NBA All-Star Ballot 2015

Western Conference

Starters

Guard: Stephen Curry, Warriors

22.8 PPG, 8.2 APG, 4.7 RPG. PER: 27.03 

Guard: James Harden, Rockets
27.3 PPG, 6.8 APG, 5.6 RPG. PER: 27.76

Forward: LaMarcus Aldridge, Trail Blazers
23.6 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 1.2 BPG. PER: 23.03

Forward: Anthony Davis, Pelicans
24.5 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 2.9 BPG. PER: 31.93

Forward: Marc Gasol, Grizzlies

18.9 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.7 BPG. PER: 22.65

Reserves

Guard: Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers
21.8 PPG, 6.2 APG, 4.6 RPG. PER: 21.78

Guard: Russell Westbrook, Thunder
25.2 PPG, 7.5 APG, 5.9 RPG. PER: 27.61

Guard: Chris Paul, Clippers
17.5 PPG, 9.7 APG, 4.7 RPG. PER: 24.92

Guard: Klay Thompson, Warriors

23.0 PPG, 3.0 APG, 3.6 RPG. PER: 22.79

Forward: Blake Griffin, Clippers
22.7 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 0.4 BPG. PER: 22.75

Forward: Dwight Howard, Rockets
16.3 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 1.4 BPG. PER: 18.30

Forward: DeMarcus Cousins, Kings
23.8 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 1.6 BPG. PER: 25.24

Eastern Conference

Starters

Guard: John Wall, Wizards
17.2 PPG, 10.1 APG, 4.4 RPG. PER: 20.85

Guard: Kyle Lowry, Raptors
19. 4 PPG, 7.4 APG, 4.9 RPG. PER: 21.86

Forward: LeBron James, Cavaliers

26.4 PPG, 7.4 APG, 5.6 RPG. PER: 26.21

Forward: Paul Millsap, Hawks
17.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 0.9 BPG. PER: 20.41

Forward: Pau Gasol, Bulls

18.3 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 2.2 BPG, PER: 22.28

Reserves

Guard: Jeff Teague, Hawks
17.0 PPG, 7.5 APG, 2.6 RPG. PER: 22.30

Guard: Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers
22.1 PPG, 5.2 APG, 3.1 RPG. PER: 21.11

Guard: Jimmy Butler, Bulls

20.1 PPG, 3.3 APG, 6.0 RPG. PER: 20.98

Guard: Dwyane Wade, Heat

21.8 PPG, 5.4 APG, 3.8 RPG. PER: 22.55

Forward: Nikola Vucevic, Magic

19.5 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 0.8 BPG. PER: 22.17

Forward: Chris Bosh, Heat

21.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 0.6 BPG. PER: 21.04

Forward: Al Horford, Hawks

15.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.3 BPG. PER: 21.52 

*Stats Accurate as of 1/29/15
*Bold indicates league-leader

Petition to Disqualify Patriots from Super Bowl Generates over 42,000 Signatures

A petition on Change.org has called for the New England Patriots to be disqualified from playing in Super Bowl XLIX. 

Over 42,000 people (and growing) have signed this absurd online document in the past six days. Seriously.

The petition, crafted by Baltimore-based wealth manager Scott Latshaw, asks that the Patriots be disqualified from the postseason for their purported role in "DeflateGate" stemming from their 45-7 drubbing over the Indianapolis Colts in the 2014 AFC Championship game. The petition reads:

To maintain the legitimacy of this year's NFL Championship the Patriots should be immediately disqualified and the two teams they beat to advance should be allowed to continue with the playoff process. The AFC championship should be replayed to determine a rightful representative for the AFC in this year's Super Bowl.

So just to recap, over 42,000 people want to remove the Patriots from the Super Bowl over an unproven allegation in a game that the Patriots won by 38 points. Not only has there been no confirmed evidence of foul play on the side of the Patriots, the NFL has asserted that the deflated footballs were used in the first half only. The Patriots outscored the Colts 17-7 in the first half—then pounded the Colts 28-0 in the second half with the properly inflated footballs.

The letter, which Latshaw claims is being sent to the NFL, was created on Jan. 21 with the hope that the AFC title game be re-played—without the Patriots as a participant:

Immediately disqualify Patriots and replay AFC Championship between the Colts and Ravens.

Now Latshaw is requesting the Baltimore Ravens play in an AFC title game do-over—despite the fact that they already lost to the Patriots, 35-31, in the divisional round contest at Gillette Stadium? 

"They can't go through with this multi-billion dollar even and have it tainted like that," Latshaw told the Sporting News. "This is the Black Sox all over again."

Here's the issue with that statement: the situation involving the Patriots could not be further from the Black Sox infamous scandal. Eight members of the Chicago Black Sox were accused of intentionally losing the 1919 World Series. The Black Sox lost that World Series to the Cincinnati Reds, five games to three. The eight Black Sox players were acquitted in court over the charges that they lost World Series games in exchange for money from gamblers, but were all banned for life from MLB. In other words, this a remarkably irrelevant example for Latshaw to allude to.

This feeble-minded attempt by Latshaw and the others that signed this petition reinforces just how much some opposing fans hate the Patriots. The Patriots haters have long tried to discredit the franchise's success with unsubstantiated claims of cheating. 

But the seemingly ceaseless DeflateGate saga appears to have taken a turn for the better for the Patriots. In case you missed it, Patriots owner Robert Kraft laid down the hammer on the NFL on Monday night. First, he vehemently declared the Patriots innocence.   

"I want to make it clear, I believe unconditionally that the New England Patriots have done nothing inappropriate in this process or are in violation of NFL rules," Kraft said. "Tom, Bill and I have been together for 15 years. They are my guys. They are part of my family."

Kraft also said he expects the NFL to apologize if the Patriots are found innocent in the tampering charges related to the deflated footballs.

"If the Wells investigation is not able to definitively determine that our organization tampered with the air pressure on the footballs, I would expect and hope that the league would apologize to our entire team, and in particular, coach [Bill] Belichick and Tom Brady for what they have had to endure this past week," Kraft said, referring to attorney Ted Wells, who is leading the investigation with NFL executive vice president Jeff Pash.

Kraft would presumably not say the above statements if he had any doubt the NFL would find evidence of wrongdoings against the Patriots. With that being said, petitions like Latshaw's will look even more ludicrous if the Patriots are cleared in the investigation. 

Super Bowl XLIX: Stats & Prediction

The Numbers Game

6: The number of Super Bowls Tom Brady will have played in when he takes the field for Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Arizona. Bill Belichick will also become the first head coach to appear in six Super Bowls.

10-0: Russell Wilson's perfect record (including playoffs) against QBs who have previously won Super Bowl(s) in their career.

14: Wins recorded (including playoffs) by each Super Bowl participant, which means that for the second straight year the team with the best record will win the championship.

15.9: Points per game allowed by the Seattle Seahawks defense this season, a league-best.

17: Punts returned this season (fewest in the NFL) against Seahawks punter Jon Ryan, who excels in hang time.

19: The number of Seahawks players that were also on last year's championship team, roughly 36 percent of the roster.

34: The age of Seahawks defensive tackle Kevin Williams, who chose Seattle over New England in free agency. The 12-year veteran is the oldest player on the Seahawks roster.

37: Brady's age, making him the oldest player in Super Bowl XLIX.

51.9: The percent of passes completed thrown in the direction of Darrelle Revis, giving the Patriots cornerback the lowest (best) mark in the league against opposing QBs.

80: Points scored by the Patriots in their two playoff games this postseason. 

Prediction

Seattle Seahawks (14-4) vs New England Patriots (14-4)

        The Seahawks will look to repeat as champions against the team who last accomplished that feat—the New England Patriots—who won Super Bowls following the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Seattle's defense looks even better this year, but their offense has taken a hit following Golden Tate's defection to Detroit and the mid-season trade of Percy Harvin. The Patriots must hone their attention on Marshawn Lynch, who is easily the best running back New England has faced this year. The Patriots ranked 9th in the NFL in rushing defense, but surrendered 129 yards to Baltimore's Justin Forsett in the divisional round. New England must also be weary of the dynamic Wilson in the running attack.

            No team has had an answer for stopping Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, who can open up the passing game. If Gronkowski is effective, Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell will have ample space to operate and become potential game-changing players.

           Both teams are extremely well coached and anchored by elite QBs. It's dangerous betting against Seattle's tenacious defense, but I look for Brady and Co. to prevail by a score of 27-23. Brady and Belichick will seize their fourth Lombardi trophy—their first in 10 years—for the Patriots franchise.

Paul Pierce Moves into Fourth on All-Time Three-Point List as Wizards Beat Bulls

            Paul Pierce added another accolade in his Hall of Fame-bound career, passing Jason Kidd for fourth place on the NBA’s all-time three-point field goal list in Washington’s 105-99 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night. Pierce, who scored a team-high 22 points on 7 of 12 shooting, surpassed Kidd with a fourth-quarter trey that helped seal a critical road victory for Washington.

Paul Pierce hits 1,989th career 3-pointer in win, moving past Jason Kidd for 4th on NBA’s all-time leaderboard. pic.twitter.com/ej6Nsg7f4L
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 15, 2015

Paul Pierce passes Jason Kidd to move into 4th place on NBA's all-time 3-pt FG list. Pierce has 1,989 career threes. pic.twitter.com/SP7Yt9XQmX
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 15, 2015

After beating the defending champion San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night, the Wizards took out another one of the NBA’s elite teams—defeating the Bulls at the United Center for the fifth straight time, including last season’s first-round playoff series.

            A dark horse MVP candidate, John Wall posted 21 points with nine assists. Scoring 10 points in the final quarter, Wall was able to push Washington past Chicago for the second time in six days, despite a season-high 32 points from Derrick Rose.

            Each member of the Wizards starting lineup scored in double figures. Bradley Beal totaled 17 points and six assists. Nene Hilario had 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Marcin Gortat chipped in 11 points and nine rebounds.

            Pierce connected on all five of his shots from two-point range and went 6-6 from the free-throw line in the win. The longtime Boston Celtic made two of seven from behind the arc, giving him 1,989 three-pointers in his career.

            The Wizards host the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night as Pierce will square off against his former team of one season for the first time.

NFL Playoffs: Conference Championship Round Picks

(2) Green Bay Packers (13-4) at (1) Seattle Seahawks (13-4)

(4) Indianapolis Colts (13-5) at (1) New England Patriots (13-4)

Divisional Round Weekend: 2-2

Wild-Card Weekend: 3-1

Regular Season Record: 163-92-1

Weekly Results:

Week 1: 8-8

Week 2: 8-8
Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 4-9 (Byes: Cleveland, Cincinnati, Denver, St. Louis, Arizona, Seattle)
Week 5: 13-2 (Byes: Miami, Oakland)

Week 6: 9-5-1 (Byes: New Orleans, Kansas City)

Week 7: 11-4 (Byes: Philadelphia, Tampa Bay)

Week 8: 12-3 (Byes: New York Giants, San Francisco)

Week 9: 9-4 (Byes: Atlanta, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Tennessee)

Week 10: 10-3 (Byes: Indy, Minnesota, New England, San Diego, Washington, Houston)

Week 11: 8-6 (Byes: Dallas, New York Jets, Jacksonville, Baltimore)
Week 12: 12-3 (Byes: Pittsburgh, Carolina)

Week 13: 8-8

Week 14: 11-5

Week 15: 9-7

Week 16: 9-7

Week 17: 11-5

NCAA Women's College Basketball: Elon 77, College of Charleston 68

            The Elon Phoenix captured their first home win in Colonial Athletic Association play, defeating the visiting College of Charleston Cougars 77-68 on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Gym. Senior guard Zora Stephenson led the Phoenix (10-5, 3-1 CAA) with a team-high 27 points, hitting seven three-pointers (six in the first half) and all four of her free throw attempts.

            Trailing 38-24 at halftime, the Cougars (3-12, 1-3) scored 16 of the first 20 points after intermission to get within two. Charleston’s Breanna Bolden converted a shot from behind the arc to tie the score at 47 with just over 10 minutes to play. The sophomore forward tallied a game-high 29 points in the loss.

            Charleston recorded its first lead of the game (49-47) with 9:55 remaining on a layup by senior center Mikaela Hopkins. Elon’s Shay Burnett, a freshman guard, helped the Phoenix answer Charleston’s run, connecting on an and-one play and then on a fast break layup on a pass from sophomore guard Essence Baucom to pull the Phoenix back in front, 54-53.

            Stephenson helped the Phoenix pull away for the victory, totaling nine points in the final five minutes of action. Elon sealed the win with excellent shooting from the free-throw line, hitting 18 of its 19 second-half attempts from the charity strike.

            “We’ve been concentrating on free throws for quite a while,” Elon head coach Charlotte Smith said. “Coach [Christy] McKinney has really pushed the players to get in the gym and shoot 100 free throws a day.”

            Elon held Charleston to 24 first-half points on 30.3 percent shooting, but the Phoenix’s defense began to unravel at the start of the second half.

            “Bolden got too many open looks in the second half,” Smith said. “You have to know where the shooters are. You have to be cognizant of where they are at all times.”

            The Phoenix utilized their bench—which outscored the Charleston reserves 16-2—to push past the Cougars. No one on Charleston played more than five minutes in the defeat.

            “Coach rotates a lot of people and I think that’s an advantage because we can get fresh bodies in and out,” Stephenson said. “Other teams scouting us have to know 10 to 11 people and that’s tough.”

            Elon, which wrapped up its stretch of four games in eight days, hosts James Madison—the reigning CAA champions who are undefeated in conference play—on Thursday, Jan. 15. Charleston returns to action on Friday Jan. 16, with a home tilt versus Towson. 

Patriots O-Line Could Decide Fate Against Ravens

The Patriots’ offensive line is shown above. From left to right, Sebastian Vollmer, Ryan Wendell, Bryan Stork, Dan Connolly, and Nate Solder are featured. (Jim Davis/Boston Globe)

The New England Patriots’ offensive line—ranked 23^rd in the league by Pro Football Focus—could be the deciding factor in their divisional round playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens.

            One of the NFL’s best defensive fronts, the Ravens totaled 49 sacks (second-best in the NFL) in the regular season. Outside linebackers Elvis Dumervil (17 sacks, third-most in the NFL) and Terrell Suggs (12) combined for 29 of the team’s sacks.

            How will the Patriots handle Baltimore’s pass-rushing duo?

            "Blocking them," Patriots left tackle Nate Solder told USA TODAY Sports. "In terms of mechanics and techniques, you try not to let that clutter your mind too much. That's the muscle memory you instill during practice and the offseason. When you get into the course of a game, you're reacting. It's just a matter of reacting. Hopefully you've worked hard enough on your mechanics that everything just kind of flows naturally."

            The Ravens have led the NFL in sack percentage since Week 6 (including the postseason), sacking opposing quarterbacks on nine percent of dropbacks, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Since Week 6, which spans 12 games including Saturday’s wild-card round victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Ravens have averaged 4.1 sacks per contest.

            The Patriots’ offensive line made major strides over the course of the season. After getting manhandled in the first four games in which the team allowed a whopping 10 sacks, the Patriots surrendered just 16 sacks in the final 12 games of the season.

            Rookie center Bryan Stork was a key cog in the offensive line’s in-season improvement, which allowed 14 fewer sacks than last year’s club. Stork has been aided by left guard Dan Connolly and right guard Ryan Wendell, both of whom have suited up at center for the Patriots in the past.

            ''We've got to let him just run the show. He's the center. He's got to do those sorts of things,'' Connolly said. ''But it always helps to have guys next to you that know what's going on.''

            Sebastian Vollmer, the former second-team All-Pro (2010) right tackle, is the final piece of the offensive line’s starting rotation that must do a better job keeping QB Tom Brady upright in the pocket.

            Although the Patriots were tied for the fourth-fewest sacks allowed this season (26), they did allow the NFL's second-most hits to its quarterback with 52, according to Pro Football Focus. In addition, the Patriots allowed 108 QB hurries, ranking just 20^th in pass-blocking efficiency.

            If Brady is given sufficient time to maneuver in the pocket, the three-time Super Bowl winning QB should be able to exploit the Ravens’ weak secondary. Baltimore ranked 23^rd in the NFL in pass defense this season.

NFL Playoffs: Divisional Round Picks

Saturday's Games:

(6) Baltimore Ravens (11-6) at (1) New England Patriots (12-4)

(4) Carolina Panthers (8-8-1) at (1) Seattle Seahawks (12-4)

Sunday's Games:

(3) Dallas Cowboys (13-4) at (2) Green Bay Packers (12-4)

(4) Indianapolis Colts (12-5) at (2) Denver Broncos  (12-4)

Wild-Card Weekend: 3-1

Regular Season Record: 163-92-1

Weekly Results:

Week 1: 8-8

Week 2: 8-8
Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 4-9 (Byes: Cleveland, Cincinnati, Denver, St. Louis, Arizona, Seattle)
Week 5: 13-2 (Byes: Miami, Oakland)

Week 6: 9-5-1 (Byes: New Orleans, Kansas City)

Week 7: 11-4 (Byes: Philadelphia, Tampa Bay)

Week 8: 12-3 (Byes: New York Giants, San Francisco)

Week 9: 9-4 (Byes: Atlanta, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Tennessee)

Week 10: 10-3 (Byes: Indy, Minnesota, New England, San Diego, Washington, Houston)

Week 11: 8-6 (Byes: Dallas, New York Jets, Jacksonville, Baltimore)
Week 12: 12-3 (Byes: Pittsburgh, Carolina)

Week 13: 8-8

Week 14: 11-5

Week 15: 9-7

Week 16: 9-7

Week 17: 11-5

NFL Playoffs: Wild Card Round Picks

Saturday's Games:

(5) Arizona Cardinals (11-5) at (4) Carolina Panthers (7-8-1)

(6) Baltimore Ravens (10-6) at (3) Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5)

Sunday's Games:

(5) Cincinnati Bengals (10-5-1) at (4) Indianapolis Colts (11-5)

(6) Detroit Lions (11-5) at (3) Dallas Cowboys (12-4)

Regular Season Record: 163-92-1

Week 1: 8-8

Week 2: 8-8
Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 4-9 (Byes: Cleveland, Cincinnati, Denver, St. Louis, Arizona, Seattle)
Week 5: 13-2 (Byes: Miami, Oakland)

Week 6: 9-5-1 (Byes: New Orleans, Kansas City)

Week 7: 11-4 (Byes: Philadelphia, Tampa Bay)

Week 8: 12-3 (Byes: New York Giants, San Francisco)

Week 9: 9-4 (Byes: Atlanta, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Tennessee)

Week 10: 10-3 (Byes: Indy, Minnesota, New England, San Diego, Washington, Houston)

Week 11: 8-6 (Byes: Dallas, New York Jets, Jacksonville, Baltimore)
Week 12: 12-3 (Byes: Pittsburgh, Carolina)

Week 13: 8-8

Week 14: 11-5

Week 15: 9-7

Week 16: 9-7

Week 17: 11-5