Zeus of Sport

OFFICIAL SITE MOVE ANNOUNCEMENT

2010-05-27T16:30:00.002-04:00

WE WILL NO LONGER BE POSTING ON THIS SITE. IT WILL SOON BE RE-DIRECTED TO www.zeusofsport.com BUT UNTIL THEN JUST CLICK THAT LINK TO GET TO OUR NEW STUFF.

THANK YOU.

Cramer: Where did he go?

2010-05-25T21:24:00.000-04:00

Cramer: Playoffs: Yawn

2010-05-25T17:38:00.004-04:00

I don’t know if anyone else has watched the NBA play-offs lately, but let me give you a quote from game 4 of Boston vs. Orlando:

“This is the first game in the 2010 playoffs that has gone to overtime”

Alright, the quote wasn’t exactly that, but it might as well have been. These playoffs have been sub-par at best, and the worst ever… at worst. The NBA saw its second most competitive team in the West go down in flames in the first round (Denver), its best player go down in hotter flames in the second round (LeBron), and its apparent “best team” is now on the brink of elimination in the conference finals (Orlando).

So why should anyone watch anymore? Yeah, the finals might be Boston vs. LA… history, legacy, rivalry, blah blah blah. No one besides Los Angeles and Boston fans wants to see either of these two teams win the finals. Kobe would get his fifth, or a mediocre regular season team would prove how irrelevant the regular season is by literally ratcheting it up 10 octaves in the playoffs to cruise past the three teams that played their hearts out from the start (Cleveland, Orlando, and LA). I might be biased as a victim of these playoffs, but I have a hard time believing anyone would be nearly as intrigued by this Boston/LA match-up as they were 2 years ago.

With that being said, I’m going to look past the NBA Finals, and get a head start on free agency coverage. As you may or may not have heard, July 1st marks the start of the biggest free agency season in the history of the NBA. Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, Dirk Nowitzki,…, Channing Frye, John Salmons,…,Brendan Haywood, Z, Shaq, oh, and LeBron James; the list goes on and on and on and on… and on. There was lot of the speculation during the season that a majority of these free agents would end up right back where they were already playing, but with the results of the playoffs things may have changed a bit.

The big players in free agency are sure to be Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Miami, Los Angeles (the bad team), and Cleveland (simply because they have the main target). All of these teams underperformed this season, and some don’t even have a coach in place for next season. Come July 1st, things are going to move fast, so let’s look at what could ultimately influence the big names to go to their final destinations. I’ll break it down team by team (for the aforementioned teams):

Chicago- Many have argued that the Bulls have the best shot at signing LeBron in the off-season, and that may be true, but let’s take a look at some of the arguments that have been made. The Bulls have Rose and Noah. Okay, I’ll buy that as a great, young supporting cast. Add in Taj Gibson, and you’re looking at a team that can contend immediately. However, there are only two ways for LeBron to end up in Chicago: signing there directly, or through a sign-and-trade. The first simply won’t happen. LeBron would be leaving 30 million dollars on the table to skip town, and that’s something the self-proclaimed “businessman” is not going to do. So that leaves the sign-and-trade as the way for ‘Bron to end up in the house that Michael built. Chicago just doesn’t have the pieces to pull that off, and therefore LeBron won’t be in the Chi next year. Mark Cuban has already expressed interest in LeBron, and he can offer a much more enticing package than Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich, as can a handful of other teams around the league. If Danny Ferry makes it clear that LeBron is available for a sign-and-trade, then Miami, Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles (both teams), Dallas, and Houston will all be possible destinations… Chicago has the least amount of assets that they’re willing to give up out of those teams. Sorry Chicago. I believe you will have to settle for Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire and a shooter such as Anthony Morrow or Ray Allen.

New York is next. Check back soon for that post, along with the opening of our new site!

Vernon: Top 5 NBA PGs

2010-05-25T13:25:00.002-04:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Timmy Vernon:

With the emergence of Rajon Rondo, the age-defying play of Steve Nash, the injury to Chris Paul and the explosive play of Derrick Rose, the conversations over “Best NBA Point Guard” have re-ignited. Before I fall all over myself trying to write an impressive intro for my first Zeus column, let’s instead get right to the rankings.

1) Steve Nash

I think if you took a poll of NBA players, asking which point guard they’d want to play with most, Steve Nash would win by a considerable margin (I’m sure Sports Illustrated has already done this, but our research budget here at Zeus of Sport is limited at best). Nash has it all – the vision, the shot, the experience, and the creativity. He’s worth the price of admission every night, making passes or throwing up running, underhand floaters reminiscent of the Pistol. Admittedly, at age 36 he’s pretty limited defensively, but his offensive game makes up for it. His vision is unmatched, as he’s able to find the open cutter or drive and dish, creating open shots for teammates (there’s a reason Phoenix was far and away the most efficient 3-point shooting team this year). His 3:1 assist: turnover ratio is impressive for a guy who has the ball in his hands as much as Nash. His shooting as a whole doesn’t even compare to any other point guards, ranking in the top 5 in 3-pt %, top 2 in FG %, and the far-and-away top FT shooter of any point guard today. Because of these factors, I’d argue all day that Nash is the best PG in the NBA.

2) Deron Williams

Big body, great vision, consistent shooter, leader on the court – there’s not much more you can ask from Deron Williams. He ranks second only to Nash in assists (in guards to play a full season), and his 47-37-80 FG-3pt-FT %s, while not spectacular, are consistently solid for a player who shoots and scores as much as he does. His defense separates him from players like Nash and Rose, who either don’t have the size/quickness or defensive discipline to match up with the various styles of point guard play across the NBA. He gets to the line more than anybody else in the top 5, and has shown the ability to pull up or drive, draw defenders, and dish - a big reason why Kyle Korver ran away with the best 3pt % in the league. The crown for best 2005 draft PG must be placed on Williams’ head for this season – but how long will it last?

3) Chris Paul

The only reason this post is even relevant is because of CP3’s two-month absence with a knee injury that resulted in doctors removing his torn meniscus rather than repairing it. They did this in hopes of getting Paul back sooner, which was a great move!!!…except that the Hornet’s had no title hopes….and that Paul is essentially their entire franchise…and that New Orleans had an inferior roster that went 8-17 in his absence, making his return worthless.

When healthy, there’s no question Paul is the best point guard in the league. The best assist: turnover ratio, league leader in steals, high percentage shooter and, if needed, prolific scorer. A year ago, when asked who would be the best player to start a franchise with, after the King most GMs would probably pick Paul. He’s as creative as Nash, as quick as Rondo and Rose, as tenacious on D as Williams, and has got as much vision as any of them. Just look at his numbers and remember who acted as his supporting cast. He really is the ultimate “make others better” point guard.

However, he wasn’t the same player in the week stretch after returning from the injury, and a botched knee surgery could easily ruin the effectiveness of a player like Paul. Not knowing what he will be like next year at full strength (if he even will ever be full strength), I had to place Paul in the middle of the pack, undeserving of the 1 spot but great enough that his memory prevented me from putting him 5 or leaving him off the list.

4) Rajon Rondo

I almost bought into the Rondo hype from these playoffs and ranked him #2 behind Nash. But then I remembered….HE CAN’T SHOOT!!!! Of point guards playing over 25 minutes a game, he ranks 4^th in 3-point shooting. 4^th worst that is, with an embarrassing 21%. Watching Rondo at times is amazing and impressive, and at other times is comical when the young Celtic won’t even think of shooting outside of 18 feet.

With that type of shooting you know he must do some other things pretty damn well to rank a close 4^th with a group of great PGs. If you ask Mo Williams or Jameer Nelson, I’m sure they could tell you how quick Rondo is. He makes forwards look stupid with his patented fake-behind-the-back-while-cupping-the-ball-into-a-fingeroll move. He’s got the speed and he sees the court, and outside of his lack of jumper, he knows how to score. When you’re the leader and best player on an NBA Finals team that features three possible Hall of Famers, you know you’ve got something going.

5) Derrick Rose

The next Jason Kidd? No, no, no – the next Isaiah Thomas? Nah, he’s more athletic than both! Could he be the next “Big O”? Hell, he’s just Jordan in a point guard body!!! Going to school in the Chicago area, I’ve heard all of these comparisons for the young Derrick Rose. Carlos Cabrera, a fellow Zeus of Sport writer (WHERE’S HE BEEN!?), tends to perpetuate each of these ridiculous, unfound comparisons. Right now, Derrick Rose is an entertaining, explosive, yet streaky scoring guard who needs to develop range to be a complete point guard. I see him as a less creative but more complete scoring version of Rondo, who both are penalized for an abysmal 3-point %. Rose at this point can take over a game by himself, but isn’t to the point where he can lead his team to completely dominate. He’s a shoot-first point guard averaging six assists a game (the same as Allen Iverson’s career average, the ultimate shoot-first guard), and hasn’t yet figured out how to involve his team into his offensive game. Could he be the next _______ (fill in the blank)? Absolutely. He has the skill set necessary to be an absolutely dominant player if he develops the long jumper. But for the sake of today’s best NBA point guard argument, he will have to settle for number 5.

Cramer: Bigger Announcement

2010-05-23T23:01:00.001-04:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, after a long year of Zeus of Sport being run through Blogspot, we have decided to move to our own domain. Look for www.zeusofsport.com to open soon!

Cramer: Announcement

2010-05-19T18:45:00.000-04:00

I would like to announce that I will be welcoming a new writer to Zeus of Sport. Timmy Vernon, a freshman at Northwestern University, will be starting as a co-writer for Zeus of Sport this weekend. He has a vast knowledge of sports, and is a member of the Northwestern University Varsity Football team. I am proud to announce his arrival, and look forward to what he has to offer.

Keep an eye out for Timmy's work coming soon!

Cramer: Apology

2010-05-18T16:59:00.001-04:00

I'd like to apologize to my readers for not posting yet about the Conference Finals. I am in recovery from the shock that was the Cavs losing to Boston, and when I recover I will be back to update you on my thoughts about Phoenix vs. LA and Boston vs. Orlando.

Sorry again.

Cramer: ________

2010-05-14T00:54:00.002-04:00

Alright. It's over folks. The Cavs have been eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics in 6 games. I'm borderline speechless, but at the same time have a lot to say.

Let me start by saying thank you to the Cavs for a fun ride. I started this blog with my friend Wills last summer with the intention of covering the sports World, but my individual focus was on the Cavs. Over time, this blog has turned into a blog that focuses on the Cavs, and the affect they have on the NBA. I've seen and thought a lot about this team during that time period, and obviously it reached an all time low on Thursday night when their dream of winning a championship went down the drain.

I'm not going to focus on the game too much. The Cavs put themselves in a position to win, but they shot the ball way too poorly, and turned the ball over way too much to actually pull out a victory against what may very well be the best team in the NBA. Make no mistake about it, the Celtics came into this season as possible favorites to win the championship, and with the resurgence of KG those hopes are now very much intact. It's tough to swallow, obviously. This Cavs team believed 100% that they were better than the Celtics.

What I really want to talk about is LeBron and the future of this team. I'm going to be posting about this a lot over the next 2 months, but this is just my preliminary feelings on that. First of all, I'm extremely disappointed in LeBron. He showed flashes of being healthy, but could never put it all together on the court. It was so weird to me to watch this man struggle in a way I haven't ever seen him do. He was unable to do ANYTHING on the court. He couldn't finish, couldn't shoot, couldn't pass, couldn't close out on jump shooters... and yet he ends up with 27 19 and 10. Stats don't always tell the full story, and this is a prime example.

I'm all about the "no excuses" policy that many greats have had before, but when it affects your play as much as it clearly did to LeBron, you have to be honest with the media afterwards. LeBron is somewhat of an historian when it comes to the NBA, and if he thinks that this performance won't tarnish his legacy, he is sorely mistaken. Unless we find out over the next couple of weeks that he has elbow surgery, or some other issue, this will be a big red "X" on LeBron's hall-of-fame resume (he'll get in, but there will always be questions about his ability to win, and perform in the playoffs).

People will say that he does everything he can to get his teams wins, but his team just isn't good enough. That was true last year, and the year before... but not this year. As a matter of fact, it wasn't even LeBron's fault this year. It rests on Mike Brown's shoulders. If he is not fired by Monday, there is something seriously wrong with that franchise. In order to bring LeBron back to Cleveland for at least 3 more years, they need a GREAT coach next season. If they are able to bring one in, they have a much better chance of competing in games like these. Instead of constantly being outcoached, they need someone who can put these wonderful pieces together to form the championship team that they should be.

There are also some roster shake-ups that need to made, however they need to make them differently than they have in years past. It's been an arms race in the East for the last couple of years, but every year the Cavs have been competing against a different team. Two years ago they built their team to beat Boston after they lost them, but then they lost to Orlando. Last year they built their team to beat Orlando, but they lost to Boston. Had they gotten to Orlando, they would have had a much better chance than people are giving them credit for. The same goes for LA. They just didn't have the appropriate players to match-up with KG and Rondo this year (Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic anyone?). KG will continue to age, so they shouldn't be focused on him, but they certainly need to bring in someone to play the point. Mo should be a 6th man for this team.

However, getting back to my point, they need to build their team to be able to win regardless of the match-ups. The NBA is a lot about match-ups, but due to Mike Brown's terrible coaching style, the Cavs have focused WAY WAY WAY WAY too much on individual match-ups, and just trying to match-up with the other team, rather than making the other team match-up with them. Look at Orlando. Sure, playing Lewis at the 4 could give them defensive troubles, but it doesn't because they stick to their guns and make other teams put smaller people on the court in order to be able to match-up with THEM. Antawn Jamison may have been the answer for that, but it was a trade that ultimately may have cost them this series. Varejao or Hickson would have done a MUCH better job on KG than Jamison did, and that match-up likely lost them the series.

So instead of looking at the Cavs roster now and looking at what they can do to match-up with the Celtics for next year, I'm going to tell you what I think they can do to make themselves better:

1. They need a starting PG. I'd take a good long look at Darren Collison of New Orleans, or possibly getting a draft pick to take a young guy in the first round. The last couple years have had some really good PGs taken who were not expected to be as good as they have been (see: Rondo). If Mo were coming off the bench with Delonte... man, this team would have been fire.

2. They need a starting SG. Anthony Parker isn't going to cut it. If Danny Green wants to become great, fine, that's cool. Christian Eyenga? Ha. They need a legit 6'6" athletic wing player who can run with LeBron. Ray Allen would be nice, but he's old and likely not going to sign. Once again, this would be nice to get in the draft so they don't have to waste their MLE on this need, because the next need is much more pertinent for immediate success.

3. They need a starting C. Maybe not a starting Center if they can bring back Shaq for a year, but they need someone who will be able to take the reigns from him in a year and be able to defend Dwight Howard with relatively little to no help. I know I'm looking at match-ups here, but the fact is that if you can't defend Centers, you can't win against teams that have shooters. Orlando is that, and they will be the Cavs biggest threat in the coming years.

Looking at all those needs, I have to take a stance on LeBron. He should leave. There is no way in the world the Cavs can get all of those pieces this summer, and LeBron needs to go to a place where they already have people in place. He can't waste his youth on Cleveland any longer. I've thought about whether or not I'd support LeBron in a different jersey, and I would. I wouldn't support his team as much as I have the Cavs, because I have absolutely fallen in love with them, but I will always support LeBron's desire to become the best there is. He's a champion stuck in a loser's body right now, and in order to get into a new body suit, he needs to go to Chicago. It probably won't happen, but if he does, he will redefine greatness in the Chi.

I'll be back for more in the coming days/weeks. Sorry for ramblin'. It's been fun.

Peace.

Cramer: Danny Green Help Us!?

2010-05-12T19:19:00.002-04:00

Hopefully Danny Green has some sort of healing vision for LeBron's elbow here:

Cramer: Look at This

2010-05-12T04:04:00.001-04:00

If anyone saw this on the ESPN Home Page last night, notice how swollen LeBron's elbow is (this pic was taken after he took off the sleeve in game 5. E-Mail me for a bigger shot of it (Zeusofsport@gmail.com).

Comment.

Cramer: Cavs "Down"date (as opposed to "Up", get it?)

2010-05-12T03:37:00.005-04:00

Maybe LeBron's elbow is really badly hurt. Maybe something is wrong with his family. Maybe he has decided to leave Cleveland and the locker room knows it. Whatever the reason is for LeBron's less than stellar performance for all but one quarter during this series, I'm listening.

As a fan of the Cavs, and LeBron, I'd be willing to accept an apology from LeBron. If he came out and stated what the issue has been during this series, I'd give him a pardon. Sure, critics of LeBron would say that it shouldn't have affected him as much as it has, but as a fan, I'm open to anything at this point. But what I can't accept is his inability to step up for the first time in his life in what might very well be the most important 2-3 game stretch for any franchise in the history of sports.

LeBron owes it to his city, his teammates, his fans, and himself to show up for every playoff game... but he hasn't. Boston's defense is fantastic, but LeBron has seen it SO many times, and he has shredded it SO many times. I'm speechless. Even at the end of game 5, with his team trailing by 25 points, LeBron could be found in the corners watching the offense failing over and over again. I mean, at least try to shoot yourself out of the "funk" you're in so that you can be more effective for game 6. But, no. LeBron is playing this series like it is over, which it may be, but it is terribly disheartening.

I don't want to blame this all on LeBron. He has done so much for Cleveland, he has inspired me and many others in so many ways, but he deserves at least 90% of the blame if the Cavs do in fact lose this series. Let's look at who else needs to take a look in the mirror in the next two days:

Mo: Mo, please just run the offense. No heat checks. No trying to be Steve Nash. Just run the sets. Get LeBron the ball. Get 'Tawn the ball. Get in the corner. Make open threes. I've seen you do it ALL year, so what's the issue now? You're no longer the focal point like you were last year... the pressure's gone... just deliver me 3 3's next game. AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE AT LEAST TRY TO STAY IN FRONT OF RONDO.

Antawn: Antawn, stop shooting jumpers. Your jump shot percentage is not high enough for this level of playoff basketball. No wonder you've never had playoff success. Let LeBron put you in positions to succeed, but other than that, just concentrate on challenging Kevin Garnett for position in the low post. He's KILLING you there, and that's where the Cavs defense is starting to breakdown in the first and second quarters. Make him miss ONE FREAKIN' SHOT, and the game could go completely differently. Seriously.

Andy: Andy... I don't know if your back is hurting, but I don't care. Get me 4 offensive rebounds next game. Period. I'll support you until you retire, so please just do this for me.

AP: Anthony, you should never turn the ball over. You literally have one role: hit WIDE open threes. Stop dribbling, stop trying to make good passes. If you're not open, just give it up. Other than that, keep up the good defense.

Delonte: Give me the same performance you had in game 3. I've seen you do it so many times... do it 2 more times for me.

Mike Brown: look, you're an awful coach. I mean it, you're terrible. You clearly can't motivate this team anymore, and you oughta be fired even if the Cavs somehow win it all this year. For now though, do me a favor, make ONE in game adjustment per game. If we have one more game to watch this year, I'd like to see you change the game in a positive way ONCE during the game. That's all. Good luck elsewhere.

Lastly,

LeBron: LeBron... sack up. Seriously. Kobe does it. Michael did it. All the greats have done it. Play through whatever is going on, and get this team through this round. If you lose to Orlando, that's fine, they're good... but you're better than this Boston team and you know it. You knew it when you almost came back and beat them earlier this season, and you know it now. Stop shaking your head on the bench, stop looking at your watch during press conferences, and go out and win me a game. If you want to leave after this season, that's fine... as long as you deliver on what you promised you would: Deliver the Cavs a championship. I spend so much time following you and your team, and exert so much effort making sure I know everything about this team, please don't let me down. I feel like a ten year old on Christmas day not getting the present I want. You were a boy once, you know what that feels like. Go get me my present, or I promise I will nag you about it until next Christmas...

Alright, that's all I can stomach for now. I'm heartbroken. I know it's not over, but it is. LeBron's disinterested, as is everyone else on that roster. I may not watch Thursday, but I hope you all enjoy watching LeBron's last game in a Cavs uniform.

Peace.

Cramer: Cavs Update

2010-05-08T02:25:00.004-04:00

Okay, once again, you all saw it. The Cavs absolutely DEMOLISHED the Celtics on their home court. Ha. When I'm wrong, I'm wrong. That being said, I would still feel the same way I did in my previous post if LeBron's elbow were as hurt as he made it seem in games 1 and 2.

This game was over from the second LeBron hit his first jump shot. I think the Celtics for some reason started to believe 'Bron wasn't going to be himself in this series, and as a result got complacent allowing him to beat them. Bad choice. LeBron went off in Detroit game 5 fashion, except he did it from the opening tip. Tough to beat the Cavs when the King has this kind of performance; add in the supporting cast, and you're in for a long night.

However, Cavs fans need to not get too far ahead of themselves. Look at the box score. The Cavs are a good team, heck, a great team... but 60% from the field is something that isn't going to hold up over a 7-game series against any team, let alone one of the better defensive teams in the league. Now look at the free-throws: 31-34?! We all know that can't and won't happen again for a team that shoots a measly 72% from the line. So take away 6 or 7 points on free throws, and another 10 on FGs, and you're looking at a completely different game.

I know this is hypothetical, and yes, I'm looking for reasons why the Cavs can't possibly do this in games 4 and 5 and close the Celtics out in the same amount of time as they did the Bulls, but this is not going to happen again. The Celtics are a veteran team, with a decent enough coach, and a defensive mindset. They didn't double hard on LeBron today, they let Mo Williams get into the paint, they shot 4-17 from three... the list goes on and on. The C's just were not ready to play game 3. They bought into the hype they got after dominating most of games 1 and 2, and they came out flatter than [enter joke here]. As I said before, the second LeBron started hitting jumpshots, the Celtics defensive gameplan was shot. They'll have a new one for game 4, and we should be in for a great game come Sunday.

Back to predictions. I've been wrong in a lot of my predictions so far this post-season. Please don't even look at what I said would happen in the Spurs-Suns series (I forgot Goran Dragic was on the Suns or I obviously would have taken the Suns in 4). If LeBron plays like this, it's over. In 5.

As a final point: Please understand that I am pessimistic about sports results among other things. My reaction following game 2 was a stereotypical Cleveland sports fan reaction, so I supposed I've been sucked into their vortex. Having said that, you may see more reactions like that in the coming weeks (especially against Orlando if the Cavs get there), but keep in mind that I truly believe this Cavs team is the best team in the league. They should win it all, but it remains to be seen whether or not they can put it all together on a nightly basis.

As a P.P.S... how about Goran Dragic?! Does anyone else think that performance may have been better than LeBron's game 5 at the palace?

Cramer: Cavs Venting

2010-05-03T22:35:00.004-04:00

You probably saw it. The Cavs got absolutely DEMOLISHED on their home court. Don't look at the final score as an indication of how this game went. Boston dominated from the opening tip, and they didn't give in until they had the game well in hand.

So what's the problem? Is it LeBron's elbow? Is it Mike Brown's terrible coaching? Is it Mo Williams' inability to perform in the playoffs? All of these are reasons that Cavs fans will likely give for this loss, but if you look closer, there's a bigger reason.

During the regular season, the series was tied 2-2 between these two Eastern powers. In the first game, Boston went down early, but came back to beat Cleveland in CLE. Granted, that was the first game of the season, but Boston looked better.

So Cleveland counters with a trade for Antawn Jamison. Game 2 between these two teams happened in Boston. Boston went up big, but Cleveland had a huge second half run, and won by 20 points. Most of the run took place in the final quarter and a half (much like game 1). Take a closer look at that game, and you'll see that Paul Pierce didn't even play. So Cleveland was able to beat a depleted Boston team, yes. However, they easily could have lost that game had Boston played a 48 minute game.

Game 3: This is the only game between these two teams that indicated that the Cavs were a better team. They won it like a playoff team should. They scrapped, played good defense, and eventually pulled out an 11 point victory. LeBron got his 31 8 and 7, 'Tawn got his 15 and 8, and it was smooth sailing, until...

Game 4: Boston dominated Cleveland in this one. Up 15 at half, and 17 at the end of the 3rd, Boston stopped playing in the fourth, and allowed LeBron to bring the Cavs within striking distance. In the end, though the Cavs came all the way back, Boston STILL won.

So what's the conclusion here? Boston is a better team than the Cavs! They dominated most of game 1, and crushed them in game 2. Boston will win this series, and LeBron will leave Cleveland. The curse of Cleveland won't be the reason, however... it will be because the Cavs just aren't good enough. If it's because Mike Brown's an awful coach, so be it. But the fact remains. Celtics in 6.

Cramer: 2nd Round Predictions

2010-05-03T17:13:00.003-04:00

The first round of the NBA Playoffs is complete, and though we had some interesting games, all in all it was rather disappointing from a fan standpoint. Not much drama, and any time it looked like we might see something out of the ordinary, the better team buckled down and took the series (see: Lakers and Hawks).

Now we're into the second round. The cream is beginning to raise to the top, and we have some very exciting series to look forward to. Here's how I think each of them will play out:

#1 Cavs vs. #4 Celtics
I was at game 1 on Saturday night, and it was easily the best atmosphere I've ever been a part of at a sporting event. Anyone who says Cleveland sucks really ought to attend a Cavs playoff game sometime before LeBron James either retires or bolts. I guarantee you will view the city, and the people in the city differently. The only word I can use to describe it is "electric". That being said, the Cavs didn't look like the best team in the league, and the Celtics didn't look like the oldest team in the league (until the fourth quarter, perhaps). Cleveland came out flat, and Boston was exploiting Mo Williams' defense time and time again. If Mike Brown can continue to make the proper adjustments to shut down Rondo, then the Cavs will have no problem getting by Boston. However, having watched Mike Brown over the last few years, it's not a sure thing that he will do this. No one knows what's going on inside of that man's head, but oftentimes it takes him until the second half to make the correct defensive alterations. Boston looked good on offense and defense in the first half. Garnett looked like his oldself, absolutely abusing Antawn Jamison on both ends of the court. If he continues to play at the top of his game for 48 minutes, and if Rondo can control the game like he did early in game 1, then Boston will win. What's going to happen? LeBron James. He will get his team through this round if it kills him (or his elbow). He has the best supporting cast he is going to have in Cleveland, and this is his year. Mike Brown will eventually make the right moves, even if it means this series goes 6 or 7 games.
Prediction: Cavs in 6

#2 Magic vs. #3 Hawks
If the regular season match-up between these teams is any indication of what will happen in this series, then Orlando is going to move on rather easily. Atlanta is an athletic, talented team. However, their fourth quarter offense just isn't good enough to get passed this championship caliber team. I've seen a lot of Atlanta this year, and it's the same story over and over again. They play tough for 3 quarters, but then they get stagnant in the fourth, and score somewhere between 10-17 points (and lose). Not to mention, Atlanta is an absolutely awful road team for how good they are. Orlando has too much on both sides of the ball for Atlanta to win the series. Dwight Howard will dominate for the minutes he is in there, and Jameer Nelson will do the rest.
Prediction: Magic in 5

#1 Lakers vs. #4 Jazz
Is anyone else as upset as I am that we won't get to see Denver play the Lakers this year? This is an awful match-up for the Jazz, and it will show on the court. Utah has historically had trouble beating L.A., and the fact that the Lakers have such a length advantage, and Kobe Bryant, will make it hard for that trend to change. Utah played great in the first round, but they were up against a team without their coach, and with some banged up players. With AK47 and Okur, Utah would still lose; so the fact that they're out makes this one even more inevitable. Bynum and Gasol will dominate the inside, and Kobe and Fisher will make all the big shots necessary to win this one easily. Utah will win one on their homecourt, but that's all.
Prediction: Lakers in 5

#3 Suns vs. #7 Spurs
I don't like the Suns. I haven't liked them all year. They're not built for the playoffs, and they got lucky catching the injury depleted Blazers in the first round. A lot of experts have the Suns possibly making the finals, but I don't see it. San Antonio has everyone healthy (for the most part), and they were my pre-season pick to make the finals. I'm going to stick by that pick. Popovich will be able to slow down the tempo enough to turn this into a grind it out series, which the Spurs excel at. Tim Duncan and Ginobili are determined to prove that they're not too old to win. They'll get their chance to prove that in the next round against Los Angeles. This series should be a piece of cake.
Prediction: Spurs in 6 (not exactly a piece of cake... but I'm confident in my pick)

Cramer: NBA Playoffs... Where Amazing Happens

2010-04-27T17:42:00.000-04:00

Cramer: West 1st Round Predictions

2010-04-20T16:16:00.002-04:00

I know I'm a little late on this one, but I promise I made these picks prior to the first round beginning. Take a look at what I believe will transpire in the first round out West.

#1 Lakers vs. #8 Thunder
The Lakers have been struggling down the stretch, but there's really no cause for concern, especially not in the first round. OKC is a young team that is happy to be here, and LA is a veteran team that is looking to repeat. Durant and co. may steal a game or two, but they won't ever make this a series. Ron Artest will be able to frustrate Durant enough to get him off his game, and Westbrook won't be able to make up for the points Durant isn't going to score on a nightly basis. Also, the Lakers will dominate this one inside with Bynum back. No contest here.
Prediction: Lakers in 5

#2 Mavs vs. #7 Spurs
I have to be honest here. I was considering taking San Antonio in this one, but because they're down 1-0, I'm not going to. The Spurs have had some big wins in the last 25% of the season, but the Mavericks have way too much talent (and younger talent than the Spurs). Dirk is determined, and Tim Duncan may be a little bit too old to help this team advance in the playoffs. This will be a great series, but Dallas will win it in the end.
Prediction: Mavs in 7

#3 Suns vs. #6 Blazers
I could go with Portland here after their game 1 upset of Phoenix, but I'm not going to. The Suns have played great basketball for most of the season, and Portland had to play a near perfect game in game 1 just to beat them. I don't see Andre Miller scoring 31 every game (although he certainly will be able to exploit Nash's "defense"). Too much Stoudemire (playing in a contract season) and too much Nash will be the story here. Unless Brandon Roy makes it back in time for game 5 or 6, this one will be over.
Prediction: Suns in 6

#4 Nuggets vs. #5 Jazz
This series features the 2nd and 3rd best teams in the Western Conference. Each have had their troubles this season (whether it be illness or injury), but they are both looking to make a deep playoff run. However, with the loss of Okur, and Kirilenko's injury, Utah is too depleted to keep up the pace of the game played in the first 2. It's tied 1-1 now, but Denver should be able to pull this one out. No one on Utah (besides Kirilenko) can guard Carmelo for a 7-game series. For that reason. Denver will come out victorious.
Prediction: Nuggets in 6

Cramer: 1st Round Predictions

2010-04-15T20:33:00.003-04:00

The regular season is finally over and it's time to start the playoffs. Some people complain about how long the first round takes, but this year there won't be much to complain about. With the vast depth of talent in the West, and the top heavy East, we're looking at a 1st round that could be one of the best of all times. Let's take a look at how I believe it is going to shape up:

1st Round: East

#1 Cavs vs. #8 Bulls
The Bulls snuck in the playoffs, but there's no reason to believe that this team isn't talented. When healthy, they were the 5th best team in the East. Now that they've gotten all of their players back from injury, they're looking to "shock the World" (in the words of Noah) in the first round. I don't see it happening, but that's not to say that it won't happen. The Cavs haven't played their rotation players all together in what feels like forever, and that could take a toll on them. If they lose game 1 (which they might while trying to reincorporate Shaq), then we may have a series. If not... don't change your plans to watch any of these games.
Prediction: Cavs in 5

#2 Magic vs. #7 Bobcats
This isn't the best match-up the 'Cats could have gotten in the first round, and I think it will show in this series. The Magic have been HOT since the all-star break, and don't show any signs of letting up. The Bobcats have the talent to hang around in some of these games, but I don't know that they can actually win any of them. If they can pull one out in Orlando, they may be able to pull off a massive upset, but they won't. They might get lucky and win one in front of Michael Jordan in Charlotte, but they won't.
Prediction: Magic in 4

#3 Hawks vs. #6 Bucks
With Bogut in the line-up, this may have been the series to watch in the East. The Hawks are a good young team, but they haven't exactly proven themselves in the playoffs yet (see: last year's whooping at the hands of the Cavs in the second round). However, the Bucks just don't have the team to match-up with Atlanta for 7 games. Jennings will come on ready to put on a show, as will John Salmons, but they'll be easily countered by Johnson, Smith, and Crawford. We may see a good series, but nothing surprising will come out of it.
Prediction: Hawks in 6

#4 Celtics vs. #5 Heat
The Celtics have had the Dwyane Wade's number this year, and it's unlikely that that will change here. However, I'm going to go against the odds. Dwyane Wade is out to prove he's as good as LeBron, and to do that he's got to win a play-off series on his own team (if not 3, see: LeBron takes Cavs to finals with Sasha Pavlovic and Eric Snow starting). The Celtics just aren't the same team they were 2 years ago. Wade will outduel whichever of the Celtics "stars" shows up on any given night, and for that reason they will pull off the upset here.
Prediction: Heat in 6

Check back later for the good part of the playoffs: The 1st round in the West. We have some amazing match-ups out there. Come see what I have to say about them.

Cramer: Apology

2010-04-11T05:22:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. My computer has been shut down due to maintenance. Expect Zeus back shortly for the beginning of the NBA Playoffs and MLB Season!

Cramer: Final Four Preview (Part 2 of 2)

2010-04-01T12:27:00.005-04:00

Yesterday we looked at Michigan State, and determined that it's boring to see a team in the final four that wasn't even the best team in their own conference (and by "we", I obviously mean "I told you"). Let's look at a similar situation, but this time let's look at the team from the Big East. Not only is the Big East much weaker than usual this year, but its success in the tournament this year is described solely by two words: "West Virginia". Every other team in the Big East underperformed in the eyes of many (though now those "many" might argue that they over- performed by even being allowed in the tournament).

West Virginia: The Mountaineers are the hardest team to talk about in a negative light. They've had very impressive tournament run, preceded by a Big East tournament crown in the bright lights of MSG. That being said, this team has some of the same qualities as Michigan State. They didn't have the best record in their own conference (Syracuse did, and SU beat West Virginia in Morgantown 72-81). WVU tied for second in their conference with two NCAA tourney underachievers: Villanova and Pittsburgh.

Additionally, the Mountaineers are going to get their starting PG back (unlike Sparty), but is there anyone who believes that Darryl Bryant can recover from a "broken foot" in under 2 weeks? Granted, Joe Mazzulla did a terrific job filling in for him against Kentucky. However, I wouldn't expect the defense of Duke to overlook him given their experienced players and coach.

Another important point against WVU is that everyone wanted to see Kentucky in the final four. John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson, Drew (Eric) Bledsoe... these are future NBA lottery picks. Everyone likes to see future NBA stars play on the biggest stage in college basketball (isn't that part of the reason a lot of us are in favor of the one year in college rule?) If Kentucky and WVU played again, Kentucky would not go 4-32 from three, and West Virgina would likely not go 10-23 from three.

I know I'm being nit picky here, and a little bit biased because I wanted to see UK play KU in the finals (didn't everyone?), but I don't think WVU is nearly as good a team as Kentucky was (or could have been).

Conclusion: West Virgina is as deserving a final four team as there is, but they're not the team a lot of people wanted to see play here. A Duke vs. Kentucky match-up would have gotten terrific ratings, and probably would have been a pretty damn good game too. However, WVU will likely produce just as good a game with Duke, but the excitement heading into it won't be nearly as high. Finally, Syracuse was the best team in the Big East, and it's hard to root for a team to win it all if they can't win their regular season crown (but WVU did win the Big East tourney so they're not quite as unimpressive as the Michigan State squad).

Conclusion 2: Duke will play Butler for the national title, and Duke will win 67-62.

Cramer: Final Four Preview (Part 1 of 2)

2010-03-31T12:01:00.008-04:00

As we draw closer and closer to the start of the NBA Playoffs and opening day in the MLB, there's still one major sporting event that needs to take place. Yeah, the Final Four. If any of you are like me... your bracket has officially been busted and you've lost all monetary interest in March Madness. Not only that, but if you have similar feelings to mine, you're not really all that interested in any of the teams in the final four.

Take a look at our four teams: Michigan State, Butler, West Virginia, and Duke. For the next two days I'm going to give you a preview for the two teams I believe will lose, and tell you why we shouldn't care about them:

Michigan State: this is the easiest one in the bunch. Michigan State finished tied atop the Big Ten standings at 14-4. However, they lost to Ohio State in East Lansing, 74-67. That being said, it's pretty safe to assume that Sparty wasn't even the best team in their own conference. Couple that with the fact that they're missing their best player, Kalin Lucas, and this Tom Izzo team becomes even less compelling. Finally, their road to the final four wasn't much to be proud of either:

1st round- Beat 12 seeded New Mexico State 70-67. This 12-5 match-up is usually one to keep an eye on, but given that Michigan State returned a good amount of talent from their runner-up team last year, they shouldn't have had such a close game in the first round.

2nd round- Beat 4 seeded Maryland 85-83. I didn't get to see a lot of this game because it wasn't aired in my area, but I did get to see the end. They lost Kalin Lucas, but got a huge shot from Korie Lucious to win at the buzzer. This was a good win, but once again: it shouldn't have been as close as it was.

3rd round- Beat 9 seeded Northern Iowa 59-52. Who cares? Northern Iowa got a round or two further than they should have by beating number one overall seed Kansas. If UNI and Kansas played 10 times, Kansas would have won 9 of those match-ups. It's hard to look at this win as a great one for the Spartans. MSU got some big shots again, but all evidence would
suggest that they would have lost to Kansas if the Jayhawks hadn't faltered a round earlier.

4th round- Beat 6 seeded Tennessee 70-69. Once again Michigan State got lucky and faced a lower seed than they should have. Georgetown and Ohio State are both better teams than Tennessee, but GTown lost to Ohio (similar situation to Kansas and Northern Iowa), and Ohio State didn't quite have their A game against the Men Vols (why do they call the Women's team the Lady Vols? Everyone knows they're probably better than the Men anyway). This game also could have gone either way.

Conclusion for MSU: Izzo's Crew didn't really play the toughest competition they could have on their road to the final four. That, and the fact that they're missing their best player, makes this 5 seeded team rather uninteresting.

Cramer: March Madness and NBA's Boring

2010-03-26T12:39:00.004-04:00

It's been a long time since I posted on Zeus of Sport for a few unimportant reasons (spring break and finals among them), but I'm back.

Since I last posted a lot has transpired in the NBA, but not too much has changed. The top 4 teams in the East have clinched a playoff spot, while the bottom 4 spots look to be locked up by the Bucks, Heat, Bobcats, and Raptors (the lowly Bulls are fading fast and are 2 and a half games behind the Raps entering today).

The Western Conference playoff picture still contains the same 8 teams it has for most of the season, but it looks as though there will be quite a finish for the bottom 7 teams in terms of seeding. The Lakers have all but locked up the 1 seed, while the Jazz, Mavs, and Nuggets are all tied for the 2-4 seeds with the same record of 47-25. Meanwhile, the Suns, Thunder, Spurs, and Blazers are battling it out for seeding in the bottom of the West.

Sweet. Yeah, its that time of the year when the NBA becomes as boring as *you know what*. No NBA players want to be playing regular season games anymore, and no fans really want to continue to watch them. Unfortunately, we have to wait until April 18th for the playoffs to start. So what keeps us occupied in the meantime? March Madness.

This tournament has been the best one in recent memory. Sure, there's not quite a George Mason story here (though some would argue Butler, Northern Iowa, or Saint Mary's would be comparable), but the thing that has made this tournament so unbelievably interesting is the mediocrity of college basketball this season.

Anyone who filled out a bracket knows exactly what I mean. We've been accustomed, over the last couple of years, to think that the Big East will always come out victorious due to their immense talent and strength of competition within the conference. Now let's look at how they actually fared this year:

Georgetown: A blowout loss in the first round to Ohio. Yeah, the same Ohio that went 7-9 in the MAC.

Syracuse: Looked good through 2 rounds, beating Vermont and Gonzaga easily. Then, they lost to Butler 63-59. Bill Simmons said it best: "Jim Boeheim at the 5:00 mark: "Guys, I want you to go out there and take the most rushed, horrible shots you possibly can."

Pitt: Lost to Xavier in the second round.

Villanova: Should have lost to RMU in the first round (Who?), but instead won in OT and went on to lose to Saint Mary's by 7 in the second round.

Notre Dame: Lost to Old Dominion in the first round. Luke Harangody was held to -4.5 points.

Louisville: Got down 22-4 to Cal of the great PAC-10 in the first round, only to lose by 15. Many had Louisville upsetting Duke... ah, the beauty of ESPN's love of the Big East.

Marquette: An excusable loss to a good Washington team in the first round. The unexcusable part was the amount of offensive rebounds they gave up in the last couple minutes that lead to their departure.

West Virginia: Still rolling. The one Big East team left has to play the tourney favorite Kentucky in the next round.

So if you watch ESPN at all, your bracket is automatically in the dumps. You likely had Kansas winning it all, West Virginia upsetting Kentucky in the Elite 8, and maybe even Notre Dame getting out of their bracket (more likely, though, you had 'Nova). You had no respect for any team other than the Big East teams, and therefore you had a hard time picking any games right in the first 2 rounds.

However, if you're like me... you still have your final four. You picked Ohio State, Kansas State, Kentucky, and Duke. You picked Kentucky to beat Ohio State in the finals, and you're looking at winning your office pool.

My main point for this post is a little bracketology advice. I've been extremely good at filling out brackets since I can remember (and I'm so modest, too). Here's some random thoughts that you may want to remember for next year's bracket.

1. If a team outside of a big six conference is given a 1-3 seed, they're probably grossly over-seeded, and should be knocked out in the second round (See: New Mexico). Unless, of course, they have a future Cavs player (See: St. Joseph's)

2. If a team was a #1 seed last year, but they lose almost all of their production, they're not going to be great this year. (See: Pittsburgh)

3. If everyone is picking a #1 seed to lose early, it's probably because everyone hates that school. In reality, they're probably going to make the final four. (See: Duke)

4. If a team loses more than 50% of their last 10 games, but still gets a 2-seed... you know what to do with them. Don't listen to Barack Obama. (See: Villanova)

5. If a team goes 30-4, but has a 9-seed... they're probably going to upset #1 Kansas in the second round. That's just common knowledge people, come on. (See: Northern Iowa)

6. If a team was mediocre all year, but somehow made the tournament... they're still mediocre and should be treated as such (See: Entire Field)

Enjoy the games tonight, and check back soon for NBA Updates once the playoffs are set in stone.

Cramer: Cavs Statement

2010-02-26T04:44:00.006-05:00

If you've paid any attention at all to the Cavs-Celtics match-up over the last few years, you know Boston wins in Boston, and Cleveland wins in Cleveland. Well, after the Cavs 108-88 victory in Boston Thursday night, you can kiss that notion good-bye. Cleveland won in Boston for the first time in 10 games Thursday in convincing fashion, but it wasn't easy.

The first half was ugly for Cleveland. Rondo was seemingly able to get to any point on the court he wanted, and make any pass he wanted. As evidenced by Boston's sky-high field goal percentage in the first 48 minutes, the Cavs' defense was still missing - a continuing theme for the Cavs since the All-Star break.

The first half was where Pierce's absence made a big difference despite what others may say. Cleveland was struggling defensively, stagnant on offense, and getting abused in the fast break game, and yet they only went into the half facing an 8 point deficit. Pierce's additional offense would have supplied a fence perhaps too tall to hop over for the Cavs to come back in the game, but 8 points just wasn't going to be enough for a team clicking on all cylinders offensively like the Cavs did in the second half.

As an avid Cavs game watcher, I have to say that was the best the Cavs have looked all season. Defensively and offensively, the Cavs looked like the team they now are on paper. Let me be the first to say somewhat of a controversial statement: This is because Shaq and Z weren't on the floor at all. Charles Barkley has been right all along... The Cavs need to pick up the tempo and run run run. With Varejao, Hickson/Jamison, LeBron, Moon/Delonte, and Mo they were able to do just that.

Granted, playoff basketball is different from regular season ball, but I think Mike Brown has absolutely got to explore the possibility of playing this line-up more often, especially against the Bostons, Atlantas, and Charlottes of the league. Any team that doesn't have a dominating center is not worth playing Shaq against. He slows down the offense, and his defense is pathetic. He can't move laterally to save his life, and anytime a guard or big man gets a step on him, he immediately fouls him in hard, ugly fashion as if to say, "Take the 2 points, I don't

want to play anymore".

His foul decisions are usually terrible, and he often times looks like a bratty father who gets so fed up with losing to his son that he decides to foul him hard to let him remember who's the man of the house. Shaq we know you're the man, but you're killing the Cavs' trademark defense.

Others would likely allude to the good production Shaq has had recently, but this has been at the expense of getting up and down the floor to score often, and thus being able to set their effective half-court defense more often. When Shaq scores, other teams can push the ball quickly because the big guy takes a while to get back on D. But when the Cavs score on the break, or with faster big men in the game, their defense gets set and other teams have trouble scoring as consistently.

A Varejao/Hickson frontcourt provides an insane amount of athleticism and versatility. They each have shown the ability to guard 4's and 5's, and therefore can switch on screens, and defend the paint when guards come in much more effectively than Shaq or Z can (at least since they've reached their upper 30s). They also are able to be part of the Cavs' fast-break (as evidenced by JJ Hickson's multiple alley-oops on the break Thursday), which adds an extra dimension that Shaq simply cannot do anymore.

I'd now like to take this opportunity to apologize to Shaq and say I appreciate the way he's played against Orlando and LA, but until we play one of those teams again, feel free to prolong your injury rest. You're one of the best of all time, but you're not good enough anymore to be on a team hoping to build early leads to get LeBron and the starters sufficient rest in the fourth quarter. No offense as stagnant as the Cavs when Shaq is in the game is going to be able to do that against any team in the league, let alone the Celtics.

Wow, so I just went off on a huge tangent but it was necessary. The Cavs played great. Mo shot the lights out in the fourth: he scored 14 points, and the Celtics scored 14 points. Find me someone who would have taken a bet for that happening. LeBron wasn't settling AT ALL. He typically runs the clock down and takes fade away jumpers, but instead he ran it down and took it to the basket, getting fouled and making lay-ups. Hickon and Varejao played with tremendous energy and clogged up the middle where Rondo was making a living in the first half. Delonte played great D on Rondo. Jamison made some big shots in the 3rd to get the Cavs back in it. Jamario took a huge charge.

I could go on and on, so I will: LEON POWE MADE A LAY-UP AND 2 FREE THROWS! Ha, sorry but Leon is not an impact player on this team this year. It's too bad because he seems like a good guy, but he was running gingerly down the floor, which is not a good sign. He also got swatted by Shelden Williams which is an even worse sign.

Sorry for the long, somewhat disorganized post but in conclusion, the Cavs are a better team against every team except LA and Orlando without Shaq on the court. Period. Perhaps you'll get a chance to see this in the coming weeks if Shaq misses time. Until then, remember to check back for my next NBA Rankings.

Cramer: Larry Hughes Bought Out

2010-02-23T18:39:00.002-05:00

Larry Hughes getting his own post? Unfortunately, yes. Though Hughes has shown that he is an incredibly inefficient player on offense, he has shown the ability to defend and score in spurts (at times). My prediction for Hughes is that he will be scooped up by the Celtics in a final attempt to keep up with the Magic and the Cavs. My other prediction: it will prove futile.

But wouldn't it be funny if Hughes ended up being the reason the Cavs couldn't reach the Finals in what may be the most important season for any franchise in the history of sports? After getting one of the most ridiculous contracts ever, Hughes provided absolutely nothing for the Cavs in his years there except for a trading chip to acquire Ben Wallace and Delonte West, and eventually Shaq.

If Hughes is to sign with a contender it will have to be before March 1st, so any contender interested in his services (Cavs more than likely not included) will have to make their move fast if they want him on their playoff roster (which I, and Cavs management would likely advise against).

Anyway, just a quick update... Larry Hughes could prove to be a major player in the NBA playoffs this season. Check back soon for further information regarding this.

Cramer: Vinsanity's Still Got it?

2010-02-23T17:47:00.002-05:00

First he beats the Cavs... now this:

Cramer: Not Time to Panic... Yet

2010-02-21T18:58:00.004-05:00

Cavs fans all across the country, both young and old, have to feel a little bit on edge after the last 3 games for the Cavs. Obviously, putting in a little bit of perspective eases the pain: they lost to 2 of the NBA's 4 best teams (other than Cleveland) in tight games after pulling off a significant trade, and lost to a team they have trouble with in the second night of a back-to-back (following an OT just as a cherry on top). However, the Cavs issues may be bigger than just a 3-game losing streak.

Cleveland has made a living this season being bigger than their opponents. They've had Z and Shaq on the court for a majority of the game, along with Varejao/Hickson at the 4, LeBron/Jawad at the 3, Parker/Moon/Delonte at the 2, and Mo/Gibson at the PG. Now, with the loss of Z, they no longer have a true back up center, and they have a log jam at the 4 spot. This leaves them with no one to guard the great centers they will have to face down the road in Dwight Howard, and Andrew Bynum/Pau Gasol.

Additionally, getting Antawn Jamison makes the Cavs somewhat of an offensive juggernaut (yet to be seen for more than a couple stretches in the Orlando game), but it takes away a good amount of their defensive abilities. Jamison is slow, old, and doesn't get off his feet nearly quick enough to keep up with the guys he's guarding (as evidenced by the domination of Boris Diaw and Tyrus Thomas on Friday night). With Jamison on the floor, the Cavs lose on defense what they gain on offense... at least until Mike Brown can instill more of a defensive mindset into him, which might be hard to do to a 33/34 year old.

Finally, the Cavs have had Zydrunas for his entire career. His presence, even on the bench, provides the Cavs with an emotional edge over their opponents. During this 3-game losing streak, the absence of Z has been seen both during the play, and on the faces of the players. LeBron is likely very upset about Z's departure (albeit likely brief), and Varejao, Z's great friend, hasn't had the same impact on the court since the All-Star Break.

So what am I getting at... not much, yet. The Cavs have one of the best teams in the NBA, and still have a great chance to win the NBA Finals. They likely will still end up with the best record in the East and homecourt advantage at least until the Finals (if they get there).

The key word though is "likely". If Z doesn't return then the Cavs may ultimately regret trading him despite the talent they got in return. Jamison's contract is pretty atrocious for a team looking to build a dynasty, and if he doesn't work out, it may be safe to say that LeBron will be playing elsewhere next season.

For now, it's not worth dwelling on the first 3-game losing streak in 2 years for this squad. Why? Because this squad is not the same team they've had over the last 2 years. They're trying to incorporate a major piece of the puzzle in Jamison, and their two best offensive guards in Mo and Delonte are returning from injuries.

They lost to Denver in one of the best games of the season and to Orlando in a game that they easily could have won if a couple of calls had gone their way (tough to win when Jamison fouls out, Shaq's in foul trouble, and Parker's in foul trouble). By next weekend, we may be looking at a good 3-game winning streak with wins over New Orleans, at Boston and at Toronto (all very quality win opportunities - or a chance for a scary 6 game losing streak).

So as the season winds down, and the playoffs creep up on us Cavs fans, don't press the panic button, yet... but keep your finger near by.

Cramer: Three Biggest Disappointments

2010-02-20T19:58:00.004-05:00

Alright so I already gave you my three biggest surprises of the first half (and pleasant ones at that), but what about the three biggest disappointments? There are more than 3, but I narrowed it down for the purpose of not boring you... here you go:

1. The Washington Wizards- this one's not even close. A team that has been down for the last 2 years due to injuries started the season fresh. Yeah, Antawn Jamison started the season out with a shoulder injury (but who cares right? he shoots 0-12 anyway), but they got Agent Zero back and got a great first half from Brendan Haywood (by his standards). So what happened to this team? Why didn't they live up to my gutsy prediction of a four seed in the east (boy, was I wrong)? Obviously it's easy to blame this all on Gilbert's gun incident, but this team was going down hill long before that. I think this can all be traced back to the firing of Eddie Jordan (and that's saying a lot considering he's not having much success in Philly). He had this team on the right track whenever they had a full cast of players, and ever since he left, this team has continued to lose. To cap it all of, they now lost their big 3 (Butler to the Mavs, Jamison to the Cavs, and Arenas to... who knows where he is right now?), and got nothing in return other than Josh Howard... who apparently smokes weed and plays basketball games hungover. The situation in Washington is an absolute mess and I would like to sincerely apologize to Z on behalf of the Cavs organization for making him spend even a few days as an official member of this franchise... be safe Z.

2. San Antonio Spurs- I had this team on my early season Championship watch. They added Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess to their already accomplished core... and they've fallen greatly. Timmy is still his regular self, perhaps playing one of his better seasons, but this team just can't get it together. If the season ended today they'd be 7th seed, and likely be ousted by the Nuggets in the first round rather handily. It's hard to say that a playoff team is a disappointment until they lose in the playoffs, but this team definitely can be considered that. Hopefully they can get it together sooner rather than later so we can see some fundamental ball in the second season.

3. New Jersey Nets- No one thought they'd be good, but all I really have to say for this one is "5-50". This is possibly the worst team of all time (record-wise). It's weird though, they have a pretty good young core in Brook Lopez, Courtney Lee, and Devin Harris (not to mention Yi and Rafer Alston (who's gone now). Given those players and their abilities, the Nets have to be considered a huge disappointment despite their low expectations entering the season. They had to post a mediocre record to be in the LeBron sweepstakes, but they didn't, and now they're out of it.

Honorable Mention- Jamison's 0-12 debut with the Cavs.

Cramer: Jamison to the Cavs

2010-02-17T21:16:00.006-05:00

Danny Ferry, you are a genius. Take this fact in for a second: courtesy of @CavsWitness:

"Ferry has turned Hughes, Gooden, Marshall, Newble, Brown, Simmons, Wallace, Smith, Jones, Pavlovic & Z (?) into Mo, West, Shaq and Jamison."

That is an unbelievable job by Mr. Ferry and the Cavs finally acquired the "stretch 4" that fans have been begging for since they lost to Orlando last year in the ECF. Look at this potential starting line-up for the Cavs:

PG: Mo Williams
SG: Anthony Parker
SF: LeBron James
PF: Antawn Jamison
C: Shaq

The front court players are each a little past their prime, but this team is an absolute force to be reckoned with (imagine how could they would have been 5 years ago). Throw in the fact that they already had a 2 game lead for the best record in the NBA (pre-trade for Jamison), and had handled the better teams in the NBA, and you're looking at the bonafide favorites to win the Eastern Conference, and maybe even the NBA Finals.

The one gripe Cavs fans will have with this one is that it doesn't really help their future. Jamison is 33, and though he's still playing at a high level, it's not likely that his addition alone will convince LeBron not to bolt for the Knicks or Clippers (or Heat, or Thunder, or Timberwolves!?).

But hey, Cleveland, when was the last time you won anything? Enjoy this team while you can. Barring any injuries, you should expect to see this team playing well into the playoffs.

A lot of sources had Amare coming to Cleveland for Z and J.J. Hickson. Though Amare is a better talent than Jamison, he doesn't fit better in the Cavs system. Antawn will space the floor even more with Shaq out there, and will be a nice scorer to keep on the floor when LeBron gets his breathers. Amare would have clogged the paint more, demanded more touches, and played less defense. Additionally, Amare is a tad bit immature for this team, while Jamison is a seasoned vet who just wants to win.

Conclusion: as long as Z is bought out by Washington and returns to Cleveland, the Cavs acquired Jamison for a 1st round draft pick (that could be a #1 or #30 pick depending on whether or not 'Bron leaves). This trade is an absolute steal for the Cavs for this year though.
Grade: A-

Check back soon for other NBA trade deadline happenings, along with my 3 biggest disappointments from the first half of the season!

Cramer: First Half Recap

2010-02-12T17:39:00.004-05:00

Alright, I haven't exactly been providing you with up to date analysis of the workings of the NBA so far this season, but consider this post an opportunity to make up for my shortcomings. There have been many intriguing stories in the NBA this season, both disappointing and exciting, so let's delve into them and break down what's been going on around the L so far.

3 Biggest Surprises

1. Oklahoma City Thunder- Everyone had this team as a potentially great team in the future, but you'd have a difficult time finding anyone who predicted they'd be 30-21 at the all-star break, and almost a sure thing to make the playoffs (cherry on top: in the Western conference). Kevin Durant has been the second best player in the league, and his supporting cast hasn't been too shabby either. They have a PG duo in Russell Westbrook, and Eric Maynor, that could wreak havoc in the NBA for years to come. They're still a young team, and thus have struggled against the big dogs (0-3 vs. LA, 0-2 vs. Cle, 0-1 vs. Boston, and 1-1 vs. Orlando), but I don't think any of those teams can say they got all their victories easily (the Cavs certainly didn't, needing a heroic block by LeBron to seal a victory IN CLEVELAND). Nobody wants to pay this group in the playoffs, and for good reason. They'll be a tough out in the first round, but that's likely where their dream season will end... for this year.

2. The Cavs, without Mo Williams- Remember when Mo Williams was declared unable to play against the Lakers a few weeks ago... if not read this. Since then, the Cavs have continued to win... and only win. Without Mo, the Cavs are an impressive 11-0 and have extended their lead from 3 1/2 games to 7. This isn't to say that the Cavs are a championship contender without their second leading scorer, but the victories they have racked up without him must give coach Brown a lot of confidence in other guys to step up if Mo is off again in the playoffs.

3. Tie- Charlotte Bobcats and Portland Trailblazers- tough call here for #3. The Bobcats are firmly implanted in the playoff picture in the East for the first time in the franchise's history. On the other hand, they have the talent, and now had a coach to put it all together in Larry Brown, so it's hard to say it's terribly surprising how successful they've been (except maybe for their dominance over Cleveland). Over on the other coast, Portland has been very impressive. Not surprising right? They are supposed to be that young, talented team to challenge for the Western crown. Wrong. They've had an immense amount of injuries, don't have a true center on their roster anymore, and have been missing the services of Brandon Roy for quite some time... and they're still 2 games in the playoffs, and only 2 1/2 games out of 4th place (3 games out of 3rd). Both teams have been nice stories for the NBA this season (especially considering the financial situation Charlotte is facing).

Check back soon for the biggest disappointments!

Cramer: Again Dwyane?

2010-02-05T00:12:00.000-05:00

Cramer: Welcome Dwyane, to the Poster Shop

2010-01-25T23:48:00.000-05:00

Why would you jump... why?

Cramer: A Little Northwestern Love

2010-01-23T16:21:00.001-05:00

Cramer: LeBron's a Rapper too!?

2010-01-22T15:53:00.001-05:00

Excuse Mr. James for his profanity.

Cramer: Mo Williams Hurt

2010-01-21T18:39:00.003-05:00

I was going to do by latest installment of my NBA Rankings today, but unfortunately something a bit more important popped up: Mo Williams, the Cavs 2nd best player, will be out at least a month.

The impact of this injury could be catastrophic for the Cavs, and a boon for teams around the league. Since Mo arrived in Cleveland, the Cavs have raised themselves from a tier 2 or 3 team, to the top team in the league (record-wise). He has added a dimension that the Cavs have been lacking ever since LeBron's fateful arrival into Cleveland.

Mark the date: January 21st. The Cavs currently hold a 3 and a half game lead over the Celtics for first place in the Eastern Conference. Unless the Cavs pull off a trade to acquire another gunner soon, they could find themselves in the 2, 3, or even 4 spot come playoff time.

And let's be honest, the injury could be much more serious than the initial articles are indicating. They all have some combination of the words "surgery" and "needed" (usually with the word "not" somewhere in there), and that is a scary thought. Surgery could keep Mo out for the rest of the season and playoffs, and could have a humongous impact on the free agent season of 2010.

Many have speculated that LeBron would bounce from Cleveland in the event that they don't at least reach the Finals, and without Mo Gotti in the line-up, that ain't gonna happen. So NBA fans keep your ears and eyes open, because this injury could mean LeBron will be playing in a different uniform come next season.

Cramer: Week Off from Rankings

2010-01-13T03:04:00.000-05:00

This week has been a tad bit slow in terms of movement in the NBA. I feel bad making rankings based almost purely off of injuries across the league (Lakers, Celtics, Magic, etc...).

Check back next week for Volume 4 of Zeus' NBA Rankings!

Cramer: What a Great Voice

2010-01-10T19:14:00.001-05:00

Cramer: NBA Rankings Volume 3

2010-01-03T13:25:00.003-05:00

Welcome back! I hope you enjoyed the last week of basketball as much as I did (though, unless you're a Cavs fan, I doubt you did). Check out how the rankings have shuffled around this week:

The Fab 5- It's time to welcome a new member to the fab 5.

#1- Cleveland Cavaliers- They've won 7 in a row, 12 of their last 13, and if they can win their next 6 games (not an easy task, but the schedule isn't terribly daunting) then they will be on the same pace they were last season at the half-way point. Cleveland beat Atlanta in their home-and-home this week, which gives them the nod over the injury-prone, reeling Boston Celtics.

#2- Boston Celtics- They've lost 3 of their last 4, but the reason they stay #2 is because they beat Toronto convincingly without Rondo, Pierce, AND Garnett. The feat becomes even more impressive when you throw in the fact that Toronto was on a 5-game winning streak. Boston fans have to be a bit worried about their injuries though: Garnett will be out 10 days, Pierce was scheduled to miss 2 weeks, and Rondo missed a game.

#3- Los Angeles Lakers- The Lakers have been very unimpressive since Christmas. They lost to Phoenix, and almost lost to Sacramento and Golden State. I'm not saying the Lakers can't/won't win it all, but they're not the best team in the league at this moment in time.

#4- Orlando Magic- The Bulls are playing better, but the Magic shouldn't be losing to them. I maintain that Vince Carter will be the downfall of this team. He chucks up like no other, and that's a beautiful thing to see as a Cavs fan. Orlando will be a tough team to beat in the playoffs if they get hot like they did last year, but they aren't nearly as good as they were in the ECF.

#5- San Antonio Spurs- Welcome my pick from the off-season for the Western Conference to the conversation. After hovering around .500 for a while, this team has won 5 in a row and 8 of 10 to move to a 20-11 record, good for 3rd in the West. They've got an abundance of scoring, and you know they're well-coached. Will their age catch up to them like Boston? We'll see.

The Rest

#6- Atlanta Hawks- Lost 3 in a row to Cleveland, Cleveland, and New York. You can't lose 3 in a row in the East race unless you're Boston with injury problems. Atlanta's good, but not great.
#7- Dallas Mavericks
#8- Portland Jail Blazers
#9- Denver Nuggets- Don't sleep on this team in the playoffs. Billups has been hurt, but they're still damn good.
#10- Phoenix Suns
#11- Oklahoma City Thunder
#12- Houston Rockets
#13- Memphis Grizzlies- Won 7 of 10. Beat the Cavs. Probably beat some other good team that I don't care about. These guys are really good. REALLY good. Zach Randolph better be in the all-star game.
#14- Toronto Raptors
#15- Utah Jazz
#16- Miami Heat
#17- Chicago Bulls- Won 4 in a row: welcome back Vinny.
#18- New Orleans Hornets
#19- Sacramento Kings- Hard to drop Sacramento for their performance without Tyreke. All they do is compete, and it's great to watch.
#20- New York Knicks- The look on Mike D'Antoni's face when Nate dropped 40 was priceless. "Damnit, I was right about benching him, but I wish he didn't single-handedly help us beat one of the best teams in the league on the road". Oh, such a typical coach.
#21- Los Angeles Clippers- Blake's coming back. Can't wait.
#22- Charlotte Bobcats
#23- Milwaukee Bucks
#24- Philadelphiz 76ers
#25- Golden State Warriors
#26- Detroit Pistons- This is the worst Detroit has been in the last decade.
#27- Washington Wizards
#28- Minnesota T-Wolves
#29- New Jersey Nets- Can't say the Nets are worse than the Pacers. They will have a worse record, but they have a future. I don't think you can say the same for Indiana.
#30- Indiana Pacers- The Nets have talent, they're just young. The Pacers............

Cramer: A Day at the Game

2010-01-02T21:43:00.006-05:00

I was lucky enough to attend the Cavs vs. Nets game today in the lovely East Rutherford, NJ thanks to Santa Claus, and I want to vent. So here goes:

For one, why even bother having an NBA franchise in a city where at least 50% of the people who attend the games are there purely to see the other team's superstar? Don't get me wrong, I've been going to Nets games since the days of Kerry Kittles and Keith Van Horn, and they've certainly had their high points, but do they have any true "fans". Obviously the Knicks are the dominant team in the tri-state area, but that shouldn't mean there are literally NO Nets fans.

A quick glance around the stands packed with 17,000+ (and yeah, that's packed for the "IZOD CENTER") shows a lot of LeBron jerseys, sprinkled with some Jason Kidd unis. Unless I'm wrong, (which I'm not) Jason Kidd is no longer in town. I may have seen one Brook Lopez jersey, but besides that... really Nets "fans"?

I've never been to a game in Memphis, Indiana, or another city that has a crappy team, but there's no way their fan support is worse than the Nets. The move to Brooklyn can't take place fast enough. The IZOD Center--which I know as Continental Airlines Arena--is a joke. If I didn't know any better I'd suspect it was an arena for either a college team, or a D-League team.

Jay-Z made a big mistake when he became friends with LeBron as a partial owner of the Nets. There's no way in hell (and you can quote me on this) that LeBron goes to NJ. If they were in Brooklyn now, and got the #1 pick in John Wall this summer, then MAYBE. But they won't be there for a year or so (that's a guess from what I've heard), and supposedly they're going to be playing games in Newark next year. Cleveland vs. Newark? I don't know, but the Cavs trump the Nets in talent and willingness to pay for players so that's a no-brainer for 'Bron 'Bron.

New York... I won't rule out because there's no hard evidence against it, nor is the franchise nearly as dejected as the Nets. It's time for the self-proclaimed "Jigga Man" to invest in another franchise, because his frienship with LeBron will go no further than a post-game high-five and laugh as long as he's sitting on the Nets sidelines.

On a lighter note, the Cavs won 94-86. I learned something about the Cavs, and maybe the NBA today. When you're watching a game on TV, you don't come even close to seeing how effective Anderson Varejao and Anthony Parker are. Andy was the 2nd best player on the court, and I'm only giving LeBron the edge because of his track record. When coaches say "what he does doesn't show up in the stat sheet", it truly does apply to the Wild Thing. I'm not a true believer in the +/-, but it would be a damn shame if anyone other than Andy lead it (which he did entering the game in which he posted a +14). He is a true 6th man (and a GREAT one), and well worth the money he got this summer. So to Varejao, I must say "Sorry". I may have dumped on you in the past, but in hindsight you probably looked much better in person. I have now officially voted for him for the All-Star Game (you should do the same), and expect him to get some accolades at the end of the season.

Another thing I noticed: you can't really see how much a team dominates a game on TV. The Cavs trailed for a good portion of the first half, and were only up by 4-10 points the whole second half, but it wasn't even close. You truly have to be at the game and see the other team's fans to realize how easily the Cavs win these games. Not one of the 10 Nets fans in the buildings believed their team had a shot... Neither did I. The announcers on TV make games seem a lot closer than they are, or maybe I get nervous because the HD amps me up. I don't know, but I'm sure I'd feel a lot more secure about victories if I had season tickets (Mom?).

A quote from the woman behind me after the first bucket of the game to put the Nets up: "Wow, the Nets are playing really good. Imagine if they beat Cleveland!?"

A text from the man sitting in front of me (in a Nets shirt) to his friend "Raj" (yeah, I creeped so what?): "Yo I'm at the Cavs game"

Finally, and I swear this is my last point: the Cavs don't try until it gets close to the end. All the players lolly gagged around all game, until it came to closing time. This probably explains their losses to crappy teams, and dominant performances against the good teams. They play hard when it matters, and when they play hard, they're hard to beat. So I'm saying it here first: Cavs are going to win it all if they stay healthy.

Cue the Cleveland Curse.

Cramer: Cavs vs. Hawks

2009-12-30T22:46:00.003-05:00

I said in my previous post that I would wait until after the home-and-home between the Cavs and Hawks to pass any judgment on the Hawks. Well, after both games, I think we've seen something: the Hawks are better than they were last year, but they're still not good enough to compete with the big dogs in the playoffs.

After watching the Cavs defeat the Hawks in Atlanta 95-84 behind a great defensive effort in the 4th quarter, and 106-101 after capping a 17 point comeback in the second half with a treasured Anderson Varejao 3, it's time to cut the Hawks out of the discussion for the East crown.

Since the beginning of the season, experts have had the Hawks amongst the beasts of the East along with Boston, Orlando, and Cleveland. This was due in large part to their dismantling of Boston in Boston early on. As the year has gone on, we've seen Atlanta blow a huge lead to Orlando at home, lose convincingly to Cleveland at home, and blow a huge lead to Cleveland on the road. Add these losses to their awful losses to the Bulls and Knicks, and it's time to take them out of the conversation until they prove us wrong.

Conclusion: The Hawks always compete well with Boston, but in a 7 game series against Cleveland and Orlando, they stand no chance.

Cramer: NBA Rankings Volume 2

2009-12-27T20:38:00.005-05:00

Well, let's just be honest here. I'm clearly somewhat of a biased Cavs fan. That being said, I think it's time for everybody to take notice of what the Cavs have accomplished over the last week (and the whole season for that matter). I'm sure there will be some complaints about my rankings this week, but I believe the Cavs have earned their spot:

The Fab 5

1. Boston Celtics- This team has been the best team in the league all year. They are the only team in this top 5 that can say they beat the Cavs, not to mention the impressive margin they're winning games by (9.5 ppg). Sure, they're going to have their injuries, but they've proven they can win games regardless (proof: beating Orlando in Orlando on Christmas day without Paul Pierce). I see this team finishing with the 1 or 2 seed in the East. "Experts" seem convinced this team will be in the finals... I'm not so sure. We'll see if their age catches up to them come playoff time.
Last Week: #2

2. Cleveland Cavaliers- Alright hear me out here. They've beaten L.A., Orlando, and Phoenix on the road all in convincing form. Over the last week they've won @Phoenix (first team to do that in about a year), @Sacramento, @LA, and vs. Houston by 25. Mike Brown seems to have figured out the rotation, Mo Williams has a new found swagger, and Shaq has shown repeatedly that he shows up when the games are being watched closely (Orlando and LA). Their bench is one of the best in the league with Varejao, Delonte, Moon, Z, and Gibson. When the Cavs bring their A game, there aren't any teams in the league that can say they have a good chance to beat them in a 7 game series (I really mean this).
Last Week- #3

3. Orlando Magic- The Magic are the third best team in the East, and I don't see that changing. They really did lose a dimension by swapping Turkoglu for Carter this summer. It's no coincidence that Vince's teams tend not to fare all that well. As long as Vince is hoisting up shot after shot, Orlando will have a very difficult time finding themselves anywhere near the finals. That being said, the Magic have arguably the deepest team in the league which allows them to take some bad shots from time to time. Their bench constantly gets them back into games (which is a risky thing to put your money on).
Last Week: #4

4. Los Angeles Lakers- It's about time somebody took note of how mediocre the Lakers have been against the good teams this year: "Besides the Lakers, there are six teams that have only one digit in the loss column. The Lakers have played four of them. They're 1-3 in those games, losing to Denver, Dallas and now Cleveland and beating Atlanta back on Nov. 1." (from a JA Adande article, I believe). They haven't even played Orlando and Boston yet... sorry, hard to put a team at the one spot when they have that kind of resume. The Lakers have an extremely high profile starting line-up, but the Cavs exploited their bench weakness in the Christmas day game (102-87 Cavs in LA). Kobe's great, but I don't think this team is the favorite to win it all this year. Realistically, had KG not gotten hurt last year, I don't think they would have won last year either.
Last Week: #1

5. Atlanta Hawks- Let's wait until Wednesday night to see the results from the home-and-home the Hawks have with Cleveland before we make any definitive judgements on Atlanta. I haven't seen too much of them this year, but I saw them beat Boston and lose to Orlando. They may be a contender, but for now I have them a nudge below the top 4 teams here.
Last Week: #5

The Rest

6. Dallas Mavericks- Holding firm in the West... beat LA in LA earlier in the year.
7. Portland Jail Blazers- How do these guys keep winning games? I truly don't understand it.
8. San Antonio Spurs
9. Denver Nuggets- We've gotten a glimpse of how life for Denver without Billups is... and it's not nearly as pretty as the team we saw in the playoffs last year.
10. Phoenix Suns- Sliding a bit since that dream start.
11. Utah Jazz
12. Houston Rockets- They somehow manage to win games despite their horrendous height disadvantage. Their 6'8" center won't cut it come playoff time. The Cavs absolutely exploited every weakness their height gives them on Sunday night.
13. Miami Heat- The Heat are back on track lately, winning three in a row, and 6-4 in their last 10. Seems like they'll lock up that 5 seed in the East sooner rather than later (unless Toronto has something to say about it)
14. Oklahoma City Thunder
15. Sacramento Kings- Really impressive week even while losing. Overtime losses to LA and Cleveland.
16. Toronto Raptors- I said it earlier in the year when they dismantled the Cavs in the second game of the season: WATCH OUT FOR THESE GUYS. They've put it together lately, winning 4 in a row against Houston, New Orleans, Detroit, and New Jersey in impressive fashion.
17. Memphis Grizzlies
18. Los Angeles Clippers- Baron Davis got them this spot with one shot. We'll see if they can make a playoff run when Blake finally plays.
19. Chicago Bulls- Bulls fans are breathing a bit easier after their recent "success". Bulls will have a hard time not making the playoffs, but I don't know if that will save VND his job.
20. New Orleans Hornets
21. Detroit Pistons
22. New York Knicks
23. Milwaukee Bucks- One of my 3 pretenders has finally fell into the realm of irrelevance. Jennings has been overtaken by Tyreke, and the rest of the team has continued to be extremely mediocre.
24. Charlotte Bobcats
25. Washington Wizards
26. Minnesota Timberwolves
27. Golden State Warriors
28. Philadelphia 76ers
29. Indiana Pacers
30. New Jersey Nets- I know these guys suck now... but imagine this: #1 pick and they sign LeBron: Brook Lopez, Yi, LeBron, Devon Harris, Courtney Lee, and John Wall=championships galore in Brooklyn.

Check back soon for my early Awards Watch.

Cramer: The Gift (that keeps on giving)

2009-12-27T16:07:00.001-05:00

Cramer: Merry Christmas from LeBron and the Cavs (and Kobe)

2009-12-26T14:16:00.000-05:00

The 102-87 victory for the Cavs made this video even sweeter to watch.

Cramer: Jim Zorn Makes his Mark

2009-12-22T18:42:00.002-05:00

I think we can all agree Jim Zorn will likely lose his job sooner rather than later. At the very least, he has left quite a mark on the game of football. Ladies and gentlemen, the WORST play in the history of the game, enjoy:

Cramer: NBA Rankings Volume 1

2009-12-22T12:40:00.007-05:00

It's long overdue, but let's just say that it took a while for Zeus to get a grasp on who's who. In other words, I had to wait to watch more Cavs games to see more opponents. Here we go...

The Fab 5- These 5 teams, so far, have been head and shoulders above the competition.

#1- Los Angeles Lakers- I don't agree with anyone who tries to put any other team here. This team is clicking on all cylinders, and doesn't show any signs of letting up. Kobe's hunger coupled with an unfairly strong supporting cast seems to spell another championship for the Lake show. If Bynum stays healthy, Artest stays grounded, and everyone else keeps doing what they're doing, this offensive and defensive juggernaut will find itself right back in the NBA Finals in June.

#2- Boston Celtics- This team has been a top 2 team in the league ever since Garnett walked in the door. If he stays healthy, they'll stay up here. If not, they'll be down where the Bulls are (seeing as they could barely handle them in the playoffs last year). 'Sheed has been a nice addition, adding another dimension off the bench. When they get Big Baby back, along with Marquis Daniels, this team is as close to unbeatable (other than the Lakers) that we have in this league. Not to mention they'll probably acquire somebody before the trade deadline to juice up what is already a potent team.

#3- Cleveland Cavaliers- They have earned this spot from their work over the past 2 seasons. You can't put the Hawks ahead of them until they prove they can win a single game against LeBron and friends, and they beat the Magic this year handily, earning them the upper hand there. This is the one team I believe has a shot to win it all from the East this year. The Lakers match up very well with the Celtics with the addition of Artest, and they showed last year they can dismantle the Magic at will. The Cavs have what it takes to beat LA though: SIZE. As of now, they have Z, Varejao, Shaq and JJ Hickson on their front line, all of whom can match up with 4s and 5s very well (sizewise). Oh... and LeBron James. We'll wait until Christmas day to make any real judgements there, and the trade deadline.

#4- Orlando Magic- This team scares the you know what out of every other team in the league. With a hungry Vince Carter, a monstrous Dwight Howard, and a supporting cast that consists of Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, Mickael Pietrus... is this an all-star team? On paper they look like it don't they? They haven't quite translated to the floor this year like they did last year which is a concern for them. We won't know until the playoffs whether or not swapping Turkoglu and Lee for Carter and Anderson was a good move, but I'd have to say it wasn't. They now have a pretty conventional team that is easier to matchup with. Still... stay away from these guys in the playoffs.

#5 Atlanta Hawks- Beat the Celtics in Boston but got creamed by the Magic at home... and those losses to New York and Chicago look pretty bad too. I can't tell if these guys are for real yet. They have proven they can beat the good teams in one game, but a series? They got swept by Cavs in what seemed like a joke of a series last year. Add Jamal Crawford and I'm not sure you can get over that hump. They have a home and home with Cleveland at the end of the month where they can either make a statement, or stay a tier below the rest of these guys.

The Rest...

#6- Dallas Mavericks- Beating Cleveland without Dirk really made a big statement. Losing to the Rockets at home made just as big a statement in the opposite direction. Teams tend to rally behind lost players for a game or two, so the W over Cleveland was nice, but won't quite get them into the top 5 yet.
#7- Denver Nuggets- All the talent's there, Billups' injury may cost them playoff seeding if it lingers.
#8- Phoenix Suns- Fading somewhat fast from early season form. Still a good home team (9-1... Go Cavs).
#9- Houston Rockets
#10- San Antonio Spurs
#11- Utah Jazz- Great home team. On the road... not so much.
#12- Portland Jail Blazers
#13- Miami Heat- Enough of this Dwyane Wade declining talk. Two W's over Orlando say otherwise.
#14- Oklahoma City Thunder
#15- Milwaukee Bucks
#16- Sacramento Kings- I want to move them up more with that 35 pt comeback. One problem, it was against the lowly Bulls.
#17- New Orleans Hornets
#18- Toronto Raptors
#19- Memphis Grizzlies- Provided that this team stays intact ( a lot to ask at this point ), I see this team besting Oklahoma City in the coming years as the best young team. Almost too much talent on this team.
#20- Los Angeles Clippers
#21- Detroit Pistons
#22- New York Knicks- Need to see a lot more before I move these guys up like the other "experts".
#23- Chicago Bulls- The Bulls will get it together, the question is if it will save Vinny's job. This is a 6-8 seed in the East team playing like the Nets. Don't worry Bulls fans, you'll see playoff basketball one way or the other (via trades).
#24- Charlotte Bobcats
#25- Washington Wizards
#26- Indiana Pacers
#27- Golden State Warriors
#28- Philadelphia 76ers
#29- Minnesota Timberwolves
#30- New Jersey Nets

Check back every Tuesday for changes!

Cramer: LeBron Full Court Shot... With a FOOTBALL!

2009-12-03T11:02:00.002-05:00

This one will probably be taken down soon, so check it out while you can!

Cramer: Check out this Name

2009-12-01T00:44:00.000-05:00

Check out this Siena Saints player's name!

Cramer: Tiger Hurt 'Seriously'

2009-11-27T14:54:00.005-05:00

Officials say that Tiger was hurt seriously this morning in a car crash. I will give you more information as it becomes known.

"Woods, 33, pulled out of his driveway in the Isleworth community about 2:25 a.m. when he struck a fire hydrant, and then drove into a tree at his neighbor's property, FHP reported."

Update: TIGER IS FINE

Cramer: NBA Rankings

2009-11-26T22:22:00.004-05:00

Just a notification:

Starting Tuesday, December 22nd, I will be presenting my weekly NBA rankings. Check back then.

Cramer: I want a Mullet

2009-11-25T23:23:00.001-05:00

Cramer: NBA Contenders and Pretenders

2009-11-24T22:16:00.005-05:00

So we're 14 games into the NBA season (at least the Cavs are), and teams are starting to find out where they stand. Some teams came in with high expectations and haven't lived up to them (Washington); while others came in not expecting too much and have had great success (Milwaukee). So who are the championship contenders?

Although some of the contenders haven't exactly started out how they expected, I still think it's glaringly obvious which teams will be able to consistently win 7 game series and who won't. First let's start with the pretenders...

Pretenders
1. Phoenix Suns- I've had an opportunity to watch these guys play multiple times; and though I'm impressed, I still don't think they have what it takes to win it all. Their best player is a 6 foot point guard, which is never a good thing, and they don't have the defense to hang with the Lakers or Nuggets in a 7 game series. Although they have the best offense in the league statistically, their defense ranks 24th, which won't get it done. Phoenix fans are used to a great offense leading them to a good regular season but not very much playoff success... don't expect much more this season.

2. Atlanta- I'm taking a risk saying that Atlanta doesn't have a chance to win it all. They have some very good players in Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Mike Bibby, Jamal Crawford, Al Horford and company, but they don't have the swagger or greatness it takes to win it all. They're essentially the same team that got demolished by the Cavs in a 4 game sweep last year. They added Jamal Crawford, but he won't be the player to get them over the hump. Joe Johnson is a very good player, bordering on great, but he isn't there (nor do I think he ever will be). They will give any team a great series (like they did with Boston a few years ago) but they won't be able to pull it all out. Their defense ranks 14th, which isn't good enough. They'll slow down in the regular season when they start going out West on road trips and will likely end up with the 4 seed in the East.

3. Milwaukee- Really not much to say here. They're 7-4, but they don't have the talent to even win a playoff series. They'll be lucky to get a 7 or 8 seed. Brandon Jennings won't be able to maintain this play over an 82 season grind playing the minutes he is now. Sure, he played professionally last year, but he didn't play nearly as much. When Michael Redd gets back, they'll go back to the mediocre team they always are. Jennings won't dominate the ball as much, and teams will eventually defend him better.

So I've told you who I think doesn't have a shot to win it all, but who does? There are many more teams this year that I think can pull it off than usual, but I really think only 6 have a true shot to do it.

First let me give some props to Portland and Dallas. They both are out to hot starts, but I don't think they can win 4 7 game series. They aren't pretenders, but they won't pull it off (in my expert opinion). They'll be in the thick of things come April and May, but neither has the personnel to play in June. Sorry Greg, don't be sad.

Contenders
1. Lakers- Pretty obvious here. They won it last year and swapped Ariza for Artest and got Bynum back playing at an incredibly high rate. Only things that will hold them back are injuries or Artest's personality.

2. Celtics- They got Garnett back and are a juggernaut on offense when they put their minds to it. Their defense is always stellar (ranked #1). The only thing holding them back is their age (which likely will hold them back).

3. Cavs- They won't be the same team in April after Danny Ferry shakes up the roster by the trade deadline, but either way they'll have LeBron and Mo Williams which will give them a chance to win it all. Their offensive woes in the 2nd and 3rd quarter may hold them back, along with their inability to hold a lead. If they can get one more offensive threat, they may be the favorites along with the Lakers.

4. Nuggets- Great offense, great player (Melo), great bench (JR Smith), great closers (Billups and Melo), and good defense... what else does it take? We'll see if they have what it takes to beat LA this year (don't forget they likely would have last year if Ariza hadn't been in town for the Lake Show).

5. Magic- They haven't been the same team this year without Turkoglu and with Howard not being great, but they'll get it together come playoff time and will be a scary opponent for any team in the league. Rashard is back, and if Nelson is healthy they have everything it takes to bring home the trophy.

6. Spurs- They haven't been great so far, but they have Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, and some decent role players. I wouldn't call them a favorite by any means, but I wouldn't put it past Duncan and Popovich to win one more.

Keep checking back for more NBA news from your NBA Zeus.

Cramer: Knicks get even Worse

2009-11-22T17:39:00.004-05:00

Nate Robinson throws the ball into his own basket... gets benched for the rest of the game!

Cabrera: A Two Party System

2009-10-28T14:39:00.004-04:00

Dr. James Naismith invented the game of basketball in Massachusetts in the late 1800s. But Massachusetts was already famous for other historic American happenings: the Pilgrims and Puritans, The Boston Tea Party and The Salem Witch Trials. With no space for basketball in Massachusetts, the sport had to find a new home.

That home: Indiana, the Hoosier State. It’s team: the Indiana University Hoosiers—a team that has held a dictatorship on basketball in the state of Indiana since its existence. But what happens when an authoritarian regime becomes weak and its opposition strengthens?

Purdue University, known for its engineering and occasionally good football teams, recently has made its presence felt in the basketball world, post Gene Keady era.

Last year, thousands of students pitched tents outside Mackey Arena in order to secure seats for the sold-out game versus Duke. As a 5-seed, Purdue fell to the 1-seed UCONN in a closely contested game in the Sweet 16. The winning culture has returned after young coach Matt Painter lead his Boilermakers to 3 straight years NCAA tournament appearances and a Big Ten Tournament Championship last year.

After its most successful year since 2000, the scary thought is that Purdue returns all 5 starters: E’Twaun Moore, JaJuan Johnson, Chris Kramer, Lewis Jackson, and of course, Robbie Hummel—a Hummel who played most of last year plagued by a broken vertebra. The sharp-shooting Moore, speedy Jackson, heady Kramer, athletically refined Johnson, and reliable Hummel present matchup problems for many teams.

The Big Ten is undoubtedly deep this year, with Championship runner-up Michigan State, Illinois, Ohio State and Michigan joining Purdue at the top. If Purdue can get solid contributions from their freshmen coming off the bench, the Boilermakers don’t only become a threat to win the Big Ten with a healthy Hummel, but a potential final four team. It always seems that a Big Ten team squeezes into the final four no matter how much chatter occurs about the Big East and ACC. The Boilermakers possess size, speed, athleticism, skill, and most importantly experience. So why not Purdue this year?

And even more importantly, why not Purdue in years to come? A certain coach can generate a winning, exciting culture at a University. Painter’s job is that much easier because of his young age at 39. Moreover, he can easily relate to the University, born in Muncie, Indiana and a Purdue alumnus who played for Gene Keady—Painter holds an ideal résumé for a Purdue University basketball coach. He’s using that résumé to land local recruits. While Tom Crean is busy rebuilding a deflated Hoosier program (which he will do very quickly), Purdue continues to steal many of the top homegrown, Hoosier recruits—shifting the talent northwest.

A small university named Duke bloomed into a basketball institution in the mid-1980s, creating the state of North Carolina into a two-party coalition. If Matt Painter continues to give his Boilermakers steam, conducting them deeper into the NCAA tournament, there is no reason why Purdue can’t create some room for West Lafayette in a Hoosier State. It might take some time, but dictatorships never last forever.

Cramer: World Series Prediction

2009-10-28T14:38:00.002-04:00

I won't even bother analyzing this one, because I have too much invested in it emotionally.

New York Yankees in 6

Cramer: East Predictions

2009-10-26T21:26:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow marks the start of a brand new NBA season, and with that comes predictions. I've been off a little on my baseball predictions (though I did subliminally choose Yankees vs. Phillies, so I don't feel too bad), but I'm pretty confident in my NBA picks. So sit back, relax, and read about how I think the Eastern Conference will shape up.

Seeds: 1 through 8 (playoff teams)

1. Boston Celtics- The Celtics had a very good off-season. They resigned Big Baby, signed coveted free agent Rasheed Wallace, and even managed to grab Marquis Daniels. Add that to a potent mix of all-star players with Pierce, Allen, a healthy Garnett, and Rondo, and you're looking at a team that's likely going to end up with the East's best record. Their defense will be fantastic as always, and their offense will be close to impossible to stop with the vast improvement of Rondo in the playoffs, and the addition of offensive weapons coming off the bench.
Record: 65-17

2. Cleveland Cavaliers- The only reason I put the Cavs here is because I don't think they can duplicate the magic of last year, especially with the personnel changes they had this off-season. This is bad news for Cavs fans who had the luxury of 2 easy rounds last year, but I think this year they'll have to go through Boston and Orlando to reach the Finals. They added some good pieces (Shaq, Parker, Moon, and now apparently Daniels), but unless Delonte West gets his act together, they still will open the season with some uncertainty in terms of chemistry, and a solid starting line-up. After losing to the Magic in the ECF, it will be hard to go 66-16. All focus will be on the playoffs, and the summer of 2010. Still, they are one of the best teams on paper, with the best player in the league.
Record 61-21

3. Orlando Magic- The Magic are probably the team to beat in the East to begin the season, but they had a lot of changes, and they will be missing Rashard Lewis for the first 9 games of the season. I would expect them to start off a bit slow (or not), and then get into a serious roll from about the one quarter point on. They have a great starting 5, and a good bench. John Hollinger, a writer for ESPN, is always quick to point out that they also have the best defense in the league, which LeBron and the Cavs can attest to. With a healthy Jameer Nelson, a rejuvenated Vince Carter, and a hungry Dwight Howard, this team could find itself back in the Finals.
Record 60-22

4. Washington Wizards- The Wizards are my surprise pick of the year. They got a good new coach in Flip Saunders, added 2 good pieces in Randy Foye and Mike Miller, and are getting Gilbert Arenas back. They'll be without Antawn Jamison for a good part of the beginning of the season, but this is a team that is used to playing without at least one of their big three (Arenas, Butler, and Jamison). I expect a big rebound year for Arenas, and a spot back in the playoffs. Four may be a little high (5, 6, or 7 are more realistic), but I'm going to be bold and put them here.
Record- 48-34

5. Atlanta Hawks- The addition of Jamal Crawford will give this team a boost offensively, but they're still not quite there in terms of competing for the Eastern Conference crown. There's not much to say about this team. They're good, but they're not great. They may make the second round again, but don't expect them to fair any better against the Celtics than they did against the Cavs last year (they got swept in ugly fashion).
Record- 45-37

6. Miami Heat- Dwyane Wade. Michael Beasley? We'll see what happens, but this team could pull off an upset of Orlando in the first round if things shape up this way. No one wants to face a hungry D-Wade in the first round, especially not a team with title expectations.
Record- 44-38

7. Chicago Bulls- I don't really think the Bulls will do very well this year, but I'm placing them here to avoid any controversy from my readers. They lost their one sure scorer in Ben Gordon. Derrick Rose should be close to all-star form this year, but plenty of teams have had one great player and not managed to reach the playoffs. He's not great yet, which is why I think 7 may be wishful thinking for Bulls fans. We'll see how a young team shapes up, but either way they see the Cavs in the first round, and are lucky to win one game.
Record- 42-40

8. Toronto Raptors- I may be biased after watching Hedo Turkoglu take the Cavs dreams away, but I think this team is talented. Calderon, Bosh, Turkoglu, a young Demar Derozan (who I think will be similar to Courtney Lee), and Bargnani form a formidable core that could take this team places if Bosh decides to stay put. If they're competing at the start of the season, they'll make the playoffs, if not, expect Bosh to be in a Cavs uniform by the trade deadline (and Shaq in a Raptors uniform? We'll see).
Record- 41-41

Teams Just Missing Out

Detroit Pistons- They don't have the point guard play to capture a playoff spot. Villanueva should have gone to the Cavs (idiot). Ben Gordon should have gone to the Cavs (moron). The Pistons never should have traded Billups (insert derogatory word in the plural form).

Philadelphia 76ers- Lost Andre Miller to the Blazers, and thus don't have the senior leadership to get to the playoffs again. Not enough star power here, and Elton Brand likely will be useless again.

The Rest
Bobcats, Pacers, Bucks, Knicks, and Nets- I expect these teams to finish in this order. Looks like a good year for Tri-State area basketball. LeBron is definitely gonna sign with the Nets or Knicks, right?

Check back tomorrow for my West predictions and World Series Prediction should be up too.

Zeus of Sport Search

2009-10-18T21:56:00.001-04:00

We are currently looking for somebody to cover all of the football happenings in College and Professional Football. If you or anyone you know have any interest in covering either NCAAF or the NFL (or both if you feel so inclined), please send us an e-mail at ZeusOfSport@gmail.com.

Cramer: NBA Predictions Coming Up

2009-10-18T19:58:00.002-04:00

For those interested, check back in the coming days for my NBA predictions as I take you around the league.

Remember... there can only be one.

Cramer: Can Farmers Help LeBron Stay?

2009-10-15T00:08:00.004-04:00

If Cleveland management can't convince 'Bron to say in C-town next year, maybe Ohio citizens can? Who needs a max salary when you can create such beauty out of a John Deere tractor?

It's worth a shot Ohioans.

In terms of the actual maze, I think there's a better chance that the Cavs win 70+ games this season than me being able to get through that successfully.

Check out more about it here.

Cabrera: NBA Europe

2009-10-14T21:55:00.002-04:00

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz 102-101 during a preseason contest in London?

That’s right, London, England—get used to it. NBA Commissioner David Stern plans to have a regular season game in London before the city hosts the 2012 Summer Olympics

Stern and the NBA also plan to create multiple European teams within the foreseeable future. These teams would join the NBA, play the 82-game regular season, and have a chance to compete for the NBA championship.

The Bulls had 3 days of preparation in London, as well as 3 days of rest in Chicago before their next game.

However, these luxurious sightseeing and debriefing periods don’t exist during the regular season. During the 6-month NBA season, 3-day rests between games is a rarity—scattered 3 times in the Bulls’ schedule this year. The Bulls also have 22 instances of back-to-back games where traveling is necessary.

Imagine an NBA team playing on a Friday night in Miami and traveling that same night for a game Saturday night in London. Even a one-day lapse between games can over exert players.

Players don’t play hard enough in the regular season. To tire players by transporting them back and forth overseas gives an opportunity to worsen the often-lethargic, regular season play.

If the Commissioner wants to globalize the game of basketball—that’s great—but he should do so the right way.

Instead of installing NBA franchises in certain European cities to compete with teams in the U.S., the NBA should create a new league. For convenience, let’s call that league NBA Europe.

By creating NBA Europe, the Commissioner can globalize the NBA without hurting the quality of play. Also, this option prevents the inconvenience of international mid-season trades.

Rather, NBA Europe can give current NBA players a choice, before the season starts, to play in Europe or the United States—depending on the current state of the player’s contract.

Some might think NBA players wouldn’t be willing to make the move overseas and play under an NBA Europe affiliate.

However, basketball has globalized. Many former NBA players now play in European leagues—Josh Childress, Von Wafer, and more. Even American high school players have made the jump to Europe without attending college—most notably current Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings.

Decisions to play abroad are monetarily and egotistically driven. Players like Childress, Wafer, and Kleiza choose to play in Europe for more money and playing time.

The NBA’s global respect and majestic nature would attract basketball players from around the world to compete in NBA Europe—including current NBA European-born players.

If an entity like NBA Europe exists, signing players to fill rosters is the least of the NBA’s problems. Developing a proper infrastructure would be challenging, but certainly manageable.

Now, Commissioner David Stern just needs to realize that franchising the NBA would serve better than expanding it.

Cramer: NLCS Preview

2009-10-12T21:51:00.003-04:00

Warning: Cramer is not a National League specialist. He is far from it.

Two posts in two days? A rarity for Zeus of Sport as of late, but it's necessary. Why? Because the Rockies (and snow), couldn't prolong the Phillies vs. Rockies NLDS match-up. The Phills won 5-4, taking the series 3-1. But it wasn't easy for them, so how will they fare against the Dodgers?

I don't know. I've been wrong about the National League all year. First I had the Cubs winning the Central (ha). Then I had the Giants winning the Wild Card (ha, again). Then finally I had the Cardinals winning the pennant (one more, giant ha).

That said, I still haven't been a believer in the Dodgers all season long. They started out hot, and regardless of what their record was in the second half of the season (I'm not going to look it up for fear of finding out that they actually played good baseball), I felt like they were maybe the 3rd best team in the National League.

The Phillies on the other hand, I've always believed in. A quick glance at their offensive numbers in the Rockies series indicates they'll do just fine the rest of the way. Almost everyone is hitting over .350, with 2 at .500 or better. I got to watch them play a little (confession: I didn't see one second of the Dodgers series), and was very impressed.

Phillies have a better offense (most runs in the NL, and an absurd amount of home-runs), a good enough pitching staff (6th best ERA, and they only had Cliff Lee for about a third of the season)... but hold on just a second...

The Dodgers had the best ERA, the best batting average, the 4th most runs... what do all these stats mean!?

Nothing to me. So instead of throwing a stupid prediction out there based on fire and flare (both of which the Phillies have, and in my eyes, the Dodgers don't), I took a glance at their regular season match-ups to decide a series I really don't know enough about to make an educated guess about.

And... unless I missed some games (which I probably didn't, but call me out if I did, please) the Dodgers won 4 of 7. It's a 7 game series. Perfect.

Dodgers in 7

Cramer: ALCS Preview

2009-10-11T19:49:00.003-04:00

So, I was wrong about the Cardinals winning it all (at least St. Louis fans get to watch the Rams now...). But let's not forget that I was right in saying the White Sox weren't contenders in the Central, and that Holliday would boost the Cardinals into the playoffs (I didn't guess he'd be the reason they lost, though). Also, if you read into my subliminal support of the Phillies in my last post, you wouldn't even consider me wrong right now (at least until they lose to the Rockies)... regardless, allow me to continue.

Here we are a few days after the playoffs began and we've learned a few things about the American League. For one, the Yankees are quite good. Two, the Angels are also quite good. So what can we expect in the ALCS? If history has any bearing, we should expect the Angels to battle their way into the World Series... but does it?

If you've read Zeus of Sport at all, you know that I've been pretty consistent in saying that the Yankees would find themselves in some trouble if they had to play the Angels at any point in the playoffs. Well... here it is. New Yorkers that know anything about the Yankees over the past 10 years or so are worried, and they should be.

The Angels showed resilience, and great baseball in sweeping the Red Sox, a team which has had their number over the past few years. The Yankees showed the same two qualities, but against an inferior squad in the Twins. 9th inning rallies and stellar defense/pitching allowed both teams to advance to meet each other in the ALCS.

Who was better though? The Angels. They held a Red Sox team that is always among the most potent offensive teams in the league to 0 and 1 run in Anaheim, before heading to Boston and giving up some runs but still managing to pull it out in the 9th. The Yankees faced adversity in game 2, but I think even pessimistic New York fans knew that Tex or A-Rod would take care of business (kudos to whoever knew that both would get the job done).

I'm going back and forth on this one. I have visions of A-Rod being awful against the Angels in the playoffs a few years back, but his new playoff identity may overtake that. It's also hard to overlook the additions the Yankees got this year (Burnett, CC, Tex, Phil Hughes' success in the bullpen).

I don't know what the Vegas odds are on this series, but I would imagine that the Yankees will be favored. I don't view it that way. It's a coin-flip, so get your quarters out. So if heads=Yankees and tails=Angels, who am I picking in this one?

Heads. Based on a gut feeling that this is the year for the Yankees, especially after watching them battle through the ALDS (Twins aren't very good, but anything could have happened... it's baseball).

Time will tell...

Check back for a NLDS Review when the Rockies vs. Phillies series concludes (pray for no snow).

Cramer: Great Audio

2009-10-06T23:45:00.002-04:00

As a proud Northwestern football fan (sarcasm), I felt the need to post possibly the only relevant video that will ever be associated with the program (save for a rose bowl appearance here and there)

Cramer: World Series Prediction?

2009-09-23T19:55:00.002-04:00

Disclaimer: No actual baseball evidence will be used in the following prediction... but please enjoy my welcome back post nonetheless.

I'll be truthful with all of you readers out there... I haven't been watching baseball very much over the past couple of weeks. It's been boring at best with only one race in the AL Central worth keeping an eye on (and let's be honest, who actually thinks the AL Central winner will win more than one game against the Yankees anyway). Plus, with the start of the NCAA football season and the NFL season, I've found myself watching games between middle of the pack ACC and Big East foes rather than a "compelling" game in baseball.

That being said, I promised you all my World Series prediction long ago, and it's time for me to deliver on that. As I'm sure you remember, I have the Yankees playing the Cardinals for the Commissioner's Trophy which I will stand by despite St. Louis' apparent mediocre play of late (not based on me watching, but on their 5-5 record in their last 10 while the Phils and Dodgers have gone 8-2).

As a New Yorker and a Yankees fan, I have to say I have a hard time saying outright that they're going to pull it off this year. They haven't won since 2000 (Indians and Cubs fans won't sympathize with me here), which for the pin stripes is a long time. Is it finally time for them to win their 27 title to add to all the "Got Ring" tee-shirts that have been worn over and over again over the past 9 years, or was a curse bestowed upon them when they lost to the Sox after leading 3-0 in 2004?

Unfortunately... I am inclined to believe that it is the latter. The Cardinals have the best player in baseball, and one of the best staffs in baseball. The Yankees have a whole crowd of great players and pitchers, but they also have the pressure of New York riding on them. Players like Tex, Swisher, Sabathia, Burnett, etc... have never felt true New York postseason pressure (just ask A-Rod guys). I think they could have a cake walk in the first round, and if they meet the Red Sox in the second it won't be any different from their regular season matchups (because they already are played with plenty of intensity)... but the World Series is a whole different venue.

The Yanks are great this year, there is no question about it... but I think the Phillies or Cardinals will beat them in the World Series (notice I stuck the Phillies in there... I won't go back on my word officially though). Am I just saying this so to not contribute to any curse that might be on the Yankees if I say they'll win? Yes. Do I really believe they'll lose? Maybe. Am I predicting that they will lose on Zeus of Sport? Absolutely.

World Series Prediction: St. Louis Cardinals
Philadelphia Phillies

Cramer: Sorry to all Our Fans

2009-09-22T19:50:00.002-04:00

After a long break, Zeus is back and here to stay. Continue to check back daily for your sports updates and remember to spread the word.

Cramer: Like Um Video

2009-09-14T18:39:00.002-04:00

The beauty of the NFL

Like um...

Cramer: Iverson to the Griz

2009-09-09T15:55:00.005-04:00

There have been Allen Iverson rumblings all summer, but nothing has come out of them until now. Allen has announced on his twitter that he will be joining the Memphis Grizzlies this upcoming season. The Answer said, "'God Chose Memphis as the place that I will continue my career.'"

What is the significance of this move by Memphis? I think the "Answer" might not be clear until we see how a team of Rudy Gay, OJ Mayo, AI, and Zach Randolph can mesh together. All are notorious for being ball dominators, so it will be interesting to see if they can share. If they can, they have some serious start power on that team especially with Marc Gasol on the front line looking to make a big improvement in year 2 in the league.

For Allen Iverson this could huge. He probably still has a couple years left to play in the league at a pretty high level, so if he can come out and play his heart out and show he can still be a great scorer, a playoff team could take a chance on him next season. However, he still likely will have to be willing to be a bench option if he is ever signed by a good team at this point in his career. Although I'm sure if given the ball like he was in Philly he could still average in the upper 20s in points, that's not gonna get it done in the NBA today where good teams have up to 5 legit scoring options. Hopefully he can grow up a little bit and accept that fact and he could get a championship on his hall-of-fame resume.

Either way the Grizzlies aren't a playoff team in the powerful West, but they could a very fun team to watch much like the Warriors of a few years ago. Stay tuned.

Klein: What To Do With #2?

2009-09-06T20:07:00.002-04:00

We all know to take Adrian Peterson with the first overall pick in your fantasy draft, but who do you take 2nd overall? Let's look at the pro's and con's of each of these three running backs.

Michael Turner
This Falcon back is ready to continue his success as one of the top in the league. As a guy who ran the lights out of the Georgia Dome last year expect a bit of a drop off. If you are a real football fan you should know about the 370 rule. The 370 rule is quite simple. Any running back that has come off of a 370 carry season has dropped off in their next season to one of the lower tier backs in the league. Turner is a case of the 370 rule, but could be an exception. Although he ran the rock 370 times in 2008, it was his first year of running the ball consistantly. All of the backs who continued this tradition (Curtis Martin, Shaun Alexander, Marshall Faulk) ran the ball for many seasons before their 370 season, which differs from Turner completely. Turner can still be hit by this plague, but expect another 1,400 yards and 12 TDs from the burner.

Maurice Jones-Drew
One of the toughest guys in the league may have a bit of trouble leading his team on the ground in and out of every game this season. The small and mighty Jones-Drew is ready to make big things happen, but those big things may not come for 48 minutes a game. This back may miss out on 3rd downs with Greg Jones and Rashad Jennings getting looks. Do not get me wrong here! Jones-Drew is still an elite back in the league, but his size puts him at an extreme disadvantage. Expect to see a good season out of mighty mouse, but the passing game may hurt him. David Garrard has shown his struggles and that will hurt the running game. The deficiency in the pass game will lead to Jones-Drew looking for holes that he may not find.

Matt Forte
If you have the 2nd overall pick this is your man. Forte has shown in every single preseason game that he is worthy of being the 2nd best running back in the league. The addition of Jay Cutler will help his stats and make him compete with Peterson in the category on consistency. Forte ran the lights out with Orton under center last year, so imagine what he will do with Cutler. This is the man you want to take at this pick and I can promise you this. Their veteran offensive line will not let you down and their defense will keep the offense on the field.

Cramer: The Fire of College Sports

2009-09-04T02:15:00.001-04:00

Ron Artest anybody? Except that this kid is a college student. Expect some serious sanctions against Blount by Monday... serious sanctions.

Cramer: American League World Series Prediction

2009-09-02T13:26:00.003-04:00

There's a really obvious choice as to who's going to win the American League pennant. I don't even have to tell you the team that I'm thinking about and I'm sure with one look at the standings you could read my mind. However, it's really not as simple as it might look on paper.

The Yankees have a great team. Grossly overpaid, but great. They have easily the best offensive team in baseball with players like A-Rod, Tex, and of course, ladies man Derek Jeter. But this has been the case every year it seems. They always have had great offensive weapons, they just either were never able to put it together, or they didn't have the pitching to compliment their offensive prowess.

Enter C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. The Yankees now have the best team in baseball with one of the best starting line-ups in the field, one of the best starting rotations, and one of the best bullpens with Phil Hughes' emergence (amazing what $300 million can get you). So what's stopping them from walking through the American League playoffs to the World Series? 2 things:

1. A.J. Burnett has been atrocious in his last 7 starts with the exception of one brilliant performance where he pitched 7.2 innings of 1 hit ball against the Rays. Other than that game, Burnett's ERA has jumped from a 3.67 to a 4.29. That's tough to accomplish in the middle of the season after having pitched so many innings, unless something's going wrong. Which it is. The Yankees will need to see improvement on his part if they want to succeed in October.

2. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The Yankees have been unable to beat the Angels for as long as any Yankees fan can remember. Even this year they got swept by LA right before the all-star break in the middle of their run to the top of the standings. So, let's take a look at the standings as of right now:

AL East Leader- Yankees
AL Central Leader- Tigers
AL West Leader- Angels
AL Wild Card Leader- Red Sox

With these standings right now the Yankees would get the Tigers in the first round, and likely the Red Sox in the second round as the Angels have had serious troubles with beating the Sox in recent years. If this is the case, you can put the Yankees in the World Series in black permanent ink today.

Side note: For those who don't know, a team can't play another team from their division in the first round of the playoffs. So, if a division has a wild-card winner and a division winner in the playoffs, they could only meet in the second round regardless of records.

However, if the Red Sox or Rays don't win the Wild Card, and the Rangers do, the Yankees could be in some trouble. In that case they would play the Rangers in the first round, who they just lost a series to, and then likely the Angels in the second round. If this becomes reality, I believe the Angels would make the World Series. Moral of the story, the Yanks need to avoid the AL West, and at this point it looks like they will.

So... for now, with these standings where they are my prediction is...

American League Winner: New York Yankees

And Although I am confident in that pick, certain circumstances could certainly change the Yanks fate.

Keep in mind, Wild Card seeds have won more World Series then any other seed since the introduction of the Wild Card in 1995... for whatever that's worth. (look out for a possible Red Sox/Rangers/Rays vs. Giants/Rockies/Braves World Series).

Check back in tomorrow for my World Series winner.

Klein: Marshall in the Big Apple?

2009-09-02T10:27:00.002-04:00

It is tough to say who has worse problems at the wide out position, the Jets or the Giants. Well, the Jets are in talks to make their WR core from one of the worst to one of the best in the league.

Jets' General Manager Mike Tannenbaum is supposedly in talks with Pat Bowlen of the Denver Broncos to acquire disgruntled WR Brandon Marshall.

Newsday has reported that they are not the only team in the talks, but they are the most serious contenders for Baby T.O..

The only problem with the trade is that the Broncos would want a player that would help their team NOW along with a future draft pick. The reason for this is that Marshall is a free agent after this season so they might as well keep Marshall's services for the year and then tag him and trade him at a tender such as a teams 1st and 3rd round picks.

The Jets do have something that could really help the Broncos now, QB Kellen Clemens. I personally feel that Kellen Clemens is an upgrade at quarterback when it comes to Kyle Orton and Chris Simms. Orton was never meant to be a starting quarterback in this league. Although he has shown he can win games in Chicago, he will not do it in Denver. Does Denver truly believe that Orton is their future, if so, that is a joke!

A team that has a quarterback to trade will have a huge impact on what happens with Brandon Marshall and where he plays this season.

Cramer: National League World Series Prediction

2009-08-31T17:35:00.004-04:00

In the next two days I'm going to make my NL and AL World Series Predictions, and then choose a winner:

It's the end of August and that means it's time to start thinking about what's going to come out of the long baseball season. Baseball is the one sport, in my estimation, where the regular season has almost no bearing on what happens in the postseason.

Football could fall in the same category, but when baseball teams get down they start pressing and tend to fail to come out victorious. In football it's not really the same. Even though it's one game, if a team gets down, star power can still get you back in a game with speed and athleticism. In a best out of 5 game series (which the first round of the baseball playoffs are) if a team loses game 1, they're in real trouble, even if they're the better team.

Year after year we've seen the Yankees teams get in the playoffs and have a team slump because they lose an unexpected game early in a series and they start pressing (see A-Rod). Anyway, I digress...

I watched a little bit of the Rockies vs. Giants series this weekend and I realized something... the Giants are really good. Their pitching is unbelievably good. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Barry Zito form a three-some that could get this team to the World Series... seriously. Add Brad Penny to the mix, and we really could be talking about the team that wins the National League pennant. Oh and did I mention that Jonathan Sanchez pitched a no-hitter early in the season? Side note: I know Penny was cut by the Sox for a reason, but pitchers tend to exhibit a lot of success when they make the move from the AL to the NL mid-season (see Cliff Lee, Sabathia, and others).

Offensively they're not the best, but in the playoffs they could get hot as they have at times during the season (see the weekend series vs. Colorado). Sure, they have to win the wild card first, but I'm gonna choose them. The Rockies are a good team, but they don't have the pitching that San Fran does. So now they're in the playoffs and they have to get by the Phils, Cards, and Dodgers.

It's unlikely that they will play Man Ram and crew, but I could see them beating the Dodgers (unfortunately they wouldn't play them in the first round due to the fact that they are in the same division). I could also see them beating the Phils due to their pitching superiority (though Philly isn't too shabby with the addition of Cliff Lee who has, besides one blemish, been un-hittable). The team that they should hope to avoid in the first round is the Cardinals, because they are the only team that can really rival their pitching dominance with Carpenter and Wainwright. If they can get Philly in the first round, and LA in the second... I think we could potentially be looking at a World Series participant.

I'm not ready to say that's going to happen though... so I teased you a little and I apologize for that. I don't like the Dodgers struggles in the second half (don't throw stats at me about them actually having the best pitching staff, they haven't been as good in my eyes). The Phillies are good... but I love the Cardinals after getting Matty Holliday. They got protection for Pujols, and they have one of the best staffs in the MLB. So.............. my prediction?

National Leauge Winner: St. Louis Cardinals

Klein: Fantasy Football Advocacy

2009-08-31T17:06:00.002-04:00

Fantasy drafts are underway and I am here to aid you!

If any Zeus reader wants a personal assistant in any of their drafts I would be happy to assist. Just make sure to comment on this post with a question or concern for your league and I will respond as soon as possible.

Klein: Idiotic Colby Rasmus Fan

2009-08-30T12:48:00.001-04:00

Obviously she is unaware that he is batting .252 on the season and has 3 HRs in his past 40 games.

Also, who is the a-hole that recorded it for her and allowed her to do this to herself?

Cramer: Jared Allen- Schism an STD?

2009-08-28T18:33:00.001-04:00

No Jared Allen. A Schism is not an STD.

Klein: Marshall Suspended By Broncos

2009-08-28T13:19:00.004-04:00

The Denver Broncos have indefinitely suspended WR Brandon Marshall due to "unspecified "detrimental conduct". AKA...he was stupid and they thought that by suspending him they would prove a point. This will just make their offense worse. Good job McDaniels!

Marshall has made several demands for a new contract or exportation from the team. Obviously head coach Josh McDaniels doesn't have either of these actions in his plans for the future.

Marshall rebelled by refusing to learn the playbook, which landed him deep in the depth chart and held out of preseason games.

Then things only got worse...

During warmups on Wednesday, Marshall walked while the rest of the team ran. He punted the ball away instead of handing the ball to the ball boy. Then he swatted all passes that came his way in drills. Sounds like he is pretty pissed to me.

On NFL Live last night he told ESPN that he was not trying to force a trade with his actions and that the frustration just altered his maturity.

That is total BS.

This guy is PISSED OFF. The Broncos informed the team to not praise the fact that he was acquitted of the misdemeanor battery charges by his ex-girlfriend. What the hell is that?

What is this franchise trying to prove to the fans, the media, and Marshall himself?

This guy is one of the best wide outs in the league and they NEED him to be at the top of his game if they want to have a productive offense. The already screwed up with Cutler, why do the same with Baby T.O.?

Although I think it is BS, he still apologized. To suspend him after an apology makes no progress in the messy off season for the Broncos.

Marshall clearly wants out of Denver, we all know that. So why don't they just trade him?

Well, I am not so sure if anyone wants him. But that just confuses me!

Why wouldn't you want a top-tier wide out who has the potential to be one of the best in the league?

Just wait for the Jets and Redskins to contact his agent this week. Something WILL get done.

Apollo of the Week!: Anonymous Writer

2009-08-27T19:15:00.006-04:00

We received an article in our e-mail box today from an avid tennis fan likely from the state of New York. Enjoy their preview of the US Open Tennis Tournament:

It's the end of the summer and that means it's US Open time in New York City. If you have never been to this event, you are missing out. The US Open is the most difficult of tennis' four Grand Slams. The venue isn't all that player friendly - it's big, loud, crowded and often blazing hot. "Night" matches can start shortly before midnight and last well into the early morning. LaGuardia Airport is right next door and some days the take off pattern is directly over Arthur Ashe Stadium. If the planes aren't roaring overhead you've still got the non-stop squealing of the LIRR and 7 line trains located immediately outside the grounds, while the smoke from the food court continuously drifts over the courts. But while many of the players view the Open as an ordeal to survive, each year some of the most epic and compelling matches in tennis happen at Flushing Meadows, and this is the tournament where the new names break through. The NYC mantra "If you can make it there, you'll make it anywhere" holds true at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

The draws for the 2009 US Open were announced earlier today. To earn his sixth US Open title, #1 seed Roger Federer might have to get past either #4 seed Djokovic or #5 seed Roddick in his half of the draw - and both are tough hardcourt players. Rafael Nadal is seeded #3 and is in the opposite half of the draw with #2 Andy Murray. Given the way Murray has been playing, it's a good bet he'll get through to the finals, and he's got to be happy that Federer, Djokovic and Roddick will have to battle it out in the other half of the draw. While neither of the Williams sisters have played all that well in this summer's hardcourt events, they still are heavy favorites to vie for this year's title. A Venus (#3) and Serena (#2) meeting would be in semi finals, as both are located in the same side of the draw.

MEN

Federer doesn't look to be challenged until the semis - he's got a really easy draw and, other than one odd lapse against Tsonga, he's played well this summer. Lleyton Hewitt is a possible 3rd round opponent but no longer a real threat. James Blake is in the same bracket, but I don't see Blake advancing all that far in this tournament. Blake has an easy first round opponent in Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, but these days every match is an adventure for Jimmy Kid. When his forehand is on, Blake's game is as fun to watch as any on the tour - but tennis has looked like a chore for Blake of late. Don't be surprised to hear a retirement announcement soon.

Watch for a possible Sam Querrey - Soderling third round match - both have been playing well and their contrasting styles could make for very entertaining tennis.

Djokovic has drawn Ljubicic in the first round - now ranked #50, Ivan is past his prime (was it really only three years ago he was ranked as high as #3?), but still a tough and sometimes volatile opponent. Djokovic should advance - assuming he isn't bothered by hot weather or the hostile NY crowd.

Marat Safin is playing in his last tournament, having announced his retirement earlier this year. Don't look for any last gasp heroics from Marat though - he looks like he has run out of gas.

A Roddick-Isner match could be interesting in the third round, although Isner seems to be yet another American "phenom" who isn't all that phenomenal. Tommy Haas is likely to play Roddick in the 4th round - while Haas is thankfully injury free and playing well, I like Roddick's chances here. I think Andy is going to be highly motivated to pick up his second Grand Slam title - and other than Wimbledon, the US Open is probably his best chance.

Tsonga has an easy draw in his part of the bracket, probably facing Fernando Gonzalez in the 4th round. A potential Nadal-Monfils matchup in the fourth round is intriguing, but Nadal admitted last week he's not 100% for this tournament.

Best first round match in the mens draw: Juan Martin Del Potro and Juan Monaco. Monaco is a very tough opponent who hasn't really gotten the attention of the press - but he's very well respected on the tour. I'm sure Del Potro wasn't happy to see this first round matchup. Another intriguing first round match - Andy Murray vs. Ernests Gulbis - Murray will advance but it won't be a cake walk.

My semi final picks: Federer vs. Roddick, Tsonga vs. Murray.

WOMEN

Dinara Safina is the top seed and isn't likely to be challenged until the quarterfinals where she could face Jankovic, who beat her several weeks ago. I don't see Safina winning this tournament - she just isn't tough enough. Safina melted in both the Australian and French finals in truly ugly losses, and the US Open is a far more intimidating place. Watch for Sabine Lisicki to "upset" Ana Ivanovic, if Ivanovic manages to get by a tough first round matchup in Kateryna Bondarenko. Melanie Oudin, an American teenager who did well at Wimbledon, is likely to face Dementieva early on but doesn't yet have the game to push Elena. Maria Sharapova is lurking in this part of the draw as well - physically she still doesn't seem 100%, but she is as competitive as they come on the womens tour and you can never count her out - one key will be whether Maria can keep her new serve toss under control. Up and comer Wozniacki and veteran Kuznetsova could meet in an intriguing 4th round match.

In the other half of the draw, Azarenka and Radwanska could meet in a battle of young and talented but kinda boring baseliners in the 4th round, and wild card Kim Clijsters should advance easily to the 4th round where she's likely to find Venus Williams. Venus hasn't been playing well this summer, while Clijsters is striking the ball cleanly and moving as well as ever - look for Kim to pull the upset here.

Flavia Pennetta, now seeded #10 (highest ever for an Italian woman), has an easy draw and should advance ea sily to the quarterfinals. Amelie Mauresemo is in her bracket, but this is likely to be Amelie's last US Open. Samantha Stosur has had a terrific stretch over the last 6 months - and it's possible that she'll find Serena Williams waiting for her in the round of 16. Serena isn't likely to be all that friendly to Aussie Stosur, who beat Williams earlier this summer and when told that Serena had ungraciously (and typically) attributed Stosur's win to luck, replied: ''If you look at what Serena says after a lot of her matches she probably doesn't, you know, give all the glory to her opponent, no matter what the situation is". Stosur was spot on, but Serena isn't likely to be all the appreciative.”Serena has played poorly this summer, but she's got a real track record of lifting her game for the majors, and she's motivated to pick up another Slam. Which Serena will show up?

My semi final picks: Jankovic vs. Dementieva; Clijsters vs. Serena Williams

Check back soon for my picks for who will win both the Men's and Women's brackets.

Klein: Bad TV Commercials Featuring NFL Players

2009-08-27T17:57:00.000-04:00

Check out there horrific commercials featuring some of the NFL's best.

Cramer: Hyperize

2009-08-27T16:54:00.001-04:00

Check out these NBA ballers showing their skills on and off the court... who knew Mo Williams was such a good rapper? Or that he even talked except when he was making a guarantee? For that matter, has anyone really ever heard any of these players talk? This is cool seeing the up and coming stars in the NBA showing that they can have a good time.

for those who don't know: the "rappers" go in the following order
1. Andrew Iguodala
2. Mo Williams
3. Kevin Durant
4. Rashard Lewis

Cramer: Fantasy Sports Insurance

2009-08-26T13:51:00.004-04:00

Tired of fantasy football? Does your team suck every single year? Well there's a new "game" you can play. Go to fantasysportsinsurance.com and buy insurance for a top 50 player and hope that he gets injured, and you could get a nice pay day. I saw this on ESPN2 today, during ESPN first take, and the person who runs the site said, "if you had paid a $20 premium for Tom Brady, you would have gotten paid $200".

Obviously the site is intended for serious fantasy football participants who want to make sure they don't lose their money they put in for the league and stat programs, but for others who aren't too good, they could still end up making money. It's an official site, and they plan on making insurance packages for basketball, hockey, etc... over the next year.

Sign me up

Cramer: "Kobe's better in the clutch"... Not so Fast

2009-08-26T11:21:00.005-04:00

Who's better in the clutch, Kobe or LeBron. It's the argument that always seems to go Kobe's way, and is the main reason why people who prefer Kobe to LeBron do so. There's more to the argument than Lakers and Kobe fans seem to present though. One can always hear a Kobe fan ranting and raving about his ability to shoot and make an outside shot, which is necessary in the clutch. They say that because he is a better shooter, he will make more of his shots when they matter, and as a result be a better clutch player and in tandem be a better player overall.

I agree, Kobe is a better jump shooter. But, does he really make more of his shots in the clutch? No. According to 82games.com, LeBron shoots 55.6% in clutch time compared to Kobe's 45.7%. Don't try to tell me LeBron only dunks in the clutch, because we've all seen what he can do from long range:

LeBron has a better 3 point percentage too at 42% compared to Kobe's 40%. LeBron's is on 8.2 attempts compared to Kobe's 10.1 tries. And frankly, even if all of LeBron's clutch baskets were from close range that would only add to an argument on his behalf because a coach would much rather have his superstar get to the basket and score at an incredibly high rate compared to Kobe, who shoots 3's from 5 feet behind the three point line.

Check out the rest of the numbers too. If you're too lazy, I'll give you a run down of what's on there. The numbers are arranged according to extrapolation over 48 minutes of "clutch time" basketball. They define "clutch" as "4th quarter or overtime, less than 5 minutes left, neither team ahead by more than 5 points." Sounds like a pretty good definition to me, and if one player is a better producer during those minutes, I think it would be pretty easy to make an argument for them as the best clutch performer... don't you?

Well... during that period of time over 48 minutes LeBron averages 55.9 points, 14.3 rebounds, 12.6 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 3.5 steals. Kobe has averages of 56.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals. Finally, the plus/minus statistic that some people view as the most important of all has LeBron at +45 and Kobe at +34 per 48 minutes. I'd rather win by 45 points than 34 points, I think?

I'm clearly biased in my analysis of any LeBron vs. Kobe stats, but these ones aren't really even close. The only stat that favors Kobe is turnovers, where LeBron has 4.8 to Kobe's 3.0, but LeBron is essentially a point guard in clutch time, whereas the Lakers have a clutch PG in Derek Fisher, too.

My argument isn't that I'd rather have LeBron in the clutch than Kobe. I likely would choose Kobe for the last shot of a game. What I'm saying is that Kobe supporters use Kobe's clutch factor as their argument for him being the better player, but any upper hand he has in that department isn't significant enough to surpass LeBron as an overall player. Stats don't tell the whole story, but in this case they say enough to help a LeBron supporter's argument.

Kobe's obviously a great player, but there's no denying he has a better supporting cast full of other clutch performers. If LeBron can ever get the kind of help Kobe has had in his 4 championships, he will be well on his way to being the best of all time. We'll see if that starts this year...

Check out the rest of the numbers and the other players on the list at:

http://www.82games.com/0809/CSORT11.HTM

And does anyone else still have the chills from LeBron's shot above?

Cramer: Kick to the Head

2009-08-26T11:00:00.002-04:00

As a United States citizen, I don't view soccer as a bad ass sport. Maybe that's why it has a very small following in the States. People generally view it as a sport that has a lot of flopping and fake crying. However, if you look at this video and go to about 29 seconds in, you may be willing to change your viewpoint.

Cramer, Cabrera, Klein: Back From Hiatus

2009-08-25T13:38:00.004-04:00

Here at Zeus of Sport we would like to apologize to our readers for the lack of posts lately. We have all been on vacation, but have full intentions of getting back to our normal routine starting right away.

Thanks for continuing to check back at our site for updates.

Klein: Titans Punter Finds Flaw In 'Boys New Stadium

2009-08-22T23:01:00.002-04:00

Last night at the unveiling of the new Dallas Cowboys stadium the Titans back-up preseason all-star P A.J. Trapasso decided to ruin the night by finding quite the flaw.

Trapasso punted the ball into the 30-yard high-definition screen in the middle of the field during the 3rd quarter of play.

Coach Jeff Fisher threw a challenge flag for the ruling on the field. It makes sense that he did because what kind of idiot (Jerry Jones) puts a screen in the middle of the field where it is possible for a punter or kicker to hit it?

The Cowboys organization better fix this one!

Klein: Plaxico Burress Hires Prison Coach

2009-08-22T17:12:00.007-04:00

Burress has hired a prison coach to prep him for life behind bars for the next two years. His lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, told the Post that he is looking to use his time behind bars productively to gain a positive experience out of all of it.

The use of a coach could benefit Burress during his time in jail because what he does right when he is out is extremely important. When he is out of jail he will be 34-years-old and looking to play in the NFL again. This will obviously be similar to the Vick situation, except he will be older. He needs to stay in shape in jail so he can join a team when he is out because most teams will not be aiming for a wide out in his mid-thirties.

It will be interesting to see how he handles himself behind bars during his time of incarceration.

Give your thoughts on Plax' jail sentence and if you think it was just.

Cramer: Nationals Game for $1?

2009-08-19T16:39:00.005-04:00

How badass does Strasburg look?

About a week ago, my co-writer and co-editor Wills Klein wrote an article concerning the promotion the Nets are offering for a handful of home games this year. He seemed to think it was a pathetic move by a fast-sinking Nets franchise, hoping to accumulate some form of revenue in what will essentially be a throw away season.

Well, the economy's effect can now be seen in baseball. The Washington Nationals are reportedly selling 2,000 tickets for $1 for Friday's home game against the Brewers. Why? Because their new $15 million man, Stephen Strasburg, will be on attendance for an on-field interview at 2 PM for a 7 o'clock game. What do you think the chances are any of the up to 2,000 people stay from 2 PM until 7 PM to watch the worst team in the league take on a mediocre Milwaukee team? Yeah, me too.

Give the Nationals some credit though. It took them until about an hour before the trade deadline to finally sign Strasburg to a contract, and they want to get as much out of the $15 mil they threw at him as possible. Is he a franchise savior? Probably not. I don't think it is humanly possible for any one man to save that team, but I do believe that they can get some fan attention and perhaps raise their attendance a little bit over the next couple of years. We won't really know until Strasburg gets the call up to the Majors, but I could see that happening pretty fast for a team that has won 43 games this year.

Klein: Favre Will Be a Viking

2009-08-18T11:44:00.006-04:00

I don't look so stupid now, do I? Well, actually, Warren Moon was the one who gave me the tip on him coming back so I really didn't do that much to look smart.

THE Brett Favre is en route to Minnesota right now to sign a contract that will make him the starting quarterback for the Vikes. SHOCKER...NOT!

Officials spoke to WCCO-TV at the airport in Hattiesburg, Mississippi today when they saw an airplane with a Vikings logo leave the airport early in the morning.

Favre, who played for the Jets last season, told the Vikings on July 28th that he would remain retired.

This 40-year-old (virgin) will make the Vikings a much better team if his arm is to hold up.

With Peterson in the backfield and Favre as the gun-slinger things could get very dangerous. The deep ball better be in him still because that will give Peterson holes that he has never seen before. He is so used to seeing 8 in the box with Tavaris Jackson playing QB.

The saga continues...

Also, someone has to make the movie of this idiot one day.

Cramer: Are Ye Kidding Me?

2009-08-16T18:34:00.010-04:00

This has been an interesting year of golf to say the least. As the broadcasters on CBS stated the whole weekend, the Majors this season have been all about who didn't win them rather than who won them. From Phil Mickelson to Tom Watson, now you can include Tiger Woods in the group of people who just weren't meant to win. Y.E. Yang won the 91st PGA Championship today. However, the manner in which Tiger lost was astonishing and something we as golf fans have never seen in his illustrious career.

He missed putt after putt... after putt. After winning the last 2 tournaments prior to going to Minnesota to try to capture his 5th PGA Championship, and 15th Major overall, he continued his run and held the lead through 3 and half days before Y.E. Yang nailed an eagle chip from right off the green on the par 4 14th. He had various opportunities to tie it up, but it just wasn't to be. Tiger's missing putt after Yang won it on the 18th was representative of the whole day Sunday, and he walked off the green in defeat.

Wow... I hope you all got a chance to watch this one because it just was hard to believe. So many times we've watched Tiger hit miraculous shots at Majors to win, and I'm sure we all thought he would do it again. Especially against this guy. Yang? Who the hell is he? I don't know, and I don't really care. I'd bet you we'll never see his name on a leader board at a major again, but it doesn't matter. He did it. He beat Tiger on a Sunday after trailing by 2 shots going into the day. It's the first time Tiger has ever lost a lead on a Sunday in a major, and only the second time in his career he's done it any tournament.

I'm not going to go crazy and say Tiger has lost it... but has he? Sure, he won 5 tournaments this year, but he's not exactly young anymore. He's still 5 majors behind Nicklaus, and a year without majors for Tiger at this point is not good. At all. We'll see what happens next year at Augusta in April, but if you're a big Tiger fan you'd better hope he comes out swinging for the victory in Georgia. He's got to win 6 more tournaments to go down as the best ever, and what seemed like a sure thing just a few years ago, is suddenly in doubt.

Congratulations to Y.E., it was nice to meet you. Tiger... step it up next year for the sake of professional golf, and us as fans. Everyone likes to see an upset... but not against you.

Klein: Vick is on the Podium

2009-08-14T11:07:00.001-04:00

There will be more updates later!

Klein: Once a Bird, Always a Bird

2009-08-13T20:52:00.005-04:00

ESPN's Chris Mortensen has reported that the Eagles have signed Michael Vick to a one-year, $1.6 million deal including a $5.2 million option for 2010. Get ready for the picket lines in the city of brotherly love!

With an Eagles team that has its eyes on a Super Bowl title for this season Vick could very well be the missing piece of the puzzle. Obviously, they needed a back-up quarterback after Kevin Kolb went down with a knee injury earlier this week, so a new second stringer was necessary. The addition of Vick could be a great match with offensive genius Andy Reid and this loaded Iggles offense.

The option is great insurance to have a healthy quarterback in the case where McNabb goes down with a career-threatening injury.

But what if this turns out to be the wrong move?

"I think he will play all over. All he can do is help as long as they spoke to Donovan about it," says Eagles fan Mike Lundy

Mr. Lundy hit the nail right on the head. McNabb HAS to have agreed with this because we all know how bitter Donovan gets when there is competition for his spot (i.e. The Kevin Kolb Saga). Last year when his position was in jeopardy after he returned from injury he stepped up his game and led the Eagles to the NFC Championship game after a poor start to his season. There is no way McNabb will let Vick take his job.

Analysis
We all know this guy can play all over, and he will. McNabb is staying under center as the starter, but do not be surprised to see Vick in on multiple 3rd-down sets a game. Vick will create holes in the defense that will help him create plays on his feet to get 1st downs. I also think he will be used in the slot as a wide out, but he will never catch the ball. He will be used out there as a decoy to keep defense alert of a reverse, flea-flicker, etc.. Vick just being on the field makes WRs Desean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Reggie Brown much better players. They will get open much more just for the sole reason that Vick is lined up anywhere on the field. This was the move the Eagles needed to make them the most feared offense in the NFC and possibly the NFL.

Klein: Take a Look at Brian Bruney's Hat

2009-08-13T15:34:00.002-04:00

If anyone has any information as to why Yankees RP Brian Bruney has no logo on the back of his hat please tell us! I did a bit of research and saw that in his three previous appearances he had the back of his hat blacked-out as well. What I don't seem to understand is that it is almost impossible to find a Yankee cap anywhere without either the new stadium patch or the MLB logo. Could it be a collector's item? Comment with what you think it could be!

Cabrera: La Casa Blanca

2009-08-13T15:06:00.005-04:00

Today we have a special treat. One of our staff members, Carlos Cabrera, is writing for us live from Quito, Ecuador. Here you go:

Large steel gates, armed police officers, cement on the outside and in, numbered wooden doors, and dark hallways. If you don’t see the various street vendors selling jerseys, hats, and other fan paraphernalia leading up to the stadium, La Casa Blanca could be easily mistaken as a prison—that is until you exit the hallways and enter the arena.

La Casa Blanca, boasting a capacity of 45,000 persons is the home of Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito, or Liga, the most recognizable club soccer team in Ecuador. On the chilly, late afternoon of August 11, La Casa Blanca welcomed La Libertad de Paraguay. The match served as a qualifier for La Copa de Sudamerica (the elite tournament for club teams in South America). As I nestled into my suite and proceeded outside on the viewing balcony 45 minutes before the game’s start, I saw the massive and beautiful soccer field. There was a lower level encompassing the field with about 20 rows of red bleachers. The upper level compiled of suites on either side of the field, and more red bleachers behind the goals.

The suites are very personalized. A suite season ticket holder has the ability to do what he/she pleases with the décor. For example, one can add paintings, memorabilia, refurnish the inside, and more. After the game, the owner even locks the door with his own key. Also, fans that belong to suites are able to bring their own food and alcohol, rather than spending money at the stadium. This entire concept is very foreign to American sporting arenas, but something owners of teams might want to invest in because of its comfortable and personalized nature.

Minutes before the start of the match, more and more fans piled in. It was hard not to notice the fans behind Libertad’s goal. All wearing Liga gear, they were loud, yet organized—chant after chant, accompanied by drums and the occasional display of fire. Behind the other goal, more fans watched sitting, unlike their standing counterparts. This side was mixed with Liga fans and Libertad fans whom made the long trek northwest, through Bolivia and Peru to reach Quito, Ecuador. By midway through the first half, the stands were filled behind both goals. The lower level was filled from row 10 and up, due to the obstructed view in the lower seats. And almost every suite was filled with some viewers.

As for the game, Liga had multiple first half opportunities on crosses and nice play inside the 18-yard box, but had trouble finishing. Finally, number 13, Neicer Reasco scored off of a rebound inside the box in the 46^th minute. It was a beautiful one-timer, netting the bottom right corner. In the second half, it was easy to tell who the fan favorite was when number 12, Espinoso Carlos Luis or “Kinito” entered the game for the small, yet feisty center midfielder Vaca Edder. The second half consisted of many lost opportunities for Liga once again, and in the final minutes of the match Libertad had many close chances inside the box. However, Liga came out victorious 1-0 in the qualifier match. But it seems that soccer is the only sport where one team can be winning during a 0-0 tie, and a team can lose despite winning because of the forgone opportunities and importance of goal differential in qualifying and pool play. You with me? Then after the match, players happily greeted young fans, took pictures, and signed autographs. What were they driving? Chevrolets, of course. Maybe it’s because soccer players aren’t incredibly tall or muscular compared to the average human being like football or basketball players, but these athletes seemed happy and excited to greet their fans—something that rarely occurs in the U.S.

I had never been to a soccer match before, not even in the United States, but sitting there comfortably in the suite served as one of the best places to view a sporting event. Enjoying some local Ecuadorian beer, I couldn’t help but notice the passion that exists for Liga. Throughout the entire game, the fans behind the goal never sat down, drumming and chanting away, even occasionally throwing toilet paper at Libertad’s goalie, to his vocalized dismay. Then I realized, this is only one, small team located at the Earth’s equator in quaint Ecuador. This type of passion exists all around the world for each fan’s respective soccer team. The most appropriate way to describe the atmosphere is the likes of major U.S. college basketball or football game, but on crack. Even in the suites, you could hear whistles mocking Libertad, foul language flowing from the mouths of parents in front of their children, and countless screams and grunts—basically the exact opposite of disinterested, unknowledgeable fans in American skyboxes. It’s not that passion doesn’t exist at American sporting events; it’s simply that the passion at La Casa Blanca was incredibly different. Undoubtedly, this different, more exuberant and flamboyant passion derives itself from the Latin American, “in-your-face-type” culture.

In the end, La Casa Blanca turned out to be quite the opposite of its prison-like appearance. In fact, it’s a place where the soul can be freed, where nothing matters other than Liga. Then again, that’s exactly what sports are supposed to be, a sanctuary from everyday life, a place to escape both for athletes and fans. So, I urge you, readers, to visit La Casa Blanca before time passes. If you can’t make it to Quito, that’s fine. I’m sure there are thousands of other soccer sanctuaries waiting upon your arrival that perfectly fit the mold of La Casa Blanca.

Apollo of the Week: Brian Rosen

2009-08-13T10:13:00.007-04:00

Pryor's Freshman Struggles Pay Off

This Apollo of the Week was written by Brian Rosen from Lebrownstown, a fantastic Cleveland sports blog.

The scoreboard at Ohio Stadium read third down, the Buckeyes needing one yard. Terrelle Pryor took the snap, then deviated from the designed play. Instead of carrying his momentum forward for those final few feet, he sprinted to the right, where a potential opening could have netted a more substantial gain.

Pryor was headed past the first down marker, only without the football. The pigskin fled from the freshman’s hands and was recovered by Penn State in a critical moment late in Ohio State’s 13-6 loss at The Shoe.

The costly miscue is firmly implanted in the young Ohio State quarterback’s memory.

“We watch the Penn State game,” he said. “The fumble comes up, and I just look at myself and put my head down.”

In 1978, freshman Art Schlichter started under center for the Buckeyes, as he would for all four of his collegiate seasons. Not until Pryor’s arrival last year did another rookie quarterback see the field following the coin toss.

With constant pressure forcing top tier football programs such as OSU to “win now,” coaches Earle Bruce, John Cooper and Jim Tressel have favored veteran gunslingers in which to entrust their offenses.

Pryor assumed the reigns from sixth-year senior Todd Boeckman amid a 35-3 downfall at USC and didn’t look back.

“When you come in as a starting quarterback and fight your way in in the third game, you have to grow up,” he said. “You’re leading grown men now, 23, 24 year olds. You’re in the huddle alone with ten other players, and they’re listening to every word you say. It’s amazing, but you have to be older and be more of an adult, and I think I had to grow up.”

Pyror suffered through the struggles that anyone would expect a freshman to endure on the grand stage. While the Buckeyes coasted to an 8-2 record under his authority, he received criticism for his turnovers, decision-making and arm strength.

But for all of the bumps in the road the team drove through last year, Pryor feels the Buckeyes will be better off for it now and in the future. The experience he gained gives him an edge that most sophomore quarterbacks can’t match.

“There are a lot of things that come at you, that I hadn’t learned last year,” he said. “If I would have known these things now, it would’ve been so much easier. Once you know what the defense is doing and what they’re bringing to you, how they’re coming at you, it’s a whole different ballgame.”

Now that he’s familiar with his role, Pryor has blossomed into a leader among his new supporting cast. With fresh faces at running back, receiver and tight end, the tested quarterback serves as a guide and a leader, roles that very few sophomores in college football- and especially at Ohio State- have taken on.

“I want to take that responsibility and lead the team,” the eager quarterback said. “There are some seniors now that will take it, but you could tell they kind of gave it to me. I think the most important thing is for the quarterback to be the leader. On the offensive side, that’s my offense, I’m going to run it, and that’s just how that’s going to be.”

As for his costly fumble against Penn State, Pryor claims he has learned from his rookie mistakes, but still forces himself to watch video of the error.

“I don’t want to watch it, but that’s what you have to do,” he said. “That’s how you grow up as an individual and as a man. Look at your mistakes and don’t make them again.”

Tressel might typically be opposed to placing pressure upon untested freshmen, but the soon-to-be sophomore certainly exhibits a sense of maturity after a beneficial rookie campaign.

Klein: Nets Attempt to Trick Fans

2009-08-13T08:31:00.007-04:00

Okay so it's pretty obvious that you don't want Nets season tickets. Let's say the replica jerseys of the best players on other teams were thrown in with the tickets, would that be something you might be interested in? The Armpit-of-America's basketball team is trying to find out if this marketing scheme will work.

The New Jersey Nets will hand out reversible jerseys at five of their home games for fans that purchase a 10-game package. On one side of the jersey it will be one of the league's superstars that is playing in that game. On the other side it will be a Nets player that no one really cares about.

There could very well be more LeBron James jerseys in the crowd when the Cavs visit the Nets this upcoming season. Wait...what?! Why would they have a promotion to make their fan base look like fools in front of a national audience? CHILD PLEASE (You'll get that if you watched Hard Knocks last night on HBO). Then again, maybe the fans will decide to sport the Eduardo Najera side when playing the Celtics...NAH.

This could be either the dumbest or smartest promotion of all time.

It could end up as the dumbest if the fans file into the stadium wearing the away team's side of the jersey and there is an Izod Arena full of Dwight Howards. It could also end up bad when the fans get their jerseys and they look like a knock-off found on Canal Street. Can you say D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R?

It could end up as the smartest if people just buy the 10-game package for the jerseys. Those are the people we like to call idiots.

Good luck to the Nets marketing team! Your team will still suck!

Cramer: NBA Spoof

2009-08-12T19:19:00.002-04:00

I wonder why we never saw this commercial on TV when the NBA was promoting the playoffs...

Cramer: The Yankees are Great, but...

2009-08-12T18:39:00.011-04:00

What the Yankees are doing right now in Major League Baseball is really astonishing. They swept the Red Sox in a four game series for the first time in 23 years, and are 28 games above .500. They have clearly separated themselves as the best team in baseball. Sure, the amount of money New York has spent on this roster is record-breaking, and although they've had been spending the money for the last 9 years without much success, it seems as though they've finally put together a masterpiece of a team. The feeling throughout New York is excitement, and joy about what could be for the Yanks this year.

But... in a day when the MLB is tainted by steroids, lying, grossly overpaid stars, Josh Hamilton getting drunk, etc... it's teams like the Marlins, who have gotten within 3.5 games of the Phils, and the Rockies, who lead the NL Wild Card as of this day, that are impressive. Of the 6 teams leading the 6 divisions in baseball right now, 5 have pay-rolls over $100 million, while the 6th team, the Cardinals, aren't too far behind. Obviously professional sports is a business, but isn't that kind of ridiculous. Should money really be able to purchase success? Maybe, but not to this extent.

As I've stated multiple times on this site, I'm not nearly involved enough to speak about economic situations for specific teams in the sporting world. Frankly, I've yet to find a writer even on ESPN who can give me convincing financial information about teams. However, I think even a 3rd grader could look at the list of payrolls, and the standings and make the connection. So what can be done to stop this? Or better yet, as a fan, what is the ideal situation for this season?

It would be great if Bud Selig would come out and announce a salary cap, which ultimately would reach a point where every team had an equal shot at signing every player (like in the NFL, NBA, etc...). However, I would be willing to bet my position here at Zeus of Sport (which I value very highly), that this isn't going to happen any time soon, if ever.

So instead of watching the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Cubs, Cardinals, blah, blah, and blah succeed, I am calling for all sports fans out there without real allegiance to any team to start cheering for the teams in the bottom 50 percent of that list. The Rockies, Rangers, Rays, and Marlins are the teams that could make October magical. So even if you're a Yankees fan, let's all team up and root for the underdog, or, as the case may be: the team that can't afford to be as talented as your team.

What was the point of this article you ask? I don't really have an answer for that. I was raised a Yankees fan by my Mom despite my Dad and brother trying to bring me over to the Indians' side (Thank God I didn't make that leap... but go Cavs). But, it's hard to watch when the teams that people grow up watching are only good because of their financial situations and vice versa... so start up the conversation Zeus followers, let's hear what you think about money in baseball.

Klein: My Jaw Drops...

2009-08-12T12:15:00.004-04:00

YES that is John Wall of the Kentucky Wildcats. I had to post this picture because it is absolutely unreal for a guy that is 6'4". Post your reactions!

Klein: Backstabbing in Cleveland

2009-08-12T10:20:00.004-04:00

If you were to take a look at the Browns depth chart right now you would see QBs Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn both listed as the #1 quarterback. Quinn took care of that yesterday.

ESPN reported on Sunday from the Browns' training camp that during a team scrimmage, where Anderson and Quinn were quarterbacking different teams, some sabotaging took place. Anderson's helmet radio spazzed out and that forced him to go old-school by using hand signals to call plays. Obviously Quinn knew the play signals. You know where I'm going with this...

It was claimed by Anderson that Quinn sent the signals to the defense, which obviously led to Anderson looking like a fool. Good team-work Browns!

Never in my life have I seen a quarterback battle get to this point. What kind of player actually does that? Is Quinn scared of his abilities? Yes. Is Anderson obviously playing better in practice? Yes. Did Quinn actually think no one would find out about this? Yes. What an idiot!

I wonder how he did on his tests at Notre Dame. Hmm.

Cramer: Powe to Cavs

2009-08-11T20:19:00.004-04:00

Just one day after Big Baby of the Celtics re-signed with Boston for 2 years, $6 million, Leon Powe signed a two year contract with the Cavs. "A source told ESPN.com that Powe will sign for the league minimum for players with three years of service -- $855,189. Cleveland will hold a team option for a second season at $915,852."

Powe is a low risk, high reward signing for Cleveland. They get him for super cheap, and don't even have to keep him next year if he doesn't pan out this season. He has had constant knee problems ever since his days at Cal, and missed a lot of last season, and the playoffs by reinjuring his ACL. However, Powe is expected to be back at the all-star break. If he comes back and is effective, then the Cavs got a player worth as much, if not more, than Big Baby for less than 1/3 the price. Great job by Danny Ferry taking a small risk that could make a huge difference for the Cavs come playoff time. Remember how good he was against the Lakers in the finals when the Celtics beat them? If not, let me refresh your memory:

Cramer: Check out LeBron's Son

2009-08-11T18:08:00.002-04:00

Every team in the league should be prepared to throw their season the year before this kid becomes eligible because I see a franchise cornerstone in the making...

Klein: Stick Away From These Guys On Draft Day

2009-08-11T15:56:00.005-04:00

Quarterback
QB Matt Cassel
I just can't seem to convince myself that Cassel will continue his production in Kansas City. Please do NOT let his season in New England last year fool you! Belichick and McDaniels put Cassel in a position with all of the tools around him so he could excel, build confidence, and manage games for them. Brady or Cassel, it is the same offense. I believe they are both extremely talented quarterbacks, but it is all about systems in New England. Offensive geniouses come through that franchise too, not just defenses (Weis and McDaniels). Cassel goes to a Kansas City team with no Moss, no Welker, no Faulk, and no Watson. He goes to Bowe, Engram, and...um...that is it. Unless head coach Todd Haley continues his offensive success that he began in Arizona do not expect quick success in Arrowhead.

Running Back
RB Kevin Smith
Alright, everyone needs to get off this guys d*ck because he isn't that good. In '08 he rushed for 976 yards and 8 TDs, decent numbers. If the offense were to improve this off-season, then I wouldn't be hating on him...but it didn't. They added NOTHING to their league's worst offensive line. Tell me how you expect to have a rookie quarterback dropping back behind the worst offensive line in the NFL. How could any of these problems bode well for second-year running back Kevin Smith? They don't! Keep your mits off this back before you regret your pick early in the season. You will not want to see Smith jammed at the line each play with a Lion's team that will NOT be excelling early in the season with Stafford under center. This will all just lead to pain. Also, they added Scott Linehan to coach the offense and he really, really likes to throw. Need I say more? Well, yeah, I actually do. This is not the kind of guy you want to throw a 3rd round pick in the garbage on.

RB Jamal Lewis
If you want a running back that will get you 750 yards and 4 TDs then you should draft Lewis! But, I won't. This guy is an absolute bum at this point in his career. He is going to be playing in a conservative Mangina offense that calls for small, quick running backs to do well. Lewis is the complete opposite of that. He is 245-pounds and he is almost 30-years-old, not someone I want to use my 8th round pick on in my draft (a pick that will be EXTREMELY valuable this year). One of the most common mistakes from fantasy rookies is that they aim low with reserve picks, especially for a RB3. All you can hope for from Lewis is that he will halt his rapid decline and get a mediocre season from him. A player like Lewis will help you go from 11th place to 10th place. You pretty much get my point.

Wide Receiver
WR Steve Breaston
Some of you fantasy dum-dum's may be a little too excited about this ex-Wolverine. This guy already has his name engraved on a plaque at the National 3rd Wide Reciever Hall of Fame, and that is where he will stay. Breaston was just a player in a system, Haley's system. Now with that system out of the NFC West there will be a decline in the looks Breaston gets at his normal slot position. Breaston's real success came with Boldin riding the pine due to injury and that is something you cannot bank on. With a healthy Cardinal team in the '08 playoffs, including Boldin, Breaston's 37 YPG is more indicative of his role in their offense.

Klein: Injuries and Attitude Brand Wideouts on Monday

2009-08-11T09:59:00.007-04:00

Throughout my day at work on Monday I received several updates involving bad news about top wideouts in the league. This injury bug is really spreading.

First Brandon Marshall, then Bowe, then Bryant, and finally Smith. Mondays usually are a sore day for wide receivers in the NFL.

Brandon Marshall: Mr. Marshall is obviously Denver's most talented wideout, but his actions in the offseason and inability to practice has him with the second team on the depth chart. Royal, Gaffney, and Stokley sit ahead of him. Head coach Josh McDaniels is apparently trying to send a message to the troubled wideout to get his act together.

Dewayne Bowe: Chiefs beat writer Adam Teicher has reported that this sleeper wideout is currently buried in the depth chart at Chiefs camp. It is being said that Bowe will most likely start Week 1, but new coach Todd Haley feels like Bowe is not disciplined enough in terms of their conditioning and team work outs. Teicher stated that Haley is "willing to make an example to get his point across. Until he figures that out, Bowe will be on the bench." This is EXACTLY the discipline that Kansas City needs. Way to go Haley.

Antonio Bryant: Ok, so Bryant will be out 3-4 weeks but it isn't because of an attitude problem. Bucs head coach Raheem Morris stated on Monday that he had a torn meniscus in his knee. Expect the knee to be scoped, but not 100% by Week 1. This is a big downer for their offense when it comes to the passing game because Morris needs Bryant to be clicking with every quarterback. Bryant relies on his vertical nature to make plays, so this could lead to lingering troubles all season.

Steve Smith: Panthers' wideout Steve Smith will miss at least two weeks with a strained shoulder. This was reported by his agent, the most optimistic people in the biz, so when asking head coach John Fox we found that "Smith is in a lot of pain, so something's off-kilter." Hmm that doesn't sound so optimistic to me. According to the Panthers, he will be ready for Week 1, but I don't buy it. If you have other options at wide receiver in your fantasy drafts, your best bet is to go with them.

Klein: Cause We're the Miami Dolphins...REMIX

2009-08-10T15:08:00.004-04:00

After years and years with the same fight song the Miami Dolphins decided to switch it up a bit and have T-Pain/Auto-tune remake the old one. Although it is absolutely terrible and I would probably kill myself if I had to hear this song when I scored a touchdown, it's pretty catchy. I guess this is what happens when Marc Anthony and Gloria Estefan own portions of the team. Take it away T-Pain/Auto-tune......