As of this writing, the Chicago Bulls are down three games to one in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Miami Heat. This is happening despite the Bulls having better defense and better depth than Miami. It was presumed that their coaching was better too, with Tom Thibodeau being considerably better than the Heat's Erik Spoelstra, who was thought to be outmatched by the star power on his team. Turns out, this has been a bit unfounded, as Spo has managed to key in on Derrick Rose by using LeBron James and Chris Bosh to double team the MVP and force him into bad shots or to pass to teammates for bad shots or easy shots that miss. Despite Coach Thib's reputation as a master planner and someone who works tirelessly to make adjustments, he has not managed to fully do so. Sure Boozer has managed to start playing better, but Chris Bosh is running train on the Bulls on the other end and he should be the easiest one for Chicago to stop.
In order to win a series against Miami, a team just has to do the following things: Stop Bosh, stop Wade or LeBron, and play efficient offense that doesn't allow the Heat to get on the fast break. Stopping both Wade and LeBron is damn nigh impossible, but keying in on one and then stopping Bosh is definitely within the realm of possibility and Chicago has not managed to do so consistently.
More specific to Chicago's game plan is that Rose needs to get around 25-30 points a game and shoot at a relatively efficient rate (for him). Last night he had 23 points, but he was 8-27 from the field. This whole series he has shot poorly and this is due to the aforementioned Bosh/James double teams that they have not figured out how to work around. The team also needs strong contributions from Boozer and Deng. Last night they delivered by each scoring 20 points, but this was cancelled out by the stinkbomb Rose threw out. They also need a more consistent output from Joakim Noah, but he has really struggled since his 14 rebound performance in the series opener.
While Boozer has played better the past two games, he has really struggled this postseason and most of the second half of the year. He has not managed to be fully integrated into the frontcourt with Noah and has not managed to become the second option that Chicago desperately needed in order to make it this season. Hopefully after a healthy offseason, he can learn to mesh better with the team and develop a better chemistry with Derrick Rose in order to get a better pick and roll game together.
The lack of a shooting guard that can create his own shot has also hurt the Bulls this postseason. Someone like Jason Richardson could have come in handy, as he can shoot the three ball and get to the hoop and take pressure off Rose. Free agent guards this summer include Jamal Crawford, OJ Mayo, Caron Butler, and Richardson and acquiring one of them should be a priority for Chicago. The offense is in dire straits, living or dying with Rose and he needs some kind of help so he doesn't burn out or get injured doing all the work on that end.
I think the biggest issue with Chicago, for better or worse, has been Tom Thibodeau. On the positive side, he managed to lead change the culture in Chicago and make them a relevant team again. On the negative, he has to learn to become a playoff coach. He put so much into the regular season and the team responded by having the best record in the NBA. His intensity and drive really pushed this team into achieving at a higher level than most people expected. The problem is that this same determination has left them ill-equipped for the playoffs. The team had no higher gear for the postseason. Every team they faced had already seen them play their hardest and at the best they are capable of in the regular season. Deng played an absurd amount of minutes during the season and has been unable to keep up that level in the playoffs. Last night, Noah was exhausted. Rose has to be worn down from carrying such a heavy burden all year. Chicago gave it their all most games, even when other teams weren't and this came back to haunt them, as they were not prepared for when teams like Indiana or Atlanta gave more effort than they did during the regular season. For Thibs, his biggest task this offseason is to learn to pace himself and the team better so that they can play more consistently down the stretch when it matters most. If not, he'll end up as Doug Collins 2.0 - a great regular season coach that can get a team headed on the right track, but ultimately too demanding and relentless to push a team over the hump. Whether or not he can do that, we'll see next season (or as a Bulls fan, games 5, 6, and 7, followed by the Finals).
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
UFC 130 Predictions
This Saturday is UFC 130: Rampage vs. Hamill. It was originally UFC 130: Edgar vs. Maynard III for the UFC Lightweight Title, but both men had to pull out with injuries. The co-main event of Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Matt "The Hammer" Hamill has been promoted to main event, while Frank Mir and Roy Nelson are bumped to co-main status. Seeing as how I can't stand Maynard or Edgar and these two fights have the potential to be perversely entertaining, it is quite the upgrade in my book. Actually this card isn't bad, featuring a welterweight scrap between Thiago Alves and Rick Story, as well as a middleweight fight between Brian Stann and Jorge Santiago. Since I'm at work and God knows that I never set aside time to update this thing, let's get right into it.
Brian Stann vs Jorge Santiago: Stann is coming off an impressive KO win over Chris Leben back in January and was lobbying for a fight with Wanderlei Silva, but instead gets Jorge Santiago, who is returning to the UFC. In his first stint, Santiago went 1-2 and has gone 11-1 since. This should be a good stand up fight between men who excel in striking. Santiago is more polished and experienced, but Stann should only be getting better at this point in his career. I'm going to with Stann by decision, as he has fought the better competition and should be a fighter on the rise, where Santiago should be somewhere in the middle of the pack.
Thiago Alves vs Rick Story: This welterweight match pits top-five weltwerweight Thiago Alves against the entertaining and tough Rick Story. Alves seems to have overcome some of his issues with weight cutting due to a switch to the Dolce Diet, helping him outlast John Howard by decision in his last fight. If Alves shows up in good shape, this should be his fight to win. He is three fights removed from his decision loss to GSP, so a few wins could move him back up the ladder. For Story, a win could propel him into the top ten in the division. I lean towards Alves by decision since he hasn't really finished anyone in a while and Story is a solid dude who has only lost by decision. On the other hand, Thiago's striking should be much better than Story's, and his takedown defense should be enough to keep him out of trouble.
Stefan Struve vs. Travis Browne: This battle features two of the lower tier fighters in the heavyweight division, although to be fair there is only an upper tier and a lower tier. Struve is a decent prospect, but the dude needs to add some weight to his 6'11 frame so he doesn't crumple every time he gets blasted. His fights are usually pretty exciting and at age 23, he has a lot of time to grow and mature as a fighter. Browne, I know nothing about other than that he had a lame fight with Cheick Kongo and he beat James McSweeney, a castmember from the awful Ultimate Fighter Season 10. If I remember correctly from the Kongo scrap, Browne's takedown and ground defense is not great and Struve has a decent ground game. Barring a first round mauling, I like Struve by second round submission.
Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson: This fight cracks me up since I, as well as everyone I'm watching this card with, cannot stand either man. Mir is obnoxious and not nearly as good as he likes to think and Nelson is a fat ass novelty act. The intrigue in this fight comes to two things - Nelson beat Mir six years and 60 pounds ago in a jiu jitsu grappling competition and the winner of this fight could be one or two fights away from a title shot, with their next opponent being the winner of Schaub-Nogueira in a title eliminator. I think that Mir is probably better standing than Nelson and they are probably even on the ground, with Nelson having a better top game than Mir does. I've never seen Nelson have to work off his back, but Mir has always been good on his back unless against Lesnar or Carwin. I would expect this fight to stay standing, and if Junior Dos Santos and his skilled striking couldn't KO Nelson, I don't see how Mir will. I do think that Mir is probably just above Nelson in terms of ranking, with Nelson being a solid midlevel heavyweight and Mir being in between the middle and upper level. I think this fight goes to Mir by decision.
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Matt Hamill: This fight is hilarious, as Rampage is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and has main evented several cards, while Hamill's biggest fights are his DQ win against Jon Jones due to illegal elbows in a fight where he was getting straight mauled and a decision win over the ghost of Tito Ortiz. Jackson was supposed to fight Thiago Silva on this card, but Silva was taken off after testing positive for PEDs after his last fight and Hamill begged to get a crack at Rampage. In theory, Rampage should knock Hamill's head into the cheap seats, but his conditioning and motivation are always suspect. This rings especially true for this fight, as Hamill is older and slower, his takedowns are nullified by Jackson's takedown defense, and he cannot stand and trade punches with him. Rampage has nothing to gain from this fight and has been openly discussing retiring in two years. That said, he knows that if he has an impressive showing against Hamill, he will probably be fighting for the UFC Light Heavyweight Title this fall against Jon Jones, which should be a big seller and earn him a fat paycheck. While a Hamill decision win wouldn't be the most surprising thing ever since the odds of him working far harder than Rampage are not too shabby, I think Rampage has been annoyed a bit by Hamill's trash talk and knows that he can put down Hamill. Also, undersized light heavyweight Rich Franklin put Hamill down with a liver kick and Rampage hits much, much harder than "Ace." I'm going with Rampage by second round KO.
That concludes the predictions for UFC 130. My brother may put up predictions; he may not. If the Bulls lose to the Heat this week there may be a period of mourning here at Black Belt Basketball, but I digress a bit. If you want to share your thoughts and predictions on the upcoming card, feel free to leave a comment here or on my or Joe's Facebook walls.
Brian Stann vs Jorge Santiago: Stann is coming off an impressive KO win over Chris Leben back in January and was lobbying for a fight with Wanderlei Silva, but instead gets Jorge Santiago, who is returning to the UFC. In his first stint, Santiago went 1-2 and has gone 11-1 since. This should be a good stand up fight between men who excel in striking. Santiago is more polished and experienced, but Stann should only be getting better at this point in his career. I'm going to with Stann by decision, as he has fought the better competition and should be a fighter on the rise, where Santiago should be somewhere in the middle of the pack.
Thiago Alves vs Rick Story: This welterweight match pits top-five weltwerweight Thiago Alves against the entertaining and tough Rick Story. Alves seems to have overcome some of his issues with weight cutting due to a switch to the Dolce Diet, helping him outlast John Howard by decision in his last fight. If Alves shows up in good shape, this should be his fight to win. He is three fights removed from his decision loss to GSP, so a few wins could move him back up the ladder. For Story, a win could propel him into the top ten in the division. I lean towards Alves by decision since he hasn't really finished anyone in a while and Story is a solid dude who has only lost by decision. On the other hand, Thiago's striking should be much better than Story's, and his takedown defense should be enough to keep him out of trouble.
Stefan Struve vs. Travis Browne: This battle features two of the lower tier fighters in the heavyweight division, although to be fair there is only an upper tier and a lower tier. Struve is a decent prospect, but the dude needs to add some weight to his 6'11 frame so he doesn't crumple every time he gets blasted. His fights are usually pretty exciting and at age 23, he has a lot of time to grow and mature as a fighter. Browne, I know nothing about other than that he had a lame fight with Cheick Kongo and he beat James McSweeney, a castmember from the awful Ultimate Fighter Season 10. If I remember correctly from the Kongo scrap, Browne's takedown and ground defense is not great and Struve has a decent ground game. Barring a first round mauling, I like Struve by second round submission.
Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson: This fight cracks me up since I, as well as everyone I'm watching this card with, cannot stand either man. Mir is obnoxious and not nearly as good as he likes to think and Nelson is a fat ass novelty act. The intrigue in this fight comes to two things - Nelson beat Mir six years and 60 pounds ago in a jiu jitsu grappling competition and the winner of this fight could be one or two fights away from a title shot, with their next opponent being the winner of Schaub-Nogueira in a title eliminator. I think that Mir is probably better standing than Nelson and they are probably even on the ground, with Nelson having a better top game than Mir does. I've never seen Nelson have to work off his back, but Mir has always been good on his back unless against Lesnar or Carwin. I would expect this fight to stay standing, and if Junior Dos Santos and his skilled striking couldn't KO Nelson, I don't see how Mir will. I do think that Mir is probably just above Nelson in terms of ranking, with Nelson being a solid midlevel heavyweight and Mir being in between the middle and upper level. I think this fight goes to Mir by decision.
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Matt Hamill: This fight is hilarious, as Rampage is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and has main evented several cards, while Hamill's biggest fights are his DQ win against Jon Jones due to illegal elbows in a fight where he was getting straight mauled and a decision win over the ghost of Tito Ortiz. Jackson was supposed to fight Thiago Silva on this card, but Silva was taken off after testing positive for PEDs after his last fight and Hamill begged to get a crack at Rampage. In theory, Rampage should knock Hamill's head into the cheap seats, but his conditioning and motivation are always suspect. This rings especially true for this fight, as Hamill is older and slower, his takedowns are nullified by Jackson's takedown defense, and he cannot stand and trade punches with him. Rampage has nothing to gain from this fight and has been openly discussing retiring in two years. That said, he knows that if he has an impressive showing against Hamill, he will probably be fighting for the UFC Light Heavyweight Title this fall against Jon Jones, which should be a big seller and earn him a fat paycheck. While a Hamill decision win wouldn't be the most surprising thing ever since the odds of him working far harder than Rampage are not too shabby, I think Rampage has been annoyed a bit by Hamill's trash talk and knows that he can put down Hamill. Also, undersized light heavyweight Rich Franklin put Hamill down with a liver kick and Rampage hits much, much harder than "Ace." I'm going with Rampage by second round KO.
That concludes the predictions for UFC 130. My brother may put up predictions; he may not. If the Bulls lose to the Heat this week there may be a period of mourning here at Black Belt Basketball, but I digress a bit. If you want to share your thoughts and predictions on the upcoming card, feel free to leave a comment here or on my or Joe's Facebook walls.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Zuffa Acquisition of Strikeforce: The Fights I Would Like To See.
As reported several weeks ago, Zuffa purchased Strikeforce, adding another large stable of fighters to the UFC. Details are still sketchy about when and how Strikeforce will be absorbed, due to its existing deal with Showtime that expires in 2014. While a merger is a long ways away and Strikeforce is a clear second in established talent to the UFC, there are still several excellent fighters that could be transferred over that would lead to some exciting bouts. I am going to take this space to go over some of them, and discuss their likelihood of happening. For the sake of brevity, I am going to limit it to four fighters and the fights I’d most like to see. I’m going to leave out Dan Henderson, as he was a UFC fighter until recently and there aren’t many people he hasn’t went up against at this point.
Alistair OvereemThe ‘Reem is the man I most want to see inside the Octagon. There are several matchups that would be interesting. Here’s the list in descending order:
Vs. Cain Velasquez: This one is self-explanatory, as it pits the Strikeforce Heavyweight Champ against his UFC counterpart. Cain has never faced someone Overeem’s size that can actually strike and not curl up in the fetal position when hit, and Overeem hasn’t faced someone with the relentless pace and wrestling of Cain.
Vs. Junior Dos Santos: This would pit the best hands in the UFC Heavyweight Division against the reigning K-1 Grand Prix Champion. Junior can outbox most anyone, but he would have a tough time against Overeem’s size. It would be a great striking battle that would really test how good Junior really is.
Vs. Brock Lesnar: Two behemoths in the cage, plus Overeem wouldn’t gas out like Carwin did. It would be interesting to see what would happen when Lesnar gets punched by someone of Overeem’s power. Plus if he went for those half-assed takedowns around the ‘Reem’s chest, Alistair would have no problem using the standing guillotine choke.
Vs. Shane Carwin: Someone would get knocked out. Hard.
The odds of Overeem coming into the UFC: Near certainty. Alistair is on friendly terms with Dana White and since getting stiffed on his paycheck from K-1, is more willing to commit to the UFC’s contract demands. Also,, heavyweight is always the weakest division in the UFC, so they would be more than willing to bring in a beast like the ‘Reem.
Nick DiazDiaz is one of my favorite fighters of all-time and there are a bunch of fights I would love to see him in.
Vs. BJ Penn: Two of the best technical boxers and jiu jitsu practitioners in all of MMA, this would be exciting both on the ground and standing. BJ would love the challenge of a rangy fighter like Diaz, and it would be a tougher fight for Nick than he has fought in some time.
Vs. Georges St. Pierre: While I think GSP would clearly win this because of his superior wrestling, it would still be a dangerous fight for him. He hasn’t faced anyone with the excellent jiu jitsu of Diaz, plus his boxing is not as techincally sound as Nick’s is. Like I said, I would expect GSP to win hands down, it would be a more competitive and interesting fight than at least his last two or three defenses.
Vs. Dan Hardy: I think Nick would submit him in about two rounds, but this fight should happen for the shit talkng alone. It would be legendary.
Vs. Nate Diaz: Brother vs. Brother. Both men are crazy. Why not?
Odds of Diaz coming into the UFC: Toss up. Odds would say that he almost has to, otherwise who else will he fight? He seems to get along well with Dana White, but Diaz is a wild car and it’s damn nigh impossible to figure out what his plans are.
Muhammad “King Mo” LawalA former light heavyweight champion for Strikeforce, King Mo has some of the best wrestling in MMA and is still improving as a fighter. I’m not the biggest fan of his, but I would like to see him in the UFC to see just how good he is and can be.
Vs. Rampage Jackson: Evidently, these two don’t like each other very much. There is a clip on You Tube showing the two of them jawing at each other and it is both hilarious and awkward. I don’t know if the fight would go much differently than Rampage’s fight with Rashad Evans went, but I wouldn’t mind finding out.
Vs. Phil Davis: Two of the up and coming fighters in their weight classes, this would pit two men with similar experience and abilities against each other. I would give a slight advantage in striking to King Mo, but an advantage on submission grappling to Davis. This match would go a long way towards determining who else could be considered the future of the sport with Jon Jones.
Vs. Lyoto Machida: He already defeated one “cerebral” striker in Gegard Mousassi, but Machida is more elusive, more cerebral and a better striker and grappler than Mousassi. He is also a considerably better striker than King Mo. On the other hand, the only wrestler that Machida has faced was Rashad Evans, and ‘The Dragon’ made him look foolish. King Mo is bigger and stronger than Rashad, so it would be interesting to see how Machida fares.
Odds of Lawal coming into the UFC: Pretty good. He has decent name recognition in the sport and with the UFC marketing team behind him, could really become a mainstream star. Besides, there is no other promotion in America that he could fight and make a name for himself in and I don’t think he is embroiled in any disputes with Zuffa.
Fedor EmelianenkoAt one time the world’s best heavyweight, Fedor is at a bit of a crossroads in his career now. His best days are obviously behind him, but there are still a few dream matches that it would be worth seeing him in.
Vs. Randy Couture: A fight that fans have been clamoring for for nearly a decade, to the point that both men were made the cover athletes for EA MMA. This fight has lost a bit of its luster due to both men’s rankings within the heavyweight division being lower than they were several years ago, but it would still be exciting to see the two men who were at the top of the Pride and UFC promotions for years go at it.
Vs. Brock Lesnar: Another fight that would have been more intriguing a year or two ago, but it still holds some interest since they were both ranked number one in their weight class within the past year. Fedor was recently pounded by a larger fighter in Antonio Silva, but has historically fared well against bigger men. Lesnar is much more physically imposing than nearly everyone Fedor has been up against, but his skill level is lower than that of Antonio Silva and some of the other fighters Fedor has faced. For Lesnar, it would be the chance to beat someone other than Frank Mir and a much smaller and older Randy Couture and add an impressive name to his resume.
Odds of Fedor joining the UFC: Slim to none. Fedor and his management team have been engaged in a war of words with Dana White for years now over a wide range of topics. The chances of Fedor fighting in Strikeforce again are pretty slim, so I would say the chances of seeing him in the Octagon are pretty much nil.
There are several other fighters under the Strikeforce banner in every weight class that will be exciting additions to the UFC over the next few years. It is going to be both interesting and challenging to see how Zuffa absorbs such a large stable of fighters to their already massive roster.
Alistair OvereemThe ‘Reem is the man I most want to see inside the Octagon. There are several matchups that would be interesting. Here’s the list in descending order:
Vs. Cain Velasquez: This one is self-explanatory, as it pits the Strikeforce Heavyweight Champ against his UFC counterpart. Cain has never faced someone Overeem’s size that can actually strike and not curl up in the fetal position when hit, and Overeem hasn’t faced someone with the relentless pace and wrestling of Cain.
Vs. Junior Dos Santos: This would pit the best hands in the UFC Heavyweight Division against the reigning K-1 Grand Prix Champion. Junior can outbox most anyone, but he would have a tough time against Overeem’s size. It would be a great striking battle that would really test how good Junior really is.
Vs. Brock Lesnar: Two behemoths in the cage, plus Overeem wouldn’t gas out like Carwin did. It would be interesting to see what would happen when Lesnar gets punched by someone of Overeem’s power. Plus if he went for those half-assed takedowns around the ‘Reem’s chest, Alistair would have no problem using the standing guillotine choke.
Vs. Shane Carwin: Someone would get knocked out. Hard.
The odds of Overeem coming into the UFC: Near certainty. Alistair is on friendly terms with Dana White and since getting stiffed on his paycheck from K-1, is more willing to commit to the UFC’s contract demands. Also,, heavyweight is always the weakest division in the UFC, so they would be more than willing to bring in a beast like the ‘Reem.
Nick DiazDiaz is one of my favorite fighters of all-time and there are a bunch of fights I would love to see him in.
Vs. BJ Penn: Two of the best technical boxers and jiu jitsu practitioners in all of MMA, this would be exciting both on the ground and standing. BJ would love the challenge of a rangy fighter like Diaz, and it would be a tougher fight for Nick than he has fought in some time.
Vs. Georges St. Pierre: While I think GSP would clearly win this because of his superior wrestling, it would still be a dangerous fight for him. He hasn’t faced anyone with the excellent jiu jitsu of Diaz, plus his boxing is not as techincally sound as Nick’s is. Like I said, I would expect GSP to win hands down, it would be a more competitive and interesting fight than at least his last two or three defenses.
Vs. Dan Hardy: I think Nick would submit him in about two rounds, but this fight should happen for the shit talkng alone. It would be legendary.
Vs. Nate Diaz: Brother vs. Brother. Both men are crazy. Why not?
Odds of Diaz coming into the UFC: Toss up. Odds would say that he almost has to, otherwise who else will he fight? He seems to get along well with Dana White, but Diaz is a wild car and it’s damn nigh impossible to figure out what his plans are.
Muhammad “King Mo” LawalA former light heavyweight champion for Strikeforce, King Mo has some of the best wrestling in MMA and is still improving as a fighter. I’m not the biggest fan of his, but I would like to see him in the UFC to see just how good he is and can be.
Vs. Rampage Jackson: Evidently, these two don’t like each other very much. There is a clip on You Tube showing the two of them jawing at each other and it is both hilarious and awkward. I don’t know if the fight would go much differently than Rampage’s fight with Rashad Evans went, but I wouldn’t mind finding out.
Vs. Phil Davis: Two of the up and coming fighters in their weight classes, this would pit two men with similar experience and abilities against each other. I would give a slight advantage in striking to King Mo, but an advantage on submission grappling to Davis. This match would go a long way towards determining who else could be considered the future of the sport with Jon Jones.
Vs. Lyoto Machida: He already defeated one “cerebral” striker in Gegard Mousassi, but Machida is more elusive, more cerebral and a better striker and grappler than Mousassi. He is also a considerably better striker than King Mo. On the other hand, the only wrestler that Machida has faced was Rashad Evans, and ‘The Dragon’ made him look foolish. King Mo is bigger and stronger than Rashad, so it would be interesting to see how Machida fares.
Odds of Lawal coming into the UFC: Pretty good. He has decent name recognition in the sport and with the UFC marketing team behind him, could really become a mainstream star. Besides, there is no other promotion in America that he could fight and make a name for himself in and I don’t think he is embroiled in any disputes with Zuffa.
Fedor EmelianenkoAt one time the world’s best heavyweight, Fedor is at a bit of a crossroads in his career now. His best days are obviously behind him, but there are still a few dream matches that it would be worth seeing him in.
Vs. Randy Couture: A fight that fans have been clamoring for for nearly a decade, to the point that both men were made the cover athletes for EA MMA. This fight has lost a bit of its luster due to both men’s rankings within the heavyweight division being lower than they were several years ago, but it would still be exciting to see the two men who were at the top of the Pride and UFC promotions for years go at it.
Vs. Brock Lesnar: Another fight that would have been more intriguing a year or two ago, but it still holds some interest since they were both ranked number one in their weight class within the past year. Fedor was recently pounded by a larger fighter in Antonio Silva, but has historically fared well against bigger men. Lesnar is much more physically imposing than nearly everyone Fedor has been up against, but his skill level is lower than that of Antonio Silva and some of the other fighters Fedor has faced. For Lesnar, it would be the chance to beat someone other than Frank Mir and a much smaller and older Randy Couture and add an impressive name to his resume.
Odds of Fedor joining the UFC: Slim to none. Fedor and his management team have been engaged in a war of words with Dana White for years now over a wide range of topics. The chances of Fedor fighting in Strikeforce again are pretty slim, so I would say the chances of seeing him in the Octagon are pretty much nil.
There are several other fighters under the Strikeforce banner in every weight class that will be exciting additions to the UFC over the next few years. It is going to be both interesting and challenging to see how Zuffa absorbs such a large stable of fighters to their already massive roster.
Bulls vs. Heat: A long time coming
It began in December 4th, 2009. The 13-5 Cleveland Cavaliers went up against the 7-9 Chicago Bulls. Just a month earlier the Bulls eked out a one point victory against the Cavs. When they faced off again, LeBron James made sure to bask in the glory of beating on a team that had lost five of six in the games previous and was below .500. LeBron danced and pranced as the Cavs were blowing out the Bulls, which prompted Joakim Noah to start jawing at him. Keep in mind the Cavs were predicted to finish with the best record in the NBA and did end up doing that, while people didn’t even know if the Bulls would make the playoffs. We've never seen LeBron dance while beating a good team.
LeBron’s arrogance on that night and through the rest of the season prompted Noah to say he wanted to face off against Cleveland in the first round of the playoffs. The Bulls battled back from injuries to their entire starting line up and managed to secure the 8 seed, granting Noah his wish of playing Cleveland. Noah supplied classic quotes about the city of Cleveland and every game was closely contested even though it only lasted five games. Derrick Rose and Noah had a great series but the Cavs eliminated them. The Cavs went on to get embarrassed by the Boston Celtics in the next round, and the years of rumors about LeBron leaving Cleveland blasted to historic levels.
At the same time, Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors made it clear before the season even ended that he had no intention of staying come summer. He tanked most of the season and seemed disinterested in the Raptors’s success, or lack thereof. He even took to Twitter asking where he should play the 2010-11 season. Meanwhile in South Beach, Dwyane Wade seemed like he might be leaving Miami since they had dropped off hard since winning the 2006 Championship. An ass-kicking at the hands of the Celtics in the first round of the 2010 playoffs when many thought the Heat would knock off Boston seemed to be the straw that would break the camel’s back.
When the free agency period began in July following the season, Bosh made it clear he was going to just follow Wade or LeBron. Wade and Bosh both met with the Chicago Bulls multiple times and it seemed like Chicago was going to be their likely destination. LeBron James had his ego stroked the most, carrying out his decision over the course of a week and inviting six teams to meet with him and pitch their plans for the future. They were the Clippers, Nets, Knicks, Cavaliers, Bulls, and Heat. Chicago seemed like the likely pick early on, but when Wade and Bosh said they were uniting in Miami, everybody knew where LeBron was going.
In one of the most unbelievable (and not the good kind) moments in sports history, LeBron made ESPN devote an hour to his choice in a program called The Decision. It was an hour long infomercial about his self-proclaimed greatness, which culminated in him going on live national television and kicking the Cavaliers organization in the nuts. That is another rant for another time. LeBron made his decision by saying, “I’m going to take my talents to South Beach.” LeBron headed down to Miami and held lavish celebration after lavish celebration. The Heat organization even had the big three get together for what was essentially a championship celebration before the season even began. The line in the sand was drawn: You were either jumping on the band wagon, or you wanted to see these showboats get beat.
But while other teams were falling head over heels for LeBron, the Chicago Bulls were not. Derrick Rose texted James one time to tell him he’d like to play with him, Noah reached out but never heard back, Carlos Boozer reached out to LeBron briefly after he signed with Chicago, and the Bulls made their pitch in LeBron’s little free agency summit. But as evidenced with Rose’s lack of eagerness to sway LeBron, Chicago was prepared to live without him. The Bulls did however want Dwyane Wade. Derrick Rose contacted Wade multiple times about coming to Chicago, but Wade never responded. What would happen in Chicago after The Decision would shape a season almost nobody other than die hard fans and the Bulls organization expected.
Joakim Noah was seen walking through the streets with a huge grin on his face after LeBron announced he was going to Miami. He seemed genuinely glad he wouldn’t have to team up with James. Noah even went so far as to say, “It’s perfect.” He even came out and said that the Bulls would be the team that would take it to Miami when everything was on the line. Tough talk for a guy on a team people expected to finish maybe around the 4 or 5 seed.
Derrick Rose was so driven by the way LeBron, Wade, and Bosh acted that he went into the gym and busted his ass all summer to become a killer. He improved his defense, his shooting, his passing, and he came into training camp wondering out loud about winning the Most Valuable Player award. Again, tough talk for a guy on a team who people didn’t think would amount to the Celtics or Magic or the new superbeast in Miami.
The Bulls hired Tom Thibodeau as their new head coach and he along with executives Gar Forman and John Paxson built a roster that would end up becoming the deepest in the league. Thibodeau’s defense-first mindset took hold over the roster and they were primed to do serious damage over the course of the season.
Then the season began with Miami as the league’s biggest tale, but with injuries to Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah somehow Derrick Rose carried the Bulls to elite status. As the season went on, Rose built a reputation for being a great closer while the Heat’s inability to win close games made them an easy target. The Bulls beat Miami in all three regular season meetings, never winning by more than four but still doing damage. In fact after the third loss to Chicago, Heat players were crying in the locker room. But Chicago still wasn’t on the top of Miami’s hit list.
All summer the Heat built themselves up with the mission of beating the Boston Celtics. The C’s were the defending Eastern Conference champs and LeBron and Wade wanted revenge for their post-season failures against them. All year their focus was to take it to Boston. The Heat got their wish, dismantling the old Celtics in five games and making it to the Eastern Conference Finals. But now that they've got there, they’re facing a team that has prepared for this since the summer.
The Bulls have the MVP in Derrick Rose and the Coach of the Year in Tom Thibodeau. They have the deepest roster in the league and the best defense. While they lacked the flashiness of the Heat, all season they’ve displayed the heart it seems Miami is too often missing. And all season they worked their asses off to get the best record in the NBA. The catalyst for all of this amazing success the Bulls are enjoying this year? The Miami Heat.
Just the other night after eliminating the Atlanta Hawks, Noah stated this is what the Bulls have wanted all season. Rose and Noah have wanted to send a message since last summer. They’ve wanted to prove themselves to the big three. Rose, Noah, and the entire Bulls team are out to show that while the Heat’s big three are concerned with the glamour and notoriety that comes with success, there is a hard-working team that is all about winning regardless of who gets the credit for it. That is what makes this next part so painful.
While it is no secret I am a die hard Bulls fan, I have to state that my prediction for this series is the Heat in six. Derrick Rose can’t be the only Bull to create if they want to win, Carlos Boozer needs to consistently perform well if they want to win, and Luol Deng needs to survive playing 45 minutes of a 48 minute game every night. All of those becoming realities seem too unlikely against a team like Miami. Also since the NBA does pick who they want (if you type in “rigging games” in a Yahoo search the first Also Try result is “nba rigging games”), I can’t imagine the Bulls getting to the foul line anywhere near as much as the Heat since Miami making the Finals would be a huge story.
But NBA conspiracies aside, the Bulls have only sparingly been dominant in the post-season. They’re going to need to be dominant every night if they want to win this series. However with Miami's focus being on Boston and LeBron acting like he won the championship following the victory against the C's there is a chance Miami is not ready for what the Bulls can bring. While I’m sure the result of the series will leave me with massive heartache, I’m so pumped for this series just because of the build up. Chicago never really wanted LeBron and they’ve wanted to slap the taste out of his mouth in the playoffs for a long time. Now with Derrick Rose on the cusp of solidifying his place as the game’s top player, this series takes on a whole new level of intensity. Game 1 is tonight at 8. I don’t know what is going to happen, but I know we might be in for some of the most intense basketball of the season.
LeBron’s arrogance on that night and through the rest of the season prompted Noah to say he wanted to face off against Cleveland in the first round of the playoffs. The Bulls battled back from injuries to their entire starting line up and managed to secure the 8 seed, granting Noah his wish of playing Cleveland. Noah supplied classic quotes about the city of Cleveland and every game was closely contested even though it only lasted five games. Derrick Rose and Noah had a great series but the Cavs eliminated them. The Cavs went on to get embarrassed by the Boston Celtics in the next round, and the years of rumors about LeBron leaving Cleveland blasted to historic levels.
At the same time, Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors made it clear before the season even ended that he had no intention of staying come summer. He tanked most of the season and seemed disinterested in the Raptors’s success, or lack thereof. He even took to Twitter asking where he should play the 2010-11 season. Meanwhile in South Beach, Dwyane Wade seemed like he might be leaving Miami since they had dropped off hard since winning the 2006 Championship. An ass-kicking at the hands of the Celtics in the first round of the 2010 playoffs when many thought the Heat would knock off Boston seemed to be the straw that would break the camel’s back.
When the free agency period began in July following the season, Bosh made it clear he was going to just follow Wade or LeBron. Wade and Bosh both met with the Chicago Bulls multiple times and it seemed like Chicago was going to be their likely destination. LeBron James had his ego stroked the most, carrying out his decision over the course of a week and inviting six teams to meet with him and pitch their plans for the future. They were the Clippers, Nets, Knicks, Cavaliers, Bulls, and Heat. Chicago seemed like the likely pick early on, but when Wade and Bosh said they were uniting in Miami, everybody knew where LeBron was going.
In one of the most unbelievable (and not the good kind) moments in sports history, LeBron made ESPN devote an hour to his choice in a program called The Decision. It was an hour long infomercial about his self-proclaimed greatness, which culminated in him going on live national television and kicking the Cavaliers organization in the nuts. That is another rant for another time. LeBron made his decision by saying, “I’m going to take my talents to South Beach.” LeBron headed down to Miami and held lavish celebration after lavish celebration. The Heat organization even had the big three get together for what was essentially a championship celebration before the season even began. The line in the sand was drawn: You were either jumping on the band wagon, or you wanted to see these showboats get beat.
But while other teams were falling head over heels for LeBron, the Chicago Bulls were not. Derrick Rose texted James one time to tell him he’d like to play with him, Noah reached out but never heard back, Carlos Boozer reached out to LeBron briefly after he signed with Chicago, and the Bulls made their pitch in LeBron’s little free agency summit. But as evidenced with Rose’s lack of eagerness to sway LeBron, Chicago was prepared to live without him. The Bulls did however want Dwyane Wade. Derrick Rose contacted Wade multiple times about coming to Chicago, but Wade never responded. What would happen in Chicago after The Decision would shape a season almost nobody other than die hard fans and the Bulls organization expected.
Joakim Noah was seen walking through the streets with a huge grin on his face after LeBron announced he was going to Miami. He seemed genuinely glad he wouldn’t have to team up with James. Noah even went so far as to say, “It’s perfect.” He even came out and said that the Bulls would be the team that would take it to Miami when everything was on the line. Tough talk for a guy on a team people expected to finish maybe around the 4 or 5 seed.
Derrick Rose was so driven by the way LeBron, Wade, and Bosh acted that he went into the gym and busted his ass all summer to become a killer. He improved his defense, his shooting, his passing, and he came into training camp wondering out loud about winning the Most Valuable Player award. Again, tough talk for a guy on a team who people didn’t think would amount to the Celtics or Magic or the new superbeast in Miami.
The Bulls hired Tom Thibodeau as their new head coach and he along with executives Gar Forman and John Paxson built a roster that would end up becoming the deepest in the league. Thibodeau’s defense-first mindset took hold over the roster and they were primed to do serious damage over the course of the season.
Then the season began with Miami as the league’s biggest tale, but with injuries to Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah somehow Derrick Rose carried the Bulls to elite status. As the season went on, Rose built a reputation for being a great closer while the Heat’s inability to win close games made them an easy target. The Bulls beat Miami in all three regular season meetings, never winning by more than four but still doing damage. In fact after the third loss to Chicago, Heat players were crying in the locker room. But Chicago still wasn’t on the top of Miami’s hit list.
All summer the Heat built themselves up with the mission of beating the Boston Celtics. The C’s were the defending Eastern Conference champs and LeBron and Wade wanted revenge for their post-season failures against them. All year their focus was to take it to Boston. The Heat got their wish, dismantling the old Celtics in five games and making it to the Eastern Conference Finals. But now that they've got there, they’re facing a team that has prepared for this since the summer.
The Bulls have the MVP in Derrick Rose and the Coach of the Year in Tom Thibodeau. They have the deepest roster in the league and the best defense. While they lacked the flashiness of the Heat, all season they’ve displayed the heart it seems Miami is too often missing. And all season they worked their asses off to get the best record in the NBA. The catalyst for all of this amazing success the Bulls are enjoying this year? The Miami Heat.
Just the other night after eliminating the Atlanta Hawks, Noah stated this is what the Bulls have wanted all season. Rose and Noah have wanted to send a message since last summer. They’ve wanted to prove themselves to the big three. Rose, Noah, and the entire Bulls team are out to show that while the Heat’s big three are concerned with the glamour and notoriety that comes with success, there is a hard-working team that is all about winning regardless of who gets the credit for it. That is what makes this next part so painful.
While it is no secret I am a die hard Bulls fan, I have to state that my prediction for this series is the Heat in six. Derrick Rose can’t be the only Bull to create if they want to win, Carlos Boozer needs to consistently perform well if they want to win, and Luol Deng needs to survive playing 45 minutes of a 48 minute game every night. All of those becoming realities seem too unlikely against a team like Miami. Also since the NBA does pick who they want (if you type in “rigging games” in a Yahoo search the first Also Try result is “nba rigging games”), I can’t imagine the Bulls getting to the foul line anywhere near as much as the Heat since Miami making the Finals would be a huge story.
But NBA conspiracies aside, the Bulls have only sparingly been dominant in the post-season. They’re going to need to be dominant every night if they want to win this series. However with Miami's focus being on Boston and LeBron acting like he won the championship following the victory against the C's there is a chance Miami is not ready for what the Bulls can bring. While I’m sure the result of the series will leave me with massive heartache, I’m so pumped for this series just because of the build up. Chicago never really wanted LeBron and they’ve wanted to slap the taste out of his mouth in the playoffs for a long time. Now with Derrick Rose on the cusp of solidifying his place as the game’s top player, this series takes on a whole new level of intensity. Game 1 is tonight at 8. I don’t know what is going to happen, but I know we might be in for some of the most intense basketball of the season.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
UFC 129: Thoughts and What's Next?
UFC 129 was the other night and aside from a stinker of a main event between Georges St. Pierre and Jake Shields, was one of the best cards all the way through in a long, long time. Lyoto Machida brutally finished Randy Couture's career with a crane kick to the jaw that sent teeth flying from the Natural's mouth. Jose Aldo put a massive hematoma on Mark Hominick's skull and then survived a massive beatdown in the fifth round to keep his UFC Featherweight Title. In the opening fight, Ben Henderson became my favorite fighter in the 155 lb division after his exciting decision win over Mark Bocek. GSP put on a weak boxing exhibition and was actually outstruck by the flatfooted and awkward Jake Shields. More on all this once we break down each fighter and what he should be up to next.
Ben Henderson: Bendo showed a lot of tenacity in overcoming Bocek's takedowns and responding with violent flurries of punches and knees. Although he didn't get the finish, he certainly threw down a fast paced beating and showed he can hold his own with at least the middle of the pack at 155. I would like to see him up against Jim Miller or the loser of Frankie Edgar-Gray Maynard to see where he stacks up amongst the elite of the division.
Vladimir Matyushenko: Pardon the pun, but the Janitor mopped the floor with Jason Brilz, flooring him in about 20 seconds. A solid middle of the pack light heavyweight and 40 years old, Vlad is in no way going to ever be close to a title shot. A match with Stephan Bonnar would be a decent scrap between two men in roughly the same caliber and ranking. If Zuffa wanted to get nostalgic, it could put him up against Tito Ortiz in a rematch of their title fight from UFC 33 or against Little Nog, who he KOed in 2006.
Randy Couture: Retirement, and a dentist. Machida kicked out two of his teeth, one of which was on the opposite side of his face from where he was kicked. Randy, despite getting beaten severly, should be commended for even accepting this fight. Machida is one of the best in the world at 205 and is easily one of, if not THE, best fighter Randy has gone up against. Other fighters have avoided Machida like the plague, but Randy stepped up and took the challenge. Not the best finish to a career, but nothing to be ashamed of either.
Lyoto Machida: Machida put up one of the most vicious knockouts ever with his crane kick on Couture. I think that Lyoto stands the best chance of challenging and defeating Jon Jones, but he is still at least one win away from a title shot. His unorthodox striking and angles, as well as his underrated grappling and unrelenting patience could stymie Jones much more than Rashad Evans' or Rampage Jackson's styles. I would put him up against the winner of UFC 133's Rashad Evans-Phil Davis match, with that person facing the victor of Jon Jones and Rampage Jackson (presuming Rampage beats Matt Hamill at the end of the month).
Jose Aldo, Jr: Dana White has already announced that Chad "Money" Mendes is the next challenger for the 145 lb title, so that one is set in stone. Hopefully Jose will put on a better performance than he did in this fight, where he gassed early and showed some signs of ring rust, although this may have been part of a rumored illness he was suffering from. The thing about this fight that baffled me was that Aldo went away from the leg kicks after devastating Hominick with them in the first round. If he had continued to use them, I'm certain Aldo would have finished him by the third or fourth round. Despite this, he probably still should have gotten a doctor stoppage for the basketball sized bruise he put on Hominick's head. Hopefully in his next defense, he can show UFC fans why he is regarded so highly.
Jake Shields: Boxing lessons. I forgot how painful it is to watch Jake Shields stand and strike. His feet are flat, his back is rigid, and there is absolutely no power coming from his hands. Absolutely dreadful. He should have been destroyed by GSP, but St. Pierre suffered a minor eye injury and basically stopped fighting. In two fights in the UFC, Shields has yet to show why his signing there was such a major coup for Dana White. Putting him up against Jon Fitch would provide him a chance to show his grappling skills against one of the two other best wrestlers in the UFC. It would also provide me a card to skip so I don't have to watch either man bore me to tears. Seriously though, a match with Jon Fitch or maybe Diego Sanchez (once he is done with Matt Hughes) could work to his strengths.
Georges St. Pierre: Not since Anderson Silva decided to make a mockery of Damien Maia has a man lost so much in victory. GSP put up a real stinker of a performance in this fight. He apparently suffered an eye injury from an eye poke in the second round and basically coasted after that. His stand up, which has always been at worst effective, was able to be evaded by the striking inept Shields. Between rounds, GSP was panicking about his eye to the point that the fight just should have been stopped if it was that hard for him to do anything. More than anything, this fight convinced me that Georges has no business moving up and challenging Anderson Silva, as Silva would annihilate the St. Pierre that showed up in this fight. Silva preys on weakness and this was the weakest I have ever seen GSP. This was about more than not finishing a fight. This was about basically giving up and looking to merely survive against an opponent that couldn't have done anything even if Georges stuck his chin right out for Shields to blast. If Anderson saw someone so weak, he would punt his head clean off his shoulders. Anderson had broken ribs against Chael Sonnen and continued to go at it, culminating in a submission victory. I don't know that GSP has that fortitude. Since losing to Serra, Georges has seemed to lose that killer instinct that he possessed when he ran roughshod over the welterweight division. He fights not to lose more than he does to win. This has only been exacerbated by giving him inferior challengers that pose no real threat to him. That is why he should fight the Strikeforce Welterweight Champ Nick Diaz. Diaz is a tough hombre and he won't let GSP coast at any point in a fight. Nick would bring out the best in GSP because he doesn't let up, has strong boxing, and can work off his back. His intensity and taunting would force Georges to either fight to finish like he did against Matt Serra, or lose. There's no way he could coast against Diaz. Nick just doesn't roll like that. At this point in his career, GSP needs that kind of opponent more than ever, a man who can truly bring out the best in him and can test his mettle.
I'll probably write more on this topic, plus Anderson Silva at some other point in time. In the meantime, if you saw the show and have any thoughts on it, please share.
Ben Henderson: Bendo showed a lot of tenacity in overcoming Bocek's takedowns and responding with violent flurries of punches and knees. Although he didn't get the finish, he certainly threw down a fast paced beating and showed he can hold his own with at least the middle of the pack at 155. I would like to see him up against Jim Miller or the loser of Frankie Edgar-Gray Maynard to see where he stacks up amongst the elite of the division.
Vladimir Matyushenko: Pardon the pun, but the Janitor mopped the floor with Jason Brilz, flooring him in about 20 seconds. A solid middle of the pack light heavyweight and 40 years old, Vlad is in no way going to ever be close to a title shot. A match with Stephan Bonnar would be a decent scrap between two men in roughly the same caliber and ranking. If Zuffa wanted to get nostalgic, it could put him up against Tito Ortiz in a rematch of their title fight from UFC 33 or against Little Nog, who he KOed in 2006.
Randy Couture: Retirement, and a dentist. Machida kicked out two of his teeth, one of which was on the opposite side of his face from where he was kicked. Randy, despite getting beaten severly, should be commended for even accepting this fight. Machida is one of the best in the world at 205 and is easily one of, if not THE, best fighter Randy has gone up against. Other fighters have avoided Machida like the plague, but Randy stepped up and took the challenge. Not the best finish to a career, but nothing to be ashamed of either.
Lyoto Machida: Machida put up one of the most vicious knockouts ever with his crane kick on Couture. I think that Lyoto stands the best chance of challenging and defeating Jon Jones, but he is still at least one win away from a title shot. His unorthodox striking and angles, as well as his underrated grappling and unrelenting patience could stymie Jones much more than Rashad Evans' or Rampage Jackson's styles. I would put him up against the winner of UFC 133's Rashad Evans-Phil Davis match, with that person facing the victor of Jon Jones and Rampage Jackson (presuming Rampage beats Matt Hamill at the end of the month).
Jose Aldo, Jr: Dana White has already announced that Chad "Money" Mendes is the next challenger for the 145 lb title, so that one is set in stone. Hopefully Jose will put on a better performance than he did in this fight, where he gassed early and showed some signs of ring rust, although this may have been part of a rumored illness he was suffering from. The thing about this fight that baffled me was that Aldo went away from the leg kicks after devastating Hominick with them in the first round. If he had continued to use them, I'm certain Aldo would have finished him by the third or fourth round. Despite this, he probably still should have gotten a doctor stoppage for the basketball sized bruise he put on Hominick's head. Hopefully in his next defense, he can show UFC fans why he is regarded so highly.
Jake Shields: Boxing lessons. I forgot how painful it is to watch Jake Shields stand and strike. His feet are flat, his back is rigid, and there is absolutely no power coming from his hands. Absolutely dreadful. He should have been destroyed by GSP, but St. Pierre suffered a minor eye injury and basically stopped fighting. In two fights in the UFC, Shields has yet to show why his signing there was such a major coup for Dana White. Putting him up against Jon Fitch would provide him a chance to show his grappling skills against one of the two other best wrestlers in the UFC. It would also provide me a card to skip so I don't have to watch either man bore me to tears. Seriously though, a match with Jon Fitch or maybe Diego Sanchez (once he is done with Matt Hughes) could work to his strengths.
Georges St. Pierre: Not since Anderson Silva decided to make a mockery of Damien Maia has a man lost so much in victory. GSP put up a real stinker of a performance in this fight. He apparently suffered an eye injury from an eye poke in the second round and basically coasted after that. His stand up, which has always been at worst effective, was able to be evaded by the striking inept Shields. Between rounds, GSP was panicking about his eye to the point that the fight just should have been stopped if it was that hard for him to do anything. More than anything, this fight convinced me that Georges has no business moving up and challenging Anderson Silva, as Silva would annihilate the St. Pierre that showed up in this fight. Silva preys on weakness and this was the weakest I have ever seen GSP. This was about more than not finishing a fight. This was about basically giving up and looking to merely survive against an opponent that couldn't have done anything even if Georges stuck his chin right out for Shields to blast. If Anderson saw someone so weak, he would punt his head clean off his shoulders. Anderson had broken ribs against Chael Sonnen and continued to go at it, culminating in a submission victory. I don't know that GSP has that fortitude. Since losing to Serra, Georges has seemed to lose that killer instinct that he possessed when he ran roughshod over the welterweight division. He fights not to lose more than he does to win. This has only been exacerbated by giving him inferior challengers that pose no real threat to him. That is why he should fight the Strikeforce Welterweight Champ Nick Diaz. Diaz is a tough hombre and he won't let GSP coast at any point in a fight. Nick would bring out the best in GSP because he doesn't let up, has strong boxing, and can work off his back. His intensity and taunting would force Georges to either fight to finish like he did against Matt Serra, or lose. There's no way he could coast against Diaz. Nick just doesn't roll like that. At this point in his career, GSP needs that kind of opponent more than ever, a man who can truly bring out the best in him and can test his mettle.
I'll probably write more on this topic, plus Anderson Silva at some other point in time. In the meantime, if you saw the show and have any thoughts on it, please share.
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