Lance Stephenson: The NBA's Newest Ron Artest

Indiana Pacers shooting guard Lance Stephenson had a solid night according to the box score: 12 points, five assists and five rebounds in the Pacers’ 93-90 win over Miami in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

However, it was Stephenson’s intangibles that really allowed the Pacers to extend the series against the defending world champions.

Not surprisingly, Lance Stephenson does not have the same intangibles that most players pride themselves on like heart, intensity and leadership. For Lance, the word “intangibles” means sneaking into the other team’s huddle, blowing into the ear of your opponent and flopping every time LeBron comes near him.   

Basically, Lance Stephenson has become the NBA’s newest version of Ron Artest; the type of player who is willing to do everything and anything to get inside his opponent’s head.  

Of course, it definitely helped that Stephenson’s teammate Paul George had arguably his best game as a professional with 37 points and six steals.

But the main reason why the Pacers were able to win this do-or-die game is that LeBron James got into early foul trouble because Stephenson was shadowing him all game long. LeBron finished with seven points in 24 total minutes of play; that is literally half of the game.

LeBron has never played fewer minutes in a playoff game than he did on Wednesday night.

He has also never scored fewer points – just seven, on 2-of-10 shooting.

LeBron got called for his fourth foul just 31 seconds into the third quarter.

The Heat led, 45-37, at that point of the game.

By quarter’s end, it was 64-57 Indiana.

Stephenson is a fine example of a defensive stopper who can take control of a game by stopping the best player in the world in LeBron James.

LeBron stated after game 5 that he didn’t pay much attention to any of the extra-curricular activities that go on during the course of the game. Though, I find it hard to believe that LeBron has such zen-like focus that he can completely ignore a grown man blowing into his earhole.

Whether LeBron is actually telling the truth or not is impossible to know. But I watched the moment with my very own eyes, and it was apparent that LeBron was taken out of his focus.

If the Pacers are going to win this series and go to the NBA Finals, Lance Stephenson is going to have to take LeBron James out of his game… literally.

You can’t expect LeBron to get into early foul trouble in game six, actually you can pretty much guarantee that he won’t. We are talking about a player who once went five consecutive games without drawing a single foul.

Did the Pacers Just Expose the Heat's Kryptonite?

 

The Miami Heat may have found the challenge they’ve been waiting all season for, the Indiana Pacers.

It seemed inevitable that these two squads would meet up deep in the playoff hunt. However, no one predicted this matchup under these circumstances.

The Indiana Pacers shocked the basketball world after their 107-96 victory over LeBron James and the defending champions Sunday afternoon. The Pacers won the game because of their lockdown defense and rejuvenated offense.

I couldn’t help but ponder while watching game one, “Why the Hell did it take so long for the Pacers to get their ‘mojo’ back?”

The Pacers had only eclipsed the 100-point mark once in 13 games before facing Miami. The Pacers offense has been their Achilles’ heel this entire postseason. It took Indiana seven games to oust the lowly eighth-seeded Hawks and six games to put away the young, upstart Wizards. In short, there was a lot of well-deserved doubt heading into Sunday’s game.

The Pacers squashed all of those preconceived notions by punishing the Heat’s over-aggressive defense with excellent ball movement and a punishing inside game.

Indiana passed their way to 23 assists, which matched their highest total of the entire playoffs. The Pacers also attacked the rim with tenacity and ended the game with a 22-point advantage at the free throw line; the second largest margin in the history of the Pacer’s franchise.

The Pacers were oddly efficient from the 3-point line where they sank eight of 19 from downtown. George Hill and Paul George combined to go six of 13 from the 3-point stripe.

The most apparent weakness in Miami’s game is their ability to deal with team’s that have legitimate post play. Unfortunately for the Heat, it appears that Roy Hibbert has finally got his confidence back.

LeBron James commented on Indiana’s presence inside: “Obviously, it’s a very physical front line,” James said of the Pacers. “It’s going to have to be a collective group. We all have to get down there and help one another out.”  

The real question that looms in our minds is, “Can this be the end for the Miami Heat?” As of now, it appears that the Heat are not invincible and could very well be down 0-2 Tuesday night.

Don’t believe for a second that the Heat are out of this series. Since LeBron joined D-Wade in South Beach, they’ve created a trend of starting off slow and then being able to turn it on at a moment’s notice.

Three years ago, Miami lost game 1 of the conference finals on the road to Chicago and ended up winning the next four to get to the NBA Finals.

Two years ago, the exact same scenario occurred in the 2012 NBA Finals against Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

And I shouldn’t need to remind you about what happened last year, when Miami rallied back from a 3-2 series deficit to secure their second consecutive championship against the Spurs.

Based on past history, the Miami Heat enjoy playing the “rope-a-dope” technique perfected by legendary boxer Muhammad Ali. They let their opponents exhaust themselves early in the fight, and then pounce when they can smell blood.

The only question is, are the Miami Heat going to counter-punch or get KO’d?

NBA 2nd Round Predictions

Here is my prediction involving the final eight teams remaining in the NBA playoffs. I swear that I made these picks before the games tonight on my sports talk radio show "On The Sidelines" on 1sportsnetwork.com. 

EAST

1.      Pacers vs. Wizards

·         Winner - Wizards

·         Why? 

                                                              i.      They have better guard play than the Pacers;

                                                            ii.      Nene and Gortat are going to have their way with the Pacer’s big men (especially with Roy Hibbert playing like garbage)

                                                          iii.      Wizards have more scorers than the Pacers

·         What could ruin my prediction

                                                              i.      If Roy Hibbert decides to wake up and play basketball

2.      Heat vs. Nets

·         Winner – Heat

·         Why?

                                                              i.      The Heat still have the best player in the world a.k.a. LeBron James. Sorry KD, even though you won MVP you’re still #2

                                                            ii.      Heat were the only team in the playoffs to sweep their opponent, so they have plenty of rest

                                                          iii.      Miami is focused on being one of the few teams to ever three-peat

·         What could ruin my prediction

                                                              i.      It’s a fact that the Nets swept Miami this season 4-0…

                                                            ii.      If Pierce and KG come up big, they could be LeBron’s kryptonite once again

WEST

1.      Clippers vs. Thunder

·         Winner – Clippers

·         Why?

                                                                          i.      The Clippers have a plethora of scorers! Almost everyone in a uniform is going to score a basket at some point in the game

                                                                        ii.      Jamaal Crawford leads the Clippers bench and is the 6^th man of the year for a reason. Even at the age of 34 he is one of the most prolific scorers in the leage

                                                                      iii.      Besides Durant and Westbrook… there isn’t a player on OKC that can drop close to 20+ points

                                                                      iv.      OKC has little depth and their bench is slow on defense and not explosive enough on offense

2.      Spurs vs. Portland

·         Winner – Blazers

·         Why?

                                                                          i.      Damian Lillard and Lamarcus Aldridge are averaging over 55 combined points per game

                                                                        ii.      The Spurs had problems with Monta Ellis and his speed in round one; the Blazers guards have even more speed

                                                                      iii.      Damian Lillard and Lamarcus look like the best one-two punch so far in the tournament

Jameis Winston: Biggest Moron in College Football

Whenever a NCAA student-athlete breaks the law, I am amazed out how unusual and stupid the criminal act allegedly is.

Though, I don’t believe that I’ve come across a more idiotic story than the recent accusation of Heisman trophy winner Jameis Winston stealing crab legs from a local grocery store.

Crab legs? Really?

Winston has been suspended indefinitely for the Florida State baseball season, but is that punishment enough?

Jameis Winston has to go down as one of the most air-headed athletes of all time. Not just because of this story, but because of his extensive history of being a moron and getting away with it.

The story goes that Winston was visiting a Tallahassee grocery store this Wednesday when he ordered 32 dollars’ worth of crab legs. After receiving his delicious crabs, Winston simply walked out of the grocery store and “forgot” to pay for the food.

This of course is Jameis Winston’s side of the story that he told the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. However, every time Winston has been accused of a crime he always seems to get away with it.

Maybe it’s because Winston is an honest and upstanding citizen who is wrongly accused on a consistent basis. Or maybe it is because Tallahassee is one of the biggest college football towns in America.

Winston was given a slap on the wrist and wound up with a citation in which he has to do some community service and pay back the 32 dollars he stole… I mean “forgot.”

Winston has a pattern of getting away with breaking the law.

Last year, Winston was in the middle of a rape accusation that could’ve sent him to prison for a very long time and would have ended his football career forever. Thankfully for Winston, the supporters of Florida State made it impossible on the victim to continue with the charges.

The victim’s family was told by a detective to be cautious of pursuing the rape charges against Winston too strongly because Tallahassee is a “big football town” and that her life could be miserable if they chose to pursue the case. Talk about a one-sided judicial system.

Just before the Heisman trophy presentation, the victim dropped her charges against Winston, allowing him to win the Heisman and play in the BCS National Championship game.

Sound suspicious?

Not only that, but Winston got off completely free of any charges.

More public scrutiny was on the victim instead of the defendant. The victim’s lawyer Patricia Carroll stated, "I would characterize the investigation overall as an investigation into a rape victim as opposed to a rape suspect.”

Carroll went on to say that more than half of the 248-page investigative file authorities released to her involved her client’s activity. Only eleven of the pages consisted of details about Winston.

You got to love the state of Florida’s judicial system! From Trayvon Martin to the 2000 Presidential election, Florida always seems to wet the bed when they have a chance to improve their public image.

Reports have come out now that Florida State did their absolute best to slow down and contain the rape allegations against their star quarterback. I hope that the institution at Florida State University is questioned and held accountable for their actions.  

Winston has also been accused of stealing soda from a Burger King restaurant and having a “BB-gun war.” These allegations sound more like what a 12-year-old kid would get into, not a future first-round quarterback.

NFL general managers and owners are cringing right now at how immature and unaware this kid is appearing to be. Winston’s draft stock is plummeting faster than the stock market in 2008.

What happens next to “Famous Jameis?” I guess we will have to check the Tallahassee police blotter to find out.

America's Love Affair With the NFL

           

             I wonder what our Founding Fathers would have thought about the game of football. I imagine that they would have been dumbfounded at these massive human beings who wear armor and repeatedly smash each other into the ground. However, I’m positive that the Founding Fathers would admire at how the nation’s favorite sport continues to be a symbol for progressivism and capitalism.

            During this offseason, the National Football League has taken strong stances on two of the hottest social issues in America today; marijuana use and gay rights. Ironically, the NFL has made a greater effort to address these issues than our own representatives on Capitol Hill!

            This year the Super Bowl matchup contained two teams, the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, who hail from states that have legalized the recreational use of marijuana. Naturally, the media and fans wanted to know the NFL’s stance on the legalization of marijuana. Within days, the NFL had an answer for their fans. Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL, responded immediately and declared, “We’ll continue to follow the medicine” (ESPN). Goodell’s answer was not only decisive; it showed that the NFL is open-minded to anything that can benefit the league.

            After the Super Bowl, the NFL had to respond to the next civil issue of gay rights. The conversation for gay rights in sports ignited after Michael Sam, a NFL draft-prospect from the University of Missouri, admitted he was gay. If Sam were to be drafted, which is likely because he is projected as a third or fourth round pick, he will become the first openly gay player in NFL history!

While the media and current NFL players went back and forth on the topic, the NFL took a strong position for equality. Roger Goodell made it crystal clear that ALL people, no matter their differences, are welcome to play football in the NFL.

Goodell is not just a man of the people; he is also a damn good businessman. Goodell and the NFL understand that being a leader in social issues and accepting everyone for who they are is good business. When Goodell welcomed Michael Sam for coming out, he made Sam a hero to the entire gay community.

Roger Goodell’s brother, Michael Goodell, is an openly gay man and was extremely proud of his brother for taking a stance for equality. Michael Goodell described Michael Sam as, “An instant hero in the gay and lesbian community” (TMZ). Michael Goodell went on to analyze the current NFL owner’s stance on the topic by stating, “I’ve met a lot of the NFL owners through my brother. They’re businessmen, not homophobes” (TMZ).

After the Michael Sam phenomenon began to slow down, a new issue arose for the NFL. The upcoming Super Bowl was to be held in Arizona, the same state that was trying to pass a bill that allowed businesses to discriminate against gays. During this fiasco, Roger Goodell adamantly stated that the NFL would not hold a Super Bowl in Arizona in this bill were to be passed. Goodell’s statement placed great economic and social pressure onto Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, who had the sole power to pass or veto the bill. On February 26, Gov. Brewer vetoed the bill and said, “Religious liberty is a core American and Arizona value. So is non-discrimination” (CNN).

Our Founding Fathers were vital to America becoming the world’s leading nation because they structured our country through the foundations of equality and capitalism. Today, I believe that the NFL is one of the most efficient vehicles for social change. The NFL should be proud knowing that not only are they America’s favorite sport by a considerable amount, but they are also using their power responsibly and for the betterment of our society.