The Washington Redskins have finally won back to back games for the first time this year and now have a .500 record. The crazy thing is, they lead the division with a 7-7 record. The NFC East really is a bad division. However, they haven't clinched a playoff spot yet. The Giants and Eagles are both only one game behind. This weekend, the Skins play the Philadelphia Eagles, a division rival. A win would clinch the playoffs for the Skins. A loss would make things a lot more interesting in this crazy division. I am going to tell you three things that the Skins have to do to get a win this weekend against the Eagles.
1. The Washington defense has been playing well, making plays, sacking the opposing quarterback, but also giving up big plays. For example, last week against the Bills, they gave up a 60 yard rush for a touchdown. The week before they gave up a 50 yard pass to Alshon Jeffery that put the Bears into field goal range. And this week, the Eagles offense could cause a lot of trouble for the Skins on defense. They have a bunch of weapons like Jordan Mathews and Ryan Mathews in the backfield. In special teams, the Eagles have Darren Sproles, the return specialist, who could give them big plays. The Skins defense can't give up big plays.
2. On offense, Kirk Cousins and the Skins are on fire. In two straight games, Kirk Cousins has thrown for 300 or more passing yards and his turnovers have been going down. If he can play the way he has been playing in the last couple games, the Redskins could take this game easily.
3. Also on offense, Kirk Cousins has to get the ball to his play makers. For example, Desean Jackson, Jordan Reed, and Pierre Garcon. The Eagles secondary won't be able to handle all of those elite play makers. I also suggest that the Skins run the ball a number of times too. The Eagles give up a lot of rushing yards to opposing teams. So, fantasy owners, if you don't have them already, find Alfred Morris or Matt Jones on waivers.
Friday, December 25, 2015
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Are The Washington Redskins a Playoff Team?
After beating the Chicago Bears on the road, 24-21, the question remains the same. Are the Washington Redskins a playoff team? That question depends on what you think about the Skins if you want an answer. It mostly all depends on Kirk Cousins and if he plays efficient or not. It also depends on if their defense gives up big plays. It also depends on if they are playing on the road or at home. Two out of the three upcoming games for them are on the road so that is not good. But I have seen improvement by Kirk Cousins on the road and he has been progressing.
Most people aren't giving the Skins nearly as much credit as they should be getting. They have had to handle a bunch of adversity with some devastating losses. One of those kinds of games was a 19-16 loss against the Dallas Cowboys. The game after that they played the Bears on the road and to everybody's surprise, they beat them, 24-21.
Like a couple of other teams, the Skins just have to keep finishing off games. They almost got too careless when they played the Bears but got lucky when Robbie Gould missed a 50 yard field goal late in the game that would have tied it up.
If you're keeping track of who has the easiest schedule, for the last three games to tell you who would make the playoffs in the NFC East, the Skins would be the winner in that category. All of there upcoming games are winnable. Here is their schedule [ the Skins are 6-7 right now ] :
Week 15: Bills
Week 16: Eagles
Week 17: Cowboys
Here is the Eagles Schedule [ they are 6-7 right now] :
Week 15: Cardinals
Week 16: Redskins
Week 17: Giants
Here is the Giants schedule [ they are 6-7 right now ] :
Week 15: Panthers
Week 16: Vikings
Week 17: Eagles
Here is the Cowboys schedule [ they are 4-9 right now ]
Week 15: Jets
Week 16: Bills
Week 17: Redskins
Most people aren't giving the Skins nearly as much credit as they should be getting. They have had to handle a bunch of adversity with some devastating losses. One of those kinds of games was a 19-16 loss against the Dallas Cowboys. The game after that they played the Bears on the road and to everybody's surprise, they beat them, 24-21.
Like a couple of other teams, the Skins just have to keep finishing off games. They almost got too careless when they played the Bears but got lucky when Robbie Gould missed a 50 yard field goal late in the game that would have tied it up.
If you're keeping track of who has the easiest schedule, for the last three games to tell you who would make the playoffs in the NFC East, the Skins would be the winner in that category. All of there upcoming games are winnable. Here is their schedule [ the Skins are 6-7 right now ] :
Week 15: Bills
Week 16: Eagles
Week 17: Cowboys
Here is the Eagles Schedule [ they are 6-7 right now] :
Week 15: Cardinals
Week 16: Redskins
Week 17: Giants
Here is the Giants schedule [ they are 6-7 right now ] :
Week 15: Panthers
Week 16: Vikings
Week 17: Eagles
Here is the Cowboys schedule [ they are 4-9 right now ]
Week 15: Jets
Week 16: Bills
Week 17: Redskins
Monday, December 14, 2015
Redskins vs Bears Post Game Analysis
Coming into this game, the Redskins weren't sure if they could win a game on the road. But they ended up making a statement and beating the Chicago Bears on the road. I'm going to tell you what they did well, and what they need to improve on.
Kirk Cousins did a good job of protecting the ball overall. He did throw one interception, but that wasn't entirely his fault. Cousins probably didn't see Kyle Fuller and Fuller made a good play. Other than that, Cousins played a pretty good game. He threw for 300 yards, a passing touchdown and running touchdown, and of course the interception. He also had one pass where he was scrambling around and it looked like his pass was initially intended for Jordan Reed but bounced out of his hands and into the hands of running back Matt Jones.
The Skins defense played pretty well overall but gave up some big plays that put them in a bad position. One of them was late in the game when Jay Cutler threw a 50 yard pass to Alshon Jeffery that put them in position to kick the 50 yard field goal that they missed. The Redskins secondary has to stop giving up huge plays because their playing the Bills next weekend and they can't afford to give up big plays to Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins. Also, DeAngelo Hall needs to work on his coverage. A couple times he left Alshon Jeffery and Zach Miller wide open.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
3 Things The Redskins Have To Do To Get a Win
The Washington Redskins are 5-7. They could have easily had a much better record if they had won a bunch of games that they were leading in until late in games. They're still at the top of the division but only by a tiebreaker. So they basically have to win this game. Here are three things that they will have to do.
1. The Skins have to run the ball efficiently. There last few games their running game hasn't been that efficient. Matt Jones is improving with his fumbling issue but Alfred Morris is not getting involved at all. A lot of the pressure is going to Kirk Cousins who is playing well but you shouldn't have to rely on him only.
2. Secondly, the Skins defense has to stay at it's best like they were against Dallas causing three turnovers all being fumbles. Today they are going to be facing Jay Cutler and the Bears offense with a bunch of guys to worry about like both running backs Jeremy Langford and Matt Forte.
3. Lastly, Desean Jackson has to get involved more. I don't know how many times I saw Desean Jackson wide open and Kirk Cousins didn't pass the ball to him. He is the best play maker on the team. Kirk Cousins has to throw the ball to him.
If the Skins do all those things, they can easily get a win. The only thing standing in their way is themselves.
1. The Skins have to run the ball efficiently. There last few games their running game hasn't been that efficient. Matt Jones is improving with his fumbling issue but Alfred Morris is not getting involved at all. A lot of the pressure is going to Kirk Cousins who is playing well but you shouldn't have to rely on him only.
2. Secondly, the Skins defense has to stay at it's best like they were against Dallas causing three turnovers all being fumbles. Today they are going to be facing Jay Cutler and the Bears offense with a bunch of guys to worry about like both running backs Jeremy Langford and Matt Forte.
3. Lastly, Desean Jackson has to get involved more. I don't know how many times I saw Desean Jackson wide open and Kirk Cousins didn't pass the ball to him. He is the best play maker on the team. Kirk Cousins has to throw the ball to him.
If the Skins do all those things, they can easily get a win. The only thing standing in their way is themselves.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Key Things That Will Lead The Redskins To A Win Against The Panthers
Last week the Redskins offense and defense had a monster game against the Saints. This week though, they face a tougher challenge in my opinion, the undefeated Carolina Panthers. And they're going to need to do a lot of things to get to 5-5. Here is what they will have to do.
Last week the Redskins did a good job running the ball and they will definitely need their run game against the Panthers who have a great defense all around. Although, it is easy to say that they had a good running game last week because they played the Saints defense. They currently rank last in defense and fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. Matt Jones, Alfred Morris, and Chris Thompson of the Redskins were a big part of their good run game. Jones had 54 rushing yards along with three receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown. Thompson had just two carries but went for 54 yards. Alfred Morris had 15 carries for 92 yards.
Recently, the Skins run game has been struggling. Last weekend was good for both Matt Jones and Alfred Morris because they were both in a slump. They also need Kirk Cousins to stay on his streak of accurate passes which again was easy for him to do against the leagues worst secondary. He threw for 324 passing yards and 4 touchdown passes along with NO turnovers which was key for him. Cousins has 9 interceptions and 3 fumbles so far this year and usually the games that the Redskins win are the ones when Cousins doesn't throw any interceptions. That was the case against the Saints.
They have a different situation this week going up against a very good Panthers defense with both an amazing secondary led by Josh Norman and almost an even better defensive line led by Luke Kuechly, and Jared Allen. So far this year, Cousins has had a hard time throwing the ball against good defenses so it will be interesting to see how much progress he has made over the last couple of weeks.
The Redskins defense also had a good game last week against the Saints and one of the leagues best QB's. The Redskins defense held Drew Brees to 209 passing yards, 2 touchdown passes that were both early in the game, and also 2 interceptions. It was almost unbelievable that the score was once 14-14. By the end of the game the score was 47-14 in the Redskins favor. The Skins scored 33 unanswered points and the defense was a big part of that. The Skins run defense had improved too, holding Mark Ingram of the Saints to 77 rushing yards. It would have been less if he hadn't had that 70 yard run towards the beginning. Over the last few weeks, the Skins had been giving up over 100 rushing yards but last weekend their defense got it together.
The Panthers offense led by Cam Newton has a lot of weapons starting with Jonathan Stewart. He is a big and tough back who is really good at getting extra yardage. In my opinion Stewart is mostly a short distance runner but if he is out in the open field he is very dangerous. Tight end Greg Olsen is another one of their big weapons. Olsen has 664 receiving yards so far this year and 5 touchdowns. The Panthers offense is very dangerous and the Skins defense is going to have to watch out for them.
I think this is going to be a great game. There are two things that could happen. Can the Panthers stay undefeated? Or will the Skins get the victory and go on top in the NFC East?
Last week the Redskins did a good job running the ball and they will definitely need their run game against the Panthers who have a great defense all around. Although, it is easy to say that they had a good running game last week because they played the Saints defense. They currently rank last in defense and fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. Matt Jones, Alfred Morris, and Chris Thompson of the Redskins were a big part of their good run game. Jones had 54 rushing yards along with three receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown. Thompson had just two carries but went for 54 yards. Alfred Morris had 15 carries for 92 yards.
Recently, the Skins run game has been struggling. Last weekend was good for both Matt Jones and Alfred Morris because they were both in a slump. They also need Kirk Cousins to stay on his streak of accurate passes which again was easy for him to do against the leagues worst secondary. He threw for 324 passing yards and 4 touchdown passes along with NO turnovers which was key for him. Cousins has 9 interceptions and 3 fumbles so far this year and usually the games that the Redskins win are the ones when Cousins doesn't throw any interceptions. That was the case against the Saints.
They have a different situation this week going up against a very good Panthers defense with both an amazing secondary led by Josh Norman and almost an even better defensive line led by Luke Kuechly, and Jared Allen. So far this year, Cousins has had a hard time throwing the ball against good defenses so it will be interesting to see how much progress he has made over the last couple of weeks.
The Redskins defense also had a good game last week against the Saints and one of the leagues best QB's. The Redskins defense held Drew Brees to 209 passing yards, 2 touchdown passes that were both early in the game, and also 2 interceptions. It was almost unbelievable that the score was once 14-14. By the end of the game the score was 47-14 in the Redskins favor. The Skins scored 33 unanswered points and the defense was a big part of that. The Skins run defense had improved too, holding Mark Ingram of the Saints to 77 rushing yards. It would have been less if he hadn't had that 70 yard run towards the beginning. Over the last few weeks, the Skins had been giving up over 100 rushing yards but last weekend their defense got it together.
The Panthers offense led by Cam Newton has a lot of weapons starting with Jonathan Stewart. He is a big and tough back who is really good at getting extra yardage. In my opinion Stewart is mostly a short distance runner but if he is out in the open field he is very dangerous. Tight end Greg Olsen is another one of their big weapons. Olsen has 664 receiving yards so far this year and 5 touchdowns. The Panthers offense is very dangerous and the Skins defense is going to have to watch out for them.
I think this is going to be a great game. There are two things that could happen. Can the Panthers stay undefeated? Or will the Skins get the victory and go on top in the NFC East?
Sunday, September 13, 2015
3 Big Reasons Why The Redskins Should Win Against The Dolphins
The first game of the 2015-2016 regular season is finally here for both teams in this match up. The Washington Redskins and the Miami Dolphins. I am going to give you 3 reasons why the Redskins should be able to beat the Dolphins.
1. The Redskins defense has improved mightily this offseason. Their defensive line made some key acquisitions this offseason as well as their secondary. For example, Chris Culliver, cornerback from the San Francisco 49ers, Terrence Knighton, defensive tackle from the Denver Broncos were players that the Redskins acquired. They also have other players on defense that make a difference such as Bashaud Breeland, cornerback; Ryan Kerrigan, linebacker; DeAngelo Hall, cornerback; and Keenan Robinson, linebacker. The Redskins' much improved defense will give Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins offense a lot of problems.
2. Kirk Cousins is starting for the Redskins at the quarterback position and the Redskins offense seems to run better when Cousins is the quarterback in the game. He will also have some weapons too. He will have wide receivers Desean Jackson and Pierre Garcon that he will be able to look out for going deep. Cousins has a good arm but at times he can get very inaccurate.
3. To take a lot of the pressure off Kirk Cousins throwing the ball, the Redskins running game will have to be effective. Although they are still not sure how running backs Alfred Morris and Matt Jones will split the carries.
With those big advantages that the Washington Redskins have, they should be able to win the game today but it won't be easy.
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Why Jeremy Lin Will Help The Charlotte Hornets
I am super excited about Jeremy Lin going to the Charlotte Hornets.
Lin is a very good passer and a good passer is something that the Hornets technically do not have. They have Kemba Walker who is their starting point guard but Walker is more of a score first kind of guy. On the other hand Lin is more of a pass first kind of guy who is always looking for the open player but can still take the ball to the rim effectively. Lin can also help the big men on the Hornets create a shot for themselves like Al Jefferson and Frank Kaminsky.
Lin will also bring a scoring ability to this young team which is what they will need coming from the bench. Last year, the Hornets lacked talent coming from the bench. They didn't really have a point guard last year that backed up Kemba Walker that could drive to the hoop and play through contact as well as Lin does. It will be great for the Hornets to have somebody like Lin who can come off the bench for Kemba Walker and make some plays for them.
One player that Lin will play well with is Al Jefferson who he can work on the pick and roll with. Al Jefferson is a center who can work down low and make a short jumper that most centers can not make. When Jefferson and Lin are playing at the same time they will work well together.
Lin will also play well with Jeremy Lamb who was also added to the Hornets but from the Thunder. Lamb is a good shooter from 3-point range and can start sinking deep shots once and a while. With Lin and him probably coming off the bench together, they can both create some shots and get points on the board.
Jeremy Lin will help out this young team in the Hornets in many different ways. I'm not saying that Jeremy Lin is an elite player or anything like that but he can still make an impact on how the Hornets play this coming year.
Lin is a very good passer and a good passer is something that the Hornets technically do not have. They have Kemba Walker who is their starting point guard but Walker is more of a score first kind of guy. On the other hand Lin is more of a pass first kind of guy who is always looking for the open player but can still take the ball to the rim effectively. Lin can also help the big men on the Hornets create a shot for themselves like Al Jefferson and Frank Kaminsky.
Lin will also bring a scoring ability to this young team which is what they will need coming from the bench. Last year, the Hornets lacked talent coming from the bench. They didn't really have a point guard last year that backed up Kemba Walker that could drive to the hoop and play through contact as well as Lin does. It will be great for the Hornets to have somebody like Lin who can come off the bench for Kemba Walker and make some plays for them.
One player that Lin will play well with is Al Jefferson who he can work on the pick and roll with. Al Jefferson is a center who can work down low and make a short jumper that most centers can not make. When Jefferson and Lin are playing at the same time they will work well together.
Lin will also play well with Jeremy Lamb who was also added to the Hornets but from the Thunder. Lamb is a good shooter from 3-point range and can start sinking deep shots once and a while. With Lin and him probably coming off the bench together, they can both create some shots and get points on the board.
Jeremy Lin will help out this young team in the Hornets in many different ways. I'm not saying that Jeremy Lin is an elite player or anything like that but he can still make an impact on how the Hornets play this coming year.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Which Team Does Jeremy Lin Play With This Coming Year
After a very crazy season with the Los Angeles Lakers, the young point guard in Jeremy Lin might be looking for different options this year.
Last year was his first year with the Lakers and things did not go as expected. Jeremy Lin went through a lot of ups and downs. In the beginning of the season he was the Lakers starting point guard. Then he started backing up point guard Ronnie Price for a while and then he started backing up rookie point guard Jordan Clarkson.
Things did not go so well for Lin in his first year with the Lakers but now that he is a free agent there are a lot of teams that are interested in getting him.
One option for Lin is going to the Dallas Mavericks. He would probably replace either Rajon Rondo, or Monta Ellis. The Mavericks are a good team for him and he would also be playing with a couple of his former teammates such as Tyson Chandler who played with him during the Linsanity run with the Knicks, Chandler Parsons who played with him on the Houston Rockets, and Monta Ellis who Lin didn't play with as much in his rookie year with the Warriors.
Another option for the young point guard is for him to go to the Sacramento Kings. They have lately been interested in getting him from the Lakers. With the Kings, Lin would be able to have the freedom of using his play making ability without Kobe Bryant or Jordan Clarkson on the floor with him. Lin could really help out the Kings if they brought him over. He would make a good team with Rudy Gay and Demarcus Cousins also on the Kings.
The developing point guard might also even be considering playing with the Lakers for another year. The Lakers might not be a good fit for Lin because he will have to fight for the point guard spot with a lot of other younger guys.
The Lakers might not have been a good fit for the 26 year old point guard who is still developing and getting better but this coming year Jeremy Lin will find a team that is a good fit for him whether it is the Lakers again or a different team.
Last year was his first year with the Lakers and things did not go as expected. Jeremy Lin went through a lot of ups and downs. In the beginning of the season he was the Lakers starting point guard. Then he started backing up point guard Ronnie Price for a while and then he started backing up rookie point guard Jordan Clarkson.
Things did not go so well for Lin in his first year with the Lakers but now that he is a free agent there are a lot of teams that are interested in getting him.
One option for Lin is going to the Dallas Mavericks. He would probably replace either Rajon Rondo, or Monta Ellis. The Mavericks are a good team for him and he would also be playing with a couple of his former teammates such as Tyson Chandler who played with him during the Linsanity run with the Knicks, Chandler Parsons who played with him on the Houston Rockets, and Monta Ellis who Lin didn't play with as much in his rookie year with the Warriors.
Another option for the young point guard is for him to go to the Sacramento Kings. They have lately been interested in getting him from the Lakers. With the Kings, Lin would be able to have the freedom of using his play making ability without Kobe Bryant or Jordan Clarkson on the floor with him. Lin could really help out the Kings if they brought him over. He would make a good team with Rudy Gay and Demarcus Cousins also on the Kings.
The developing point guard might also even be considering playing with the Lakers for another year. The Lakers might not be a good fit for Lin because he will have to fight for the point guard spot with a lot of other younger guys.
The Lakers might not have been a good fit for the 26 year old point guard who is still developing and getting better but this coming year Jeremy Lin will find a team that is a good fit for him whether it is the Lakers again or a different team.
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Game 5 Of The Finals Pregame Analysis
The Golden State Warriors are coming off a very important win. A win that they needed to even have a chance at winning the finals.
And tonight they are playing back in the Bay Area which makes things a bit easier with their home crowd cheering them on. On the other hand, the Cavaliers are coming off a devastating loss, in a game that would have gave them a big advantage if they won.
Here are three big things that both teams must do to win the game tonight.
Cavaliers:
1. The Cleveland Cavaliers can't let the Warriors get easy fast break points like they did in game 4. Point guard Stephen Curry and forward Andre Iguodala were a big reason why the Warriors got those fast break points. In game 5 tonight, the Cavaliers will have to stop the fast break.
2. The Cavaliers must keep Stephen Curry from catching fire late. In game 4, he took over the game in the second half, and the Cavaliers couldn't handle him. They have to make sure he doesn't all of the sudden start scoring and give his team a big lead. In the first couple of games that guard Matthew Dellevadova covered Curry, he stayed on him really tight, but in game 4, he wasn't able to handle him. Tonight, the Cavaliers will have to defend him well.
3. Lebron James needs to keep shooting. Just because he didn't have such a good game shooting in game 4, does not mean he has to stop. The Cavaliers need him to score for them. If he doesn't, then Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert, and Matthew Dellevadova would have to score all the points and they would not be able to do that.
Warriors:
1. The Warriors need to box out Tristan Thompson. Since Steve Kerr went with the small lineup in game 4, the bad part about it was height, and Tristan Thompson got every single offensive rebound. If he still stays with the small lineup today, than the forwards and center have to make sure they box out Tristan Thompson.
2. Stephen Curry should try to get shots up early to either make them, or draw some quick fouls on Dellevadova so he can be taken out and Curry can take over. In game 4, he played like he usually does. He came back to his normal self scoring 22 points in that game. He will have to keep the Warriors in this game if nobody comes to step up and make an impact on the game.
3. Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala did a very good job of limiting Lebron James's points in game 4, and they will have to do that again tonight, this time in Oracle Arena. Although, usually the veteran in Lebron James doesn't go two games being shut out. He will definitely be trying to bounce back today so one thing that Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala can't do is relax.
Both teams are looking to break the tie and have the advantage in game 6.
On one side, Cleveland is looking for revenge on the Warriors from their game 4 loss, but on the other side, you have the Warriors looking to take advantage of playing in Oracle Arena where they rarely lose.
And tonight they are playing back in the Bay Area which makes things a bit easier with their home crowd cheering them on. On the other hand, the Cavaliers are coming off a devastating loss, in a game that would have gave them a big advantage if they won.
Here are three big things that both teams must do to win the game tonight.
Cavaliers:
1. The Cleveland Cavaliers can't let the Warriors get easy fast break points like they did in game 4. Point guard Stephen Curry and forward Andre Iguodala were a big reason why the Warriors got those fast break points. In game 5 tonight, the Cavaliers will have to stop the fast break.
2. The Cavaliers must keep Stephen Curry from catching fire late. In game 4, he took over the game in the second half, and the Cavaliers couldn't handle him. They have to make sure he doesn't all of the sudden start scoring and give his team a big lead. In the first couple of games that guard Matthew Dellevadova covered Curry, he stayed on him really tight, but in game 4, he wasn't able to handle him. Tonight, the Cavaliers will have to defend him well.
3. Lebron James needs to keep shooting. Just because he didn't have such a good game shooting in game 4, does not mean he has to stop. The Cavaliers need him to score for them. If he doesn't, then Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert, and Matthew Dellevadova would have to score all the points and they would not be able to do that.
Warriors:
1. The Warriors need to box out Tristan Thompson. Since Steve Kerr went with the small lineup in game 4, the bad part about it was height, and Tristan Thompson got every single offensive rebound. If he still stays with the small lineup today, than the forwards and center have to make sure they box out Tristan Thompson.
2. Stephen Curry should try to get shots up early to either make them, or draw some quick fouls on Dellevadova so he can be taken out and Curry can take over. In game 4, he played like he usually does. He came back to his normal self scoring 22 points in that game. He will have to keep the Warriors in this game if nobody comes to step up and make an impact on the game.
3. Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala did a very good job of limiting Lebron James's points in game 4, and they will have to do that again tonight, this time in Oracle Arena. Although, usually the veteran in Lebron James doesn't go two games being shut out. He will definitely be trying to bounce back today so one thing that Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala can't do is relax.
Both teams are looking to break the tie and have the advantage in game 6.
On one side, Cleveland is looking for revenge on the Warriors from their game 4 loss, but on the other side, you have the Warriors looking to take advantage of playing in Oracle Arena where they rarely lose.
Thursday, June 11, 2015
5 Things The Warriors Have To Do To Go On And Win The Finals
Coming into this series, the Cleveland Cavaliers were the underdogs. But right now, it is the Golden State Warriors who are struggling.
There are some big reasons why they have been struggling. Now I'll tell you 5 important things that the Warriors have to do if they even want a chance at winning the finals.
1. The bottom line is that they can't let Lebron James get easy baskets on offense. He has been getting way too many easy baskets and has been scoring 41.0 points a game in the first three games in the finals. That's crazy. When Lebron James gets past whoever is guarding him whether it is Harrison Barnes or Andre Iguodala, Andrew Bogut has to come and help out on defense. Right now Andrew Bogut is just giving up on defense. That is not going to give them wins.
2. Stephen Curry is forcing up shots right now and he is not going to win the Warriors a single game if he forces up shots. He needs to let his shots come to him like he did in game 1. Also, Curry needs to use his teammates more. He has been trying to make a one man show by himself. He needs to get other players involved like Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
3. Whoever is guarding Matthew Dellevadova can't let him get to every single loose ball. Dellevadova is getting to loose balls way to easily and creating new possessions for his team. Stephen Curry couldn't stay on him in game 3, and Dellevadova had 20 points. Tonight, he needs to be covered well.
4. Klay Thompson is going to make a big impact if he can play at his best today and for the rest of the series. The whole Warriors team in general has been missing a lot of open shots. They need to be more consistent. In the last couple games when they have just started to come back they have given up and lost the game.
5. Draymond Green has to make his three point shots tonight especially. His recent three point shots have not had success lately and he has been getting open looks on top of that. He also needs to box out Tristan Thompson to get rebounds because tonight's game is going to be very important.
Tonight's game could go either way. But the mystery still remains the same. Who will win tonight's game?
4. Klay Thompson is going to make a big impact if he can play at his best today and for the rest of the series. The whole Warriors team in general has been missing a lot of open shots. They need to be more consistent. In the last couple games when they have just started to come back they have given up and lost the game.
5. Draymond Green has to make his three point shots tonight especially. His recent three point shots have not had success lately and he has been getting open looks on top of that. He also needs to box out Tristan Thompson to get rebounds because tonight's game is going to be very important.
Tonight's game could go either way. But the mystery still remains the same. Who will win tonight's game?
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Game 2 Of The NBA Finals Pregame Analysis
The Cleveland Cavaliers are facing the worst case scenario here in just game 2 in the NBA finals already down 1-0. Their All-Star starting point guard Kyrie Irving is injured. If Cleveland loses this game, then they will be heading back to Cleveland down 2-0 and that would put them into adversity. Cleveland also faces another big problem. With star point guard Kyrie Irving out, that leads to the big question. Who guards Warriors MVP point guard, Stephen Curry?
Now, of course backup point guard Matthew Dellevadova could guard Curry. But Curry is quicker than Dellevadova, and is more talented.
One possible solution for this problem is that shooting guard Iman Shumpert could guard Stephen Curry. But then Dellevadova would have to guard Klay Thompson who has a size advantage on Curry.
So basically, having Kyrie Irving not in the game makes a huge problem.
Although, Cleveland forward Lebron James had other thoughts. "I understand that we were the underdog coming into the series and with Kyrie being out people are writing us off." " So, I mean that's fine." " That's fine." " I'm motivated to get our guys ready to go tomorrow and we will be."
A lot will be important for the Cavaliers especially in this game. With two of their star players out [Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving], they have found a way to win, but now Cleveland knows that Kyrie Irving will not be back and that is very unfortunate.
For this game, the whole Cleveland lineup and players that usually come off the bench are going to have to play as hard as they can and bring a win back to Cleveland where they would be playing for game 3.
Tristan Thompson did a good job in game 1 on the boards in the first half and he will have to be the same again today but for the whole entire game.
J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert have to fill in for Irving's absence and make a difference in the game. They both need to shoot the 3-ball effectively.
Matthew Dellevadova needs to shoot the ball whenever he gets a good opportunity because he is a good three point shooter and can help them a lot if he does that. But he will probably have trouble with whoever he is defending.
Lebron James needs to stay consistent like he did in game 1 having 44 points. The Cavaliers need to help out Lebron more though. A team can't just have one guy score all the points and expect to win. Other guys will have to chip in from Cleveland. In game 1, Cleveland was ahead but they just couldn't hold on. The Warriors came back, took the game to overtime, and won. Today, they need to play their best the whole time.
On the Warriors side, they still shouldn't sit back and relax because if they do then Lebron and the Cavaliers will strike.
Stephen Curry is obviously going to be dangerous from 3-point land. It seems as if he can't miss from the corner when he gets on a roll.
I will expect Cleveland to come out with a lot of energy. They will come out making shots and I would like to see how Golden State handles that. Will they handle it like the last game and come right back? Or will they not be able to come back.
Even with the Cavaliers star point guard out, the series is definitely not over for the Cavaliers who are hungry for a win and will be showing no mercy in today's game.
Now, of course backup point guard Matthew Dellevadova could guard Curry. But Curry is quicker than Dellevadova, and is more talented.
One possible solution for this problem is that shooting guard Iman Shumpert could guard Stephen Curry. But then Dellevadova would have to guard Klay Thompson who has a size advantage on Curry.
So basically, having Kyrie Irving not in the game makes a huge problem.
Although, Cleveland forward Lebron James had other thoughts. "I understand that we were the underdog coming into the series and with Kyrie being out people are writing us off." " So, I mean that's fine." " That's fine." " I'm motivated to get our guys ready to go tomorrow and we will be."
A lot will be important for the Cavaliers especially in this game. With two of their star players out [Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving], they have found a way to win, but now Cleveland knows that Kyrie Irving will not be back and that is very unfortunate.
For this game, the whole Cleveland lineup and players that usually come off the bench are going to have to play as hard as they can and bring a win back to Cleveland where they would be playing for game 3.
Tristan Thompson did a good job in game 1 on the boards in the first half and he will have to be the same again today but for the whole entire game.
J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert have to fill in for Irving's absence and make a difference in the game. They both need to shoot the 3-ball effectively.
Matthew Dellevadova needs to shoot the ball whenever he gets a good opportunity because he is a good three point shooter and can help them a lot if he does that. But he will probably have trouble with whoever he is defending.
Lebron James needs to stay consistent like he did in game 1 having 44 points. The Cavaliers need to help out Lebron more though. A team can't just have one guy score all the points and expect to win. Other guys will have to chip in from Cleveland. In game 1, Cleveland was ahead but they just couldn't hold on. The Warriors came back, took the game to overtime, and won. Today, they need to play their best the whole time.
On the Warriors side, they still shouldn't sit back and relax because if they do then Lebron and the Cavaliers will strike.
Stephen Curry is obviously going to be dangerous from 3-point land. It seems as if he can't miss from the corner when he gets on a roll.
I will expect Cleveland to come out with a lot of energy. They will come out making shots and I would like to see how Golden State handles that. Will they handle it like the last game and come right back? Or will they not be able to come back.
Even with the Cavaliers star point guard out, the series is definitely not over for the Cavaliers who are hungry for a win and will be showing no mercy in today's game.
Will RG3 Improve This Year?
As the whole Redskins team starts to get better the big question is, can RG3 improve this year?
I believe he will. With the rest of the team improving, he will have a lot more help this year. There will be other guys contributing to the team to help them win. For example, linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, cornerback Chris Culliver, wide receiver Desean Jackson, offensive tackle Brandon Scherrf, wide receiver Jamison Crowder, and a lot more. They have a lot of young talent.
I will look to see if the Redskins look to run the read option more or stay away from it. If they do run it more there is a good side and a bad side to it. The good side is if they do run it more, then the Redskins offense will be more effective. The bad side is that if they run the read option, the history of RG3 running has not gone so well. He has had a lot of injuries in the past few years because of him running.
RG3's past few years have not been very successful. Obviously his rookie year was amazing. He only threw 5 interceptions and he passed for 3,200 yards. Then everything started to go downhill for him. In the 2013 season, he had 12 interceptions in 13 games. His passer rating was lower at 82.2. In the 2014 season he only played nine games and only had 4 touchdown passes and only threw for 1,694 yards.
RG3 has had a lot of ups and downs in his three year career, this coming year being his fourth.
Here are some things that RG3 will need to have success this coming year.
The offensive line for the Redskins needs to improve. In the last 2 years, they have not helped out RG3 enough. Some of that is part of the reason why RG3 is getting hurt. Offensive tackle Trent Williams will be very important for RG3. He is the Redskins main offensive tackle. He is still bothered by his ankle that he hurt towards the end of the season last year.
Brandon Scherff is another offensive tackle that will have to come up big this year. Scherff is a rookie from Iowa and was the 5th pick in the draft overall. He is a good addition to the Redskins offensive line that is much needed this year.
The Redskins could have had an even better offensive line but they gave offensive guard Chris Chester away to the Atlanta Falcons.
Now I'll talk about how RG3 himself can make an improvement this year and bounce back.
RG3 needs to take care of himself more. In the past few years, he has sacrificed his body too many times to make plays but the results have been that he has been getting injured.
RG3 needs to get back to his usual self that he was in his rookie year. He needs to come back to that accurate quarterback that he used to be. In his rookie year, he completed 258 passes out of 393. Another thing is that he needs to stop throwing the ball away. That has resulted in interception sometimes. He needs to know when it is the right time to throw it away or to just take the sacks. He also can't run with it when it is not necessary.
If the young and still developing quarterback can make those changes this year, then defensive coordinators had better watch out for the return of RG3.
I believe he will. With the rest of the team improving, he will have a lot more help this year. There will be other guys contributing to the team to help them win. For example, linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, cornerback Chris Culliver, wide receiver Desean Jackson, offensive tackle Brandon Scherrf, wide receiver Jamison Crowder, and a lot more. They have a lot of young talent.
I will look to see if the Redskins look to run the read option more or stay away from it. If they do run it more there is a good side and a bad side to it. The good side is if they do run it more, then the Redskins offense will be more effective. The bad side is that if they run the read option, the history of RG3 running has not gone so well. He has had a lot of injuries in the past few years because of him running.
RG3's past few years have not been very successful. Obviously his rookie year was amazing. He only threw 5 interceptions and he passed for 3,200 yards. Then everything started to go downhill for him. In the 2013 season, he had 12 interceptions in 13 games. His passer rating was lower at 82.2. In the 2014 season he only played nine games and only had 4 touchdown passes and only threw for 1,694 yards.
RG3 has had a lot of ups and downs in his three year career, this coming year being his fourth.
Here are some things that RG3 will need to have success this coming year.
The offensive line for the Redskins needs to improve. In the last 2 years, they have not helped out RG3 enough. Some of that is part of the reason why RG3 is getting hurt. Offensive tackle Trent Williams will be very important for RG3. He is the Redskins main offensive tackle. He is still bothered by his ankle that he hurt towards the end of the season last year.
Brandon Scherff is another offensive tackle that will have to come up big this year. Scherff is a rookie from Iowa and was the 5th pick in the draft overall. He is a good addition to the Redskins offensive line that is much needed this year.
The Redskins could have had an even better offensive line but they gave offensive guard Chris Chester away to the Atlanta Falcons.
Now I'll talk about how RG3 himself can make an improvement this year and bounce back.
RG3 needs to take care of himself more. In the past few years, he has sacrificed his body too many times to make plays but the results have been that he has been getting injured.
RG3 needs to get back to his usual self that he was in his rookie year. He needs to come back to that accurate quarterback that he used to be. In his rookie year, he completed 258 passes out of 393. Another thing is that he needs to stop throwing the ball away. That has resulted in interception sometimes. He needs to know when it is the right time to throw it away or to just take the sacks. He also can't run with it when it is not necessary.
If the young and still developing quarterback can make those changes this year, then defensive coordinators had better watch out for the return of RG3.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
5 Important Things For The Warriors and The Cavaliers Going Into The Finals
It has been a long NBA season, and now finally, Game 1 of the NBA Finals will be on Thursday, June 4th. Both teams have come a long way to get here and now I'll tell you 5 important things for both teams to consider going into the finals.
Cavaliers:
1. Kyrie Irving must stay on Stephen Curry the whole game and if he is not in the game, then chances are that Mathew Dellavadova will be guarding Stephen Curry. I think if the two point guards can't handle Curry than Head Coach David Blatt will probably switch Iman Shumpert over to Curry.
2. The Cleveland Cavaliers bench has to make a big impact on the game because they will be going up against some talented players on the Warriors bench. For example, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston will be players that will make a difference on the Warriors side. J.R Smith will have to make his regular perimeter shots and also play good defense. Another player on the Cleveland bench who has done enough in the playoffs this year to make a difference is James Jones. He is also a good three point shooter like J.R Smith.
3. Tristan Thompson must be the same hard worker that he has been in the last couple series. Against the Hawks and Bulls he has dominated the boards and has been shooting at a high percentage at 54.7%. He will have a size advantage on Warriors power forward Draymond Green that he will be guarding.
4. Timofey Mozgov's defense and rim protection will be critical in the finals. This year in the playoffs he is averaging 1.2 blocks a game. He and Warriors center Andrew Bogut are alike. They are both very tall and they will be guarding each other. Mozgov is a very good defender and also a good free throw shooter despite the fact that he is 7 foot 1.
5. Lebron James must play really aggressive and attack the basket a lot. He is averaging 27.6 points a game this year in the playoffs. He will be guarding small forward Harrison Barnes on the Warriors. James is very experienced in the finals unlike the rest of his team and he is used to being here. Even the Warriors aren't at all experienced in the finals and this is new to them.
Warriors:
1. Draymond Green has to make sure that he does not let the taller Tristan Thompson score too many times because he is the guy that Green will be matched up with most of the time. He is already a very good defender but Tristan Thompson, the power forward on the Cavs has a size advantage on him. Draymond Green has helped the Warriors out a lot in the playoffs averaging 10.8 total rebounds a game and a solid 14.0 points a game.
2. Harrison Barnes can't let Lebron James get to the hoop easily. Once you let him score a couple of times he gets going and the Warriors do not want that to happen. I think Harrison Barnes should take more shots. He is a very accurate shooter shooting at 46.3 percent this year in the playoffs and very skilled but does not take that many shots. If he does in the finals coming up, he will definitely make a big difference on how this years finals will turn out.
3. Stephen Curry has to make the shots that he usually does. He is averaging 29.2 points a game this year in the playoffs and shoots 43.7 percent from deep also this year in the playoffs. He will be going up against Kyrie Irving who is the other point guard looking to win the finals. Both guards are young and inexperienced in the finals. They both have not played a single game in the finals in both of their careers yet. We'll see if that effects how they play at all.
4. Klay Thompson has to shoot and make his regular shots. He can't leave all the pressure on Stephen Curry. So far, he has been contributing to the team enough so that he can make a difference. He will be guarding Iman Shumpert. The two are both good shooters. Shumpert can use his athletic ability to make good plays while Klay Thompson is an amazing defender with those long arms that he has. It will be interesting to see them go back and forth.
5. Andrew Bogut will be a big factor in this series if he can help out down low. If Kyrie Irving gets past Curry, Bogut will have to be there to help out on defense. If Bogut helps out on defense, then that gives the Warriors a good chance of winning the finals. There will be a lot of other players he will have to be helping out on like Lebron James and J.R Smith or Iman Shumpert.
If both teams can do all the things that were mentioned then this years finals will be very tight and closely contested.
Cavaliers:
1. Kyrie Irving must stay on Stephen Curry the whole game and if he is not in the game, then chances are that Mathew Dellavadova will be guarding Stephen Curry. I think if the two point guards can't handle Curry than Head Coach David Blatt will probably switch Iman Shumpert over to Curry.
2. The Cleveland Cavaliers bench has to make a big impact on the game because they will be going up against some talented players on the Warriors bench. For example, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston will be players that will make a difference on the Warriors side. J.R Smith will have to make his regular perimeter shots and also play good defense. Another player on the Cleveland bench who has done enough in the playoffs this year to make a difference is James Jones. He is also a good three point shooter like J.R Smith.
3. Tristan Thompson must be the same hard worker that he has been in the last couple series. Against the Hawks and Bulls he has dominated the boards and has been shooting at a high percentage at 54.7%. He will have a size advantage on Warriors power forward Draymond Green that he will be guarding.
4. Timofey Mozgov's defense and rim protection will be critical in the finals. This year in the playoffs he is averaging 1.2 blocks a game. He and Warriors center Andrew Bogut are alike. They are both very tall and they will be guarding each other. Mozgov is a very good defender and also a good free throw shooter despite the fact that he is 7 foot 1.
5. Lebron James must play really aggressive and attack the basket a lot. He is averaging 27.6 points a game this year in the playoffs. He will be guarding small forward Harrison Barnes on the Warriors. James is very experienced in the finals unlike the rest of his team and he is used to being here. Even the Warriors aren't at all experienced in the finals and this is new to them.
Warriors:
1. Draymond Green has to make sure that he does not let the taller Tristan Thompson score too many times because he is the guy that Green will be matched up with most of the time. He is already a very good defender but Tristan Thompson, the power forward on the Cavs has a size advantage on him. Draymond Green has helped the Warriors out a lot in the playoffs averaging 10.8 total rebounds a game and a solid 14.0 points a game.
2. Harrison Barnes can't let Lebron James get to the hoop easily. Once you let him score a couple of times he gets going and the Warriors do not want that to happen. I think Harrison Barnes should take more shots. He is a very accurate shooter shooting at 46.3 percent this year in the playoffs and very skilled but does not take that many shots. If he does in the finals coming up, he will definitely make a big difference on how this years finals will turn out.
3. Stephen Curry has to make the shots that he usually does. He is averaging 29.2 points a game this year in the playoffs and shoots 43.7 percent from deep also this year in the playoffs. He will be going up against Kyrie Irving who is the other point guard looking to win the finals. Both guards are young and inexperienced in the finals. They both have not played a single game in the finals in both of their careers yet. We'll see if that effects how they play at all.
4. Klay Thompson has to shoot and make his regular shots. He can't leave all the pressure on Stephen Curry. So far, he has been contributing to the team enough so that he can make a difference. He will be guarding Iman Shumpert. The two are both good shooters. Shumpert can use his athletic ability to make good plays while Klay Thompson is an amazing defender with those long arms that he has. It will be interesting to see them go back and forth.
5. Andrew Bogut will be a big factor in this series if he can help out down low. If Kyrie Irving gets past Curry, Bogut will have to be there to help out on defense. If Bogut helps out on defense, then that gives the Warriors a good chance of winning the finals. There will be a lot of other players he will have to be helping out on like Lebron James and J.R Smith or Iman Shumpert.
If both teams can do all the things that were mentioned then this years finals will be very tight and closely contested.
Monday, May 25, 2015
Why The Redskins Defense Will Improve This Coming Year
Last year the Washington Redskins defense struggled mightily. They gave up a lot of touchdowns. And on top of all that they had a 4-12 season.
But this year, I have a feeling that they will improve. Here are 5 reasons why:
1: The Redskins picked up CB Chris Culliver from the San Francisco 49ers. He is a young and talented player who is only 26. The Redskins need that kind of young talent. He also had 4 interceptions in the 2014 season and only missed two games. The Redskins need someone who can stay healthy on the defensive end. He will be a threat when the Redskins go up against other teams.
2: They have DeAngelo Hall healthy again after him missing 13 games of the 2014 season. If the Redskins will want to have success this coming year, they will have to keep him healthy as well. He is a very important part of there defense. Hall is also a very experienced CB in the NFL having played for ten years and having 43 career interceptions but there will be much more of those to come this season.
3: They have Bashaud Breeland back again and he will make a very dynamic group with him, Chris Culliver, and DeAngelo Hall. Last year, Breeland only had 2 interceptions but matched up very well against some star wide receivers like Dez Bryant and Jeremy Maclin. He is another tough CB and only in his second year. The Redskins secondary has really changed a lot only a little bit through the offseason.
Now let's move on to the Redskins defensive line.
4: The Redskins acquired nose tackle Terrance Knighton from the Denver Broncos who used to play along side Demarcus Ware. He had 30 combined tackles in the 2014 season. Knighton has played for two different teams and the Redskins will be his third. He has played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Denver Broncos so far. Since linebacker Brian Orakpo left to the Tennessee Titans, Terrance Knighton will be the perfect addition.
5: And then you have Ryan Kerrigan who is a big threat on defense having a career year last season with 13.5 sacks and 5 forced fumbles. With him and Terrance Knighton, they could be a much feared dynamic duo. Kerrigan can be unstoppable when it comes to sacking the quarterback. He was named to the NFL's Top 100 list being #78. He is a very powerful pass rusher and can put major pressure on the quarterback.
With the Redskins defense improved, they will be a threat in the NFC East and maybe the whole NFL.
But this year, I have a feeling that they will improve. Here are 5 reasons why:
1: The Redskins picked up CB Chris Culliver from the San Francisco 49ers. He is a young and talented player who is only 26. The Redskins need that kind of young talent. He also had 4 interceptions in the 2014 season and only missed two games. The Redskins need someone who can stay healthy on the defensive end. He will be a threat when the Redskins go up against other teams.
2: They have DeAngelo Hall healthy again after him missing 13 games of the 2014 season. If the Redskins will want to have success this coming year, they will have to keep him healthy as well. He is a very important part of there defense. Hall is also a very experienced CB in the NFL having played for ten years and having 43 career interceptions but there will be much more of those to come this season.
3: They have Bashaud Breeland back again and he will make a very dynamic group with him, Chris Culliver, and DeAngelo Hall. Last year, Breeland only had 2 interceptions but matched up very well against some star wide receivers like Dez Bryant and Jeremy Maclin. He is another tough CB and only in his second year. The Redskins secondary has really changed a lot only a little bit through the offseason.
Now let's move on to the Redskins defensive line.
4: The Redskins acquired nose tackle Terrance Knighton from the Denver Broncos who used to play along side Demarcus Ware. He had 30 combined tackles in the 2014 season. Knighton has played for two different teams and the Redskins will be his third. He has played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Denver Broncos so far. Since linebacker Brian Orakpo left to the Tennessee Titans, Terrance Knighton will be the perfect addition.
5: And then you have Ryan Kerrigan who is a big threat on defense having a career year last season with 13.5 sacks and 5 forced fumbles. With him and Terrance Knighton, they could be a much feared dynamic duo. Kerrigan can be unstoppable when it comes to sacking the quarterback. He was named to the NFL's Top 100 list being #78. He is a very powerful pass rusher and can put major pressure on the quarterback.
With the Redskins defense improved, they will be a threat in the NFC East and maybe the whole NFL.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Washington Wizards vs Atlanta Hawks Game 5 Pregame Analysis
This back and forth series will come down to this game. The series is tied 2-2. One team will break the tie. The first game Washington won 104-98 surprising the Atlanta Hawks in the fourth quarter. In the second game Atlanta bounced back with a 106-90 win to make the series 1-1. In that game, John Wall got injured and did not play for the rest of the game. In game 3 in Washington the Wizards beat the Hawks despite John Wall's absence 101-103. In game 4, the Hawks beat the Wizards 106-101. So this really has been a back and forth series. No team has won two games in a row.
Today's game will be very important. For the Wizards, John Wall will make a game time decision if he wants to play in today's game so that brings back some hope for this inexperienced playoff team. Even Wall himself is not sure if he can play. " If your not confident in your ability to do what you want to do," Wall said. " Then there's no points in playing."
The Wizards are 5-0 with him in the playoffs, and 1-2 without him. That is how big of a difference he makes on this team. The swelling in Wall's hand has diminished substantially over the last week. If he does play his minutes will probably be limited.
On the Wizards side of the court there will be one hard task: to keep John Wall from the paint if he does play. Demarre Carroll has been playing great basketball for the past few games as he has during the playoffs. Jeff Teague is back to himself after having 26 points the other day in a win over Washington.
Paul Millsap had 19 points in his return to the lineup after battling the flu the other day.
For the Wizards if they want to win, there big men have to get into the game more. For the past few games, Marcin Gortat and Nene, Washington's power forward and center, have not been a big factor for them.
Bradley Beal also had an outstanding performance in game 4 with a playoff high, 34 points, along with 7 assists.
Both teams will be looking for a win today and one will come out with the win and break the tie. Tonight's game will decide on the first team to 3 wins and an advantage for game 6.
Today's game will be very important. For the Wizards, John Wall will make a game time decision if he wants to play in today's game so that brings back some hope for this inexperienced playoff team. Even Wall himself is not sure if he can play. " If your not confident in your ability to do what you want to do," Wall said. " Then there's no points in playing."
The Wizards are 5-0 with him in the playoffs, and 1-2 without him. That is how big of a difference he makes on this team. The swelling in Wall's hand has diminished substantially over the last week. If he does play his minutes will probably be limited.
On the Wizards side of the court there will be one hard task: to keep John Wall from the paint if he does play. Demarre Carroll has been playing great basketball for the past few games as he has during the playoffs. Jeff Teague is back to himself after having 26 points the other day in a win over Washington.
Paul Millsap had 19 points in his return to the lineup after battling the flu the other day.
For the Wizards if they want to win, there big men have to get into the game more. For the past few games, Marcin Gortat and Nene, Washington's power forward and center, have not been a big factor for them.
Bradley Beal also had an outstanding performance in game 4 with a playoff high, 34 points, along with 7 assists.
Both teams will be looking for a win today and one will come out with the win and break the tie. Tonight's game will decide on the first team to 3 wins and an advantage for game 6.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Washington Wizards vs Atlanta Hawks Game 2 Pregame Analysis
" Just withstanding adversity." We know they're going to come out and give us a punch right away." Those were the words of point guard John Wall on the Washington Wizards after surprising the dominant Atlanta Hawks in a 104-98 game 1 win in Atlanta. John Wall was one of the big reasons why they won. He had 18 points and 13 assists. Bradley Beal also tied his career high in points for the playoffs. Last year, the Wizards were a young and inexperienced team which prevented them to get far into the playoffs. This year was a different story after sweeping the Toronto Raptors in the first round and beating the Atlanta Hawks in the first game of the semifinals. The Washington Wizards still remain undefeated in the 2015 playoffs. Atlanta's key players did not play so well in game one. Jeff Teague went 4-14 on shooting and Kyle Korver shot 3-11 on three pointers. But fortunately, Demarre Carroll backed them up with another impressive performance with 24 points.
Today's game will be critical for the Hawks. If the Wizards win then they will be two games away from moving on and if the Hawks win, the series will be tied up. Today's game will also be played in Atlanta so the Hawks have another chance at home. Demarre Carroll will need to play another fantastic game like he has done in the past few games. Atlanta's defense will be important too. They can not let John Wall get into the paint that much. If he does get there, there will be so many options that he will have because he is such a talented player. The Hawks will also need Kyle Korver to make his perimeter shots. In game 1, his shots were not that successful. If he can make his shots that would make a big difference. The Hawks will all have to look out for Bradley Beal because he is averaging 22.2 points a game in the playoffs. Al Horford had a very well balanced game in game 1 having 17 points, 17 rebounds, and seven assists.
For the Wizards they are playing great team basketball right now moving the ball around and getting good shots. For John Wall it's the same thing: he just has to keep taking the ball to the hoop. Nene will have to get going again after being held to no points in game 1. And Marcin Gortat had a pretty efficient game a couple days ago with 12 points so he just has to keep that up.
The Hawks look to bounce back in this game to get back into this series and get back to there normal selves again.
The Hawks will win game 2 107-101. For the Hawks Demarre Carroll will have 23 points and Paul Millsap will have 18 points and the Hawks will take game 2.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Bulls vs Cavaliers Game 1 Pregame Analysis
Both teams have made it to the semifinals but only one can stay in the playoffs and move on. This series will especially be a very interesting series to watch. Before we talk about this upcoming game, we will first talk about how both teams got there.
The Cleveland Cavaliers started the playoffs with a sweep against the Boston Celtics. Although the games weren't a complete blowout. Kyrie Irving played his first ever playoff games in his NBA career and he played them like they were any other games and he might have even played better than what he usually plays like. Of course Lebron James has a lot of playoff experience. He actually had played in more playoff games than all of the players on the Celtics roster together.
The Chicago Bulls played the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round and won that series 3-2. That series again was not a complete blowout. The Bulls were up in the series 3-0 but Milwaukee came back to make the series 3-2. Then the Bulls closed out the series with a 120-66 game 6 win. Now we'll dig deeper into this match up.
The Bulls will have a slight advantage over the Cavs because the Cleveland Cavaliers will be playing without power forward Kevin Love and shooting guard J.R. Smith. Chicago will definitely be hungry for some revenge on Lebron James after he eliminated them 3 times through 2010-2015. The Bulls will be with Derrick Rose so he will be going up against Kyrie Irving. Lebron will definitely have no problem going up against them because he averages 27.1 points a game against them in the postseason and he is 12-3 against them in the postseason. I would like to see if Tom Thibideau would switch Jimmy Butler over to Lebron James if he gets going to see if he could stop him. Joakim Noah will be a big factor for the Chicago Bulls on defense. He will be going up against Timofey Mozgov one-on-one. Also Mike Dunleavy's outside shooting will be important for the Bulls to stay in the game. And Pau Gasol will be playing the power forward position as always and he will most likely be guarding Tristan Thompson. The Bulls bench will also be important. The main big body on the Bulls bench will be Taj Gibson.
The Cavaliers will end up winning game 1 101-95 and Lebron James will have 32 points and 9 rebounds. For the Bulls, Derrick Rose will have 23 points and 8 assists. Jimmy Butler will have 28 points and 7 rebounds.
The Cleveland Cavaliers started the playoffs with a sweep against the Boston Celtics. Although the games weren't a complete blowout. Kyrie Irving played his first ever playoff games in his NBA career and he played them like they were any other games and he might have even played better than what he usually plays like. Of course Lebron James has a lot of playoff experience. He actually had played in more playoff games than all of the players on the Celtics roster together.
The Chicago Bulls played the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round and won that series 3-2. That series again was not a complete blowout. The Bulls were up in the series 3-0 but Milwaukee came back to make the series 3-2. Then the Bulls closed out the series with a 120-66 game 6 win. Now we'll dig deeper into this match up.
The Bulls will have a slight advantage over the Cavs because the Cleveland Cavaliers will be playing without power forward Kevin Love and shooting guard J.R. Smith. Chicago will definitely be hungry for some revenge on Lebron James after he eliminated them 3 times through 2010-2015. The Bulls will be with Derrick Rose so he will be going up against Kyrie Irving. Lebron will definitely have no problem going up against them because he averages 27.1 points a game against them in the postseason and he is 12-3 against them in the postseason. I would like to see if Tom Thibideau would switch Jimmy Butler over to Lebron James if he gets going to see if he could stop him. Joakim Noah will be a big factor for the Chicago Bulls on defense. He will be going up against Timofey Mozgov one-on-one. Also Mike Dunleavy's outside shooting will be important for the Bulls to stay in the game. And Pau Gasol will be playing the power forward position as always and he will most likely be guarding Tristan Thompson. The Bulls bench will also be important. The main big body on the Bulls bench will be Taj Gibson.
The Cavaliers will end up winning game 1 101-95 and Lebron James will have 32 points and 9 rebounds. For the Bulls, Derrick Rose will have 23 points and 8 assists. Jimmy Butler will have 28 points and 7 rebounds.
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Clippers vs Spurs Game 7 Pregame Analysis
Both teams have the same goal to achieve in this particular season. To win an NBA Championship. But first, one team must get past the first round. Tonight's game will obviously be very hard fought. The series has been going back and forth. First, the Clippers won the first game with the help of point guard Chris Paul and power forward Blake Griffin. Then the Spurs won two games in a row to make the series 2-1 in their favor. Then the Clippers won to make the series now 2-2. Then the Spurs bounced back and won despite Blake Griffin's 30 point game. And then on Thursday, the Clippers won so now the series is tied 3-3 with one game left. The team that wins it will be the one to challenge the Houston Rockets in the semifinals.
Everybody knows about how Chris Paul and Blake Griffin and Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard can contribute but now let's talk about the players on both teams who come off the bench who can make a difference and chip in a little.
First, we'll talk about Glen Davis, power forward/center for the Clippers, and how he can help them out. Glen Davis's numbers don't show it to you, but he is a very hard worker. He can box out to get rebounds because of his big size, and he is also a very discipline defender. And on occasional times you can feed the ball to him in the post and he'll give you some points. The only concern for him is if he can defend Tim Duncan throughout the game if Blake Griffin is not on the court. Another factor in this game for the Clippers will be Austin Rivers. He is very quick and can get to the hoop for them if they are in need for points. He can also shoot the 3-ball pretty efficiently. He has a size advantage on Tony Parker so he should be able to defend him pretty well and not allow a lot of points on him. He will also have to distribute the ball to the open man a lot when he is in for Chris Paul.
Now we'll move to the Spurs side of the court. One of the players that come off the bench that will make a difference will be Manu Ginobili. His shooting is superb from outside and he has been showing some impressive defense throughout the series. The only concern for him will be if he can put some points on the board for San Antonio because on Thursday in Game 6, he was just 1-6 on shooting and he had just 3 points.
I think the Spurs will win because they have more experience in the playoffs and the score will be 101-97. For the Clippers Chris Paul will have 21 points and 10 assists, and Blake Griffin will have 28 points and 12 rebounds. For the Spurs, Tony Parker will have 19 points and 7 assists, and Kawhi Leonard will have 26 points along with 8 rebounds and 4 steals.
There is only one game left in the series and only one team can come out winning.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Mavericks vs Rockets Game 3 Post game Analysis
The Mavericks were desperate for a win to make the series 2-1. The first two games came in Houston's favor, before the game ahead in the series 2-0. The first game it was James Harden who came up big with 24 points and 11 assists and Houston ended up winning 118-108. The second game of the series it was center Dwight Howard that helped them get to the win with 28 points and 12 rebounds and Houston ended up winning that one 111-99. Now the third game was a different story and it was definitely fun to watch.
The first quarter was very high scoring for both teams. It all started with the Houston Rockets offense. James Harden like always played a big role in this game. Two faces on the Mavericks that would have to help out the team if they wanted to get to a win would have to be Monta Ellis and Tyson Chandler. Monta Ellis because of his scoring ability and Tyson Chandler because of his height and rebounding ability and also the help that he could be on defense. Monta Ellis in the last two games had scored 20 or more so a lot would be depending on him.
The game started off with both teams scoring a pretty even amount of points. The quarter ended with James Harden having 12 points already and Monta Ellis also dropped 12. The Rockets closed in the quarter with some good ball movement, and finally getting the ball to Josh Smith for a three with 2.9 seconds left and that was it for the first quarter with the score already 42-36. In the second quarter it was J.J Barea who pulled the Mavericks closer in to the deficit. He played a very solid all around game. All of a sudden, the Mavericks went on a 23-7 run now taking the lead 59-49. That was the turning point in the game that brought momentum in the Mavericks and their home crowd. But Harden was keeping his Houston Rockets in this game whether it was scoring the ball or dishing it out. He brought the deficit to just seven as the half ended. The score was 72-65.
The second half was all James Harden. In the first six minutes of the second half, Harden was already 4-4 on shooting. The Rockets kept their fine play going into the fourth quarter where it seemed as if there was no hope at all. With 2:40 left to go, the Mavericks were down 124-116. Then it was Monta Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki who helped them creep back into the game. First, Nowitzki made a shot from downtown to cut the lead to 5. Then Monta Ellis made a jump shot to cut the lead to three. The Mavericks kept going and suddenly, the lead was down to one! But again, James Harden made a very clutch play driving to the hoop and getting the layup. A couple of plays later the Mavericks were down 130-128 with 7 seconds left to go. Monta Ellis got the ball. He took a couple of dribbles, fired up a shot, but missed.Game Over. 130-128. The series 3-0.
The first quarter was very high scoring for both teams. It all started with the Houston Rockets offense. James Harden like always played a big role in this game. Two faces on the Mavericks that would have to help out the team if they wanted to get to a win would have to be Monta Ellis and Tyson Chandler. Monta Ellis because of his scoring ability and Tyson Chandler because of his height and rebounding ability and also the help that he could be on defense. Monta Ellis in the last two games had scored 20 or more so a lot would be depending on him.
The game started off with both teams scoring a pretty even amount of points. The quarter ended with James Harden having 12 points already and Monta Ellis also dropped 12. The Rockets closed in the quarter with some good ball movement, and finally getting the ball to Josh Smith for a three with 2.9 seconds left and that was it for the first quarter with the score already 42-36. In the second quarter it was J.J Barea who pulled the Mavericks closer in to the deficit. He played a very solid all around game. All of a sudden, the Mavericks went on a 23-7 run now taking the lead 59-49. That was the turning point in the game that brought momentum in the Mavericks and their home crowd. But Harden was keeping his Houston Rockets in this game whether it was scoring the ball or dishing it out. He brought the deficit to just seven as the half ended. The score was 72-65.
The second half was all James Harden. In the first six minutes of the second half, Harden was already 4-4 on shooting. The Rockets kept their fine play going into the fourth quarter where it seemed as if there was no hope at all. With 2:40 left to go, the Mavericks were down 124-116. Then it was Monta Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki who helped them creep back into the game. First, Nowitzki made a shot from downtown to cut the lead to 5. Then Monta Ellis made a jump shot to cut the lead to three. The Mavericks kept going and suddenly, the lead was down to one! But again, James Harden made a very clutch play driving to the hoop and getting the layup. A couple of plays later the Mavericks were down 130-128 with 7 seconds left to go. Monta Ellis got the ball. He took a couple of dribbles, fired up a shot, but missed.Game Over. 130-128. The series 3-0.
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Toronto Raptors vs Washington Wizards Playoff Pregame Analysis
As the playoffs start, the first game that will be one for everybody to watch is the Toronto Raptors, and the Washington Wizards. Both teams have had great seasons and made it to the playoffs with help from there key star players. Now it's time to dig deeper into that match up.
The first great matchup that everybody will want to see is John Wall and Kyle Lowry. Both players are very different in their playing style and that is why it will be fun to watch. But one thing that sets their differences apart is the number of points that each player puts up. John Wall averages 17.8 points per game. Kyle Lowry averages 17.6 points per game Kyle Lowry will have a tough time guarding John Wall who put up an average of a double-double during the regular season with 17.8 points and 10.0 assists.
Another match up that will be very interesting is Demar Derozan and Bradley Beal. They are both very athletic players that can both shoot from the outside and can score at a high level. Bradley Beal averaging 15.3 points a game and Demar Derozan averaging 20.1 points per game. It will be fun to watch those two go at it and put up big numbers.
The big bodies on the Wizards and Raptors will be a huge factor in this opening playoff game so I am going to talk about how they will make a difference.
Amir Johnson will be very important for the Raptors if they want to survive in the playoffs. He will be key for his rebounding for them averaging 6.4 a game. He will also have the job of guarding Nene which will be very hard. Another big body on Toronto is Jonas Valenciunas who is developing well in the NBA still as a young player. He will be guarding Washington's center Marcin Gortat.
On Washington's side of the court, they will have to move the ball around on offense and get good shots off against a tough defense like Toronto. On defense they have to stay with Demar Derozan and restrict his amount of points and try to get him into early foul trouble.
After what will probably be a very hard fought game, Toronto will come out winning 107-101. Toronto's Demar Derozan will have 29 points, and Kyle Lowry will have 17 points and 9 assists. On Washington's side, John Wall will have 27 points, and 12 assists, and Bradley Beal will have 21 points, and 4 steals.
The first great matchup that everybody will want to see is John Wall and Kyle Lowry. Both players are very different in their playing style and that is why it will be fun to watch. But one thing that sets their differences apart is the number of points that each player puts up. John Wall averages 17.8 points per game. Kyle Lowry averages 17.6 points per game Kyle Lowry will have a tough time guarding John Wall who put up an average of a double-double during the regular season with 17.8 points and 10.0 assists.
Another match up that will be very interesting is Demar Derozan and Bradley Beal. They are both very athletic players that can both shoot from the outside and can score at a high level. Bradley Beal averaging 15.3 points a game and Demar Derozan averaging 20.1 points per game. It will be fun to watch those two go at it and put up big numbers.
The big bodies on the Wizards and Raptors will be a huge factor in this opening playoff game so I am going to talk about how they will make a difference.
Amir Johnson will be very important for the Raptors if they want to survive in the playoffs. He will be key for his rebounding for them averaging 6.4 a game. He will also have the job of guarding Nene which will be very hard. Another big body on Toronto is Jonas Valenciunas who is developing well in the NBA still as a young player. He will be guarding Washington's center Marcin Gortat.
On Washington's side of the court, they will have to move the ball around on offense and get good shots off against a tough defense like Toronto. On defense they have to stay with Demar Derozan and restrict his amount of points and try to get him into early foul trouble.
After what will probably be a very hard fought game, Toronto will come out winning 107-101. Toronto's Demar Derozan will have 29 points, and Kyle Lowry will have 17 points and 9 assists. On Washington's side, John Wall will have 27 points, and 12 assists, and Bradley Beal will have 21 points, and 4 steals.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Washington Wizards vs Houston Rockets pregame
Going into the Wizards and Rockets game, the main match up is probably going to be John Wall against James Harden. With John Wall as a quick and athletic young guard and James Harden who has had an amazing year with 27.2 points a game and 1.9 steals and has a unique way of getting to the free throw line going to the free throw line about 10 times and making 8 each game, the game coming up on Sunday will be closely contested. But the Rockets are going to need more from their young team to win this game. They are definitely going to need Trevor Ariza to play well because he will be guarding Paul Pierce. Another guy that Houston will need a lot is Terrence Jones. Whether he will be guarding Nene or Marcin Gortat, he will have to play good defense and use his athletic ability to drive to the basket and put some points on the board for Houston. Also Patrick Beverly is going to be a huge factor for Houston if he can contain John Wall and limit his amount of points.
Now on the Wizards side of the court, John Wall is definitely going to have to guide the team to a win. He is more of an offensive minded player than defense but is also an outstanding defender for a guard. He has a good way of finding guys under the basket for an easy basket and getting points for Washington. He is also averaging almost ten assists and if he can keep up his good work he will make a good contribution to the team. Another player on the Wizards that is going to have to come up big is Bradley Beal who will be guarding James Harden and is a pretty good defender. Beal has been struggling throughout the season with injuries and his shot has been off.
Overall this game could go either way with both teams looking for a good playoff spot. The Rockets are going to end up winning 108-103. James Harden will have 29 points and 6 assists and for the Wizard John Wall will have 26 points and 11 assists. Finally, Bradley Beal will contribute to the team with 17 points and 6 rebounds.
Now on the Wizards side of the court, John Wall is definitely going to have to guide the team to a win. He is more of an offensive minded player than defense but is also an outstanding defender for a guard. He has a good way of finding guys under the basket for an easy basket and getting points for Washington. He is also averaging almost ten assists and if he can keep up his good work he will make a good contribution to the team. Another player on the Wizards that is going to have to come up big is Bradley Beal who will be guarding James Harden and is a pretty good defender. Beal has been struggling throughout the season with injuries and his shot has been off.
Overall this game could go either way with both teams looking for a good playoff spot. The Rockets are going to end up winning 108-103. James Harden will have 29 points and 6 assists and for the Wizard John Wall will have 26 points and 11 assists. Finally, Bradley Beal will contribute to the team with 17 points and 6 rebounds.
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