2016 NBA Finals Preview

Cleveland versus Golden State. LeBron versus Steph. In the words of Jeezy, “once again it’s on.” Last year, LeBron carried the shorthanded Cavs to 6 games while averaging 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds & 8.8 assists per game. Despite that grand effort, a shoulder injury in the 1^st round suffered by Kevin Love and a fracture to Kyrie Irving’s kneecap in game 1 of the Finals prevented the Cavs from being on the winning side holding up the Larry O’Brien trophy. Few people remember but the Warriors found themselves down 2-1 in the series after winning game 1 in overtime, losing game 2 in overtime by 2 points & losing game 3 by 5. Starting with game 4, head coach Steve Kerr made a lineup change, inserting Andre Iguodala into the starting lineup & moving Draymond Green to the center position.  Those moves effectively flipped the momentum toward Golden State as they went on to win the next two games by double digits and closed out game 6 on the road. Steph Curry averaged 26 points a game, Iggy was named Finals MVP and Golden State won their first NBA title in 40 years.

            Fast forward one year and these two teams are set for a rematch starting tomorrow night. For Cleveland fans that wanted to see their team back in the Finals and others that doubted the legitimacy of the Warrior’s win because of the injuries Cleveland suffered, they got what they wanted. Between a locked & loaded, and most importantly, healthy Cavs team that have been shooting lights out so far in the playoffs and a Warriors team fresh off an amazing comeback against the Thunder, I’m expecting a long & exciting series without the excuses of last year. As both teams return pretty much the same lineups from last year, the only major difference in this series is Tyronn Lue, who was hired in January after the firing of David Blatt, undeserved or not.

Road to the Finals

The Warriors started off the regular season with 24 straight wins before losing their first game in December against Milwaukee after a double-overtime bout against Boston the night before. 1996 Chicago Bulls & Michael Jordan comparisons aside, they went on to break their record for most wins in a season and finished with a 73-9 record. Golden State then beat Houston 4 games to 1 in the 1^st round, got past Portland 4 games to 1, and came back from down 1-3 to defeat Oklahoma City.

            Cleveland started 30-11 before David Blatt got fired. Coach Lue kept the momentum going as they finished 57-25 with the #1 seed. The Cavaliers are arguably the hottest team in the playoffs after sweeping Detroit & Atlanta in the first two rounds while finishing Toronto in 6 games in the conference semifinals. They found their stroke from the 3 point line and rode it all the way to the Finals.

             

The Warriors took both regular season matchups; a low scoring 89-83 Christmas day game and 132-98 blowout on January 18. Their defense in that game was put under a microscope & exposed, blamed on a combination of bad effort, bad communication & poor positioning, particularly from Love & Irving. But as everybody knows, the regular season and the playoffs are two completely different animals.

Matchups

          The Cavaliers should come in with the same starting lineup that got them here; Kyrie & J.R. in the backcourt with Bron, Love & Thompson in the frontcourt. The Warriors will have snipers Steph & Klay, with Bogut, Green & Barnes or Iggy on the backend. Based on last year’s results, it might be smarter for Iggy to start. Both teams are evenly matched with secret weapons on the bench. I know it seems obvious, but this series will simply come down to which team is shooting better. We’ve seen those rare occasions where Golden State just couldn’t get the ball in from the 3-point line and that was the case in the majority of their losses this season. Same goes for the Cavs as they turn into a low-effort, stale, predictable, 3-point jacking team when they can’t figure things out on offense. So it all comes down to who can score consistently, from the paint & out on the perimeter. Another key factor is defense, specifically Kyrie & J.R. on the perimeter against Steph & Klay, and Kevin Love against Draymond Green. Kyrie is known for his poor footwork (not being able to stay in front of his defender) & bad play against the pick & roll while J.R. doesn’t put forth the effort you would like. Love on the other hand has to work on getting to the right spots on the court to properly defend on & off the ball but he has never been known as a defensive specialist.

I don’t think anybody’s expecting the Cavs to hold Steph to 17 points or the Warriors to hold Bron to 15. The key for Cleveland is to limit the 3’s from Steph & Klay & clog up the passing lanes that will lead to turnovers and easy fast break points. Golden State, on the other hand, has to get big in the paint defensively and on the glass. They need to force Bron & Kyrie out of driving into the paint for easy layups & consistently make them settle for jump shots, while also finishing defensive stands with rebounds, something they did a poor job of doing against the Thunder. Weapons off the bench for Golden State include Marreese Speights who seems to always come through with a clutch 3, and Shaun Livingston. Channing Frye, Iman Shumpert & Matthew Dellavedova should be key contributors in this series for Cleveland. We haven’t seen Delly much in the playoffs but it will be interesting to see if he can earn extra playing time with his impressive defense on Steph in last year’s Finals.

Remember, Klay was shooting less than spectacular and  we didn't even get MVP Steph for a majority of the Finals last year. What won it for them was Iggy rotating into the starting lineup, Draymond Green’s all-around game on both ends of the court, and role players that were able to step it up when Steph & Klay were in a slump. Cleveland would be smart to learn from past losses & realize that they cannot depend on the big 3 to carry them for the whole series. All in all, I predict the Golden State Warriors to beat the Cavaliers in 7 games for their second straight championship.

   

Blue Chip Collections Presents The Bombers VS The Birdmen

By: Jimbo Brown 

Blue Chip Collection has put a twist to one of their previous designs that was influence the motion picture Above The Rim. BCC believes that the movie shows America that the road for the minority athlete has many obstacles. The athlete has decide whether their going to take the positive or negative route on the journey to success. 

The Blue Chip Bombers & Birdmen jerseys are symbolic of those triumphs and struggles. The championship game of the Shootout Tournament summarizes the film and BCC's collection. No matter what someone says, stay true to your beliefs and it will play out in your favor. 

You can pre-order your jersey starting tomorrow 05/31 at BlueChipCollection.net and receive 20% off by using the code: NutSo. 

Believe. Love. Unite. Empower

Miami Hurricanes Spring 2016 : 5 Things We Learned

Brad Kaaya
If it wasn't apparent already, the Miami Hurricanes have an "ELITE QB"! Couple that with the mind of Mark Richt and ............yeah you get the picture! The disparity between Kaaya and the other QBs on the roster is quite astounding and that is more of an indictment on Kaaya and how good he is. The strength and conditioning seemed to not only have an affect on the lineman but Kaaya as well. His throws were crisp and Mark Richt described him as "Deadly Accurate". In a matter of weeks he has already mastered the Mark Richt playbook and has a full command of the offense. To the point where he is actually correcting Coach Richt at times. If there is any hope for the 2016 Miami Hurricanes they lie clearly on the arm of Brad Kaaya. Cane Nation should be excited about a Kaaya led offense in 2016

The Defense
After the hiring of Mark Richt, next on the agenda of Hurricane fans was the Defensive Coordinator hire. That is where Manny Diaz comes in. The fans got an introduction and early glimpse of the newly implemented 4-3 one gap defense and by all accounts it was a successful transition. The hire of Coach Kool from Missouri was also a big deal for Cane fans as he is regarded as one of the best Defensive line coaches in America. Players have lamented how exciting it is to be playing for Coach Kool and this style of defense. "He's teaching us technique and aggression, just get after it. Stop guessing and get after the quarterback. That's what he likes. Get to the quarterback." said Gerald Willis.  Expectations are high for the defensive line led by Alquadin Muhammad. As we saw this spring the front seven is now attacking the line of scrimmage attempting to create negative plays and stop plays before the can develop. If this defense rises up to the occasion the 2016 Miami Hurricanes could have a big year.
 
Freshmen LBs 
 Shaq Quarterman, Miike Pickney, and Zach McCloud have been a real revelation this spring. Since their arrivals they have demolished everything in their paths! From the offseason conditioning program, to their playbooks, to their fellow counterparts on the other side of the ball. Since being elevated to the 1st and 2nd teams they have yet to relinquish their roles and have made their imprint on the defense. Shaq Quarterman in particular looks the part of a division 1 MLB. He has picked up the defense exceptionally fast and it was really a treat watching him calling the defense this spring and making plays. His forced fumble in the 1st scrimmage was a thing of beauty and shows what he brings to the table. His efforts have led to him earning a leadership award and from the look of things that might be the first of many awards he brings home for the Canes.   
 
Depth Concerns
Maybe the biggest issue this spring was the lack of depth at certain positions. Especially at the WR position. At The University of Miami, depth at the skill positions should never be an issue. Unfortunately the previous regime did not do their due diligence recruiting and that was very evident this spring. Once the second teams were on the field you could easily see a drop in performance and how devoid of scholarship players there was. Mark Richt and his staff luckily have some reinforcements arriving in the summer to help. With the help of freshmen's Sam Bruce, Ahmmon Richards,  Malik Young, Cedric Wright, and transfers Adrian Colbert and Dayall Harris the Canes should be okay for now. 
 
 
Play Calling 

Gone are the days of the infamous bubble screens and soft zone coverages and enter a fullback and lots of blitzing. One thing that was evident this spring is the flexibility of the offense and the aggressiveness of the defense. Mark Richt (taking over play calling duties) has implemented his pro style attack which has brought back the fullback and play actions passes. It was really a treat watching Kaaya play action and rolling out the pocket. The TE position really flourished this spring and the Canes appear  have one of if not the best group of TEs in the country led by David Njoku and Chris Herndon. The possibilities of the Mark Richt led offense that was on display this spring should leave Cane fans salivating. Manny Diaz has brought an aggressive style defense and has a propensity to blitz..... A lot! It really is refreshing to see the defensive line and LBs attacking the line of scrimmage getting TFLs and the DBs on the line playing press man coverage. This defense will be fun to watch at the very least which can't be said about Miami defenses the past couple of years.

Steph Curry Edition

          Had to dedicate this post to Stephen Curry. That’s how he good he was last night when he had the NBA community and all of twitter talking about him. After missing a part of the game with a tweaked ankle & Golden State down 12 points in the fourth quarter against OKC, Steph pulled his team back into the game & won it in overtime with a 3-pointer from 32 feet out. He ended up finishing with 46 points, including 12-16 from 3-point range, 3 rebounds, 6 assists & 2 steals.

At this point, what Curry is doing right now, nobody else in the history of this game has done. When we think about the greatest 3-point shooters, we think about Ray Allen & Reggie Miller. But I don’t think either of them can touch Stephen Curry. I’ve been debating it in my head but this season has showed me Curry is the best shooter we’ve ever seen & the best player in the game today. I just finished watching him bury the Heat on Wednesday with 42 points. He then comes back the next day and puts up 51 points in Orlando, with 30 of those coming from 3-point range. And Saturday night, with his team down for most of the game, he goes hammertime with 46 points and 12 3’s. Since coming back from the All-Star break, he’s averaging 38 points a game. The numbers are amazing in their own right, but watching this man pull up from anywhere inside half court and drain a 3 with ease is amazing. Even beyond half court, his range is lethal. That’s the thing that separates him from other 3-point shooters. Others can only shoot 3’s consistently at center court, in the wing or corner, off the pass, off the dribble, or walk into their 3 with a pullup. Steph, on the other hand, can create his own shot & score from an assist, after pulling a crossover between 2 opponents, pullup after dribbling the ball in from back court, step back or fadeaway, while at the same time, shooting at high percentage from anywhere on the court.

Curry Game Winner

Going back to the game last night, Curry hit many accomplishments. Not only did he break his own record for most 3’s in a season with 24 games still left to play, he also tied the record for most 3’s in a single game with 12. He’s the first player in NBA history to score 10 3-point field goals in back-to-back games and is in the midst of a 3 game streak of scoring 40 or more points. Last but not least, he scored the game winning shot from just inside half court to give Golden State the game over OKC, 121-118. Crazy. The Warriors are now 53-5 and must (will?) go 20-4 in the next 24 games to beat the 72-10 record held by the 95-96 Bulls. 

"Keep The Main Thang The Main Thang" Athlete Talk Edition

1936 Long Jump Gold Medalist

"The battles that count aren't the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself--the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us--that's where it's at." - Jesse Owens (Four-time Olympic gold medalist.)

Growing up, Jesse Owens was one of the most used in school for your yearly Black History Project. Every year all the basics will be covered, he was the first African American Olympian to win 4 Gold Medals. One major detail is always glossed over; he accomplished this magnificent feat in 1936 at the start Hitler’s reign. He defeated hatred filled Nazi Germany, where Africans was portrayed as inferior to the more superior Aryans. Breaking world records on the way to four gold medals he continues to inspire generations now to aspire. Against all odds, Owens broke thru segregation and racism not just in America but miles away in Germany.

Women Tee, designed by @LSDoomGFX.

Mens Tee, designed by @LSDoomGFX.

This month Athlete Talk wants to highlight Blue Chip Collection celebration of Black History Month. In preparation, the concept “Keep The Main Thang The Main Thang” was born. The phrase was made legendary by Walt “Diesel” Frazier and resonated with his players at 

Miami Carol City High School. BCC takes this time to remind us that we have to remain focused on our dream. To push the culture forward we first have to become the best version of ourselves before we can impact the culture as a whole. At some point Jesse Owens had to do what was best for him to elevate his talents to impact Black History.

For more information, log on to BlueChipCollection.net. Use the pre-sale code "BLACKCHIP" to receive $15 percent off. 

Alabama Wins 4th National Title Under Saban

What a game, what a game. 85 points & 1,000+ yards between both teams. Big time performances from big time players, including Deshaun Watson, O.J. Howard & Derrick Henry. A clean back & forth game with both teams leaving everything they had on the field. Alabama eventually overcame Clemson for their 4th national title in 7 years. Many thought this game would be a defensive battle but both teams shook out their nerves early & came out the gates with solid execution & big plays.

Derrick Henry got it started with a 50 yard touchdown run. Clemson came back to score 14 straight
 with 2 touchdowns from Watson to freshman walk-on tight end, Hunter Renfrow. And Henry scored the lone touchdown of the 2nd quarter to go into halftime with a tied score at 14 a piece. By the end of the 3rd quarter, Clemson was up 24-21. Bama scored a field goal a few minutes into the 4th quarter & stole momentum from Clemson after recovering an onside kick and a 51 yard touchdown pass from Jake Coker to O.J. Howard two plays later. Clemson responded with a field goal but made the mistake of kicking off to Kenyan Drake, who returned it 95 yards for another score. At this point, Clemson was down 27-38. Deshaun Watson did a great job of leading 2 scoring drives late in the 4th quarter but eventually ran out of time as Bama held on for a 45-40 win.

Clemson, who was in their first national title game since winning it back in 1981, really held their own against Alabama. They made big plays when they needed it, did a great job stuffing Derrick Henry despite his 3 touchdowns, pressured Jake Coker all night with 5 sacks but I feel like there were two instances in the game that altered the outcome in the Crimson Tide’s favor. First, Mackensie Alexander aggravated his hamstring injury in the 2nd quarter, which forced him to sit out the rest of the game. After he went out, that is when O.J. Howard (record 208 receiving yards in title game) arrived to the scene with 2 huge touchdown catches after blown coverages from the Clemson secondary. Second, two 4th quarter plays from the special teams unit swung the momentum to Bama’s side. Nick Saban, probably realizing that his defense was having a difficult time stopping Deshaun Watson & Clemson’s up-tempo spread attack, called a “bring your own guts” play when he decided to kick an onside kick in which the kicker executed perfectly. Then came the big kickoff return touchdown from Kenyan Drake that put Bama up 11 points on the Tigers with about 7:30 left in the game. In my opinion, those 2 special teams plays won the game for Alabama. There were questions regarding Alabama & their dynasty status after their 3rd title win against Notre Dame; but now with 4 in 7 years, they are officially a dynasty and one of the best in college football history. Nick Saban wins his fifth national title and will go down as one of the best coaches ever at the college football level.

Despite the loss, Deshaun Watson upped his stock after this game. 405 yards through the air (championship record), 73 yards on the ground including a few amazing elusive scrambles that reminded you of Johnny Football, and 4 touchdowns. Even more impressive was his composure, leadership & clutch ability to come up big on 3rd down & late 4th quarter drives to keep Clemson in the game. I believe Watson will bring Clemson back to the playoffs next year. The other quarterback in this game, Jake Coker, struggled a bit in the first half. The former Florida State backup to Jameis Winston had poor pocket presence & good play from the Clemson defensive line & secondary let to him taking a number of unnecessary sacks. He came back strong in the 2nd half with 253 passing yards & 2 touchdowns.

All in all, it was one of the best championship games ever. Alabama & Clemson will reload with plenty of talent coming back and will be right back in the playoff race next season. Nick Saban cemented his legacy as one of the best ever and Dabo Swinney is on the cusp of starting his own legacy and leading his team to greatness.

Culture Change for the Phins

          “We have to change the culture.” “We need to breed a culture of competitiveness, finish and intensity.” “We need to become a more aggressive front, team in general.” “You want to get the most out of them, you have to challenge them…they have to be pushed and they have to be worked.” “…we are going to scratch and claw and do whatever it takes to win your one on one.” “I want us pulling the trigger, I don’t want us playing conservative.”

These are direct quotes taken from Dan Campbell’s introductory press conference about two weeks ago. Dan Campbell, tight ends coach promoted to interim head coach after Joe Philbin was fired, talked the talk & definitely walked the walk. The Dolphins were pretty much sleep-walking through the first four games of the season, on to a 1-3 record. Everybody in South Florida had questions about why we were struggling and even performing worse than last season after all the moves that were made in the offseason. Campbell took over during the bye week & was like a 4 a.m. alarm clock and an ocean of freezing cold water in the Navy Seals that woke the players up.  From the 38-10 win against the Titans yesterday, the Dolphins appeared to be a completely different team & he implemented the culture change he kept stressing two weeks ago.

            Before Dan Campbell, the Dolphins were starting out slow, couldn’t run the ball, couldn’t score, couldn’t block, couldn’t set the tempo of the game, couldn’t stop the run, couldn’t get pressure on the quarterback, just couldn’t do anything right. After Dan Campbell, they scored their first touchdowns of the first quarter all season, we ran the ball and ran it successfully, pass & run blocking was improved, the game plan & play-calling was executed to the T, and the Titans were playing to catch up with us instead of the other way around. Lamar Miller got his feet back and looked like the running back that averaged 5 yards a carry last year. 

            Best of all was the defense, the constant pressure and the many big plays they made all game. The defensive line under Philbin was nonexistent and only had one sack coming into the game. Under Campbell, they totaled 6 sacks & Cameron Wake had 4 of them by himself. The whole d-line was getting after Mariota all game and he lost two fumbles & threw two picks. Linebackers held their own & the secondary was legendary, led by the huge pick-6 from Reshad Jones & the momentum-killing interception by Brent Grimes. All in all, the Titans finished the game with four turnovers, only 63 yards on the ground and only 4.6 yards a play. Not only did the Dolphins play an all-around solid game, but individually and as a unit, it was a great performance from everybody. Even the coaching staff had great moments. After what appeared to be an incomplete pass that nobody questioned from Mariota after he was pressured and hit, Darren Rizzi told Campbell to throw a red flag on the play. As it turns out, we got the ball back after it was reviewed to be a fumble. Even small decisions like being aggressive to try & score right before the half with under 2 minutes to go or when we were up by 14 points in the 4^th quarter, pinned down against our endzone inside the 5 and coming out the shotgun, Ryan Tannehill tossed a 38 yard bomb to Kenny Stills to get us out of that heat.

The season is still young and if the Dolphins continue to play like this, we might be able to salvage that 1-3 start and get ourselves back into the playoff picture. I was hesitant to get overly excited about Dan Campbell and his words in the press conference because I didn’t want to hear any more talking, I just wanted to see how they were going to come out and play. After one game, I saw the culture change, the intensity and the aggressiveness that he was talking about. Game ball definitely goes to Dan Campbell. But still, it’s only 1 game. Now we’ll see if they can follow up that performance with another win against the Texans.