Don't Worry LeBron, We Know You're Great

Does anyone really question the greatness of two-time
NBA Finals MVP LeBron James?

LeBron James must think he needs to point out how great he is.

"I'm going to be one of the top four that's ever played this game, for sure," LeBron James said in an interview with NBA TV. "And if they don't want me to have one of those top four spots, they'd better find another spot on that mountain. Somebody's gotta get bumped, but that's not for me to decide. That's for the architects."

Normally, no one has a problem with a great player expressing his greatness in an interview. But, James has a chance to be more than great, to be more than just a Hall-of-Famer. He can be in the top four to ever play the game. In fact, he can be right up there with Michael Jordan.

It is a universal thought in the basketball world that James will be one of the greatest ever. Why does he feel the need to talk about being "top four?"

Could he be jealous of Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant?

Durant, 25, is well on his way to his first Most-Valuable Player award this season. He is averaging a league-leading 31.2 points-per-game, 5.5 assists-per-game and has a player-efficiency-rating (PER) of 31.01.
The Thunder are in first-place in the Western Conference, while James’ Miami Heat are in second place in the Eastern Conference, trailing the Indiana Pacers by 3.5 games.

Historically, James has been the only player than can score, rebound and pass at such a high efficiency. Durant was labeled as a scorer who couldn't rebound or pass like James. This season Durant is outscoring James by nearly 5 points-per-game (31.2-26.3), out-rebounding him (7.7-6.9) and is 2.16 points ahead of James in PER (31.2-28.85).

Naturally, James may feel the need to let people know that he is still the best player in the world. But, there is no reason to. He needs to look back at history to understand what is happening this season.

Should Lebron James worry about the great
season Kevin Durant is having?

In 1992-1993 Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were two-time defending champions. However, they finished second in the Eastern Conference standings behind the New York Knicks. Most believed the Bulls reign would end.

Jordan led the league in scoring that season and yet Charles Barkley of the Phoenix Suns was named League MVP. The Suns finished with the best record in the Western Conference.

Despite the doubters who believed the Bulls run would end, they knocked off the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals after being down 2-0 in the series. The Bulls then rolled over the Barkley and the rest of the Suns in the NBA Finals to win their third-straight championship.

James shouldn't care about the attention Durant is getting. Durant deserves it. But, we won't remember who won MVP if his team doesn't win a championship. We won't remember the Pacers being the top-seed in the East if they don't win a championship. We remember champions. History tells us we don’t care about the regular season. We only care about who wins the Finals.

Before James talks about the all-time greats, someone should tell him the architects of basketball’s Mount Rushmore look for championship rings, not MVP trophies.

James' Manning Rant

Is Peyton Manning one of the best ever after losing 43-8 in the Super Bowl? I answer that and you hear from Manning himself right here:

Super Bowl XLVIII Prediction: The Seahawks Fly High over Manning and the Broncos

I refused to buy into the Seattle Seahawks this season. I picked the New Orleans Saints to upset them in the divisional round of the playoffs. I also doubted this young team could make a Super Bowl run. Now, they face one of the best offensive teams in the history of football led by future hall-of-fame quarterback Peyton Manning. But, instead of picking against the Seahawks again, I've decided they will win Super Bowl XLVIII for a few reasons.

The Seahawks have the best defense in the NFL. They are confident and they back up their trash talk with stellar play. Some of Manning's throws in the AFC Championship Game were wobbly. He won't be able to make those same throws in this game. If he does, the Seahawks will make him pay for it. This Seahawks defense is going to make the 37-year-old Manning look ordinary at some point during this game, which is something no defense has been able to do all season.

The Seahawks defense gets all of the attention, but their offense deserves some credit. They are led by second-year quarterback Russell Wilson, who had a quarterback rating of 101.2 in 2013. He doesn't turn the ball over often. He only has 11 turnovers on the season (9 interceptions, 2 fumbles). To put that in perspective, Manning turned it over 13 times in the 2013 regular season.

The Seahawks also have one of the most physical running backs in the league with Marshawn Lynch. Lynch has rushed for over 1,000 yards five times in his career, including three times with the Seahawks. He seems to rise to the occasion in the playoffs and this year is no different. He is averaging five yards per carry, which is up from his 4.2 average in the regular season.

Wide Receiver Percy Harvin will also return to the Seahawks starting lineup after suffering a concussion in the NFC Championship game. He is a dark horse MVP candidate. He hasn't been in the lineup much this season, but he has the talent to explode at a moments notice. There isn't much film on him so the Broncos may have a hard time preparing for Harvin’s return. Look for him to make a few big plays whether it is receiving, rushing or kick returning.

 The Broncos defense has played well against the run, but Wilson will throw it if he has to. I think this game will come down to the Broncos offense versus the Seahawks defense. Can the Seahawks get a stop? If they don’t, Manning will win his second Super Bowl Championship. But, if Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and the defense can force Manning into making a few mistakes, they will be victorious.

Bottom Line: This game is going to come down to the last possession. Manning is going to have the ball and he will have to take the Broncos down the field to win the game. Sherman and the Seahawks defense will rise to the occasion and get the stop when it matters most. I’m taking the Seahawks.







Final Score: Seattle Seahawks: 24 Denver Broncos: 20

Richard Sherman and the Seahawks will be
victorious in Super Bowl XLVIII.

Wes Welker Gets Videobombed... And It Is Pretty Funny

Wes Welker attended a Knicks game... I don't think anyone saw this coming:

NBA Finals Game 7 Prediction

LeBron calls out teammates, should he look in the mirror?

LeBron James talked to the media on Saturday and it became clear he was frustrated with his team. Waiting three days to play game two can have that effect. 

"You think about it a lot and it eats away at you," James told Gregg Doyel of CBSSports.com on Saturday. "But at the same time it allows you to really pinpoint ways you can get better."

As the Miami Heat players walked out for practice they were shooting long jump shots and James was the first to tell them it was time to shoot free throws.

Then, after the team began to shoot free throws, James noticed they weren’t focused. Within seconds Doyel said Lebron yelled at the team: "Hey, c'mon man." Stop f---ing around."  

LeBron James needs to be in attack mode if the Miami
Heat are going to defeat the San Antonio Spurs.

This is the NBA Finals and the Heat are James’ team. He will take the criticism if they lose and the glory if they win.

He was the first to call out his teammates. He’s told the media that Chris Bosh needs to play in the paint and not outside.

"Wherever [Bosh] demands the ball in the post, we'll give it to him," LeBron said after game one. "We need that paint attack from him."

Oh and what about Dwyane Wade? He was supposed to be the Robin to James’ Batman? James knows he needs more from Wade.

"Even if sometimes you're not in the rhythm, I need to see your face that you're in tune and you're ready for the next possession and ready to move on from whatever is going on,” James said referring to Wade.

James knows he needs his team to step up. After posting a triple-double in game one where James tallied 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists, does he need to do more?

James is the best player in the world. It isn’t a secret. This is when the best player takes over. It’s the NBA Finals and if the Heat are going to beat the Spurs, his teammates will have to play better. However, James is going to have to take his game to another level.

In game two, James will have to guard Tony Parker early and often. Parker did hit the game winner with James on him in game one, but it took one of the most clutch plays we’ve ever seen in the NBA Finals for Parker to do so. James will slow Parker down.

In game one there were times when James passed the ball instead of shot. That needs to change. James taking a 10-foot jump shot is better than Bosh throwing up a 25-foot three pointer.

James needs to raise his game, which may sound like a crazy statement. After all, he did have a triple double. But, it’s not, because he is the greatest player on the court. His presence needs to be felt on both ends of the court.

James needs to attack the rim. There isn’t a single player that can guard him on the Spurs if he is attacking the basket. He needs to be aggressive and run. If he has the ball in the open floor and there are three Spurs back on defense, most players should bring the ball out and set up the offense. Not James. He should attack the rim and make a play for his team.

After four MVP’s one may assume James has reached the height of his powers, but he has more in the tank. He can dig-deeper and become even better. These are the moments he needs to shine brightest.

The King must be in attack mode in a must-win game two tonight in Miami. He clearly wants his team to be focused. But, LeBron, it is your team and it’s time for you to lead them to the Promised Land.

Maybe you should look in the mirror, before you tell your team to: “Stop f---ing around."

NBA Finals Prediction: It's The King's Court

Will the San Antonio Spurs win their fifth NBA
Championship or will the Miami Heat repeat?

LeBron James said he believed the Miami Heat would win multiple championships after he joined the team in the summer of 2010. Now, the only thing standing in his way is one of the most dominating teams in the past decade.

The San Antonio Spurs are the definition of success. They have won four World Championships since 1999 and defeated James’ Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 in the 2007 NBA Finals. Since then, James has won four Most Valuable Player Awards and has ascended to the top of the NBA.

Can The King lead his Heat to victory against a Spurs team that has never lost in the finals? Will Spurs point guard Tony Parker continue playing at the level he has played at during these playoffs? The answer to both of these questions is yes.

Parker will play great against the Heat and will lead his team to multiple victories in this series. He will help Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili get open looks around the basket. After the Spurs swept the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference Finals, my mind was made up. They were going to win the championship. But, as I write this less than 90 minutes before tip-off I have changed my mind.

James is The King for a reason and he isn’t going to lose his spot at the top of the basketball world right now. Not at the age of 28 and in his prime.

 The Heat are just too good. Everyone talks about the depth of the Spurs. How about the depth of the Heat? They have a Hall-of-Famer coming off the bench in Ray Allen who is deadly from behind the arc. James will have help in this series. The help people were clamoring for in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Chris Bosh will play better. He was outmatched physically against the Indiana Pacers. There isn’t a player on the Spurs who can do what David West physically in the Eastern Conference Finals. Bosh will be more comfortable and become a big-time contributor in this series.

LeBron James will lead the Miami Heat to back-to-back championships in
a grueling seven game series versus the San Antonio Spurs.

Dwyane Wade has struggled in these playoffs. But, when it’s time to win he always seems to deliver in the clutch. The 2006 NBA Finals MVP knows how to win and wants to win as bad as anyone. Even though he is battling injuries, he will still outplay his counterpart Ginobili.

The Spurs have a real advantage at point guard with Parker. But, after that they don’t have any tremendous advantages. Is Duncan better than Bosh? Sure. Will he dominate Bosh in this series? The answer is no.

 Both teams have three stars and have surrounded them with great role players. But, 

who is the best player on the court? That is the one question that needs to be asked in a series like this. The answer is James. The Heat have the best player in the world and the Spurs don’t.

This will be a great series that we will talk about for many years, but The King will return to his throne in seven games, after the Heat defeat the Spurs and repeat as NBA Champions.

Prediction: The Miami Heat will defeat the San Antonio Spurs 4-3.

Game 1: Miami Heat: 102 San Antonio Spurs: 99

Game 2: San Antonio Spurs: 97 Miami Heat: 91

Game 3: San Antonio Spurs: 110 Miami Heat: 93  

Game 4: Miami Heat: 110 San Antonio Spurs: 103

Game 5: Miami Heat: 110  San Antonio Spurs: 93

Game 6: San Antonio Spurs: 92 Miami Heat: 83

Game 7: Miami Heat: 96 San Antonio Spurs: 89