Bleacher Report - Articles by nick bowen

JJ Redick-Adam Morrison: How The Mighty Have Fallen

nick bowen — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:03:48 -0500

Just three years ago Adam Morrison of Gonzaga, and JJ Redick of Duke shook up the college world and made it there own personal show with Redick putting up 40 on Texas one night and Morrison the next.

Now both are fighting just to get 20 minutes of playtime. Does any one remember Redick, the man who was possibly the greatest shooter in NCAA history, or Morrison who, in 2006, actually averaged 2.5 more points in a game then Redick, battling him for the right to be named NCAA Player of the Year.

After this famous bout for the POY, both were lottery picks in the NBA draft, with Morrison going third to the Charlotte Bobcats, and Redick going 11th to the Orlando Magic.

When Micheal Jordan drafted Morrison with the third overall pick expectations for the Gonzaga star were sky high. He began his career on the bench battling for the starting job.

Two months into the season Morrison set a career high with 30 points. To this day that stands as his career high. Also Morrison's liabilities on defense began to show as his minutes took a spin. In his rookie year he averaged 11.8 points, respectful for his rookie season.

Every thing came crashing down when in Oct. 2007 Morrison landed harshly in a preseason game. He tore his left ACL. He went on to miss the rest of the season.

Morrison is only averaging 4.9 points ever since he returned last fall. He has become a forgetten man as he averages only 15.3 minutes per game. He has spent the time in a bench-warmer role behined Raja Bell, and Matt Carroll.

Even when Carroll got traded to Dallas the next game Morrison played only seven minutes and scored one point.

Redick has only played in about 90 games since entering the league. Like Morrison, Redick has trouble staying on his man on defense. One can argue that Redick is too small to play shooting guard listed at only 6'4".

Head coach Stan Van Gundy tells Redick that he better hit your jump shots or else he is out when he enters games. Ever since those comments Redick has requested a trade many times.

This season though, mostly in recent months, Redick has cracked the rotation. He had a four-game run of double-digit points in January and has kept up with that rhythm ever since.

Van Gundy likes Redick offensively and has said he doesn't hurt them on the defense side of the ball. Even with Redick's current hot streak there are rumors he could be dealt to Phoenix, although it is very unlikley a trade will happen.

Redick, 24, expects nothing more, or anything for his stake.

"I,ve started games, then I've been totally out of the rotation, and then I've been back in."

Redick's career high is 18 points, set against the Washington Wizards last year. This year he averaging 17.4 minutes and 5.9 points.

People are still wondering how two college superstars of that caliber fall so short of maybe the unrealistic expectations surrounding them.

Maybe it was the explosive scoring output they put up in college, or maybe it was just the fact that there just not that talented.

Maybe its the fact that Redick and Morrison are realizing the fact that people in the NBA are bigger and more athletic. Now players can create there own shots, and there's a huge difference in running an offense alll about you rather than being a fourth or fifth option.

Ever since Redicks output in January, he's barley scoring in Febuary, while Morrison was traded to the Lakers, to possible fight for a starting job. Wow, one of my friends said at dinner, how the might have fallen.

Major League Baseball Top Eight Disappointments: Numbers Eight Thru Six Part 2

nick bowen — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 05:45:56 -0400

Getting off my other list only three teams are show. Now the other five are coming p on this list. Here they are.

5) Colorado Rockies:

What many people are thinking is "well it's obvious the Rockies wouldn't be playing at a very high level." Well for most of that, you're wrong.

Many people picked the Rockies to win in the NL West, and even though they still have a surprisingly good chance at winning the West, the most disappointing part of this matter is that the same players that won 21 out of 22 or something like that a year ago are under performing.

Drastically. We all know Todd Helton is up there in age, but this guy's home runs are going down every year. Jeff Francis, a 17 game-winner last year, is struggling and Matt Holiday is not hitting with as much power as he can. All of these issues must be fixed, or else you might see some players on the trade block or released.

4) Cleveland Indians:

For a team that was in the championship game up three games to one over the Boston Red Sox, a team that could almost taste the World Series, is under performing. Their top pitcher and defending Cy Young winner CC Sabathia has a losing, with a mark of 6-8, and his ERA is 3.78.

He's also on the trading block, and could get shipped to New York. Even worse is Fausto Carmona, who is injured. Even up to the point of the injury, he was under performing with a record of 4-3. These Indians better get things together fast, or else a firesale is sure to come.

3) New York Yankees:

The Yankees have a winning record, but have been up-and-down. They had a shitty start, a seven-game win streak, a shitty road trip. What the Yankees need to do to get back in the race for the AL East (7-and-a-half back) is win 15 straight games, so Tampa and Boston can go into a mini-slump.

When the Yankees did win seven straight, both Boston and Tampa went 7-3 compared to New York's 8-2. These Yankees young guns and older players better put the season back in place, or else the Yankees post-season appearance streak of nine will in fact be over

2) New York Mets:

For a team that has David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, and Jose Reyes this team has to be the most under performing team in the league. There's one exception: Johan Santana.

Thats right. If anyones say Santana is under performing think again. His 7-7 record is the Mets fault, because a guy with an 2.91 ERA a week ago should actually be 13 and 1.

In just about every loss this year for Santana, the Mets score a run or less. This team was chosen by many to make it to the World Series, and possibly win it, but all that has changed at 41-42.

1) Detroit Tigers:

The Detroit Tigers weren't a pick to win the World Series. They were the pick. Now they have been hot, but are in third place in the Central after acquiring Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera from the Marlins .

While Willis is in Single-A ball, Cabrera is slightly declining. Now, Magglio Ordonez is on the disabled list. Also, Justin Verlander has been disappointing. Now, the Tigers need to start thinking about the future.

2008 NFL Draft: Top Three Running Backs

nick bowen — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:17:44 -0400

The 2008 NFL draft is only a couple of weeks away. Here are the top three running backs to watch for...

1. Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois

5-11, 210 pounds 40 time-4.48 Projection: 1st round

I know all of you are wondering why I put him at No. 1, but in my eyes, he is the best back of the class. He has the balance of an Adrian Peterson type of back.

He runs tough, is an average pass catcher and puts in extra effort so his team can win. If you are wondering why the Illini were so good this year, you need look no further than this guy. What you do need to watch out for though is he was only a lead back in his junior season.

2. Jonathan Stewart, Oregon

5-11, 235 pounds 40 time-4.48 Projection: 1st round

Virtually no scout thinks much of Stewart. They don't think about his stop-watch speed or his junior season. I have watched plenty of video of his breakaway speed, and he looks better then maybe even Mendenhall for balance.

Stewart is the perfect blend of speed and power a team would want in a running back. Watch out for the same thing in Stewart as with Mendenhall. He only started his junior season.

3. Darren McFadden, Arkansas

6-2, 210 pounds 40 time-4.38 Projection: 1st round

McFadden is basically a bigger and stronger Marshal Faulk. Even though he's No. 3 on my list, I think he may be better than the two above him.

He can catch the ball, run hard and get you those extra three yards for the first down. There's also his trouble holding the ball during his career in Arkansas.

In his three years, he fumbled 15 times and recovered it only five times. Don't listen to the critics. McFadden is a good guy who gets in trouble for the dumbest reasons.

New England Patriots: the Greatest Team Not to Win the Super Bowl

nick bowen — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:33:29 -0500

Finally, this series concludes with the greatest team in NFL history not to win the Super Bowl.

1. 2007 New England Patriots

Record: 16-0
Home: 8-0
Away: 8-0
Point Differential: +315
Turnover Margin: +16

Let's face it, this team could be the greatest of all time. Statistically, this is the top team ever. With Tom Brady, Wes Welker, Randy Moss, and the rest of the team leading the way, the Patriots ruled the NFL like no team has ever done.

In the first 10 games New England registered blowouts, and later in the season they showed they could win any kind of game against any kind of team.

Tom Brady threw an NFL-record 50 touchdown passes, Randy Moss caught another NFL record 23 touchdowns, while the Pats scored an NFL-record 589 points.

With arguably the NFL's most explosive offense ever and a stingy defense, the Patriots could have gone down as the undisputed greatest.

Instead, they'll always be remembered for the game they lost, and not the 18 they won.

College Football: A Sneak Peek at Next Year's Top 25

nick bowen — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:57:48 -0500

While doing some research on college, I saw some teams who deserved to be in the Top 25 next year, and some who didn't. So, once again I have another Top 25 list for the 2008 college football season. I even put in some bowl predictions at the end.

25.Miami

24.TCU

23.Georgia Tech

22.South Florida

21. Kentucky

20.Nebraska

19.Boise State

18.Tennessee

17.Penn state

16.Auburn

15.Clemson

14.Arizona State

13.Virgina Tech

12.Illinois

11.Wisconsin

10.Texas

With Quarterback Colt McCoy at his prime in the college game, the Longhorns must improve their running game and secondary.

9.Missouri

The Heisman finalist, Chase Daniel returns, and Jeremy Maclin lead a 12-win team with 16 starters returning.

8.Kansas

The 12-1 Orange bowl champs have nearly their whole entire defense and quarterback Tood Reesing returning.

7.West Virginia

Pat White and Noel Devine lead another explosive offense, but new coach Bill Stewart is still not clicking to me.

6.LSU

11 starters have to be replaced, but the Tigers are set at QB with Ryan Perrilloux.

5.Florida

Running back Emmanuel Moody joins Tim Tebow in the backfield, but the Gators' defense must improve.

4.USC

These Trojans are loaded with young talent, such as Rey Maualuga. Also. Coach Pete Carrol's recruting will load this team for years to come. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the Trojans won the National Championship.

3.Oklahoma

The Sooners have almost their entire offense back, but their defensive performance in the Fiesta Bowl raises questions.

2.Ohio State

The Buckeyes lose only two starters from a team that went to the national title.

1.Georgia

There are 17 starters back on a team that's defense showed up every game in seven straight wins, and QB Matthew Stafford and running back Knowshon Moreno return to lead the offense.

Bowl Predictions

I some of you will be mad about my bowl predictions, because even though Ohio State is No. 2, I didn't put them in the national title, but it's still a good prediction...

Fiesta Bowl

In the Fiesta Bowl, it will be a match-up of The Oklahoma Sooners vs. the LSU Tigers with the Tigers taking away another Fiesta Bowl from the Sooners.

Orange Bowl

This game will be a match-up of the Kansas Jayhawks and the Virgina Tech Hokies, with the ACC champs getting upset by the 'Hawks.

Sugar Bowl

In the Sugar Bowl, I'm going with the Florida Gators and the West Virgania Mountaineers, with Florida winning a close game featuring high powered offenses going at it until the final seconds of the game.

Rose Bowl

In the Rose Bowl, I am picking the Arizona State Sun Devils vs. the Ohio State Buckeyes, with Ohio State destroying the Sun Devils in the Grandaddy of them all.

BCS Championship Game

Finally for the Championship, I'm picking the USC Trojans too shock the Georgia Bulldogs in a thriller in which they barely pull off an upset against the nation's No. 1 team. Pete Carroll gets a Gatorade bath for the final time in his coaching career.

Teams that dropped out: Michigan, Boston College, and Cal

The Top 10 NFL Teams Not to Win the Super Bowl: Nos. 5-7

nick bowen — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 13:41:41 -0500

On Friday, I wrote my newest article chronicling the Top 10 teams to not win the Super Bowl. Here are Nos. 5-7...

7. 1992 San Francisco 49ers

Record: 14-2

Home: 7-1

Away: 7-1

Point Differential: +10.4

Turnover Margin: +7

What can we say about the '92 49ers, led by QB Steve Young and coach George Seifert, they were as dynamic as the Montana and Walsh-led 49ers of the 1980s. Looking at the numbers, they had great marks in point differential and turnover margin. They also had eight blowout wins and eight straight victories to close out the regular season. The only failing effort was the home loss to the eventual-champion Cowboys in the NFC title game.

6. 1984 Miami Dolphins

Record: 14-2

Home: 7-1

Away: 7-1

Point Differential: +13.4

The 1982 Dolphins reached Super Bowl XVII on the strength of a dominating defense. But when Miami reached the big game two years later, the team had seamlessly morphed into an offensive machine. With the emergence of wide receivers Mark Duper and Mark Clayton and would-be superstar QB Dan Marino, who would set the then league record with 48 TD passes in 1984, this team changed the game. With Marino leading the charge, the '84 Fins were virtually unstoppable. For a while that year, it seemed Dan The Man could do no wrong...until the Dolphins were throttled by the 18-1 49ers in Super Bowl XIX.

5. 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers

Record: 15-1

Home: 8-0

Away: 7-1

Point Differential: +7.6 Turnover Margin: +11

There have been only four 15-1 teams in the NFL since the league expanded the regular season to 16 games in 1978. So, the following statement shouldn't be constituted as a slap in the face to the Steel City faithful: The '04 Steelers are the worst 15-win team ever.

With that said, there aren't enough words to describe the balance between the Pittsburgh defense, ranked No. 1 in scoring that season, and the offense, helmed by rookie-QB Ben Roethlisberger. Following a Week 2 loss to Baltimore, Big Ben and the defense ripped off 14 straight victories to finish the regular season. The Steelers were similarly stellar in three telling areas: Turnover margin, blowout wins and 3-0 against playoff teams. And just like the '79 Chargers, Pittsburgh posted easy regular-season wins against the future Super Bowl combatants, New England and Philadelphia, blowing them out in back-to-back weeks.

Tom Brady Will Play on Super Bowl Sunday

nick bowen — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 08:51:08 -0500

For all of you Patriot fans who worry about Tom Brady's health and for all of you Giants fans anxious to get the news he's not playing I've got some news for you.

It was just reported everywhere he is playing. He's not out, he's not hurt; he's healthy and ready to go in what will be his fourth NFL Super Bowl appearance in his career.

So for all of you Patriots fans this is great news.Now for you Giants fans reading this, that sucks for you, but there is no denying that Tom Brady is ready to go out on the field and play to his fullest for the ultimate prize in the history of football: A Superbowl Championship.

MLB 2008: Which Mets Team Will Show Up?

nick bowen — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 08:57:52 -0500

When you think about the New York Mets' 2006 season you think they have to get back in the World Series in 2007, or at least get a playoff berth.

Now when you think about the future there's doubt. I'll even say as a Mets fan I'm in doubt and not sure if they can make the playoffs.

In my mind I'm wondering just which Mets players will show up this season: the dream team of 2006 or the faulty 2007 Mets that didn't qualify for the playoffs.

While we all know the Mets are one of the leagues most talented team, we're still left in the dust thinking if Carlos Delgado can become an All-Star again. Will Carlos Beltran and David Wright hit all of those RBI they get in key situations? Will Jose Reyes keep playing at this amazing level of speed and power?

The biggest question of all is: Will the banged-up, old pitching staff hold up the rest of the season?

All of these questions will obviously be answered during a season full of doubt. For all of you Mets fans it looks encouraging, but it's also doubtful

Super Bowl XLII: Why the New England Patriots Will Roll

nick bowen — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 09:30:31 -0500

When discussing the New England Patriots' first half of the season, we used words like "uncontainable."

Then during the second half of the season, age and fatigue made an impact, and people started to say the Patriots pulled off this season solely on luck.

Despite the setbacks, people are forgetting one thing—the Patriots are making a tradition out of winning. As far as a record goes, they are perfect.

Another aspect that is frequently forgotten are Tom Brady's options.

Think of it like this: If Randy Moss is covered, he has the choice to throw to Wes Welker.

If their both contained, what about Donte Stallworth?

If somehow he is covered as well, its either Benjamin Watson or Kyle Brady.

Then again, there's always Kevin Faulk to throw to.

What teams need to start doing is pressuring Brady—however this is complicated because of the monstrous offensive line.

But even if opposing defense protect against the pass, it's time to get the ball to Laurence Maroney—who, in the past couple of weeks, has proven to the nation that the Pats do have a running game.

On offense, opponents have to get through not only the Pats' front three, but Adalis Thomas, Mike Vrable, Tedy Brushci—and, of course, Junior Seau.

Next there's the man, Rondey Harrison. Now, what if you need to pass—as most opponents must do to stay in the game with the Pats' offense? You will be throwing right by an amazing corner, Ellis Hobbs, and one of the leagues elite corners, Asante Samuel.

Are there any weaknesses to such a great force? The answer: not many.

Next Year's College Football Top 25

nick bowen — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 14:29:19 -0500

Here for all of you anxious college football fans are good picks to next years top 25 .Just to warn you I have only written about the top 10 teams.

25.Boston college

24.TCU

23.Georgia Tech

22.South Florida

21.Kentucy

20.Nebraska

19.Cal

18.Tennessee

17.Penn state

16.Auburn

15.Illinois

14.Arizona State

13.Virgina Tech

12.Michigan

11.Wisconsin

10.Texas: With Quarterback Colt Mcoy at his prime in the college game the longhorns must improve there running game and secondary

9.LSU:11 starters have to be replaced, but the tigers are set at QB with Ryan Perrilloux

8.Kansas: The 12-1 Orang bowl champs have nearly there whole entire defense and Quarterback Tood Reesing returns

7.Florida: Runningback Emmanueul Moody joins Tim Tebow in the backfield,but the Gators defense must improve

6.Missouri: The heisman finalist Chase Daniel returns and Jeremy Maclin lead a 12 win team with 16 starters returning

5.West Virginia: Pat White and Noel Devine lead another explosive offence ,but new coach Bill Sterwt is not clicking right to me

4.USC: These Trojans are loaded with young talent such as Rey Manglunago.Also Coach Pete Carrols Recruting will load this team for years to come

3.Oklahoma: The Sooners have almost there whole offence back ,but there defensive performanse in the fieasta bowl raises all question

2.Ohio State: Ohio State loses only two starters though if players such as LB James Laurinaitis declare for the draft then I'm not sure about top 5 material

1.Georgia: There are 17 starters back on a team thats defense showed up every game in seven strong wins, and QB Matthew Stafford and Runningback Knowshon Moreno return to lead the offence