Cody's Blog

For the first time since 1999, three of the four playoff series in the conference semifinals were swept. In 1999, the #1 seeded San Antonio Spurs ousted the Lakers in four. In the Eastern Conference, the 2 seeded Indiana Pacers also brought out the brooms, taking four games in a row from the Philadelphia 76ers and the surprise 8 seed New York Knicks downed the Atlanta Hawks. This year, the trend was reversed, with San Antonio on the losing end of their series with the Suns this year. The Suns dominated the Spurs and handled the Spurs in four, the Lakers slugged away at the Jazz and beat them in four games as well and the Orando Magic shot the Atlanta Hawks right of the playoffs. All three of these teams have in common that they can all score 100 points almost every night, as well as they each have at least three guys that can get it done in crunch time. All three of the teams that swept their conference semifinal series are explosive, and all three have the potential to do damage in series to come.

Los Angeles Lakers – The Lakers have possibly the best lineup on paper in the NBA. Ron Artest is a dominant defender. 7 footers Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum are a handful inside, and Kobe is the best finisher in the game while Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher are great role players. However, besides these six guys, the Lakers are extremely thin. Shannon Brown is the only real threat off of the bench, and the Lakers are undoubtedly a step or two slower than they were last year. Don’t get me wrong; the Lakers are a dynamic team, but I don’t see them keeping up with a younger, more run and gun type of team like the Suns, which they face off against in the Western Conference Finals.

Phoenix Suns – Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash are easily the best pick and roll duo in the NBA, and are two of the NBA’s best at their respective positions. They also hold one of the NBA’s streakiest players; when he scores over a certain amount, the Suns are unbeatable, but when he scores fewer points, they are just as easy to beat as the Nets. Phoenix also has the same problem as the Lakers. They are basically only six guys deep with, Jared Dudley, Goran Dragic and Cahnning Frye. Their inability to play defense at times will most likely be the reason if they make an exodus from the 2010 playoffs, but until then all they have to do is play within themselves and continue to score points and beat up on their opponents.

Orlando Magic – The Magic have been playing like basketball is going out of style. In the past five weeks, the Magic have not lost a game, and have won their first 8 playoff games, sweeping both their first and second round opponents in Charlotte and Atlanta. Orlando has turned up both its offense in the playoffs, as well as on the defensive end of the floor. Orlando is only allowing a league playoff low 83.7 point per game to opponents, while putting up 101 a game as a team on offense, giving them an average victory margin of 17 points a night. Orlando has some advantage over the teams left in the playoffs, as they can put their starters of Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis and Matt Barnes, as well as throw J.J. Redick, Mickael Pietrus, Marcin Gortat, Jason Williams and Ryan Anderson on the court to compete night in and night out. Lewis and Pietrus are shooting above 47% from three combined, and as long as they continue to shoot, the Magic will continue to win.

On the verge of executing their first sweep against the Spurs, the Phoenix Suns had to win game four to end their 10 year drought of losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs. Good thing they had Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire on their side. The best pick and roll duo in the NBA exploded for 49 points, 9 rebounds, 10 assists and 3 steals in their 107-101 win game four win over the Spurs. What was a three point game for most of the way, the Suns Steve Nash took a Tim Duncan elbow right to the eye. Requiring stitches, Nash was escorted back to the locker room received six stitches without any anesthesia (knowing it might throw his game off), and continued in time to start the final quarter of the all important game. Nash scored 10 points and dished out four assist in that quarter, and he also hit the game changing shot with 9:08 left in the quarter. The score tied at 77 all, Nash dribbled the ball down the court, and using Leanro Barbosa as a shield, fired up a 25 foot three point attempt that hit nothing but nylon and put the Suns up 80-77. Nash was doing all of this with an eye that was swollen shut by the 10 minute mark of the final quarter, and battery mate Amare Stoudemire posted 29 points to help the Suns clinch a berth against (presumably) the Los Angeles Lakers with a trip to the 2010 NBA finals on the line. Shooting 50 percent (4/8) from the field and 100 percent (1/1) from the line in that final quarter with one eye, the Suns point guard showed why he is the NBA’s most elite point guard, and also avenged his previous playoff injury in a lose to the Spurs in the 2007 Western Conference semifinals, where he sliced his nose open on Tony Parker’s head. (Picture: Steve Nash focuses on his free throw with his good eye. Photo courtesy of D. Clarke Evans/AP)

Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo has made himself into one the league’s elite point guards. On Sunday night, he solidified his place on the Celtics list and the NBA’s list of playoff greats as he recorded his fourth postseason triple double. Rondo lit up the Cleveland Cavaliers for 29 points, 18 rebounds, and 13 assists against only 4 turnovers. In a game where Paul Pierce and Kendrick Perkins were off, Rondo led the charge with battery mates Ray Allen (18 points) and Kevin Garnett (18 points) as the Celtics tied the series once again, this time at 2 games each. The Celtic point guard has really stepped up his game in the postseason, increasing his scoring output from 13.7 a game to 16.5 a game. He has also increased his assist numbers, increasing them in the playoffs from 9.8 in the regular season to 11.3 in 8 games against the Miami Heat and the Cavaliers. With the game, Rondo reached elite company, as he joined Jason Kidd, Magic Johnson, and Oscar Robertson as the only players to record four or more triple doubles in their first 50 playoff games. Rondo is the x factor on the Boston Celtic team, and if he continues this torrid pace, the Celts have a good chance of seeing themselves square off against the Magic for a chance at a trip to the finals. (Photo courtesy of Charles Krupa/AP)

The Orlando Magic are telling the whole world that they have easily been the best team in this year’s playoffs. They just aren’t saying it out loud. In game 3, Orlando continued its torrid scoring pace, roughing up the Hawks for 105 points in a 30 point rout. The Magic are now averaging 101 points in these playoffs, but are really shredding Atlanta as they are scoring 110 as a team against the Hawks this series. Dwight Howard against posted a double double, going for 21 points and 16 rebounds, while Rashard Lewis led all scorers with 22 points which included going 4 for 7 from beyond the three point line. The Magic have opened up this Atlanta series with a differential of 29, the second largest points differential in NBA history. The Magic are on an absolutely dominant pace, and will go for the series sweep on Monday night.

In the past years, the San Antonio Spurs have had the Phoenix Suns number when they meet in the playoffs. So for the Suns, a series win against the Spurs in any fashion would be an accomplishment. After being down by six points in the first half, the Suns kicked it in and turned a ten point deficit into a back and forth, trade baskets type of game. Then, first year point guard Goran Dragic replaced Steve Nash and preceded to score 23 of the Suns 39 fourth quarter points, including a falling three pointer in an instance where he was only trying to draw the contact. Dragic scored 26 points in 17 minutes of play, and also posted 3 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal a block and a 10-13 shooting performance from the field (76%) including a 5 for 5 effort on three pointers. Goran Dragic’s breakout game showed head coahch Alan Gentry just what the youngster is made of, and Goran  will no doubt see some increased minutes in the deciding game 4 as the Phoenix Suns will lookk the sweep the Spurs and win against the Spurs for the first time since 2003. (Photo courtesy of Eric Gay/AP)

After their 43 point drubbing of the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Orlando was looking to continue their extremely good fortune in game 2. The Hawks did not lay down for the Magic, at least until the final quarter, and at the half the Hawks led by 8 points. Howard scored 18 points in the first quarter, and the magic shot over 60%, but slowed down in the second and third quarters, opening the door for the Hawks to keep it close. However, the Magic reverted back to their run and gun transition game and shot 4 for 5 from three as they took what was a 2 point game and went up by 14 down the stretch. Dwight Howard finished the game with 29 points and 17 rebounds, while forward Vince Carter dropped 24 points and 7 rebounds. Four Magic players, Carter, Howard, Jameer Nelson, and Rashard Lewis, each dropped over 20 points, and Orlando set the record for the fourth highest points differential in the first two games with a +57 mark, while Howard became the fourth player in 40 years to post at least 25 points, 17 rebounds, and have over an 85% field goal percentage in a playoff game. The Magic have looked superb during these playoffs, winning their first 6 games, and will look to continue their good fortune in game 3. (Photo courtest of John Raoux, AP)

What started two weeks ago on April 17th is now only beginning the second round of play, and one of the match ups is not even set yet. The NBA really needs to rethink their system, as they don’t conclude their season until June. But, all griping aside the NBA playoffs have been a pretty exciting occurrence, especially in the Western Conference. Each series went to 6 games in length, and saw two lower seeds in Utah and San Antonio advance. In the East, the Cavs and Boston each won in 5 games, the Magic swept the lowly Bobcats 4-0, while the Hawks and Bucks will play their game 7 match up today. We had our fair share of great playoff performances, like LeBron’s 33 points per game in the opening series, Dwayne Wade’s 33.2 ppg in the Boston series, and Orlando’s Jameer Nelson 23.7 ppg. In the West, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant each averaged north of 23 a game, while Steve Nash averaged 15 points and 10 assists in thier 4-2 series defeat of the Portland Trailblazers.

Eastern Conference

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics – Cleveland opened the series with a win after Boston had the game won, and LeBron’s elbow looked fine with his 25 points and near triple double. This will no doubt be a physical series, as game 1 showed as Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Glenn Davis each having four fouls. Both teams are equally deep, but I think LeBron’s skill sets and his ability to involve his teammates will prevail over the Celtics slow it down grind it out way of play. Cavaliers in 6

Orlando vs. Atlanta/Milwaukee – Orlando dispatched the Bobcats in four games in the opening round thanks largely to Jameer Nelson. He completely dominated the series on both ends, arousing the “What if” questions about what would have happened if he had not been injured in the finals last year. Orlando has the deepest team in the NBA in my opinion being able to put another solid five on the court after the starters, and can out play and outmatch either the Hawks or the Bucks who are coming off of a very long series. Orlando in 6

Western Conference

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Utah Jazz – The Jazz are completely depleted, losing Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur to knee injuries. However, they have played with a lot of will power, and Welsey Matthews and Kyle Korver have stepped up to fill the voids. Korver is shooting an NBA record mark 53.6% from the three point line, and Boozer and Deron Williams have the ability to handle what the Lakers can throw at them. The Lakers are an old team, but I think they find a way to get it done. Lakers in 7

Phoenix Suns vs. San Antonio Spurs – The Spurs upset the 2 seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round, and have the perfect playoff team with a dominant big in Tim Duncan, a formidable point guard in Tony Parker, and a beast of a two guard in Manu Ginobli. However, the Suns matchup in each of those categories with Amare Stoudemire, Steve Nash, and Jason Richardson. I think that this is the end of the road for the Spurs, as Steve Nash and company run over the Spurs into the western conference finals. Suns in 7

With their backs against the wall facing elimination, the Miami Heat needed Dwayne Wade to show up and play. And boy did he ever. Wade dropped 46 points on 16-24 shooting, and the Heat shot 50% from the field and 55% from beyond the arc in their 101-92 win over the Boston Celtics, who were looking to sweep the series in four games. On the night, Wade and battery mate Quentin Richardson shot a combined 9 of 13 from three and also combined to shoot 60% from the field. The Celtics had gained all the momentum in the series, but a two day layoff did them good as they re-lite their fire and came to play Sunday in Miami. The Celtics have only swept a playoff series four times in their storied franchise history, and, with that not going to happen, will look to win the series Tuesday and advance to play the winner of the Cleveland/Chicago series.

Draft Picks. They are a tricky thing to analyze. Some are big name players and extreme physical specimens, and they carry the expectations of contributing for a team right away. Yet some are more underrated, solid players. They may not be ready to contribute right away, but with a little coaching and guidance, can be groomed for roles of those just as the big name players. And still some are sleepers, drafted in the late rounds with the hopes of making the team and showing what they have and what they can bring to an NFL team. This year’s draft class follows this same traditional mold. You have the big names like Sam Bradford and Ndamukong Suh. You also have the middle of the road guys like Golden Tate and Terrance Cody. Then you have the late rounders, such as Myron Rolle. These various talents all have the potential to start in the NFL, but, also have a chance to be busts if they do not focus on the task at hand. You also have teams that go flashy every year, teams that quietly get better, and teams that just don’t know how to draft their need positions. Below are some of the good, the solid, and the ugly drafts of 2010.

The Good

1. Seattle Seahawks – Let the Pete Carroll era begin. Seattle made the best draft, getting the likes of Russell Okung, Earl Thomas, and Gloden Tate. Another reason for the receiving an A is the fact that they also added Leon Washington and LenDale White to the roster in draft day trades for practically nothing (two picks past the fifth round). Each of these players that they picked up have a chance to impact immediately, and the fact that they added 11 solid players on draft day easily grabs them one of the best grades of 2010. Grade: A

2. Baltimore Ravens – The Ravens moved out of the first round yet still made a huge haul on draft day. They added two defensive Tackles in Arthur Jones and Terrance Cody, added two quality tight ends in Ed Dickon and Dennis Pitta, and drafted a sixth round offensive tackle out of Morehouse College in Ramon Harewood that has the chance to be a star at 6′ 6″, 350 pounds. The fact that they added wideout Anquan Boldin in a trade furthers their attempt to help QB Joe Flacco, which is why they sit at the top of my draft grades. Grade: A

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – The Bucs did arguably the best job filling out their needs in the draft, improving their two weakest positions by drafting two wideouts and two defensive tackles with their first 5 picks. DTs Gerald McCoy and Brian Price are extremely goo players, and WRs Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams are each good character guys with great skill sets. They also grabbed a cornerback sleeper in Myron Lewis, who has the chance to shine as Tampa is aging in the secondary. Grade: A

4. Philadelphia Eagles – Anytime you can add 13 guys via the draft, you are doing something right. Although they lost Donavan McNabb, the Eagles drafted one of the best QB prospects in Mike Kafka. The Eagles also added 9 guys on the defensive side of the football, including LB Brandon Graham, S Nate Allen and defensive end Daniel Te’o-Hesheim from Washington. On offense they added Kafka, sleeper RB Charles Scott, and a solid wideout in Riley Cooper (assuming he sticks with football). Grade: A-

5. Detroit Lions – Their first picks were money. DT Ndamukong Suh is a rare talent, Running back Jahvid Best can contribute on both offense and special teams, and corner Amari Spievey from Iowa is an extremely talented defensive back. They also added tackle Jason Fox, who helps sure up their o-line, and they also grabbed a good DE in Willie Young. Their Mr. Irrelevant pick, Weber State wideout Tim Toone, has a chance to be a decent slot receiver and special teams player in the NFL and might be converted to defensive back. Grade: A-

The Solid

1. Tenneessee Titans – The Titans patiently waited in round 1 and were rewarded with Derrick Morgan. They also LB Rennie Curran and wideout Damian Wiliams who have a chance to make an impact right away. They also grabbed sleepers Alterraun Verner and Myron Rolle; two safeties that I think were some of the best in the draft. The Titans did nothing flashy, but they did sure up needs with a productive draft. Grade: B+

2. Oakland Raiders – Their picks of Rolando McClain, Lamarr Houston, Bruce Campbell, and Jacoby Ford were great picks for AL Davis, providing him with some speed which he loves, and some quality guys that can step right in and have an impact. They also pulled off another great move, getting QB Jason Campbell from the Redskins for a measly fifth round pick. Davis made solid picks this year, and sured up a lot of help with this year’s draft. Grade: B+

3. Kansas City Chiefs – With their picks of Eric Berry, Javier Arenas and Kendrick Lewis, the Chiefs added some much needed depth at the defensive back position. They also grabbed running back Dexter McCluster, and he, along with Arneas, will have a big impact in the return game. The Chiefs stayed within their means, and drafted quality help in order to improve their team. Grade: B

4. New England Patriots – The Pats had an extremely productive draft, drafting to their needs and getting great players and great character guys. The likes of Aaron Hernandez, Brandon Spikes and Jermaine Cunningham (all form Floria) will add a swagger to their football team, and players like Devin McCourty, Kade Weston, and Zac Robinson all have a chance to make an impact for the Pats this year as well as in the coming years. Grade: B

5. Caorlina Panthers – The Panthers addressed needs in this year’s draft, defensive help in Greg Hardy and Eric Norwood that can help right away. They also drafted QB’s Jimmy Clausen, Tony Pike and Armanti Edwards (who will move to wideout). Their last three picks added depth to their secondary, with corners Robert McClain, R.J. Stanford and Jordan Pugh. Grade: B-

The Ugly

1. Denver Broncos – Their only good pick was wideout Demaryius Thomas from Georgia Tech, who has a chance to be a great NFL player. The Tim Tebow pick made absolutely no sense, as he was a third round guy, second round at the highest in my mind, especially since they already have Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn. Other than those two, the only other remotely decent pick they made was WR Eric Decker from Minnesota, who has the chance to be another sure handed pass catcher for the Denver offense. Grade: C

2. Washington Redskins – I know they got Donovan McNabb, but the only player that has a chance to make an impact for them right away that they go in the draft in offensive lineman Trent Williams. The fact they they only got a fourth rounder from Oakland in exchange for Jason Campbell is another head scratcher, as he tossed 20 touchdowns and had almost 4,00 yards as a starter last year. Grade: C-

3. Minnesota Vikings – Their best two picks were Toby Gerhart and Everson Griffen, and they grabbed a solid corner in the second round in Chris Cook. Other than this, the Vikings did not address much of their needs and drafted little more than special teams help in their last four picks. Grade: D

4. Atlanta Falcons – For a team that needed another wideout for Matt Ryan, they only managed to grb Kerry Meier in the 5th round. They did draft an exceptional linebacker in Missouri’s Sean Witherspoon and got a solid DE in Corey Peters, but other than that, I think that the Falcons whiffed on a chance to grab good players in a deep draft. Grade: D

5. Jacksonville Jaguars – With possibly the biggest head scratcher in a very long time, the Jags picked Defensive lineman Tyson Alulau with the tenth pick. Alulau is a heck of a player, but they possibly could have traded down, added some picks, gotten deeper, and still got him at the 25-40 range. They also added another decent player in D’Anthony Smith, but Smith and Alulau will be rotational guys at best, and I think the Jags really missed out in this year’s draft. Grade: D-

Possibly the most dynamic 8 seed in the history of the playoffs, the Oklahoma City Thunder average 22 years of age amongst their five starters, and are the NBA’s youngest team at 25 years old, having only 3 players older than 30 and half of their roster are players 23 years old or younger. Having gone down 2-0 in the series in Los Angeles, the Thunder have come back home and won their last two, completely demolishing the Lakers on Sunday, beating up on them 110-89. In the opening period Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant each scored 8 points, while Nenad Krstic added 4 as the Thunder ended the opening quarter with a 29-17 lead over the Lakers. In the second stanza, Serge Ibaka scored 6 points and blocked two shots, while rookie James Harden scored 7 points and the Thunder expanded their lead over the Lakers at the half 55-42. The Thunder would score 55 mor points in the second half, while holding the Lakers to 47 points. Kobe Bryant sored a mere 12 points in the game, posting only 3 points on 1-2 shooting in the first quarter. The Thunder had five in double figures, with three more just a shot away. Possibly the biggest factor, however, was the fact that the Thunder outscored LA by 25 points at the charity stripe, with all but two players at least attempting 2 or more free throws. As an 8 seed, many were doubting the Thunder’s ability to compete against the “mighty” Lakers, but I suspect that OKC can force a game 7 in LA because of their young, explosive players.