Clippers vs Warriors preview

CLIPPERS
The Clippers (57-25) set a franchise record in wins this year with 57. They have 2 of the top 15 players in the league in Blake Griffin and Chris Paul who many consider the best point guard in the entire NBA. They have the top scoring offense in the entire NBA, scoring 107.9 points per game. Also they share the basketball really effectively averaging the third most assists in the NBA at 24.6 a game. One thing they will have to work on is their defense as they give up over 100 points a game. Also how they function in the half court dominated playoffs will be something to watch for. If you are looking for a fun team to watch Lob City is near the top of the list. 


WARRIORS
The Warriors have one of the best starting backcourts in the entire NBA in Stephen Curry and Clay Thomson aka the "Splash Brothers." Those two players have more threes that the entire Memphis Grizzles team. Also they have one of the best offenses in the league. Surprisingly they rebound the ball very well at 45 a game which is 5th in the NBA. One thing that they will have to be is make up for the presence of their starting center Andrew Bogut who is out with yet another injury. The Warriors also are one of the most fun teams in the NBA to watch. This series will be very entertaining for fans to watch with lots of points threes and dunks.

STARTERS
PG   CLIPPERS  CHRIS PAUL WARRIORS STEPHEN CURRY
This is a matchup of two of the best point guards in the entire league Chris Paul is more of a traditional point guard in distributing the ball around and getting assists first before finding his own shot whereas Stephen Curry is more of a shoot first point guard. Both are excellent at what they do. Paul lead the NBA in assists at over 10 a game. No other player in the NBA averages more than 8.8 a game. He also leads the NBA in steals at 2.48 a game. Curry leads the league in threes made and when he gets hot watch up you might get burnt.

ADVANTAGE: CLIPPERS

SG  CLIPPERS WILLIE GREEN WARRIORS KLAY THOMPSON
Willie green is at average player at best. Klay Thompson should dominate him with his threes and shooting ability I do not see this matchup as much of a contest. 

ADVANTAGE: WARRIORS

SF CLIPPERS  MATT BARNES WARRIORS ANDRE IGUODALA
Matt Barnes is a good player who mainly shoots threes and defense. Iguodala is one of the X factors in this series. He is a pro that brings experience and leadership to this Warrior team. He is one of the best on ball defenders in the league.

ADVANTAGE: WARRIORS

PF CLIPPERS  BLAKE GRIFFIN WARRIORS DAVID LEE
Blake Griffin is the leader of Lob City with exciting dunk after exciting dunk. His post game has really improved throughout his career. David Lee is coming off an injury and he has had a history of injuries so he might not be as affective as he could be. When health is is a really good player with a good jump shot and post game. 

ADVANTAGE: CLIPPERS

C CLIPPERS DEANDRE JORDAN WARRIORS JERMAINE O'NEAL
Jordan is the second half of the main part of Lob City and has some exciting dunks of his own. If you are a smaller player and try to get in his way, he might Brandon Knight you. With the injury to Bogut this puts the Warriors in a bad spot with the old O'neal. One has to wonder what he has left in the tank. 

ADVANTAGE: CLIPPERS

PREDICTION: The season series between the two team was split 2-2 with each team winning both times on their home court. Bogut's injury will hurt them as well as the Clippers bench is better than the Warriors bench as well as the front court advantage that the Clippers have. This should be one of the most exciting series to watch. Clippers in 6.

Raptors vs Nets preview

RAPTORS 
The Raptors (48-34) come into the playoffs as the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference with a young team that does not have that much experience at least in the playoffs. The last time that the Raptors made the playoffs was in 2008 where they got beat in the first round by the then Dwight Howard led Magic. But just because they have not been to the playoffs in a while does not mean that they are not a good team. By their stats there are not a lot of things that jump off of the page. In most of the major statistics such as ppg and rpg, they are in the middle of the pack. However they do get to the free throw line a good amount at 25 free throws a game. Also they make them at a high percentage at 78% which is 5th in the NBA. There defense is actually one of the better ones in the NBA but I think that is due to the other teams defenses not being that good because they still give up 98 ppg. One thing that youth gives you is energy and against the Nets that may be one advantage that they definitely have.

NETS

Unlike the Raptors, the Nets (44-38) have one of the oldest teams in all of the NBA if not the oldest. The Nets made a trade to get two vets with lots of experience who have won the championship before which is what they want to do. One of the players on the Nets, Paul Pierce has played in almost as many playoff games as the entire Raptors roster. When the Nets ownership were putting their roster together, the playoffs is what they were planning for, a team that could win it all. One thing that could hurt the Nets is their lack of rebounding. They rank 2nd to last in rebounds per game. Does Brooklyn have enough left in the tank to get all the way to the final with all of their old players? Time will tell that, and if they can  they could be a team that surprises people and makes the NBA finals or the Eastern Conference Finals.

STARTERS
PG RAPTORS Kyle Lowry NETS Deron Williams
Kyle Lowry is a up a coming point guard in the league. He had a good year in that he averaged 17.9 ppg and 7.4 apg. He is very quick and get to the rim well, but is slightly undersized. He shoots the three well at 38%. Deron William has been having a down year in that he has had the worst ppg and apg since his rookie year. However, he is consider one of the better point guards in the league and is an all star.

ADVANTAGE: NETS

SG RAPTORS DeMar DeRozan NETS Shaun Livingston
DeMar DeRozan is extremely athletic and has some crazy dunks and has been in the Slam Dunk Contest. He get to the free throw line well and makes 82 % of them. His three point shot need to get better as he only shoots around 30 % from beyond the arc. Shaun Livingston is an average player with some length for the shooting guard position. He can post well for a guard and has a good medium range jumper.

ADVANTAGE: RAPTORS

SF RAPTORS Terrence Ross NETS Joe Johnson
Terrence Ross is mainly a scorer and is streaky from the three point line. He only averaged 10 points per game on the year and I do not expect him to do much in this series. Joe Johnson is really a shooting guard playing the small forward position. It always seems that when the game is close and it comes down to the wire He makes the winning shot like 90% of the time. He is definitely good in close game situations late in the game. 

ADVANTAGE: NETS

PF RAPTORS Amir Johnson NETS Paul Pierce 
Amir Johnson is just a big guy with average stats and an average post game he can dunk also. He is just coming off of a recent injury so I do not know how production he will be and his production is not really that much any way. Paul Pierce is a veteran pro with a ton of experience and who knows how to win. He has a good three point shot and a good post up game and gets to the free throw line frequently. Paul Pierce is a winner.

ADVANTAGE: NETS

C RAPTORS Jonas Valanclunas NETS Mason Plumlee
Jonas Valanchunas is a center who stays mainly in the paint which is different from post European players with his height. He does an average job at blocking shots and gets about 1 per game. He has a high field goal percentage at 53% and a good free throw percentage for a big guy at 76%. Mason Plumlee is big and slim for a center. He also is a stay in the paint player with lots of dunks and layups. He also has a great field goal percentage at 66%. One thing he needs to work on is his rebounding as he only averages 4.4 per game.

ADVANTAGE: RAPTORS

PREDICTION: The season series got split with each team going 1-1 at home and on the road. I think that the experience of the Nets will take them through the first round and will avoid the costly mistakes that the inexperienced Raptors will probably make. Nets in 6.

Pacers vs Hawks series preview

Hello all! Welcome to the start of the NBA playoff series previews that I will doing throughout the entire NBA playoffs, one post for each series of the NBA playoffs! Here we go!

INDIANA

Indiana (56-26) comes in as the with the best record in the Eastern Conference and the number 1 seed, but has not had the best ending to the year as they have been slumping to the finish line. During their last 25 games, the Pacers were 12-13, not how you want to finish the season to get momentum going into the postseason. They have one of the top ten to top fifteen players in the NBA in shooting guard/small forward Paul George. Last year the Pacers got to the Eastern Conference championship series before losing to the eventual NBA champion Miami Heat in 7 games. The Pacers have one of the best defenses in the NBA ranking second lowest in points allowed per game at 92.3. Their defense was first in opponents shooting percentage at 42% and were 4th in 3 point opponent shooting percentage at 34.5%. The main problem for them is can they score enough points to get through to the NBA finals. They do have two really good post players in David West and Roy Hibbert who is in consideration for the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Defense is the main thing that carries this team though and if they make it to the finals and possibly win it, it will be because of their great defense.

ATLANTA

Atlanta ( 38-44) barely got into the playoffs and with a losing record. Because of this and other years where teams having losing records getting into the playoffs, some people are trying to change it so that the teams with better records get into the playoffs. However, they got the 8th best record their conference so that means that they are in the playoffs. Atlanta relies a good deal on the three point shot which they take around 26 threes a game which is second most in the NBA. Although they shoot a lot of threes they do not make a good percentage of them at 36.3%. Atlanta also turns the ball over too much at about 15 a game. They do however have some good players like power forward Paul Milsap . If their bigs cannot get Hibbert and West into trouble and they don't make that many three this could be a very short series for the Hawks.

STARTERS 

PG INDIANA George Hill ATLANTA Jeff Teague

Neither of these players are that great, but are good players. George They do what they have to do Hill get about 10 points per game and about 3.5 assists per game which is not good for a starting point guard in the NBA. However the Pacers do not need him to be a star for them to do well. The Hawks however need Teague to be one of their best players especially because the best player is hurt. Teague is averaging 16 ppg and 6.7 apg which is slightly above average for a starting point guard. In this matchup, I expect Teague to have the better series. 

ADVANTAGE: HAWKS

SG INDIANA Lance Stephenson ATLANTA Kyle Korver 

Lance Stephenson was a role player turned pretty good player for the Pacers when he plays well the Pacers usually play well. He is good in transition, plays good defense, and is decent at making threes. Korver is basically a three point specialist who does nothing else. He probably should not be starting, but instead be a bench player at least with his skill set. Korver does happen to be one of the best in the NBA at making threes though and makes them at a rate of 47% which is the best in the NBA. 

ADVANTAGE: PACERS

SMALL FORWARD INDIANA Paul George ATLANTA DeMarre Carroll

Paul George is one of the best players in the NBA with length and can shoot and drive to the basket well as well as play defense well. He averages 21.7 ppg 6.8 rebounds per game and 3.5 apg. He is one of the best all around players in the game and definitely the best player on the Pacers. If the Pacers want to win the title, he will have to play like an MVP for that to happen. Carrell is one of the many three point shooters on this team of many. He will be more thicker of a player for George to guard so if he has any post game he might want to do that. But I do not think that this will be much of a contest – too much George.

ADVANTAGE: PACERS

PW INDIANA David West ATLANTA Paul Milsap

David West is a legitimate pro who is one of the leaders of the Pacers both on and off the court. He is a low post threat with a good medium range jump shot. He averages 14 ppg and about 7 rpg and has been a good player for a long time in the league. Paul Milsap is the Hawks real leading scorer bc Horford got hurt. He is another one of the typically low post power forwards with good size for the position. He can also go out and shoot the three at a decent rate. This position battle I expect to be extremely close with the the edge to West.

ADVANTAGE: PACERS very slightly 

C INDIANA  Roy Hibbert ATLANTA Pero Antic

Roy Hibbert is a really tall center that blocks lots of shots but doesn't get as many rebounds as you would hope for from your starting center. He has a really good hook shot from either hand and side of the post. He was 4th in blocks per game this year with 2.25. Pero Antic is basically a backup center starting bc of injury he has a bad field goal percentage for a center which should be a great amount higher for a center. Additionally he is shorter and not a big as Hibbert and he likes to shoot threes like everyone and the Hawks. Hey probably the water boy for the Hawks probably shoots a lot of threes. Hibbert should dominate this matchup and I don't see much of problem for him.

PREDICTION: Even though the season series was 2-2, I do not see the Hawks posing much of a threat for the Pacers. George and company push their will on the Hawks and move on without too much trouble. Pacers in 5.

NBA Playoff Match ups (First Round)

As I stated in my last post, I will be previewing each series of the NBA playoffs which start on Saturday. These are the match ups for the first round of the NBA playoffs. To get into the playoffs the teams had to have one of the best eight records in there respective conference and are seeding according to their records in their respective conference. The team with the better record/seed has home court advantage for that series. Each series is a best out of seven series, that means win 4 games and you are moving on to the next round. Win four series and you are the next NBA champion. Here are the first round match ups of the NBA playoffs:

In the Eastern Conference, the number 1 seed, the Indiana Pacers (56-26) will be playing the 8 seed Atlanta Hawks (38-44). The number 2 seed Miami Heat (54-39),the reigning NBA champions, will be playing the 7 seed Charlotte Bobcats (43-39). The number 3 seed Toronto Raptors (48-34) will be playing the 6 seed Brooklyn Nets (44-38). And the number 4 seed Chicago Bulls (48-34) will be playing the 5 seed Washington Wizards (44-38).

In the Western Conference, the number 1 seed and best record in all of the NBA during the regular season, San Antonio Spurs (62-20) will be playing the 8 seed Dallas Mavericks (49-33). The number 2 seed Oklahoma City Thunder (59-23)will be playing the 7 seed Memphis Grizzlies (50-32).
The 3 seed Las Angeles Clippers (57-25) will be playing the 6 seed Golden State Warriors (51-31).
And the number 4 seed Houston Rockets (54-28) will be playing the 5 seed Portland Trail Blazers (54-28).

I will be posting the playoff preview with my predictions starting tomorrow please comment on them with your opinions and what your predictions and thoughts are also, thanks.

Mountain Dew Dudes

future posts

Starting on Thursday, when the NBA playoff are set, I will be previewing each series in several posts (one for each series) as well as giving my prediction for each series. Readers and followers and fans of Mountain Dew Dudes and Mountain Dew lovers everywhere you have that to look forward to in the near future.

One and Done NCAA/NBA Basketball Rule: Good or Bad?

As many National Basketball Association fans know, there is a rule that states that a player has to have at least one year of college or international experience after high school before the player can be eligible for the NBA draft. Many NCAA college basketball players choose to leave after one year, For example players like Andrew Wiggins of Kansas. On the other hand there are players like Marcus Smart of Oklahoma State that choose to stay an extra year of college before declaring for the NBA draft. There been a debate whether to leave the rule as it is or to change the rule to require more years in college before being eligible for the NBA draft. Most proponents of changing the rule are saying to have the requirement be two years in college verses the one year currently. 

There are both pro and cons to both sides of this debate. On the side of leaving the rule as it is the NBA gets the players earlier and the players can get started on their careers sooner. On the side of changing the rule to 2 years, for example, the NBA would get better quality player with more experience and better training, college basketball teams would have better opportunities to win championships because they have been trained longer and have better camaraderie between teammate leading to more wins and longer tournament runs. This would lead to better quality teams in the NCAA tournament. Also because the players would be in college for two years they would basically have their associates degree finished which would help them get a job after their basketball career is over or if the NBA just does not work out for them.

In conclusion, the rule should be changed to at least 2 years for the betterment of both the NBA and the NCAA.

How the Brewers are winning on their hot streak

Basically every Major League Baseball "expert" on the major sports sites (ex. Espn, Fox, Cbs, etc) wrote off the Brewers this year. Most of these "experts" predicted that the Brewers would finish around .500 and get 4th in the National League Central behind the Cardinals, Pirates, and Reds. Yet as of right now the Brewers are 10-2 and have the best record in all of baseball. Yes you read that right BEST RECORD IN BASEBALL , and their record is at least 2 games better than every other team. So it asks the question, "How did they get so overlooked?". Well, last year their 3 and 4 hitters in the lineup were either injured or suspended for most of the year. The pitching had an off year and May was a disaster zone month for them. This year with a few accusations during the off season such as Matt Garza and Francisco Rodriguez to sure up the starting and relief pitching, their pitching has the best Earned Run average in MLB at 1.80 and their bullpen has only given up like 4 runs this entire year. Also during this run by the Brewers the offense is scored around 6 runs per game and they have an average around .300 as a team. Also they have been producing with runners in scoring position at a good rate and one of the players their 4th hitter in the lineup, Aramis Ramirez who was injured most of last year is batting around .750 in those situations and has driven in the 5th most runs in all of the NL. Also they have been capitalizing on the opponents miscues especially in their series with the Pirates which they swept. With that sweep of the Pirates, the Brewers have now won 9 games in a row and are going for 10 when they play the Cardinals tonight.  Whether the Brewers can continue this run and get into the playoffs, they will need to sustain their pitching throughout the entire year and prove that this little run is not a fluke. We will see how they do that. 

Until later,

Mountain Dew Dudes

LEAP YEAR DRAGON DESCRIPTION!!!!!

“The exceptionally rare leap year dragon can only be seen in the wild once every four years near Bridget’s Pass. Some say that simply gazing upon them has even caused women to spontaneously propose! Getting one of these in your park is sure to make you over the rainbow! Or is it over the moon? I can never remember”

The results of dragon breeding formulas cannot be guarenteed and we are not responsible for any failed results. We do not own anything but are only sharing our personal experiences with you in hopes that our experience helps you in your Dragaonvale journey.

LEAP YEAR DRAGON

LEAP YEAR DRAGON

IS IT REAL??? OR IS IT A MYTH???
Leave a comment below with what you think. We will be the first to bring the info on how to breed it and how it!!!!!(or really close)

The results of dragon breeding formulas cannot be guarenteed and we are not responsible for any failed results. We do not own anything but are only sharing our personal experiences with you in hopes that our experience helps you in your Dragaonvale journey.

Chess

Chess is a very easy game to learn but very hard to master. It requires a keen sense of observation,strategy and long hours of practice. It is a very good way to pass the time and relax.

How to win:
Capture your opponent king (eventually)

Keys to chess.
Board awareness.
This means you see what your opponent can do and what you will do. Very important skill to have in order to win.

Knowledge of your pieces and their values.
This means you know where they can move and what their strength and weaknesses are and their values. This is a good thing to learn so that you know where they can move and where they will do you the most good and where they won't. The point value is important to know so that you know if it's a good trade of pieces or not. The point values are as followed.

Pawns: one point
Knights: three points
Bishops: three points
Rooks: five points
Queen: nine points
King: zero point

Some of you may ask.
Q. why is the king zero points?
A. Because the king is required on the board to continue playing.

The chess pieces all have a certain direction they can move they are as followed. Moves allowed in parentheses.

Pawn: (1-2)
Vertically (1-2) and diagonally (attack only one square)

Knight: (3)
L shape
example two over and one up

Bishop: (1-7)
Diagonal.

Rook: (1-7)
Vertical and horizontal.

Queen (1-7) and king (1)
Vertically, horizontally and diagonally.