Thank you all so much

Hey everyone, 

I have not posted in a long time because now I am writing for a sports website called Afterovertime.com It was started by a friend of mine named Jeremy Dawson and it is where I will be posting articles weekly for the foreseeable future. We really hope to gain a following and get the site off the ground, so I am shifting my focus away from this Blog. I can't thank you all enough for faithfully reading and I hope you'll check out this new site. I will write on Blogger infrequently when I really need to say something without being edited or censored. Until then, thank you all. My most recent article in on this link http://afterovertime.com/nba/importance-of-the-nba-titans/

Thank you all,

Brian Byrnes

2015-16 NBA Playoff Predictions

NBA 2015-2016 Playoff Predictions

By: Brian Byrnes | Saturday Oct 31, 2015

The 2015-16 NBA season is kicking off with a wave of big questions. How long can LeBron James carry an undermanned Cavaliers roster? Can the Clippers finally get to the conference finals? Will the Warriors repeat? What about the Spurs? We’ll have to tune in and watch to find out all the answers, but here are my predictions for the 2015-16 NBA playoffs, starting with the eastern conference.

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First Round

1)      Atlanta Hawks 

8)     Boston Celtics

2)     Cleveland Cavaliers

7)     Indiana Pacers

3)     Washington Wizards

6)     Miami Heat

4)     Chicago Bulls 

5)     Toronto Raptors

Second Round

1)     Atlanta Hawks

6)     Miami Heat

2)     Cleveland Cavaliers

4)     Chicago Bulls 

Eastern Conference Finals

1)     Atlanta Hawks

2)     Cleveland Cavaliers

The Hawks and Wizards are the stereotypical  solid regular season teams. Coach Budenholzer’s flow offense will allow Atlanta to run roughshod over the eastern conference, and the Wizards are looking to make another leap despite losing their postseason hero, Paul Pierce. John Wall wants to be in the MVP conversation, and looks to come out swinging with Bradley Beal and company. However, these teams do not have enough fire power to really contend with Cleveland or even Chicago.

The Bulls are a team to get hung up on and no one knows what to make of them. Yes, they beat Cleveland in the season opener on Tuesday, but will that team show up every night? It’s a tall order for an aging and often depleted roster. Combine that with a new coach and declining team defense, and I don’t think they are consistent enough to contend for a championship right now.

If you’re looking for potential challenger in the East, you can’t look past Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the revamped Miami Heat. I think they are a second round or conference final team depending on what matchup they get. They could gel at the right time and upset the Cavaliers, depending on the health of Wade and Bosh, and upside of high ceiling players like Justice Winslow and Hassan Whiteside.

As overwhelming favorites, the Cavaliers greatest threat to making another NBA Finals appearance is their health. Not only do Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love have a history of injuries, but LeBron James will has serious wear and tear going into his 13th season. James will be 31 in December, and has played nearly six and a half seasons since 2011. He has played in the Finals the last five years, which is roughly 20 games extra each year. That combined with his Olympic appearances and next year’s Olympics is a lot for any player. James is in great shape, but he’s also going into his 30s, and you have to wonder how much more his body can take.

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First Round

1)     Golden State Warriors 

8)     Utah Jazz

2)     Los Angeles Clippers

7)     New Orleans Pelicans

3)     San Antonio Spurs

6)     Houston Rockets

4)     Oklahoma City Thunder 

5)     Memphis Grizzlies

Second Round

1)     Golden State Warriors 

4)     Oklahoma City Thunder 

2)     Los Angeles Clippers

3)     San Antonio Spurs

Western Conference Finals

3)     San Antonio Spurs

4)     Oklahoma City Thunder 

Maybe there is an upset from the Grizzlies or the Rockets in the first round, but it is unlikely with the talent on the rosters of the top four seeds. The Grizzlies still don’t have enough dependable perimeter shooting. And the Rockets can only go as far as James Harden takes them. The Pelicans and Jazz are on the rise, but not there yet.

Yes, the Clippers pried DeAndre Jordan back from the Mavericks and added Paul Pierce and Lance Stephenson, the Spurs are completely stacked with new and old faces, and the Warriors just returned their championship core, but hear the case for Oklahoma City.

The Thunder won 45 games last year, 27 of them without Kevin Durant. It was a year where Russell Westbrook terrified point guards everywhere on his way to the MVP conversation. So now they have the 2014 MVP returning to play with one of last year’s MVP candidates. Throw in perennial shot-block leader Serge Ibaka and OKC can contend with anyone in the West.

The Thunder can matchup with big lineups by using Enes Kanter at center and play small ball with Ibaka at center and Durant at power forward. Durant will easily score 30 a game on anyone. Only the likes of Andre Iguodala or Kawhi Leonard could give him problems. However, it’s the matchup of Russell Westbrook that is crucial to the Thunder’s success. No point guard wants to run into Westbrook in the playoffs.

Westbrook’s ferocity, and his frame at 6’3” 200 lbs., is a nightmare for the other championship teams. Westbrook is completely capable of bullying Steph Curry, Chris Paul and Tony Parker in the playoffs. He can make them use all their energy on defense, and come at them relentlessly on the other end. By exhausting the floor generals of the other contenders, Westbrook can cut off the heads of the opponent’s offense and that is his greatest strength for helping the Thunder get to the finals.

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NBA Finals Oklahoma City Thunder win 4-3 over Cleveland Cavaliers

In conclusion, I like the Thunder to beat the Cavaliers in seven games. Kevin Durant can go toe-to-toe with anyone, and I bet he wants another crack at LeBron James. Russell Westbrook will be chomping at the bit to face Kyrie Irving, and Ibaka, Kanter and Steven Adams can handle a lot of the problems that Love and Mozgov have given to other teams in the past.

Durant seems more motivated to win than ever before. Everyone thought the Thunder would have been back to the Finals by now, and it’s crazy to think that this could be their final chance to win it all with Durant’s looming free agency in 2016. That alone should serve as extra fuel for the Thunder, who have high expectations and want to put the rest of the NBA on notice. They are healthy, experienced and ready to go.

Andre Drummond: The NBA's Next Dominant Center

Andre Drummond of the Detroit Pistons has all the tools to be a force in the NBA for the next 10 years.

Drummond has been right in front of us all along, and he is hard to miss. Standing at 6’11”, 279 lbs., he is averaging 20 points, 19 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.8 blocks per game in this young NBA season. Drummond is shooting 57 percent at the free throw line, which is a 17 percent improvement from last year. His game is blossoming, but his path to stardom started long before this NBA season.

In 2012, Anthony Davis was at the top of the draft class, but Drummond was also a projected top five pick heading in. The UConn freshman had an NBA ready body and, at his size, unparalleled athleticism. Yet some were questioning his intangible skill set; things like work ethic and maturity. However, no one could question his talent, and it was thought that there was no way he would fall out of the top five, but he did.

Charlotte, Washington, Cleveland, Sacramento, Portland, Golden State and Toronto all passed up on Drummond. He knew the Pistons loved himIn an article on Grantland.com, Jonathan Abrams quoted former Pistons President Joe Dumars having said, “I just felt like if he’s there at nine, there’s no way we’re going to pass on this kid.”

For anyone wondering what took so long for Drummond to have a breakout campaign, look no further than the flying circus that is the Detroit Pistons franchise. He was drafted by a team that already had Greg Monroe, so there was a clogged frontcourt for both of them. The Pistons often played Monroe at center, and they took their time developing Drummond in his first year.

Despite limited playing time at 20.7 minutes per game in his rookie year, Drummond averaged 7.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 1.6 blocks as a rookie, while shooting 61 percent from the floor. Over the last two years with Josh Smith and Monroe clogging up the lanes, Drummond still average 13.7 points, 13.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 1.7 blocks while shooting 56 percent. Not impressed? He grabbed 5.4 offensive rebounds per game.

In the NBA rising stars game in 2014, where all the young players compete in their own version of an all-star type of game, Drummond beat out Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard to win the rising stars MVP, scoring 30 points and a record 25 rebounds. With such a decline in traditional basketball, there aren’t too many true centers that can truly impact a game like Drummond.

It was clear what direction Drummond’s game was heading when the Pistons hired Stan Van Gundy in 2014. Van Gundy has previously coached Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard. He’s the perfect coach to teach Drummond, and to run a system where Drummond dominates the middle with shooters all around him. What happens next? Josh Smith gets cut, Monroe walks away in free agency and the Pistons acquire Marcus Morris and Ersan Ilyasova, two shooting forwards, to go with a knock down shooter in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson. The new roster has much better floor spacing, allowing Drummond to own the paint on both ends.

Drummond has an overpowering quality to his frame, even more so than Howard. Yet he runs like a deer down the court. Drummond is not clumsy like most big men; he has smooth strides and can explode off one or both feet. He’s one of the quickest centers in the league; he can jump through the roof. He can protect the rim even when opponents think they have a shot, like he did against Greg Smith.

What is the best part of Drummond’s game? He’s only 22 years old, and still not yet polished offensively. His skills are rapidly developing and he has a long successful career ahead of him. As the Pistons continue to find the right pieces and build around him, Drummond can play at this level for years to come.

Five Reasons Why the Hawks Can Make the NBA Finals

The best story in the NBA so far this year has been the revamped Atlanta Hawks.They are smart, unselfish and thriving with a versatile lineup of players. They have shattered expectations, and haven't looked back. Just when it looked like Danny Ferry and his inexcusable email ruined any chances of the Hawks contending for serious free agents, this team has run away with the Eastern Conference. Now there are some concerns for the top-seeded Hawks, as the Cavaliers are peaking at the right time and the Bull's Derrick Rose has returned. Mix that with unfavorable match-ups with Toronto,and Washington and there could be trouble for this great but undersized team. Actually, You know what? Screw that. I jumped on this bandwagon and don't want to get off anytime soon, so here are my five reasons why the Atlanta Hawks can make the 2014 NBA Finals.

Number 1: Frontcourt 'Tweeners




(Curtis Compton/Associated Press)

I have been a big Paul Millsap fan since his days with Al Jefferson and Utah. When he arrived in Atlanta to join fellow all-star Al Horford, he finally got the respect he deserved as a versatile and tenacious player. His 6'8" slender frame allows him to blow by bigger power forwads and exploit mismatches in his favor. Millsap is a classic basketball "tweener," of small forward and power forward. He played some small forward in his final season in Utah, and has the arsenal that rivals most small forwards. He is one of the quickest power forwards in the league. He has amazing hands and racks up bunches of steals against other bigs. He can put the ball on the floor, face up, shoot runners, and even added a 3-pointer to his skill set. He has been the most consistent player besides Korver the last two years, and even without Horford had a great playoff series against the first place Pacers last year.

Al Horford is the only person capable of playing big minutes at center for the Hawks, but he's listed at 6'10", the same size as Kevin Love. He plays like a true center with the touch closer to a power forward. Horford has thrived in this era of spacing as a slimmer, quicker big man that can do a variety of things. He is a gifted passer for his size, and can see over the defense and dish to guys cutting to the basket. Both of these guys are a pair of walking Swiss-army knives in the front court. They may be a bit undersized, but they'll give any team a lot of trouble.

Number 2: Stats

(Shawsports.net, thatnbalotterypick.com)

Why stats? Millsap lead the team with solid numbers (16.8 pts, 7.8 rbs) but they aren't astronomical. Millsap also leads them in steals and offensive rebounds. So you could say if you stop Paul Millsap, you stop the Hawks right?... No so fast. Here is their truly amazing stat; they have six players that average a combined 81 points per game. That is unbelievable when you put in perspective of a star-studded team like Cleveland. The Cavaliers for example have three guys who average 63 points per game. Granted stopping LeBron, Kyrie and Love is virtually impossible, but if one of them is off, the game play of the rest will suffer. Hypothetically, if you blanket Millsap, there are five other guys who have average 10 points that can pick up the slack. No superstars on the Hawks seems to be the biggest complaint from critics, but it is actually one of the Hawks' biggest ally. They don't have to throw all their NBA Finals eggs in one player's basket like the Bulls with Rose or the Thunder with Durant or the Cavaliers with LeBron. Instead of having one player carry the team, they have eight players who play great together. Not to mention these guys are not a bunch of nobodies; Four of them were all-stars this year, so to say they don't have fire power is ignorant. It is a group that keeps track of two stats; wins and losses.

Number 3: Coach 'Bud'


(Chris Vivlamore/ajc.com)

Perhaps the most important piece on this team, Mike Budenholzer has been a favorite for the Coach of the Year since the all-star break. He started out as an assistant coach for the Spurs under the eternal Coach of the Year, Gregg Popovich. Budenholzer has 18 years of NBA coaching experience, and it's showing. He has installed a flow offense with constant screens, movement and bits of triangle thrown in for good measure. People forget even without Al Horford ( their most important player) the Hawks had a 3-1 series lead on the first place Indiana Pacers last year before Indiana came back to win. That was largely in part of the great coaching of Mike Budenholzer.

Coach Bud has been there before, and he's got four rings to prove it. Do not be surprised if he pulls some basketball Jedi mind tricks and gets his team to the NBA Finals.

Number 4: Experience


(Mike Zarrilli)

Many people think the Hawks are just this cute regular season story. Or a team that's going to crap it's pants when the get to the second round. They just don't have that extra gear. They have been overlooked for many reasons, but one thing no one should overlook with this team is experience. The starters for Atlanta have played way more games in April and May than you may have thought.

Playoff games played by starting five players (Per Basketball Reference.com):

Jeff Teague: 36
Kyle Korver: 67
DeMarre Carroll: 11
Paul Millsap: 55
Al Horford: 48

Total for starting five: 217 playoff games

Now Compare it to the starting five of their biggest challengers:

Chicago Bulls (Per Basketball Reference.com):

Derrik Rose: 29
Jimmy Butler: 20
Mike Dunleavey: 14
Pau Gasol: 105
Joakim Noah: 48

Total for starting five: 216 playoff games

Cleveland Cavaliers (Per Basketball Reference.com)

Kyrie Irving -0
J.R. Smith - 51 (has never started in any playoff games)
LeBron James - 158
Kevin Love - 0
Timofey Mozgov - 7

Total for starting five -  216 playoff games

As you can see, the Hawks' starting five players have playoff resumes comparable to the other eastern conference contenders, but if it wasn't for LeBron James and his 158 post-season games, or Gasol and his 105, the Hawks would have a huge advantage . It's surprising to say, but the Hawks have as much experience as any of the other potential playoff opponents.

Number 5: Chemistry


(Washington Post)

This is will be the difference between whether the Hawks can upset the Cavaliers and make it to the 2015 NBA Finals or whether they lose to the Raptors in the second round. Chemistry and craft are how good teams become great teams. It is how the Spurs dominated the star-studded Heat in last years Finals and it is the only way the Hawks can beat the Cavaliers in this year's playoffs. Look at any champion in the last 10 years; many times a newly formed group does not win in their first year. The Cavaliers are loaded, but there are a lot of new moving parts. The Hawks have had a couple newer pieces, blended perfectly with a long since formed chemistry:

Horford: 2008-Present: 3x all-star center
Teague: 2009-Present: all star floor general
Korver: 2012-Present: lethal knock-down shooter
Millsap: 2013-Present: 2x all-star forward
Carroll: 2013-Present: Lock down wing defender
Coach Budenholzer: 2013-Present: Coach of the Year Candidate

Now compare this to the Cavaliers highly talented but newly acquired roster:

Irving: 2011-Present: Unstoppable scorer
Smith: January 7 Present: Knock down shooter, one-on-one scorer
James: July 2014-Present: Most talented player since M.J.
Love: August 2014-Present: Top 5 Power Forward
Mozgov: January 9 2015-Present: Quality Center, Rim Protector
Coach Blatt: June 2014-Present: 52-29 in first NBA season


The Hawks have the edge in chemistry. Their newest starters arrived in 2013. Their continuity will be their greatest strength against teams with high upside like Cleveland and Chicago. In the playoffs, chemistry leads to execution, execution leads to wins.

So in conclusion, yes I picked the Chicago Bulls to go to the Finals this year. Yes, my head says the Cavaliers will go this year. But dammit, my heart is pulling for the Atlanta Hawks. I will be the driver of this Hawks' playoff bandwagon until they make the Finals or until Chicago, Cleveland or (upset alert) Paul George and the Pacers come along and ruin it for me. Either way, this year's bandwagon team is the Hawks. Let's do this, Atlanta. The title is up for grabs.

The Indiana Pacers should go after Rondo, but they won't get him

As the Celtics have become more aggressive in shopping Rondo, the Mavericks and Rockets have emerged as the top two contenders. It makes sense, since both teams with the addition of Rondo could be a powerhouse in the Western Conference. But there  is another team that could use him; the Indiana Pacers.

Why the Pacers make sense: 

Right now the Pacers situation is bleak. Like it's really bad. The combination of Lance Stephenson leaving and Paul George suffering a gruesome leg fracture has devastated this proud franchise. But Paul George will be back, and this will be a far different team next year. Giving up this year to contend for several years would be the sell to Rondo. Rondo creating shots for Paul George would be unstoppable. Last year, Paul George carried an abysmal offense, averaging 21 ppg. He would likely average 25 ppg with Rondo running the offense and taking all the pressure of running the offense off of George. . 

 According to ESPN's trade machine, Rondo could go to the Pacers in exchange for C.J. Miles, Chris Copeland, Donald Sloan, Rodney Stuckey and Damjan Rudez. The Pacers have also been involved in talks that would return All-NBA lightning rod Lance Stephenson to Indiana. As far as making the money work, The Hornets could send Lance and a draft pick to Indiana for George Hill and Shayne Whittington, 

The teams would look something like this:

Boston starting 5:

PG Marcus Smart

SG Avery Bradley

SF Jeff Green

PF Jared Sullinger

C Kelly Olynyk 

Charlotte starting 5:

PG Kemba Walker

SG George Hill

SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

PF Cody Zeller

C Al Jefferson

Indiana starting 5:

PG Rajon Rondo

SG Lance Stephenson

SF Paul George

PF David West 

C Roy Hibbert

Aftermath:

With the ball in Rondo's hands, Lance's antics can be kept in check. Rondo can pass people open like no other point guard, which will do wonders for Roy Hibbert and a highly skilled but aging David West. Of course, Paul George would be very inclined to stay if he can play with Rondo for the remainder of their prime of his career. Indiana could afford to lose some of it's supporting cast as long as the combo and Rondo and George is there to build around. Likely contenders in the Eastern Conference for five or more years. 

Why it won't happen:

Rondo is in the last year of his five-year contract with the Celtics. If he went to the Pacers today, he only has West, Hill and Hibbert to work with. George will be out all year and there's no way to know how long it will take for him to get back to All-NBA level. David West was considering retirement before this season and the 2013 playoffs seems like a long time ago when watching Roy Hibbert. Rondo would have Paul George in his prime, but there's no way to tell what will happen with the front court in the next few years. All in all, this would be a huge risk for Rondo and unless the Pacers really made some noise after acquiring him, I doubt he would sign there long term. 

But boy, if Rondo could ever play with a healthy Paul George, Lance Stephenson (but probably George Hill), David West and Roy Hibbert, with Scola and Watson and others off the bench, they would challenge anyone in a weak Eastern Conference for years to come.

Too bad we will never get to see it. 

Rhode Island generates excitement after hot start

The University of Rhode Island has been turning heads early in the season, and many people have taken notice, including Rhode Island Athletic Director Thorr Bjorn.

“I am so excited about the progress Coach Hurley and his staff have made in building our men’s basketball team over the past couple years," said Bjorn. "He is recruiting not only great players into the program but also players with incredible character.  Our future is very bright and we certainly need the URI student and alumni support to make the Ryan Center the best home court advantage in the country.”

With a 4-2 start, and an impressive win against 21st ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers, at this pace the Rams could find themselves in play for a bid in the NCAA tournament for the first time in 16 years. The Rams haven't won more than 14 games in the last three seasons, but this year seems to be different. They are in the top 100 in the country in Rebounds and the top 80 in field goal percentage. They also have a group of high flying athletes, led by star guard E.C. Matthews, who is averaging 17.5 points on 45 percent shooting this season.

"I think E.C. Matthews is the real deal," said Bjorn.

Matthews biggest obstacle to his full potential has been consistency. He had a slow start to the season, then played the game of his life against Nebraska, scoring 26 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Then on Thanksgiving looked overwhelmed against Kansas as the Rams were beaten handily, 76-60 by the 11th ranked Kansas Jayhawks.

It is unsure how good this URI team is, but we'll certainly find out this Saturday in a big road game at Southern Miss and on Wednesday the biggest game of the year, as the Rams go up against in-state rival Providence College at the Dunkin Donuts Center.

8 Things you would have heard about if everyone stopped talking about LeBron and the Cavs

Yeah, we know, the Cavaliers are the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference and compete in the NBA finals. What?! You mean this completely overhauled team of superstars is struggling? You don't say! Not that Cleveland won't be awesome and fun to watch, but It's about time we realized there are other players that exist besides LeBron James. Here's what's going on with the rest of the NBA that would have been brought to light if ESPN and everyone else would ever stop beating the Cavs to death:

1) The Grizzlies are really, really good.

They're 10-1 to start the season, and it's the best start in the history of the franchise. The solid two-way play of Mike Conley, unexpected contributions from Courtney Lee and an All-NBA start from Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph shows they have fire power on offense. As for the defense, it's as stingy as ever, just ask James Harden, who was held to just six points against the Grizz  by Tony Allen, despite averaging 25 on the season.

2) Jimmy Butler is playing at an all star level.

Known around the league as a defense-first player, Jimmy Buckets is averaging 21.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists so far this season, exceeding all expectations for the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls were already title favorites before Butler took this leap, but now that he has developed as an offensive weapon, the Bulls are even better than we thought. They are 8-3 so far and 4-2 without 2011 MVP Derrick Rose. With Butler playing at this level, the Bulls can afford to ease Derrick Rose back into the lineup.

3) The Kings aren't that bad?!

They let Isaiah Thomas go in the off season, and he took his 20.3 points per game and 6.3 assists with him. But Darren Collison has filled in nicely and the Kings have kept on rolling as they are off to a 6-4 start. The record alone should be reason enough for Kings fans to be excited. Aside from another monster campaign from DeMarcus Cousins to look forward to, Rudy Gay had the best season of his career with the Kings last year, and just recently signed a reasonable three-year, $40 million contract. This team wanted to be competitive before they moved into their new stadium and that might just be the case.

4) Chris Bosh was completely overlooked

How is it that a nine-time all-star can be so underrated? Bosh is playing like it's 2010, averaging 19.9 points and 8.7 rebounds as he has become the focal point for the Heat post-you-know-who-era. Just when we all thought he was overpaid at this stage of his career, he is earning every penny of that five-year, $118 million contract. Bosh along with Wade, Luol Deng and the rest of the team could find themselves in position to make a run in the playoffs. The Heat have rebounded as well as any franchise could after the off-season departure of James.

5) J.R. Smith ceases to amaze me.

Threatening players via Twitter is one thing. Partying with Rihanna is a different one entirely. J.R. Smith done both. He has a reputation as an the NBA's problem child, but he should know one thing by now; if your superstar is calling for the ball with the game on the line, give it to him. It just works that way. Carmelo Anthony is being paid 124 million reasons to make game winning shots. Yet there the Knicks were, down 97-95 to the lowly Orlando Magic, with Melo calling for the ball, and he could only watch as J.R. dribbled out the clock and shot a three-pointer that bricked off the bottom of the backboard. He's just lucky that Carmelo is a nice guy, because if Kobe Bryant or Larry Bird was standing there without the ball, this would not have gone down so smoothly.

6) The Raptors are must see TV now?

I know this sounds far-fetched, but anyone who likes fast paced basketball would like to watch this team. Sure, they are a couple pieces away from contending for a title, but they are good and very entertaining. Kyle Lowry is a bull dog at the point, and a maniacal competitor. He may have been the best point guard in the East last year. Derozan and Ross are super athletic on the wings, and I would kill to see them have a dunk-off at practice. Patterson has become a quality power forward, stretching the floor with his improved shooting, and Jonas Valanciunas can be a menace around the basket. They won 48 games last year and brought back mostly everyone, and acquired Lou Williams. They need a good wing defender, evidenced by Joe Johnson torching them in the playoffs, and a veteran presence, but with Lowry and Co., this team is right up there with The Clippers and Warriors one of the most fun teams in the league.

7) Rajon Rondo is averaging 10.6 points, 11.6 assists and 8.4 rebounds a game.

Will he average a triple double? It would be awesome, but not likely. He is on a struggling Celtics team, we know the assists and the points will come easily for him, but at his size, it is hard to see him keeping pace in the rebounds category. Grabbing eight boards alone is amazing for a 6'1" point guard. Then again, if anyone can average a triple-double, Rondo, who has 18 for his career, would be the guy. The only stat that matters in the NBA are wins and losses, but that's quite an impressive box score for the Kentucky product.

8) Flopping has only gotten worse, and there's really no way to stop it.

The most recently egregious flop came on Saturday when Hornets Guard Lance Stephenson slapped himself in the face to draw a foul. I love Lance, but even I can't defend him on this one. It has become painfully clear that players do not care about being fined for flopping. What is a $5,000 or $10,000 fine for flopping to a millionaire? It's the equivalent of a parking ticket. Dwyane Wade flopped in the NBA finals, and Stephenson had an equally appalling flop in the Eastern Conference Finals. If players would be willing to flop their way through the NBA playoffs, they certainly will do so to win a regular season game.  Flopping is no different from cheating and it needs to be stopped.