Road to the Finals

So after the 1st Round, this is how the playoffs will transgress en route to OKC v MIA in the Finals:
*no Chicago reneg in the first round despite loss of Pooh; Would have favored Atl in this series even with Pooh because he's been hurt and out of sync the whole season.

East

2nd Round

Atl   over Chi in 6
Mia  over Indy in 4

Conf Finals

Mia over Atl in 5

West

2nd Round

LAC  over SA in 7
OKC over LA in 6

Conf Finals

OKC over LAC in 6

Finals

I wanna say Lebron shines in game 7 to solidify his legend, but MIA in 6.

Play-awwffs?

   

    Could it be that the great O'Diceeus the King's brother, Dice-A-Damus has made an unceremonious---scratch that, that's too strong of a word.  The illustrious and provocative Dice-A-Damus has returned!
     
    Albeit an unconventional, lack of fanfare return, he is back!  Initially he was going to learn from his experiences last year as the "Black Skip Bayless", but screw it! He knows what his audience wants; and that's to go balls deep in his contradicting convictions and predictions---laugh out loud.

   Without further a dew, the great Dice-A-Damus and his 2012 NBA playoff predictions ladies and gentleman:

1st Round

East

Chicago in 5
Miami    in 6
Indiana   in 6
Atl          in 7

West

OKC     in 7
SA        in 5
LAL     in 6
LAC     in 7

Finals OKC vs MIA

2012 Champs: Miami Heat


*No sweeps this year

*Sleepers: East (Bos) West (Memph)
  -I have both teams losing in the first round but those are the only teams I see disrupting the efficiency of the 1st round predictions

 *NY/MIA.  My heart is conflicted.  I know you read and know how I feel with this matchup, as it pertains to history, rivalry, and symmetry ('99 lockout season).  I will say this, if the Heat lose at any point in the playoffs, I rather it be against the Knicks.
   The Knicks are really scary to me. No they don't play dee (yes they've been conceding under 90 pts/game with Mike Woodson and have Def POY candidate Tyson Chandler, but you don't think of the Knicks as a defensive team), but they're role players are WAAAAAYYYY better to me than the Heat role players (I'll take Novak, Bibby, Baron, Jeffries, Lin, Shump, JR Smith over Jones, Miller, Battier, Joell Anthony, Haslem, Pittman, Chalmers all day), so that boils down to this question:
   Are Miami's Big 3 better than and good enough to overcome the Knicks better bench and the Knicks 'Big 3?' Even though STAT is showing signs of coming around, and Chandler has D, Melo is realistically the only superstar they have (as in having the ability to create his own offense).  That said, I do believe Miami is better than and good enough to overcome that.

See ya next round.

Signs and Symmetry

Please entertain my random thoughts for these possible playoff scenarios and occurrences!

The Lakers and the Bad Boy Pistons are the same!

   What?  What do you mean Dice? The Pistons had no Kobe/Mike type of player on their team, what are you talking about?  Follow me:

In the 1990-1991 season, the Pistons were the defending back to back champions who lost to the eventual NBA Champions, Chicago Bulls, in their third year attempting to three peat.

After the following season, they parted ways with their Hall of Fame Coach, Chuck Daly.

In the 2010-2011 season, the Lakers were the defending back to back champions who lost to the eventual NBA Champions, the Dallas Mavs, in their third year attempting to three peat.

The following season, they parted ways with their Hall of Fame Coach, Phil Jackson.

So if you adhere to that theory, this is going to be the start of some serious mediocrity for the Lakers....

In a Possible Lakers/Heat (Delayed Puppet Finals) scenario....


    Think 1991 again.  This time, Los Angeles.  Does the story of the leagues top player being heavily maligned and pressured to win a ring sound familiar?

     It should, because that's exactly what did Michael Jordan went through 20 odd years ago.  Not only did he win his first ring against the Lakers but he snatched the torch from Magic as the best player in the league.  Please believe if Lebron beats Kobe in the Finals, he'll be referred to as the best player in the league.  (Kobe still gets the nod as of right now).

1999 Allan Houston Celebration....


   We all know the last time the league endured a lockout was during the 1999 season.  And who was the 8th seed in the East that upset the #1 seed Miami Heat? Oh yeah, the New York Knicks.

  Thankfully for my predictions, the Heat won't have the #1 seed this year but that means the unlucky team to succumb to the upset will be the Bulls.

  Melo is probably the hottest player in the league right now and the Knicks match up well against Chicago.  The playoffs are built for the superstars and can Pooh just turn it on after sustaining so many injuries?

  Don't worry, the boring ass Spurs won't win this year.  They only win rings in odd years ('99, '03, '05, '07).

The Lost (Summer) Tapes


   Remember this summer how Kevin Durant, Lebron James and Kobe Bryant drugged you with their participation in summer league games and them broadcasting it?  What did it all mean?

   Well after further review, it meant Kobe was ready to show the world he still has it and could still compete for a scoring title, and lastly it showed that KD and Lebron will square off in the Finals.

"....I saw the sign" *Ace of Base voice

    


    

The Dynamics

For much of the season, the Miami Heat and Oklahoma Thunder have emerged as popular picks to compete in this years NBA Finals.  Both teams arguably have the best collection of superstars and both seemed primed to meet head on in a Finals collision.  If they do collide, it will surely be the result of those teams taking two totally different courses.

Miami can take pride in boasting they have a "Big Three" but we all know the Heat's focal point on offense boils down to two players: Dwyane Wade and Lebron James.

In OKC, the Thunder have the best young and talented duo in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.  So how do we decide which duo to favor in a potential showdown?  Here's How:

We identify Lebron James and Kevin Durant as the alpha-dogs on their respective teams or the 'go-to' players. For arguments sake, we wash that matchup as a draw and compare D Wade and Russell Westbrook.

WESTBROOK

Sure it's easy to stomp on a man when he's down (turnovers/shot selection) such as the case with Russell Westbrook. But it is what is is.

Westbrook is a young player trying to establish himself onto the league that he's as good or better than Pooh, DWill,CP3 or Rondo. I understand he may feel he has a mismatch that he can exploit each time he has the ball, but he must recognize the peking order and Durant is on top of that totem pole.

Instead of conceding to Durant in crucial moments, time and time again it has appeared that Westbrook has taken the honus to prove he's a superstar, which in turn has stifled the total success and potential of the Thunder; even of Durant to a certain degree.  In layman's terms, instead of giving it to the man in crunchtime with the hopes of winning, he wants to show the world he's the man. Is the need to be the man more important than winning?  He's going to have to decide quickly, because on this team he can't have both.

WADE            

Conversely you have the pro's pro in D Wade.  He's an NBA Champ, Finals MVP, scoring champ, Olympian, All Star Game MVP, and he's made his money. At this juncture in his life, he's not tripping off the ego.  He's established as a 'Made Man' and understands his legacy will be measured by the Championships he amasses.  The awards and stats are good, but they only complement the rings, not the other way around.

Wade at this point is willing to be the bigger man and pro-actively concede to Lebron on the floor and complement his talents. In turn, that will take a lot of stress off the team and allow them to play organically and worry free.

So if it's June and we're watching a Finals featuring these two teams, expect Lebron and Durant to show out (Yes, Lebron too).  But if your boy Westbrook is playing in his true Lunatic style (which I love most times) opposed to winning ball, you have to favor the Lebron/Wade duo.

"It's been a long time; I shouldn't have left you"

Hey what's up everybody? I'm just realizing it's the 5th week of the NFL season, and I didn't give you any predictions.

I've just been on my 313 ish….you know, the ALCS and Central Division Champs Tigers, undefeated UM Wolverines and Lions have been on my mind hard.

Anyway, here are a few thoughts that I had in the beginning of the season that I didn't get a chance to post. Remember, some of these picks/predictions look crazy, but I have to stay true to my pre-season predictions. Enjoy.

Division Champs

NFC North: AFC North:

GB Packers/Lions Steelers/Ravens

NFC East: AFC East:

Eagles Pats

NFC South: AFC South:

Saints Texans

NFC West: AFC West:

49ers Raiders

NFC Wildcards: Falcons, Packers/Lions

AFC Wildcards: San Diego, Steelers/Ravens

Rookie of the Year: Cam Newton

MVP: Mike Vick

Bold Predictions:

The Lions will win b/w 12-14 games…I had them going undefeated before Mike Leshoure and Nick Fairley were injured….Matt Stafford will pass for more than 4000 yards, 25 TD's, will make ProBowl and be an MVP candidate.

As of 10/10/11

Cam Newton is still going to be ROY, but Andy Daulton of the Bengals is having a sensational year. My bold prediction for Cam is that he will pass for 4000 yards, will have 20 td passes and 10 td's rushing.

Megatron (Calvin Johnson) will break Randy Moss' td receiving record and challenge the 30 mark.

Mike Vick is putting up great numbers, but the "DreamTeam" is off to a "Nightmare on Elm Street" start. Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Matt Stafford (in that order) are now MVP frontrunners.

I had the Texans winning the division even before I knew Peyton was done for the year. The wheels are falling off in Indy.

I had the Falcons as my wild card team, but an opening day loss to the Bears may mess that up. Could it be the NFC North will send 3 teams to the Playoffs?

My Raiders/Chargers prediction may flip flop, so who will give way to the Buffalo Bills? They look playoff bound. Hell, they may legitimately contend for the AFC East.

I'll be back to revisit this debate in a few months. "The Mighty Dice-A-Damus"

2/1 (World Series Predictions)

StoryLines I'm Seeing: Tigers/Cards 06 World Series rematch….Cards looking are hot and looking like team of destiny (Braves Collapse, beating Phils). Tigers still have Verlander, Valverde and Cabrera. Im going with Tigers in that vision.

StoryLine #2: Tigers/Brewers: Tale of the Prodigal Son. Detroits former hero, Cecil Fielder, has a son (Prince) to return to the city where he hit rooftop homers as a 12 year old in old Tigers Stadium.

Prince and Cecil have a Floyd Mayweather Jr/Sr relationship, and I can see Prince being motivated to make it personal and beat his dad's old squad. That type of pressure is too emotional. Tigers in that vision also.

So basically ladies and gents, the Tigers will win the 2011 World Series.

Talk to the Fist(er)

July 7, 2011. That date was this year's MLB trading deadline. At the time, three teams were embroiled in a tight race for the AL's Central division title.

My hometeam, the Detroit Tigers were allegedly in talks with acquiring Rockies ace and 2010 stud, Ubaldo Jimenez, and I crossed my fingers we could pull it off.

Fate had the upstart Cleveland Indians landing him and I could already see the storyline of how the Tigers could've gotten the complimentary ace to Verlander that could eventually put us over the top.

Instead of Jimenez, the Tigers quietly and humbly took in a relatively unknown pitcher from the lowly and cellar dwelling Seattle Mariners named Doug Fister.

At first glance, Fister's name/stats/reputation is unassuming and to me the whole move was a kin to Danny Glover receiving Celie instead of Celie's sister in "The Color Purple."

Well we all know how well Celie turned out, and Fister had a Celie-esque type year for the Tigers.

His 3-12 record was the equivalent of Celie not being able to read but since his Tiger acquirement, Fister has read opposing batters very well, posting a resurrecting 8-1 record in Detroit to improve to 11-13.

What seemed as just a novelty and vain move to pacify Tigers fans (i.e. management making an effort) has materialized into the trade deadline move of the year.

I've seen the tall (6'8") pitcher's stats improve as the proof is in the boxscore pudding. He's consistently put up high strikeout to walk numbers, and if you get 4-6 hits off of him, you had a good day. His m.o. coming to Detroit wasn't that of a power pitcher, but he's rallied several 7, or 8 punchout games.

Fister and the Tigers overall have a tough test against the Yankees. Everybody who knows me knows I love the Tigers and Yankees, and the Yanks lineup is nothing to sneeze at.

Yet I still have faith in the Tigers with that said, and Doug Fister will be a big part of that. He's a legitimate #1 starter in a #2 role. At the end of this series however, Detroit will be in on the winning podium like the '68 Olympics throwing up their Fists, Tiger style, no panther.

What does MVP mean? (Mostly Verlander, Player)

Detroit fans, is this a dream? Are we in heaven? Can you remember the last time you woke up on a Monday feeling good because both the Wolverines and Lions won, let alone undefeated?

Right now it's cool to be from the Motor City. You know it's good times in "The D" when the Tigers are somewhat on the back-burner, and they're fresh off their first division title since 1987.

And speaking of the Tigers, at this point, the most obvious prediction and worst kept secret in Major League Baseball is that Tigers starting ace Justin Verlander will win the 2011 AL Cy Young Award. But my question is, does he belong to be MVP?

To respond to this question objectively, this is where I'll remove my Detroit based/biased lens (wood-grained Cartiers, of course) and examine the facts carefully, which should effectively render a fair and honest answer.

THE FACTS:

-Verlander is 14-0 this year following a Tigers loss. (Loss prevention).

-Verlander has won 12 games in a row, longest streak in club history since 1946; longest AL streak since 2004

-24 wins are the most in MLB since '02, a 25th win would equal most wins since 1990 (Bob Welch was 27-6)

-Has the "Triple Crown" in MLB (Wins title/Strike out title/E.R.A title)

-Threw his second career no-hitter

THE COMPETITION

I'm hearing the argument that Verlander doesn't belong to win the MVP this year because he doesn't play everyday.

That maybe true, but Verlander has the "it" factor and has been the most DOMINANT player by far this year, position players included. Look across the board this year of his MVP competition and analyze or compare the stats.

As we enter a pitcher-friendly stage in baseball, in an alleged "steroid free" era, Verlander's stats are equivalent to a 70 home-run season for a positional player. Contrastly, the everyday player's stats are borderline vanilla.

I give credit to Joey Bautista. He's proving that his breakout season last year wasn't a one hit wonder, but when the current HR leader faced Justin Verlander on my mom's birthday, April 22, he was a part of a no-hitter. So how can Bautista be awarded the MVP when he can't get one hit off of my candidate?

Adrian Gonzales is simmering down and his power number aren't there, Jacoby Ellsbury is having a breakout season but shouldn't be awarded the MVP for having an improved year, and the same thing can be said for former Tiger Curtis Granderson.

If anything I believe Miguel Cabrera should be garnering more consideration. He's two points away from winning the AL batting title, he always hits for power, and he's on a team that won it's division before any team in baseball with the biggest lead. But I digress on Miggy, this is for Verlander.

The last pitcher to win MVP in the AL was Dennis Eckersley, a relief pitcher, in 1992. The last pitcher to win the Cy Young Award was Eric Gagne in 2002. With that logic, I say award Justin Verlander the MVP and give Jose Valverde the Cy Young (leads the league in saves with 46, with 0 blown). But then again, my Cartiers were on for that vision.