NBA Eastern Conference playoff update

The Philadelphia 76ers (38-37) are living up to their playoff expectations finally. Allen Iverson has carried this team for his entire career, but this season is more of an achievement. The Answer has been working with less and less talent each year and they still put on a great show. The other AI, Andre Igoudala is a great defender and their team defense under coach Jim O'Brien has been slowly improving all season. The 76ers have seven games left, and four of those are against playoff teams. They still face the Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, Miami Heat, and the Indiana Pacers. They also face playoff hopeful New Jersey. Since F Chris Webber's shoulder injury the 76ers are 3-1. I think they play better with Webber out of the line up. Webber is having a hard time fitting into the offense, and his being out of sync makes it hard for the 76ers to score.

The Cleveland Cavaliers (38-37) are in meltdown mode. All season the Cavs have been in playoff contention, but the last month coinciding with the ownership change has made the team self destruct. The Cavs have lost 10 of their last 14 games and they are 4-7 under Coach Brendan Malone. GM Jim Paxson is reported to be on the hot seat, and their freefall out of playoff contention is imminent. Last night's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers put them in the #8 seed. The New Jersey Nets are only 1.5 games behind the Cavs now. The Cavs have seven games left, three of those games are against playoff teams. They will face the Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, and Boston Celtics. They also face playoff spoiler the Orlando Magic.

The New Jersey Nets (38-39) are playing well recently. They are 12-4 in their last 16 games and they might be peaking at the right time. Their win today against the Boston Celtics was a convincing one. SG Vince Carter scored 45, and PG Jason Kidd had 17 assists. The rumor is that SF Richard Jefferson is around 80% recovered from his wrist injury, and he is trying to make it back for the late season run at the playoffs. Their good play coupled with the late season meltdown of the Cavaliers could open a spot for the Nets in the playoffs. The Nets were in the NBA Finals 2 or the last 3 years. The Nets still face four playoff teams in their last 5 games. The have to win against the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, and Philadelphia 76ers to have any chance at the #8 seed in the East.

The Orlando Magic (35-41) had a great run this year. The Magic are 3.5 games back with 6 games left, and that is on the verge of insurmountable odds. They can be a thorn in the Cleveland Cavaliers side since they play one more game against eachother. The comeback of All Star SF Grant Hill is one of the best stories in the NBA this season. Hill was given up on by a lot of people, and he came back with a great season. Unfortunately he didn't get to finish out the season because of a left shin injury. Another costly loss was G/F Hedo Turkoglu to a broken left wrist. The only mistake the Magic made this year was trading SG Cuttino Mobley to the Sacramento Kings for SG Doug Christie. Christie didn't contribute much before he was placed on the injured list with bone spurs in his left ankle. The loss of a scoring option with Mobley has proven very costly. The Magic have enjoyed a great rookie season from PF Dwight Howard. Next year, provided the team is in good health, will establish the Magic as a playoff team.

NBA Western Conference playoff update

Welcome to the wild wild west. The last few weeks has seen a few things change in the hunt for the NBA Playoffs. The #6,#7 and #8 seeds in the Western Conference are still going to change in the week ahead. With two weeks left before the playoffs begin, the end of season push is getting intense.

The Houston Rockets (45-31), currently the #6 seed, have a difficult stretch to finish the season. The have 6 games remaining and 5 of them are against other Western Conference playoff teams. The Rockets have the advantage of playing 4 of the games at home, where they are 22-15. In a possible playoff preview of a #3 vs #6, the Rockets play two games against the Seattle Sonics. Currently the season series is tied with both teams losing at home.

The Rockets get the Seattle Sonics, Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, and the LA Clippers at home. The Rockets face two difficult road games against the Phoenix Suns and the Seattle Sonics. Houston will have to find a third scoring option because of F Juwan Howard is out for the rest of the season. PG Bob Sura, PF Clarence Weatherspoon, or SG David Wesley are going to have to step up to take the scoring pressure off of SF Tracy McGrady and C Yao Ming. If they don't they may have difficulty maintaining the #6 seed.

Is there an NBA team hotter than the Denver Nuggets? Since the All Star break they are an amazing 20-2. Their only losses came at the hands of the team with the NBA's best record, the Phoenix Suns. The Nuggets (44-31) are currently the #7 seed, half a game behind the Houston Rockets. The Nuggets have 7 games left, and 5 of them are home games where they are 26-10. They have 4 games against other playoff teams. The Memphis Grizzlies and Seattle Sonics at home, and the Nuggets face the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets on the road. The Nuggets are 9-1 in their last 10 road games, and 9-1 in their last 10 games overall.

The Denver Nuggets are playing their best defense of the season recently. This week against the Memphis Grizzlies they held the Grizzlies to a 28.6% (6/21) field goal percentage in the 4th quarter. The Nuggets trailed the entire game until shutting the Grizzlies down in the 4th. The following night against the New Orleans Hornets, the Nuggets held them to a 37.6% field goal percentage. The Nuggets are in the drivers seat to determine their playoff seed. The Rockets in the #6 seed, and the Sacramento Kings in the #5 seed are within two games of the Nuggets. If the Nuggets can stay white hot over their last 7 games, the sky is the limit for them.

The Memphis Grizzlies (43-32) are the #8 seed 1 game behind the Denver Nuggets. Memphis enjoyed a win against the Shaq-less Miami Heat last night. Of all the Western Conference playoff teams the Grizzlies have the most brutal schedule left. They have 7 games left, and 6 of them are against other playoff teams. They have the Charlotte Bobcats, San Antonio Spurs, and Dallas Mavericks at home. The Grizzlies face the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs on the road. Unfortunately for the Grizzlies those games are in order, and all next week. If the Grizzlies falter much, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a chance to sneak in and steal the #8 seed from the Grizzlies.

The Minnesota Timberwolves (40-36) are currently on the outside looking in on the playoffs. Their loss at home to the Denver Nuggets last night didn't help their playoff hopes. The Timberwolves have 6 games left, and they're 3.5 games behind the Grizzlies for the #8 seed. The Timberwolves play only 2 teams over .500 in those games, the Seattle Sonics and the San Antonio Spurs. If the Timberwolves win out and the Grizzlies don't make it through their late season minefield unscathed it could come down to the last day of the season to decide the #8 seed.

There is a team that can play spoiler this season. Of all teams the Golden State Warriors, who have missed the playoffs for the last 11 years, are playing good since the Baron Davis trade. The Warriors haven't enjoyed a winning streak in a while. They are currently riding a eight game win streak with wins over the Phoenix Suns twice, Sacramento Kings twice, Houston Rockets, and Seattle Sonics. They are 15-7 since trading for Davis, and they have won 12 of their last 14 games. On March 17 the Warriors were 18-43, today they are 31-45. This week the Warriors face the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves. Coach Mike Montgomery's first season has endured a lot of losses and difficulties, but the Warriors are finally headed the right direction. The Western Conference Playoff picture is a complex one with a high probability for some late season shuffling.

Broncos Update

Has "the Mastermind" finally lost his objectivity? During the offseason for the Denver Broncos clarity is out to lunch. The Broncos have stated they're changing their defensive scheme from a 4-3 to a 3-4, yet they have only been signing defensive lineman. The Broncos signed former Cleveland Browns D-Line coach Andre Patterson, and then the Broncos signed all of the former D-Line starters from the Browns.

The Broncos traded a fourth round pick for DT Gerard Warren. They signed DE Courtney Brown as a free agent. They traded RB Reuben Droughns for DE Ebenezer Ekuban and DT Michael Myers. It's kind of hard to make the 3-4 a believable option when the only LB the Broncos signed is LB Ian Gold, whom they should have kept last offseason. The Broncos have 3 good starting LB's in Al Wilson, D.J. Williams, and Ian Gold. The other LB's on their roster aren't ready to start by Coach Mike Shanahan's standards.

The Broncos also resigned DT Luther Ellis, and DE Monsanto Pope. I know the Broncos got a deal on 4 ex-Cleveland D-lineman for $5 million, but what about the two that got away. Last offseason the passed on resigning Pro Bowl DE Bertrand Berry, and the Arizona Cardinals are eternally grateful. This offseason the Broncos failed to resign DE Reggie Hayward who is going to make a great addition to the Jacksonville Jaguars defense. All the while the Broncos are shopping DE Trevor Pryce for a draft pick, and they aren't getting the response they expected. There are lingering doubts about the recovery of Pryce's back injury from last season.

The Broncos are also depending on a recovery from CB Lenny Walls. Walls size (6'4") is an asset against new rival Oakland Raiders WR Randy Moss. The Broncos are comfortable enough with Walls to let CB Kelly Herndon sign with the Seattle Seahawks. The Broncos have a few positional needs in the upcoming draft. They need a WR, a SS, and a LB. They will have six draft selections in the 2005 NFL Draft to shore up their team. In the first round they select 25th. In the second round they select 24th (56th overall). In the third round they select 34th and 38th (97th and 101st overall). In the sixth round they select 26th (200th overall). In the seventh round they select 25th (239th overall). The Broncos have a knack for finding gems in the draft, let's hope this year they still have their magic.

Vikings Update

Good or bad, the Minnesota Vikings can't manage to stay out of the news. On the bad news side Mike Tice's Super Bowl scalping scandal won't disappear. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue stated the penalty for scalping will be a fine and no suspension. That is great news for Tice. Another piece of good news for Tice, is that FS Brian Russell signed to an offer sheet by the Cleveland Browns last Friday. The Vikings aren't expected to match the offer. With the addition of FS Darren Sharper, Russell became expendable. The Vikings also sought SS Donovin Darius from the Jacksonville Jaguars this off season, but the Jags pulled him off the market. The Vikings were also smart not to get into a auction for WR Plaxico Burress with the New York Giants, because Burress hasn't proved himself to be a premier receiver yet for the $5 million he wanted in annual salary.

The Vikings are loaded with draft picks this year because of the WR Randy Moss trade. The Vikings have the 7th and 18th pick in the first round. In the second round they have the 17th pick (49th overall). In the third round they select 16th (80th overall). In the fourth round they have the 19th pick (120th overall). In the fifth round they select 18th (154th overall). In the sixth round they have the 17th pick (191st overall). In the seventh round they select 5th and 16th (219th and 230th overall).

In a few mock drafts the Vikings are seen taking WR Mike Williams - USC if he's still available, or LB Derrick Johnson - Texas with the #7 pick in the first round. The Vikings are projected to take WR Michael Clayton - Oklahoma , or DE/DT Marcus Spears - LSU with the #18 pick. The Vikings have a needs at WR, DT, and DE. With nine picks in the 2005 NFL Draft, the Vikings are in a good position to fill all of their player needs this year.

NFL Steroid pattern

Has anyone noticed how 2 of the last 3 Super Bowl losers had people on their team outed for performance enhancing drugs the during the season following their loss? January 26, 2003, the Oakland Raiders were on the wrong end of a 48-21 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl 37. Fall 2003 some reports come in that some Oakland Raiders are involved in the BALCO investigation. DT Dana Stubblefield, LB Bill Romanowski, C Barrett Robbins, and DT Chris Cooper were drug tested by the NFL, and all tested positive for the performance enhancing drug THG. Stubblefield, and Romanowski proceeded to retire. Robbins and Cooper ended up getting cut by the Raiders.

Romanowski faced litigation from a former teammate TE Marcus Williams after a 8/24/03 assault against him left Williams with permanent eye damage. The judgment for $340,000 on top of another $60,000 fine by the Raiders cost Romanowski a lot of money. The trial painted Romanowski as a steroid induced roid rager who took out frustration on a teammate during a pretty common drill for TE and LB to engage in during practice. Romanowski may never live down the reputation that he was a cheater, the doubt was cast on him after he left the Denver Broncos organization without disclosing the nature of the "supplements" he always used.

Barrett Robbins had a brutal fall from grace that has him at last account living on a respirator in a FL hospital after an alleged attempted murder against a police officer during a bungled robbery attempt. Cooper served his four game suspension and made the roster for the San Francisco 49ers last season. Stubblefield is still out of football and out of the news.

February 1, 2004, Super Bowl 38, the closest Super Bowl in history, closes and the Carolina Panthers lost 32-29 to the New England Patriots. Carolina enjoyed a great playoff run. The NFC had just witnessed a defensive stalwart dominate all the conference playoffs could dish out, but they fell a little short of winning the overall title. March 2005, CBS News reports that South Carolina Dr. James Shortt, is under FBI investigation pertaining to claims that he provided three Carolina Panthers with Testosterone Cream, Stanozolol, and syringes. C Jeff Mitchell, OT Todd Steussie, and P Todd Sauerbrun during Carolina's NFC championship season were given steroids by a doctor, never failed a NFL drug test, and would never fail a drug test under part of the NFL drug testing program.

The NFL still doesn't test for testosterone levels under a certain number, that are in excess of normal testosterone levels for anyone, nor do they test for HGH. C Jeff Mitchell was able to acquired 7 testosterone cream prescriptions, over a six month period. OT Todd Steussie was able to acquire 11 testosterone cream prescriptions, over a eight month period. P Todd Sauerbrun was able to acquire testosterone cream, 2500 mg of Stanozolol in a 21 day period, and syringes. Stanozolol is what Canadian Sprinter Ben Johnson tested positive for following the 1988 Olympic Games. Stanozolol aids the body's ability to increase muscle mass. Kinda explains why Carolina's punter is huge. Punters used to be small. All three players acquired prescription steroids with their real names on them, they were tested by the NFL, and still they remain in the league unpunished.

I think it's interesting that the NFL drug test missed all of the players steroid use. The FBI leaks the info to the NFL and then the NFL pursues the information and subsequent suspension. The NFL did bring drug testing into the forefront of major American Professional Sports, but their policy needs to be tweaked to include HGH testing, and a more stringent testing standard. Players shouldn't be able to use a steroid on the NFL list of banned substances and not get caught.

Steroids in baseball

Steroids in baseball may be a bigger problem than MLB wants to admit. Over the weekend the first positive test at the major league level was reported to be Tampa Bay Devil Rays OF Alex Sanchez. It's not the allstar the public wanted, but Sanchez's story might be the tip of the iceberg. Monday MLB announced 38 minor leaguers from the Cactus League Spring training tests of 12 teams.

The MLB minor league testing includes testing for "reasonable cause" i.e. if a member of the Minor League Healthy Policy Advisory Committee receives information that gives him/her reasonable cause to believe that a player has in the previous year used or possessed a prohibited substance.

Minor league baseball also subjects all players to up to four unannounced tests per year for drugs of abuse and performance enhancing substances. If a player tests positive for either, he may be subject to additional testing.

A first positive test allows for entry into a treatment program, and a unpaid suspension of 15 games. A second and third positive test result in an unpaid suspension of 30 games and 60 games respectively. A fourth positive test warrants a one-year suspension. A fifth offense results in permanent suspension from baseball.

The list of banned substances includes: Steroids, steroid precursors, designer steroids, masking agents and diuretics plus pro-hormone nutritional supplements, ephedrine, human growth hormone and erythropoietin (EPO). The policy also prohibits drugs of abuse, such as amphetamines, cocaine, LSD, marijuana, opiates (i.e. heroin), phencyclidine (PCP), MDMA (ecstasy) and GHB.

The more stringent policies are the main reason for more positive results. Of the 38 minor leaguers that tested positive 10 were released. Another surprising statistic is that there were 37 first time offenders, and 21 Latin American players tested positive. It is a very surprising trend because it is either bad advice the players are receiving to make it to the majors from a distant country, or a gamble some players are taking in the hopes of a big payday at the major league level. Eventhough the US Dollar isn't worth a lot against the British Pound, the Euro, the Yuan, or the Yen, doesn't mean it isn't valuable in places like Venezuela, the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic, or Mexico where some of the Latin American players hail from.

Overall the numbers are shocking when you consider the Grapefruit League Spring Training has 18 teams and their tests haven't been made public yet. The Seattle Mariners had eight players test positive, including two players who previously played at the major league level, and they released one player. The Chicago Cubs had seven players test positive, and released two of them. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim had five players test positive, one previously played at the major league level, and they released one. The Oakland A's had five players test positive, including one third time offender, and they released one. The Texas Rangers had five players test positive, and they released three of them. The San Diego Padres had four players test positive, and released two of them. The Colorado Rockies had two players test positive, and the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago White Sox each had one player test positive. None of the three teams released anyone.

The MLB major league testing procedure follows these guidelines. One unannounced mandatory test of each player during the season, plus random testing of selected players (with no maximum number) during the season and the off season.

At the major league level MLB tests for: Steroids, steroid precursors, designer steroids, masking agents and diuretics. None of the other drugs and supplements, including ephedrine, are expressly banned in the agreement effective until 2008.

For a first offense players will be suspended without pay for 10 days. A second offense players will be suspended without pay for 30 days. A third offense players will be suspended without pay for 60 days. A fourth offense major league players will be suspended without pay for one year. The fifth offense players are subject to the decision of the Comissioner of Baseball for punishment. Players can also be “threatened” with a monetary fine.

According to the MLB steroid policy Alex Sanchez received a 10 day suspension. It's kind of too bad for him. He was recently reunited with his mother this spring after her defection from Cuba. They hadn't seen eachother in about a decade. He has been with a couple teams this spring. His positive test came on March 7, 2005, while he was a member of the Detroit Tigers. He claims that he has done nothing other than taking over the counter weight gainer milkshakes, muscle relaxers, and over the counter multivitamins. He has also hired a lawyer to dispute his test results as well. Alex Sanchez doesn't fit the mold of power hitter. He had 4 lifetime homeruns in 1351 at bats. Over his 4 year major league career he is only averaging 73 games played a season. Who's to say what the results are, but what if MLB administered a minor league test to a major league player to get a positive result? What if he is just a barometer of what is to come if MLB adapts to the more stringent minor league policy in 2008 and beyond?

NL Predictions

Baseball season is finally upon us. Let's look at the NL East first. Winning the division has recently been a tradition for the Braves, and this year that will change. The Florida Marlins will win the division this year. The Marlins added 1B Carlos Delgado in the off season. With Delgado added to the potent lineup of OF Juan Pierre, 2B Luis Castillo, OF Juan Encarnacion, OF Miguel Cabrera, 3B Mike Lowell, and C Paul LoDuca there isn't an easy out. Their pitching staff will be healthy for the first time in 2 seasons. The pitching staff will feature Josh Beckett, A.J. Burnett, Al Leiter, Dontrelle Willis, and closer Guillermo Mota.

The Sleeper Team in the NL East is the Atlanta Braves. I know the Braves are the favorite to win the division for a lot of people, but they are depending on oft injured players to produce. OF Raul Mondesi, and OF Brian Jordan used to be big time run producers, but injuries, age, and sometimes attitude have prevented them from being major superstars. P Mike Hampton, and P John Thomson usually miss a few starts and have occasional bad stretches. If all of those issues are addressed P Tim Hudson and P John Smoltz are bound to have great years. Closer Denny Kolb is a decent closer with good placement instead of overpowering stuff.

In the NL Central the St. Louis Cardinals look good. The defending NL Champions have a chance to be healthy for the whole season. OF Larry Walker will be playing a full season with the club, which will prove very beneficial for them. Along with OF's Jim Edmonds, and Reggie Sanders, 3B Scott Rolen, and 1B Albert Pujols, the Cardinals have a great lineup. If their pitchers can stay healthy their rotation is good. P Mark Mulder, P Chris Carpenter, P Matt Morris, P Jason Marquis, and P Jeff Suppan are an improvement over last year's staff.

The Sleeper Team in the NL Central is the Chicago Cubs. The expectations for them are different this year. P Kerry Wood, and P Mark Prior won't miss as many starts as last year, eventhough Prior does begin the season on the 15 day DL. P Greg Maddux and P Carlos Zambrano proved they're more than able to produce wins. Their closer Joe Borowski starts the season on the 15 day DL. P LaTroy Hawkins will assume the closer duties, but he hasn't been able to close games in the past. The Cubs can look forward to a healthy SS Nomar Garciaparra, 3B Aramis Ramirez, 1B Derrek Lee, 2B Todd Walker, and no Sammy Sosa as well. OF Jeromy Burnitz assumes his old place in left field this season.

In the NL West the winner will be the San Francisco Giants. Even without Bonds the Giants look like the best team in the division. They were busy in the offseason upgrading their defense. They acquired SS Omar Vizquel, OF Moises Alou, and C Mike Matheny. OF Pedro Feliz has the chance to get substantial playing time until Bonds comes back from knee surgery. Their pitching staff will appreciate the upgrades on defense. The Giants have fallen victim to bad defense that has cost them important games over the last few years. The Giants have a good pitching staff featuring Jason Schmidt, Noah Lowry, Jerome Williams. They also acquired closer Armando Benitez.

The Sleeper Team in the NL West is the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are the only other team that dropped a lot of cash this summer in guaranteed contracts, despite reports of their imminent financial problems. The only real problem they have is at closer. They now start an offense that features 3B Troy Glaus, OF Shawn Green, OF Jose Cruz, OF Luis Gonzalez, SS Royce Clayton, and 2B Craig Counsell. Their pitching staff changed the most, now featuring Javier Vazquez, Russ Ortiz, Brandon Webb, and Shawn Estes. They have the potential to surprise many in the NL this season.

All in all the NL looks to be very competitive this year. The NL Wildcard will be a three team race between the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, and the Atlanta Braves. The NL will be a lot closer at the top this year. The competition for the wild card will be fierce. The wildcard playoff slot has been the World Series winner the last 3 seasons.

AL Predictions

Baseball season is finally upon us. It has survived the scrutiny of the US Congress, the American public, and itself to bring in a new season. Let's look at the AL East first. Winning the division has recently been a tradition for the Yankees, and this year won't change that. George Steinbrenner went out and spent a lot of money this offseason and he will see it pay off. The Yankees signed free agent pitchers Jaret Wright and Carl Pavano, and they also traded for pitcher Randy Johnson. The Yankees set another precedent, for the first time since 1903 a team added three 15 game winning pitchers in one offseason.

The Yankees have the potential to hit .300 as a team this season. 2B Tony Womack, SS Derek Jeter, OF Bernie Williams and 3B Alex Rodriguez just set the table for OF Hideki Matsui, OF Gary Sheffield, 1B Tino Martinez, DH Jason Giambi and C Jorge Posada to drive them in. Watching opening day against the Red Sox made the Yankees look like they were in good shape for the season. If Randy Johnson can stay healthy, he'll enjoy more run support than he got last year, and he looks like the 2005 AL Cy Young winner in the making. Last year they had a problem with an inconsistent pitching staff, which the Boss went out and fixed.

The Sleeper Team in the AL East is the Baltimore Orioles. In the last two offseasons they have added C Javy Lopez, SS Miguel Tejada, and OF Sammy Sosa. Along with 1B/DH Rafael Palmiero, and 3B Melvin Mora they have a potent line up. Their only problem is their inconsistent, young starting pitching staff. If they can get some good quality starts from their staff, their bullpen can close out games.

In the AL Central how can you go wrong with the Minnesota Twins? They have won the division for the last three years. They have experience and Johan Santana, the 2004 AL CY Young winner. Closer Joe Nathan looked almost unhittable until late last season. If P Brad Radke, P Kyle Lohse, P Joe Mays, or P Carlos Silva have a decent season the Twins will be hard to catch. The Twins also have a deep line up featuring phenoms 1B Justin Morneau, and C Joe Mauer. OF Shannon Stewart, OF Jacque Jones, and OF Torii Hunter are great in the field and always carry potent bats as well.

The Sleeper Team in the AL Central is the Cleveland Indians. They were in the race last year until a late August swoon that saw them go from eight games over .500 and in the race to four games under .500 in 20 days. If they can avoid crumbling late in the season, they might give the Twins a run for the division.

In the AL West the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim look really good. With reigning 2004 AL MVP Vladimir Guerrero in the outfield you are going to win some games. Joining him in the outfield is a great hitter in Garrett Anderson, and gold glover Steve Finley. The Angels have a good pitching staff if they stay healthy. In the infield 1B Darin Erstad, 2B Chone Figgins, and SS Orlando Cabrera. Skipper Mike Scioscia has guided the Angels to the playoffs in 2 of the last 3 years.

The Sleeper Team in the AL West is the Texas Rangers. The Rangers have the best compilation of young talent of any team in baseball. Looking around the infield they could all be allstars. 2B Alfonso Soriano, SS Michael Young, 3B Hank Blalock, C Rod Barajas, 1B Mark Teixeira along with OF Richard Hidalgo are things that keep pitchers up at night. All hit for average and power.

All in all the AL looks to be very competitive this year. The AL Wildcard will be a three team race between the Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, and the Boston Red Sox. The wildcard race is always exciting and the Red Sox have won it the past few years. The Red Sox will get past the opening day letdown and compete for the wildcard, which has been the slot of the World Series winner the last 3 seasons.

The race for the #8 seed in the east is heating up too.

Just when you thought the Orlando Magic had the playoffs wrapped up the Ides of March tripped their team up. Orlando's recent play has been better, but a 6-10 month of March let the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Nets back in the playoff picture. The three teams are separated by 1.5 games with less than 2 weeks left. March was very unkind to Orlando. They lost G/F Hedo Turkoglu for the season to wrist injury, SG Doug Christie to bone spurs in his left ankle, PG Jameer Nelson to a ribcage injury, SF Grant Hill missed some time to a calf injury, and G Steve Francis to a 3 game suspension. When you look at that it is a welcome surprise that PF Dwight Howard is having a remarkable rookie campaign. I'm not sure which Orlando tame will show up from night to night, but they might be looking forward to next season. If they play consistently the can make up the distance between themselves and the 76ers.

The Philadelphia 76ers are an oddity. They had a good thing going before Sacramento got the better end of their trade. The 76ers got F Chris Webber, along with F Matt Barnes and F Michael Bradley, in exchange for F Brian Skinner, F/PF Kenny Thomas and F/PF Corliss Williamson. Webber has not really contributed much except whining and injury time. This week he injured his shoulder and is going to be out for a week to ten days. That might be a blessing in disguise. While Sacramento has enjoyed consistent production from Skinner and Thomas in place of injured C Brad Miller.

If it weren’t for the AI's production on both ends of the floor, Philly would be on the outside looking in. Iverson and Igoudala are a great one two punch. Igoudala is emerging as one of the premier defenders in the NBA during his rookie season. He has shut down Kobe and Paul Pierce recently in 76ers wins. Iverson hasn't seen a shot he doesn't like, but they have been better shot selections lately. Without Webber than can run up and down the floor effortlessly with their guards that like up-tempo play. The 76ers still struggle in the half court so transition and fastbreak points are all they can score. If SG Kyle Korver, or C Samuel Dalembert can consistently contribute the 76ers won't miss Webber at all.

The New Jersey Nets are going to be a force to recon with next year. PG Jason Kidd, SG Vince Carter, and SF Richard Jefferson and a bunch of #1 picks at their disposal they are going to make the playoffs next year. When SF Richard Jefferson was lost for the season to a wrist injury the Nets hopes dimmed. Lately they have played their way within 1.5 games of the #8 seed with eleven games on their schedule. It is sad that a team at or less than .500 will make the last seed in the eastern conference again, but it isn't much of a surprise anymore. The poor play of the bottom third of the conference has opened it up to a lot of underachieving teams with playoff dreams. The NBA really needs to do something about sub .500 teams making the playoffs.

NCAA Tournament Update 3

Since my last post some of the most exciting tournament basketball has happened. Fantastic finishes, buzzer beaters, double overtime games. Some how I still on my revised picks got 3 of 4 final four teams. Michigan State surprised me by beating Kentucky. North Carolina put an end to that last night with a fairly convincing win over Michigan State. Illinois and Louisville didn't disappoint. Roger Powell jr. was just in a zone last night. Pitino and Louisville had no answer for Powell. Garcia, Dean and O'Bannon were ice cold. That was a surprise, but when you look at Illinois' Deron Williams as the best perimeter defense guard in the nation it's not much of a surprise. Illinois has always been my pick to win the national championship. The NCAA Selection Committee has to be pleased with the overall #1 in the tournament vs. another #1 seed in the final.

North Carolina and Illinois have been firmly entrenched in the top 2 spots in national polls and rankings all season. Tomorrow night will give most fans the best night of men’s college basketball the NCAA could provide. Illinois Bruce Weber's heartwarming fairytale in memory of his mom vs. Roy Williams first national championship and North Carolina's revival. Illinois will be fighting the pressure of former graduates spewing off in the media and jitters to bring home their first national championship in men’s basketball, while North Carolina will be rebounding from its worst season ever in 2001-2002 at 8-20. To Matt Doherty's defense Sean May, Raymond Felton and Rashad McCants were his first recruiting class. So he has a hand in the construction of the team just as much as Roy Williams.

Monday night will be a really good game. Illinois will win on a late run in the second half. Bruce Weber's team is good enough to make their fairytale season become a reality.

The Denver Nuggets are still on fire

In case you missed it somehow the hottest team in the western conference of the NBA is the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets finished March 12-2. That is their second best month ever. They are ten games over .500 this late in the seaso for the first time in a long time. George Karl won the NBA Coach of the month for March. Under Karl's leadership the Nuggets are 24-6, and they have turned their season around. Karl inherited a 17-25 Nuggets squad on their third coach of the season. In retrospect Bzdelik, and Cooper just didn't have what the Nuggets ownership wanted. Karl's genius has to be shared with bench coach Doug Moe. For all fans of the 80's Nuggets teams that just ran people out of the gym, seeing Moe on our sideline has been very nostalgic. The Nuggets have had all sorts of people contribute on their amazing rise.

SF Carmelo Anthony gets to the free throw line a lot now, instead of settling for questionable jump shots. PG Andre Miller has been a dependable scorer and assist man lately. C Marcus Camby has been huge. On Friday night against San Antonio he was 2 blocks short of a triple double. C Nene has been working the rust off his game, while recovering from a knee injury. The Nuggets have been playing good defense, and a newly established fourth quarter run to put games away has the .5 games ahead of Memphis for the #7 seed.

The Nuggets face a very important week this week. With games at Memphis, at New Orleans, at Minnesota, and home against Seattle, this is the make or break week for the Nuggets to establish themselves as the definitive #7 seed. The Nuggets could go 3-1 this week coupled with Memphis going 2-2 this week. The Nuggets are coming of an impressive win in Portland on Saturday. The Nuggets looked sloppy early against Portland. It wasn't until they went on a 12-0 fourth quarter run that the game was under control. The Nuggets need to keep that momentum in Memphis, New Orleans and Minnesota. Losing at home against Seattle won't hurt much.

This week Memphis faces the Lakers, Denver, and Miami at home. Memphis also faces Toronto on the road. Memphis will lose to Denver and Miami, and win against the Lakers and Toronto. Now Minnesota will be chasing down Memphis for the #8 seed. Memphis has been going through a rocky stretch where they have lost four of their last six games. Their wins have come against New Jersey and Milwaukee, both of whom are going to miss the playoffs. Their losses have come to playoff teams Phoenix, Seattle and Chicago. Memphis has also lost to the newly dangerous New Orleans Hornets, who are enjoying their worst season since coming into the league.

Recently, Memphis got C/PF Pau Gasol, C/F Stromile Swift and SG Bonzi Wells back from injury only to lose SF James Posey, C Jake Tsakalidis, and PG Jason Williams to various injuries lately. Memphis will have a tough time keeping Minnesota out of the playoffs, while the Nuggets will enjoy a first round playoff match-up against San Antonio.