LWOS INC About Contact Apply Openings Writing FAQ Ad Policy
Last Word On Sports Logo

Last Word On Sports

Sports News Since 2011. Honestly.

Last Word On Sports Logo

Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Year: 2012

I'm Not Angry, Just Disappointed – The Top Five Underachievers Of The NBA Season So Far

Posted on by Kaine Elmy

Everybody wants a ring, some want to be recognized as the Most Valuable Player of the season, but none want to be recognized as the “Most Un-Valuable Player”. All this MVP talk made me think. Nearly half the season is down and it seems like there’s a certain group excelling above the rest: Carmello Anthony, Lebron James, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant. Sure, it could be any of those five. It’s all to cliché for me. It’s time the under-achievers were condemned. So who’s in my firing range for the top five candidates for my MUVP award?

#5. Deron WilliamsThis one is sure to rustle a few feathers. I, for one, was incredibly excited to see Williams in the new Brooklyn kit; my excitement was short lived. Deron has shot less than forty percent from the field this season and less than thirty percent from three point range. In fact, statistically speaking, the Nets are performing better without their superstar on the field (defensively anyway) allowing an average of ten less points in with Williams on the bench than when he is. His ball skills are one thing, but his attitude is another. He was responsible for the resignation of Jerry Sloan in Utah and now Avery Johnson has been fired from Brooklyn. In my opinion, it should have been Deron’s head on the chopping board.

#4. Amare Stoudemire
This one should not be a surprise to anybody. Stoudemise (see what I did there?) was literally offered to nearly every NBA this past summer for virtually nothing. Hell, even the Raptors didn’t want him, and that’s saying something. I get his health is declining, he probably can’t help that, but his ridiculous contract and diminished performance makes him unappealing to every team. New York is a rubbish dump and Amare happens to be that fly they just cannot get rid of. Besides from being a defensive liability, the Knicks (before dropping him to the D-League) performed significantly better with him warming the bench. Sorry Amare, I think your time has come mate.

#3. Klay Thompson
Man, I had high hopes for this kid. Last year, he was voted ‘most likely player to breakout’ by the league’s general managers but he has failed to do so, with his statistics significantly lower than his sensational rookie season. His struggles went under the radar slightly, due to Golden State’s great success this season (but they still lost to the Lakers J) thanks to Stephen Curry and David Lee. But I for one hoped Thompson would make more of an impact. It’s probably a bit unfair to put Klay Thompson in here, and don’t get me wrong, I am still impressed by his performance. It’s just, I expected more.

#2. Kevin Love
This one is a bit brutal. I, by no means, blame Love with the Wolves mediocre thirteen wins and thirteen losses record. But we are certainly watching a different Kevin Love than we are all accustomed to. Firstly, does anybody else get the feeling Love doesn’t want to be in Minnesota? Remember, he’s a California boy. I don’t doubt for a second that he would rather be playing for the Lakers, Clippers or even the Warriors. Love has been shooting only thirty one percent this season, compared to a career average of forty five percent. Not only that, in the game two days ago against the Rockets, Love, a respect three point scorer, missed two open threes in the fourth quarter, to add to his three of fourteen record for the night. Sorry Wolves fans, but I have no love for Love.

#1. Jeremy Lin
Call me crazy, a hater, maybe blind even but surely I’m not the only one who has noticed Linsanity’s absence from Jeremy Lin’s game. To be brutally honest, I never jumped on the Lin bandwagon. I can recognize talent and Lin definitely has that, but this season Lin is a significant step down from his performance with the Knicks last year. He is shooting a dismal twenty-nine percent from behind the arc, which means defenders can relax with him in that position. At the beginning of the season, I picked it early. Harden and Lin would not work well together. Although, their performance has improved as of late, Lin and Harden is far from the combination of Lin and Chandler last season. I’m afraid the huge hype of Jeremy Lin has led people to ignore his performance slump this season, in comparison to last. Give him time to click with Harden, and I’m sure he’ll improve. But for now, I’ve got a target on his head.

credit: Chris Devers via photopin cc

What Makes Baseball Such Great a Game!

Posted on by Mark Modeski

Baseball. Many people can’t stand to watch it, with the completely unoriginal argument – “it is just too boring”. People argue that the game isn’t exciting enough to keep their attention (at least not unless they have a few pints in them). As one of the few Canadian baseball fans out there, I feel that it is my duty to defend the sport, and help people to understand why I watch it, and explain why it is “America’s past time”.

What stands out to me as the most engaging aspect of baseball is the level of pure skill that a player needs to have to play the game. People may argue to the contrary, but it is a well established rhetorical fact that there is nothing more difficult in professional sports than trying to hit a major league fastball. As a former player (nowhere near the professional level), I can attest to the fact that when you make contact with a fastball it’s better than any feeling you’ve ever had in your life! As such, being able to watch guys like Jose Bautista or Alex Rodriguez blast a ball outside of a major league field still gives me goose bumps each time. As a side point to that, watching a pitcher like Curt Schilling or Roy Halliday paint the corners of the plate with such accuracy behind a ball that is going close to 100 mph engenders nothing less than complete and utter respect.

Another factor that compels me to watch the game on a regular basis is the anticipation involved. There is no better sports analogy used to describe a do-or-die moment than “bottom of the 9th, 2 outs, with the bases loaded”. Watching a team fall behind by four runs, and knowing that with one swing of the bat the game can be tied up keeps me on the edge of my seat every time it happens.

The sport is a mind game the whole way through. Very few understand the dynamics that occur between a hitter and pitcher (and catcher). A pitcher is making a call with every pitch he throws, and changes his style with every pitch he releases; he customizes and adapts to every hitter he faces. Likewise, a good hitter is trying to play the pitcher to his strengths. A solid hitter is not always batting pitches behind him because he can’t make proper contact with the ball – often times he is doing it to wear the pitcher down and goad him into throwing a perfect pitch down the pipe. There is no time limit that pushes a player to make a snap decision like many other sports, as everything is well planned out and strategic.

One other aspect that makes baseball so great (for now) is the lack of the instant replay. What this means is that when you get a player out, you need to be definitive. Rarely do umpires ever overturn calls – and there have been A LOT of bad ones in the history of the game. Sometimes it swings your way, sometimes it doesn’t. Most important to this fact, is that the game is slowed down or argued over the replay – the call is made, you live with it. Players and coaches will at times complain, but they are just having their voice heard. The show goes on!

The excitement in the sport is there, but you need to read between the lines. Baseball is not in your face like hockey or football, it’s precise and planned. I do have to admit that I am often more engrossed in a game once I’ve put a few drinks back, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate and fall in love with the sport every time in a sober state of mind. On the contrary, I’d rather go into a game with all of my wits – so, I can detect all of the little interactions between player-and-player, coach-and-player and fan-and-player. Love the game, or hate it – you have to appreciate it!

 

Be sure to follow me on Twitter – @LastWordMark

Follow LastWordOnSports.com as well – @LastWordOnSport

photo credit: Express Monorail via photopin cc

Bowl Preview: Rose Bowl #6 Stanford vs. Wisconsin

Posted on by Lindsay Higgins

It’s the Granddaddy of them all, the Rose Bowl Presented by Vizio! Wisconsin AD and former coach Barry Alvarez returns to coach the Badgers as Bret Bielema left earlier this month to take the Arkansas job.

5 p.m. EST, Jan. 1
From: Pasadena, CA
On: ESPN

credit: E. A. Sanabria via photopin cc

When The Cardinal Have The Ball: Quarterback Kevin Hogan has an impressive 72.9% completion rate through the four games he’s started. Even more impressive is the fact that he racked up those numbers facing Oregon, Oregon State, and UCLA (twice). Hogan’s main targets are his two tight ends, Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo; Ertz leads the team in both catches (66) and receiving yards (837).The Cardinal have the luxury of being selective about when they pass the ball, thanks to the presence of running back Stepfan Taylor. Taylor averages nearly 111 yards per game and is useful in the short passing game as well.  Stanford’s main strength is their power running game, and Taylor is the main man on the ground.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin’s run defense ranked second in the Big Ten and 12th in the country through the regular season, though, and some teams have been able to bottle up Taylor. The Badgers have three very talented linebackers, most notably Chris Borland. Stanford doesn’t have a true threat in the run game beyond Taylor; the team’s second-leading rusher is Hogan, who’s a mobile quarterback and can throw with decent accuracy either in the pocket or rolling out. It will be an intriguing matchup of strength vs strength with Stanford’s running game, and Wisconsin’s rush defense.

The bigger test for the Badgers may actually be Stanford’s passing game, particularly covering the tight ends Ertz and Toilolo. At 6’6”, 252 lbs. and 6’8”, 265 lbs. respectively, they have a huge advantage (literally) over most defensive backs. In addition, Wisconsin nickel back Darius Hillary was injured in the Big Ten title game, and his status is unknown.  For this reason the Cardinal may be wise to throw more than they normally do and take advantage of this matchup.

 

credit: Stephanie Caine, Wiki Commons

When The Badgers Have The (Montee) Ball: Sorry, couldn’t resist the pun. Wisconsin has one of the best ground games in the country, with three players rushing for over 500 yards on the season. Montee Ball is the main threat, with a ridiculous 1,730 yards and 21 TDs. The Cardinal run defense was the best in the country for much of the season, but if they stop Ball, the Badgers can turn to James White or Melvin Gordon. Wisconsin’s passing game is harder to predict at the moment, as the QB picture isn’t entirely clear. Freshman Joel Stave was injured against Michigan State and was expected to be out for the season, but yahoosports.com is now reporting that he could be back for the Rose Bowl. Otherwise, fifth-year senior Curt Phillips would continue to start under center. Jared Abbrederis is the main receiving threat regardless of who throws him the ball. Second-leading receiver Jacob Pedersen has fewer than half of Abbrederis’ receptions and yards.Like the Badgers, Stanford has an excellent linebacking corps, and the best aspect of Stanford’s defense is probably their pass rush, as they lead the nation in sacks with 56. Unfortunately for Wisconsin, their offense has allowed 27. If Stanford can stop the run and force the Badgers into passing situations, they should have no trouble pressuring either QB.

Prediction: The last scenario I outlined is what I expect to happen. Stanford’s run defense will hold up, forcing the Badgers to throw, and then the pass rush will be unleashed. Presumably Phillips, as a fifth-year senior, would hold up better than the freshman Stave, but I don’t think it will ultimately make much difference. Stanford 31, Wisconsin 20.

Bowl Preview: Outback Bowl, #10 South Carolina vs. #18 Michigan

Posted on by Lindsay Higgins

It’s the third and last non-BCS bowl matchup featuring a Top 10 team as the Gamecocks take on the Wolverines.

1 p.m. EST, Jan. 1
From: Tampa, FL
On: ESPN

credit: MGoBlog via photopin cc
credit: MGoBlog via photopin cc

When The Wolverines Have The Ball: QB Denard Robinson’s elbow injury in early November complicates the Michigan offense quite a bit- and, oddly, they’ve benefited from it. Backup QB Devin Gardner, a high-school QB who spent most of the last two seasons playing WR, is more of a pocket quarterback and a pure passer than Robinson. He led the team to wins in three of their last four games, with eight TDs and 4 INTs. During that time, Robinson took snaps at WR, RB, and QB, although he didn’t throw any passes.

Given that leading rusher Fitz Toussaint broke his leg in the Wolverines’ second-to-last game and required surgery, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Robinson lined up in his spot quite often. (Note that head coach Brady Hoke hasn’t completely ruled out Toussaint for the bowl game). Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the strength of Michigan’s offensive line, particularly junior OT Taylor Lewan. Should he choose to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft, Lewan could potentially be a first-round pick.

The Gamecocks’ defense will have their work cut out for them keeping track of Robinson. Using a spy package doesn‘t work as well when the guy you‘re spying lines up at multiple positions. Still, Michigan hasn’t faced a defense of this caliber since early season losses to both Alabama and Notre Dame. Sophomore DE Jadaveon Clowney is one of the best pass-rushers in the country- more useful with Gardiner at QB than Robinson- and S D.J. Swearinger is good at defending deep passes. Swearinger’s job will likely be to cover either Roy Roundtree or leading receiver Jeremy Gallon. 6’5”, 229-lb. TE Devin Funchess could be called up to help block Clowney, but he’s also a pass-catching threat who, because of his size, has an advantage over a lot of defensive backs.

Connor_ShawWhen The Gamecocks Have The Ball: Connor Shaw will start at QB for the Gamecocks, although coach Steve Spurrier told yahoosports.com that backup Dylan Thompson will also see some snaps. Thompson did a more than adequate job replacing Shaw, who injured his shoulder in the season opener, when necessary. Having two downfield receiving threats like sophomore Bruce Ellington and junior Ace Sanders (also a very dangerous return man) certainly makes it easier for a backup to step in and perform well.

The Gamecocks’ running game took a hit in late October when then-Heisman contender Marcus Lattimore suffered a season-ending injury, but Kenny Miles stepped up admirably. However, Miles was injured in the Clemson game in the last week of the season, so third-stringer Mike Davis may be the primary concern for the Wolverines’ run defense.

Sophomore LB Jake Ryan has emerged as a leader for the Michigan Defense. The pass defense took a hit when CB J.T. Floyd (along with backup LB Brandin Hawthorne and P Will Hagerup) was suspended this past week for the always-popular “violation of team rules”. Fortunately for Michigan, they have an experienced upperclassman in the backfield in senior S Jordan Kovacs. Kovacs led the team in multiple defensive categories this season.

Prediction: It’s tough to pick a game when you don’t know what position one of the most dynamic players in the game will be playing, but I’ll try! Something tells me South Carolina could come out flat, their primary goal of winning the SEC East having not been met. I don’t think they’ll stay that way, though. Michigan hasn’t played a team of this caliber since their loss to Notre Dame in September, and I think the Gamecocks offense has at least a slight advantage over the Wolverines’ defense. South Carolina will perk up in the second quarter and eventually prevail. South Carolina 32, Michigan 21

Coming later this week: previews of the Cotton, Sugar, Orange, Rose, and Fiesta Bowls, as well as the BCS Title Game!

The Biggest MMA Story in 2012

Posted on by Mark Modeski

With 2012 slowly coming to a close I thought I would take a moment to reflect on the biggest stories of this past year in MMA.  Actually, I thought I would take it a step further, and instead of re-hashing the same old lists that you can probably find across 100,000 or so other websites, I would pick one story that I feel surpasses all others in terms of buzz, news coverage and overall impact on the sport.

2012 was one of the more eventful years in MMA that we’ve seen since the inception of the sport. The steroids controversy continued to rear its ugly head over-and-over, it was announced that we would see the female MMA event in the UFC in 2013, we saw the flyweight division enter the UFC at last, we saw Frankie Edgar finally become exposed for blowing chunks. With these stories, how could I choose just one? It’s actually quite easy when you think about it, and it starts and ends with one word: injuries.

The UFC brass set forth an aggressive fight schedule for 2012. With no less than 30 events in 2012 (averaging 2.5 events per month), there was a lot riding on a happy and healthy roster of fighters. Unfortunately, this did not happen. While many fights were substituted with different match-ups, it often came at the expense of quality.

When you look at some of the fights that should have happened but didn’t, it almost makes my MMA heart sink:

  • Big Nog vs. Cheick Kongo: Minotauro was forced to pull out with injury, and we were rewarded with Kongo vs. Shawn Jordan. Boo-urns… boo-urns, indeed.
  • Shogun vs. Thiago Silva: This one was destined for fireworks, as both fighters can stand-and-bang or roll on the ground at top levels. Unfortunately, Silva had to pull out. Months down the road, we saw a relatively uneven match-up in Shogun vs. Vera.
  • Jose Aldo vs. Erik Koch: Anytime we get to watch Aldo fight we’re in for a treat, and against an aggressive guy like Koch – you knew this fight was going to be memorable. However, when Aldo was forced to pull-out and later Koch the fight was quietly swept under the carpet.
  • BJ Penn vs. Rory MacDonald: While we would eventually be rewarded with a make-up match between these two, this was almost a fight that didn’t happen due to injury, which would have been a shame!
  • Rampage vs. Glover Teixeira: This was supposed to be a coming out party to Teixeira and a retirement party for Rampage – in with the new out with the old. Rampage suffered injury unfortunately, and instead Teixeira would instead face Fabio Maldonado – woo hoo (note lack of enthusiasm).
  • Daniel Cormier vs. Frank Mir: In what would have been a great cross-promotional match-up between two of the heavyweight divisions best. Mir unfortunately was forced out of the bout, and no re-match has been announced.
  • Dan Henderson vs. Jon Jones: I’m not even going to talk about this one.
  • Frankie Edgar vs. Jose Aldo: Cancelled. Ugh. Who knows if it will actually ever happen.

That’s a pretty long list, and it’s not even a fraction of the entire lot. So, why was the injury plague so predominant this year? Will it happen next year? The answer is simple to both questions – and the answer is that this problem lies squarely in the UFC’s court.

Were more fighters injured this year than previous years? Maybe, maybe not – no one can say definitively because it is not an apples-to-apples comparison. With so many events this year (more than any other year previous), the exposure of a weak “quality” fighter roster infrastructure was exposed. In the past, when a big-name fighter has gone down another big-name fighter has easily been able to step in. However, since every big-name fighter was already sitting on the roster for a future card, or had VERY recently just fought, finding a suitable replacement was not as easy or successful.

As a result, we were treated to many a crappy card. When all is said and done, trimming back on the number of events would likely cause for this to be less of an issue in 2013. The sport is fighting – it’s close contact, it’s hard training. Guys are going to get hurt. You can plan without having suitable contingencies in place – especially when a multi-million dollar event could be resting on the shoulders of one man (or woman).

So, that’s where I leave it. I would honestly challenge anyone to disagree that there was a bigger story than this one in 2012. Hopefully, my “Biggest Story of 2013 in MMA” will be at worst – “Jon Jones Approved for Sexual Re-Assignment”.

 

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter – @LastWordMark and as well as the site – @LastWordOnSport 

Tune into our MMA show “Outside the Octagon” every Friday at 9pm on LastWordRadio.  And definitely don’t miss the guys from Hammer Radio as they put together a great show.  All shows can be accessed through our site, or in our achives, and is conveniently available via iTunes.

Interested in writing for LWOS?  Great! Visit our “Join the Team” page and learn what we can do for you!

WJC Preview: Who to Watch, Team Canada

Posted on by Ben Kerr

The Day is nearly here, the Pre-Tournament Games are done, and its time for the World Juniors. In October I did early looks and predictions on what the rosters might look like, but I think its time to update them now, as teams are being set, and the tournament is ready to go. If you want to see any of my previous articles you can find a complete listing of my them here.

Over the Next two days I will give you are preview of Each Team in the Tournament, highlighting the key players to watch, their strengths and weaknesses, and what to look forward to in the Tournament. Yesterday, we looked at Pool A, which features defending champ Sweden, the impressive Finns, the always dangerous Czech Republic, a team that is no stranger to upsets in Switzerland, and an underrated team from Latvia.

So lets move on to Pool B, where we have already looked at Russia, Germany and Slovakia. We also took look at the United States, and now we move on to Team Canada.

Team Canada won 5 straight gold medals from 2005 to 2009. Now after three years with two silvers and a bronze, this squad is headed to Ufa knowing that anything less than a gold medal will be considered a failure by the Canadian Media and public. The squad is powerful with a number of players who would be in the NHL if not for the lockout.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins:  Team Canada’s captain played last season for the Edmonton Oilers, and put up 52 points in 62 games and finished 2nd in voting for the Calder Trophy.  The talented pivot is currently playing in the AHL for the Oklahoma City Barons where he has been scoring at over a point per game pace.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will be Canada’s first line centre and is expected to be Canada’s top scorer.  He could very well compete for tournament MVP.  Hopkins is an excellent skater and stickhandler.  He really knows how to control the play with the puck on his stick, with his great puck control and he can create opportunities and passing lanes by using his ability to vary speeds on his feet, and his quick stops and starts.  He also has a very good wrist shot and release, and soft hands in close as seen with his 18 goals in the NHL last season.

credit: sahlgoode via photopin cc

Jonathan Huberdeau: Huberdeau was one of Canada’s best forwards in last year’s tournament and the same is expected this year. I believe that be would be playing for the Panthers if not for the lockout as Huberdeau has nearly done it all in Junior Hockey.  The one thing missing from the resume though, is a Gold Medal.

The 2011 third overall pick is a dynamic offensive threat from the wing.  Listed by many as capable of playing centre as well, Huberdeau has used almost exclusively at Left Wing for Saint John for most of the last three years and will play in that spot on Canada’s top line.

Offensively, Huberdeau brings everything you could ask for from a player.  He has incredible hockey sense and instinct to play the game.  Huberdeau reads the play well at both ends of the rink and almost always makes the smart play.  He exploits holes in the opponent’s defence and finds openings to create offence for himself or others.  An excellent stick handler, Huberdeau is able to both protect the puck and to beat opponents one on one with his soft hands.  He can mesmerize goalies and defenders with his arsenal of quick moves and dangles, and his quickness helps him score goals in tight.  He also has the ability to let go an NHL ready wrist shot with great accuracy and a quick release.  The defence is naturally drawn to him and his talent, and if they are not careful, he has the excellent vision and play making abilities, to spot open teammates and to make a crisp tape to tape pass leaving them with an open net to shoot at.  Marry these skills with Huberdeau’s great speed, agility, and balance on his skates, and you have a dynamic offensive force.

Mark Scheifele: A natural centre, Scheifele will play Right Wing on Canada’s top line. Scheifele could also be in the NHL this year, as he made the Jets last year in training camp, and even played in 7 regular season games, before being sent back to the Barrie Colts and the OHL and playing for Team Canada at last years tournament where he was a point per game player.

Big and talented Scheifele combines excellent size, long reach, soft hands, and quick stickhandling to protect the puck and buy time to make plays. Scheifele has great vision, and tremendous passing ability. Scheifele is a good shooter, who has an accurate wrister with a very good release. He could stand to shoot more often, especially playing with two other playmakers, as that will be the main question with this line. Who is the trigger man?

Scheifele’s skating is a major strength in his game. He has shown improved speed and acceleration this season, and would now be classified as good in both areas. His biggest strength though is his excellent balance, and powerful stride. This allows Scheifele to protect the puck in the cycle game, and drive the puck through traffic and to the front of the net.

Scheifele is a willing backchecker who understands defensive concepts, and has solid positioning in his own end. He is involved physically and in puck battles, but he needs to add more upper body strength to be truly effective in this area. He has shown a willingness to sacrifice though, to block shots and to put his body on the line to win games.

Ryan Strome: Ryan Strome brings high end offensive game to Team Canada’s second line. The talented Ice Dogs centre has been driving the Ice Dogs offence for three years now.  After two years he when he scored at a pace of nearly 1.6 points per game, he’s taken it up another notch this year leading the entire CHL in scoring 62 points in just 32 games last year.  He was also an offensive catalyst for Canada’s Bronze Medal winning 2012 World Junior Championship squad, scoring 9 points in 6 games.

Strome has all the offensive talent you would look for in a young player.  He is a terrific skater.  He has good top end speed, good acceleration, and his great ability to change speeds, and terrific agility help him to beat defenders.  He is also a terrific stickhandler, with great puck protection, and silky smooth hands and moves (click here to see the goal that made Strome a youtube sensation).  Add to that the creativity and confidence to try anything and he is extremely dangerous off the rush. Strome has the vision and creativity to be an outstanding playmaker as he is able to feather passes through the smallest of openings, and set up teammates with quality scoring chances.  As a sniper, he is NHL ready, having a fantastic wrist shot and release, an excellent slapshot, and a great one timer.  His overtime goal won the summer Super Series against Russia for the Canadian team.

There are also two 2013 draft eligible forwards on this year’s squad.  High profile players we’ll review, but we must remember to temper our expectations with regards to these players, as seen in my earlier article, here.

Jonathan Drouin, Left Wing:  Drouin will start the tournament at left wing on Canada’s second line with Ryan Strome.  He’s a dynamic skater and creative offensively as both a playmaker and a finisher.  The only thing that holds Drouin back at times is his size and some questions defensively.  While he’s listed at 5’11″ there is a ton of questions about the accuracy of that listing.  You can’t deny the talent though, and the drafts fastest rising talent will look to put up an impressive tournament by creating scoring opportunities with Strome.

Nathan MacKinnon, Centre/Right Wing: My pick as the Best player in this draft class right.  A native of Cole Harbour, he’s been compared to Sidney Crosby; but the truth is that while he’s not as good as Crosby, he does plays the same style and is Sid-lite.  He’s still a future franchise centre, just not the generational talent of Crosby.  He’s very strong on the puck, a great playmaker or goal scorer, and a tremendously agile and quick skater.  His albility to make lateral cuts gives defenders nightmares, and his quick, soft hands in tight and excellent wrist shot give goaltenders nightmares.  He is extremely versatile, and could be used at both centre and wing by the Canadian club.  Expect to see him start the tournament in a bottom line role.  I expect MacKinnon to show flashes of brilliance, but he doesn’t have the experience, nor will he get the ice time on this deep and talented squad, to truly dominate.

Defence:  The Canadian Defence should be a real strength of the squad even with the injury to Ryan Murray taking him out of the tournament.  This is a squad that is filled with talented defenders and is the best squad in the tourney on paper.   Consider that there is so much talent on this squad that they were able to cut top 10 picks like Matt Dumba and Derrick Pouliot, while leaving other high picks like Slater Koekkoek and Cody Ceci on the outside looking in for selection camp.

Dougie Hamilton, Defence: Hamilton is a huge physical specimen at 6’4″ and 195 lbs. Hamilton has put up extremely impressive offensive stats, leading the OHL in scoring by a defenceman, last season despite only playing 50 games due to missing time with a suspension, and playing for Team Canada at last years tournament. He’s started strong again this season with 41 points in 32 games.

Hamilton is a gifted skater for his height, and has good mobility, agility and acceleration. He is also a strong stickhandler who protects the puck well. He combines these skills to help skate the puck out of danger in his own end and elude forecheckers. He also is very adept at joining the rush and creating offence from the back end. Hamilton has a hard and accurate slap shot and one timer which he used to great effect on the Canada  powerplay last year. His vision and passing skills are also elite, and already NHL ready.  He should again be a key to Canada’s powerplay.

Defensively Dougie Hamilton used to be the type of player that relied on his positioning and good instincts solely in the defensive zone. While those are very good, and very useful in defending, Hamilton was criticized by many for lacking physicality despite his size. This is no longer the case, as Hamilton upped his physical game over the last year and a half . While no one will confuse him with Scott Stevens, and he’s still not the biggest hitter around, Hamilton has show the ability to lay the body and added an effective physical dimension to his game. Hamilton’s game is now extremely well rounded and he truly can do it all.  Expect him to be Canada’s number 1 defenceman, and to be a real key for the squad in the tournament.  Another player who would likely be in the NHL if not for the lockout.

Morgan Rielly:  Taken fifth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Rielly is an absolutely elite skater, and might be the best skater in this whole tournament.  His speed is off the charts, he uses his edges effectively, he has a great first step and quick acceleration, and his pivots and changes of direction are quick and crisp.  His skating is already at a level that would leave many NHLers in his dust.

Rielly loves to carry the puck, and loves to lead his teams rushes from the backend.  A frequent sight at Warriors games was Rielly trying an end to end rush this season.  He’s great with the puck on his stick, and has good vision and passing ability.  He also has both a great wrist and slap shot and he utilizes these along with his great vision, and ability to make crisp tape to tape passes, and should feature as a key quarterback on Canada’s powerplay with Hamilton.

Rielly does sometimes make mistakes and has a habit of sometimes being a gambler, and making a bad giveaway due to his desire to always push the offence.  HeHowever Rielly’s puck skills do help him defensively as he’s often able to steal the puck from opposing defenders and quickly move the puck up the ice.  Rielly is extremely disciplined and it is well over a full calendar year since he last took a penalty.  The ability to remain disciplined and his outstanding skating will be extremely valuable in Ufa.

Xavier Ouellet: With 60 points in 63 games last year Ouellet has already proven to be one of the best offensive defencemen in the CHL. Its been much of the same this year with 25 points in 26 games so far.  He also has a very good wrist shot with a quick release. His slapshot is powerful and he has a dangerous one timer. Ouellet  is very poised on the powerplay and has excellent vision and creativity, its expected that he will team with Ryan Murphy on Team Canada’s second line.

He is a great skater and is very dangerous off the rush as well. Don’t be fooled though, Ouellet is no one trick pony, as he also is a good defensive defenceman using his solid positioning and good hockey sense to keep opponents at bay.  He will be used in a top 4 role for Team Canada and the Detroit prospect is expected to produce at both ends of the rink.

Griffin Reinhart: Reinhart comes from good bloodlines as he is the son of former Calgary Flame Paul Reinhart.  At 6’4 and over 200 lbs, he is a physically intimidating presence in the defensive zone. Reinhart is a true shut down defenceman, with excellent positioning in the his own zone, and his big frame and long stick allow him to block shots and cut down passing lanes.  He also uses his great size and strength to keep the Oil Kings’ crease clear, and is effective in doing so.  He also has offensive skill, with a  booming slapshot and excellent wrist shot which he unleashes from the point.  Reinhart makes quality passes both as part of his team’s breakout, and in the offensive zone.  His excellent offensive instincts and hockey sense, allow Reinhart to quickly exploit gaps in the opponent’s defensive coverage and he often chooses the right moments to pinch in.  Reinhart will be on the third pairing for Team Canada which helps to illustrate how good this team is on the blue line.

credit: cerebusfangirl via photopin cc

Goaltenders:

Malcolm Subban:  Recent years have seen goaltending as the Achilles heel for Team Canada at the World Juniors. For whatever reason, the position which has been a Canadian strength for years, has instead become a weakness. That could all change this year.

Malcolm Subban is the best Canadian goalie prospect in several years. He is mature and playoff-tested in the OHL and in the 2011 Ivan Hlinka tournament. Many (including myself) expected Subban to provide Canada with a similar level of netminding that has led the country to numerous World Junior gold medals over the years (just not recently).

He is an incredible athlete and his puck tracking, agility, and lateral movement will be great assets on the bigger ice. Plus he’s already used to the different angles that Olympic-sized ice requires a goaltender to adjust to, as Malcolm plays on this surface in his home rink in Belleville as the starter for the Bulls.

Subban was great for Canada in the summer’s Canada-Russia Challenge Series, winning two games for the team.  He’s followed that up with some great play for the Belleville Bulls, and again taking the reigns with a good performance for Team OHL in the Subway Super Series.  However he’s really been struggling of late.  He was the worst goalie at Canada’s tryout camp, and struggled in Canada’s pre-tournament game against Finland which has opened the door for Jordan Binnington.

Jordan Binnington:  Binnington doesn’t have the resume of Subban, but the Blues third round pick in 2011 is the hotter goalie heading into the tournament.  He’s been great for Owen Sound this season, with a 930 save percentage, and helping the Attack to be one of the OHL’s best teams so far this season.  At 6’2″  Binnington uses his size and ability to cut down angles to take up a ton of space in the net and leave shooters with little to look at.  He also has good legs to take away the bottom of the net, and a quick glove hand.  This goaltending battle is not over, and with the way he’s played of late Canada could be in good hands if Binnington takes the number 1 job.

Feel free to leave comments below and follow me on twitter @lastwordBKerr.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to join Max Vasilyev and me on Wednesday Nights at 11:00pm when we host the hockey radio show, “Puckheads”, on the Last Word Radio Network. You can listen in live or to our archived podcasts by clicking here, or by searching for us on iTunes.

Hockey fan?  Consider becoming a writer for LastWordOnSports.com by visiting our recruitment page: Join Our Team

main photo credit: sahlgoode via photopin cc

WJHC Who to Watch: Team USA

Posted on by Ben Kerr

The Day is nearly here, the Pre-Tournament Games are done, and its time for the World Juniors. In October I did early looks and predictions on what the rosters might look like, but I think its time to update them now, as teams are being set, and the tournament is ready to go. If you want to see any of my previous articles you can find a complete listing of my them here.

Over the Next two days I will give you are preview of Each Team in the Tournament, highlighting the key players to watch, their strengths and weaknesses, and what to look forward to in the Tournament. Yesterday, we looked at Pool A, which features defending champ Sweden, the impressive Finns, the always dangerous Czech Republic, a team that is no stranger to upsets in Switzerland, and an underrated team from Latvia.

So lets move on to Pool B, where we have already looked at Russia, Germany and Slovakia.  We’ll take a look at Canada shortly, but now, the United States. .

 

Forwards

credit: Lou; Photopin CC

Alex Galchenyuk , Left Wing/Centre:  Galchenyuk was picked by the Montreal Canadiens 3rd overall in last June’s Entry draft.   The most purely talented player on the US squad, he will be expected to bring big offence if the US squad is to have any chance at winning a gold medal.

Coach Phil Housley has been experimenting with Galchenyuk at both Left Wing and Centre during the U.S. Selection camp, and its unclear where he will play.  I personally would bet on him lining up at LW though as Galchenyuk can be just as dangerous at both spots, and the US squad is far weaker at Left Wing (having little in the way of top 6 after Galchenyuk and John Gaudreau).  Meanwhile, they have Trocheck and Miller who can play in the middle, along with Sean Kuraly, meaning its a much deeper position.

Galchenyuk is blessed with every talent you’d want in an offensive player.  He has size and is willing to mix it up in the corners or in front of the net.  He is a very good skater, able to create off the rush.  He’s shown his tremendous wrist shot and release on numerous occassions for the Sarnia Sting this season, and is also an outstanding playmaker.  Galchenyuk’s best asset though are his hands, which are among the best in the entire tournament.

John Gaudreau, Left Wing:  Gaudreau is a pint sized winger who has been absolutely electric for Boston College and was a key component in helping them to win the NCAA National Championship last year. The Calgary Flames 2011 4th Rounder has again been one of the best players in the NCAA this year and should be a contender for the Hobey Baker Trophy.

He is a speedster, with great hands and a fearless ability to drive the net.  Possessing an excellent wrist shot and release, look for Gaudreau to be a key to the American squad in terms of producing goals in the tournament.  He has also shown an ability to be a playmaker as well, and will make his linemates (expected to be J.T. Miller and Rocco Grimaldi) more dangerous.

J.T. Miller, Centre:  The 2011 New York Rangers first round pick.  Miller is a solid two way forward, who will be important to do the grunt work in the corners and in front of the net on this line. He does have the skill to finish chances should he get them as well.  Playing with Gaudreau and Grimaldi, Miller will be the size and strength in the middle of this line.  He’s been playing for the Connecticut Whale this season in the AHL, and the experience against bigger and stronger opponents can only help him, playing in this tournament.

Rocco Grimaldi, Right Wing: On Miller’s Right side will be another pint-sized speedster.  Grimaldi is a speedster playing in his red-shirt freshman year with the University of North Dakota.  Grimaldi and Gaudreau’s speed and skill should be absolutely lethal on the big ice in ufa, and he completes a very intriguing line for the American squad.   Grimaldi is also an excellent stickhandler who can make plays at high speed, and has a natural goal scorer’s touch around the net.

Vincent Trocheck, Centre: A Florida Panthers third round pick, Trocheck is expected to get the first opportunity to centre Galchenyuk’s line.  Its an intriguing pairing of two of the OHL’s top scorers this seasson.   While Galchenyuk sits 2nd in OHL scoring, Trochek is not far behind in a tie for 5th.  Prior to this season Trocheck was known for his ability to protect the puck down low and to set up plays for his linemates.  This season, the talented pivot has added a good wrist shot and release, along with an excellent one timer this season.  This fact that both he and Galchenyuk can act as the playmaker or the finisher will make for an interesting dynamic for the American squad.

Defense

Jacob Trouba:  Another key veteran of the squad.  The Winnipeg Jets 2012 first rounder should be the anchor on the United States blueline. Trouba possesses very good size.   He’s shown himself to be willing to use that size, as he is an effective hitter who separates incoming forwards from the puck.  Trouba has excellent defensive instincts and is very safe and solid in his own end.  He was one of the better defencemen for Team USA in last years World Junior Championships despite playing in the tournament when he was only 17 years old.  Trouba is a willing shot-blocker, and has excellent hockey IQ.  He makes a good first pass in his own zone, and is very calm and poised with the puck on his stick.  He’s a polished defender who rarely makes a mistake.

Trouba has offensive potential as well.  He has a great shot from the point and should feature on the  US Power Play.  He has good vision and makes smart passes in the offensive zone.  He’s also very good at finding the right time to join the rush and add to his team’s offensive attack.    Trouba is generally a very good skater.  He’s strong on his skates, has good stops and starts, has good edge work, and is agile and able to pivot and change directions quickly and efficiently.  However, he could stand to work on his top-end speed as it is the weakest part of his skating ability.

Overall expect him to play huge minutes in the tournament.

credit: Rick Stephens, allhabs.net

Seth Jones: Jones is the highly hyped 2013 draft eligible D, and the son of former NBA player Popeye Jones.

He’s a monster at 6’4″ at just 17 years old, but plays a much different game than you’d expect. He’s an extremely smooth skater, and a great puck mover from the backend. He also has an excellent shot. Defensively he is more likely to use his skating, positioning and strong fundamentals to stop the rush, then he is to intimidate with a big hit.

Normally draft eligible players do not excel in this tournament but Jones played on the US squad last year, and given that experience is expected to be a key member of the team again in this year’s tournament.   As an October birthday he is also older than most of the other draft eligible players in the tourney and this will be a big advantage to him.  Expect to see Jones play top 4 minutes and be a key part of the United States special team’s units, including the powerplay.

Jones has played well for Portland in the WHL this season, but this could be his coming out party, as he’ll be looking to have a strong tournament in an attempt to vault himself into being a favorite to go first overall in June.

Connor Murphy: The 2011 Phoenix Coyotes first rounder plays on the Sarnia Sting powerplay with Alex Galchenyuk.  In this way the two players have familiarity and chemistry already.  This can only help the American Powerplay in a short tournament.

Murphy is a talented puck moving defenceman with extremely good skating ability, making him very mobile on the backend.  He’s got very good vision and excellent passing ability.  As a shooter, Murphy prefers to use his very good wrist shot, and his snap shot from the point.  His slapshot is decent but he could use it more often on the powerplay.  He may play the role of Quarterback on the second unit.

Murphy has improved his defensive game this season, playing a strong positional game and using his body more effectively than we’ve seen in the past.  He is a willing shot blocker, and cuts down passing lanes well.  Murphy will be one of Phil Housley’s go to defenders.

Goaltending:  The United States squad will be relying on Gibson to be backstop the team.  Capable of being one of the best junior goalies in the world when he’s on his game, Gibson hasn’t been on his game of late.  The US will need that to change if they are to be a serious threat in Ufa.

credit: Billy photopin CC

Jon Gibson: Gibson has international experience as a two year starter for the US NTDP and has a World U18 Gold Medal to his name. He’s among the top goalies in the OHL and has backstopped the Kitchener Rangers to a decent start this season, despite the fact that the team just isn’t scoring enough goals in front of him. In November though he started to struggle, and the US hopes he can overcome those struggles and play like he is capable in this tournament.

He has excellent technique and very good rebound control. One of the top goalie prospects in the world, Gibson could steal games for the US squad, and has an opportunity to be the best goalie in the tournament if he gets hot.

Feel free to leave comments below and follow me on twitter @lastwordBKerr.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to join Max Vasilyev and I on Wednesday Nights at 10:00pm when we host the hockey radio show, “Puckheads”, on the Last Word Radio Network. You can listen in live or to our past podcasts by clicking here, or by searching for us on iTunes.

Who to Watch: WJC Russia, Slovakia, and Germany

Posted on by Ben Kerr

The Day is nearly here, the Pre-Tournament Games are done, and its time for the World Juniors. In October I did early looks and predictions on what the rosters might look like, but I think its time to update them now, as teams are being set, and the tournament is ready to go. If you want to see any of my previous articles you can find a complete listing of my them here.

Over the Next two days I will give you are preview of Each Team in the Tournament, highlighting the key players to watch, their strengths and weaknesses, and what to look forward to in the Tournament. Yesterday, we looked at Pool A, which features defending champ Sweden, the impressive Finns, the always dangerous Czech Republic, a team that is no stranger to upsets in Switzerland, and an underrated team from Latvia.

So lets move on to Pool B, featuring both Canada and the United States.  But before we look at them, let’s look at the hosts, and Gold Medal Contender Russian Squad, along with the Germans, and Slovaks, a pair of underdogs in the group.

Germany: Germany is back in the top division of the World Junior Championships, but have unfortunately found themselves in the tougher of the two pools with Canada, USA, and Russia all having Gold Medal hopes. Expect to see the Germans fighting in the relegation round of the tournament as it’s unlikely they can knock off the top dogs this year. However, they will be hoping to stay in the top division for 2014.

credit: imago.de cc

Tobias Rieder, Centre/Left Wing: Rieder will clearly be Germany’s biggest threat in this tournament and should lead the team in all areas. He plays for the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL, and had 42 goals and 85 points for the team last season. This year Rieder is back on the Kitchener top line and has 23 points in 27 games.

An Edmonton Oilers draftee, Rieder is offensively talented with a very good wrist shot and release, along with an excellent one timer. He also has good vision and can be a play maker even from the wing. He’s also a good defensive player who back checks hard, plays on the Rangers PK, and is pretty good at faceoffs when he gets the chance.

The knock on Rieder is that he’s undersized at 5’10”. It will be interesting to see how he performs in this tournament but keep in mind most teams will check him closely and he has very little in terms of support on the German club.

Slovakia: Much like Germany, Slovakia is not likely to advance to the medal round in this group as they just can’t challenge the group’s big 3. Expect to see the Slovakian squad also playing to avoid relegation as the tournament moves on.  Unfortunately for the Slovaks, they have lost their two best players due to injury as Marek Tvrdon had an issue with a blood clot and will miss the rest of the season, and Martin Gernat has been out all year with a shoulder injury.

Peter Ceresnak, Defence:  With Gernat and Tvrdon unavailable, Ceresnak takes the mantle as the only NHL drafted player on the squad.  The New York Rangers 6th Round draft choice in 2011, Ceresnak plays for the Peterborough Petes in the OHL. With just four points in 32 games, it’s clear to see that he is more known for his defensive game than his offensive game.  Expect to see him play a lot of minutes for Slovakia and to be matched against top lines, as he is a decent enough defender with some mobility and physicality.  However, the Slovakians will have to look elsewhere for their goal production.

Now that we`ve gotten past the underdogs; let’s move into the tournament favourites.

Russia: Hosts of the tournament, the Russians will be bringing a strong team. Last year they were silver medalists, losing 1-0 to Sweden on an Overtime goal by Mika Zibanejad. Two years ago, they pulled a shocking 3rd-period comeback to defeat Team Canada in the Gold Medal game. This year they will be looking to reach their third straight final and to take the gold again. They certainly should have a powerful team.

credit: Resolute, commons.wikimedia.org

Nail Yakupov, Right Wing: The first overall pick from this past June’s NHL Entry Draft, Yakupov would surely be playing for the Edmonton Oilers and unavailable for the tournament if not for the NHL lockout. Instead, he is playing in the KHL where the sniper has 10 goals and 18 points in 22 games so far, extremely impressive numbers given the level of competition in the KHL this year.

He’s an incredible skater with great hands, a great shot, and is not afraid to get his nose dirty to score goals. Yakupov could be the most dangerous player in the tournament and will certainly get a ton of attention in the opposition’s game plans. If Russia is to realize its goal of winning gold on home ice then Yakupov will need to play to his potential and be one of the best forwards in the tournament. He’s certainly capable of doing so, and being the ultimate gamechanger/gamebreaker for the squad.

Mikhail Grigorenko, Centre: The Quebec Remparts centre and Buffalo Sabres draftee will be Yakupov’s partner in crime in what should be a dynamic one-two punch for the Russian Squad. The Russians appear to want to build two balanced lines and have been playing Yakupov on the top line, and Grigorenko on the second line.  Grigorenko is a talented playmaker, who also has a decent wrist shot and can play the role of sniper if given the opportunity.

Grigorenko comes into the tournament with a major chip on his shoulder after falling from a potential top 2 drafts pick all the way down to 12th overall and having his heart and desire questioned. A major tournament like this could be the coming-out party for Grigorenko to show that it was the combination of an injured ankle and about mononucleosis that was bothering him down the stretch and into the playoffs last year in the QMJHL and that the Buffalo Sabres got a major steal on draft day.

He’s playing well right now with 29 goals and 50 points in 30 games for the Remparts.

Alexander Khokhlachev, Centre/Left Wing: Everyone is talking about the big duo on this squad, and rightly so, but with players like Khokhlachev the Russians will be an offensive powerhouse and have strong secondary scoring as well. Khoklachev appears to be the Russians first-line centre and he will be providing the set-ups for Yakupov.

He’s a fast skater with good acceleration and top-end speed which makes him extremely dangerous off the rush. He’s also a good stick-handler and has an excellent shot and release making him a dangerous sniper whether he plays in the middle or off the wing.

If there is a weakness here though, its his defensive game, and other squads may be able to take advantage of him in his own end, as his positioning is not good, and he just doesn’t seem to give the same effort along the boards in his end of the rink as he does in the offensive end.

Anton Slepyshev, Left Wing/Right Wing: I was absolutely shocked that Slepyshev was not drafted in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. This is a kid who has the talent to be a late first-round pick, but fell due to the KHL factor. The only possible explanation is that NHL teams do not believe he will come over to North America, however, this doesn’t change the fact that he’s talented and will be a huge secondary scoring threat for the Russians teaming with Grigorenko on a powerful second line.

He’s a good skater, despite a very choppy technique, as he has good top-end speed and acceleration. Slepyshev loves to shoot and his wrist shot and snapshot both are hard, accurate, and feature a quick release. Slepyshev has very good hands and is able to dangle around defenders. He’s not afraid to drive the net and generated chances in close with his quick hands. He is a hard worker engaging in and winning numerous puck battles along the boards and is willing to take abuse in front of the net. He is also strong defensively and could see time on the Russian penalty kill unit. After a string of impressive international performances, one more could get Slepyshev drafted with a later pick in 2013.

Valeri Nichushkin, Centre  – Nichushkin really impressed me in the Subway Super Series.  He’s a dynamic skater, who has a great stride, very good top end speed, and outstanding acceleration.  He is able to use quick changes of pace to attack defenders off the rush and is especially effective driving wide on defenders.  He creates plays with his great puck protection and stickhandling skill and has a good shot.  He is signed to a three year KHL contract (this season and two more).  This could really hurt his final draft position depending on interviews, but the talent says top 10 pick and Ufa could be a coming out party for the youngster.

Defence:  The Russians come into the tournament with a very mobile defence, and this should really help them on the big ice surface in Ufa.  Playing on the wider ice, mobility is the key and the Russians have it in spades.

Nikita Nesterov, Defence: The 2011 fifth round draft pick of the Tampa Bay lightning has been playing for Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL this year.  After putting up 31 points in 41 games in the MHL last year, he was ready to make the jump to playing against men.  It hasn’t gone so well as Nesterov has been getting limited ice time and is still looking for his first point of the season.  But he’s held his own at times and the experience he is getting will be invaluable in this tournament.

Nesterov has a very good point shot, and good passing skills and should be an important part of the Russian powerplay.  Given the strength of the Russian Forwards, he should be able to rack up points on the unit, especially as he is a smart and talented puck distributor.

Nesterov has good size, and mobility and uses both effectively in the defensive end of the rink.  He plays a solid positional game and cuts down passing and shooting lanes well.  Nesterov has also been known to play physical, and lay some big hits when given the opportunity.  He should be a top 4 defenceman for the Russian squad and will get some pretty big minutes leading the back end for Russia.

credit: Anton Yarmolenkov article.wn.com, CC

Andrei Vasilevski/Andrei Makarov Goaltenders: The Russians return the goaltending tandem that led the squad to the silver medal at last year’s tournament.

Vasilvevski was incredible for them (a 953 SV% in the tourney) for all but about 20 minutes last year, nearly having a third-period collapse in the semi-final against Canada, and turning a 6-1 lead into a narrow 6-5 victory.

Makarov had to come in and shut the door on Canada’s comeback attempt and ended up playing a great game in the gold medal match, only giving up the one goal in overtime.

I expect that with another year of experience Vasilevski will take the job and run with it this year. He may be the younger of the two goalies, but he’s also more talented, at least from my perspective. He’s got great size and his good technique and quick legs take away the bottom of the net extremely well. He’s a tremendous athlete with good lateral movement and a great glove hand.

The goaltending battle will be intriguing to watch, in this group and in this tournament as Canada has Malcolm Subban and Jordan Binnington and the United States has Jon Gibson meaning that all three clubs should have stellar netminding. The big difference here though is the presence of Makarov, as the Russians have the best backup of the bunch if any of the starters falter.

 

Nash Returns To Spark The Much Anticipated Lakers Comeback

Posted on by Kaine Elmy

Steve Nash has returned and the much anticipated Lakers comeback has begun. With injuries for both Pau Gasol and Steve Nash, the Lakers have been struggling to claw their way back to a .500 record. However, the return of Gasol has led the Lakers to three consecutive wins and Steve Nash’s exceptional performance yesterday against Golden State makes that four.

The Lakers certainly haven’t had the smooth running season everybody expected. But if the game against the Warriors is anything to go by, hope is far from lost. Nash played a consistent forty one minutes, suggesting not only is he ready to lead the point but also can handle it, considering his age. Bryant is scoring 30+ in all of his games and D’Antoni has figured out a successful solution to the Dwight and Gasol issues.

The Lakers have a lot of work to do, no doubt. Their next game against the New York Knicks is the real test. Without taking anything away from the 18-10 Warriors, they are not the challenge that the Knicks will be on Christmas Day. With the Lakers team finally at full strength, the match up against New York looks to be not only a spectacular game, but an opportunity for the Lakers to shut the mouths of every hater that has emerged this season.

If the Lakers are to become a dominant force in the NBA once again, their four game winning streak needs to continue. D’Antoni needs to focus on defense now that he has an offensively minded team and with Nash and Kobe running the show, points will flourish. My prediction, besides being a Lakers fan, is that the emotion surrounding the Lakers team at the moment will push them past the Amare-less Knicks.

And that is the last word…