Will He Rise Again?

We thought the story was over. The last chapter of the book was written and nothing could be changed, especially not now, not after three weeks of constant humiliation. Yet, against all odds and the pressure of being “one snap away from Brady Quinn”, Tebow rose above it all and played arguably the best football game he’s ever played (yes even better than the ones he played as a Gator). We can talk all we want about the “coincidence” of him throwing for 316 yards, having a 31.6 yard per throw average, and of how his favorite Bible Verse is John 3:16. But no matter what it was, whether it was divine intervention or a big-time player making big-time plays, what we saw on Sunday really happened. The Pittsburgh Steelers, who boasted the number one pass defense in the NFL, gave up 316 yards and two touchdowns to the man who held the lowest quarterback rating during the regular season. Now was it really God coming back after Christmas vacation to help his main man Tebow out? Most people, especially the players in the NFL, would prefer a holy explanation. But Tebow’s faith isn’t what decided his fate against the Steelers. There’s another explanation, one that is much more likely to get NFL players and coaches praying to God than any divine intervention theory will: the man can actually throw the ball!

Let’s flashback to the three weeks before Tebow’s epic performance against the Steelers. Coming off a 7-1 start that included six last minute victories, the Bronco’s strong run came to a strong halt facing the incredibly potent offense of the Patriots, led by Tom Brady. Nobody was disappointed by Tebow’s performance as he threw for two touchdowns, ran for another, and had his offense moving up and down the field consistently throughout the game. The Broncos were hoping to pick up right where they left off before they faced “God’s nephew” but got slapped in the face by the Buffalo Bills who would have nothing of Tebow launching a last minute comeback against them. They forced four turnovers in the fourth quarter alone and exposed flaws in Tebow’s game that most people had forgot about. No sweat though. The Broncos were still in the driver’s seat in terms of winning their division. All they needed to do is beat the woeful Chiefs, a team that Tebow had already beat in prime Tebow fashion, throwing the ball only eight times. The only problem was that Kyle Orton, the quarterback whom the Broncos had cut to make room for Tebow, would have none of it. Neither would the Chiefs defense that had held Aaron Rodgers to only 14 points only a couple of weeks ago. Unlike in the Bills or the Patriots games, the Broncos were able to remain in striking distance in the fourth quarter, down only four points with the ball in their hands late. Seems set up for another Tebow comeback right? Well the Chiefs held strong and won the game 7-3, spiraling questions from everyone about Tebow’s future in Denver.

Now at this point, Tebow has lost three in a row, and everyone from NFL analysts to his teammates are calling for his head. His days as an NFL quarterback seem limited and the whole world is waiting to see how James Harrison, Troy Polamulu, and the rest of Pittsburgh’s top-ranked defense will humiliate the young QB. We had all watched Tebow rise and now it seemed inevitable that we would see him fall flat on his face. But if you look at it in perspective, his overall record as a starter was still 7-4 and he had landed his team a playoff berth. All he had done wrong was lose three games in a row, something that quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees had both done in the past. Heck, Phillip Rivers this season lost six games in a row at one point and yet there is no doubt who is going to be the Chargers’ starting QB next season. Matt Ryan had never won a playoff game prior to his loss on Sunday and Tebow already has had more playoff success than him. Yet, there’s no doubt for the Falcons that Matt Ryan is their guy, something that the Broncos have yet to say about Tim Tebow, even after his stellar performance against the Steelers.

What most people forget about Tebow is that he is only a second year QB. He hasn’t even played a full sixteen games! And yet, the pressure that he faces each starter is probably greater than any other starting quarterback in the league faces. It seems like each game, he is fighting for much more than just the win, he is fighting for his NFL career. Critics, before the Pittsburgh game, were just waiting to tee off on Tebow and discredit his abilities. Sadly enough for them, they have to wait another week and this time with the stunning revelation that this kid may just make it in the big leagues.

Flash forward to the NFL Divisional Playoff Game this Saturday against the New England Patriots. Now its clear to the skeptic that there is no way that the Broncos can win this game. Not against last year’s MVP Tom Brady and against the coaching whiz that is Bill Belichick. But if you look at the numbers Tebow has more of a chance against the Patriots than he ever did against the Steelers. The Steelers hadn’t given up 300 yards to any QB all season. The Patriots’ defense on average gives that up to opposing quarterbacks. In the first game against the Patriots, Tebow’s offense was moving the ball down the field at will, especially on the ground, something that they will look to do again on Saturday. The Broncos will look to do the same this time around, not only to move down the field but to also skew time of possession in their favor in order to keep Tom Brady on the sideline. Even if the Broncos execute their game plan to perfection, because of their high powered offense, the Patriots will remain within striking distance and whether or not Tebow wins his second straight playoff game will come down to the Broncos defense versus Tom Brady. Brady won the battle last time, torching the Broncos’ secondary for over forty points. Whether or not the Broncos can adjust accordingly and whether or not Tebow is able to silence his critics once again will both be answered come Saturday. 

He Changed the Game... For the Worse?

There's no doubt about it. Whether your a die hard Kobe fan who holds true that 24>23, an old geezer who believes Bill Russel is unmatchable with his 11 rings, or a stat stuffer who believes that no one should be able to argue with Wilt's 50 PPG, you can't deny that Michael Jordan's impact on the game of basketball has been greater than anyone else's, both before and after him, regardless of whether or not you believe he was the best to ever play the game. Jordan revolutionized basketball by adding a sense of individuality and athleticism that was unseen prior to his reign over the league. Even if you completely discount his contributions to the game on the court, there is no denying his influence off the court as he became the first true international star in basketball and became the only athlete to have his own brand within Nike. Jordan did it all, from guarding the best player on the other team, to shooting inspiring Nike commercials, to dominating in the playoffs with the flu. He was not only a complete basketball player but a complete individual, propelling the game of basketball to new crowds and creating new fans. He truly changed the game. But the question is, was it really better for the game itself?

Off the basketball court, it's hard to really see Jordan's contributions as controversial in any way, other than the fact that people have died waiting for new shoes to come out on Saturday mornings. That says more about us as a society than it does about Jordan and his impact on basketball. No, his off the court contributions have mainly been positive and aren't really what bother me. What bothers is how the focus of basketball changed from being on the team to being on the individual player after Jordan's reign. If you look at legendary basketball players before Jordan, you normally associate them with their respective teams. Magic Johnson's legacy is forever tied with the Showtime Lakers, Larry Bird and Bill Russell are always associated with their great Celtic teams, and Dr. J is always pictured as a 76er. Now this is not to say that people envision Michael Jordan in a uniform other than the red and black one in which he won six championships in, but when people think of Michael Jordan, that's all they think of. They think of the man who won six NBA championships, not the team that he did it with.

Fast forward to the summer of 2010 where the biggest story in basketball once again involves #23, the so-called resurrection of Michael Jordan, Lebron James. A couple of months ago, James and his Cavaliers had been manhandled by the Boston Celtics in the playoffs and now where James will play his basketball next year has become biggest story of the off-season. In fact, the story is so big, that James needed a Sportscenter Special to announce that he will be "taking his talents to South Beach." Now James has since then apologized for this act and said that he if he could go back in time, he would change his decision but the fact of the matter is that it's not even really his fault. The culture in basketball has shifted so much to the individual athlete that it only seemed fair for Lebron James, arguably the biggest marquee free agent in the history of the game, to announce his decision this way. James is not the cause of this paradigm; he is a mere result of it. Superstars before him (such as Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson) and the ones are in his generation (such as his teammate Dwayne Wade) are no different. They are all part of this basketball revolution in which it is the individual superstars, not the teams, that are the most important factors in the league. Look no further than the 2007 NBA Finals for a perfect example of this trend. In 07', the San Antonio Spurs and the Detroit Pistons, two of the most well-rounded teams in the NBA, competed for the Larry O'Brien trophy. It was a grueling series, that ended with the Spurs winning in 7. Now you would assume that any series that goes to seven games would have every game as a must-see thriller right? Well, when it was all said and done, this was the least watched NBA Finals since 1990. The reason for that was simple: neither team had any marquee superstars. Both the Spurs and the Pistons were really good, complete basketball teams who matched up well with each other. For one reason or another, that just wasn't good enough for us, the fans.

It's not fair to assume that Michael Jordan was the sole cause of this aforementioned shift but there's no denying his influence. Michael Jordan was easily the most complete basketball player the league had ever seen and he single-handedly made basketball relevant again with his superior athletic ability and his ability to deliver big plays in big moments. Team basketball is the price we paid for this relevance. Whether or not the price was too high is still yet to be seen.

The Lakers WILL Win The West

With all the talk of the Clippers being the new big dogs in Los Angeles and with Oklahoma City being proclaimed by many as the favorites to win the conference, it's easy to see the Lakers as the "old man" of the West. What most people forget is that the Lakers have the same core as they have had for the past four seasons (with the absence of Lamar Odom of course), a core that has earned them four top-three spots in the West and three finals appearances. With that being said, it's also true that you are only as good as your last game, and before this season started, the Lakers' last game was an embarrassing 30 point loss to the now defending champions, the Dallas Mavericks. It wasn't just the fact that the Lakers lost that had everyone doubting them but it was the way they lost. They lost home-court advantage by dropping their first two at home, had discipline issues that were exemplified with Bynum's cheap shot against J.J Barea, and were questioned on their toughness, especially Pau Gasol. Even their most loyal fans (including myself), wouldn't have put the Lakers as the favorites to win the West after watching last season's debacle.

Yet, here we are. The best thing about sports is that no matter how good or how bad a team looks on paper, you don't really know anything about them until you actually see them play. And I'm not saying that the Lakers are going to win the West because they are playing incredible basketball, but because everyone else in the West isn't. The newly formed Clippers are a must-see show to watch on the offensive end, but defensively, they are far from adequate and their defensive woes can easily be exposed, especially in the playoffs. The defending champion Dallas Mavericks need to address a variety of problems both offensively and defensively. They have started the season 1-3 and badly miss, the presence and leadership of center Tyson Chandler.

The one team in the West that is living up to expectations is the Oklahoma City Thunder, led by Kevin Durant who is the best player in basketball right now (yes, better than Lebron). With Ibaka and a 50-pound lighter Kendrick Perkins, the Thunder also have the big men to match up with the Lakers' duo of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Surprisingly so, the one person that will prevent the Thunder from beating the Lakers is their second leading scorer, Russel Westbrook. Russel Westbrook, along with Derrick Rose, is the most athletic point guard in the league. He has the skill set to score thirty points a game. But that's exactly the problem. Russel Westbrook knows how well he can score and he tries to take advantage of it, time and time again, at the cost of taking away shots from Kevin Durant, who is shooting 55% from the field in this young season. Russel Westbrook will be the demise of the Oklahoma City Thunder and his bad shot selection will negatively impact everyone on his team, including Durant. Maybe OKC will ask Westbrook to change his style and maybe he will learn to play like a real point guard, but if the status quo remains, look for OKC to beat themselves in big games.

Just because other teams are playing bad in the West, doesn't mean that the Lakers are playing well. The Lakers began their season losing their first two and had people all over the league questioning whether or not these Lakers were about to self-destruct. I also haven't even mentioned the younger teams in the West who could pull off key upsets, teams such as the Memphis Grizzlies and the Denver Nuggets. I also haven't mentioned the aging but consistent San Antonio Spurs, who are always a threat in the post-season due to their depth and unmatched experience.

What, in my mind, puts the Lakers ahead of the rest of the West, despite their inconsistent play, is their bench, which is deeper than it has ever been despite losing Lamar Odom, and their two big men, who have the ability to provide instant offense against anyone in the NBA. The addition of Troy Murphy, Joshua McRoberts, and Jason Kapono provides the Lakers with a solid second unit, that is anchored by Steve Blake and Metta World Peace. Don't get me wrong. Lamar Odom is a great basketball player and his presence will be missed dearly, especially in the locker room. But his departure may have come as a little bit of a blessing due to the fact that he played about 30 minutes a game, taking away key minutes from other bench players and thus making them ineffective. This impact can also be seen with the departure of Shannon Brown on the play of Steve Blake, who doesn't have to compete for minutes and has a clear role as the back-up point guard behind Derek Fisher.

Along with their second unit, the Lakers still have Gasol and Bynum, who can both cause havoc in the paint. The Lakers missed Bynum dearly in their first two games and he played a critical factor in the Lakers' win over the Nuggets on New Years' Eve, scoring 29 points and snatching 13 boards. No other team in the NBA has two big men that they can constantly feed the ball to for offensive production. The maturity in Bynum's game was easy to notice in his pre-season games and his first regular season game, as he has become more patient and is taking quality shots in the paint. If Bynum stays healthy, he has the ability to demand a double-team on any given night, freeing up Fisher, World Peace, Murphy, and Kapano for easy looks from downtown. Pau Gasol been solid as always is to start this season, averaging 17 points and 8 boards. Oh and the Lakers also have Kobe Bryant, who is on pace to pass Shaquille O'Neal for fifth all time on the NBA's scoring list. When you team him up with Gasol, Bynum, and the Lakers' depth on their bench, it doesn't seem too far of a stretch to say that the Lakers will be the best in the West.