Will John Lucas III become a factor in the playoffs?

            The question is difficult to answer.

            There is no denying that John Lucas has been a pleasant surprise for the Chicago Bulls this season. Last year Lucas played in only two games for the Bulls. In one of those games he missed two free-throws against the Denver Nuggets with Chicago ahead by one. Carmelo Anthony nailed a game-winning buzzer beater in Luol Deng's face on the next play.

            This season Lucas is a different player. He’s already played in 37 games and started two. In his first career start he burst onto the scene with 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists against the Washington Wizards. Lucas boasts an above-average player efficiency rating of 16.61 (15 is the league average) along with per 40 minute averages of 20.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. Lucas is also nailing a three-pointer a game at a 41.7 percent clip. Although Lucas is in the midst of a career season, will he be a factor in the postseason? That remains to be seen.

            The biggest question of all is how will Tom Thibodeau find minutes for Lucas? If Richard Hamilton is healthy I would fully expect him to get at least 20 minutes a game in the postseason. Brewer should play at least 25 minutes a game in the playoffs. As long as Korver continues to make three’s he will be receiving around 15 minutes per game. Also you can’t forget about the reigning MVP Derrick Rose who played 40.6 minutes per game during the postseason last year. With Lucas being listed at five-foot-eleven (though he looks like he’s Muggsy Boguesout there) Thibs may be hesitant to give him playoff minutes because of his major height disadvantage. ESPN’s stat guru John Hollinger brought up a good point in this regard.

            “(This) brings up an interesting playoff question for the Bulls: Do you use Lucas or Watson as the backup PG in the postseason? Also, you may have stumbled upon another tactic, which is for the Bulls to play with Rose as the 2 on defense and Lucas as the 2 on offense in a small backcourt.”

            By playing Lucas at shooting guard on offense and point guard on defense the Bull’s would be able to have his scoring ability on the floor while not having to deal with his defensive shortcomings. Rose is more than capable of guarding shooting guards with his six-foot-three build and improved defensive awareness. Although only 4% percent of the Bull’s total minutes have had Rose playing shooting guard, he has held his opposition to an astonishing 4.9 PER. At point guard Rose has been stellar on D as well, allowing a middling 10.6 PER. This tactic of essentially playing Rose at shooting guard and Lucas at point guard may seem a bit far-fetched, but Thibodeau would be smart to at least try it in the postseason. The Bulls need to find minutes for Lucas in anyway possible.

            When Lucas is on the floor the Bulls are better, it’s as simple as that. The numbers overwhelmingly back up that statement. In Chicago’s thirteen best lineups based off plus minus, guess who appears in six of them? Yep you guessed, John Lucas. Lucas especially plays well in the lineup of him, Korver, Deng, Gibson and Asik. The lineup has a plus minus of 60. This is far ahead of the Bulls third best unit which boasts a plus minus of 35. This isn’t a small sample size either, the Bull’s second best lineup has played together a total of 117 minutes and 37 seconds. That lineup is actually Chicago’s fourth most used rotation. Lucas’s on court and off court numbers prove his worth to the Bulls as well.

            When Lucas is on the floor the Bulls three-point attempts and offensive rebounds per 48 minutes increase by greater than 10 percent. This is because Lucas spaces out the floor and gives Chicago’s bigs more of a shot at getting the offensive rebound. The Bulls point margin with Lucas on the floor also increases from 8.5 when Lucas is on the bench to a fantastic 11.2 per game with Lucas on the court. The Bulls net rating (the different between offensive rating and defensive rating) is 9.1 with Lucas on the bench compared to 14.1 with Lucas on the court. Anyway you want to put it, the Bulls are better when Lucas is playing.

            In the postseason benches tend to play much less. Lucas is not the only member of the bench mob that will see less minutes when postseason play begins. Obviously the likes of Rose and Deng will be playing 40 minutes a game in the playoffs, but the two-guard dilemma still remains. Understandably Brewer will receive most of the minutes at shooting guard, but Thibodeau would be smart to at least try to squeeze Lucas into the lineup one way or another. The Bulls season will come down to beating the Miami Heat. Bulls fans will remember for a long time what John Lucas can do to the Heat.

            Who would’ve guessed that this undrafted, undersized 29 year-old point guard would become the X-factor to a Bulls playoff run?

The Ultimate Figher Live: UFC one step closer to becoming a major sport

Last night marked the big premiere of the new Ultimate Fighter Live on FX. For some of you, this article will be the first time you’ve heard of it; which seems almost impossible considering the glob of advertising the UFC used to hype this up. But can you blame them? Last night was one of the most important nights in UFC history. The UFC has transformed from its barbaric beginning, collecting hoards of fans along the way. But the UFC brand is still a far cry from the NFL or NBA. 

This marked the 15^th Ultimate Fighter season, but this season is in every way as important as the first. It wasn’t long ago on April 9^th, 2005, when the UFC showcased the Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale to the world, welcoming a new generation of fans. On that night, Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar battled in a 15-minute slugfest that put the UFC on the map. Fans who were in attendance or watching from their couch, who were hardcore MMA fans or watching it for the first time, knew alike that they were watching something special. And I was one of them. Last night gave me a sense of nostalgia to that time, the time when I first became a fan.

That night nearly 7 years ago earned the UFC millions and assured they were here to stay. Last night the UFC hoped to entice a new cluster fans that would push the brand into the national spotlight, right next to the major sports.

What made this season different from the first 14 you ask? The previous seasons had a group of UFC fighters that would participate in a tournament to become the “Ultimate Fighter,” which would mean a six-figure UFC contract. The fighters all lived in a house together, creating bitter rivalries and drunken antics, which were all caught on tape. The season would then culminate with a live finale aired on Spike TV. This season will have all of that, but all of the fights will be aired live on FX. The live aspect adds a sense of unpredictability and professionalism, making these guys feel like they’re already fighting under the UFC banner.

I was intrigued to see how this would work. Would the fights be at a big arena? Would there be a ton of promo videos before each fight and presentation? Would Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg announce the fights?

After sitting on the edge of my seat for two and half hours of action-packed fights, I was satisfied to say the least. It felt like the anti-Elite XC, devout of any glitz or glamour, with the only semblance of announcing coming from coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, and President Dana White, who were all mic-ed up. The event was held at the same UFC gym used in the past for TUF fights, giving it the feeling of a college wrestling meet. There were sixteen 5-minute fights, setting up for a night of full flash KO’s and submission finishes. There was even an 8-second KO. Heck, some guy even broke his toe mid-fight and the whole nation shared a collective grimace. This format made the fighters have to think on their feet, putting them in an uncomfortable environment where they had five minutes of fame to showcase their skills. Future fights should follow the regular 2 round fight format.

With 16 fighters coming out victorious and prepared to live in a house together, it will be interesting to see what angle this season takes. The live fights add a new wrinkle to the show, but also breathe new life into what was the foundation of the UFC’s success. After just the first episode, The Ultimate Fighter Livewas a big step forward for the UFC.

NBA Trade Deadline: 3 Trades that should happen

 With the NBA Trade Deadline approaching in two weeks, the rumor mill has exploded with trade scenarios. There's been some buzz on Michael Beasley and Chris Kaman, but stars like Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo might also be on the move. With the best time of the year for NBA fans is nearing, I give my take on some trades that should go down.

Los Angeles Lakers get Monta Ellis, Andis Biedrins, and Brandon Bass, Golden State Warriors get Rajon Rondo and Pau Gasol, and Boston Celtics get Stephen Curry and Kwame Brown

I know what you’re thinking. Yet another Lakers trade that involves Pau Gasol and Kwame Brown… we know what happened last time. But in this scenario, it’s not a completely bogus lop-sided trade that handed the Lakers 2 championships. With rumblings of Ellis, Curry, Gasol, and Rondo all available, why not package them in one super-mega-blockbuster deal. The Lakers could slide Ellis over to their black hole at point guard and slide Derek Fisher into a retirement home. The Celtics would free up about 4 million dollars, cut the Rondo-drama, and potentially get a fresh start with Curry (if his shaky ankles hold up). The Golden State Warriors could finally give up on their Ellis-Curry backcourt experience that hasn’t sniffed a single playoff game, and add two NBA champions in Gasol and Rondo. Can you say 2013 NBA playoffs?

New York Knicks get Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and Chris Duhon, Orlando Magic get Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, and Iman Shumpert.

Dwight Howard wants out of Orlando. If he doesn’t leave now, then he will this summer, but either way his foot is halfway out the door. This trade idea may not be a salary cap relieving, but it will keep the Magic competitive. It would also help them avoid a Cavaliers-esque collapse once Howard leaves. They could certainly do worse than replacing Howard with Chandler in the middle and adding Carmelo would keep some star power on their roster. As for the Knicks, Lin-Sanity has proved that the Knicks offense runs better through a capable point guard than it does through a ball-stopping scorer. Carmelo hasn’t been the player the Knicks had hoped for, so acquiring Howard would be a nice get out of jail free card. With Howard and Stoudemire in the front court, the Knicks would be unstoppable.

Dallas Mavericks get Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns get Rodrigue Beaubois and Jason Kidd.

I get that most people that go to sunny Arizona never wanna leave, but Steve Nash has overstayed his welcome. Nash needs to break out of the cacti prison and tell owner Robert Sarver he wants out. Nash signed an extension with the Suns after he was promised they would acquire talent, but Josh Childress doesn’t exactly scream talent. At 38, Nash still has meat on the bones and there’s no better place for his talents than a return to the defending champion Mavs. The Mavericks would have to give up 24-year old Rodrigue Beaubois, who would excel with more opportunity in Phoenix’s offense. Jason Kidd would serve as a cap-filler and his contract expires after the season. I think this trade would give the Mavs an edge in the playoffs and start the Suns much needed rebuilding mode off on a high note.