Sixers and Pacers: The Win Reapers

Philadelphia and Indiana are expectation exceeders.  At least they have been this year.  Neither team has a star player, however, and in an Eastern Conference plentiful in all-nba and all-star duos, trios, and quartets- well, it's an endearing quality.

Danny Granger and Andre Iguodala lead their respective teams.

Philly has the third-best SRS rating in the entire league and the best defense in the league.  They play a team-oriented style of basketball and get major contributions from their bench, led by Louis Williams and Thaddeus Young, who showed me something last year in the playoffs when he went at LeBron James and Chris Bosh and occupied them with his offense.  Andre  Iguodala and Jrue Holiday form one of the better two-way perimeter duos in the league.  Eight guys average 8.7 points per game or more- the definition of a balanced attack.  Linsanity and Celtic Pride still trail the Sixers in the Atlantic.

The only thing I can't stand about Philly is that they took announcer Doug Collins and made him coach Doug Collins.  He's a certifiably good coach, but I loved him courtside.  Dude seemed to always predict the right out-of-bounds plays for every team.  I'd bet a decent amount on Collins's squad defending out-of-bounds plays pretty well.

The Pacers have been less impressive, with a record of 18-12 and an average SRS rating.  The same principle applies though.  Like Philly, Indy uses youth and balance to succeed; seven players average nine points per game or higher, with Danny Granger and Roy Hibbert leading the way.  The Pacers earned the league's respect by giving Chicago a good series last year, but their record and playoff standing in this Eastern Conference is attention-grabbing news.

Is this play sustainable for each team, especially in the playoffs?  Well, in a condensed season, each team's core of fresh bodies certainly helps matters.  These are the kinds of teams that can take wins off superior teams in the regular season who might not have the legs or are out of shape or have a star- whom they rely on heavily- injured.  Regular season?  Sure, especially Philly.  Philly vs. New York for the Atlantic Division title should entertain the I-95/Turnpike crowd.

Playoffs?  These teams have 2011 Denver Nuggets written all over them.  A purist loves Philly's swing passes and closeouts and team play, but they don't have that star anchor to carry them, and like it or not, that fact plays.  It always does.  Because teams with a star or stars can play with chemistry and team play, too, and those teams will almost always take out the defiant, role-player studded, lovable underdogs because of matchups issues created by those stars.

While Mayweather Talks of Race, Jeremy Lin is the People's Champ

This has wrestling promo written all over it.


Floyd Mayweather is flapping his gums again about something he isn't qualified to talk about.  The controversial boxer saw fit to say that Jeremy Lin, the point guard wunderkind of the New York Knicks, is only getting positive press because he's Asian.  Mayweather, the same guy who fought at Wrestlemania a few years back.  Mayweather, who has teased us with a match against Manny Pacquiao for ages, Rock-Cena style.

Jeremy Lin, in wrestling terms, is over with the fans as a babyface.

Prediction:  Mayweather makes a few more unflattering comments about Lin until Pacquiao, who has been assaulted by anti-Asian Mayweather comments in the past, steps in and challenges Mayweather to a match at Wrestlemania this year.  The match is even for 12 rounds when out of nowhere, Lin clocks Mayweather with a steel chair, giving Pacquiao the victory.


Lin's reign atop New York may be about as dramatic as a well-sold wrestling promo right now, but his play warrants the hype .  As was mentioned in the above article, Lin is the first NBA player in history- counting black, white, yellow, brown, green, aqua, maroon, pink, and emerald players- to drop at least 20 points and seven assists in each of his first four starts.  His Steve Nashian ability to allow his teammates to settle into their comfort zones while he takes care of the rest has propelled New York recently.


In short, there's a reason Lin has recently wrestled headlines away from all of the other main event talents, from Kobe Bryant to Deron Williams to Ricky Rubio.  He's that damn good.


Mayweather should know that.  Love him or hate him, Mayweather is a great talent in his sport.  But real is supposed to recognize real, not randomly spatter it with racist remarks over social media with absolutely no provocation.


Either Mayweather is a real-life heel, or wrestling feuds are real.