The REAL NBA Playoff Race

Forget the Lakers. Forget the Jazz. The battle for the 8th and final playoff spot in the West really isn't that interesting. Both teams are flawed after all, and neither team is really a threat to win the title. Instead, focus on the best playoff race currently going: the 3-team battle for the 3rd seed in the Western Conference. Whoever wins this battle will start the playoffs at home, likely against a reeling Golden State team or a defensively questionable Houston squad; whoever loses will start the playoffs on the road against a really good Memphis, Denver or Los Angeles Clippers team. This is where the action is in the NBA right now, so get into it.

Let's break the 3 teams down.

Denver Nuggets (47-22)

If it wasn't for that damn team in Miami, a lot more people would be talking about the Nuggets right now. They're currently on a 13-game winning streak, and play perhaps the most entertaining style of ball in the league. As has been the case over the last few years, the biggest complaint against this Denver team is that they don't have a go-to scorer, instead preferring to ride the hot hand and score by committee. That could be a problem come playoff time (when defenses tighten up a lot), but lucky for Denver, the battle they're currently in is all about the regular season.

RS Hall of Fame: Bill Walton on Jerry Sloan

Some videos are so good, they get beyond the 'hey, I should show my friends this clip once' level. Some are meant to be enjoyed again and again, and shared throughout the world. That is what the Redshirt Freshmen Hall of Fame is all about. Occasionally we will bring you these videos, add some commentary, and your life will instantly become better of because of it. Trust us.

With that, we present our charter member to the RS HOF: Bill Walton discussing the retirement of former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. Enjoy.

0:01 "Jerry Sloan is absolutely the greatest."

I don't really know if he's talking about the greatest person (which Jerry Sloan is probably not) or the greatest basketball coach (which Jerry Sloan is probably not). Off to a good start.

0:04 "The world of basketball... forget that."

We can't do that, Bill. The world of basketball is the only way in which we actually know Jerry Sloan.

Are the Lakers a Playoff Threat?

I've got some mixed emotions about the Lakers' play of late. On one hand, I've never been a big Lakers fan, and usually root against them. On the other, I hate being wrong and may have had some good things to say about Kobe and co. after Mike D'Antoni was hired. Whether I like it or not, one thing seems fairly certain: the Lakers are going to make the playoffs. Once there, though, will they make any noise? Let's take a look at the numbers L.A. has put up during their recent hot streak and find out.

We'll start with the good news: the Lakers are 8-2 over their last 10 games and have vaulted the Utah Jazz for the 8th seed in the Western Conference; Kobe has seemingly put the team on his back, and has been awesome lately; their scoring differential over the last 10 games bests their season average; and they've averaged 107.1 points-per-game over this stretch, which is a couple points better than their season average.

Reuters

The Answer to the Question only ESPN asked - Part I

What do you do when two teams in different sports are on impressive streaks, and meaningful discussion topics are at a premium? You imagine the teams facing off in each others' sport, of course. With help from the powerful minds at ESPN, the Redshirt Freshmen present the much once talked about home-and-series. Game 1 tips off in Chicago...

2013 NBA Bad Team Power Rankings

We're at the point where the NBA Season starts getting really interesting. The playoff push is the only part of the regular season that matters the most entertaining part of the regular season, as teams jockey for playoff position and we start to find out which squads are for real. Before we all shift our attention to the top of the standings, though, let's remember that there are other teams in the league too. Bad teams. With that, the Redshirt Freshmen present the first-ever NBA Bad Team Power Rankings, featuring only teams 20+ games out of a playoff spot.

(note: I promise, after this we can stop paying attention to the bad teams until next season)

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (21-40; 12th in the East)

Kyrie Irving is a special player. As in top-5-point-guard-in-the-league special. As in just a notch below the Tony Parker/ Chris Paul/ Russel Westbrook level special. Simply by having Irving on their roster, the Cavs future looks ok, but there's more in Cleveland too: former first-round pick Tristan Thompson has substantially improved his game this season, and looks like a good big man in the making; rookie guard Dion Waiters was playing nicely before going out with an illness, and will surely improve next season; and everyone's favorite Sideshow Bob look-alike, Anderson Varejao, was having a career year, before suffering a season-ending injury in December. I'm not saying the Cavs will be a threat to the Heat next year, but with salary cap space and a young nucleus (Kyrie Irving is only 20... man, he's going to be good), the Cavs could be in the playoff mix next April.

Courtesy: Cleveland Plain Dealer

2. New Orleans Hornets (21-41; 14th in the West)

This ranking is based on two things: Anthony Davis' improvement (which I think will be substantial), and Eric Gordon's health (which I wouldn't bet on even with 20,000-to-1 odds). Davis, despite missing some time this season due to injury, has shown he could develop into one of the best two-way big men in the game. He's a major force on defense already, and the upside on his offensive production is mammoth... he's only 19-years old. Gordon, meanwhile, is one of the best shooting guards in the league, but is never healthy. Plus there's that whole "he really doesn't want to play for this team at all"-thing. Besides Davis and Gordon, New Orleans has some decent pieces: Greivis Vasquez looks like he could be a nice starting point guard (if his decision-making improves a bit), and Ryan Anderson is one of the best stretch-4s in the league. Like Cleveland, New Orleans has a bunch of money coming of the books in the next couple years, so they could also improve their team with some free agent additions. The future is looking nice in New Orleans, and I haven't even mentioned their awesome 2013-14 name-change.

Monday Musings: Overdoing the LeBron Celebration

I know I've been pumping out a lot of LeBron articles these days, but I can't help it. The guy is historically good, and his team is starting to look like the runaway favorites to win another Larry O'Brien trophy (plus February is the slowest month for pro sports, so you can't blame me). While I can't say that I'm a big fan of King James, you'd have to be crazy to not respect his nightly efforts, and watch in awe as he destroys team after team. He's amazing, and most of his daily doings should be celebrated. Most. Aren't we overdoing it a little bit though, guys?

If you're an NBA fan and don't know Adrian Wojnarowski, get it together. Woj is a Yahoo! Sports writer, and is one of the best insiders covering the NBA today. I love his stuff; he knows his shit. But his recent article—written in the "everything-LeBron-does-is-historic" tone that is becoming overplayed these days—really bothered me. Here it is. 

Getty Images

Can Anyone Beat the Heat?

Don't look now, but the Heat are starting to run away in the Eastern Conference. They may have struggled earlier in the year, but they look pretty damn good these days. There's pretty much no chance the Heat would get upset in the first round, so let's take a look at the teams directly behind Miami in the standings and figure out if any of them would have a chance in a 7-game series (spoiler alert: the Heat should be considered heavy favorites to make the NBA Finals).

MIAMI HEAT - (40-14)

What They Do Well: 49.2% Team Field Goal Percentage (1st in NBA); 38.6% Team 3-Point Percentage (3rd); 102.8 Points-per-game (5th); 43.9% Opponents' Field Goal Percentage (7th); Defensive Efficiency (12th).

Where They Struggle: Rebound Rate (22nd)... that's about it.

Bottom Line: I'm not going to sit here and tell you that the Heat have any glaring weaknesses, because they are, in fact, really really good. Miami is tremendously efficient offensively, and they are still one of the best defensive teams in the league (although they've slipped a little from last season). Really, the only thing they don't do particularly well is rebound and they've managed do deal with that all year.

INDIANA PACERS - (35-21; 6 Games Back)

What They Do Well: Rebounding Rate (1st); Defensive Efficiency (1st); 41.9% Opponents' Field Goal Percentage (1st); Allowing 90.2 Points-per-game (2nd)

Where They Struggle: 43.1% Field Goal Percentage (26th); 35.1% 3-Point Percentage (17th); 92.8 Points-per-game (28th); Offensive Efficiency (24th)

How They Stack Up: The Pacers are the best defensive team in the league, by far. This may have slipped past you because it's so boring to watch because nobody tunes into NBA games for defense. But it's still true. Indiana's rotations are great, they force tough jump shots, and they don't allow many offensive rebounds. And that's exactly why I think they would have a shot against the Heat. Yes, their offense is anemic. But, they have a potential 20-point scorer returning from injury (Danny Granger) and match up relatively well against the big three of Miami. Paul George is one of the best wing defenders in the game, and could give LeBron some trouble; Roy Hibbert is a tough defender down low and would be a difficult matchup for Bosh (in the post, at least); and the Pacers have enough athletic guys on the wing to throw at Wade and make him work (guys like George Hill, Lance Stephenson, Gerald Green). The big question is obviously their offense, which honestly might not be good enough. Still, I think the Pacers could force the Heat to play ugly basketball and would have a puncher's chance to win the series.

5 Things the Raptors Need to Make the Playoffs

I don't mean to shock you here, but the Toronto Raptors are only 5 games out of a playoff position. After their disastrous 4-19 start, the Raptors have gone 18-13 since and are a remarkable 6-2 since acquiring Rudy Gay. Of those last 6 wins, 4 have even come against teams currently in position to make the playoffs. So are the Raptors actually a good team? Probably not. But they're damn close!

With that in mind, and entering the true second half of the season, here are 5 things the Raps need to do to make the playoffs.

1. Maintain Defensive Consistency

This has secretly been the Raptors Achilles' heel all season. Currently, the Raps are in the top-10 in offensive efficiency, and they've been right around there all year. Defensively, it's another story. Toronto is not only 8th worst in defensive efficiency, they also allow opponents to shoot a ridiculously high 46.3% from the floor. Coach Dwane Casey is known for his defensive acumen, and he actually had the Raps defending at a relatively high level last season. But he just hasn't been able to get consistency out of his squad this year. Toronto has allowed fewer than 100 points in 7 of their last 9 games, so there's reason for some optimism here, but that trend has to continue if the Raps are going to make a playoff push.

2. Rudy Gay Needs To Get To The Rim

I'm not bashing Rudy here by any means. The Raptors are significantly better with him, so don't take this the wrong way. But seriously, the guy needs to stop settling for so many jump shots. According to Basketball Reference, Rudy hits around 57% of his shots within 3 feet of the rim, and the percentages take a dramatic dive as he gets farther away. No, he's not a get-to-the-rim-first type of player, but if he committed to it even a little bit more, his overall game would be way better. He loves that 12-15 foot pull-up jumper. What would make that shot more effective is the threat of him taking it all the way to the hoop. If defenders were a bit more worried of him going right to the bucket, he'd get way more space on those pull-ups and would become a more efficient scorer. It's a tried and true strategy: you've got to drive hard to open up the jumper. He's skilled enough to beat a lot of guys to the basket, so here's hoping we see a little more of that going forward.

Canadian Press

10 Things About the Upcoming NBA Dunk Contest

NBA All-Star Weekend is right around the corner, which means the point guard Skills Competition, 3-Point Shootout and Dunk Contest are too. This years' slam-fest figures to be a really good one, with a bunch of leapers in the mix: James White of the Knicks, Terrence Ross of the Raptors, Eric Bledsoe of the Clippers, Jeremy Evans of the Jazz, Kenneth Faried of the Nuggets and Gerald Green of the Pacers. Since some of these guys are relatively unknown (mainly James White), here are the 10 things you need to know about the 2013 Dunk Contest.

(note: I recently fell in love with James White dunks)

1. James White can dunk from behind the free-throw line



2. James White can two-handed windmill from far away

I Hate That I Hate LeBron James

"[LeBron James] won me and everyone else back during the 2007 playoffs... submitting an ESPN Classic performance in Game 5 at Detroit: scoring twenty-nine of Cleveland's last thirty points, overpowering the Pistons and hushing their fans like nobody since Jordan. Along with so many other sports junkies, I watch thousands of hours of games every year hoping something special will happen, whether it's a sixty-point game, a no-hitter, a seven-run comeback, a back-and-forth NFL game, a boxing pay-per-view or whatever else. Occasionally, it pays off."
          -Bill Simmons, The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to The Sports Guy

I know I'm watching something amazing right now. I know that this is one of the greatest players of all time, on one of the greatest stretches of all time. I know that when he retires, he's probably going to be in the top-10 in points, rebounds and assists in NBA history. And yet, I can't help but hate LeBron James.

In the summer of 2009 I was reading Bill Simmons' Book of Basketball, and the above excerpt really weighed heavily on me. LeBron was set to become free agent in the near future, and for some reason I was almost sure he was going to leave Cleveland. I didn't have any insider information or anything, I just kind of felt it.

 LeBron the Cavalier was my favorite player of all-time. I remember having the SLAM magazine cover with LeBron and Sebastian Telfair—still in high school at the time—on the wall of my bedroom. I owned a deck of unauthorized LeBron James playing cards. I all of a sudden became a fan of Cleveland sports. I had long been a sports fanatic, and this guy had become my favorite athlete in no time. I was all-in on the King.

What it Means to be an "Elite Quarterback"

Getty Images

I'm thinking a lot quarterbacks will be lining up to be labelled "not elite" heading into the 2013 NFL season. Last year, the pre-season buzz was all about whether or not Eli Manning was elite. This year, Joe Flacco threw his name into the "is he elite or not?" debate, with most analysts seeming to say he was not. Both quarterbacks are now Super Bowl MVPs, and the debate has never seemed more irrelevant.

Can we please stop agonizing over who's elite and who isn't? I'm sick of it.

Now I'm not going to sit here and tell you that there's no such thing as an elite quarterback. Of course there is. But here's the thing about elite QBs: it's a very fluid process. A quarterback can be elite one year, and be very much non-elite the next season. It's all about consistency.

Super Bowl XLVII Prop Bets Preview

With all the hoopla surrounding Ray Lewis and the Harbaugh brothers leading into Super Bowl XLVII, the Redshirt Freshmen decided to preview the big game by discussing some of Vegas' more unusual proposition bets. Not sure what colour the winning team's Gatorade will be? You've come to the right place.

1. How long will it take Alicia Keys to sing the US National Anthem? - Over/ Under 2 minutes 10 seconds

Daugulis: I'm taking the over on this one. Check out what Alicia Keys recently tweeted:

Wait until u see what I do with @maroon5 on @thegrammys Feb. 10 on @cbstweet. #TheWorldIsListening ;-)
— Alicia Keys (@aliciakeys) January 31, 2013

If she has big things planned for the worst award show going, she certainly has big things planned for the freakin' Super Bowl! Expect this baby to approach the 3 minute mark.

Dow: I just sang the Star Spangled Banner in my head while looking at a clock, and it took me 1 minute and 8 seconds. That leaves just over one minute for Alicia Keys to add crazy fluctuations and possibly a key change or two. I'm going with the under.

2. What predominant color will Beyonce's top be at the beginning of the Super Bowl Halftime show?

Ranking the NHL's Best "We're Sorry" Promotions

Now that the lockout is a thing of the very recent past, NHL teams have employed various promotional strategies to help ease their fans' pain over lost time. But what kind of promotion or giveaway could possibly reach the average hockey fan in a meaningful and lasting way you ask? Oh how about half-priced nachos? No? Well then what would you say to free team schedule magnets? They do that every year!?

Reuters

Not all NHL teams' marketing departments lack creativity. While $25 per person family packages, discounted concession items and $20 student deals seem to be status quo, some teams have gone above and beyond for their fans. As you can see, six teams don't make the list. I decided to follow the same procedure for finding each team's promotions, and some were easier to locate than others. If there was no obvious ad on a team's website, I would check the Tickets section for special offers, then the Schedule tab for a promotional schedule. If those both failed I would search the News archive for any press releases regarding home opener promotions or giveaways. Therefore the six unranked teams may well have had special post-lockout offers but if I couldn't find them with relative ease on their website, it's safe to assume some of their fans couldn't either.

1. Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks earn the top spot in the rankings due to a wide range of freebies and contests. Chicago fans will enjoy 18 giveaway nights including free schedules, hats and bobbleheads and 16 autograph nights with Blackhawk legends from Denis Savard to Eric Daze. This is all in addition to the season-long Fan Salute contest that will see 1000 signed jerseys, 250 signed pucks and 100 signed sticks, 50 "unique experiences" and free tickets go to lucky fans. Everyone loves free stuff, and coupled with the team's hot start, Blackhawk fans are probably wishing there was a lockout every year.

Why the Raptors Need to Acquire Rudy Gay

As I was watching the Raptors on Monday night, I knew they were going to lose. The Warriors were up just 2 points heading into the 4th quarter, but the game was already over. This Raptors team is clueless in crunch time, routinely throwing games away late, so I already knew how the story would play out. Needless to say, Golden State outscored Toronto 30-20 in the final frame. The Raptors lost.

Getty Images

Over the last 5 games, Toronto been outscored in the 4th quarter by an average of 7.6 points. This isn't a new trend either. The Raps have lost a ton of tight games this season, and it always seems to be the result of a collapse in the final few minutes. Toronto simply doesn't have the personnel to win games late. DeMar DeRozan, for all the improvements he's made this season, is not the type of player to put a team on his back and lead them to a win. Jose Calderon always looks to dish in late-game situations rather than shoot himself. Kyle Lowry just hasn't found his role yet. For the Raps to really develop into a playoff threat, they need to make a splash. That splash should be Rudy Gay.

The Rudy-Gay-to-Toronto trade rumors have been flying around for about a month now, but seem to be heating up as of late. The current iteration of the deal has Toronto shipping Jose Calderon and Ed Davis for Rudy Gay and (depending on which report you listen to) Darrell Arthur. There are some pros and cons to this proposed deal—to be sure—but Toronto has to pull the trigger.

Hitting the Links: January 25, 2013

Today's links feature some buzzer-beating Canadian content, more of the First Take Tebow agenda, and a former NFL cornerback urinating on himself. Sounds fun!

On The Field:

• DEMAR DEROZAN!!!!
• Carmelo Anthony had a big game last night, leading the Knicks to a 89-86 win over the Celtics.
• In the other NBA game, the Clippers lost 93-88 in Phoenix. Luckily, Blake Griffin did Blake Griffin-y things.
• Oilers rookie Nail Yakupov scored a late goal to send last night's game against the Kings to overtime (Edmonton eventually won), which is good. He then busted out one of the most obnoxious celebrations to date, which is bad.
• Here's the rest of the NHL scoreboard from Thursday night.

Outside The Lines:

• Man, am I sick of the Harbaugh-bowl/ Ray Lewis retirement storylines for the upcoming Super Bowl. Luckily, ESPN stepped up and tried to give the big game a little more Tebow:

Hitting the Links: Januray 24th, 2013

A lot of NBA action last night is followed up by a slow day of off-court action. Try to enjoy some links regardless.

On the Field

• Joakim Noah came up with a classic Joakim Noah-esque play, assisting on Marco Belinelli's game-winning bucket. Why was it Noah-esque? Well it was ugly, awkward and somehow got the job done. Sounds like Joakim to me. The Bulls won 85-82 over the Pistons.
• In Denver's 105-95 win over Houston, JaVale McGee did something awesome. I mean, what a finger-stache!
• The Heat beat the Raptors 123-116 in overtime. Terrence Ross had a nice dunk though!
• J.J. Barea and C.J. Watson "battled" in a flopping contest. Sounds terrible. The Nets beat the Timerwolves 91-83 in the actual game.
• Here's the rest of the NBA scoreboard from a busy Wednesday night.

Outside the Lines:

• This story still weirds me out a bit, so there's no witty lines for this one. Here are voicemails left on Manti T'eo's phone from "Lennay".
• Anyone need a fat bust to suit up at QB?
• Who you got in a one-on-one? LeBron? Or the POTUS?

Check back in tomorrow for more goodness.

"Let's Hope the Kids Can Play": The Raptors at the Halfway Point

As a sports fan, is there any worse position for your team to be in than no man's land? When your favorite team isn't a true contender, but isn't in rebuild mode either, it's tough to really get behind them. Are we playing for a not-too-distant future in which we make the playoffs? Or are we closer to the Washington Wizards?

Unfortunately, no man's land describes the Raptors all too well. At the halfway point of the season, Toronto is in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, 5 1/2 games out of the playoffs and 5 games out of last place. If you had to make a life or death decision, and predict the Raps to either make the playoffs or finish as the worst team in the conference, which would you pick? It's tough, right? That's not good.

Since we're at the halfway point, let's take a close look at the team. We'll start with some current storylines, move to some best-case scenarios going forward, and wrap up with a general prediction for the rest of the season. Full disclosure: it's not looking great, Raptors fans.

Associated Press

Where We're At:

It's been a weird year for the Raptors: they started off poorly, strung some wins together, and then lost a bunch more. Here are the three biggest storylines currently afoot.

Hitting the Links: January 23rd

In today's edition, we learn that Kyrie Irving is sick, that Kevin Durant can dunk and that Joe Maddon cares a lot about his players. Enjoy.

On The Court:

• Kyrie Irving went full beast-mode, scoring 40 points in a variety of ways in Cleveland's 95-90 win over Boston.
• The Milwaukee Bucks topped the 76ers last night, 110-102. Really, all you need to see is this sick bounce pass from Monta Ellis. If ever there was ever a player who should attempt the behind-the-arc-to-the-opposite-block one-handed skip pass, it has to be Monta.
• In a battle of top teams in the West, the Thunder topped the Clippers 109-97. No one in L.A. was happy, not even the refs.
• Oh, and Kevin Durant did this.

Outside the Lines:

• Bless the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Manti Te'o Kiss Cam:

Via SoleCollector

Hitting the Links: January 22, 2012

After a bit of a break, we're back with some tasty links from on the court, and even better ones from outside the lines. There's a deep buzzer-beater, a terrible ex-NBA player crushing average Bostonians one-on-one, and a 20-year old college student partying with Rick Ross. Sounds like a really weird and really awesome dream a sports fan might have.

• Let's start with this tasty story. Actually, it's not much of a story... you just need to see this picture of Heisman Trophy winner Johnny "Football Boss" Manziel partying with Rick Ross:

Ballin'!

• In actual sports news, the Washington Wizards have managed to turn themselves into a competent team, against all odds. Jordan Crawford hit a sick buzzer beater to beat the Blazers 98-95 last night.
• Rudy Gay also hit a buzzer beater to win... or almost did.
• Former NBA player Brian Scalabrine was tired of hearing guys off the street saying they could beat him so he issued a one-on-one challenge to the city of Boston. He then swept the 4 games, outscoring opponents 44-6. Don't do 'em like that White Mamba.
• Apparently, some NBA arenas have nails jutting out from the court... Kawhi Leonard found that out the hard way.
• Saints fans just don't like Roger Goodell.
• Not a link, but just so it doesn't fly under the radar: the Super Bowl will feature two coaches WHO ARE BROTHERS! (In case you haven't heard, it will also be Ray Lewis' last game).

NFL Conference Championship Preview

San Francisco 49ers @ Atlanta Falcons - Sunday January 20, 3:00 PM

Seemingly everybody has the 49ers in the Super Bowl after they tore apart the Packers on Saturday, and are facing an Atlanta team who were extremely close to choking in yet another home playoff game. It's hard for me to believe that this one will be a blowout though, as the past five NFC Championship games were decided by less than 7 points and three of the games went to OT.

First of all, these teams go about their business in different ways. San Fran gained just seven yards per game less than the Falcons this season, but were remarkably better balanced offensively. The 49ers rushing attack made up for 43% of their total offense compared to Atlanta's ground game which accounted for just 23.5% of their offense's yards. San Fran's fourth-best rush D should be able to stop Michael Turner and Jacquizz Rodgers with relative ease, leaving Matt Ryan to do most of the heavy lifting. Unfortunately for Matty Ice and his formidable corps of Gonzalez, White and Jones, the 49ers pass defense was also fourth-best this season.

10 Thoughts going into the 2013 NHL Season

After 113 days of frustration and uncertainty, the NHL lockout came to an end on January 6. What once seemed like a lost season will now feature a 48-game schedule crammed into 99 days starting January 19. Here are some thoughts on the end of the lockout and some of the bigger headlines leading into Saturday's opening night.

1. Shortened season will favour rivalry games, leave out inter-conference matchups

Much like this year, the NHL salvaged a 48-game season after the 1994-95 lockout. The difference between now and then is that there are 4 more teams in the league, meaning no time for out-of-conference games and leaving teams to play two of their division rivals 5 times and the other two division teams 4 times. That means teams will play within their division in roughy 38% of their games. In a normal 82-game NHL season, teams play 24 division games which works out to 29% of their schedule. Will this have a significant effect on this season's standings?

2. Expect strong teams in weaker divisions to dominate regular season standings

 This might seem a tad obvious as it happens to a certain degree every season, but I expect teams like Boston and Vancouver to shoot to the top of their respective conference standings faster than usual. Vancouver was the only playoff team in the Northwest division in 2011-12, and the only team with over 90 points in the regular season (Calgary had exactly 90, the lowest total for teams finishing second in their division). While I expect Edmonton and Minnesota to improve their records I still think the Canucks are far and away the best team in the division. Likewise, Boston will likely benefit from playing a large portion of their season against the likes of the Canadiens and Maple Leafs, two young teams who I expect will be among the worst teams in the Eastern Conference. Using the same logic, weak teams in stronger divisions will suffer through worse-than-usual seasons. The Blue Jackets and the Islanders were the only teams in their respective divisions to miss the playoffs last season, and with the shortened schedule it will seem like these teams will be getting crushed by their strong division rivals every other night.

NFL Divisional Round: QB Lessons

What a great weekend of football, eh? After a disappointing wildcard round, the NFL Gods smiled down on us and provided a really exciting slate of games this time around. There was a lot to take away from the divisional round but I learned the most about the quarterbacks. Here are the 5 big things I learned this weekend:

1. Colin Kaepernick is... pretty effing good.

Two words sum up Kaepernick's performance on Saturday night against the Packers: holy shit. Let's not delve too deep into this and just look at the raw numbers: 17-for-31 for 263 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air; 16 rush attempts for 181 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. Again, holy shit. Kaepernick accounted for 444 yards, while Green Bay as a team netted just 352. Every other team should be terrified by the mere thought of playing this guy.

One last time: holy shit.

Associated Press

2. Joe Flacco is... gonna get paid this off-season.

NFC Divisional Round Preview

Green Bay Packers @ San Francisco 49ers - Saturday 8:00 PM

The QB Battle: The Biggest 49ers Story This Season
(AP)

For my money, this is the game of the weekend. While technically a rematch of a Week 1 affair (which the 49ers won 30-22), in reality both teams are vastly different than the teams that squared off in on September 9.

The biggest difference for San Fran—of course—is at quarterback. Alex Smith started for the 9ers in Week 1, but handed the reigns to Colin Kaepernick mid-season (had the reigns wrestled away from him?) and the team hasn't looked back since. By now you know the differences between Smith and Kaepernick, but let's list them here anyway: Kaepernick is more mobile than Smith, has a bigger arm than Smith and takes more shots downfield than did Smith. It was highly debated for weeks, but the change at QB has made the 49ers offense more explosive.

Let's be real here, though. No matter who plays under center for San Francisco, this team is all about defense. They are undoubtedly the most physical defensive unit in the league, and were in the top-3 both in terms of total yards allowed, and points allowed. From the line through the secondary, these dudes can flat out play. Even better for the 49ers, defensive tackle Justin Smith is expected to play in this one. Smith is essential to the defense, calling stunts and opening up holes for the San Fran pass rushers (notice how Aldon Smith's production steeply declined when Justin Smith was out?). The D can keep San Francisco in almost any game, and will manage keep this one close.

AFC Divisional Round Preview

Baltimore Ravens @ Denver Broncos - Saturday January 12th, 4:30 PM

I've got this weird feeling that this one will be close, even though Denver is the better team in almost every way. Close or not, the Broncos should win this one and advance to the AFC Championship.

Peyton Manning, it turns out, is really quite good. Who'd have thought? Manning has transformed the Broncos into one of the most explosive teams in the league on offense and he should be able to tear up a poor Ravens secondary. The running game will add a bit, but to me this game comes down to Denver's passing attack. I'm thinking 70-ish yards for Knowshon Moreno as the lead rusher, and over 300 for Manning.

Getty Images

10 Things I Think I Know: The NBA Season So Far

The 2012-13 NBA season is quickly approaching the halfway point, and now that I've watched approximately 500 games—give or take—I think I'm starting to figure the league out. Here are 10 things I'm pretty sure I know about this NBA season.

1. The Heat and Thunder will be the top seeds heading into the playoffs

Sorry to start the list off with this one, guys, it's pretty boring. The Heat and Thunder have been the class of their respective conferences for a couple years now, and I really don't see that changing. The Heat will almost certainly be wire-to-wire winners of the East, while the Thunder may have to fight it out with the Spurs and Clippers. Still, I expect Kevin Durant and co. to end up as the number 1 seed in the West going into the playoffs.

2. LeBron James will win another MVP Award

My notes for this list actually had "Durant as MVP", but the more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that LeBron will take home the hardware. He's the best player in the world, he's putting up ridiculous numbers and his team hasn't played their best ball yet. Watch LeBron improve his game as the playoff push heats up, and watch him run away with the MVP votes.

NBA: Western Conference Stock Report

We've hit the point in the NBA season where we can begin to read into teams' records, and decide who's a legit contender, and who's just faking it. To help weed through the current playoff landscape, rsfreshmen gives you the stock report: which teams should you buy as a contender, sell or hold onto for a couple more weeks.

Western Conference

1. Los Angeles Clippers (27-8; 1st Pacific) - SELL

Getty Images

This is a tough one, because I really like this Clippers squad, and feel they could make some noise in the playoffs. I'm really only selling them because I think the Thunder will end up as the top-seed (and, yes... I know the Thunder just lost to the Wizards...).

Honestly, there really is a lot to like about this team. Chris Paul is the best point guard in the league, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan form the most athletic duo of bigs in the game, and they have the deepest bench going. Again, I just think the Thunder will end up as the first seed.

There are a couple red flags for the Clips too. Paul has been playing a ton of minutes and—because his body kind of fell apart late last season—LA might want to consider resting him a bit. Also, although the bench is a strength, it'll be hard to give all of the guys on the squad meaningful minutes since there are so many quality players riding the pine. A deep bench is definitely a good problem to have, but I can totally see coach Vinny Del Negro mucking up the rotation a couple times.

Buy the Clippers as a strong playoff team. But sell them as the top-seed. I think that spot goes to...

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (26-8; 1st Northwest) - BUY

Remember when fans and pundits were worried that, by trading James Harden before the season, the Thunder were handing over the Western Conference crown to the Lakers? How hilarious does that seem know?

The Thunder—even without Harden—are the best team in the league. They pace the league in terms of offensive efficiency, while allowing opponents to shoot only 42.9% from the floor, good for second-best in the NBA. In fact, go look up just about any team statistic, and you'll find the Thunder resting comfortably in the upper-half. Go ahead, check the stats... I'll wait...

See? OKC is awesome (ok... so they are below the league average in offensive-rebounds-per-game...). They score and defend with the best of them, while rebounding and passing at an above-average rate. Seems like a successful blueprint for a team to me.

Buy the Thunder.

NBA: Eastern Conference Stock Report

We've hit the point in the NBA season where we can begin to read into teams' records, and decide who's a legit contender, and who's just faking it. To help weed through the current playoff landscape, rsfreshmen gives you the stock report: which teams should you buy as a contender, sell or hold onto for a couple more weeks.

Eastern Conference

Miami Heat (23-9; 1st Southeast) - BUY

Every time I watch the Heat, I feel like they are leaving something in the tank, like they have another gear which they're only going to touch come playoff time. This has got to be absolutely terrifying for every other team in the league.

Miami is comfortably in the top-tier of NBA teams in terms of offensive efficiency, and have the best player in the world in LeBron James. While their defense has been a little lacking, and while their rebounding has been flat-out bad (probably the only red-flag this team has), I would be shocked if anyone else ends up with the top-seed.

I know it's boring, but buy the Heat.

2. New York Knicks (23-11; 1st Atlantic) - SELL

Getty Images

My buddy and I were talking about the Heat's above-mentioned ability to turn it on at any given moment, and it made me think about the Knicks: as far as I'm concerned, they've already maxed out; they don't have that second gear.

This isn't to say that they won't put together a couple more good runs or win the division or anything. But c'mon. Their play at the beginning of the season was as good as it's going to get, right?

I mean nobody thought they could shoot 3s as well as they did at the beginning of the season (a feature of the team which is already slipping a bit). Nobody thought they were going to be a defensive force, like they were early in the year (again, a facet of the team which is disappearing). Nobody thought Carmelo Anthony would be gunning for LeBron's MVP title (... this one's still going on).

I like the Knicks, and they are definitely one of the best teams in the East. That said, I just can't help but think they will head into the playoffs fondly thinking back to their hot start.

Buy the Knicks as a top-tier team in the East; sell them now if you still think they're one of the best teams in the entire league.

NFC Wildcard Preview

Minnesota @ Green Bay - Saturday, January 5th 8:00 PM

Saturday night's NFC North matchup pits two teams that are all too familiar with each other. This game will mark the third time in six weeks that the Packers and Vikings will square off, and could very well be the most even matchup of the entire Wildcard round.

It was exactly one month ago when the Packers defeated their division foes at Lambeau in Week 13. Only two players really stood out in that contest: Adrian Peterson, who has been exceptional all year, and Packers' safety Morgan Burnett. Burnett picked off Christian Ponder twice in the red zone in the 2nd half, both turnovers leading to Green Bay field goals. Peterson rushed for 210 yards, including an 82-yd TD, making Peterson's effort the fifth-most rushing yards by a player on a losing team in the Super Bowl era.

While we can expect AP to put up more beastly numbers, I wouldn't count on Ponder to throw the game away like he did in December. Ponder has thrown just one pick since those two at Lambeau, and it came in the Vikings' next game against Chicago, a defence who led the league in INTs and overall takeaways. And if regular season stats are any indication, Minnesota should go to the ground early and often. The Vikes ranked 2nd in rushing yards and second-last in passing yards. This fits well with the conventional wisdom when facing an elite QB; keeping it on the ground will limit how much time Aaron Rodgers and his O has the ball.

AFC Wildcard Preview

Cincinnati @ Houston - Saturday, January 5th 4:30 PM

Just 3 weeks ago, Houston was the run-away favorite to begin the playoffs as the top seed in the AFC. Then, their defense completely fell apart, Matt Schaub laid a couple stinkers and Arian Foster was held out with an irregular heartbeat. Needless to say, they struggled. 

And yet, I fully expect the Texans to win on Saturday.

No doubt, Arian Foster will get plenty of touches, as he has all year. His 351 carries this year are the most any back has had since 2009 (Chris Johnson had 358), and while Foster has been less explosive than in recent years, the Texans' run-game is always relentless, and often wears teams down. 

NFL Pick'ems - Week 17 Results

Mike wins Week 17 and finishes the season with a 7-game lead over Simon. Peter King's late-season surge lands him just shy of second place, one game behind Simon. Pete Prisco struggled down the stretch and finds himself in the basement to end the season.

Stay tuned for the RS Freshmen Wildcard round preview which will include our playoff predictions.