New Orleans Saints Vs. Seattle Seahawks: Very Slight Edge To New Orleans

So, if you have been hiding under a rock or in your closet for the past few weeks (which is a horrible way to try and strive for success in life), you probably didn't know that Monday Night Football is showing what has the potential for the most exciting and close matchup in ages tonight. Marshawn Lynch and Seattle play at home against New Orleans to take on the Ordained Saint himself, Drew Brees.

Let us magnify this a little bit->

• Seattle is currently the top seed in the NFC, while New Orleans is right on their heels, which ESPN (Everything Sports Propaganda Network) has been heralding in commercials for weeks now, further intensifying the magnitude of this game. 
• Both teams have had some surprisingly goofy slipups this year, with Seattle losing to now sputtering Indianapolis, and almost falling to those pitiful Tampa Bay Buccaneers (excuse me while I laugh). New Orleans fell to the J-E-T-S JETS... (whoops, I fell into another laughing fit, excuse me). So in other words, these two teams are not invincible, but for now, they are the top of the wild NFC.

Lets look at these two team's offenses.

• In the quarterback position, Drew Brees is of the top 2 quarterbacks in the NFC, but Russell Wilson is not exceptionally far behind now. The reason Brees has much more inflated stats than Wilson is because of the talent around him. I'd say Wilson would have extremely bloated numbers if he had Jimmy Graham and Marques Colston to throw to! If there is one thing I can say today, and know it is a fact, it is that Jimmy Graham and Marques Colston are MUCH better receivers than Golden Tate and Doug Baldwin. No disrespect to Tate and Baldwin, but they should not be the focal points on any team in the NFL, especially not Baldwin. Then why does Seattle score so many points a game? The answer is the consistency and power of running back Marshawn Lynch. If Lynch runs for 75 yards and a touchdown tonight, he would become the only man to rush for 1,000 yards and score at least 10 rushing touchdowns in each of the last three seasons. The 'Skittles Beast' just is a hammer, pounding out yards, and really has a lot of football smarts. New Orleans running back corp is an interesting platoon that is currently ranked 23rd in the NFL in rushing yards. It really starts with Pierre Thomas, who leads the bunch with 485 yards on the season. On down the line, we see a man who simply looks like a draft bust in Mark Ingram, and then rookie Khiry Robinson. Where on earth is Darren Sproles? 4th on the list, with 146 yards. Sproles just hasn't looked himself this year. He's had flashes, but for the most part has not been very productive. So, right now, we see that New Orleans is the best in WR and QB positions, but Seattle is leading in the RB department.

Let's move to defense.

• Let's think about something-> Seattle leads the NFL with the best pass defense, and New Orleans is 3rd. That really tells the story about how good these defenses are, but this does give a significant advantage to New Orleans, actually. Seattle doesn't have very good receivers, probably letting Malcolm Jenkins, Roman Harper, and outstanding rookie Kenny Vaccaro to simply shut Seattle's passing game down. Seattle's secondary is the best in the NFL, as we said, with the sensational play of Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas, but a suspension has weakened the group over the past week. Brandon Browner was a big cog in the secondary, and he will be missed, especially tonight against these Saints. Talent-wise, I'd say the Saints and Seahawks are close to equal in the front 7. Both D-Lines are stacked, with Seattle's 2013 offseason acquisition Cliff Avril, and New Orleans budding stars of Cam Jordan and Akiem Hicks. The LBs for both teams are also just as impressive, as Seattle hails 3 sensational men: Bruce Irvin, KJ Wright, and Bobby Wagner. The Saints claim the sack-happy Junior Galette, and a great tackler in Curtis Lofton.

And so, my friends, I ask you, "After telling you all that, who will win the game?"

Heck, I don't know. One thing that does scare me for New Orleans is that this is in Seattle, at CenturyLink Field, probably the loudest stadium in the United States during Seahawks games. However, I just think there are a few questions Seattle's defense needs to answer before I pick them to win tonight. I want to see if that secondary can hold up very long against the scorching hot bunch from the Bayou. Right now, I will go out on a limb and say New Orleans will win, 28-27. Sound good? OK. Let's roll with that.

For now, this has been Ben Anderson, now signing off...

Insights: The Chaos Of College Football





As the only thing in the world where the word 'Chaos' is a good thing, College Football did not disappoint yesterday. And so, of course I am obliged to say some things about the nuttiness and near hilarity of it all.

Observation #1: Embarressment Returns To The Baylor Bears

Yesterday, in their astounding 49-17 loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Baylor Bears looked quite bad. Actually, here is my collection of descriptions of how bad the Bears looked:

Absolutely Horrendous. Just Atrocious. An Abhorrence. An Embarrassment To Humanity. Cringe Worthy. etc.

Yes, folks, if you haven't noticed already, here is my point. I am MAD at Baylor. If they won this game, they would have been in line to play in the National Championship game, if Alabama loses to Auburn next week. They had played so well all season. It is just baffling that they decided to spontaneously combust yesterday. That was total annihilation.

I suppose you could blame that loss on the lack of star running backs Lache Seastrunk and Glasco Martin. But the defense had everybody, and for the most part, the reason Baylor lost was because their defense was simply atrocious. They let Clint Chelf and Tracy Moore just torch the field, ripping up turf as they ran. Baylor's defense looked uninterested at points, often let the OK-State game plan confuse them, and also couldn't make simple tackles. It was simply a debacle.

Full credit goes to the Cowboys, as the Gambling Gundys finally have their mojo back, as they look for a Fiesta Bowl bid in the near future.

Observation #2: Boston College Has A Solid Heisman Finalist On Their Team

Alright. Has anyone heard of Andre Williams? Well, if you haven't, you'd better rethink calling yourself a college football fan. Williams leads the FBS with not 1500, not 1800, but 2073 rushing yards, only the 16th time in FBS history that an RB has achieved over 2000 yards. And BC still has one more game, in which Williams can solidify himself as maybe even the Heisman favorite, against a terrible Syracuse team.

Think about this: Jameis Winston, of Florida State, is very likely not going to win the Heisman if he is charged in the possible Sexual Assault case, which you can find my thoughts about right here: http://benonallsports.blogspot.com/2013/11/thoughts-jameis-winston-case.html

Marcus Mariota, of Oregon, is still a very impressive quarterback, but with his embarrassing performances against Stanford and Arizona, he is pretty well out of the hunt for Heisman glory.

Johnny Manziel, of Texas A&M, is one of the most electric QBs in football, winning the Heisman last year. But Manziel has one obvious problem. His interception rate has really spiked since last year, and he is getting much more careless with the football. He isn't out of the Heisman race, but his candidacy took a significant step back yesterday against LSU.

Bryce Petty, of Baylor, as we have already discussed, had a horrible day yesterday with his Bears, and is out of the race.

The Heisman Race might very well come down to QB AJ McCarron, of Alabama, RB KaDeem Carey, of Arizona, DT Aaron Donald, of Pittsburgh, and Andre Williams.
Who should win it all? That is for you to decide. It's an open race now, and should be thrilling to watch.

Observation #3: The Magnificence Of Football In The State Of Arizona

In my final point, I think we need to reiterate how amazing Arizona and Arizona State's wins were yesterday.

First of all, the Wildcats. You must remember that Arizona was coming off a loss to Washington State. Yeah, Wazzu has had a nice little season, with a win over USC and a Bowl Berth, but come on. They are not a really, really good team. Oregon is. So Oregon should have won, 50-17 yesterday, right?

Wrong. Arizona decided to have a bipolar attack and won, 42-16. Wait, Oregon only put up 16 points? Yep. You see, Arizona is 7-4 now. 3 of those losses were within 7 points. So, if Arizona had made just a few more big plays in a couple more games, they would be 10-1 right now. Think about that. Arizona has a pretty darn good QB in BJ Denker, but the real star of this team is KaDeem Carey. Carey had an excellent season last year, but has really added some new dimensions to his game this year, and looks like potentially the top RB in the upcoming NFL draft. In the defense, the leaders would have to be linebacker Marquis Flowers and safety Tra'Mayne Bondurant. Flowers can really get to the QB, while Bondurant is near the top in the nation in interceptions. Also there is nose tackle Tevin Hood, who is a critical cog in the vanguard of the defense. So, in other words, there is a good amount of talent on this team. Love him or hate him (which I am not the biggest fan of him, as a West Virginia Mountaineer fan), Rich Rodriguez has done a sensational job with this team, and it looks like a Pac 12 contender for years to come.

And of course, there is that other team in Arizona.....

The Arizona State Sun Devils are going to the Pac 12 Title Game.

Quit your scoffing, it's the truth.

Journeyman Todd Graham has finally found the perfect landing spot, and he has got his team in the upper echelon of their league. For the first time, Arizona State has won the Pac 12 South. And you know, this team is just loaded with stars. An improving QB that has a truck full of potential in Taylor Kelly, and one of the most underrated running backs in the country in Marion Grice would be envied by any FBS and FCS team (Division II and Division III teams as well...). And then this stacked defense. DT Will Sutton and LB Carl Bradford are athletic freaks, and are game changers/NFL draft prospects. Safety Alden Darby and DT Jaxon Hood round out the Core Four.

Next week, Arizona takes on Arizona State for the Territorial Cup, and if ASU wins, they will HOST the Pac 12 Title Game. If Arizona wins, they might be able to end the season in the Top 25. I certainly will be watching these exciting programs.

And that is it for today, folks. Signing off, this was Ben Anderson.

Thoughts: The Jameis Winston Case

Before we delve into a few thoughts here, I don't exactly want to delve into all the facts in the investigation of Jameis Winston, as most all have heard all the evidence. If you haven't heard the big news today about the Florida State Seminole star, I refer you to this ESPN article: http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/10009077/dna-analysis-matches-jameis-winston-accuser

First Reaction:

I hope to goodness that these allegations are false. If they aren't true, and the woman presses charges, she is simply pressing charges just to get publicity. If the allegations are true, and Winston actually did assault the woman, he should be behind bars in the end. Either way, the case would certainly be a long, drawn out, highly publicized mess.

Second Reaction: If the lady involved in the case decides to press charges, Jameis Winston is all but eliminated from the Heisman vote. He absolutely will not get by with the voters with that kind of a cloud hanging over his shoulders. I wouldn't vote for him.

Third Reaction: Winston will be suspended, without a doubt, if the he is charged with the felony. FSU's athletic policy manual states, “In the event the student-athlete is charged with a felony, absent extraordinary circumstances as determined by the administration, he/she will not be permitted to represent FSU Athletics in game competition until such time as the charge is resolved and all court, university and athletics department conditions for reinstatement have been met.”

The only question that arises in my mind is what, "absent extraordinary circumstances as determined by the administration" means, but I don't believe this case will cause the FSU Athletic Department to take the unprecedented step of not suspending him. He will most likely be suspended immediately.

Fourth Reaction: If, as it seems like it will happen, Winston is suspended, will the 'Noles win their last few games? If they do win out, they will almost certainly be National Championship Game bound. But here is the thing. They would be starting their 3rd string quarterback, as their 2nd stringer has a season ending injury. That would cause some ginormous problems throughout all of Tallahassee. I wouldn't be able to see the Seminoles winning the Championship Game at all, let alone beating Duke or Virginia Tech for the ACC Championship.

Fifth And Final Reaction: Yes, it is still extremely early in the investigation. And this final point is only for it the allegations are true. You know, there is one thing that really irks my heart.

I have an odd feeling, that over the past few months, many parents in Northern Florida have heard one of their children say, "I want to be just like Jameis Winston when I grow up! He's so awesome!"

The allegations that have arisen the past week only go to prove one important life lesson.

Be Exceptionally Careful When Picking Your Idols And Heroes.

So many kids loved Aaron Hernandez. Adults and kids alike loved and respected Lance Armstrong. Joe Paterno was greatly endeared by everyone. Now, I am not lumping all of their wrong-doings in the same bucket. All were different. But all of these men were idols.

Ladies and gentlemen, in closure, I urge you all to greatly analyze who your heroes and idols are, and make absolutely certain that you are not giving too much love and support to them, as they could turn out to be frauds in the end.

If you have any disagreements, or comments, tell me right in the comment section right below this post! I'm Ben Anderson, signing off.

The Dire, Desperate, Dreary and Delusional State of the West Virginia Mountaineers

 

Everyone in the great fan base of the Mountaineers will try to continue to be faithful, and be strong through thick and thin, especially me. I'll never quit loving them.

But here's the thing: West Virginians can't be delusional about this.

• For the first time in over a decade, the Mountaineers are not going bowling.
• WVU just lost to one of the worst teams in all of college football, the Kansas Jayhawks.
• West Virginia has 3 oh-so-close losses, to Texas, Texas Tech, and Kansas State. that could be blamed on some questionable decisions by coaches. One major point is Shannon Dawson and Dana Holgerson's questionable handling of the school's quarterback competition.
• The team lost to a mediocre Maryland team 37-0, barely escaped an FCS school of William & Mary, and beat an underwhelming TCU squad in overtime.

I know they are a young team, but West Virginia's defense is so full of great talent, and a few great SENIORS, that they shouldn't be giving up 31 points to the Kansas Jayhawks. 

They shouldn't give up 7 points to the Kansas Jayhawks.

If the Mountaineers had won their last two games, against Kansas and Iowa State, some of the worst teams in the country, I would have still been barely behind head coach Dana Holgerson. It's over for me. It's been way too inconsistent this year. I'm sorry to all of those who say that Holgerson hasn't been given enough time, but Holgerson is not a good head coach in college football. He simply just doesn't get his kids well prepared enough for football games, and can't fix problems that would be easy fixes if he'd realize them. One of the most embarrassing cases on the team is with special teams coordinator Joe Deforest. Deforest, who is under an NCAA investigation for cheating during his time at Oklahoma State, was defensive coordinator last year at WVU, and did a horrible job. Holgerson actually decided to keep him around, as special teams coordinator, where Deforest has ruined the corp. What I'm afraid is about Deforest, is Holgerson is letting his friendship with Deforest come before actually playing good football. I just think, that during the offseason, that if Deforest isn't the first to go, that the whole athletic department has some SERIOUS problems. And maybe I'm wrong about Dana Holgerson. Maybe he is trying his best here, but the incompetence of OC Shannon Dawson, DC Keith Patterson, and Deforest are really the people killing this team. But, as the old saying goes, the team is a direct reflection of the head coach. Dana Holgerson needs to be fired as well.  But there is a problem in the logic that all of WVU's problems would vanish is Holgerson would get the ax.

In order to jettison Holgerson, WVU has to buy out his contract, at $11 million. After he's gone, there might not enough money for the program to go after a good coach, like Texas A&M co-offensive coordinator Jake Spavital. Yeah, things are grim in Morgantown. I hope that, as a Mountaineer fan, the school makes the right decision in the end, but for the next year, it's sad state for a once great program.

Potential College Basketball Cinderellas: 2013-14

FINALLY, my favorite sport of all is back in action: College Basketball. You just can't beat the excitement of a good upset, the emergence of a heartwarming rebuilding job morphing into a full blown great program. The question is, when we come to March Madness, who will be the teams performing the upsets? My goal is to answer that question.

Now, before I tell you my picks, let me go over what my definition of a 'cinderella' is. Traditionally, a 'cinderella' in college basketball is a team that comes out of nowhere and starts upsetting quality programs. A good example is the high flying Florida Gulf Coast Eagles of this past March. Did anyone at all suspect them to beat Georgetown, and San Diego State? The same being with Wichita State. Good program, but no one expect their elongated run to the Final Four. Now, you may think that a cinderella is always going to be a mid major. That is not true. First of all, Ole Miss, led by Marshall Henderson, was not expected to even make the tournament, let alone beat Sam Dekker's Wisconsin Badgers. They did just that. That, folks, is a cinderella. Secondly, due to recent dominance in their respective conferences, and many tourney wins over the years, VCU, Wichita State, UNLV, New Mexico, San Diego State, Davidson, Gonzaga, Creighton, Memphis, Butler, Temple, and a few others have lost their 'cinderella' status. They are all now the Big Dogs of college basketball. I hope this explanation has cleared things up.

Let's start with the potential surprise team of the Mountain West.

Boise State Broncos

 



Do not sleep on Derrick Marks and the boys in Idaho. Boise, for the first in like, ever, is possibly going to be better in basketball than football. Coach Leon Rice has done miracles to this program, and now they have a lot of returnees from last year's NCAA at-large bid. It really does start with Marks. Derrick Marks can be absolutely dominant in the Mountain West, and uses his size to glide by bigger defenders. Beside him is a young man named Anthony Drmic (yes, that's how it is spelled). The kid is a fabulous shooter.  He shot 39.2 percent from long-range last year, and is a special player in the clutch. Ryan Watkins is this teams big man, and is a solid player in the post. Finally, what might be their catalyst is Jeff Elioraga. He was the Mountain West's best 3 point shooter last year, and can score in bunches. He will be the key to their season. Other critical players include Mikey Thompson, and Igor Hadziomerovic. I expect this team to come exceptionally close to attaining the Mountain West crown, and be a power in the NCAA tournament, as a cinderella.

 

 

Harvard Crimson

 

 

 

Yes, the team that shocked New Mexico in the tournament is back, and the team is mostly intact, with 2 extra stars as well. Joining Siyani Chambers and Wesley Saunders, last year's studs, are Brandyn Curry and Kyle Casey, two great players that were suspended all of last season due to the highly publicized Harvard cheating scandal. Chambers, although a little inconsistent, is the leader of this team, and can be as dynamic as any guard in country. Curry can knock down barrages of threes, while Saunders and Casey can use their big, athletic bodies to charge through the paint, Saunders probably being the better of the two. Along with this core is guard Laurent Rivard, a big guy who can shoot really well. The team also has a grand corp of big men. Starting center Kenyatta Smith is injured for the first half of the season, but behind him might be an even better player in Jonah Travis, a born scorer, who can easily average a double-double. Watch this team as they rise among the elite of the mid-majors.

 

 

Massachusetts Minutemen

 

 

 

 

Chaz Williams, the speedy little scoring machine, has his squad ready for A-10 glory. He is easily the catalyst of this team that was a bubble team all last year, failing near the end of the season to get just enough traction to get in the NCAAs. Earlier this year, Williams was thinking hard about transferring from UMass, but made the wise decision to stay, creating possibly the best team in the conference. Along with Chaz is an exceptionally talented starting 5, including a sensational transfer from Western Kentucky, Derrick Gordon, a guard. Starting center Cady Lalanne has the potential to be the best scoring big man in the post of the A-10. SF Raphiael Putney is a great playmaker, and Sampson Carter is the glue guy. Although they do have an always terrific VCU squad, an up and coming Rhode Island team, and veteran Saint Louis corp to deal with, I think, with this tight bunch, the Minutemen will win the A-10, and maybe find cinderella glory in March.

 

There are many more potential cinderellas to be mentioned, like Providence, Charlotte, UTEP, Indiana State, and North Dakota State. However, for today, I say Boise State, Harvard, and Massachusetts have the most potential for greatness. For now, this has been Ben Anderson, signing off. 

The Odd State of the Sacramento Kings

Has this been a good year, or a bad year for the men in purple garb? The good part is obviously the fact that the troubled franchise would stay in Northern California, and not move to Seattle, but the teams came out of the debacle as a laughing stock by the media. Now, with a shining new point guard duo, and a young man named 'Boogie', the Kings are hoping to put their dark days behind them, as they take on the Los Angeles Clippers tonight.

On Wednesday night, Sacramento kicked off their 2013-14 season at home against the Denver Nuggets, and showcased a major glimmer of hope for the new era of ownership. DeMarcus 'Boogie' Cousins, the somewhat immature former Kentucky Wildcat center, is obviously going to be a star in the city for years to come. On the night, Cousins had an astounding 30 points and 14 rebounds to lead Sac-Town in scoring. If the Kings are going to succeed in their tough division, Cousins is going to have to put in a career year, and I believe he will do just that.

And how about the reigning Most Improved Player of the NBA? Greivis Vasquez had an underrated year last year for the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Venezuelan is really starting to become a catalyst in Sacramento. This year in Sacramento, he has a bevy of help behind him to carry some of the load. Isaiah Thomas really hasn't had that big year yet, but this might just have to be it. He was 3rd in scoring against Denver the other night, behind Cousins and Vasquez.

With some veteran leadership from Travis Outlaw and John Salmons, and a few other players that may be inconsistent, but have a boatload of potential, I really like this team to be a sleeper to challenge for a playoff seed in the NBA's Western Conference. In late January or February, the Kings will get another shot in the arm with the return of Carl Landry from a hip injury. Landry was a spur off the bench for the Warriors last year, and will be needed for a Purple Powered Playoff run.

Tonight, the Kings will square off against Chris Paul and the Clippers, and it is shaping up for an entertaining game. I certainly will be watching it, and I will be live tweeting it. Follow me at @benssports .  For now, so long, and we will hopefully meet here again in the morning!

Predictions For College Football Saturday: Will The Upset Bug Continue Reign?

Good morning, folks. Here today in the glorious game of college football are multiple Top 25 matchups that could spell chaos all throughout the world, creating an influx of joy and excitement rushing through our veins. Lets start with the big one:

The One To Watch

Tennessee at #1 Alabama:

Can Raijon Neal (pictured above) and the Vols upset their 2nd ranked SEC team in a row? Everyone sit tight in their seats, because listen to this. I believe so.

First of all, Alabama has been playing some extremely weak opponents lately. Say what you want about the good job the Kentucky Wildcats have done to try to rebuild their program, but they were crushed into a fine paste by Alabama. Arkansas, Georgia State, and Colorado State are not exactly what one would call, 'Quality Opponents'. This game might just be different. The Volunteers seem to have finally got in a groove, as they almost beat Georgia two weeks ago, and did beat the South Carolina Gamecocks last week in a thriller. Their 2-headed monster of a running attack consists of Raijon Neal and Marlin Lane, both supplying a bevy of critical runs this year for Tennessee. Quarterback Justin Worley has been making great throws recently, and has 1119 throwing yards on the season to go with his 10 touchdowns. Although the back half of their defense has been disappointing up to this point, the front half consisting of stars like defensive end Marlon Walls and linebacker AJ Johnson, has been as good as advertised. They, I predict, will be able to stop TJ Yeldon and the 'Bama rushing attack. A exhort you not to write this game off as an easy Crimson Tide win. As I said, this is a very hot Volunteer team, and will make Alabama look foolish more than one time. I don't have the guts yet to call this a Tennessee win, it being in Tuscaloosa, but I believe it will be very close.

Other Predictions:

#10 Texas Tech vs. #15 Oklahoma

I simply don't trust this Oklahoma offense enough to say that the Sooners will win in Norman. I say Davis Webb and Jace Amaro torch OU's defense, and the Raiders win, 27-17.

#12 UCLA vs. #3 Oregon

It will be reasonably close early, due to UCLA stopping the run with star defensive end Cassius Marsh, but Oregon will wear the Bruins down, winning 37-21.

Pennsylvania State vs. #4 Ohio State

The Nittany Lions are coming off of the huge win against Michigan in 4 overtimes, and after some well needed rest, they will come into Columbus firing. This is my 2nd big upset pick of the day, as Penn St.'s 3 headed monster of quarterback Christian Hackenberg, running back Zach Zwinak, and wide receiver Allen Robinson will light the Buckeye's inconsistent defense afire. Penn State wins, 34-31.

#6 Stanford vs. #25 Oregon State

Oh how I love this Beaver team. Quarterback Sean Mannion, and his whopping numbers of 2992 passing yards and 29 TDs through 7 games, has a stirring connection with star wide receiver Brandin Cooks. Many people wrote the Beavs off after their loss to a tough Eastern Washington team earlier this season, and they are still flying under the radar. This is the last big upset of the day, as OSU wins 26-24.

For now, that is all folks. What an insane day of potential upsets this is!

Ben's NBA Preview Part 2: The Top Three

Good evening, folks. Well, here we are again. After laying out the 'worst of the worst' yesterday, I would like to showcase the three to beat.

#1 Brooklyn Nets

Yeah, call me a nutcase, but let's just take a step back here and think about what Brooklyn has now.

The 2013-14 depth cart:

PG	Deron Williams-	Shaun Livingston-	Tyshawn Taylor-	Jorge Gutierrez
SG	Joe Johnson-	Jason Terry-	Alan Anderson-	Chris Johnson
SF	Paul Pierce-	Andrei Kirilenko-	Tornike Shengelia -	Adonis Thomas
PF	Kevin Garnett-	Reggie Evans-	Mirza Teletovic
C	Brook Lopez-	Andray Blatche-	Mason Plumlee

I would like someone to tell me why this isn't easily a championship-caliber team. Deron Williams is still a top 5, maybe even top 3 point guard in this league. D-Will is an all around great player, a solid defender, great passer, and even better scorer. But what is behind him is one of the most underrated players on the team: Shaun Livingston. Livingston is a matchup nightmare for opposing teams, as he is 6'7", probably the tallest point guard in the league. To special guard we go: Why do people seem to not like this corp? Yes, Joe Johnson and Jason Terry are getting older, but when they are hot, they can still shoot the lights out of buildings. Johnson can shoot the Nets back into games, while Terry, although erratic, is still producing at a great level. Now, how about these 3 new boys coming into the Barclays Center? I, personally, am tired of hearing all these naysayers talk about how Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are too old to even be putting on jerseys anymore. What a joke that is. Pierce and Garnett are still Pierce and Garnett. If they get enough rest during the season (For instance, taking a game off after a back-to-back occasionally), and stay away from the injury bug, they can prove to the world that they still have many NBA games ahead of them. Below Pierce is the Nets other big-time addition, Andrei Kirilenko (AK-47). He really fortifies the Nets bench, and can do just about anything. The energetic small forward will be critical the Brooklyn's season. Finally, let's look at the center position. What we have here at starter is possibly the best scoring center in the NBA, Brook Lopez. While the media will not give credit where credit is due, Lopez should have easily been an all-star last year, and he is quickly becoming the lead go-to guy when the Nets are in need of a quick bucket. While other teams will be draining all of their focus on defending all the other threats the Nets offer, Lopez will be able to score easier than ever before. Expect him to get that elusive all-star bid this year. I personally love the Nets as the favorite to win the East, and please tell me in the comments section if you disagree.

#2 Miami Heat

Yes, Miami is not number one on this list...... for now. How can a person NOT have a 2-time defending champion as number one heading into a season? Well, it was quite tough for me to put them in the top spot, because of the amount of parity in the NBA as a whole. The NBA's Eastern Conference seems to have become stronger after the 2013 offseason, and they are all gunning after LeBron James's head. LeBron is simply the best player in the world. No doubt can be placed in my head about that fact. But, as usual, he can not win titles alone. This is where there are too many question marks, I believe, to be able to put them in the number one spot. The Heat's chink in their armor happens to be down low in the post. Chris Bosh had possibly his worst season in the NBA last year, and if the 'Ostrich' can't improve on his rebounding skills, Miami will be in a load of trouble. The team welcomed the former number one NBA Draft pick Greg Oden to town in the offseason to try to help out in the paint. Oden, who is trying to shake his image as a 'draft bust', has been impressing many this preseason, with some high-flying dunks to showcase. But can he stay healthy? That is just another one of Miami's many questions heading into this year. Also, can Ray Allen keep producing? We all remember his insane 3-pointer at the end of Game 6 of the NBA Finals, but there is no question that Allen is starting to let Father Time get to him. Can Dwyane Wade stay relevant? Yes, he is still the great Dwyane Wade, but the injury bug really has took ahold of him lately, and one can only hope he can keep making big plays in the league for at least a few more good years. The outlook is a cloudy one, so for now, they are not number one.

#3 Los Angeles Clippers

The Clips! With Chris Paul and Blake Griffin now locked up for years to come, the new team of Los Angeles will have no distractions in their hunt for the NBA Championship. First of all, there is no more Vinny Del Negro hanging around the coaching spot. In probably the biggest 'acquisition' of the NBA offseason, LA pulled Doc Rivers in to be the new head coach, and he is making multiple changes. For the past 2 years, the Clippers have been nicknamed 'Dunk City'. However, according to multiple players on the team, Rivers will institute a much more sound defensive scheme, and will deemphasize the theatrics of the dunks. And one of the most critical cog in this new system is center DeAndre Jordan. Coach Rivers has instilled a boatload of trust in Jordan, and is expecting him to utilize his height more than ever before. Jordan is now really starting to get the hang of blocking shots in the NBA, and is averaging 4 blocks per game this preseason. Also critical to this season are the new additions of Jared Dudley and JJ Redick. Dudley, one of the best glue-guys in the league, is coming over from Phoenix to replace the aging Caron Butler. When he is hot, he can bring the house down with his excellent accuracy from beyond the arc. Redick, on the other hand, not only can shoot some impressive 3's, but he can get into the paint in a breeze to create some impressive layups. With a great bench, including the excellent Sixth Man Jamal Crawford, the team is much more than just the star-power of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. I say this team is the team to beat in the Western Conference.

Soon, part 3 of this series will be revealed. It will include the teams that will make the playoffs, and maybe go all the way to the title, but for right now are not in the top 3. For now, so long!

Ben's NBA Preview Part 1: The Terrible Three

 

Yes, folks. It's that time of the year that we all start thinking about the game with the orange ball and hoop. It's that time of the year where all 30 of basketball's highest teams think they have a shot at glory. It's a joyful time of prediction making, and so forth. So, Ben On Sports has decided, of course, to join in on the action in a 3 part series. There never is any point to making the predictions and previews, as they always turn out to be false. However, it certainly is a blast. Today, we will look at the bottom 3 of the league. Soon, part 2 will showcase the TOP 3 in the league, and part 3 will show the ones in the middle.

 

#30 Philadelphia 76ers:

 

Oh my. Where do I start on this one? 1: Philly just traded their best player, Jrue Holliday, to the New Orleans Pelicans, for, for the most part, nothing. 2: Their highest draft pick, Nerlens Noel, is out for the season with an injury he sustained while playing with the Kentucky Wildcats. 3: The 76ers organization waited until the last minute to hire their head coach, losing out on some of the best coaching prospects in the league. 4: They have a boatload of very mediocre players to piddle around with in the starting lineup, the top 3 being small forwards Thaddeus Young and Evan Turner, and center Spencer Hawes. Young and Turner are both good, young players, but sadly with the weak talent around them, things could be quite ugly for them this year. 5: They will be starting a very inexperienced rookie at point guard this year in Michael Carter-Williams to replace Holliday. Carter-Williams has a lot of potential, but there is no question he will struggle as a starter in this league at his age. Finally, 6: They picked up the drama show of Royce White during this offseason (Yikes). If you don't know his story, you need to look it up.

 

#29 Utah Jazz

 

A youth movement has struck Salt Lake City hard this go around, and it will sting. Although, in the long run, it was probably the best possible move, Utah parted ways with their top two players in Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap to make room for the younger talent on the team to take over. Watch for their corp of Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, and Trey Burke (who is nursing a broken finger) to surprise some people. Favors led the team in blocks last year, and he'll only get better in SLC, as he was just locked up for a 4 year contract extension. Hayward, the former Butler Bulldogs star, can be a little goofy with turnovers sometimes, but his shooting prowess is continuing to fly upwards. Kanter and Burker really have the most to prove right now, but they'll have time to gel. I say by February this could be a team to be a spoiler in the west every night, but due to the strength of their division as a whole, and the fact that they haven't had enough time to become acclimated to all the changes, they will be the worst in the west this year.

 

#28 Orlando Magic

 

Patience is the word relayed by the Magic organization. With talent that, in a few years (noticed I underlined that) could be a playoff contender, coach Jacques Vaughn will have 'fun' tinkering around with this lineup this year. It really starts with how center Nikola Vucevic plays. No one seems to understand how this kid could become the best center in the league in a few years, as he averaged a double-double last year, at 23 years old, unbeknownst to everyone. He is one of my favorite players to watch in this league, and the most underrated. But after him, things get cloudy. Victor Oladipo, Orlando's top draft pick, has potential through the roof, but he hasn't played an NBA game yet. I need to see that before I can make seriously say he'll be good this year. What about Moe Harkless? I like the kid, but I think he left the St. Johns Red Storm too early in his college career. Once again, potential through the roof, but it will be a while before he blossoms. Finally, I say the long time Orlando player Jameer Nelson will be traded mid-season, further letting the team get younger. This team could be much higher than #28, but until they prove it, they're here.

 

For tonight, so long. We will see you for Part 2 soon!