NBA topics, Wednesday night:

So, opening night, Tuesday, saw Boston beat the Heat with a cool glass of defense and teamwork, Nash have 3 more turnovers than assists (6-9 ratio) and the Lakers defend home court against the emerging Rockets. Wednesday brought us 13 games packed full of some great action! Upsets, terrific guard-play, energized rookies and the Miami Heat recording their first win of the new season.

Blake Griffin:



ROTY top dog?



This kid continues to impress me every single time i watch him play. He's big, athletic, understands the game and has a non-stop motor on both ends of the floor. This kid is truly a beast! Griffin couldn't help the Clippers record their first win of the season, on Wednesday night but, he did show out, at least in my opinion. Blake logged 38 minutes (get used to that with this team), notching 20 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal, he shot 8 of 14 from the field and 4 of 6 from the line. The Clippers still lost by 10 on their home floor, but what's new? For a rookie, and for all intensive purposes, Griffin is still a rookie, he looked to know what he was doing out on the floor. He really showed me some things that you don't often see from young players, especially young players who play for bad teams. He made his rotations, picked up on what the opposing defense was doing and seemed very comfortable playing close to 40 minutes. I like his chances at taking ROTY honors this season, and i also like his chances at being a reliable 20-10 player for his NBA career. If i can convince you with words, maybe this will. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mswjjN68S30, that was also Blake's first NBA bucket.

Step it up, boys!

The Cleveland Cavaliers, they do the unthinkable and, without Lebron James, dust the Boston Celtics under the carpet, 95-87. Now, your all thinking that upsets happen all the time in the NBA, where they play 82 games per season, and your right, upsets are a common occurrence in this game, they happen, almost on a nightly basis, but, this particular upset was special because, the new look Miami squad, led by the previous Cavalier captain, Lebron James, couldn't get this very job done, one night prior. So, the question i pose to you now is this, are the Lebron-less Cavs better than we give them credit for? Probably. I don't believe they're a top 5 or 6 team in the East, but, i believe they could be a 7 or 8 seed. Here is my reasoning, they lost their best player, but, this team is made of role players, role players win you games if one or two guys can do some scoring, they will win games. Mo Williams and Jamison have proven they can score with other teams, JJ Hickson is emerging as a force and they have a laundry list of guys who feed into system basketball. Varejao, Parker, Moon, Powe, Sessions and Gibson. These players can give you quality minutes each and every night. I challenge Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison to step into leadership roles and take this team into the playoffs. How great of a story would Cleveland making a deep playoff run be? I think it would be pretty special.

One of the best PG match ups I've ever witnessed!

There were some spectacular point guard performances that took place on Wednesday night, including one of the best PG match ups i have seen in awhile, you all know the one I'm talking about, Russell Westbrook vs. Derrick Rose. Rose ended the game with 28 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds and a blocked shot, he shot 12-31 from the field and simply wowed the fans every time he touched the ball, his mix of speed, agility and quickness just amazes me. 31 shots is a lot, but, sometimes you franchise players needs to take 31 shots. The other end of this amazing match up was, my boy, Russell Westbrook, this kid has great skill, he's an excellent rebounding PG, has great vision, strength and possesses all of the basic basketball skill int he world. Westbrook is currently my favorite new player in the league and i believe he flies well under the radar on most nights, of course, playing with Kevin Durant can do that to a guy. Westbrook notched 28 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and a block, on 8-15 shooting. These two were absolutely taking it to one-another, they both went hard and it was a great game to watch. I was impressed with the individual battle as much as i was impressed with how much they both still kept the other players on their teams in the game. They both did a great job of scoring and dishing. Perfect PG's by any measure, if you ask me. It was a great game, and one I'm glad i didn't miss.

PG of the future?

So, the Heat win their first game, yes it was against the 76ers and yes they are supposed to be winning games, but, now that they have gotten over the hump and won their first game, it should be all gravy from here. I see the Heat winning about 50-55 games and possibly winning their division, Orlando could also rack up 50-55 wins and maybe spoil the division title for Miami. Either way, They'll make the playoffs and be a nightmare of a match up for any team they play, Wade and Lebron CAN co-exist, Bosh may continue to look lost at times, but, he should eventually come around. My plead to the Heat's coaching staff is simple, LET KING JAMES RUN THE POINT! They will be a far better team if they just admit that Lebron is their PG, and let him play that position, he will dominate other PG's who try and guard him, his vision and speed are both good enough to play the position, he has unmatched strength and and size for that position. He will average 10+ assists a game. This is a win-win situation for the Heat, Pat Riley needs to get this get this process into motion. If Lebron becomes Miami's point guard, you can consider me an official member of the Miami Heat 2010-2011 championship fan-base.

Maniac Mode's Monster Performances:

Dwayne Wade- 30 points on 10-20 shooting from the field, 9-12 from the stripe, 7 rebounds, 4 dimes and 2 blocks, cashed in the W and steered the ship into the right directions for Miami. Russell Westbrook- 28 points on 8-15 shooting from the field, 12-13 from the line, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and a blocked shot. Dirk Nowitzki- 28 points, on an amazing 11-13 shooting, 6-6 from the charity stripe, 13 boards and a blocked shot. Roy Hibbert- 28 points on 10-17 shooting, 8-8 from the line, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 assists. Luis Scola- 36 points on 14-24 shooting, 8-12 from the line, 16 rebounds, a steal and a block.

Performance of the night:

Monta Ellis- Poured in a career high 46 points on 18-24 shooting, shot 1-2 from deep, 9-12 from the stripe, 3 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals in a win over the Houston Rockets and Luis Scolas's 36 point performance.

Game of the night goes to The Warriors vs. The Rockets. Luis Scola and Kevin Martin had big games but couldn't over come Monta Ellis and his career high, 46 points. Stephen Curry also chipped in with 25 and 11 dimes, in a win over who i believe to be the 2nd best team in the West, in Houston.

Opening Night in the NBA!

The Cleveland Cavaliers.. Uhh, i mean the Miami Heat!

Last night was officially the first night of the NBA season and i for one was very excited. I've been waiting in anticipation for the past couple of months for this season to kick off and it started last night with 3 great match ups. The new look Miami Heat "took their talents" to Boston to face the Rajon Rondo and the "Big Three". I was stuck at work until 10:30 and had to DVR this game, i tried hard not to load up ESPN MVP on my phone while at work to avoid seeing the score (okay, i peaked). As i sat awake at 3:30 this morning, i found myself wondering why? This game reminded me of a Cleveland vs. Boston game from last season, only the Cavs weren't making very many plays. Shaq was there, although, he was wearing green, Wade was basically Mo Williams and Bosh tossed up some very pedestrian numbers (8 points, 8 rebounds, 1 block, on 3-11 shooting from the field). I understand that Miami isn't going to "click" at the drop of a hat, Bosh and Wade are assuming new roles this season and they're going to have to find ways to be effective and unleash Lebron at the same time. This is something the Heat will struggle with at times. Throwing this revamped unit onto the floor in Boston, against the reigning Eastern Conference champs was a hostile way to start the season, but, these are the games that Miami is going to HAVE to win come April.

Quote of the night supplied by King James: "We all know Rome wasn't built in one day. We understand that. We just need to continue to get better."

Stat Line for Miami: Lebron James leads the way with 31 points, 4 boards, 3 dimes, 2 blocks and 8 TO's. Mo.. Err, Wade notched 13 points, 6 dimes, 4 boards, 3 steals and 6 TO's. Nobody else was in double figures for the Heat, although, Haslim did chip in 8 points and grabbed 11 boards. Bosh was a non-factor, only putting up 8-8 on 3-11 shooting from the field.

Let's talk about Boston, they looked like they never missed a beat, playing great defense and jumping out to double-digit leads a few times throughout the night. Ray Allen led the way with 20 and Pierce added 19 of his own, to hold on after the Heat went on a 10-0 run late in the 4th quarter. Pierce laid down the law in the 4th quarter, scoring 10 of his 19 points late. Chants of "Overrated" could be heard echoing from every corner of the TD Garden as Lebron and company tried for a late run. Rajon Rondo had his difficulties shooting, as he went 2-9 from the field, but, made it clear that he's the play maker in Boston, pouring in 17 assists to go along with 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Rondo looked to have a little off season rust, as far as shooting went, he was met and blocked a couple of times at the basket and really didn't look to score much in the 2nd half. Kevin Garnett worked a double-double, notching 10-10 (7 TO's) as Boston "slayed the Giant" in game 1 of the regular season. I honestly had Boston winning this game, at home. It's clear that Miami has the early ballots to win the Eastern Conference, given their newly acquired star-power, but, you can still find my bets placed on Boston or Orlando to take the east. Boston and Orlando both have some great qualities that Miami doesn't have yet, and possibly never will. They both have great interior defenders, in KG and Dwight Howard, who can control the lane and make it tough on guys like Lebron and Wade have a large impact inside. They can also control the tempo at which Bosh plays the game. I'm not saying that Miami won't win games, or that Miami can't win the conference, I'm just saying that they have some issues to figure out, and teams such as Boston and Orlando already have these things figured out and are ready to play for the hardware.

Nash... The scorer?

Game 2 saw a rematch of last year's first round matchup between the 3 and 6 seed's in the Western Conference playoffs, which ended with the Suns winning in 6 games. Steve Nash led the new, smaller, run-and-gun Suns into Portland to go toe-to-toe with Brandon Roy and the Blazers. The Suns are, and will be missing the 6'10, 250lb, 5-time all star, Amare Stoudemire. Phoenix's season may not be lost, but, if Nash is going to have to do the things he did last night to stay in games, score, score, score, I'm not sure that these Suns can make the playoffs. With Nash leading his team in scoring (26 points) while sacrificing his greatest attribute, dishing the rock, Phoenix could be in serious trouble. Nash had 6 dimes last night and 9 turnovers to go with his 26 points and a loss. Jason Richardson started out hot and finished with 22 points on 12-17 shooting from the field (3-4 from 3-point land). Robin Lopez, 5-5 with a blocked shot and newly acquired, Hedo Turkoglu, 6 points on 4-11 shooting need to turn it on and get more involved in the scoring game if the Suns are going to have a shot at making a playoff run this season. Turkoglu flopped in Toronto last season after much success in Orlando, with the Magic, where he did a lot of ball handling and was the Magic's go-to-guy in the 4th quarter. Since leaving Orlando, via free agency after the 2008-2009 season, Turkoglu has failed to find his rhythm. Turkoglu was met with a loud roar of boos from the 20,603 in attendance at the Rose Garden, this was no doubt a reaction to Hedo's verbal commitment during free agency last season, before jetting to greener pastures in Toronto.

Portland looked to control the glass against the smaller Suns, and they did, out-rebounding Phoenix 48-30, the Trailblazers also had 5 players in double figures, including, Nick Batum (19), Marcus Camby (13), Andre Miller (10), Wesley Matthews (13) and Brandon Roy (24). Portland outscored Phoenix 106-92 in a game that saw 20 lead changes and 5 ties. Portland closed the game on an 18-1 run and outscored the Suns 31-11 in the final quarter to jump out to a 1-0 start. Pheonix needs to find a way to use Nash as the play maker instead of the play finisher, i don't mind Nash having 25+ points in a game, but, he needs to look to create for other players first, which means that Turkoglu, Lopez and Grant Hill really need to step it up if this team plans on doing anything this season.

Game 3 was the Lakers at home against the Rockets. Yao ming was to be limited to 24 minutes per contest for the seeable future, or, at least until he can get his endurance back and get into better basketball shape. I'll be the first to admit that it was nice to see Yao back on the floor, and he played pretty well in his 24 minutes of action, notching 9 points (4-11 shooting), 11 rebounds and 2 blocks, before fouling out at the 24 minute mark (coincidence). This was a night in LA in which the champion Lakers raised their 16th championship banner and received their rings (in which Ron Artest plans to hock). The Lake-Show came out in somewhat of a daze in the first half and into the 3rd quarter, being down 82-71 late in the 3rd, before new addition, Steve Blake, buried back-to-back 3's, dwindling Houston's lead to just 5. The Lakers play carried on into the 4th quarter as they went on a 15-4 run, giving them a 6 point lead. Shannon Brown came into the game and scored 14 or his 16 points in the 4th quarter, including four 3-point buckets to really drive the dagger into the Rockets. Pau Gasol led the way for LA with 29 (11 rebounds) and Kobe chipped in with 27, Lamar Odom notched 14 and 11 rebounds on a night where Luis Scola seemed to lose the 6'10, Odom, on a regular basis. Odom player very opportunistic basketball and the Lakers bench looked to have no chinks in it's armor.

How much can he do with limited minutes?

Health is always an issue.

Houston wasn't without it's share of big moments and nice signs for the future of this season. The Rockets came out in attack-mode, led by their back-court combination of Aaron Brooks and Kevin Martin, the two combined for 50, and tallied up 7 three's. Brooks also poured in 9 assists and looked to have unmatched speed by anyone the Lakers assigned with the task of checking him. He caused a lot of havoc for LA in the paint, though it may not show in the stat column, Brooks spent a ton of time under the hoop, passing and setting up the Houston offense. Kevin Dallas Martin hit a few clutch three's and was able to get to the line 7 times, going 7-7. It always amazes me that a guy of Martin's smaller stature, and who is viewed as a jump shooter can get to the line so regularly. This guy, when healthy can make teams pay at the charity stripe, Martin is a career .856% FT shooter and no slouch on the move, he has very good body control and gets to the rack with more ease than most people would think. I think Houston really has a bright future with the 27 year old Martin and the 25 year old Brooks in their back court. If Yao can stay healthy and get back into basketball shape, Houston could be a deadly team, come April and May.

That's my take on opening night in the NBA:

James Harrison Hit Sticks:

I understand that the NFL and the sport we all know as American Football is a sport made-up of highlight real hits on the defensive end ,but, where do we draw a line in the sand? I know that a lot of people probably won't agree with me, and they'll say that this blog is everything that is wrong with the way the NFL seemingly guards star players. I'll be the first to say that players like Tom Brady have caused too much protection for certain positions and yes, Brady is a baby at times in a sport that is brutal and made for tough men to compete by beating each other down, play after play. But, some changes that have been made to better guard QB's were for the better and some changes do need to be made to better protect our NFL wide-outs. Your average NFL caliber wide receiver is around 6 feet tall and weighs around 185lbs. Now, throw in the fact that these players are, at most times, leaping in the air or stretching out for a catch, while a defender lays in wait like a predator, ready to ambush his prey. This to me equals a disaster waiting to happen, especially if this predator is built anything like 6'0, 242lb, James Harrison, of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Come on James, is "blowing up" defenseless WR's really the only important aspect to your game (aside from german-suplexing the occasional Browns fan)?

I've heard of a division rival but, jeesh, the city of Cleveland might want to consider an order of protection against James Harrison.

I mean, is James Harrison really going to convince anyone that this hit against Mohamed Massaquoi, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81dS21QTgkQ (sorry for the terribel quality) ,was anything but an illegal hit? NO, there is no way that any sensible human being is going to buy that this was a clean hit. You could play that clip in James Harrison's home, on his home computer, in front of a jury, consisting of 12 of his closest friends, all waving terrible towels and the verdict would still come back as guilty. I'm sorry, i love the way Harrison plays the game, for the most part, and i love the big hits (that are clean) but, i hate to see a guy go out onto the field, "blow up" a 170lb wide receiver and then piss and moan about how he's going to retire because he got fined 75,000 big ones. I understand that 75k is a hefty stack of chips, that would give me all of the motivation that i needed (as a player) to hit the practice field and begin to alter the way i approach my tackling mechanics. Harrison feels that he was taught, and or taught himself a certain way to tackle and he feels like the NFL is picking on him a little bit, and they probably are using this past week's injury spread as a foot-hole for embracing new tackling rules designed to proctect WR's a bit more. The only point that i'm trying to express is that if, you love the game of football, and you want to be a part of these magical Sunday's, and you want to represent your franchise and teammates to your fullest potential, then teach yourself some new strategy of how to approach players who have less time to brace themselves for the "big hit". The only increase we're going to see "blowing up" is the fines and suspensions against these battle-clad warriors on the defensive side of the ball. Clean it up boys, or pay the price.

Big Ben and other QB's to watch in week 6:

Upgrade over Batch and Dixon.

Here we go, it's the 6th week of the NFL season and "Big" Ben Roethlisberger is finally ready to take the helm and lead the Steelers onto the field to face a division foe, in the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field this Sunday. This is a must watch game for every football fan, beyond Steelers fans and Big Ben fantasy owners. Not because i believe the Browns will man up and give the Steel Curtain a good game, but, because i think seeing how Roethlisberger reacts to being back after a 4 game ban (after having a great preseason) and how the team rallies around their franchise QB will be something that no true NFL fan will want to miss. Is this the biggest game to date this season? No. Will it be the closest game we've seen this season? Probably not, but, it should show us how good the Steelers can actually be this season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) have held down the fort without, arguably, their best player and offensive general and have shocked, at least me with the way they have stayed in and won games while having players such as 35 year old Charlie Batch and 25 year old Dennis Dixon running the show. That right there is enough for me to believe that Pittsburgh may be the team to beat in the AFC now that they have Big Ben back behind center. If a 3rd year backup (Dixon) and a 12th year bum such as Charlie Batch can lead this team to a 3-1 record, and do so while only giving up an average of 12.5 points per game, then what can the Steelers accomplish with a motivated Roethlisberger back, calling the shots? I for one, as a Big Ben fantasy owner, am reliefed that i can toss Flacco to my bench after a shotty start to what was supposed to be a huge fantasy season for the young Baltimore QB.

Expect a HUGE week.

Eli Manning is going into week 6 (at home) against the Detroit Lions who give up 235 yards a game on just over 7.5 yards per pass and can't really stop anything through the air. The Giants look to be a different team over the past 2 weeks and should have plenty of chances to play offense if their defense looks anything like it did against the Bears and the Texans. Manning is a fantasy must start this week if you're looking to score mass point (and who isn't?). He should easily torch the Detroit secondary for 250+ yards and a couple of TD's. Manning should see a LOT of mixed zones in the secondary from Detroit and a bunch of four man fronts out of the Lions D-Line. As long as Eli's offensive line can protect him from Ndamukong Suh, Kyle Vanden-Bosh and company, he will find open targets in the Lions passer-friendly secondary, all game long.



Who will start in week 6?

Michael Vick or Kevn Kolb? Take your pick. At this point it looks as if Kolb will get the go but, you know that Vick is anxious to face his old team, Atlanta and Andy Reid aren't counting him out, just yet. Vick, who is recovering from a rib cartilage injury will probably take at least this next week to get back into playing form and to avoid any setbacks. "He's still recovering," Reid said and i'm sure the Eagles will be cautious not to rush things, as Kolb seems to be a reliable backup at this point, and Philly is in no serious trouble of letting their season slip away, just yet. Philly is in a three-way tie with the Redskins and Giants (all 3-2) fo the lead of the NFC East. The NY Giants play the Lions this week which, should get them a W and the Redskins are facing Indy which, should net them a loss. Philly CAN beat the Falcons with Kolb at the helm. As long as LeSean McCoy keeps putting up Chris Johnson numbers.http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=12514,. Regardless of who gets the start in this game, look for The Eagles to take their first win at home against the Falcons. Philly wins 23-17.

Philly and Andy Reid need to come clean.

Let's toss out a quick scenerio involving Michael Vick... Ok? .. I'll do it anyways. It seems to me that Philly picked up Vick with the intention to start him once they shipped McNabb out of town, right? No? Kevin who? Ok, i see what you're getting at, Kevin Kolb is (was) the guy. McNabb, great QB.. Great guy... Wrong side of 30 and a list of injuries that stack taller than Yao Ming (or Yao Ming's stack of injuries, either way works). So, you say that the Eagles never intended to start Michael Vick? One of THE most dynamic players to ever play the quarterback position, that guy? They don't plan to ever start the most agile person i have ever seen? So, they're going to give Kolb a contract extension and he's going to usher in the new generation of football in Philly? I don't buy that load of crap for even a second! Kolb is an able QB, don't get me wrong. I just don't see him wowing any of  us the way Michael Vick can on a weekly basis. Another piece of info that is supposed to shoot my little theory full of holes is, that the Eagles camp had no idea that Vick still possessed the amazing QB qualities that he once displayed as a Falcon. Seriously? Philly sets out to convince us all that after, just over a year with the Eagles, practicing, camp, being in the locker room, that they had NO IDEA, at all, that Vick could still play football at a Michael Vick level? Wow! I'm shocked that the Eagles believe we're all this dumb, i'm shocked and frankly, i'm a touch insulted. This is, of course, just my personal opinion but, couldn't this very well be true? I leave you with this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khxyftTosHw

NBA Preseason Tid Bit's:

I know it is supposed to be the "Summer of Miami" and i'm supposed to talk about Lebron James, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade and the machine that is the Miami Heat. But, i'm not going to, i'm going to talk about a few recent developements that have caught my eye in the NBA.

21 Gun Salute!

It seems like the 2010/2011 season is already starting off about as poorly as it possibly can for Gilbert Arenas (no injuries required), Agent Zero was critisized in the media last week for publicly gift wrapping and handing the  Washington Wizards to his younger teammate, John Wall, via his statement about "showing Wall the ropes and moving on". http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/trainingcamp10/news/story?id=5655187. Now, if you were still a member of the rappidly decreasing Gilbert Arenas fan club, despite his nagging injuries, gun charges and lack of killer instict, this is where you should drop the reigns, swallow your fear and leap from the blazing contraption that is the Gilbert Arenas bandwagon, and never look back as it crashes into the Wall (no pun intended) of the new era that is young John Wall in Washington. Arenas has admitted, on Wednesday (1 day after Wall scored 19 in a win over Atlanta) that he infact faked the knee injury that kept him bench-bound for the Wiz's home-opener Vs. the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night. Better yet, we get another half-hearted apology from Agent Zero, after Wednesday's practice, Arenas had this to say. "I screwed up again, so I just want to say sorry," he said. "I wasn't really thinking that this was going to be another media outburst. It's like everything I do now, someone, tit for tat, tries to blow it out of proportion." I think fans in Washington should be fed up and the media should be covering so called "franchise stars" who constantly act foolish. Straighten up Gilbert. When you get hurt as often as this guy does, you have a common sense issue (see guns, fake injuries) and you're an undersized PG who doesn't play a lick of D and can be controlled by forcing him to  drive the lane, you really should focus on playing your best and keeping your idiotic statements from reaching public ears. If he wants out of Washington and expects to start somewhere else, the first step will start with his public image.

ROTY Candidate?

DeMarcus "Boogie" Cousins has had a little chatter surrounding him as of late, the rookie, 6'11, 270 C (with touch around the rim) out of Kentucky looks to be on the recieving end of a Samuel Dalembert injury (strained adducter muscle). The 29 year old Dalembert has played in 354 consecutive games (3rd longest active streak) and was promising to add a much needed defensive presence to the otherwise soft interior of the Sacramento Kings. It looks like the Kings will be without the 7-foot, Haitian-Canadian Dalembert, although the injury does not look to be serious, it should cost the defensive minded Dalembert 4 to 6 weeks and give the Rookie, Cousins a shot at showcasing his game. Cousins played one season in Kentucky, averaging 15.1 ppg and 9.9 rebounds in 23 minutes of play, he shoots a high percentage and has amazingly soft hands for a player of his size, he reminds me a bit of Zach Randolph in the size and touch department (hopefully not the locker room skills). Cousins could land the starting role if he performs, although the Kings are reluctant to give up on Dalembert and his defensive skills just yet. I'd say to keep a close eye on Cousins and his performance for the first few weeks of the season, if he can play well and keep a starting role, i believe he can help the Kings win games and challenge John Wall for ROTY.

The missing piece to the other LA team?

With all of the rookie hype surrounding John Wall, Evan Turner and even DeMarcus Cousins, has Blake Griffin's identity fallen through the cracks? Well it seems that with all of the looming talk of whether or not any player from this year's rookie class will challenge John Wall for the crown, people have seemed to forget that Blake Griffin is healthy, a ROTY candidate and seemingly on a mission to make up for lost time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1EcPVYy2JM. This kid is a monster and a great rebounder too, Griffin tore down 17 rebounds (13 points and a block) in Tuesday's contest against the Spurs and his knee looks to be in great shape. I watched the game and i noticed another thing from Blake, he really respects the game and plays to the fullest of his abilities. He reads things well for a young player and lacks no athletic abilty for a big guy. I talked about DeMarcus Cousins having soft hands for a big guy, Griffin may not be a big as Cousins but, he too has very nice touch around the hoop, mixed with great leaping abilty and an on task look on his face for 48 minutes. This kid is a gamer and i'm leaning towards him as the 2010/2011 ROTY (pending health).