Episode 11: Rex Needs a Reality Check

The Spurs and Lakers both lost their respective Game 1s on Sunday. New Orleans handled L.A. 109-100 in a game where Pau Gasol struggled big time for the two-time defending champions. Meanwhile, Chris Paul exploited the Lakers' weakness, its backcourt, yet again in a stellar performance. The Hornets' gameplan was simple: Take the Lakers' perimeter defenders off the dribble and create mid-range or close-range opportunities. San Antonio seems to be even more beatable than L.A. The Spurs aren't healthy and the hungry Grizzlies are licking their chops. Now, Memphis, which just picked up its first playoff win in team history (1-12), looks to build on its "Let's Make History" motto. The Celtics beat the Knicks, 87-85 in what turned out to be the best Game 1 of the weekend. Boston showed why it's the toughest team to beat in close games after Ray Allen sunk the game-winning 3-pointer with 12 seconds left. Carmelo Anthony wasn't as clutch, missing 10 of his 11 shots in the second half. Allen's big game as well as Jermaine O'Neal's huge effort are great signs for the Celtics. By not continuing to feed the ball to a red hot Amare Stoudemire and letting Melo lose the game for the team, New York missed out on its chance to steal Game 1. And stealing Game 2 isn't likely with Chauncey Billups expected to be out for that game with a strained left knee. The Thunder beat the Nuggets, 107-103. If the opener was any indication, this will be the crazy series that everyone expected. Denver played exactly how it wanted to play until it missed its final five shots in the last three minutes. George Karl knew that closing games out would be a struggle for his team, but the Nuggets shouldn't be discouraged. Kevin Durant (41 points) and Russell Westbrook (31 points) had to have monster games to lift OKC to the win. And who knows, Denver may still have won if the refs would have at least reviewed Kendrick Perkins' tip-in with 1:06 left, which many believe should have been goaltending. Photo from bleacherreport.com

After Saturday's Game 1s, it's clear that Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose need more help from their teammates. Rose finally got some as Chicago survived 104-99 against an Indiana team that led almost the entire game. Meanwhile, Superman never got it. Jameer Nelson scored 27, but no one else scored more than 6 points. The rest of the team shot 8-for-34 from the field for a combined 20 points as the Hawks beat the Magic, 103-93. These trends will have to change if either of these teams is to make a serious run at the NBA title. The Heat played a lackluster first quarter but regrouped to beat the Sixers, 97-89. Philadelphia did make an impressive charge at the end of the game, but Miami got exactly what it will need in these playoffs to be successful: A clutch Dwyane Wade and an awesome defense. Meanwhile, Mike Miller is still finding ways to not contribute for the Heat. As if his past injuries didn't make you scratch your head, now he's dealing with injuries to BOTH of his thumbs? He aggravated one of them 3 minutes into yesterday's game and didn't return...wow. The Mavericks and Blazers provided a thriller, but Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd helped Dallas finish the game on a 23-9 run on the way to a 89-81 win. At one point in the 4th quarter, Dirk scored 12 straight points. Kidd scored 24 points while going 6-of-10 from 3-point range. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 27 points, but Portland will need more out of Brandon Roy, Gerald Wallace and Wesley Matthews, who only managed a combined 12 points. Photo from bleacherreport.com

When the Celtics play the Knicks, massive egos will collide. None bigger than Kevin Garnett and Amare Stoudemire. Whoever wins the matchup between two of the biggest trash-talkers in the NBA may determine who advances. No series has more star power or history, but no series has more questions. In the end, Boston's defense will once again transform into a different monster (as if already being the No. 1 defense in the NBA isn't monstrous enough). Meanwhile, Amare and Melo aren't crafty enough to get KG and Paul Pierce in foul trouble. Some analysts have the Sixers giving the Heat a run. Well, there's gonna be plenty of running between these two fast-break teams, but Miami will do it better. Philly has lost all three meetings to Miami this season by nine points or more. Plus, the Heat are more than capable of beating the 76ers even if Dwyane Wade, LeBron James or Chris Bosh is held in check. In my opinion, I think this will be the only first-round sweep in either conference as the Heat will send a message to the Celtics, who they will likely face in the second round. The series between the Magic and Hawks will be the most competitive of all the first rounders in the East. This is a great matchup for the Hawks, who contrary to popular belief, have found success through defense, not offense. They've also found success against Orlando, winning the last three meetings. However, the return of J.J. Redick will bolster the Magic bench, which will be the difference in a series that will go the distance. The Bulls may have an easy time with the Pacers. However, Indiana is a young team with tons of talent. Much like the Grizzlies, the Pacers can benefit from making things competitive against a top-seeded team. One aspect of this series may reveal just how far the Bulls can actually go in the postseason: The matchup at small forward between Luol Deng and Danny Granger. Deng is the X-factor for the Bulls, and he'll need to play at a higher level if Chicago is to meet its full potential. Photo from boston.cbslocal.com

I give my predictions in this series-by-series breakdown of the matchups in the West. Tomorrow's episode will focus on the East. Although the East has more NBA title contenders, the West will have more competitive first-round matchups. I've had my eye on the series between the Thunder and Nuggets for a long, long time. It features the highest scoring offense in the NBA, Denver, which has eight (yes, eight) players that average in double figures. It also has the fifth highest scoring team in the league in Oklahoma City, which is led by the league's individual scoring leader, Kevin Durant. This series will be filled with energy, not only from the players but from their rabid fan bases as well. Many people believe the Blazers will upset the Mavericks...and so do I. This Portland team is very similar to the fast, long and athletic Golden State team that took down top-seeded Dallas in the 2007 playoffs. Both teams were filled with great swingmen, which will pose a problem for the Mavericks. I also believe many of the questions we always ask about Dallas this time of year have never gone away. The Lakers' win over the Kings last night didn't just earn the two-time defending champs a potential first round sweep against the Hornets, who will be without All Star David West. More importantly, it will give Andrew Bynum all the time he needs to get back to 100% and be ready for a tough second-round series against the winner of the Mavericks-Blazers. And I'm sure it helped Kobe's confidence to put one more dagger in the hearts of Sacramento fans, who witnessed their team rally from 20 points down in the 4th quarter only to be done in by the Black Mamba one more time before they relocate to Anaheim (most likely) by April 18. The Grizzlies may be the No. 8 seed, but they'll give the Spurs a tougher time than the Hornets will give the Lakers. San Antonio is banged up and looks nothing like the dominant team it was in the first half of the season. Meanwhile, Memphis, which lost its best player Rudy Gay after a season-ending injury in February, has still managed to play good basketball and keep its spot in the postseason. That resiliency will pay off for a young team with great potential, even if they're only able to show us that in spurts against the Spurs. Photo from nbcsports.com

Tiger Woods is in a mental struggle for the ages, trying to regain his hold on golf. There's no doubt golf needs Tiger Woods just likes Cycling needed Lance Armstrong. A sport will always benefit from a gold standard. After all, that's how I gained interest in all the sports I follow so closely today. Barry Sanders, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali and Roger Federer have showcased the best their respective sports have to offer. And at one point, so did Tiger. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of Tiger, but I am a fan of anybody who can overcome adversity. I explain how if Tiger can once again dominate a sport he ruled for years, his story would resonate as a victory for the human mind. I also get into NBA, College Football, College Basketball and MLB. Photo from gossip.whyfame.com

The UConn players you see there are not celebrating. In fact, they're mourning the death of basketball, which happened at 9:23 p.m. Eastern time when UConn and Butler tipped off for the national title. Somewhere, James Naismith is rolling in his grave. I point out some incredulous stats that reveal why I think this was the worst basketball game ever played, and arguably the worst game in sports history. Here's one stat as an appetizer: The Butler player with the highest shooting percentage? Andrew Smith, who went 2-for-9 from the field... I also discuss the future of college basketball and whether we can expect even more madness like this in the future of March Madness as long as the one-and-done rule is in effect. Later, I talk NFL as Mike Vrabel was arrested for theft at an Indiana casino. I also talk MLB as the most intriguing series you can possibly imagine (based on how the season has started) is about to go down. I also get into news in the Barry Bonds case that could spell the end for the slugger. Photo from latimesblogs.latimes.com

March Madness brought us an incredible tournament, and an unprecedented amount of madness. Tonight, the national champion will be crowned in a matchup where the best player will face off against the best team. Can UConn's Kemba Walker and his sidekick Jeremy Lamb do enough offensively against Butler's brutal defense to come out on top? And can Butler, which seems to always have the right stuff down the stretch, pull one out against Kemba, a player who's made a name for himself by making clutch shots? I give my take on each team, including why Butler is successful and why they'll continue to be successful. I also point out something that UConn is doing that is overlooked by many: playing awesome defense. I break down the matchup and make my prediction. I also get into NBA, Tennis and the biggest surprises from MLB's slate of season-opening series. I mispoke in this episode, the Rangers racked up 26 runs in their 3-game sweep of the Red Sox, not 21. Photo from blog.gotcup.com

Last night, the Lakers and Celtics played like they had something to prove, and they did. Especially the Lakers, who blew out the Mavericks in a chippy contest that saw five players and one fan ejected. I talk about how all three of the two-time defending champions' question marks before the All-Star break have been answered in a big way after the break. Meanwhile, the Celtics handled the Spurs in San Antonio to stay within striking range of Chicago for the top seed in the East. Rajon Rondo was the difference in that game, but I also explain why he'll be the difference against those Bulls if they meet in the playoffs. I also get into opening day in the MLB, Jimmer winning AP Player of the Year, and Tennis, which has two big matchups in Miami, including Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic vs. the new top-ranked American player. Photo from Harry How/Getty Images

LeBron James was a no-show during pregame introductions in his second return to Cleveland last night, which resulted in a 102-90 loss. The King can't continue to hide from the hate. He's a villain, and that's not changing any time soon. Not only does he have to accept that, he has to embrace that the same way the Black Mamba has. Kobe Bryant's hometown of Philadelphia hates him, too. Yet Kobe has "ripped their hearts out" a few times, including once in the NBA Finals. Kobe is not only hated on the court, but off the court as well, even being called a rapist. However, he still thrives on the road better than he does at home and has hit the vast majority of his game-winners in front of opposing crowds on top of that. LeBron has to learn to find pleasure in being one of the most hated players in the NBA in order to be successful. I also talk about Jalen Rose being arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, Aqib Talib and his gangster mom, Dez Bryant, ex-Auburn players revealing their experiences with pay-for-play schemes, and the Fiesta Bowl being in jeopardy of losing its status as a major bowl. Photo from bleacherreport.com

What does it mean when you hear someone say, "He just doesn't have...it"? Why do some players or teams have it, but others not? The phrase tends to be used in a universal way, and I think the word does come back to universal elements as I explain. But "it" is used in the same context no matter what sport that athlete or team is in. Allen Iverson, Dan Marino, the Boston Red Sox, more recently LeBron James, and many more. Those players or teams all fell just short of winning a championship on multiple occasions. Either that, or they were uniquely talented athletes that always fell flat in the biggest moments. There's no label in sports more dreaded than not having "it". Some still have the label. Some have shed it. However, these days having that label is tougher than ever. I explain why I believe "it", and the greatness associated with it, can only be created from pain. Photo from thebestten.wordpress.com