Bits of Wooden Chair

The Minnesota Gophers play for four trophies against rivals across the Big Ten.

Floyd of Rosedale – Minnesota vs. Iowa

Little Brown Jug – Minnesota vs. Michigan

Governor’s Victory Bell – Minnesota vs. Penn State

Paul Bunyan’s Axe – Minnesota vs. Wisconsin

…and now the Bits of Wooden Chair Trophy?

From bringmethenews.com

This past weekend, the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers beat the University of Nebraska’s Cornhuskers to claim the Bits of Wooden Chair trophy.

So how exactly did this trophy come into existance? To answer that, we have to go to Twitter. It all started with a friendly wager between Gophers mascot Goldy, and an account run by Nebraska called Faux Pelini.

It seems like Nebraska liked the initial offer, responding with:

And the Gophers responded with:

As it would turn out, Minnesota came up with a trophy named ‘Bits of Wooden Chair’ that was claimed by the Gophers after they won on Saturday. A poll on the Daily Gopher states that 94% of voters say that the trophy should exist, and the trophy was well received on Twitter as well.

This is the way a trophy game should start. Not by conference mandated games or two schools looking for additional revenue, but by a sincere rivalry that is well supported on both sides.

Personally, I think that the trophy is a great thing. Some people might say that the Gophers play to many trophy games, but I think that isn’t an issue. Minnesota and Nebraska is defiantly a rivalry in the making, and this trophy is a perfect symbol of it for years to come.

Stocking up on Socks

Just a few years ago the Boston Red Sox dumped their roster to the Los Angeles Dodger. They sent Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett to the west coast and received very little in return.

The Red Sox were awful to finish the year and the future didn't look bright. Well what do you know, the Red Sox somehow pulled it together to win the 2013 World Series after trading three of their stars. The city of Boston needed the win after the tragedy back in April. The 2014 season began with the team losing Jacoby Ellsbury to the Yankees. The season wasn't looking great so they sent, soon to be free agent, Jon Lester to Oakland for Yoenis Cespedes who was just crowed Home Run Derby champion for the 2nd straight year.

The Red Sox have trimmed their roster quite a bit in the last few years, but they managed to have one great season. While the Yankees are suffering with Alex Rodriguez and other expensive, aging stars, the Red Sox appear to be going all in this offseason. Boston just signed Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval. This would give the Red Sox a solid batting lineup that consists of: Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval, David Ortiz, Yoenis Cespedes, Dustin Pedroia and Shane Victorino. 

The Red Sox would just need to build their rotation and bullpen to become an instant threat at the World Series again. Remember when the Red Sox traded away Jon Lester? Well now he is a free agent. Talk about a steal from Oakland, if they can sign him back. 

I've talked in the past about spending a lot of money on free agents. 

I support this strategy under two rules: 

1. The money is spread out over multiple players, not just one giant signing.
2. The contract is less than five years. 

One player can't carry a team, and it's not often a player stays consistent for too long. If a team is giving a player a large contract, odds are he already used up some of his good years. 

This should be a fun offseason to watch the Red Sox. If some of these deals don't work out, look for Boston to make a strong push for Yasmany Tomas. Tomas is a Cuban player who could fit nicely with their other Cuban player, Cespedes, in the outfield, but he could also be placed at third base. 

The Weather Outside is not Frightful

Mother nature does not like to make things easy on anyone. The city of Buffalo was recently ambushed with heaps of snow. When this storm is all said and done, Buffalo could be looking at 100 inches. 

Incase you didn't know, the Buffalo Bills were scheduled to host the New York Jets on Sunday. That is not happening. The game has been moved to Detroit on Monday night. 

A similar situation happened in 2010 when the Minnesota Vikings were scheduled to host the New York Giants (Maybe New York teams are bad luck). Come Sunday morning, the Metrodome's roof collapsed, and the teams faced off in Detroit on a rare Tuesday night game. 

Is it time for teams to move indoors? 

I'm not just talking about football. Baseball has many games a year that get postponed and delayed due to weather. Not only does weather cause problems for when or if the game will be played at their scheduled stadium, but it also has an impact on the way the game is played. Rain makes throwing a baseball and football a lot more difficult. It isn't often snow impact baseball, but the Minnesota Twins have experience problems with it in the past. Football has been greatly impacted with snow in the past, as I mentioned the two problems above with stadiums. Games have also been difficult to play in. 

I spent three hours at TCF Bank stadium watching Ohio State beat the Minnesota Gophers in 17 degree weather and a good amount of snow fall. It was probably the most fun game I've been too. It had everything to do with the weather. I think the Minnesota Vikings are making a mistake building a roof on the stadium. I understand a roof gives a team more options but at least a retractable roof. Nothing is better than watching a sporting event outside. For years the Minnesota Twins were stuck under the dome, until 2010 when Target Field opened. I went to the second game at Target Field and the temperature was around 43 degrees and it rained. It was cold but so exciting. I had never experienced something like that before. This past July I went the 2014 Home Run Derby at Target Field, which experienced a very long a rain delay. Weather has had it's fair share of problems at sporting events, but it brings a whole new aspect to the game and to the fans. I can think of multiple outdoor stadiums that are legendary and have stood the test of time: Lambeau field, Solider Field, Wrigley Field, Fenway Stadium, and the LA Coliseum. When looking at closed stadiums, they don't stick around long. 

I think more teams need to go back to the outdoor stadiums. I know it's not the best time to argue this while the snow problem in Buffalo is causing headaches around the NFL, but I would rather have to sit in a snowstorm watching a game than cooped up inside on a beautiful afternoon.

                                                    

Friday Morning Thoughts

Has anyone else been noticing ESPN doubling down on their coverage of the NFL and college football this year? Just two days ago this monstrosity of an article was posted by Chantel Jennings. Meanwhile, hockey can't get but a minute of airtime. According to an article written by Allan Muir of Sports Illustrated, hockey gets a total of 2.7 percent of all airtime on ESPN's headline show, SportsCenter. What's going on here? Hockey fans obviously represents more than 2.7 percent of ESPN's audience, yet the coverage just isn't there.

ESPN also cut the Daily Dime, a daily article giving a recap of all of the previous nights NBA games and ten fun tidbits about those games. The Daily Dime has been replaced with "The Ten", which is a hash up of graphics representing the previous nights action. This leaves me trying to find a new site to read up on the NBA games I couldn't get to watching.

Some lighter news, Papa Johns had to alter their deal with the Philadelphia 76'ers after the 0-11 start left fans with no way to cash out on the deal. The previous promotion was 50 percent off online orders after a Sixers win. Unfortunately, that isn't really feasible for the near historically bad Sixers, requiring Papa Johns to change up the deal. Now, Papa Johns is offering 50 percent off online orders following any game the Sixers score 90 points. With the 76'ers averaging 88.6 points a game this season, fans in Philly stand a chance to cash in this time.

More Money...ball

Moneyball is the idea that the only thing that matters is getting on base. A player can't score a run if they are not on base. Without runs, a team can not win. The Oakland Athletics made a drastic change in 2002. The team has never had enough money to compete for free agents. The Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, and Angels have the opportunity to spend the big bucks. Oakland used the idea of moneyball to look at players differently. The team took players that were overlooked for a variety of reasons. This strategy has worked well for them.

This past July, Oakland was the best team in baseball. The moneyball strategy has continued to bring the Athletics regular season success. Billy Beane, the Athletics' GM, was ready to bring home the World Series Trophy. He made moves that shocked the baseball world. Shortly before the All-Star break, the Athletics traded multiple prospects including the highly coveted Addison Russell to the Chicago Cubs, for Jeff Samardzija. Billy Beane wasn't done. Coming off a 2nd consecutive Home Run Derby championship, Yoenis Cespedes was the Athletics' best hitter, but the team needed pitching. Oakland sent Cespedes to Boston for soon to be free agent Jon Lester.
The Athletics began a long decent from the top of the baseball world in August. The team lacked hitting and barely slid into the playoffs. The Oakland Athletics lost to the Kansas City Royals in the Wild Card game.

The team made some gusty calls to win the World Series but once again fell short. Is it time to move on from the moneyball theory and demand more money to bring in some free agents?

I don't think so. The team won't have Lester back next year, but the A's still have a solid rotation. They did lack hitting but if the A's continue to find players that get on base and pay little for, they will succeed. The Athletics did sign Billy Butler, whose on base percentage has always been in the .300 range and adds some much needed power. I don't want to see the Athletics move away from the moneyball idea. The team went against some of their beliefs this last season in a great attempt to win the World Series. Watching the Minnesota Twins, who have a similar payroll that the Athletics have, shows me that Billy Beane and the A's have been doing something right. They win with little money. Hopefully they spend this offseason looking back at how they have been successful and not steer away from that.

Wild/ Niederreiter Rebound After Rough Patch

  If you haven't been watching the 10-7-0 Minnesota Wild lately you need to be. With the exception of a four game stretch in which they played HOT opposition, the Wild have looked like a promising team with real playoff potential overall. However they suffered legitimate losses to Pittsburgh and Montreal  and two rough losses to Ottawa and New Jersey. In the New Jersey game, it was obvious that the Devils controlled the pace and flow of the game, keeping Minnesota off their own game and stopping them from using their speed and skill to their advantage.
  However the Wild have looked fantastic in their other games, showing resilience making a strong third period comeback against Dallas for a 2-1 win, as well as fending off a hard charging Winnipeg Jets team for a 4- 3 overtime victory.
The emergence of Nino Niederreiter's offense has been key in their success as of late. He sits with 8 goals scored, leading the team in the category and producing possibly one of the best examples of silky mitts the game has ever seen:

 

The emergence of Nino and his offense goes along with a huge group of young talent on this squad, Erik Haula, Charlie Coyle, Jared Spurgeon and the like headline an amazing line up. If Thomas Vanek can get his offense going and with Zach Parise recently returning from injury just imagine what this team can do. Look for much more going forward as far as wins go and a heck of a lot more magical play from this young crop of NHL talent that Chuck Fletcher has put together.

The Wild return to the ice Thursday November, 20th away against the Flyers,

Just Roll With It

Probably the coolest sport I've ever seen, and hardly anyone knows about, Gloucester Cheese Rolling. The object of the sport is to race down the bottom of a 200 yard hill and be the first to capture the 9lb rolling cheese. It is not as easy as it sounds. The cheese receives a one second head start and can reach a speed of 70.  The sporting event takes place at Cooper Hill in Gloucester, UK and is often in the spring.

The sport has begun to pick up in popularity the last few years but unfortunately injuries have given the sport a bad reputation. Since 2010 the event has been canceled due to health and safety fears. However people still show up to race in a campaign called "Save the Cheese" and no major injuries have been reported. As for many sports, injuries have plagued Cheese Rolling while people try to figure out a safe way to run. The debate of whether the sport should continue has been growing with it's popularity. In 2013 a police inspector told the Diana Smart, the women who make the cheese, that if she continues to make it for the sport she could be held responsible for any injury that occurs. Luckily for the fans and athletes of the sport she doesn't care. The on going debate has continued as the Unofficial 2015 Gloucester Cheese Rolling event is being planned. 

I one day hope to participate in the great sport but before that happens I have to make sure it sticks around. I'm a proud supporter of the "Save the Cheese" campaign. If you are interested enough check out this awesome display of the sport. 

For more information on the sport check out The official Cheese Rolling Website

Wayne Gretzky is the Greatest Athlete of All Time

A bold statement, but true. Wayne Gretzky is the Greatest of All Time, ahead of Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, Bo Jackson, and so on. In fact, it’s not even close.

Let me start off with this: there are 3 main offensive stats in hockey – Points, Goals, and Assists.

Points – 1. Wayne Gretzky – 2,856      2. Mark Messier – 1,855

Goals – 1. Wayne Gretzky – 894      2. Gordie Howe – 801

Assists – 1. Wayne Gretzky – 1,962      2. Mark Messier – 1,171

There is no explanation needed. Gretzky is simply just on a whole different level in terms of production. If I were to divide the three remaining main sports up, (NBA, MLB, and NFL) no other player holds the record for all three of the most important offensive stats, or defensive for that matter, in their respective sport for their career. Also, Gretzky holds 61 total NHL records, a record in its own since no one else in the other sports holds that many records for their sport.

For a complete list of his achievements, here's a good site for that.

Any athlete knows that it takes more than just records to be defined a great athlete, and Wayne Gretzky is more than just his own record book.

“Thought of as a shifty set-up player, Gretzky was a whirling dervish, blending effortlessness and craftiness as the type of athlete the sport had never seen. He was grace under pressure, sneaky fast and dazzling on skates. He saw the entire ice the way a modern-day defenseman does. If Bobby Orr and Howe revolutionized the game, Gretzky took what became before him and molded the metaphorical clay into the perfect threat, perfect player and perfect athlete.” – Ken Klavan, Bleacher Report

Simply put, Gretzky is a God against Men. Instead of talking about how he’s the definition of perfection, let me show you:

I’ll admit it, choosing one greatest athlete of all time is not an exact science and there is no one true answer, but given his raw talent, the production, and the legacy, Wayne Gretzky certainly makes a strong case for the title of Greatest Athlete of All Time.

The Iron Giant

New York Giant's linebacker, Mark Herzlich, is living the dream of playing in the NFL, but his story is one that needs to be told.

A 3 star prospect coming out of high school, Mark had many choices for where he could play college ball. He took his three MVPs he earned at Conestoga High School and went to Boston College. As a freshman, Herzlich shined. He earned College Football News All-American honors. His sophomore season was not much different. He had 4 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles and fumble recoveries, and 12 tackles-for-loss. He began his junior season as a preseason all-star candid. He was a finalist for the Butkus award and quarterfinalist for the Lott Trophy. He was a top 15 pick on most mock drafts for the 2009 NFL draft but he decided to go back to Boston College for his senior year.

Before he got to play his senior year, he had an unfortunate trip to the hospital. On March 12th, 2009,  Mark Herzlich was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. He was told that he would never play football again and most likely never run again.

Mark began every morning with a prayer to be cancer free. He spent seven long months of chemotherapy and another five weeks of radiation. He was determined to run through the Boston College stadium tunnel with his teammates again.

On September 29th, 2009, Mark found out he was cancer free. He now has a 12-inch titanium rod in his left leg for reinforcement and lost some of his explosive burst, but he couldn't be happier.

Mark sat out the entire 2009 season and struggled during his final year at Boston College in 2010 before he declared himself for the 2011 NFL draft. Mark went undrafted after being considered a top pick in the 2009 draft.

On July 26th, 2011, the New York Giants signed Mark Herzlich as an undrafted free agent. He had eight tackles in 11 games his rookie season. Herzlich's rookie campaign ended with the New York Giants winning the Super Bowl.

Mark Herzlich is not a name that many people hear. He isn't someone that will be talked about on twitter or ESPN, but he is one of the more inspirational players in the NFL. He has gone through a lot in his young life and it was not an easy journey. Mark Herzlich is the Iron Giant.

8 Predictions for the 2015 PGA Season

1. Bubba Watson will win his third Green Jacket. Since the early 2000s, lefties have owned Augusta, and I expect that trend to continue.
2. Tiger Woods will not make the cut at The Masters. He's not the Tiger Woods we're used to anymore. Injuries have plagued him the last few years, and this year will be the year that people will stop expecting him to win.
3. Rickie Fowler doesn't win a major again. Arguably the best performance in majors last year outside of Rory, Rickie comes up just short again in 2015.
4. A new era begins. Newcomers take over leaderboards, such as Jonas Blixt, Jordan Speith, Hideki Matsuyama, Russell Henley, and Patrick Reed.
5. Rory McIlroy will win at least 6 tournaments and 2 majors. He's the new face of the PGA, and he will take it full stride.
6. Jordan Speith cools off. He will still be a top player, but no where near the level of perfection he had at the beginning of 2014.
7. Camilo Villegas will place in the top 5 of at least one major. After a win at the Wyndham Championship last year, Camilo has took that next step that his career has so desperately needed. He wastes no time in making a name for himself this year.
8. The PGA Championship at Whistling Straits will be the most entertaining tournament of the year. If the PGA Championship can recreate what we saw at Valhalla last year and then some, we will see a very entertaining tournament.

Breaking Down the Divisions In the NBA

Do divisions matter in the NBA today? Aside from seeding and scheduling, not really. They don't create the rivalries similar to the NFL and the MLB, they only minimize travel a little, and I bet that most fans would have a hard time naming every team in the Central division. However, some of these divisions have some very interesting story lines, some are downright terrible, and some are made with extra love. I'm here to show some of the story lines in all 6 divisions.

The Atlantic Division

Starting with the worst division in basketball, the Atlantic division trots out the Raptors, Nets, Knicks, Celtics, and 76ers. Historically some of the best teams in the NBA plus the Raptors, this division is far from the glory days. 

One might look for any bright spots with this division, but they are few and far between. The 76ers might be starting a D-League line up night in and night out, and have a very realistic possibility of being the worst team ever in the NBA. Their tandem of rookie big men is promising for the future however, with Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid posed to terrorize the Atlantic in the future. The Knicks manage to lose while Melo puts up 46. This is one of the most dysfunctional teams I've ever seen. J.R Smith taking wins away is extremely comical to see if you aren't a Knicks fan. The Nets trot out the corpse of KG every night, although they have a very real possibility of making the playoffs. Deron Williams has looked good this year, earning player of the week honors last week. The only place to turn to for guaranteed success in this division is the new look Raptors. The Raptors are off to a blazing start this year, going 8-2 in the first 10 games and looking like the front runners in the East. Demar Derozan and Kyle Lowry is a top 3 back court, Jonas Valanciunas has made improvements to his game, and Louis Williams could be 6th man of the year this year. I fully expect the Toronto team to win the division handily. 

My predictions for the division standings at the end of the year go:

1. Raptors
2. Nets
3. Knicks
4. Celtics
5. The Harlem Globetrotters 
6. The Kentucky Wildcats
7. The 76ers.

The Central Division

Things take a turn for the better in the Central, being able to say they have two top 10 teams in this division. The bottom of the division is a sad sight, composed of the Bucks, Pistons, and Pacers. There is no division with a bigger gap between the bottom dwellers and the contenders than this division, with the Cavaliers and Bulls being worlds away from the rest of the pack

The two titans of the east reside in the central. The path to the NBA finals will likely go through either Cleveland or Chicago, in fact I'd say it is almost guaranteed. The Cavaliers got off to a relatively slow start, but the offense looks to be clicking now after hitting a franchise record 19 threes against the Hawks and putting up 127 points against the Hawks. Opposing the Cavaliers are the Bulls. As Dennis Green might have told you, the Bulls are who we thought they were. off to a 7-3 start, the Bulls are still grinding out wins. The overall success of this Bulls team relies on one mans ankle. if Derrick Rose can stay healthy, this team can easily compete with the Cavaliers for the division title. As we head down the ladder, we hit the trio of awful. Maybe that isn't fair to say about the Pistons, they might have moved out of the awful tier and into the bad tier. The Bucks and Pacers however, should already be looking towards next year. The Bucks have a plethora of promising pieces, most notably Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Pacers have too many key injuries to compete this year, and the Pistons are a hard team to get a handle on. You look at this roster and see the talent, but no results. Andre Drummond might be the next stud center. 

I expect the division to play out like this:

1. Cavaliers
2. Bulls
3. Pistons
4. Bucks
5. Pacers

The Southeast Division

Easily the most competitive division in the East, there are four different teams I could see winning this division. The Hornets, Heat, Wizards, and Atlanta all call the Southeast division home, along with the Magic.

If you were interested in the division races, this would be the one to watch. I have half of the playoff spots in the east being won by teams in this division. The only team I'm leaving out is the Magic, although they have one of the brightest looking futures in the NBA. Victor Oladipo looks like a really solid player, Elfrid Payton plays akin to a rookie Jason Kidd and also has the best hair in the NBA, and Nikola Vucevic is putting up nearly 19/12 a game on his new contract. This division is going to be a battle for the other four teams. I don't see a clear favorite to come out on top. One might look to the Wizards as favorites, and they have reasons to. The back court is top three in the NBA, Marcin Gortat is a solid Center when healthy, and Paul Pierce gives this team both an edge and some veteran experience. The Miami Heat are still winning basketball games without Lebron James. Chris Bosh is putting up virtually identical numbers to his 2009-2010 season with the Raptors and Dwyane Wade looks good so far. The Hornets have a criminally under rated team this year, with Lance Stephenson, Kemba Walker, and Big Al in the post. They will get shots to fall, they referring mostly towards Lance Stephenson who has been remarkable cold to start this year. Atlanta is a sneaky team, maybe not good enough to win a series against title contenders but being good enough to compete game in and game out. Paul Millsap has looked phenomenal so far this year, and their guard rotation might be one of the deepest in the NBA. 

I'm mostly just rolling dice for this one: 

1. Wizards
2. Hornets
3. Heat
4. Hawks
5. Magic

The Northwest Division

I like to think this is what Kim and Kanye named their kid after.The Weakest division in the West, which probably makes this the strongest division I've gone through so far. The Trailblazers and Thunder should sit on top of this division, with Utah, Minnesota, and Denver Flailing underneath. 

The Thunder are struggling right now due to injuries, but I fully expect when Westbrook and Durant come back this team will be back to their winning ways. The Trailblazers are off to a solid start going 7-3 so far, touting a much improved bench with the additions of Chris Kaman and Steve Blake. Damian Lillard is having a stellar season so far, putting up 20/5/6 so far this season and shooting nearly 47% from beyond the arc. At the bottom of the division, there isn't much to work with so far. The Jazz are exciting to watch, but aren't a real contender. Gordon Hayward has looked like he is worth all 16 million he will be making this year, but not much else looks good on that team. The Timberwolves truly look awful, as expected. Andrew Wiggins has looked fairly raw on offense, but he is already a plus defender in the NBA. Having Rubio out really hurts this team, but it does give Zach Lavine some playing time and he has looked better than expected so far. The nuggets are a puzzling team. You might look at this team and see they are one George Karl and one Andre Iguodala removed from a 57 win season. Brian Shaw hasn't done much to show he is a good coach yet, coaching this team to a 2-7 roster. 

This division is fairly easy to predict: 

1. Trailblazers
2. Thunder
3. Nuggets
4. Jazz
5. Timberwolves

The Pacific Division

The second best division in the NBA, the pacific division has some of the most exciting teams to watch in it. The Clippers and Warriors are a treat to watch every time they hit the court. With two up and coming teams in the Suns and Kings battling it out and aiming for a playoff spot in the west, the only real dark spot in this division is the Lakers who are always one big name away from being relevant.

The Clippers and Warriors are fighting for the division title here. The Warriors have the best back court in the NBA and one of the most exciting offenses. Iguodala is an exceptionally unique player, who doesn't put up any significant numbers but still would be wanted by all 30 teams if he was a free agent. Klay Thompson is playing exceptional basketball this year after getting payed. The Clippers are off to a slow start, most of which can be attributed to shots not falling. Chris Paul and his lack of turnovers is one of the wonders of the basketball world. He has an 8.5 to 1 assist to turnover ratio so far this year, which is hall of fame like. The Kings remind me of last years Suns, a surprisingly successful team that came out of seemingly no where. Rudy Gay is looking much better, and Demarcus Cousins has been simply outstanding. I'll go out on a limb and call him the best offensive center in the NBA. The Suns haven't started as well as they would have liked, but Isiah Thomas looks outstanding as the 6th man and if the league ended today would be the 6th man of year. The Lakers however, are having an awful year. Julius Randle getting hurt really hurts for them, and Kobe is being historically inefficient. He is second to last out of 404 players in +/- this year, while scoring the 3rd most points in the NBA. 

I can see this division going as followed: 

1. Warriors
2. Clippers
3. Kings
4. Suns
5.  Lakers

The Southwest Division

This ones a doozie.The most competitive division in basketball without a question, and also the best division in basketball. According to the Hollinger Power Rankings, all 5 of these teams are in the top 10 in the league. There is no clear tiers in this division having the Mavericks, Grizzlies, Rockets, Spurs, and Pelicans.

The spurs have had 15 straight 50 win seasons. The most successful franchise in the last 15 years of the four major sports, Tim Duncan is still producing and Pop is still working his magic with resting players, getting the most out of players, and being a wizard. The Mavericks added Chandler Parsons and Tyson Chandler making it very confusing to refer to a Chandler on that team, and have been off to a good start this year going 7-3. The Grizzlies are still playing stifling defense, and the addition of Vince Carter gives them a much needed shooter. The always under rated Mike Conley Jr. is having another really solid year for the Grizzlies who have the best record in the west right now at 9-1. Right behind them is the Rockets who are 8-1. James Harden is making a serious MVP case so far this year, being the second leading scorer in the NBA. Dwight Howard is still a force in the post, and Trevor Ariza has proved to be worth the 9 million dollars a year he is getting. The Pelicans were a sleeper pick to make the playoffs at the start of the year, and after blowing out the Wolves last time out 139-91, they look like the real deal. Anthony Davis is also making a serious case for MVP putting up 26/13 with 4 blocks a game this year. Tyreke Evans has been playing well so far, and Ryan Anderson is playing exceptionally well.

This division is the hardest one to predict:

1. Rockets
2. Spurs
3. Grizzlies
4. Mavericks
5. Pelicans