Bleacher Report - Articles by Alan Carter

Rockets-Lakers, Magic-Celtics: Drama in the NBA Playoffs

Alan Carter — Thu, 07 May 2009 03:11:49 -0400

While Dallas and Cleveland look like they might run away with their respective series, the other two semifinals matchups are tied up—and are getting more physical by the game.

Orlando vs. Boston

Boston tied the series up with a 112-94 shellacking of Orlando.

While the game was over early, Rafer Alston kept the drama and the comedy alive with an open hand slap to the back of Eddie House's head after House buried a three and turned up court.

House was on fire, tonight scoring a game and career playoff high with 31.

While the slap seemed harmless, Alston will probably be suspended for game three. Orlando will have to play more focused, and Dwight Howard must rebound better and control the paint. Boston can’t count on another 31 points from House, who shot 11 of 14 and made all four of his three point attempts.

Orlando seemed unmotivated to play this game, and the frustration Alston expressed on the back of House’s head cost them their starting point guard. They can rebound with their home crowd behind them, but they can’t let Boston shoot 51 percent from the field.

Los Angeles vs. Houston

This series has seen Yao Ming hobble off the court and return. Shane Battier looked like a pro wrestler after an elbow cut open a gash above Battier’s eye, which required four stitches.

Derek Fisher shoulder charged Luis Scola as Scola came to set a pick. Fisher was promptly issued a flagrant two and ejected from the game.

As Ron Artest and Kobe Bryant struggled for a rebound, Bryant elbowed Artest in the throat. Artest was assessed a foul, and after expressing his displeasure with an official ran across court to Bryant and let him know “he wasn’t going to react.” Artest was separated from Bryant and ejected.

All of this along with some extremely physical play by everyone.

Whew. And this is only in the first two games.

While the physical play has made both games enjoyable to watch, Houston's ability to take game one has made this series very intriguing.

Houston will have to continue the physical play and hope Battier and Artest can frustrate Bryant enough. Bryant shot 59 percent in game two, scoring 40 points. Even for Bryant, that is well above his 46 percent season average.

Houston has a real chance to win this series because Artest creates so many matchup problems. Yao has shown in game one that he is capable of having a big game against Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

And as Kenny Smith said, Houston has “pit bulls.” Carl Landry, Chuck Hayes, Luis Scola, Battier, and Artest all play hard and never take off a playoff minute.

Los Angles is a better team, but Houston doesn’t care. Los Angles showed a weakness last year against physical teams when Boston took the title.

This year, Los Angeles might not even taste the Conference Finals.

Dallas Cowboys' Strategy Against the Pittsburgh Steelers

Alan Carter — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:00:22 -0500

Offense

The Cowboys don’t need the run to pass the ball but it would greatly help against the sack leaders of the NFL. Marion Barber might be out with a injured foot. If Barber can’t play, rookie Tashard Choice will start.

Choice had consecutive 1,300 yard seasons at Georgia Tech. Barber will be missed most of all in the pass blocking. Look for the Cowboys to use a lot of two-tight-end sets to help with the Pittsburgh linebackers.

Leonard Davis can match up against Pro-Bowl nose tackle Casey Hampton. If Davis can keep Hampton from taking on double teams, the Cowboys will be able to run the ball.

Jason Witten looks to be an important part of the piece but will go against Troy Polamalu, one of the best safeties in the league. Martellus Bennett has shown Tony Romo that he is a worthy option.

Romo must extend the play just that extra second that he does so well at. Romo has only been sacked eight times on the season. If Romo can avoid the rush, he should see big things downfield.

Owens will definitely get a safety over top, so look for Roy Williams to play a larger role. He should garner single coverage most of the day and has the skill set to take advantage.

Defense

The Cowboys are second in sacks, only two behind Pittsburgh. DeMarcus Ware is expected to play and now leads the NFL with 15 sacks.

The Steelers have struggled with protecting Ben Roethlisberger and it has shown up in his stats. Ben has thrown 12 interceptions to only 13 touchdowns.

The Cowboys will set Ware loose on Ben. Jay Ratliff is having a season year with six sacks. Ben has been sacked 33 times this season; second worst in the league.

Mewelde Moore and Willie Parker will share the load. Parker is fast, but could blow a tire any play. Moore is a shifty runner that can catch the ball. Neither is known for pushing the pile.

The Cowboys have been playing fantastic red-zone defense. Pittsburgh lacks a goal-line back so Ben will probably be asked to punch it in the end zone.

Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes are playing well, but are seeing the ball less and less. The odd statistic is that Ben is being sacked less than he was last year.

If Ben can stay upright long enough the Cowboys are notoriously bad against the long throw. The mere seconds of space between Ware and Roethlisberger could decide the game.

Special Teams

Sam Paulescu has filled in admirably for injured punter Mat McBriar. Paulescu already has more downs in the 20 than McBriar.

Nick Folk has made 15 of his 17 field goal attempt and is a reliable kick from 40 and 50 yards away.

Orlando Scandrick or Isaiah Stanback will fill in as Kickoff returners. Neither one can match the speed that Felix Jones had but do an admirable job. Patrick Crayton will return punts. The most important thing is that none of them have fumbled.

DeMarcus Ware and Marion Barber "Day-to-Day; Kyle Kosier Out for Season

Alan Carter — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:52:04 -0500

DeMarcus Ware and Marion Barber both left Thursdays win against the Seahawks with injuries.

Barber had his foot stepped on. The X-ray reveled that no bones were broken. Barber’s right pinkie toe was dislocated. Look at Deion Sanders’ feet if you want to see what a dislocated toe can look like.

I speculate that Barber has a bruised foot and he might not be able to play.
This bruised foot would hurt Barber every time he slammed his foot into the ground.

Wade Phillips said he thinks Ware will practice but wasn’t sure on Barber’s status.

Ware left in he second half after he stumbled and hyper-extended his left knee. To add insult to injury, 325 lbs Walter Jones crushed Ware with a perfect gorilla splash.

Kyle Kosier started at left guard for all 16 games last season. He only managed three this year. Kosier fractured his right foot and was placed on IR after a few failed attempts to return. Kosier will undergo surgery sometime this week.

Montrae Holland and Cory Procter will fill in for Kosier.

Cowboys-Seahawks: Dallas Shoot Down Seahawks

Alan Carter — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:19:22 -0500

The Dallas Cowboys looked very strong against a bad Seattle Seahawks on Thanksgiving Day.

The Dallas defense swarmed Matt Hasselback, sacking him seven times in the 34-9 victory. The seven sacks were the most the Cowboys had collected in a game in over a decade.

DeMarcus Ware collected three sacks and now leads the league with 15.

The defense also continued its great red-zone defense, limiting the Seahawks to three field goals.

The offense played well from the beginning, something they have been struggling to do. Romo found Martellus Bennett in the first quarter for Bennett’s third straight game with a touchdown. The young rookie out of Texas A&M has been a welcomed edition, especially with Jason Witten suffering from a broken rib.

Romo kept everyone happy and found both Witten and Owens often. Romo has sparked the offense in only ways he can. It’s amazing to think this is the same team that lost to the Rams earlier in the season.

Late injuries to Ware and Marion Barber don’t look to be serious. The Cowboys need Barber to be healthy not only for his rushing offense but for his pass blocking skills. The Steelers will test the pocket and blitz heavily if Barber isn’t able to go.

The Cowboys looked good against a bad team. The still have things to prove and have a hard remaining schedule. The Cowboys did what they were supposed to do today, beat up a bad team. They will have to continue to play like this to make the playoffs.

Can Wizards Find New Life Under Tapscott?

Alan Carter — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 11:11:04 -0500

The Wizards rallied around newly-instated coach Ed Tapscott in a 124-100 win against Golden State on Tuesday.

The Wizards stopped a five-game losing streak and played their best basketball of the season. The Wizards had season-highs in points (124), rebounds (54), assists (27) and turnovers (20).

The Wizards played a bad Golden State Warriors team and this win should be taken with a grain of salt. There are still reasons to be optimistic, however, because of the changes Tapscott made.

JaVale McGee started and showed his great athletic ability. Mcgee did his best Tyson Chandler impression on a few ally-oops. He finished with a season-high 14 points

Tapscott ran more plays and created isolation for Jamison, Butler, and Blatche. The Wizards usually run a Princeton-style offense, which promotes ball movement around the arc.

Andrey Blatche seemed to benefit the most off of this new offensive approach. Blatche finished with 25 points. He showed off a great mid-range jumper and a strong first step

Blatche also had five blocks and 12 rebounds. I think he needs to be involved in the offense and it will trickle down into his defense. Blatche’s ability has never been questioned—his will has.

Tapscott, former Bobcat president, has been the Wizards director of player development for more than a year. If the Wizards have any chance of being successful, McGee and Blatche will have to play key roles. Expect them to get the minutes under Tapscott.

I’m excited to see how Tapscott will change the Wizards. Most expect him to take a front office job after a replacement is found, but don’t think Tapscott can’t be bit by the coaching bug.

Cowboys-Redskins: Marion Barber Rushes Dallas to Win

Alan Carter — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:42:35 -0500

The Cowboys needed a win Sunday, or a playoff berth would have looked very far away. A season sweep by the Redskins is never welcomed in Texas either.

The Cowboys rallied behind Tony Romo, who missed the last three games and defeated the Redskins 14-10.

The Cowboys started off shaky, going three and out on their first drive. The Redskins immediately marched down the field and scored a touchdown.

While Romo looked rusty, as he had two interceptions in Redskins territory, he was able to move the ball, something Bollinger and Johnson hadn’t been able to do.

Romo was able to avoid the Redskins' pass rush and move the Cowboys on a touchdown drive shortly before the first half. They left too much time on the clock, though, and the Redskins retook the lead with a Suisham field goal.

The Cowboys defense stiffened even more in the second half, and Terence Newman limited noted Cowboy killer Santana Moss to only 29 yards receiving. Jay Ratliff had good pressure all day on Campbell and pushed the Redskins out of field goal range with a sack.

The Cowboys scored in the fourth quarter on a terrific pass from Romo into double coverage to rookie tight end Martellus Bennett to put the Cowboys up 14-10.

The Redskins failed to convert a 4th-and-5 in Dallas territory, and Dallas’ closer came in to finish the game.

Marion Barber touched the ball on all 11 of the Cowboys' plays as they ran out the clock. Barber finished with 114 yards on the ground and led the Cowboys in receptions with six and receiving yards with 39.

The Cowboys played a hard game against a good team in Washington, but they still face a touch stretch in December to make the playoffs.

Next game: San Francisco @ Dallas

How North Carolina Can Win the BCS Championship

Alan Carter — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:33:13 -0500

The odds are that this will not happen, but I’m sure crazier things have happened. First off, North Carolina must win out. They have to beat Maryland, North Carolina State, Duke, and win the ACC championship, which will probably be against Florida State. They will have a record of 11-2.

If they do this, they will have to have a lot of help, but it is possible. Fifteen teams are ahead of UNC in the BCS. The records below are what they would be if these teams lose every game they possibly can.

BCS Standings

1. Alabama (13-0) Win against Mississippi State, Auburn, and Florida in SEC Championship.

2. Texas Tech (10-3) Lose to Oklahoma State, Baylor, and Missouri in Big 12 Championship.

3. Texas (9-3) Lose to Kansas and Texas A&M.

4. Florida (8-5) Lose to South Carolina, Citadel, and Florida State.

5. Oklahoma (9-2) Lose to Oklahoma State.

6. USC (8-4) Lose to Stanford, Notre Dame, and UCLA. Double Bonus Points for North Carolina beating Notre Dame earlier this season.

7. Utah (10-2) Lose to San Diego State and BYU.

8. Penn State (9-3) Lose to Indiana and Michigan State.

9. Boise State (9-3) Lose to Idaho, Nevada, and Fresno State.

10. Ohio State (8-4) Lose to Illinois and Michigan.

11. TCU (9-3) Lose to Air Force.

12. Missouri (9-4) Lose to Iowa State and Kansas. Win in Big 12 Championship against Texas Tech.

13. Oklahoma State (9-3) Lose to Colorado. Win against Oklahoma.

14. Ball State (9-4) Lose to Miami (OH), Central Michigan, Western Michigan, and Akron in MAC Championship.

15. Michigan State (10-2) Win against Penn State.

So if all this happens and UNC wins out, then it is possible that they could be in the BCS Championship. They should at least be in the discussion. Then they will go to Miami and destroy the Crimson Tide. At least that’s how it looks in my mind.

I'm Tired: A Washington Wizards Fan

Alan Carter — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 07:30:12 -0500

Deshawn Stevenson

I can still see you. I wish I couldn't, but I can.

I'm tired of seeing you shoot fade away three pointers. Some people call you a defensive stopper. The only thing I have ever seen you stop is the ball from going in the basket.

I'm tired of you playing like it’s a pick up game. Do you ever think of mixing it up? Does the idea that shooting a mid-range jumper could improve your three-point shooting ever enter your beard?

You call out Lebron James, and he stomps us. You give a player that is all power and make him angry. You invite Soulja Boy to a game. He has a song entitled “Booty Meat.” At least you won the beard contest.

Andray Blatche

You have it. I have seen you have it. I've seen the hook-shots, the smooth shot, the blocks, the incredible athletic ability. I've also seen you think you’re the best player on the court. That hasn't been fact since you left high school.

Why can’t you be a big man? Why can’t you play in the post? I’m tired of waiting on you to realize your potential. At least Kwame Brown got us Caron Butler.

Gilbert Arenas

I’m tired of seeing Butler and Antwan Jamison play 44 minutes per game because they have to. Are you the difference between a .500 team and a championship, or a player that might be injured and never be the player he once was? Can you be?

You’ve played only a handful of games in the last two years. You’re a Washington Wizard for life and so am I. So now we live with each other and I wonder.

I hope you come back. I wish it every time I see an offense that struggles to find a shot. It hurts me more when I see Deshawn taking shots you would have taken. I don’t remember you Gilbert, I hope we can be requited one day.

Injuries

I know it happens to all teams, but not like this. This is a higher power looking down and punishing us for allowing Michael Jordan to come back, for making a high school kid the number one pick. For letting Richard Hamilton go. We must pay the sacrifice.

Jump shots

I shoot them because I’m small. You shoot them because you’re the Wizards. Does anyone else run a college offense? I don’t think I have ever seen a pick and roll with Jamison. I see it with Boozer and Williams, but never with one of the best shooting power forwards in the game. Instead, I see one-on-one jukes and fade away jumpers.

I love the Wizards. I have been a fan since Jordan joined. That makes me somewhat of a fair-weather fan, but I have been through the playoff win against the Bulls, through Lebron talking to Gilbert at the free-throw line and so on.

I hope everything I have said will be wrong. I hope the Wizards go undefeated the rest of the season and I hope Gilbert never misses a shot again. Go Wiz.

Dallas Cowboys at St. Louis Rams: Recap

Alan Carter — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 09:51:26 -0400

Dallas entered their game against the Rams with questions at the quarterback position. Wade Phillips got his way and Brad Johnson was the starter with Tony Romo as the second string QB.

After Dallas’ first drive, it seemed they would be OK with Johnson at the helm. T.O. got involved. Marion Barber accounted for 45 yards on the ground and ended the drive with a touchdown. It was all down hill after the extra point.

The Rams responded with a 42-yard touchdown pass to Donnie Avery and reeled off 34 straight points. Steven Jackson made swiss cheese out of the Dallas defense as he racked up 160 yards on the ground and three touchdowns.

Maybe Roy L. Williams is important on the defense.

Newly acquired Roy E. Williams, who had no stats for the game, probably felt like he was still in Detroit. Owens was held for only two receptions and was more of a decoy than anything.

Brad Johnson, who was touted as a veteran quarterback that wouldn’t make the careless mistakes that Romo would, had three interceptions. Johnson connected on only 50 percent of his passes and looked flustered in the pocket as the Rams were able to get pressure throughout the game.

The Cowboys entered the half down 24-7, but Romo was left on the bench through the entire game. I expect Jerry will make sure Tony will be starting next week against the Bucs.

Romo in or out will not matter if the defense continues to play as it did today. Steven Jackson came into this game averaging of 3.6 ypc averaged 6.4 in this game. The defense was able to get to Marc Bulger, but the entire league has, so that is nothing to be proud of.

This is a team that looks disorganized—from management to players. This could turn into a long season if the Cowboys don’t stop overlooking teams and believing they are the better team.

As we have found out in the past two weeks, they aren’t.

Final Score: St. Louis 34, Dallas 14