Free Agency isn’t over yet, but that won’t stop Matt Levine from breaking-down the Eastern Conference.

LeBron James going back to Cleveland has shaken up the Eastern Conference. By Keith Allison from Baltimore, USA (LeBron James) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Once LeBron James decided that he wasn’t returning to Miami and would join back with the Cavaliers, it shifted a balance of power in the East. No longer would the Miami Heat run roughshod all over the conference as a de-facto lock for the NBA Finals. With that in mind, here’s an outlook on the future in the Eastern Conference:

Chicago Bulls: Although they missed out in the Carmelo Anthony sweepstakes, they will still be putting a star player out onto the court in Derrick Rose — assuming he can stay healthy. Adding Pau Gasol and rookie Doug McDermott should help the offensive problems Tom Thibodeau’s team has had, while also adding some more star power to add to an already excellent team. Assuming Derrick Rose stays healthy and competes at a high level, expect the Bulls to compete for a title again.

Indiana Pacers: A Jekyll and Hyde metaphor nicely sums up how the Pacers’ 2013-2014 season ended. This team has so much talent on it but never got over the hump. Even with them playing so poorly through much of the playoffs, they were still two wins away from the NBA Finals. Losing Lance Stephenson is a blow to this team that struggles with offense at times. Adding a gritty player and scorer like CJ Miles likely will soften that blow. The best team in last year’s regular season, the Pacers will once again contend in the East.

Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron James comes home. That will be the headline surrounding the Cavs all season long no matter how good or bad they are. Teaming up with Kyrie Irving and rookie Andrew Wiggins should give the Cavs a big-three for years to come. The Cavs will be a very good team simply because LeBron is on it but the storyline of LeBron winning a title for Cleveland at least this upcoming season is probably not very realistic, given the Cavs’ recent past.

Miami Heat: Even with the loss of LeBron James, the Miami Heat should still compete in the East. They still have Chris Bosh and assuming Dwayne Wade stays healthy, the Heat really aren’t all that bad. They replaced LeBron with Luol Deng who is a gritty defensive player and can also score the basketball. They added Danny Granger — a former All Star and leader of the Pacers. Although Josh McRoberts isn’t a household name, he can play. While the Heat likely won’t contend for a title for a while, don’t expect them to just fade into irrelevance.

Washington Wizards: Don’t look now but the Wizards are back and look like they are here to stay for the long haul. The back-court duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal can both flat out ball it up. Marcin Gortat and Nene up front make for a scary tandem for anyone who dares to enter the paint. They did lose Trevor Ariza, but the cherry on top of their offseason was the addition of Paul Pierce. Pierce clearly isn’t the same player as he used to be but can still be vital to a contending team. Watch out for Washington.

Toronto Raptors: Throughout all the LeBron and Carmelo Anthony madness, it seems as everyone has forgotten about the Raptors. The #3 seed in the East last year shouldn’t be overlooked either. They might slip a bit in the standings but not by much. Kyle Lowry, Demar DeRozan Terrence Ross are all young stars in their own right. Adding Lou Williams and rookie DeAndre Daniels from Connecticut will help fill in additional depth. Finally Toronto has a team to cheer for, for the first time since the Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady days.

Brooklyn Nets: The Nets went all out last season by teaming up Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Robin Lopez and Deron Williams but only got to the second round and paid a steep luxury tax in the process. Injuries and lack of chemistry were the demise of this team yet they started clicking towards the end of the season. While the Nets won’t surprise anyone or be a top team in the East, I think they will still make the playoffs and could get back to the second round yet again — even without Pierce or their ousted head coach, Jason Kidd.

New York Knicks: The Knicks have taken a lot of heat from fans and media over the past few years, but for some reason I believe in them this year. This is a team that won 54 games two seasons ago and has a lot of the same players. They brought in Phil Jackson to run the team and I don’t bet against the Zen Master. My beloved, Derek Fisher, is now call the shots as the head coach. Fish which will at least bring a new sense of culture to a team that seems to badly need it. The Knicks also got rid of some dead weight in Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton while acquiring Jose Calderon. On top of it all, they were able to somehow draft Cleanthony Early from Wichita State after he dropped to them in the second round. The Knicks look in pretty good shape especially after a very disappointing season last year.

Charlotte Hornets: Am I the only one who thinks it’s so cool that the Charlotte Hornets are back in the NBA? Not only are they back in the league, they also they look like a team that could compete. As the Bobcats last season, the made the playoffs as the #7 seed so they will be looking to improve from that. They still have big Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker and added Noah Vonleh in the draft from Indiana to add to their strong front court. They also may have gotten the steal of free agency by signing Lance Stephenson. Despite his playoff antics, Stephenson can be a huge piece of the puzzle for the Hornets. Michael Jordan may have finally built a team that can compete.

Every NBA season some surprise teams jump up and contend for the playoffs and in the East those could be the Hawks, Pistons, and Magic. The NBA season is a bit away from us but its never too early to look at the upcoming year especially one where there isn’t a clear favorite in the East for the first time in four years.

What do you think? Who is the favorite in the East now? Which team do you think will surprise people?

All season long, the two-time defending champion Miami Heat have been the favorites in the NBA. The San Antonio Spurs, who lost to Miami in the Finals last season, had the best record during the regular season and have looked like a team on a mission. The Indiana Pacers, who seemed determined to overthrow their rivals in Miami started off the season hot but have slipped lately. This was supposed to be the year that some team knocked off LeBron James and the Heat and stopped them from becoming a dynasty. Thus far in the playoffs that dream seems very unlikely.

Could the NBA Finals return to the Moda Center in Portland this season? By Another Believer (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

At this point, I think the only other two teams that could give the Heat some trouble out East are the young Toronto Raptors and the veteran Brooklyn Nets, who happen to be facing each other in the first round. With the Pacers struggling to find themselves, it almost looks like a lock for the Heat to meet up with a team like the Wizards in the Eastern Conference Finals.

In other words, it’s not turning out to be as challenging as many thought for LeBron and co.

In the West, it’s a free-for-all, with some of the top teams struggling so far in the playoffs. The top-seeded Spurs are playing their in-state rival Dallas Mavericks who so far are showing the Spurs they mean some business. The two teams from the Lone Star State have split the first two games in San Antonio and Dallas could have won both games in San Antonio if not for an impressive run to end game one by the Spurs.

The second-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder with MVP Kevin Durant seemed primed for another playoff run yet find themselves down 2-1 to the gritty Memphis Grizzlies. The Houston Rockets had a lot of hype after the addition of Dwight Howard in the offseason, but they are down 0-2 to the Trail Blazers heading into one of the loudest arenas in the NBA back in Portland. The Los Angeles Clippers are the only top seeded team looking like they should taking a 2-1 lead over the Warriors including winning a game in Oakland.

The NBA playoffs are far from over and anything can happen, but so far signs are pointing towards the Heat reaching their fourth straight NBA Finals and meeting up with any of the right Western Conference teams that clinched a postseason berth. Here is what I believe will happen over the course of the playoffs:

First Round:

1. San Antonio Spurs vs. 8. Dallas Mavericks (Spurs in 7)

2. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 7. Memphis Grizzlies (Grizzlies in 6)

3. Los Angeles Clippers vs. 6. Golden State Warriors (Clippers in 7)

4. Houston Rockets vs. 5. Portland Trailblazers (Trailblazers in 6)

1. Indiana Pacers vs. 8. Atlanta Hawks (Pacers in 7)

2. Miami Heat vs. 7. Charlotte Bobcats (Heat in 5)

3. Toronto Raptors vs. 6. Brooklyn Nets (Nets in 6)

4. Chicago Bulls vs. 5. Washington Wizards (Wizards in 4)

Semi-Finals:

1. San Antonio Spurs vs. 5. Portland Trailblazers (Trailblazers in 6)

3. Los Angeles Clippers vs. 7. Memphis Grizzlies (Clippers in 7)

1. Indiana Pacers vs. 5. Washington Wizards (Wizards in 6)

2. Miami Heat vs. 6. Brooklyn Nets (Heat in 7)

Conference Finals:

3. Los Angeles Clippers vs. 5. Portland Trailblazers (Trailblazers in 6)

2. Miami Heat vs. 5. Washington Wizards (Heat in 5)

NBA Finals: 2. Miami Heat vs. 5. Portland Trailblazers (TBA)

Every NBA offseason it seems that at least one star player changes teams and the 2014 offseason shouldn’t be any different. While not technically being free agents, many people expect Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James to opt out of their current deals and perusing other options. Like a lot of people, I expect LeBron to stay with the Miami Heat regardless whether or not they three-peat as champions. Carmelo on the other hand may have other ideas than to stay with the New York Knicks past this season.

Many Laker fans are hoping Carmelo brings his talents across the country this coming offseason. By Keith Allison, via Wikimedia Commons

Carmelo has said that what has happened this season disgusts him and seems to be very disappointed. The latest news in the Knicks season is that they have signed the Zen Master himself, Phil Jackson, to a position with the team overseeing basketball operations. Some think this is a ploy by the Knicks in order to persuade Carmelo to stay in New York rather than leave. But, the question remains, what should Carmelo Anthony do this coming off-season, assuming he opts out of his contract?

Many teams have been linked to Carmelo but the two teams with the best chance of landing the star are probably the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, with the Bulls being the best option.

Chicago already has pieces on their team that could piece together to be a championship team and adding a scorer like Carmelo could enhance their offense. If — and it’s a BIG if — Derrick Rose could just stay healthy, he and Carmelo could become a dynamic duo in the NBA for years. Anthony would fit-in perfectly with the Bulls as their starting small forward, but in order to make that happen the Bulls would need to make some costly but necessary cuts. Also there is a question of whether Carmelo is ready to step into the house that Michael built and lead the Bulls back to glory? I’m not so sure that he is ready for that despite him being in the league for over ten years now.

Another team that Carmelo could land with is the Lakers, which would make the 2014 season hugely intriguing. The Lakers season has fallen so flat this season. Teaming Carmelo up with Kobe Bryant along with their supposed lottery pick for Bryant’s’ last run at a sixth title could be very successful. Kobe and Carmelo are friends with much respect for one another and that has proven to be successful in this league in places like Miami and Boston. While Kobe and Carmelo are not James and Wade, the duo could turn out to be a scary scoring duo for opposing teams.

Like most off-seasons, this one promises to be entertaining. Even with the addition of Phil Jackson, I believe that Carmelo Anthony is as good as gone from the Knicks. If I have to predict where he would land as of right now, I would say the Lakers. It makes sense for both the Lakers and Carmelo; plus it will give Kobe a successor to hand the team over to once he finally retires. While I’m not sure it would be the best thing for the team in the long-term, I expect to see Carmelo be the next star to don the famous purple and gold jersey come next season.

Just when you think you’ve seen it all in sports, something happens that just makes you say “Wow”.  Things happen that basically render you speechless. For me injuries in sports are what I hate most. I despise them. I know that you can’t avoid them and they are a part of the game but it takes away from the games and leaves me angry.

Last season we saw many star NBA players go down due to injuries including Kobe Bryant, Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose. While Kobe has yet to come back, Westbrook and Rose have returned to the court both trying to show they are back. Unfortunately the basketball gods had two different plans for the pair of Midwestern point guards.

Derrick Rose will likely be out the rest of the NBA season. By Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA (Derrick Rose) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Maybe that should be expected after missing a year of basketball. Rose tore his ACL back in the 2012 season forcing him to sit out the entire 2013 year thus prompting his highly anticipated return this season. We aren’t even a full month into the season and Rose has suffered another major injury. On Saturday night, Rose tore his meniscus in his right knee which will force him to have to sit out again for an extended period of time.

What a shame, what a terrible shame that this could happen again. As purely a fan, I am upset and I can’t even begin to imagine the frustration and anger both Rose and the rest of the Bulls organization must have with this situation. I don’t wish injury on any person but if an injury had to happen, why Rose? He worked so hard to return and was scrutinized for sitting out all of last season only to come back and have this happen? It amazes me that the basketball gods would let this happen and when I heard the news I was at a loss for words. As a Lakers fan, I can’t imagine what would happen if something like this happened to Kobe upon his return.

All I can say now is “Wow” and get better soon D Rose. The NBA isn’t the same without you.

As the new NBA season approaches, it seems that there are more preseason story-lines than I can remember in a long time. This season, some of these questions are:

Is this the last season of the Big Three in Miami?

How will Dwight Howard fit in with James Harden and Houston?

Will this be it for Tim Duncan?

How will Kobe play when he comes back from his injury?

There are many other story lines coming into the NBA season but with story lines comes predictions, something many people enjoy doing. I have made my predictions for each the Western Conference and Eastern Conference but have yet to make my Conference Finals picks and NBA Finals picks. It has taken me a long time to finally decide which two teams will be playing for a title at the end of the season but I have made my picks and here they are:

Can the Indiana Pacers be the team to finally de-throne the Miami Heat in the East? By Marta Sand (Flickr: Heat vs Pacers, 2012), via Wikimedia Commons

Eastern Conference Finals

For respect purposes and the fact that I do believe Chicago and Indiana will play each other in the second round thus handing the Heat a spot here.

Opposing them will either be the Pacers or Bulls. While both teams play defense, I favor the Pacers over the Bulls because of the experience of a year ago. So, Indiana vs. Miami in a rematch of that epic seven game series last season but this time, I believe Paul George and the Pacers will pull through and de-throne the champions.

The Pacers are going to be a very hungry team after the end of last season and if not for a dumb mistake by Frank Vogel in game 1, I think the Pacers would have won the series a year ago. This year I believe they will get it done and make it to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000. Adding Luis Scola and Chris Copland help boost this team past the two time champions.

Western Conference Finals

This is a tough pick because I believe that there are at least six teams that can represent the West in the NBA Finals. I am going to go with a somewhat bold prediction here and say that the Western Conference Finals will take place solely in Texas. The Rockets and Spurs are my picks for the Western Conference Finals.

The addition of a (healthy) Dwight Howard to an already pretty good Rockets team is a huge factor behind this. I think James Harden and Howard will play together much better than Howard and Kobe Bryant did last season — resulting in wins rather than losses. That being said, I don’t believe it will be the Rockets representing the West in the Finals. This is going to be a test year for the Spurs since they have never dealt with a Finals loss. Will this old team fold after losing such a tough Finals series? Or, will they use the loss as motivation to get back and win another title? I’m going to bet on the motivation. So, the Spurs do it again, looking to redeem themselves from the heart-breaking Finals loss last season.

NBA Finals

Pacers vs. Spurs.

David Stern’s worst nightmare.

This will be another tough, grind it out type series much like the Heat-Spurs series was last season and as much as my heart wants to pick the Indiana Pacers to win, my mind won’t let me. I have counted out the Spurs for too long. My pick to be the 2014 NBA Champions is the San Antonio Spurs. They added another shooter and in my opinion a tough-minded player in Marco Belinelli which should help the already explosive offense. After their first NBA Finals loss, I believe that Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and especially Tim Duncan will be extremely motivated and hungry to get one more title as a core unit. Tim Duncan and the Spurs pull a page from the Baltimore Ravens playbook with Ray Lewis and send Duncan off into the sunset on top of the NBA world, gathering his fifth NBA ring.

2014 NBA Champions: San Antonio Spurs 

It’s never too early for predictions.

Since LeBron James (or Ray Allen depending who you talk to) sealed the Miami Heat’s second straight NBA title, the other 29 teams have been making many moves to try and compete with the defending champs. While not all teams will even be given a chance to dethrone the champs, I thoroughly believe that most teams throughout the league improved from a year ago, which is going to make a great NBA season in 2013-14.

Will the American Airlines Area be hosting it’s 4th NBA Finals in as many years? By Ines Hegedus-Garcia, via Wikimedia Commons

1. Miami Heat: How can I not put them at the top of the East? They are the two time defending champs who didn’t lose any players plus added Greg Oden to try and add to the championship mix. I’m not sure if they will win the three-peat but they will definitely be a strong contender for it.

2. Indiana Pacers: This team has pushed Miami to the brink the last two seasons in the playoffs, and Paul George had an incredible coming out party in the playoffs. They kept David West and added swingman Chris Copland from the Knicks and Luis Scola from the Suns. Plus Danny Granger should finally be healthy, look for the Pacers to have another great season.

3. Chicago Bulls: While they lost Nate Robinson, they welcome back former MVP Derrick Rose, which should make Chicago fans cheerful again. They are pretty much the same team as last year whom was pretty darn good despite all the injuries. Hard-nosed defense and Derrick Rose back, seems like a good combination to me.

4. New York Knicks: For some reason people doubt the Knicks and I don’t understand why. They finally won a playoff series last season only to lose to a great Pacer team in the second round. They have improved the 2^nd place team by adding Andrea Bargnani, Metta World Peace and drafting Tim Hardaway Jr. Until proven otherwise, the Knicks still own New York as far as I’m concern.

5. Brooklyn Nets: Having Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson as your starting lineup looks amazing on paper but only time will tell if they mesh well together under rookie head coach Jason Kidd. As we saw last year from the Lakers, names don’t mean wins.

6. Cleveland Cavaliers: Adding Andrew Bynum will give the Cavs an inside presence that they have been looking for, as long as he stays healthy. With both Bynum and Irving healthy, I really like this Cavs team. Also adding Jarrett Jack adds scoring off the bench and veteran leadership on a young team. For the first time since the whole LeBron James decision, the Cavs make it back to the playoffs.

7. Washington Wizards: It is about time the Wizards start winning with John Wall. They are a young team with tremendous upside, and to many peoples surprise the Wizards were one of the league best defensive teams last season ranking 8^th in the league. Not too bad for a bottom of the standings team last year.

8. Detroit Pistons: This was a hard choice because both the Pistons and Raptors could make the eighth seed but as of right now I think the Pistons edge them out a little bit. Adding Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings should improve this team enough to make the playoffs for a short date with the defending champs in the first round.

9. Toronto Raptors: Having Rudy Gay makes the Raptors somewhat relevant but not enough to make the playoffs. Maybe with one more piece to the puzzle, Toronto could win but not this year I don’t think.

10. Atlanta Hawks: Losing Josh Smith was a big blow and I’m not sure they can recover from that but adding Paul Millsap helps a little bit. The Hawks will drop, not to the bottom but out of the playoff race.

11. Charlotte Bobcats: I am going to go out on a limb here and say that the Bobcats won’t be completely terrible this season, good enough for 11^th in the East. I liked the signing of Al Jefferson to a young team. Don’t expect the Bobcats to do more than play spoiler for on the bubble playoff teams at the end of the season.

12. Milwaukee Bucks: While the Bucks made the playoffs last year, I believe it was because of how weak the East was and that isn’t the case as much this season. They lost both Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis and replaced them with Brandon Knight and O.J. Mayo whom aren’t bad but this isn’t a playoff team for the second straight year.

13. Boston Celtics: The roster looks very, very different for the first time in awhile except for Rajon Rondo. The Celtics will drop to the bottom this season but with players like Rondo, Jeff Green and Avery Bradley they won’t be the worst team in the East. It’s a rebuilding process for the green that starts in 2014.

14. Orlando Magic: The Magic will be just as bad as they were a year ago except this time they will have added a soon to be star in Victor Oladipo. He is a special talent and I believe will translate in the future to being a star but for now, he like the rest of the Magic must wait out the bad years to get to the good ones.

15. Philadelphia 76ers: Yikes….that is what I thought when looking at their roster with the exception of Nerlins Noel and Michael Carter-Williams whom are both rookies. It’s going to be a dark year in Philadelphia unless Kwame Brown somehow decides to finally play like he was supposed to when the Wizards drafted him years ago. But even if that long shot happened, it probably won’t be enough for the Sixers.

The year is 2013.

But some things still haven’t changed and I had hoped it would have by now. I am talking about gay rights, racism and equality for all, regardless of sexual orientation, skin color, or race. While I will admit that there has been obvious progress made in these areas, it isn’t enough.

Discrimination because of race or sexual orientation is stupid. My motto is judge a person by their personality and that’s all. Many people will ask where I am going with this since this is supposed to be a sports article but this is much more than just sports.

Recently Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper was caught on tape at a Kenny Chesney concert using a racist phrase and it has brought up much anger and sadness within the sports world and just society as a whole. Like many others, I was disgusted at what Cooper said and the aftermath, but for different reasons then people might think. In no way shape or form do I support Cooper’s comments because they were completely inappropriate and uncalled-for — I want to make that clear before I proceed.

Riley Cooper said some stupid things. He’s not the only one. By By Matthew Straubmuller (Flickr: Eagles vs Redskins), via Wikimedia Commons

In the aftermath of the comments, the Eagles have excused Cooper from team activities so that he could go to counseling for his actions and get help. While I have no problem with his counseling, my question and whole point is this: Why is he going to counseling for a racial slur but in the past when players use a gay slur all they do is get fined?

To me, and I think many others, using a gay slur is just as bad as a racist one so why is it that we as a society is making such a huge deal out of this situation but the same can’t be said when a gay slur is used? I wonder if Cooper had used a gay slur instead of a racial one, would it have been seen and dealt with differently? There have been many occurrences of gay slurs being used in recent years by other athletes but all that I’ve seen happen is a quick fine and people move on. Some notable slurs and insensitive comments include but are not limited to:

Roy Hibbert of the Indiana Pacers earlier in 2013

Amar’e Stoudemire of the New York Knicks in 2012

Roddy White of the Atlanta Falcons in 2012

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011

James Harrison of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2011

Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls in 2011

Above are just six different occurrences of athletes using a gay slur but I don’t remember anybody making as a big deal about it as they are currently with Cooper’s situation. Isn’t using a gay slur is just as inappropriate and disgusting as using a racial one? Recently NBA center Jason Collins came out as a professional athlete and was greeted to much love and support which was very nice to see but then that goes back to my point.

Why isn’t the use of gay slurs made into more of a big deal then they are?

In my opinion, the use of both racial and gay slurs not just in sports but in society as a whole should be dealt with in a much more strict manner so that in the future, people won’t be as ignorant and use them.

What do you think?

Predictions in sports can be just as fun as what actually happens and a lot of time many people do it. Every person has their own unique way of predicting outcomes, some go through the purity of stats or some use just the heart and will of a team or player. Either way, predictions can be a way for a fan, analyst or gambler to have and feel like they are involved with the actual games being played. As for me, I have made many predictions throughout my life. Some have come true and some haven’t, and I will be the first one to admit when I am wrong. On that note, here is my prediction for the Eastern Conference when the season comes to an end in April, a small breakdown of each team and some playoff predictions with a little over half the season complete:

1.    Miami Heat:

The reigning NBA champions have looked like the champions…when playing at home. They are 18-3 at home but only 11-11 on the road. Winning on the road is what the playoffs is about and the Heat have yet to prove they can do that. This team improved from last season, but I’m not so sure I trust them.

If Derrick Rose comes back healthy, the Bulls have a real chance to go to the NBA Finals. By Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA, via Wikimedia Commons

2.    Chicago Bulls:

The Bulls and coach Tom Thibodeau have done an incredible job thus far without former MVP Derrick Rose. Getting him back will only make this team that much better. They are ranked third in the league in points allowed, only allowing 90.9 PPG. Defense is what this team is all about and its something that will help them come playoff time.

3.    New York Knicks:

The Knicks started 6-0 and haven’t slowed down, as they are tied with the Heat for the number one seed at the moment. They have already beaten the Heat twice, once without MVP candidate Carmelo Anthony (in Miami). This team looks like a complete team and coach Mike Woodson has them firing on all cylinders. The oldest team in the league is also one of the best.

4.    Indiana Pacers:

With the emergence of Paul George, the Pacers have continued their winning ways from last season. Despite not having former All-Star Danny Granger, the Pacers seem to be doing just fine. If he can come back into the lineup and fit-in smoothly, this can be a dangerous team. Who doesn’t remember that physical playoff series last year with the Heat? And being the second ranked team in points allowed with only 89.9 a game, the Pacers can do some damage.

5.    Boston Celtics:

Like the Lakers, the Celtics aren’t normally this low in the standings but injuries and poor play have put them here. My pre-season pick for the finals from the Eastern Conference suffered a huge blow last week, losing all-star point guard Rajon Rondo to a season-ending injury and then yesterday lost rookie Jared Sullinger to injury. But they still have hall of famers Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett who, if anything have heart and will — something you can never bet against.

6.    Brooklyn Nets:

After a hot start and then a coaching change, the Nets seem to have finally gotten things together. Big man Brook Lopez and point guard Deron Williams lead the Nets and look to have this team poised for a playoff run. New look, new city, new players — can it all lead to new winning ways for the Nets? Both them and their new Brooklyn fans hope so.

7.    Milwaukee Bucks:

I really like this team and what they have done this season. They have beaten the Celtics three times and the Heat once and they look ready for the playoffs. Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis make a good backcourt duo for the Bucks and give them a tandem that teams don’t like to play against. The Bucks get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Fear the Deer!

8.    Philadelphia 76ers:

In a hard decision, I think the 76ers beat out the Atlanta Hawks for the eighth and final seed. The Sixers have hovered around the eighth seed all year and will be getting back big man Andrew Bynum after the all-star break. Bynum is a game-changer and I believe will really help the Sixers out. Although the Hawks have been very good this season, I think the Sixers will overtake them when it’s all said and done.

Notable Mentions: Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors

PREDICTIONS:

First Round:

1. Miami Heat vs. 8. Philadelphia 76ers: Heat in six

2. Chicago Bulls vs. 7. Milwaukee Bucks: Bulls in six

3. New York Knicks vs. 6. Brooklyn Nets: Knicks win the battle for New York in seven

4. Indiana Pacers vs. 5. Boston Celtics: Celtics in six

Semi Finals:

1. Miami Heat vs. 5. Boston Celtics

In the best series of the playoffs, I have this hard fought, mentally grinding series going to seven games with the Boston Celtics knocking off the reigning champions. Yes I know this is a crazy accusation (especially for a Laker fan), but I believe that the road struggles for the Heat will be the downfall of this years squad. I believe the Celtics can go into American Airlines Arena and still a game or two. This will be very difficult to do without Rondo, but these Celtics have a will to them, that you can’t describe. I may be wrong but Celtics in seven.

2. Chicago Bulls vs. 3. New York Knicks

Finally the Knicks get out of the first round, but its short served. I have the Bulls taking out the Knicks in six games. But it’s a promising sign for the Knicks to even win a playoff series. The Bulls head back to the Eastern Conference finals where they have a date with the green machine.

Conference Finals:

2. Chicago Bulls vs. 5. Boston Celtics

After the hard-fought series against the Heat, the Celtics finally run out of gas against a younger Bulls team, so I’m picking the Bulls in six. Kudos to the Celtics for making it this far without Rondo but the Bulls make it back to the finals for the first time since the Jordan era.

2013 Eastern Conference Champions: 2. Chicago Bulls

In my prediction, the Bulls make it back to the NBA Finals where they will meet up with the Los Angeles Lakers. Their defense, the return of Derrick Rose and the help of the Celtics knocking off the Heat, are what propel the Bulls back to the championship series. As I said for the Lakers, I’m not saying the Bulls will win the NBA title but they will be one of the last two teams standing.

With the Super Bowl right around the corner, the time of year has returned once again. This particular pocket on the calendar serves as the preparation point that will give way to the onslaught of sport for the year to come.

As we speak, New Orleans is being blitzed and invaded by 49ers fans and Ravens fans alike, not to mention the straight-up football fans and “party fans” that are piling in. It is Bourbon Street, after all.

Even the First Super Bowl Party gets a little loose! By White House (Pete Souza) / Maison Blanche (Pete Souza) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

We know the pageantry and performance of the big game won’t disappoint. The annual pinnacle of American sport never lets us down, and even if the scoreboard is lopsided, one of your friends at the party seems to always end up that way as well, making the whole Super Bowl party experience a let-down-free zone.

Pushing all the rif-raf to the peanut gallery, the 49ers open, and will most likely remain, favorites – and with good reason. Colin Kaepernick is a dynamic force that is currently surfing the wave that most young phenoms always seem to – “they don’t even know where they are right now.”

The combination of Colin Kaepernick riding the whitewash of momentum, coupled with his elite, dual-threat ability coming of age right before our eyes, makes the 49ers an extremely dangerous favorite. The 49ers could win by a slim margin or a big margin. This is something you can’t necessarily say about the Ravens.

If the Ravens get over, it will be a ‘Rice, Rice, Flacco to Boldin or Pitta 3rd down conversion’ type of game. The deep bomb to Torrey Smith is something I don’t really see the defense of the 49ers allowing, given the prowlace their two all-pro safeties.  At the same time, I would also be foolish if I didn’t consider the magic a retiring Ray Lewis and his defense seem to have going.  Underdogs can still overachieve.

Analysis of the game aside, the unbridled fun of the Super Bowl also serves as a recognizable signaling of the year to come in all other arenas of sport.

The NBA all-star game is on the horizon, and unfortunately for most fans, the taste of purple and gold is impossible to remove from the palate of NBA water-cooler talk everywhere.

Dwight Howard throw-downs have been few and far between so far this season. By Fido (Flickr: Bucks @ Lakers) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

I know everyone is exhausted with the revolving Laker discussion, but the reason the Lakers continue to hoard the headlines is a reason you rarely equate with this franchise – their ineptitude.

Give me an “A” or give me an “F,” right?  Unfortunately, “F” sells in a huge way, and sadly, sells even more than “A” does – but you can’t blame the Lakers for all the attention they are recieving.  Another main reason the Lakers are hogging print and air waves is because nothing around the rest of the NBA is making waves.

The Heat are dominating in their defense of the title. The Celtics, Knicks and Rose-less Bulls are still nipping at their heels in the East.  Great.

In the West, the Thunder are still running, the Spurs are still lurking, and the Clippers and Grizzlies are still up-and-coming. Great.

Yawn.  Alright!  I’m awake!

Moving on — what or who else looms near this time of year? You got it – everyone’s favorite worst guy ever, the infamous “bracket guy.”

Unrightfully so, no one pays an emphatic amount of attention to the national NCAA basketball scene until March rolls around, but when it does, get ready to throw down your bracket and your bucks.

Cinderellas will be the overlying theme as they always are, and golden chariots will turn back into pumpkins in the end like they always do – but the overall saga of March never comes up short.  One.  Shining.  Moment.  I’m welling up just thinking about it.  No I’m not.

Seamheads are beyond hyped this time of year as well. Everyone is a potential pennant winner in spring training, and pitchers and catchers report in less than a month.

With the Giants coming off another World Series Championship and the Dodgers having huge expectations, the rivalry only looks to get juicier. By andyrusch (http://www.flickr.com/photos/asrusch/5748267516/) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Money, money and more money has morphed a perpetual big-market underachiever into the new West coast version of the New York Yankees. Trading for the gigantic contracts of super stars has given way to monumental stadium renovations for the Dodgers, which will create more revenue, and eventually give way to taking on even more gigantic contracts of super stars.

Moneyball may get you to the dance, but big money allows you to go home with the prom queen in the end. The Dodgers have officially taken on the new face of baseball’s dark side, and will become even more of a polarizing team than they were before.

Spoiler alert: yes, the rebels eventually win in Star Wars, but in baseball the empire always eventually wins in bulk. Blue thinkers finally realizing gold once again could be right around the corner.

From progression to regression – congratulations on almost killing your sport one more time, Gary Bettman. Hockey is back, but now the few casual fans that existed before care even less.

Kings captain Dustin Brown hoists the cup, a trophy of a dying sport. By Eric Chan from Hollywood, United States (DSC00815 Uploaded by JoeJohnson2) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

On a positive note, the Kings raising the banner was beyond due.  It was an awesome run last season and a championship that was well deserved for Kingdom loyalists — but the realistic future of hockey has essentially become a dimming light, one that now can barely even be seen by a telescope in the night sky of the American sporting realm.

It wouldn’t be an all discussion without mentioning eagles and earplugs, two associations about to start the longest campaigns of any professional leagues in the United States. 10 months?  Forget campaigns, try marathons.

There are niches in our sports melting pot that absolutely live for the PGA and Nascar circuits. And strangely enough, they couldn’t be more polar opposites.  Its the quietest sport and the loudest sport.  Its the high-class perception and the low-class perception.  And given the differences, it’s kind of ironic how the hardcore fans of both circuits would probably never get along, yet the 19th hole and the 5th wheel effectively serve the same purpose.  I guess that’s one thing everyone can agree on – booze.

So there it is and here it comes – the great American sporting landscape.  And with all of the anticipation and excitement on the horizon, there’s honestly nothing I can see that could put damper on the cornucopia of sport all of us fans are in line for, could there be?

April 15th. Yea, the smartass went and did it.

Around the time I was beginning to understand the importance of the Olympic games, the great track star Carl Lewis was the biggest name on the block. I tuned in daily to the 1988 Olympics to see Lewis win his sixth career gold medal.

How sweet. How tear jerking. A young American inspired by one of his countrymen. It is the sort of story “Little House on the Prairie” and actor Michael London were great at. But hold on a second. Lewis’ epic run of glory ended rather bluntly. Let’s just say, like so many before and after him, Lewis thought he was more than just a track star. He attempted to belt the national anthem with sweet harmonies, but what occurred that night at a New Jersey Nets basketball game against Michael Jordan’s Bulls was downright deflating. The man was a miserable uneventful singer who gave Roseanne freaking Barr a solid run for her money.

I learned a good lesson that day: Do what you’re best at. If you don’t you look worse than a woman with the eyebrows of a broom.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kU9XwcOIfI

Or

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru2BYd3c90w

?

And then I couldn’t leave this one out because it makes my point even more. Cuba Gooding Sr thinks he’s more than just the father of his famous son. Think again Sr.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoraafZyJmU

I tuned in last night to watch the gazelle of a sprinter, Usain Bolt, glide to his record breaking gold in the 100 – meter sprint. The Jamaican moved with the softness of a feather over the course; his body built by bricks; the man adorned with the physique of a Roman God. Here’s to hoping he sticks to running and not some makeshift rap or r&b career. With a rock star name like Usain Bolt anything is possible, and that’s what scares me.