If they play the way theyre playing right now, they can hang

TSNs Jack Armstrong offers his thoughts on Andrew Bynum, Al Horford, the Toronto Raptors, the atmosphere for the Portland vs Miami game, and the long list of injured players. 1. ANDREW BYNUM (Cavs): Grow Up! Youre a professional athlete. These are your prime earning years. Dont mess it up. For the life of me I cant comprehend how guys dont realize that there is no other walk of life that theyre going to make the kind of money they make and have the fun they do being a pro athlete. Once its gone, its very difficult to recapture what you blew. Sure, maybe he has other off-court interests; youve got a long life to enjoy those. Capitalize on what youre doing now and dont be silly. Its a shame: talented guy who needs to get with the program. 2. AL HORFORD (Hawks): Significant blow to Atlantas season losing one of my favorites in the league. He was having another steady season at 18+ ppg and 8+ rpg. Thats hard to replace. Thank goodness they signed Paul Milsap (17 and 8 per game) as a free agent this past summer. Theyre going to have to ride him a bunch in the post area; hes more than capable. The nightly loss of Horford will be a big hole to fill though considering the lost Josh Smiths athleticism and scoring ability this past off-season. The Hawks are still a capable team that will be in the playoff hunt. It will just get harder to maintain that third spot in the East Standings. 3. TORONTO RAPTORS: Im afraid to snap my fingers right now for fear theyll come out of the zone theyre in at this stage. Theyve been really fun to watch and the energy, effort, and commitment to team has been top-notch. Ive got my fingers crossed it continues; its been an enjoyable stretch of hoops to say the least. The Raptors have a really difficult stretch of games coming up however, take a good look at the schedule. The travel will be frequent and the rest/prep time will be minimal. The true test for this group will be whether they can handle some of the adversity thats ahead. If they play the way theyre playing right now, they can hang with anyone. Theres still plenty of time for GM Masai Ujiri to evaluate his team and make decisions in a calculated, big-picture way to determine whether he wants to buy, hold or sell. You need to see guys get put through the ringer a good bit to see what youve got and just as important you need to evaluate what each team in your conference has and doesnt have to determine how you want to build your eventual contending team. 4. PORTLAND/MIAMI: Not sure if you caught the Heat/Blazers game on Saturday night or even caught the highlights but wow! The energy in the arena in Portland, one of the three best playing atmospheres in the NBA (OKC and Golden State are the other two), was off the charts. The action on the court was equally good. Sometimes when youre around pro sports you can get a bit cynical once in a while. When you see the level of passion and love for the sport and competition that both teams had it gives you goose bumps. The great teams and great players have incredible pride and a wonderful makeup. Thanks to the players on both teams for giving folks their moneys worth. 5. INJURIES: Last week we had Russell Westbrook and Al Horford added to the long list of elite players with significant injuries this year. There are a lot of theories as to why its happening. Ill just say this: Im firmly convinced that players are overtraining and not allowing their bodies enough rest/recovery time. In addition, many players hire their own workout guys in the off-season with their own theories/approaches that tend to differ from what they hear from their teams. I dont like that pattern. Im a huge believer in perfect practice makes perfect. When you train improperly or utilize varying training methods at different times youre exposing yourself to greater harm. In season, teams need to be more conscious of reducing the amount of time players spend on their feet. Its all about quality vs. quantity. Am I a bit concerned? Yes. Balance and moderation have got to be looked at more rather than obsessive overkill. Dont mistake activity for achievement! Cheap Nike Air Max Free Shipping . In a pregame tribute commemorating his final contest at Coors Field on Wednesday night, Helton caught the ceremonial first pitch from his daughter with his wife, younger daughter and good friend Peyton Manning watching from the field. Mens Nike Air Max Store .ca! There is plenty of blame to be shared as a result of the most recent NHL player (Pittsburghs Brooks Orpik) to be evacuated from the ice on a stretcher following an ugly incident Saturday night in Boston. http://www.supplyairmax.com/wholesale-nike-air-max-1/ . Chris Heisey connected for his first grand slam and Devin Mesoraco homered and drove in a career high-tying four runs as Cincinnati took advantage of Tampa Bays depleted pitching staff for a 12-4 victory on Sunday. White Nike Air Max 1 . In sunny and almost windless conditions, the Swede shot four consecutive birdies on the front nine on his way to a 68 and went 9 under for a one-shot lead over Englands Lee Slattery and two over Paraguays Farbrizio Zanotti (68). Red Nike Air Max 1 .The Toronto Raptors guard, who will represent the Eastern Conference at the All-Star Game in New Orleans on Sunday, says he doesnt complain in the face of adversity "because I know this little girl is just happy for anything.Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers will get the chance to run the rule over his new charges for the first time on a four-game pre-season tour of Slovenia. The Scottish champions have unveiled plans for a 10-day training camp in central Europe ahead of their qualifying campaign for the Champions League in mid-July.Former Liverpool boss Rodgers first game in the dugout will take place on Thursday, June 30, when the Bhoys face NK Celje, who finished fifth in the Slovenian top flight, at the Arena Petrol (kick-off 7:45pm local time). On Sunday, July 3, the Irishman takes his team the short distancee across the border to meet three-time Austrian champions Sturm Graz in the Stadium Graz Liebenau (5:30pm local).ddddddddddddhree days later the Hoops travel to the Slovenian capital Ljubljana to face champions Olimpija Ljubljana in the Stozice Stadium (7:45pm local) before concluding their tour against NK Maribor on Saturday, July 9 (7pm local). Also See: Mulgrew keen to remain at Hoops Gordon excited by Rodgers arrival Celtic stats Get ￡10 free bet! Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Discount Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Baseball Jerseys Free Shipping Cheapest College Jerseys Sale Cheap Football Jerseys China Nike NFL Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys From China MLB Jerseys Outlet Canada Wholesale NBA Jerseys Canada Store Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap Authentic Jerseys Canada ' ' '