the West, are they true championship contenders?

The Oklahoma City Thunder are absolutely a title contender now with Perkins because the one flaw they did have before the trade was the lack of an aggressive big and they added two of them in Perkins and Mohammed.

The Dallas Mavericks are always that really pretty window dressing, but there's never any more to it than them having a really good regular season without the great playoff run to match, they're a pretender. The Denver Nuggets are a team in transition and a team without a true leader right now and even though they definitely have the talent to win some games, there's a huge question of who's the finisher on that team and no disrespect to JR Smith, but I don't think it's him.

As you look up and down the playoff seeding, there are three contenders in the West and in the East, there are at least five dangerous teams that could contend for a Finals bid and four teams that could easily win it all.

The Boston Celtics are a given, the Miami Heat have proven how dangerous they can be when the big three shows up in important match ups, the Orlando Magic have gotten the the Finals before and will always be able to make noise with Dwight Howard in the playoffs if he plays aggressive, the Chicago Bulls are a team that can and have beaten all the top teams in the NBA and the sky is the limit for them. And while the New York Knicks aren't going to contend for a title, they're fun to look at and I wouldn't be surprised if they won a playoff round.

Times are changing in the NBA, the Western Conference doesn't draw the same fear from its opponents as it use to, and it may be up to the two old faithful Western goats to knock some respect back into the East come playoff time.

Photo Courtesy TSN

Hustle Points: Deron Williams to the Nets, What?

Talk about a shocker, what in the world is going on in the NBA? The Utah Jazz have agreed to send their All-Star franchise point guard to the New Jersey Nets in return for the oft-discussed Derrick Favors and Devin Harris.

There was increasing speculation about Williams' comfort level in Utah after the Jerry Sloan fallout and the organization hasn't been able to hammer out any kind of extension with the top five point guard and on top of that there were the rumors about Williams shunning the Jazz to run off to New York to complete the trio with Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire.

Got all of that? Good. The Jazz wanted to take preemptive action against being spurned by a superstar and after seeing how well the Nuggets did for themselves on Monday night, I'm sure it encouraged the Jazz to cut their losses and try to reload on the fly.

Williams is going to a shaky situation in New jersey where the team is terrible and there isn't much else there other than Brook Lopez at the moment, but the move to Brooklyn is really all the Nets have to look forward to at this point and even in light of that there are already rumors that Williams might still bolt the Nets to go play at the Garden.

It's a move the Nets had to make after striking out last summer and with 'Melo, they had to get a superstar or else be accused of being full of hot air and talking big game with no results.

New Jersey isn't a playoff team and may not be a playoff team next year without more significant moves, but the Utah jazz on the other hand are still sitting pretty in the eighth spot in the Western Conference.

They didn't get a scrub in Devin Harris, this is a guy averaging 15 points and seven assists a game, it's not Williams numbers, but Harris is a bonafide all-star point guard and will fit the Jazz extremely well along with Favors who has tremendous upside.

It's unfortunate that the bigger cities are continuing to snatch the best players from the smaller markets, but in big-time sports there's not much to be done about the need for the best superstars to be under the brightest lights and making the most money, but that's where the league is going and the evidence lies in the actions of some of the league's best over the last couple seasons.

Photo Courtesy of The Deseret News

ill Take: NBA Roundup

Well, now that the Carmelo stuff is out of the way I want to give my take on a couple other NBA issues because they have been on my mind today and since I'm in such an NBA state of mind what better time than now to discuss these tidbits of info, let's begin!

• Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan says he's done with the dunk contest because of it becoming a prop dunk contest and he's not into the props because he's a dunker. I can understand where DeRozan is coming from because he had one of the best dunks of the night and all anyone can talk about after is how Blake Griffin jumped over the lowest part of a car from inside the foul line, it ain't right I tell you. I can sympathize with DeMar because the dunk contest used to be about bringing your talent and your creativity and seeing what you got, now all you gotta do is get a cupcake and a teddy bear and a phone booth and you're guaranteed a win. There's something about a great dunk with no frills attached, just natural ability, but it seems like the NBA is getting away from that is recent years.  

• There are reports floating around that Allen Iverson was found on Sunday night in a bar in Atlanta watching the All-Star game by himself wearing sweatpants. Sigh, I'm a huge AI fan and honestly, the people that are calling him out on Twitter because they feel like they can need to take a step back and evaulate their own lives before trying to act like big shots when it comes to other's. And regarding Iverson, it's been a long, hard and tough fall from grace for 'The Answer' and it looks like playing in Turkey wasn't the answer for him either, pun intended. I just hope that Iverson can find some peace in his life because it's not right that a bunch of these hype Twitter losers have decided to call out Iverson just to gain couple followers. Now that's lame.

 Photo Courtesy of the NBA

Hustle Points: The Knicks Become Must-See Again

If you missed the news, the NBA is now where amazing just happened in New York City. After an entire season of trade rumors and speculation about will he or won't he be traded to the Knicks, the thinkable finally happened. Carmelo Anthony is a happy member of the New York Knicks and the NBA is still recovering to this very moment.

Anthony has wanted this since LeBron's decision and that's to be in a major media market alongside someone of his ilk, like Amare Stoudemire.

And for Stoudemire, this is the exact reason he came to New York, as much as I'm sure he enjoyed being the guy, this will probably be a better experience for the new member of the New York two step. I'm experimenting, give me a break. 

Carmelo's trade continues a theme that has become increasingly popular in the NBA, which is to align as many powerful names as you can and pray for the best, so far it's been successful for anyone who's given it a go.

The Celtics have had major success culminating in a championship in their first season with the Big 3, the Los Angeles Lakers have enjoyed a great run since picking up Pau Gasol to pair with Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom.

Oklahoma City built their team through more conventional avenues, like the draft, but they too now have a couple big superstars of their own to base their success around thanks to the continued growth of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

And we have the new guys to the party like the Miami Heat who's story we know by heart now and the Chicago Bulls who added Carlos Boozer to create an impressive big-little tandem with Derrick Rose and now the Knicks with 'Melo and Stoudemire.

Aligning your stars is a proven winning method and now teams are starting to plan for success in this fashion and it doesn't hurt your ticket prices either.

Now that Carmelo is going to the Big Apple to reportedly rock the number 13, the question is just how good are they?

The Knicks have a starting lineup that you look at and you say, it's good but what do you do with Ronny Turiaf at center. While the five spot is an issue for New York, it can be looked at a couple ways.

If you take the Miami Heat and how they have dealt with the massive abyss they have in the middle at center you see that you don't need a consistent, powerhouse center to win as long as you have a good big patrolling the area, which is what Amare does. But the difference for the Knicks is on the defensive side of the basketball and that is where the flaws show.

The Knicks are 29th in the league in points allowed, giving up 105 points a night and now they add a well known slacker on defense without gaining many hard nosed defenders in return and in the end, what you have is a team that can run all night, but will struggle to stop the Clippers on a given night and that doesn't win championships, and it barely wins you playoff rounds.

I'm sure Isiah Thomas would tell you, they're the best and no body can beat them (corny, but funny to me and Thomas definitely still has his hands in the cookie jar). But as a team currently sitting in the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference at 28-26, there is work to be done if the Knicks are going to prove to anybody that New York is truly a force to reckoned with.

Photos Courtesy ESPN and the NBA

Hustle Points: West Conference Story

The NBA All-Star Game last night told multiple stories at once and all of them were intriguing tales of deeper overlapping narratives about the NBA season.

The NBA ASG is one of the best all-star events in all of sports and last night proved why. Amongst all the pageantry and glitz and glamour, it always comes down to who's doing what on the court and why and the same held true last night.

Going into last night's contest, there was a well held belief that the Eastern Conference had overtaken the West in terms of sheer amount of talent and not to mention the distinct age advantage. It looks like Kobe, Duncan and friends were out to prove just how wrong that notion was.

Kobe Bryant is one of the most aware superstars in the league, he knows just where he stands in regards to many things NBA related. Things like records, titles, acclaim and respect are treasured to Bryant even though he may not come out and admit it all the time and last night he had a couple things on his bucket list.

He wanted to set a scoring record (he fell short), he wanted to tie the record for most All-Star Game MVPs (he got that one), he wanted to create an All-Star highlight for the home faithful in what will probably be his final LA All-Star appearance (LeBron can testify that this happened) and he wanted to win.

Bryant was able to accomplish almost all of his goals last night and he did it his way, as he has for most of his career, but the other story from last night's game was how the game was won.

You would guess that since Bryant won the MVP and has 37 points in the process that when the game got tight, he took over, right?

This was definitely not the case as Kevin Durant, the best player in the league in waiting, emerged from the shadows to make some huge shots and free throws down the stretch to ice the game after Kobe got gassed.

So I'm sure Durant had a modest point total on the night, yeah just a cool 34 points and 14 points in the final quarter. I may be in the minority on this but I voted for Durant as MVP.

You could sense that once the Eastern started their comeback on the heels of LeBron James who took the game much more seriously in the second half, that Kobe wanted to get in a one-on-one battle with him but he wasn't able to get his game back on the right track after LeBron kicked it to another level.

This is why, it's only a matter of time before Kobe becomes the old guy still hanging around the gym because he thinks he still has it. he's not to that point yet, but Kobe has always had a 'I'm bigger and better than thou' attitude and it'll be a sad moment for him to realize that he's not able to close games like he used to.

That's what I saw last night and it's what the Los Angeles Lakers have been seeing all season, you get the flashes of young Kobe but in the end it leads to the worn down Kobe we see at the end of the game trying to hang with the best of today. Could this be a sign of what's to come this season, I think it might but it's always interesting to learn something new from an All-Star Game.

Photo Courtesy of the NBA

Sixers Chewed Up by the Grizz

This was one of those games where you realize that the Sixers aren't the team you want them to be yet, it's not a terrible thing to realize since they have made quite the improvement, but last night just showed that Philadelphia's a contender at this point in the season.

The 76ers (26-29) had a terrible first quarter, their worst of the entire season. A ten point quarter is not what the doctor ordered, but it's what they had to contend with from the beginning of the second quarter going forward.

Credit must be given to Memphis since they have played great basketball since a not-so-great start to their season. The Grizzlies sit only a half-game out of a playoff spot in teh Western Conference which is saying alot of this team and they have beaten some top teams in the process.

Oklahoma City, Denver and Orlando are among the victims in this recent surge by the Grizz, a stretch in which they've gone 12-3 in their last 15 and apparently are working harder now than they have at any point this season and are getting O.J Mayo back from a drug suspension which could only make this team better if he comes back with the right attitude.

It was a constant uphill struggle for the Sixers and to their credit, they made the game close but Philadelphia just didn't get the scoring needed from the starters to compete with the explosiveness of the Grizzlies starting five.

Memphis got 75 points from their starters compared to only 46 from the Sixers. It was the bench that brought the scoring punch last night for Doug Collins' team.

Lou Williams and Thad Young combined for 41 points off the bench which is amazing since the starters only scored five more points than Young and Williams did and we're talking about the output of five guys compared to only two.

The scoring balance has been one thing that has been inconsistent for Philadelphia this season as it seems like the expectations on a night to night basis from different players fluctuate wildly, but finding the perfect balance is a challenge that Collins has had to work on this entire season.

One night of shaky play doesn't change the fact that the Sixers are still trending upward, even though a win against the Rockets going into the All-Star break is virtually a must-have.

Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press

Hustle Points: Celtics Prove They're the Beast

There are a couple things about the modern NBA that seem to hold up for the most part. We know that Blake Griffin will bring the thunder down and more times than not bring it down on your head, we know that Spike Lee is going to jump in the face of every opposing star to step into the Garden and we know that Celtics are the beast of the East.

Boston went into yesterday's game against the Miami heat severely undermanned and some of the players who were ready weren't even 100% and yet the result vs. the Miami Big 3 remains the same.

There's a lot to say about what some NBA franchises are trying to do that the Celtics have gotten right and that's assemble star talent to a point where they perfectly compliment one another. The Heat are trying to get to that point, Boston has mastered it.

The C's are in the midst of a unbelievable successful four year stretch that has rejuvenated basketball in the city of Boston and all it took was the acquiring of a couple known commodities and the growth of another guy who was a traded on draft day and boom, you have a championship contender. 

A lot of people talk about the age of the Celtics and the shelf life of the roster, but when you are able to put together a run like they have all that talk about when the Celtics will fall is silly. Great franchises reload while winning and Boston will be able to do the same.

It's a lot easier to build a power from a position of power, the hardest thing to do in sports is build from the ground up, for a lot of teams it takes forever. GM's will always want to go the route of as long as I'm on top, I'll do whatever it takes to stay on top and I think the Boston Celtics is not a franchise that will go away any time soon.

Photo Courtesy Getty Images

Saturday Wrap-up: Quick Recap of the Biggest Stories

• The West Virginia Mountaineers got a much-needed win over the DePaul Blue Demons yesterday at the Coliseum, winning by a score of 82-71. WVU got off to a great start after losing two consecutive games to Villanova and Pitt. The Mountaineers improve to 16-8 on the season and 7-5 in the Big East. Many bracketologists have the Mountaineers as a six seed currently with major potential to move up or down since five of their last six games are against ranked opponents, starting with Monday night's game against the Syracuse Orange.

• And now from the where did this come from department, we now bring you Cleveland State's Norris Cole. Cole put up astounding numbers in a 86-76 win over Youngstown State. He had 40 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists. Those are absolutely unbelievable number for a 6-foot-1 guard to put up and apparently this guy is pretty good. ESPN.com has Cole rated as the seventh best point guard in the country, but after that performance he might be moving up on some draft boards. 

• The Philadelphia 76ers win their second game in a row last night beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 107-87. Last night's victory is an important one because of the importance of being able to string winning streaks together and beat the teams they need to beat like Minnesota. The Sixers are now 26-28 on the season and have a real chance to go into the All-Star break with a .500 record with Memphis and Houston coming up this week. 

Photo Courtesy The Plain Dealer

Sixers Get Their Biggest Win of the Year

I guess you can call Friday night in Philadelphia, basketball night because for the second consecutive Friday in a row, the Wells Fargo Center has been rocking and the 76ers have been able to pull out a big win.

The opponent last night couldn't have been any more daunting, the San Antonio Spurs, who had a NBA best 44-8 record and the de facto number one seed in the NBA.

What resulted from the Sixers was one of the best played defensive games of the year, this is a Spurs team that outscores people on a nightly basis and averages over 103 points per game which is good enough to rank sixth in the NBA.

Philadelphia was able to hold the Spurs to a season low 71 points and shot 33% from the floor. The Sixers weren't much better shooting wise, only hitting shots at a 35% clip, but they did have a hot shooter on their side.

Jrue Holiday picked up his team late with from clutch baskets when the game was still in doubt and people are beginning to believe more and more in the young point guard. It's always a tough match up going head-to-head with Tony Parker, but tonight the play of Parker was a non factor down the stretch as he was held to only nine points on 3-10 shooting.

I've talked a lot about the recent play of Elton Brand, he wasn't a beast scoring wise last night, but he hit a big-time shot for the Sixers late in the fourth quarter and had a game high 17 rebounds including a couple huge offensive rebounds that gave the Sixers more time to kill clock late in the game. The passion of Elton Brand this season has been very evident and he's been definitely getting the appreciation from the crowd as a result of his hard work on the boards.

It's a great sign that the Sixers were able to bounce back after a tough loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night and put together a defensive gem like this one considering the defense didn't close very well that night.

One thing you can tell about this team is its short term memory, which is a great thing to have in the NBA, one bad loss stays one bad loss and those games don't turn into extended losing streaks which can happen in the NBA (look at the Cavs). The Sixers have been able to dust themselves off and get back up and face every new challenge without any signs of hangover and that's another improvement we've seen out of the Sixers this season.

The Sixers improve to a sparkling 17-9 at hone now and are just two games behind the New York Knicks for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference and now the only thing Doug Collins has to do is find a way to get the Wells Fargo Center booked for Sixers basketball every Friday night.

Photo Courtesy CSNPhilly.com

Vick's Fun Offseason

I'm going to talk something I haven't talked about in a while, the Eagles and by extension that means I must talk Michael Vick because even though it's been about a month since he last played, his name has stayed in the news for both good and bad reasons.

First, I feel like I must address my previous comments about Mr. Vick and my article about Vick's final chance, well it seems like Vick was able to improve his off-field and on-field conduct and he was rightly rewarded for it by the NFL and eventually by the Eagles (when he finally receives the franchise tag).

Vick has been a lightning rod this season for everyone to stand on their soapbox and judge one way or another and I was one of those people until I realized that I just wanted to watch the guy play football and that's what I ended up doing and along the way I learned things about Michael that I didn't know previously. And that came from being so overly critical about someone who from everything I'm reading is taking the proper steps to improve himself, but for some people that isn't enough.

The comments this week from White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle sparked another ethical discussion about Vick and if you missed his quote here it is:

“He had a great year and a great comeback,” Buehrle said, “but there were times where we watched the game, and I know it’s bad to say, but there were times where we hope he gets hurt. Everything . . . done to these dogs, something bad needs to happen to these guys.”

Sometimes it's better to leave well enough alone, but Mark chose not to and once again we dive into another 'does he deserve the opportunity' conversation.

Honestly, the bickering back and forth about the actions of Michael Vick that landed him in jail have resulted in a whole lot of nothing. Why can't people either like him or dislike him, it used to be so simple in sports, but know the questions are about whether one guy is more likable than another and is he sincere or what is he doing in his personal life. When in reality unless the man has done something recent, there's absolutely nothing to discuss.

I would never defend Michael Vick for what he did, but there's' no point in adding to the flames now, especially when the time to jump on him was when the crime occurred. 

Let's not forget what Tucker Carlson had to say about Vick a short time ago about how he should be executed, all of these comments lend themselves to this gossip lifestyle we all partake in. Like him or not, Vick went to jail and paid some serious dues and got himself back on the straight and narrow and while there's no wrongdoing in judging him, there is something wrong with wishing an injury upon somebody or even worse. 

It's not fair that Michael Vick will have to continue to answer questions about something he's already been punished for and unless there are new developments, people should really just keep their outlandish comments to themselves and just love Michael Vick or hate him for who he is now.

Photos Courtesy Getty Images

Top 5: Best Sports TV Theme Songs

I came across a story on Sports Media Watch about the infamous NBA on NBC theme returning and it got me wondering what sports themes on TV do I really like hearing, what themes get me hype for sports. There are a few that stick out in my mind as classic sports themes.

5) NCAA on CBS: This theme screams March Madness and every time I hear this song, it brings a smile to my face because it's buzzer-beater time. My favorite part of the song is the way it ends, it's packs a great college basketball punch, whatever that may mean. The ESPN theme is good, but no other theme in college sports matches this.

 

4) Monday Night Football (ESPN/ABC): While there are higher ranking football themes on the list, none of them can match these popularity of this theme. This song has become synonymous with Monday nights and not only is it a great theme, the weird thing about this song is that it packs some bass on your speakers, more TV themes need bass. A weird request, but yes I am asking for more bass in my TV sports themes please.

3) NFL on Fox: Let's put the dancing robot and Joe Buck aside, this is one thing the football coverage on Fox has done right. This song gets me ready for football every Sunday and when I hear it I know that I'm about to see some important NFC football. From start to finish, this song doesn't let up and that's why it makes it inside my top 3.

2) MLB on Fox: Well, for all of the flak we give Fox's sports coverage, they were able to produce two of the three best themes in sports. But for whatever reason Fox decided to discontinue the MLB theme and replace it with the NFL on Fox song, it makes no sense at all and it really confused me when I was watching the NLCS last year and I heard football music, but that aside, I always equate baseball with this song.

1) NBA on NBC: The...best...theme...ever, there's no argument that this song didn't do it's job better than any other theme ever. I know that it's only my opinion, but there's no one I've talked to that hasn't said that Roundball Rock wasn't the most kick-butt (I have to watch my language) theme in sports period. It's so great that it was even resurrected for the '08 summer Olympics. It's majestic, it's fitting and it's just right. No words can describe this song, I'll let the song do the talking for me.

Hustle Points: NBA Thoughts

It's always a big night for the NBA when the Lakers and Celtics meet and tonight is one of those nights and there's a myriad of things to discuss about the NBA, so welcome to my NBA thoughts column.

• It's nice to have a rivalry that is the magnitude of Lakers/Celtics, I feel that after these two teams met up again for the 2008 Finals it resparked the flame between these two organizations that has kept up ever since and around the time of that Finals series we've seen other current day NBA rivalries pop up. They're certainly not on the scale of Lakers/Celtics but they're entertaining games. There's Celtics/Magic, Celtics/Bulls, Heat/Lakers, Nuggets/Lakers and of course Mavs/Spurs has always been a good one and I'm sure there are others I'm neglecting, but I'm so glad that the NBA is rich on games like tonight because they are the match ups that the fans look for now. 

• The Carmelo Anthony Saga Continues- 'Melo in the purp and yellow, not going to happen, but boy did it spark up a huge debate about which big three would be the league's best if 'Melo joined Kobe and Gasol. My pick would have to go to the Lakers because Gasol overrules Bosh any day of the week and Boston's Big 3 is unfortunately on the way out. But in terms of Big 2, it would have to hands down be Miami because Wade and James are to explosive and Bryant has aged too much for that duo to be better. 

• Jerry Sloan is apparently calling it a career after 23 seasons with the Utah Jazz...I can't believe that number, 23 seasons. He was hired as the head coach of the Jazz five months after I was born, that's insane! There seemed to be issues between Sloan and his star point guard Deron Williams and it looks like Sloan may have had enough and the Jazz is a franchise that has rode with Sloan since 1988 and they weren't going to move Williams, so the issues between the two were definitely going to continue until one had enough and it seems like the 68 year old Sloan is now ready to call it a career. It'll be interesting to see what stories come out now that Sloan has stepped down.

• The Cavs, oh my goodness the Cavs, they were actually favored to beat the Detroit Pistons and then proceeded to put forth one of their worst performances of the season. One of my favorite shows from the 90's was Kenan & Kel and I have to quote Kenan on this issue regarding the Cavs' loss to the Pistons last night, "Whhhhhyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?"

• The Sixers lost a tough one last night to the Orlando Magic, in the fourth quarter they just couldn't keep up with all the shooters the Magic put on the floor late in the game and J.J. Redick killed them. The Sixers have always had a problem keeping tabs on the Magic and it showed again last night, I had a sense of deja vu watching the game, it took me back to the playoff series the two teams played a couple years back when it seemed like Orlando would hit 12 threes a game and I actually think they did.

Photos Courtesy ESPN and Reuters

The Sixers Bounce Back Huge

The Sixers are in the midst of one of their tougher stretches of the season, they had to play a tough Denver team, back to back against the Knicks and play the Hawks, Magic and Spurs in a matter of days, one could only ask for so much, but no one expected a 34 point throttling of the Hawks in Atlanta.

It's safe to say that the Sixers were able to bounce back after a tough 117-103 loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday afternoon, but Philadelphia showed the world last night that this team may be better than anybody expected. I'm not going to say that this a Finals contender now, but I will say right now that the Philadelphia 76ers will not be an easy out for anybody.

This is a roster that I thought had promise last season before all of the nonsense happened with the former Sixers head coach will shall not be named again. This team is very athletic and fast and therefore can run the fast break with certain lineups they put on the floor.

One of the most encouraging signs from last night was the continued fight of the Sixers throughout the romp, Doug Collins didn't give the opportunity to let up and they shouldn't have, they aren't that good yet and it's yet another sign of how this team responds to Collins.

Elton Brand said sometime last week how much more comfortable the locker room and how good the mood is around the team and it's not surprising how that can help better a group.

Look at how well the Boston Celtics mesh together and tell me that chemistry doesn't play a part in success, it doesn't happen with every locker room across the NBA, but the teams that are able to achieve that level of camaraderie are boosted upward in terms of effort and results once they attain it.

Last night the Sixers only picked up their eighth win on the road, but it's all about baby steps with this team so it's important to note that they're 3-1 in their last four road game so the Sixers are definitely trending upward.

And it doesn't get any easier tonight as they return home to host the Orlando Magic, a team that the Sixers have given some trouble this season and a team they should have beaten the last time they met. We all remember the two four point plays the Magic got in the fourth quarter and overtime, but that was a different Sixers team and we might see why tonight

Photo Courtesy CSNPhilly.com

Hustle Points: Cavs Reach a New Low

Who would've thought a year ago that the Cleveland Cavaliers would be wallowing at the bottom of the NBA with only eight victories in February.

This is what happens when an organization puts all of its stock into one player, and we all know who that player is.

I can't believe how far the Cavs have fallen, while I didn't think this team was 25 losses in a row bad, I at least thought they would be competitive and fight for a low playoff spot.

Cleveland fell to the Dallas Mavericks last night by only three, but during this abysmal streak the Cavs are losing by an average of 13 points per game, so for the most part the games don't make it to the final moments in doubt.

And the records continue, the Cavs are the first team in consecutive seasons to be the first to 40 wins and 40 losses.

In a ironic note, the previous mark also was set by the Cavs, spanning the end of the 1981-82 season and the start of 1982-83.

Bryon Scott had no way of thinking that this type of season was possible after accepting the head coaching job over the summer.

It's unfortunate for the fans who really have continued to support the team throughout all these struggles and that the Cavs have become a shell of the team they used to be in terms of both roster and record.

TV ratings and attendance are down, but not by nearly the amount that you would expect from a team in dead last and I think that's a sign of utter shock from the fans that this team has fallen as hard as it has so fast. They still want to believe in this team and I think that most of them still do despite the record.

When looking to the future, you can talk about the draft all you want, but the question is whether there is any player in college basketball that can as big an impact on a franchise as a LeBron James or a Carmelo Anthony.  While there are always big-time names in the draft there aren't always big-time results. 

And now Cleveland sits where they sat before they drafted LeBron and that's hoping for a miracle, and they got one when they drafted him in they fashion they did in 2003.

One can only hope that a quick turnaround is in the cards for the Cavs because they were used to being an TV attraction, a must see team, a championship contender and entertaining, and now the Cavs look ahead to a match-up with the Wizards on Sunday where it could be a team trying to avoid its 27th loss in a row vs. a team trying to get its first road win, and once again a Cleveland franchise looks ahead to next year.

Photos Courtesy Reuters and the Associated Press

Quick Recap: WVU falls short vs. Pitt

The #4 Pittsburgh Panthers defeat the West Virginia Mountaineers tonight 71-66 in a game that turned on the tide of some non calls down the stretch.

The Mountaineers encountered major offense issues throughout this one, one of the only positives was the Deniz Kilicli who scored a season high 19 points on the night on 9-13 shooting.

Pittsburgh was playing without their leading scorer Ashton Gibbs who was injured in their victory over Cincinnati on Saturday. 

A controversial non call down the stretch occurred against Kilicli which could have resulted in a change in momentum for the Mountaineers, but after that point Kilicli has held scoreless and the Panthers took control.

WVU loses their second game in a row inside the Big East and is now 6-5 in the conference and is looking to bounce back this Saturday against DePaul at the Coliseum.

Photo Courtesy Dale Sparks Photography

A Super Recap: Big Ben's Stock

Here's my other take on the other big story to come out of the Super Bowl, Big Ben's loss.

There was a lot of talk last week about placing Ben among the best QB's in history, that he would be one of the greatest winners at the position, if he won on Sunday.

Well, he didn't and I don't want that to look as if now is the best opportunity to criticize him, but rather this is an opportunity to realistically evaluate Big Ben's career and determine whether or not he belongs with the elite quarterback's of today and if he should go down as one of the best winners in Super Bowl history.

Roethlisberger had a shaky game last night, there's no if, and or buts about it and the part of last night that hurt the most was the inability for Ben to make the tough throws that he was able to make against the New York Jets.

Howie Long made an excellent point right before kickoff last night and that was the Steelers would not be able to win the Super Bowl by playing a fast paced style like Green Bay because it didn't suit them, and it was true. Pittsburgh couldn't keep up with the Packers and in the second half, the Packers looked like the more comfortable team.

But Ben should have been able to put the team on his shoulders and carry them to victory like winners do in those situations. That's not to say that if given the opportunity is given to him again he would play the same type of game, but the facts right now is that Ben couldn't finish last night the way winners do.

Ben is 10-3 in the playoffs and has two rings, which is mighty impressive, but as I've written before when you look at the situations behind those victories and the picture gets a little clearer.

Last night, he had a great opportunity to make a defining statement in the last two minutes. He was playing a top-notch defense, not the Arizona Cardinals who couldn't get out their own way on the final drive of the Super Bowl a couple years ago, Ben had a chance to prove all the people that doubted his wins wrong, but in the end, he couldn't do it.

Not winning last night doesn't make Big Ben terrible, but on the flip side it doesn't make him elite either. He's a good quarterback who plays with a great organization, nothing more and nothing less.

Photos Courtesy of the Associated Press

A Super Recap: Titletown Shines Again

It was quite a game last night and so many things were learned in the run up to the culmination of the Green Bay Packers as Super Bowl champions.

Something not mentioned by many is the hot streak the Super Bowl has been on lately, five of the last seven Super Bowl's have been really close and entertaining games and last night was no different for a game that at one time was only must see TV because of the commercials.

I wrote in my post before the Super Bowl how I thought Aaron Rodgers would get the most shine from last night's game, not the most surprising pick, but the smart one.

Rodgers didn't play perfect, but he had many perfect passes that sliced up the vaunted Pittsburgh secondary which looked nothing like it's league's best ranking.

What was most impressive about Rodger's performance was that the drops and some of the miscues during the game didn't take him out of his comfort zone and also to coach Mike McCarthy's credit, there was no doubt who he thought was going to win this game for Green Bay.

It was Rodger's game from the jump and even though 21-3 ended up being a mirage, at that point many people realized just how complete this Packer team is.

People talk about this team being a six seed and not being the better team in the end, but remember that the Packers were a Super Bowl favorite from the start and I think people were blindsided with what happened with the injuries and the mid-season stumble and the Packers were largely forgotten.

Everyone is pointing to the Patriots loss and that was definitely a turning point for the offense, but the Giants win along with the Eagles victory over New York really spring boarded the Packers onto their championship track.

The youth of this team and the stability of the front office makes this team basically the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFC and now they have the recent hardware to match. The question is now about just how high a ceiling can Aaron Rodgers and this team reach, but it seems like we ask that question every year and I'm sure Drew Brees will have something to say about Green Bay trying to repeat.

Photos Courtesy Getty Images

Thoughts on Super Sunday and other NFL Tidbits

Super Bowl Sunday is finally here and there is no lack of NFL news to sift through, I have a few thoughts about the big game and the biggest NFL notes of the day

• Steelers vs. Packers, it could be 41-34 or 17-14, honestly it's a toss up as to which side of the ball will dominate, but in the end people are going to come out of this talking about Aaron Rodgers. I feel win or lose, he's gonna be a big story for what he does today and it'll be in a positive way. If you thought you were tired of hearing Aaron Rodgers hype going into this game just wait until the confetti falls.

• It's never going to change but 18 hours of pregame Super Bowl coverage is entirely too much, I and other football fans I know don't want to hear from Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston leading into a football game, those interviews never turn out well and at best they are hilariously awkward.

• The fact that Jerry Jones was on NFL Network today talking about how big a day this is for Cowboys fans makes me wanna laugh in the faces of Cowboy fans. Hey Cowboys fans, how does it feel to have the biggest game of the year at your stadium and not be in it, makes you feel proud doesn't it, no? Well Jerry Jones thinks so.

• Larry Fitzgerald is being consulted on how the Cardinals should proceed in their QB search. This is a smart move for Arizona because losing Fitzgerald would kill all the momentum the franchise ws built over the last couple of years. And Larry's assessment? Get Kevin Kolb, I would agree with Fitzy on this one.

• Tom Brady gets the MVP award, it wasn't ever really in doubt, Brady had a phenomenal season anyway you slice it and the fact that he won it unanimously makes the honor even more impressive, maybe that will help sooth the burn of losing to a lesser Jets team, hey I said maybe.

• Washington Redskins WR Santana Moss's contract could be voided this Friday and he would become a unrestricted free agent. Moss just completed one of his best seasons as a 'Skin and was literally the team's only play maker this season and there could be a lot of value in a 31 year old receiver who consistently gives you solid numbers and he doesn't miss many games, injury wise. 

Enjoy the Super Bowl everybody! 

Knicks Strike Back

When the New York Knicks played the way they did today, they're difficult to beat and today the Sixers couldn't.

New York played their game today, the three pointers were falling and Amare Stoudemire resembled his early season MVP form.

Stoudemire lead all scorers with a season-high 41 points and in the second half got to the basket at will. Today's game was a far cry from his Friday night 7-19, 21 point performance.
Today, Amare was efficient from the floor going an amazing 17-21 from the floor and had 12 points in the forth quarter to hold the Sixers at bay when they made a couple late charges at the Knick lead.

Amare wasn't the only big-time performer today at the Garden, Landry Fields had a season high 25 points on the day including a three point dagger late in the forth quarter that pretty much sealed this one.

The Knicks were firing on all cylinders from three point range, shooting 11-27 from beyond the arc and they had five of them in the forth quarter alone, three of them came from Fields.

The Sixers have to be disappointed in not being able to get this one, but should feel good about the fact they held serve at home and have cut into the Knicks lead considerably despite the loss, and the Sixers played relatively well as they shot 54% from the field and Elton Brand had another really good game for Philadelphia.

Brand went for 28 points and five rebounds and these last two games were his highest scoring games of the season by far, his play in the games to come will be interesting to follow since the schedule does not get any easier for the Sixers.

The Sixers have the Hawks, Magic and Spurs coming up and the Atlanta and Orlando games are on back-to -back days so the road gets rockier for the Sixers, but these are games that the Sixers have to continue to show up in if people are to believe that this team is truly improving. Stretches like this define a team and even though a lot of people are feeling better about this group, that feeling could change in a hurry.

The Sixers still have a lot to prove and a long way to go before they can, but at least the ride will be a fun one.

Sixers Win an Important Battle with Knicks

The Wells Fargo Center last night was rocking in a way that it hasn't in a long time, and it was for a reason that's a little new to Sixers fans. Meaningful basketball. What occurred last night is a reminder to Philadelphia basketball fans that when the Sixers are in the race, the Wells Fargo Center can rock for Sixers basketball as well.

Last night, marked an important step in the chase for the sixth seed, they actually beat the team in front of them.

The Sixers defeated the Knicks in a 100-98 nail biter and in the process continue to learn so much about themselves. This is a team that has successfully overcome a 3-13 start and a avalanche of negativity about their prospects of being competitive this season after the abomination that was the Eddie Jordan era.

Last night was so important because in a 82 game season there are many turning points along the way and that game could be a turning point for many reasons:

• The Sixers played with a confident in the second half that has eluded them in big games this season and for once instead pf waiting for the Sixers to blow the lead, there was a odd sense of confidence going down the wire, a sign that this team is growing and gelling before our eyes.

• Elton Brand, who has been a good soldier throughout his entire Sixers tenure, had the game of his Sixers career last night. Brand lit up the Knicks for 33 points and 16 rebounds and played fantastic defense throughout. I envision this is what Brand was thinking of doing on a nightly basis when he signed that huge deal a couple summers ago. Nevertheless, Brand has been the ultimate team player this season and it was great to see him play in such a fashion. 

• The fans are beginning to buy into this team, because much like the Phillies, there isn't anything really unlikeable about this team. The players play hard every night and no matter how much some people may want to move Andre Iguodala, you can't deny that he is not about himself, he sacrifices shot attempts and all of that to do the little things that lead to victories. he set a team record for assists last night in a quarter for the Sixers with nine. That's a sign that Andre is willing to do whatever it takes to win.

Whenever you talk about the changes in this team and the massive improvement, you can't say enough about what coach Doug Collins has done for this franchise, he's giving this group an identity and he's been real with his players from the beginning and you can see that the guys genuinely like playing for him.

When the move was made to bring Collins in, there wasn't a lot of fanfare, it was met by more of an ehhh response, but there was something I liked about the move and even when the team started slow, there wasn't any panic and with such a young roster, a steady hand is key and that's what Collins has been.

There's now a bubbling sense of anticipation in the air regarding this Sixers team, and I think the town is ready to embrace this team as long as they beat New York again on Sunday afternoon.

Photos Courtesy of the Associated Press

Hustle Points: A New What's ill NBA Column

I've been as entertained by the NBA this year as I've ever been and with so many great stories and compelling storylines from the Association, I feel like I must expound upon some of those stories from this point forward throughout the rest of the NBA season, which is the reason for the birth of Hustle Points.

Whether it be, Blake Griffin or Kevin Love, or the continued emergence of Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant, the stories continue to intrigue.

The Celtics' sustained run of excellence at the top of the Eastern conference and the question of whether or not they can be thwarted by the new Miami Heat and so on and so forth.

Yesterday, the reserves were announced for the East and West teams for the All- Star and the lists were as follows:

Western Conference

Starters
Kevin Durant
Carmelo Anthony
Kobe Bryant
Chris Paul
Yao Ming (Injured)

Reserves
Tim Duncan
Pau Gasol
Blake Griffin
Manu Ginobili
Dirk Nowitzki
Russell Westbrook
Deron Williams
Kevin Love (Added by David Stern)

Eastern Conference

Starters
LeBron James
Amare Stoudemire
Dwyane Wade
Derrick Rose
Dwight Howard

Reserves
Ray Allen
Chris Bosh
Kevin Garnett
Al Horford
Joe Johnson
Paul Pierce
Rajon Rondo

More NBA thoughts and articles will be on the way, stay tuned to Hustle Points!

ill Take: Rodgers is on Big Ben's Level, Maybe Higher

There's been a lot of talk regarding the palace in Jerryworld and the weather in Dallas and team photos and so on, but one the biggest discussions has been regarding the two opposing QB's in Super Bowl 45.


Aaron Rodgers vs. Ben Roethlisberger

This match up has been dissected non stop across all platforms of the media and some people are going as far to say that this match up will be one of the best Super Bowl QB match ups ever and could potentially be the best match up between mobile quarterbacks in Super Bowl history.

I enjoy hearing conversation like this because it's far more entertaining than pondering how late Big Ben was up on Tuesday night.

This debate has boiled down to a couple general thoughts:

1) Big Ben is a stronger, tougher quarterback and Arron Rodgers is a faster QB with a better arm.

2) Big Ben is the better QB because of his two Super Bowl rings.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's slow down here a second and think about number two for a minute. I understand the insistence on labeling anyone with multiple Super Bowl rings as the best ever, but how about we only do that when it's warranted.

I have nothing but respect for what Ben has done in this league after being a big fish in a small pond at the Miami of Ohio, and he couldn't have been drafted by a better organization than the Steelers, but honestly how much of Ben's success can be attributed to him and how much of it is the team's philosophy?

If you look at Ben's best years offensively, last season and 2007 and if you look at those years results wise for the Steelers, well they didn't make the playoffs last season and in '07 the were ousted at home by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the wild-card round.

The Steelers rely on a hard nosed defense and a run first mentally, an approach that Big Ben has feasted on his entire career. In the Super Bowl's that he's won, he was both terrible against the Seahawks and fortunate that the Arizona defense in the final minute of that game became as laughable as it was.

Big Ben definitely deserves credit anyway you slice it, but he is not hands down the better QB.

Aaron Rodgers is his first three seasons as Packers QB has been way better than Big Ben, but that's a push since Aaron had time to sit and Ben was immediately thrown into the fire.

If you compare the last three years from the two QB's since they both hover around the same age, Big Ben has been average to good in those seasons and Aaron Rodgers has been consistently amongst the best QB's in the game.

If not for a utterly miserable defensive performance last year against the Cardinals in the first round of the playoffs, Green Bay could have challenged the Saints and made a nice postseason run.

There's no doubt that these two are two of the best, but when you look at Rodgers' situation compared to what Ben has done to himself in Pittsburgh (sans this season's redemption), his head being in the game has sometimes been a question, whereas Rodgers has always been there and for the most part been better and has the better tools in his arsenal.

Rodgers is averaging over 4,000 yards passing a season and 28 TDs in his last three seasons to go with a 64% completion percentage.

Roethlisberger on the other hand is averaging 3,609 yards per game in the last three seasons and 20 TDs to go with a 62% completion percentage. It's certainly not bad, but clearly not better. I think people need to stop letting Super Bowl rings determine the talent level of certain players, it's never that clear cut.

Photos Courtesy Sports Illustrated and ESPN

Look Out Knicks, Here Come the Sixers

It's been a completely different experience, watching the Sixers last year compared to this year is exactly like trying to relate night and day.

Yes, the Sixers are only 22-26, but if that's your first response then you are missing the bigger picture and that is this team is getting better by the day and getting to a point where they might be able to make some noise in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Last night, the Sixers beat the helpless New Jersey Nets 106-92 and in the process have separated themselves from the bottom-bottom tier Eastern Conference teams (this means they're clearly better than all the teams below the Charlotte Bobcats, who currently reside in the eighth spot).

The Sixers are averaging 104 points per game in their last five wins and are becoming increasingly more comfortable on the fast break. Last night for example, the Sixers were able to pick up 35 fast break points compared to the Nets' 8.

And I mention the Knicks for a good reason, the Sixers now have a home and home series against a New York Knicks team desperately grasping the sixth spot in the East.

It was far-fetched a couple of weeks ago to fathom the Sixers being able to catch the Knicks, but one prolonged slump later, the Sixers are now only three games behind the Knickerbockers and they now can make a serious charge to change the outlook of the playoffs...in February at least.

There's still a lot of time left in the season, but it feels good to have meaningful games against the Knicks again, this weekend should be fun, for more than one reason.

Castillo in at D-Coordinator in Eagles Shocker

This was not the selection Eagles fans expected when Sean McDermott was shown the door,  after a lengthy search through many different candidates on many other teams, Andy Reid decided that the best answer was within.

Juan Castillo has become a Philadelphia Eagles lifer in a way as he's been with the organization for 16 years, he was first hired as an assistant coach back in 1995. Castillo eventually became the offensive line coach and the rest is history or infamy depending on who you ask.

The talk around the city has been primarily negative which is reasonable since one must assume that Castillo probablty wasn't the first, second, third, etc. choice for the job, but what determined Reid to end the hunt for a new defensive coordinator and settle on Castillo? That's the question many people are asking today.

Another dilemma with the hiring is that Castillo deserves the job because he's been around a lot of defenses and talked and collaborated with the late and great Jim Johnson, Reid sounded as sure as he's ever been in yesterday's press conference announcing Castillo as the new defensive coordinator.

The biggest positive to pull out of this puzzling move is the fact that Howard Mudd, formally of the Indianapolis Colts, will be coming out of retirement to replace Castillo as offensive line coach. It's a great move by Reid which helps to counteract the head scratcher on the other end of the ball.

Photo Courtesy of the Courier Post and Video Courtesy PhillySports24x7