Rolling Thunder

Now that the first round of the NBA playoffs is mid-way through, we can see how some of the series might turn out and who they will match up in the next round. First, let’s start with the teams that are up 3-0 and are in a commanding lead. The Bulls are up 3-0 in the series versus the Pacers and look like they will close it out in one of the next games. Although the series is 3-0, the Pacers have put up a fight and have been in every game but the Bulls find a way to win. The Pacers have been aggressive and at times a little too aggressive with Derrick Rose, trying to disrupt his game in any way possible. Then there is the Heat and 76ers series, where the Heat lead 3-0. This series has not been too close as Miami’s big three have shown why they came together in the offseason. Now, the teams that lead 2-0 and the teams I believe will be in the finals. The Thunder have come out strong and even though their first game was close their two stars (Kevin Durant & Russell Westbrook), came up big when they were needed. In game two they blew out the Nuggets and look to carry their effort on into Denver. Boston on the other hand have won the first two games but they have been close. They may not win by a big margin but they know how to close a game out and win. The rest of the series are tied at 1 win each and headed to the other teams home court. If the Thunder can step their defense up just a little more they will take the Championship this year. They are playing good defense but if they can play at a higher level, I think they are on the way to a Championship title. They already have one of the best scoring duos in the game and that will keep them in any game but with a step up in defense they could be unstoppable.
(updated series:Boston 3-0, Lakers 2-1, Hawks 2-1, Dallas 2-1)

Each Series Overview

Los Angeles Angels: Future is Bright

After a shaky start my Angels are showing signs of a great season ahead. Their top two starters (Jered Weaver & Dan Haren) are proving that they are both “Aces” and can match up with any pitching duo in the MLB. They are also showing an improved offense even without one of their best players. Three rookie position players are starting and each of them are making a statement to stay in the majors. After today, there may be two rookie pitchers on the roster, one in the bullpen and one in the rotation. So overall, things are looking good with the young talent contributing early on and the veterans leading the way. The Angels still don’t have arguably their best player, Kendrys Morales, back from injury but his replacement Mark Trumbo (rookie) has played well. When Morales comes back they will get back a key part of their offense and defense. Due to injuries to two of their starting pitchers, the Angels called on 21 year old Tyler Chatwood again and this time he showed off his skills. He is just the latest rookie to be called on and he showed he can play at the major league level. When watching the an Angel game there are many young and new faces in the line-up but it is for the better and it just shows that the future is bright for the organization.

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs

The 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs have begun and there are already suspensions for violent and illegal hits. Players are getting smashed into the walls from behind and even a player stomping on another player with his skate. I have never been much of a hockey fan but I think after these playoffs I will be a hockey fan. I have always liked watching hockey highlights because they are exciting. Not only is there hard hitting, they are actually allowed to fight one another. I’m in to contact sports so I may have to watch hockey more often.

Now, as for the teams playing in the playoffs, there are 16 teams, 8 from the Western Conference and 8 from the Eastern Conference. The teams in the East are Washington, Philadelphia, Boston, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Montreal, Buffalo and NY Rangers (teams in order of rank). In the West the teams are Vancouver (best record in NHL), San Jose, Detroit, Anaheim, Nashville Phoenix, Los Angeles and Chicago. I don’t know who is favored but based off of standings I would guess Vancouver and Washington are favored. I do know that Washington has one of the best players in the NHL, Alex Ovechkin, so I think I’m going to pick them to win it all. Hopefully the playoffs stay exciting and keep up the big hits.

NHL Website

NBA Playoff Overview

The NBA is in its final week of the regular season and the playoff picture is just about set. The Eastern Conference is already set with Chicago, Boston, Miami, Orlando, Atlanta, New York, Philadelphia and Indiana. In the Western Conference it is San Antonio, LA Lakers, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Denver, Portland, New Orleans and the last spot has not been secured but it will likely be Memphis. The top seed in the Eastern Conference will likely go to Chicago and Boston and Miami will fill out the top three. In the Western Conference San Antonio is the top seed followed by the Lakers, Dallas and Oklahoma City. Going into the playoffs, in the East, Chicago may be the favorite lead by MVP (not official) Derrick Rose. However, Boston, the defending Eastern Conference champs, are still a legit team in my eyes and the big three in Miami are out to show that they are the team to beat and not just a team of stars. In the West many believe it is San Antonio or the Lakers who will take the East. I agree that these are the favorites but I think there are two teams that can upset one of them. I think the Thunder can make run with Durant and Westbrook’s scoring abilities along with the presence of Perkins and Ibaka.  The other team to watch for is Portland. I think they have a good starting five and if Brandon Roy can come off the bench and contribute, they have a chance. Overall, there should be some good matchups in the first round of playoffs and I can’t wait for the Lakers to choke.

NBA Standings

UConn the NCAA National Champs

As I predicted the NCAA Men’s National Championship was a low scoring game and Butler was able to slow down Kemba Walker and kept him from having a huge game. However, Butler had the worst shooting performance in the NCAA Championship game history. Their defense was good but they missed many easy shots and helped UConn win by the final score of 53-41. Butler shot a mere 18.8% while UConn shot 34.5% from the field. Overall, this was a sloppy game with many missed shots and made you think where was the Butler and UConn team that played so well throughout the tournament. Many people have said this was one of the worst championship games in history and from the few NCAA championship games I have seen, I would have to agree. While Kemba didn’t have a huge game he still put up 16 points and had 9 rebounds. With his great performance throughout the tournament, Kemba was awarded the Most Outstanding Player (MOP) of the tournament. Now that the tournament is over and UConn are the new champs, the focus in NCAA men’s basketball shifts to the NBA draft. Depending on what players go into the draft, it will determine who will be the favorite for next year. From my point of view I don’t see UConn repeating because Kemba Walker will likely go in the draft and possibly their second best player (personal ranking) Jeremy Lamb will go as well. I believe that Kentucky will be the team to beat next year but only if their eligible players stay another year.

NCAA Championship

The NCAA Men’s National Championship game is set and it will be UConn vs. Butler. Butler and VCU were both “Cinderella” stories this tournament and they had to play each other today. Butler came out strong and never looked back as they beat VCU 70-62 and will now be back to where they left off last year. Butler made it to the championship game last year but lost to Duke and now they are back in the championship game but this time they are determined to end this year with a championship win. The other game that took place today was Kentucky vs. UConn and it was a close one. UConn lead by Kemba Walker edged out Kentucky and won by a score of 56-55. Once again Kemba Walker showed off his talents and proved that he along with his teammates is a force to be reckoned with.  Now the championship stage is set with Butler and UConn playing each other on April 4, 2011 in Houston. It will be a matchup between arguably the best player in college basketball (Kemba Walker) and Matt Howard and his team of underdogs. Not many people believed that these two teams would make it this far but they proved everyone wrong and are on the grandest stage of college basketball. My pick to win it will have to Butler. I believe that Butler is more balanced and they will be able to slow down Kemba with their defense. It should be a close, low scoring game but I think Butler will pull out the victory and get the championship win they almost had last season.

VCU vs. Butler

UConn vs. Kentucky

2011 MLB Season

Finally, the 2011 Major League Baseball season has started. I am a huge baseball fan and I have been waiting for the season to start since the end of the NFL. The Sacramento Kings (my NBA team) aren’t even close to making the playoffs so baseball is all I have to look forward to. I am an Angels fan unlike most of my family and just about everyone else that lives in the LA area. I personally hate the Dodgers and I am tired of people saying they are better than the Angels, because year after year they beat them and have a better record. As for the Angels, they are coming off their first losing season since 2003. They dominated the division for years but last year fell off and ended up in third place in the division. This year the Angels look to rebound with their best player, Kendrys Morales, returning from an injury that ended his season early and with off-season acquisition Vernon Wells. The Angels have a better team than last year and could regain their Division crown. However, regaining their top spot will not be easy because the Texas Rangers are still the team to beat in the division and the Oakland Athletics are improving. Although they may not be the team to beat this year, I believe that they will win the division and be able to match up with the other teams come playoff team. This should be a good season for the Angels and I can’t wait to go to a game.

Angels Official Website