The Detroit Lions As Compared to Michigan State's Final Four Roster

Don’t ever let anyone tell you that Michigan sports are worthless.

Sure, the Pistons’ faux-dynasty is well over, the Tigers choked and blew the division last year, the Red Wings are in the bottom half of playoff seeding (which IS a down year for them), and the Wolverines didn’t make a bowl game, the NCAA Tournament, or even the Frozen Four.

And then there’s the Detroit Lions, the culprits of the deepest wounds among true Michigan sports fans. No elaboration necessary, I’m certain.

But there’s also the Spartans of Michigan State University, making their second consecutive Final Four appearance, in the face of injuries, low seeding, and the Midwest division, unanimously considered the strongest of the NCAA tournament divisions.

Unless you’re a devoted Wolverine fan (and deep down, maybe still), it’s hard not to like this team, which, in accordance with the cliché police, I will avoid calling “scrappy.” So for all the Lions fans still licking their wounds over the 2-30 record the team posted to close the decade, here’s something to smile about as the NFL draft approaches.

Here is how the Detroit Lions’ current roster compares to the championship-contending Spartans.

Matthew Stafford is Kalin Lucas

Similar circumstances here. They’ve both earned the accolade of being considered their respective teams’ leaders, and the world is learning their names.

And then, just as it looks like things are taking off, the injury bug bites, and they’re done for the rest of the season, leaving the rest of the team to look around and ask, “now what?” Bonus: In both cases, at least one of the players filling in for the injured player was from Michigan State (hint: Drew Stanton).

Of course, the teams took opposite paths since the moment of injury: The Lions haven’t won a game since Stafford’s injury, and Sparty hasn’t lost since Lucas’ injury.

In addition, the Spartans have gone on to play increasingly high-profile games as they progress through the NCAA Tournament, and the Lions, at the time of Stafford’s injury, were once again jockeying for draft position. But then, if the Lions were jockeying for playoff position last season, I wouldn’t have to write this article so Lions fans (myself included) can fantasize about the Lions being a championship-caliber team, now would I?

DeAndre Levy is Korie Lucious

Raise your hand if you smacked your forehead when Ernie Sims, easily considered the Lions’ best defensive player at the time, went down with an injury last year.

Yeah, me too. And like me, you probably started feeling a lot better once you saw the play of DeAndre Levy.

In similar fashion, when Kalin Lucas came up limp against Maryland, a knot formed in your stomach. And when Korie Lucious came onto the floor and put up 13 points including a game-winning three at the buzzer, it probably loosened a little.

Neither Lucious or Levy came in to become statistical behemoths, but both have provided steady play in place of an injured star and team leader, and seem to find themselves involved in the big plays.

Calvin Johnson is Durrell Summers

Most athletic player on the team. Fantastic conditioning. Freakish leaping ability. Draws lots of double teams.

Which player am I talking about? Exactly. Even I’m not sure.

The two are even built similarly. Summers is listed at six-foot-four, 205 pounds; Johnson at six-foot-five, 235. Of course, that makes Johnson tower over his opponents, and Summers a little guy, but let’s not get into semantics.

What’s important here is that both players have become go-to guys for their team, making the players around them better. Both of them have had their primary ball-distributor go down with injury (Lucas/Stafford), but neither have let it stop them.

Sadly, there is not yet any way to know whether Calvin Johnson would perform like Durrell Summers in the postseason (Summers has averaged 20 points per game in the NCAA Tournament, twice his college career average).

Jason Hanson is Raymar Morgan

Alright, let’s be fair. Even after a down year, Hanson’s field goal percentage is a LOT higher than Morgan’s. But Morgan is Sparty’s only senior starter, and Hanson is, far and away, the longest-tenured Detroit Lion.

And it’s not just length of service that makes these two similar. It’s their steady, consistent production. Over four years at Michigan State, Morgan has averaged between 10 and 14 points per game, and between 5.2 and 6.2 rebounds per game each year.

Like Hanson, Morgan’s stats don’t typically dazzle, but they also never suffer a dramatic decrease. And after hitting the game-winning free throw against Tennessee, Morgan also showed he can come through in the clutch, not unlike Motown’s favorite leg.

Dominic Raiola is Draymond Green

Neither of these guys are the best players on their team. Maybe not even the best in their unit. They’re certainly not the biggest. And yet, both find a way to get their respective jobs done.

Only in basketball would Draymond Green be considered small. But the 6'6" forward is just that, when he’s battling with the big bodies on the inside. And yet, on a team whose strength is rebounding, he leads the team in rebounds. On a team that preaches defense, he is second in blocked shots. In other words, despite his physical size, Green dominates in the “big man” categories.

Raiola is never bigger than the guy he’s up against, either. He’s a couple inches shorter and about 30 pounds lighter than he’d like to be for any given matchup, and like Green, he’s always up against the biggest guys in the building. Sometimes he beats his man, sometimes he doesn’t, but his high motor and intensity are what make him a match for his opponent in the first place.

No word yet on whether Green shares Raiola’s penchant for shouting at fans or flipping them off.

Kevin Smith is Chris Allen

Ideally, both of these guys see themselves as deep threats. Allen loves the three-ball, Smith wants to take it to the house on every carry. Both see varying degrees of success.

In the NCAA Tournament, Allen is 2-for-8 from deep, and Smith… well, let’s just say he didn’t reach his rookie season goal of 20 touchdowns. Though if Smith has a breakout season, he could reach 20 career touchdowns in his third season.

Allen and Smith both have had a difficult time notching a consistent level of playing time as well. Though they each show flashes of brilliance, they have issues with consistency, partially because they both seem to be playing with consistently nagging injuries.

If they played to their potential every game, they would be among their teams’ best players, but neither has mustered the consistent play necessary to earn that status.

Steven Peterman is Delvon Roe

There is no single aspect of either Steven Peterman or Delvon Roe that stands out. They’re both average in most every area. Statistically, physically, mentally, they’re solid, nothing more or less.

And that’s okay, because when there’s two minutes left in the game, you’ll be happy they’re there. Roe’s six points and five rebounds per game won’t be anybody’s talk the morning after the game, nor will Peterman’s quiet, consistent play on the offensive line.

But ask their coaches or teammates if they’d rather have anyone else filling that roster spot. They’re role players, and everybody knows it, but solid role players are a signature of a real championship team.