Bleacher Report - Articles by Jordan Alexander

The NBA MVP: A Three-Horse Race

Jordan Alexander — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 05:16:30 -0400

I'm not writing this article to try and persuade any readers that they should vote one way or another on the NBA Most Valuable Player.

The award is not even that vital, since all three players up for it are vying for a championship, and could probably care less about the MVP at this point in the season.

That said, there have been three individuals this year whose performances have far exceeded the competition. Let's take a look at the candidates.

LeBron James

Right now James is the favorite to win the award.

Since beginning with the league, he has been groomed to be the new "golden boy" after image problems plagued the NBA in the late 90s, early 21st century.

LeBron is having an incredible statistical year, averaging nearly 31 points, over eight rebounds, and more than seven assists per game. These numbers are unheard of.

Not only can he score at will, but James is willing to pass even though his teammates are average at best.

LeBron has led Cleveland so far to a record of 40-32, right now the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. This year more than any, LeBron has found a way to take over a game in the fourth quarter.

The Cleveland Cavs are even 17-13 against the loaded Western Conference. Unfortunately, that also means they are just 23-19 against the East.

The Cavs have lost three times apiece to both New Jersey and Milwaukee, two teams that Cleveland should beat regularly.

In addition, James' jump shot is still not where he'd like it to be. I realize he's only 23 years old, but if we're considering him for MVP, I'm still skeptical giving the ball to LeBron as time expires knowing the Cavs only have time for a jumper

He has an uncanny ability to get to the rim, but if time is winding down, I'm still not sold that his J is going to drop. LeBron's defense is also a major issue.

Kobe Bryant

Kobe is by far the best two-way player in the NBA.

Although his shot selection could use major improvement, he is able to make almost any shot on the floor. A bad shot for anyone else is a good shot for Kobe.

Kobe cannot attack the rim quite like LeBron, but with the game winding down, I'm actually confident that Kobe can hit a turnaround fadeaway while being double-covered.

Bryant is averaging about 28 points, six rebounds, and five assists per game this year. These numbers might not be up to LeBron's, but the competition Kobe sees on a night-in-night-out basis is far superior.

Playing in the West, Kobe does not get a night off. Nearly every game is against a playoff contender, and even the Blazers and Kings are not sure wins. At one game back of the West lead, the Lakers sit at 49-23, including a record of 30-13 against the West.

The case against Kobe is unfortunate: he has great talent surrounding him.

While LeBron plays alongside the likes of Zydrunas Ilgauaskas, Wally Szczerbiak, and Delonte West, Kobe gets to suit up nightly with Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum (that lineup will be real scary when it happens).

The fact that Kobe is flanked by all-stars has critics saying that he isn't carrying the team the way LeBron is.

While the Lakers are by no means the one-man team they were a few years ago, the competition in the West is so demanding that no one is getting through without a plethora of stars. Put the Cavs in the West and I'd like to see them get in the playoffs.

While Kobe has not single-handedly led his team this year, it is by far the best "team" ball he has played in his career.

Chris Paul

Raise your hand if you had the Hornets at 49-21 and leading the West with just a couple weeks to go.

Okay, good, no one.

While Paul is also surrounded by superior talent, sporting arguably the best starting five in the NBA, there is no doubting Paul's contributions to this team.

The point guard from Wake Forest is averaging just under 22 points per game, to go along with four rebounds and 11.5 assists.

His most important statistic, however, is that his assist/turnover ratio is over 4.5. That is unheard of for someone who handles the ball as much as CP3.

Not only is he an incredible decision maker, but he does not make mistakes.

Paul is shooting nearly 50 percent, higher than both LeBron and Kobe. Did I mention that Paul has led the Hornets so far to the best record in NBA's best conference? Incredible for a team that did not even make the postseason last year.

The fact that Paul is not the dominant scorer that LeBron and Kobe are may hurt him in the long run.

When we think of great plays down the stretch this year, a lot of those are LeBron or Kobe getting a bucket in the final seconds. Chris Paul has fewer of these moments. But that isn't to say he doesn't have a flair for the dramatic.

Last night in Cleveland, after LeBron put the Cavs up one with seven seconds to play, Paul splits the defense, draws a double team, and kicks the ball to David West for the game-winner. Unfortunately, West will be the one getting the credit here, and not Paul.

With no disrespect to Kevin Garnett, I believe the other three candidates have just had far superior seasons. Garnett should be a consideration, but will most likely finish fourth in the voting.

So there are the three choices for MVP, and all are more than worthy of winning the award. But at the end of the day, none of those players will be happy if they don't end the season with a ring.

Duke Basketball: Time to Out Coach K

Jordan Alexander — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 09:50:56 -0400

If the Blue Devils' 2007 NCAA performance didn't convince people that Duke needed a change at the head coaching position, its 2008 performance had to. Duke looked sluggish and inconsistent while eking out a 71-70 victory against 15th-seeded Belmont in the first round. And just moments ago, the Blue Devils were completely overmatched against a more physical, more prepared, and yes, better coached West Virginia team.

It has been since 2004 since Duke has made it out of the sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament. Yes, Duke, the perennial powerhouse in college basketball, has not even won more than two games in the postseason in its past four tournament appearances.

In 2005, the Blue Devils fell in the Sweet 16 to the overachieving Michigan State Spartans, who would go on to reach the Final Four.

In 2006, Duke would again reach the Sweet 16, but the LSU Tigers scratched and clawed its way to a very defensive victory.

Eric Maynor of Virginia Commonwealth ended Duke's title run before it began in 2007, hitting a game-winning jumper to propel VCU over Duke in the first round. And now for the second straight year, Duke has failed to advance past the opening weekend.

But it isn't simply the on-the-court play of Duke that has been so disappointing over the past few seasons. More than that, the mystique is gone. Teams are no longer awed when walking into Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham. Underdogs don't believe to be overmatched by arguably the most historic team in college basketball history.

In seasons past, Coach K and his team would have a mental edge over its opponents, and you knew that no matter how big a lead you had, it was never safe against Duke. In 2001, Maryland led Duke by ten points with under a minute to go, and Duke was able to rally back for the victory.

Players like Jason Williams, Shane Battier, and Carlos Boozer exuded mental toughness and the desire to do whatever it took for a victory. That same season, the Blue Devils captured the NCAA title.

The name on the uniform used to intimidate; now it is almost pedestrian. This season, the Clemson Tigers defeated Duke in the ACC tournament simply by outworking the Blue Devils. Teams previously coached by Mike Krzyzewski would never let themselves get out-worked or out-hustled. But these aren't your father's Blue Devils. Skill-wise, Duke was the far superior team, but Clemson still found a way to get the job done.

Duke teams as of late have become soft. Instead of having players committed to rebounding, hustle, and tenacity, Duke's recent rosters have been comprised of pretty boy players who shoot threes and shy away from contact. Aside from Demarcus Nelson and Gerald Henderson, there was no one on this year's Duke team that consistently attacked the rim. If Krzyzewski wants to stay in Durham, he has to do a better job on the recruiting end. It cannot possibly be that difficult to recruit to Duke, and Coach K has to take advantage of this.

But I feel Coach K's time is up. He's done an incredible job coaching Duke in the past 28 seasons, and has turned several great college players into professionals. In addition, he now coaches the US Olympic team and did an admirable job in the FIBA Championships this past summer.

Unfortunately for Krzyzewski, the message is no longer getting through to his collegiate team. Four straight seasons without getting past the Sweet 16 is unacceptable for a national "powerhouse." Maybe Duke should look outside for its next coach, or possibly promote someone from within like Steve Wojciechowski, who can relate to the young guys, or Johny Dawkins, the primary assistant.

It's been a great run for Coach K at Duke, but it is time for him to go.

NBA All-Star Proposal: Let's See the United States vs. Internationals

Jordan Alexander — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 03:25:20 -0500

With the United States having only limited success in international play of late—despite this summer's dominant effort—I wondered what it might be like to pit the US All-Stars against an All-International team.

This type of game has previously been discussed as an alternative version of the NBA All-Star game, but David Stern has still gone with the East vs. West match every year so far. In fact, hockey converted its All-Star game to a North America vs. World match for a few years, though it has now switched back.

I'm not suggesting that we permanently institute this kind of annual competition, but with the number of highly skilled foreigners currently in the league, it would be pretty intriguing.

Below you'll find the teams I've come up with. Each team consists of two complete starting line ups, as well as two utility players at any position.

US Starters

Guards: Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant

Forwards: LeBron James, Tim Duncan

Center: Dwight Howard

International Starters

Guards: Steve Nash, Manu Ginobili

Forwards: Peja Stojakovic, Dirk Nowitski

Center: Yao Ming

US Backups

Guards: Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade

Forwards: Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Garnett

Center: Amare Stoudemire

International Backups

Guards: Tony Parker, Hedo Turkoglu

Forwards: Mehmet Okur, Andrei Kirilenko

Center: Pau Gasol

US Utility Players

Chauncey Billups, Carlos Boozer

International Utility Players

Jose Calderon, Zydrunas Ilgauskas

I heavily debated the US utility players, considering such names as Paul Pierce, Tracy McGrady, Deron Williams, Allen Iverson, and Chris Bosh. I chose Billups because I like the idea of having another experienced point guard, and it's never a bad idea to take a big man from a solid Western team in Boozer.

Still, you could definitely make an argument for the others I mentioned, and even those I didn't.

Where Internationals are concerned, I left out Luol Deng due to his subpar '07-'08 season and his propensity for injury.

That said, it would be a very interesting game. While the US appears stacked, they seem so every Olympics, and in 2004 they only earned the Bronze.

While the US has the edge in athleticism, the Internationals are great shooters, solid free throw shooters, and have great fundamentals.

I just think letting us see this game for at least one year would be very entertaining.

Denver-Boston: Nuggets Beat Celtics and Five Things We Can Learn from the Game

Jordan Alexander — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 01:35:26 -0500

Did Kevin Garnett come back too soon? Maybe not, but the Big Ticket was not his normal self Tuesday night at the Pepsi Center.

Garnett played just 21 minutes and scored only four points on 2-7 shooting. While he showed no noticeable signs of being injured, KG was not nearly as aggressive or enthusiastic as he's been all season.

The Nuggets seemed to be able to get to the rim fairly easily against Boston, scoring 124 points against the top defensive team in the league. What else though can we learn from the Nuggets 124-118 victory?

1. The Nuggets' defense is still awful

Denver gives up 104 points per game, which is fourth worst in the NBA. Even though the Nuggets hold their opponents to 44percent shooting (sixth in the league), they give up far too many offensive rebounds allowing teams to convert easy buckets.

It's one thing to stop the first attempt, it's another to make sure the team goes scoreless on its possession. The Celtics had 14 offensive rebounds, including key putbacks by Rajon Rondo on a huge dunk and Leon Powe converting a lay-up.

2. Garnett keys the Celtics D

Without Garnett being in dominant defensive form, Boston allowed 124 points, easily the most they have given up this season. Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson seemed to have their way on the offensive end, scoring 29 and 28 points respectively. Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe, and Glen Davis did little to counter the Nuggets attack.

3. The referees were terrible

As a Nuggets fan, I'm not even saying that too many calls went Boston's way (which they did), but the calls were terrible on both sides all night long.

In 48 minutes of action, we saw 59 fouls...that's more than a foul a minute.Rajon Rondo fouled out, and Ray Allen and James Posey each had five for the Celtics, possibly causing them to be less aggressive defensively.

For Denver, Kenyon Martin fouled out, and Marcus Camby and Carmelo Anthony finished with five fouls apiece. Since so many fouls were called, the game really never had a great flow. But the worst call of the game was when Ray Allen chucked up three when the score was 121-115. The air ball had already descended underneath the rim before Anthony grabbed it, and then was inexplicably called for goaltending. I've never seen the Nuggets coaching staff so irate over a call.

4. Passing wins games

The Nuggets had 29 assists on 41 made field goals (70 percent). Boston, on the other hand, had just 19 assists on 44 made shots, under 50 percent.

The Celtics took too many one-on-one jump shots, and failed to move the ball effectively. Denver, a team noted for its two scorers playing a lot of one-on-one ball, was the unselfish team on Tuesday night, finding the open man, including a key stretch in the fourth quarter where Linas Kleiza hit two big threes, extending the lead to 101-91 and giving the Nuggets some breathing room.

5. If Denver plays with intensity, they might be unstoppable

The Nuggets this season have at times, looked lackadaisical. That was not at all the case on Tuesday.

The Pepsi Center was rocking, with nearly 20,000 fans in attendance, the largest home crowd ever for a Denver basketball game. Kenyon Martin and Allen Iverson showed grit down the stretch, converting big plays. The entire team seemed energized and just wanted it more than the Celtics. The Nuggets did not want a repeat of November 7, when they got manhandled in Boston 119-93.

Iverson immediately circled February 19 on his calendar, knowing they had to get one back. Camby had nine blocks, and Carmelo Anthony and Martin had several emphatic dunks to get the crowd into the game.

If the Nuggets want to finally make it past the first round of the playoffs, they will need that kind of energy every night. In a 7-game series against any of the tough western contenders, there's no room for a night off. Maybe you don't shoot well some nights, and maybe the game isn't going your way, but there is no excuse for a lack of intensity when it comes playoff time.

Orange-Hoyas: Four Reasons Why Syracuse Crushed Georgetown

Jordan Alexander — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 10:05:15 -0500

The Carrier Dome was rocking on Saturday afternoon as the Syracuse Orange routed the Georgetown Hoyas 77-70.

But the game was not as close as the score might indicate. Syracuse jumped out to an early 22 point lead behind solid play by Paul Harris, Donte' Green, and Arinze Onuaku.

The lead was cut to 16 by halftime, and the Hoyas managed to get within five late in the second half. But the Orange were able to pull away with solid defense and clutch free throws.

But why was Syracuse able to completely overmatch the eighth-ranked Hoyas?

1. The 2-3 Zone

No team in college plays a better zone than Syracuse, and Jim Boeheim has coached this defense to perfection. Georgetown looked confused early and failed to get the ball into the hands of their big man, Roy Hibbert. The Hoyas passed the ball around the perimeter and would usually have to settle for a long jumper. Later in the game, Georgetown worked the ball inside-out creating either an easy play for Hibbert, or an open three for one of the guards. But the aggressive zone early set the tone.

2. Turnovers

Just nine minutes into the game, the Hoyas had already committed 9 turnovers while only converting three field goals. As the commentators said, "It's never good when you have triple the number of turnovers as field goals made."

The 2-3 zone forced Georgetown to continue to pass the ball, since open shots were at a premium. The guards seemed reluctant to shoot early on, even though later in the game both Jonathan Wallace and Jessie Sapp were hitting threes consistently.

3. Roy Hibbert's Foul Trouble

Hibbert picked up two early fouls in the first half and had to sit for several minutes before getting back on the floor a few minutes before halftime. Hibbert picked up his third early in the second half and remained tentative while defending the rim, allowing Onuaku and Harris to convert easy buckets.

But another problem with Hibbert's defense is that he feels he always needs to help near the top of the key. Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn beat Wallace off the dribble numerous times, and Hibbert continually came up top to help out, resulting in either a Hibbert foul (since he can't stay with Flynn) or an easy lay-up as the rim was left wide open. It's weird to say, but Hibbert would be better off if he did less on defense. His main job should be to protect the rim.

There's no defensive three-second call in college, so he can stay in the paint for as long as he wants. All that he should be worried about is not letting the big man score and grabbing the defensive rebounds. Hibbert's tendency to run out and the three-point line has never worked out.

4. The Carrier Dome Energy

Syracuse-Georgetown games are always heated, especially after the Hoyas' overtime comeback win at the Verizon Center on MLK day. The Orange had something to prove today, and the crowd was not going to be gentle on G'Town. The defense set the tone early, and Donte' Green had three three-pointers in the first half igniting the 30,000+ plans.

Paul Harris led the Orange with 22 points and eight rebounds, including several big free throws toward the end of the game before the fans stormed the court. Georgetown was able to take the crowd out of the game when they cut the lead to just five with a few minutes to go in the game, but Syracuse always seemed to get the big bucket when they needed it.

The Hoyas will still end up with a top-four seed in the NCAA tournament, and they play good enough defense to make a run. But unless they address the problems of being passive on offense, and teaching Hibbert to stay at home on D, they could see an early exit. Georgetown doesn't blow teams out due to its slow style of play, so they are definitely vulnerable to an upset.

Congrats to the Orange for an impressive victory. This game will go a long way as Syracuse right now is on the bubble of getting into the tournament. If Cuse can play this way consistently, we should see them still competing tourney time. Just think of what this team would be if Eric Devendorf and Andy Routins were healthy. If the Orange don't get in this year, they'll definitely be dangerous in the 2008-09 season.

Super Bowl XLII: Randy Moss Teaches Bill Belichick Early Exit Technique

Jordan Alexander — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 01:42:22 -0500

At the end of Super Bowl XLII, no one could have been more disappointed than Patriots WR Randy Moss.

But it wasn't the outcome that made Moss so upset—it was the way that Coach Bill Belichick left the field before the final second ticked off the clock.

"Man, he didn't even flip off the crowd," Moss said. "He showed entirely too much class at even acknowledging people on the way to the locker room. That's not how it's done."

Moss, who has been known to leave the playing field before time expires in both Minnesota and Oakland, shook his head when he saw his coach walk into the tunnel. Belichick noted that this was the main reason for Moss' acquisition.

"We didn't bring him here to catch passes," said Belichick. "Sure, he can do that too, but I've been a jerk since day one when I got here, and I'm still a jerk today. If anyone could teach me to be more of a classless jerk than I already am, it's Randy. When I saw that we could trade for him in the offseason, I knew that this season would be filled with less class than ever before."

During his tenure in New England, Belichick has been known to submit questionable injury reports, evade questions from reporters, coldly shake hands with opposing coaches, and be outright dull in general. With the Spygate lawsuit heating up after the Super Bowl, Bill needed to leave the field in Glendale as soon as possible.

Even quarterback Tom Brady wasn't impressed.

"Before the game, instead of working on our pass patterns, Randy was showing me the various ways coach could have walked off the field early if somehow we were losing in the closing seconds," Brady said. "Between looking down at the ground, taking off the helmet, and bearing a look of general disgust, I knew Randy knew what he was talking about. Then seeing Bill do such a poor job? It's really disappointing. The man knows how to coach, but who cares when you make such a bad exit?"

While Belichick may have had his standard one-word responses during his press conference following the game, Moss was a bit more vocal about the possible penalties that may result from the coach's actions.

"Maybe he'll get a suspension, and he'll definitely be hated by fans across the country. I told him though, if he gets fined, there's only one way to pay....straight cash homie."

NBA: Five Things to Look For in the Second Half

Jordan Alexander — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 02:16:33 -0500

The first half of the NBA is coming to a close, as the 2008 All-Star game approaches on February 17.

We've seen some surprises, like the resurgence of a young Portland Trail Blazers team, the consistent play of the New Orleans Hornets, and the disaster that is the Miami Heat.

But what can we expect to see in the second half of the season?

1. The Utah Jazz will win the Northwest Division easily.

Jerry Sloan's team has already won six in a row and is peaking at the right time. The Nuggets have been inconsistent and have failed to play solid defense in back-to-back games at any point this season.

Portland had a remarkable run earlier, but the adrenaline seems to be waning a bit for this young team. They may still sneak into the playoffs, but Utah's core of Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams, and Andrei Kirilenko will be too much to handle at the end. Experience will win out, and the Jazz have found their stride.

2. The Nuggets or Warriors will be the odd team out in the Western Conference.

It pains me to say this as a Denver fan, but the Nuggets have been too inconsistent for me to think that they're ready to compete in the postseason. With several players injured and a lack of cohesion on the starting line, George Karl has few options if the team doesn't make a move by the trade deadline.

The run-and-gun style of play may be exciting, but in the West, if you don't play solid defense, you're not going to win a lot of games.

The same goes for the Warriors. You can only run up and down the court and shoot so many 3s until it catches up with you. I love watching both teams play, but this style of basketball is not fit for the playoffs. Both Denver and Golden State find themselves just 1 game ahead of Portland, and two ahead of Houston for the final playoff spot. Don't be surprised if one of them falls out of the top eight by season's end.

3. The Detroit Pistons will win the East.

Detroit is riding a six-game winning streak and, as of late, has been the most consistent team in the conference.

Boston charged out of the gates early, but after blowing teams out for the first 15 games, they have lost eight and won several nail-biters. The injury bug is slowly catching up with the Celtics and they seem to have lost a step or two.

The Pistons have played together with this same core for over 4 years and know what it takes to win. Add to that, the Celts still have two Western road trips where they have to travel to Denver, Golden State, Phoenix, and Portland in one trip, and San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, and New Orleans in the other.

Detroit does not have to endure either of these daunting tasks. The two teams will probably meet in the Eastern Conference Finals, but it will be the Palace that hosts a potential Game Seven.

4. The Suns will still not find a way to beat the Spurs.

Plain and simple, Phoenix does not match up well with San Antonio. There is no one to defend Tim Duncan, and the Spurs do an excellent job of keeping Steve Nash out of the paint where he's so dangerous.

Even last night without Tony Parker, the Spurs still managed to win in Phoenix with Jacque Vaughn at point guard.

Add to that, while the Suns are 19-2 against the East this year, they're just 14-12 against the West. If the Suns want any shot of finally getting to the finals, they need to step it up against their own conference.

With Damon Stoudamire arriving in the upcoming days and Parker returning to the lineup after the All-Star break, the Spurs will once again dominate the Suns. San Antonio always has a pretty average first half and then turns on the gas after the break.

Let's see if they can do it again.

5. The Eastern Conference playoff picture will have been Uggggglyyyy.

Right now the final two spots in the East belong to the Atlanta Hawks and New Jersey Nets, who are six and seven games under .500, respectively. With Jason Kidd possibly on the way out of New Jersey, the Nets might be looking to rebuild and get a lottery pick.

Atlanta, on the other hand, might be looking to acquire a point guard to try and make a playoff run for the first time in years. Aside from New York and Miami, every other team in the East is no more than 2.5 games back of the Nets for that final playoff spot, so whichever team is the hottest at the end of the season will probably claim the eighth seed.

Finals Prediction (based solely on what we've seen in the first half of the season and disregarding history):

Dallas Mavericks over Detroit Pistons in six games

One Day at a Time: Too Much Stock in the NFL Combine

Jordan Alexander — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 05:16:05 -0500

NFL organizations take one day of a college player working out, and say it's more important than his entire career.

One day!

That's just what they do when it comes to the NFL combine.

When I watch the NFL draft each year, all I hear is Mel Kiper talking about players' 40 times, or how many times they benched 350, or which guys have 36-inch verticals.

Frankly, these numbers mean nothing to me. Unfortunately, NFL GMs don't feel the same way.

In 2003, Terrell Suggs—undoubtedly the best defensive end in college—dropped all the way to tenth in the draft, because he had a bad combine. They said he didn't run the 40 fast enough. Exactly how many times does a defensive end run 40 yards on one play?

At most, twice a game (once trying to catch a guy breaking a long touchdown run, and maybe once blocking on an interception return).

Defensive ends run maybe 8 yards on one play. The 40 time for this position—along with many others—is completely meaningless.

Baltimore scored huge, converting Suggs to an outside linebacker in his rookie year, where he recorded 12 sacks and one interception on his way to become Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

Randy Moss is another story. The guy dominates his college career at Marshall, has "character issues," and falls all the way to #21, behind Kevin Dyson. Can anyone tell me where Dyson is now? His combine numbers pushed him all the way up to the 16th pick.

Jay Cutler, on the other hand, did not put up enormous numbers in college. In his junior season at Vanderbilt, he threw for under 2,000 yards and just 10 TDs. His senior was solid, and he threw for over 3,000 yards and 21 touchdowns.

But Cutler's draft stock rose primarily due to his bench press repetitions and 40 time at the combine. Again, how often do QBs run 40 yards? Once...when they get picked off and have to chase down the defender.

Cutler, a virtual nonentity for the majority of his college career, skyrocketed to 11th in the draft. 11th! And how's Cutler doing now? As Borat would say, Cutler is doing well—[pause]—NOT!

It's almost like a college football player's career is completely disregarded for the sake of one day. What's worse, the categories measured at the combine have no bearing on how this player will actually fare in the NFL.

I don't care how fast a guy is, how high he can jump, or how much weight he can press. I care about what he's actually done on the field in real game situations.

If two players are of more or less equal skill and have put up similar numbers in college, maybe it's appropriate to look for physical attributes to break the tie—but never should they be the reason to draft someone.

It's like the SAT or LSAT. You work your tail off in high school or college, have a great GPA, but that one Saturday you just weren't feeling it. Oh well, guess you won't get into Harvard after all. Looks like community college for you. Four years of hard work and solid grades mean nothing, because for three hours on a Saturday morning at some ungodly hour, you didn't quite perform up to your ability.

NFL teams, like colleges and graduate schools, should look at the bigger picture. If a guy led college every year in receiving yards and touchdowns, who cares if his 40 time is 0.2 seconds slower, or that he can only bench 275? Clearly, the guy has talent.

I'm not saying the combine has no value, but it should be used compare players of more or less equal talent. Seeing someone's draft stock either rise or fall dramatically due to one workout is what makes for so many questionable draft choices in football.

Jaguars-Steelers: A Two-Point Conversion Case Study

Jordan Alexander — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 02:01:16 -0500

Saturday's AFC Wild Card matchup between the Jaguars and Steelers was one of the more exciting playoff games I've ever seen.

Although the Jags jumped out to a 28-10 lead, Pittsburgh was able to work its way back into the game behind a solid second-half performance from Ben Roethlisberger.

But it was too little too late for the Steelers, as Jacksonville drove down the field in the final minutes for what would be a game-winning field goal.

Many Pittsburgh fans will want to blame the loss on Roethlisberger, who threw three interceptions and fumbled in the final minute to secure the game for the Jags. Yes, the turnovers definitely hurt—but then again the Steelers were still in it in the final minutes.

In truth, what really lost the game for Pittsburgh was two poor coaching decisions by Mike Tomlin.

Down 28-23 with four minutes left after a Heath Miller touchdown, Tomlin decided to go for two to make it a three-point game. The Steelers didn't convert, and remained down five.

It seemed meaningless at the time—but after David Garrard was intercepted again, the Steelers found the end zone and went up 29-28.

The failure on the first conversion compelled Tomlin to go for two again—and the try was once again unsuccessful.

Here's a message to Tomlin and every other coach in the league: Only go for two if you absolutely HAVE TO.

Had Pittsburgh taken the extra point in each of those scenarios, they would've been up 31-28 at the end—and Josh Scobee's field goal would have only forced overtime. I realize there were under four minutes left when Miller scored to make it 28-23, but you never know what will happen down the stretch.

My two cents: If you're down by two or up by one in the final two minutes, you should go for two. Outside of a few other special situations, that's it.

Coaches like to rely on a chart to tell them when to try the two-point conversion—but the chart is based solely on probability, and not on the flow of the game.

Aside from Garrard's two late interceptions, the Jags dominated the game. Still, the Steelers were well within reach in the fourth quarter—and had they simply chosen to take the easy points, they might be the ones gearing up for the next round of the playoffs.

Tomlin is a rookie coach, and I hope he's learned his lesson. For now, it's congrats to the Jags.