The Kobe Bryant Factor: Post-Lakers

NBA MVP, 5-time NBA Champion, 2-time NBA Finals MVP, 17-time NBA All-Star, 4-time NBA All-Star Game MVP, 15-time All-NBA Team Selection, 12-time NBA All-Defensive Team Selection, youngest player to score 32,000 career points, only player in NBA history to have more than 30,000 points and 6,000 assists in a career. All of these accolades are claimed by Kobe Bryant, and for 19 years he has played with the Los Angeles Lakers. Could his 20th year with the team be his last? It’s very possible.

Kobe Bryant has recently told the Los Angeles Lakers that after the 2015-2016 NBA season, he will not re-sign with the team. The majority of people have come to the conclusion that this will signify the end of his career, and he will retire when his 20th season is over with….but will he actually do that? Bryant has never came out and said that he will retire after his career with the Lakers comes to a close. At this time next year, Kobe will be 37 years old and there are still a few players in the NBA at that age or older that are still playing a number of minutes. Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Vince Carter, Manu Ginobili, and Paul Pierce are just a few of them, and even though he didn’t play this year, Ray Allen, who in just a couple months will turn 40, is the reason why the Miami Heat have 1 more championship trophy is their display case after hitting a clutch 3 in game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals in order to stay alive against the San Antonio Spurs. Kobe Bryant can definitely still contribute to an NBA team, and will still be able to after next year is over, barring another serious injury.

Just take a look at Bryant’s numbers to show what he can do, especially if he is on a roster where he doesn’t have to be the only player that can contribute a high amount. Before the last 2 seasons, where they were each cut short by season ending injuries, Kobe Bryant played in and started 78 games in the 2012-2013 season. In those 78 games, he shot 46.3% from the field, which is right below his career high from the 2001-2002 season, when he shot 46.9% from the field. He also averaged 27.3 points, 6 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game at the age of 34, with Dwight Howard, Metta World Peace (Ron Artest), Pau Gasol, and Steve Nash. Kobe will have a lot more help this year compared to last year as well. If all goes well, the Lakers starting 5 could very well be Kobe Bryant, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, either Jahlil Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns, and either Wesley Johnson or Nick “Swaggy P” Young. That’s a heck of a lot better than they had this year for sure, and at the very least it will be exciting and fun to watch. The big thing is, if the team stays relatively healthy, we will get a good glimpse at what Kobe still has left in the tank, and if it is close to what he was able to do in 2012-2013, then I think he will definitely continue his career with a team that is a serious contender for an NBA Championship, if they offer him a contract or if he simply expresses interest in playing for a particular team. That is because lately it’s been the players choosing where they want to play, while the organizations pay them less, and the player will take less money because they want to play with a particular team or player in order to win. Let’s just be real here too. No team is going to give Kobe close to the $25 million dollars that he will make next year with the Lakers. He just isn’t that kind of “max deal” player anymore. A team would most definitely offer him a contract at a discounted price though, especially if it got them closer to a championship when they are so close. His experience in the playoffs is definitely a benefit as well, having had success in winning multiple times. Kobe Bryant is just such a competitor, and he wants to win obviously, so I think he will take one last big shot at a 6th ring before calling it quits. Just my prediction.

I would have no idea which team the “Black Mamba” would try to head to if he were to continue his NBA career after the Lakers, but whatever team got him would have a heck of a competitor, and depending how next season pans out, maybe a solid weapon on the court that still could contribute a solid amount. We do still have another year until we figure out if Kobe will even return for this scenario to happen, but it is fun to speculate and imagine what could be.

Thank you for reading!

2015 NFL Draft: Quarterback Analysis

Well it has been a while since my last blog post, but I'm finally back at it. It's a new day, and this blog now has a more creative and suitable name in my opinion, so let's get started.

I don't know what a lot of you think about rookie quarterbacks, but to me it is the most exciting thing about new NFL seasons. With every quarterback there is potential to be something that we have never seen, either in a good way or a bad one. Both equally exciting. There were 7 quarterbacks taken in the 2015 NFL Draft and I had a quick analysis of what I thought about each one, and I attached some videos from the internet that I found on each player. None of the videos are my own, but they portray what I am talking about. Let's take a look.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Jameis Winston QB Florida State - 1st Round, 1st Overall Pick

2014 Season Stats: 13 Games, 3,907 Passing Yards, 25 Passing Touchdowns, 18 Interceptions, 65.3% Completions, 12-1 Record as a Starter

College Career Stats: 27 Games, 7,964 Passing Yards, 65 Passing Touchdowns, 28 Interceptions, 66% Completions, 26-1 Record in Games Played

Analysis: I had a lot of mixed feelings when it came to watching Jameis Winston play. I can honestly say that when I watched him live, there weren’t too many plays that I saw where I was just blown away by his abilities. When I looked at a lot of his big plays, there was a lot of blown coverages and cornerbacks just not playing the ball well. The good thing there is that he can recognize the blown coverages and take advantage, and he can be able to notice when a corner is in a bad position. Those are some good traits to have, however in the NFL, there aren’t going to be as many mistakes in the secondary as Winston saw at FSU. I also like how Winston knew when to put air on the ball and when he had to put more zip on it, in order for it to get to his receiver. One thing that Jameis Winston and the Seminoles were prone to this year that will bite him if it continues at the next level, is falling behind in games early. There were many games where Winston didn’t start playing well until the 2nd half, and in the NFL you need to be on your game at all times. Going 27 games and winning 26 of them is not a fluke though either. Football is a team sport, but quarterback is the most important position on a team in my opinion, and when your program wins that much, you have to look at the quarterback. It is also well known that Winston has had many off the field issues, and that isn’t a good thing at all. With all the talent that Tampa has on the field however, with Doug Martin running the ball, and Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans catching the ball, Winston is in a good spot to succeed, with talent around him. Jameis Winston will definitely have to learn and progress, but if he can do that and mature, then it could be a good fit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCG9mnu2aEA

Tennessee Titans - Marcus Mariota QB Oregon - 1st Round, 2nd Overall Pick

2014 Season Stats: 15 Games, 4,454 Passing Yards, 42 Passing Touchdowns, 4 Interceptions, 68.3% Completions, 770 Rushing Yards, 15 Rushing Touchdowns, 13-2 Record as a Starter

College Career Stats: 41 Games, 10,976 Passing Yards, 105 Passing Touchdowns, 14 Interceptions, 66.8% Completions, 2,237 Rushing Yards, 29 Rushing Touchdowns, 36-5 Record in Games Played

Analysis: I really like Mariota as a person and as a quarterback from what I’ve seen, and if I had to pick between Winston or this guy, I would’ve taken Mariota. Just by looking at his numbers, you can see that he was smart with the football. He knew when to cut it loose, tuck it and run, or just throw it away when playing in college. He was definitely an acrobat at times with the football and it worked it college, but playing like that could get him hurt at the next level. For being such a dynamic weapon with the passing game and running game, he has a good pocket presence, and didn’t seem to get rattled that easily. He didn’t panic very much, and that is definitely a key trait to have in the NFL. He also had a few throws that definitely won’t work in the NFL, but he also does a great job of putting the ball where only his man can go and get it. A lot of people are worried, thinking that Mariota is simply a product of the system he was in at Oregon, but I’m not so sure about that. If you can throw the ball, you can throw the ball, regardless of the scheme that is being run. One thing that he needs to do however is learn to tuck the football more and secure it when he is running. He would be prone to fumbles in the NFL if that continues, so his offensive line needs to protect him. Mariota also comes with risk, but the reward is pretty tempting. His play can’t be described as anything other than “electrifying”, and that is just what Tennessee needs. With Bishop Sankey and Shonn Greene in the backfield, and Kendall Wright, Justin Hunter, and Dorial Green-Beckham out of Missouri catching the ball, this offense could be fun to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku9bP5ZAkWY

New Orleans Saints - Garrett Grayson QB Colorado State - 3rd Round, 75th Overall Pick

2014 Season Stats: 13 Games, 4,006 Passing Yards, 32 Passing Touchdowns, 7 Interceptions, 64.3% Completions, 10-3 Record as a Starter

College Career Stats: 37 Games, 9,190 Passing Yards, 64 Passing Touchdowns, 27 Interceptions, 61.8% Completions, 18-18 Record in Games Played

Analysis: I didn’t know a whole lot about Garrett Grayson going into this year’s draft, but after doing a little more research on him, I think he could do well learning behind Drew Brees. The thing that I like most about Grayson is that he improved year after year. Take his junior and senior years for instance, where he was the starter for Colorado State. During his senior campaign, he completed a higher percentage of his passes compared to the year before, threw for more yards on fewer attempts than the year before, threw for more touchdowns than he ever had before, and that was while throwing less interceptions. He improved statistically in every category, and he lead his team to an 18-9 record over his last 2 years. That shows great production, and it shows that he learns as he goes on, and he’ll be learning from on of the best in Drew Brees in the next few years. His throwing motion was a little different, compared to what you normally see. He threw sidearm for a good chunk of his passes, but he was obviously comfortable looking at his numbers. He seemed to make good decisions, and in the NFL, that is insanely important. Now he didn’t face the cream of the crop, competition wise, playing in the Mountain West Conference, but if you can throw, you can throw. If they stuck around, Grayson would have some talented receivers if they keep progressing in Nick Toon and Brandin Cooks for the years to come when he would be seeing more playing time hopefully. This guy definitely has some promise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsiHgClvJTI

St. Louis Rams - Sean Mannion QB Oregon State - 3rd Round, 89th Overall Pick

2014 Season Stats: 12 Games, 3,164 Passing Yards, 15 Passing Touchdowns, 8 Interceptions, 
62.3% Completions, 5-7 Record as a Starter

College Career Stats: 47 Games, 13,600 Passing Yards, 83 Passing Touchdowns, 54 Interceptions, 64.6% Completions, 16-25 Record in Games Played

Analysis: Even though his stats from 2014 don’t jump off the page, I definitely wouldn’t sleep on Mannion. He has been pretty solid overall. Take his 2013 season as an example. He threw for over 4,500 yards, 37 touchdowns, all while completing over 65% of his passes. He lead them to a 7-6 record, but they also scored nearly 35 points per game. Sure, the team didn’t even break 20 points once during the team’s toughest streak of the schedule, when they faced #8 Stanford, USC, and then played at #21 Arizona State, while losing all 3. Those kind of games can’t be put on solely one player, even though it is the quarterback’s job to put points on the board. He definitely has room to improve, but he did solid in his collegiate career. Looking at some of his highlights, he does have a lot of arm talent. He was able to put great touch on many of his passes, and he put it in places where only his receivers could get it. He also took a few chances with double coverage, and that’s okay as long as he doesn’t get carried away, but in the NFL secondaries are a lot more talented. He does seem to make good decisions, though he can be caught holding on to the football for too long. I think Mannion could be a solid pro, even if he does start off learning behind Nick Foles, which seems to be more than likely. Oh yeah, he also is the all-time passing leader for the PAC-12 conference in the NCAA, which is nothing to slouch at. Players he is ahead of in that category include Carson Palmer, the #2 overall pick Marcus Mariota, and that quarterback who plays for Indianapolis. I think his name is Andrew Luck, and if you didn’t know, he is kind of an awesome quarterback. Not bad company to be in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0W0MnAS_Kc

New York Jets - Bryce Petty QB Baylor - 4th Round, 103rd Overall Pick

2014 Season Stats: 12 Games, 3,855 Passing Yards, 29 Passing Touchdowns, 7 Interceptions, 63.1% Completions, 10-2 Record as a Starter

College Career Stats: 37 Games, 8,195 Passing Yards, 62 Passing Touchdowns, 10 Interceptions, 62.7% Completions, 28-6 Record in Games Played

Analysis: Bryce Petty was my favorite quarterback in this class, especially when it comes to getting the most bang for your buck. NFL QB Camp guru Jon Gruden said that Petty may have the most natural arm talent in this entire draft. When looking at a lot of the throws that he made this past year, and over his entire college career, it is hard to disagree. Some of the concern for drafting Petty came from some of his prior injuries. He suffered a spinal injury where some of the bones in his spine were cracked, and he also suffered from a concussion in college. If those injuries don’t linger in the NFL, then that could be a score for the New York Jets, who drafted him. Watching some of his highlights, he had very good touch on a lot of his throws and was able to drop it right into his receivers hands, without the defense being able to get their hands on it. There were also some plays where his receivers had to stop or come back to the ball, but in the NFL, that can be a problem if it were to continue. Baylor was a very pass happy team with Petty on board, but he showed time and time again that he could carry the load and do big things. He had a good final year, and completed a high percentage of his passes in college. I think he is in a good situation as well with New York, where he will be able to compete for the starting job right away. The two other quarterbacks that he is competing with in my eyes are Geno Smith, who hasn’t lived up to the hype after being selected in the 2nd round in 2013 NFL draft, and Ryan Fitzpatrick has never been a consistent starter in the league. With Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, and Devin Smith now to throw to, to go along with Steven Ridley, Chris Ivory, Zac Stacy, and Bilal Powell in the backfield, Petty would have solid talent around him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S9Tx2kbGMI

Green Bay Packers - Brett Hundley QB UCLA - 5th Round, 147th Overall Pick

2014 Season Stats: 13 Games, 3,155 Passing Yards, 22 Passing Touchdowns, 5 Interceptions, 69.1% Completions, 644 Rushing Yards, 10 Rushing Touchdowns, 10-3 Record as a Starter

College Career Stats: 40 Games, 9,966 Passing Yards, 75 Passing Touchdowns, 25 Interceptions, 67.6% Completions, 1,747 Rushing Yards, 30 Rushing Touchdowns, 29-11 Record in Games Played

Analysis: Near the end of the 2013 college football year, there were a lot of projections that I saw that had Brett Hundley going as high as in the top 10 of the first round of the draft, and even after a very good 2014 season, Hundley still fell all the way to the 5th round of the draft. A steal for the Green Bay Packers, who now have a pretty viable backup quarterback to step in if anything were to happen to Aaron Rodgers, and there aren’t many better quarterbacks to learn from than him. That is saying a lot, coming from a Detroit Lions fan. Brett Hundley is a great duel threat quarterback, and you can tell that just by looking at his numbers. He started all 3 years that he was at UCLA, and he never completed less than 66% of his passes in a season, never threw for less than 22 touchdowns in a season, and never threw more than 11 interceptions in a season. Those are good numbers for any quarterback, but then you have to add in the fact that he ran the ball when he had to, and ran it well. He ran for over 600 yards and 10 touchdowns last year, and the year before that he had over 700 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has a good enough frame that he could take some punishment from running the ball that much, but he needs to be careful playing like that in the NFL. It is beyond me why he slid this far down in the draft, and it could be a tough break because honestly he could probably go in and compete right away for a starting job for a handful of teams. I guess we will see what happens later down the road.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2-V_AbmAn0

Denver Broncos - Trevor Siemian QB Northwestern - 7th Round, 250th Overall Pick

2014 Season Stats: 11 Games, 2,214 Passing Yards, 7 Touchdowns, 11 Interceptions, 58.2% Completions, 5-6 Record as a Starter

College Career Stats: 44 Games, 5,931 Passing Yards, 27 Passing Touchdowns, 24 Interceptions, 58.9% Completions, 23-20 Record in Games Played

Analysis: Being a 7th round draft pick doesn’t mean that you are guaranteed a spot on an NFL roster by any meaning of the word, and it may be tough for Trevor Siemian. He will have to beat out Zac Dysert for the 3rd, and more than likely, final quarterback spot on the roster. Dysert was also a 7th round draft pick out of Miami University in Ohio, but he also has had time to watch and learn the NFL game for a year. And learning by watching Peyton Manning up close is a great opportunity, so it will be tough. In 2014, Siemian struggled with Northwester, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns, and that isn’t a recipe for success. In the Wisconsin game specifically, he was just all over the place overthrowing players, putting the ball out of reach or too low for wide open guys to catch. He did finish his career with a winning record in games played, but I just don’t see that translating in the NFL. I may be wrong here, but there were other quarterbacks that I would’ve taken before him, but I also am not an NFL scout. We will see if he can make the roster.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mscfAZQ1D0

Biggest Surprise - Rakeem Cato QB Marshall - Undrafted

2014 Season Stats: 14 Games, 3,903 Passing Yards, 40 Touchdowns, 13 Interceptions, 59.2% Completions, 482 Rushing Yards, 8 Touchdowns, 13-1 Record as a Starter

College Career Stats: 53 Games, 14,079 Passing Yards, 131 Touchdowns, 44 Interceptions, 62.7% Completions, 34-18 Record in Games Played

Analysis: I absolutely do not understand why Rakeem Cato didn’t at the very least get a shot to make it with an NFL roster, at least until the preseason. It’s one thing if you don’t perform on the field, but if a player like this guy doesn’t get a shot, I just don’t understand. Cato finished with the 3rd most passing touchdowns in the nation last year, behind only Marcus Mariota from Oregon and Brandon Doughty from Western Kentucky, who handed Marshall their only loss of the season by just 2 points. The guy nearly threw for 4,000 yards and ran for 500 yards, while scoring just under 50 combined touchdowns last season. That alone is great, and the guy won games. Being 34-18 is pretty darn good, and Cato started pretty much his whole college career. He played in 3 bowl games as well, and he won them all. He wasn’t just a one season wonder either. He was impressive throughout his career. His story is an awesome one as well. Rakeem Cato didn’t get signed because of his size, since he was under 190 pounds and just over 6 feet tall. However, he did get signed by the Montreal Alouettes from the Canadian Football League. Hopefully he can make the most of his chances there, and prove the doubters wrong. I’m rooting for you Cato.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n05xRojLuao

Now I am in no way, shape, or form an "expert" on this, I just did this for fun and I could be way off on all of these players. I hope that all of these players can succeed in their football careers, and it will be fun to watch their careers unfold, especially with how much talent there was in this year's quarterback class. Only time will tell, but I'll have my popcorn ready as I watch it unfold.

As always, thanks for reading!