Paul George Injury Leaves Questions in Eastern Conference

After Paul George suffered that devastating leg injury that will keep him out for next season, the Indiana Pacers lost a valuable member of their squad. Without George, there is little hope for the Pacers’ title hopes in 2015. Although this may not take them out of the postseason just yet, let’s look at some threatening teams in the Eastern Conference.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are a favorite simply because they have LeBron James. Not only that, but they also have an All-Star point guard in Kyrie Irving and a future superstar in Andrew Wiggins. However, their front court could be their ultimate downfall. The main reason why James was so successful in Miami was because he had Chris Bosh pulling in rebounds and giving him extra chances. Last year’s number one draft pick Anthony Bennett was a huge disappointment, but he is the best option for next season’s starting forward position. For center, they have Anderson Varejao and Brendan Haywood, but they are old veterans that can be reliable in all 82 games next season. Tristan Thompson would make a good fit at the power forward spot and Dion Waiters will make a great back-court player that could compliment both Irving and James. It’s mostly wait-and-see at this point for the Cavaliers.

LeBron James’ return to Cleveland gives the Cavaliers the best chance for a title run next year.
Credit: http://www.cleveland.com

The Chicago Bulls look to be the favorite in the East as well. They have an established coaching staff that knows how to win with low-caliber players, but this year, they get Derrick Rose back…again. If Rose can stay healthy, this Bulls team will be Cleveland’s main competition in the Central Division. They signed Pau Gasol in free agency and landed Doug McDermott in the NBA Draft. All of the pieces are there with Joakim Noah coming off a terrific year, winning the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. Guys like Taj Gibson, Jimmy Butler and Ronnie Brewer will also aid Rose in chasing that elusive NBA Finals, somewhere they haven’t been since Michael Jordan led the way many years ago.

Derrick Rose looks for a breakout year. The last time he played a full season, he won the MVP averaging 25 points, 7.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game.
Credit: pagesix.com

With the Pacers, Cavaliers and Bulls fighting for the Central Division, let’s take a look at some other potentially threatening teams in the East. The New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors will be battling for the Atlantic Division. Carmelo Anthony’s decision to return to New York will definitely give them a chance. Phil Jackson looks to make this team a consistent winner in the East and will have to go through the upstart Raptors in order to get there. The Raptors finished last season with the 3-seed in the East with a surprising 48-34 record. They did better than the Brooklyn Nets who landed a tight 44-38 finish. Coach Lionel Hollins will try to make his new Nets team a title contender this year. If he can’t get them that good in a short amount of time, the Knicks and Raptors will dominate this division.

The two most surprising teams last year were the Washington Wizards and the Charlotte Bobcats. Both finished with more than 42 wins, which is saying a lot for both of these franchises. The back-court combination of John Wall and Bradley Beal will definitely keep the Wizards in the championship race, but their front court will have to play consistently well in order to compete in the division. The Bobcats are now back to being called the Hornets and hopefully this rejuvenated team will make more surprises this year. With the Miami Heat losing some firepower because of the whole Decision 2.0 fiasco, the Southeast Division is wide open for the taking. Even the Atlanta Hawks are contenders after making the playoffs last year with a losing record. You can never count out everyone  in that division. Unless you’re the Orlando Magic.

The Eastern Conference will definitely be more interesting this year and a lot more competitive. Unfortunately for the Pacers, their chance at a title shot is dampened with the George injury. Hopefully they can learn some lessons from Chicago on how to make the playoffs without your superstar player.

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Christian Athlete of the Week: James Jones

James Jones is another one of those great rags-to-riches stories. Throughout his childhood, Jones had to rely on homeless shelters in San Jose, California for food and clothing. When he was seven years old, he met his father for the first time. Unfortunately, Jones’ father was a drug addict and refused to pay child support. From the age of eight to fourteen, Jones grew up in homeless shelters with his mother and sister. He was also surrounded by people who abused drugs and stole money. His future was very limited and not very assuring. At the age of 13, Jones and his mother were evicted from their one-bedroom apartment. All Jones had was a backpack and a basketball. Luckily, Jones’ mother was a beacon of hope for this young man’s life.

 

Jones’ mother, Janet, took her two children, Desiree and James, to a shelter when she couldn’t stay at a friend’s or relative’s house. The Jones family lived in shelters four times, sometimes for five months at a time. Jones moved so much as a child he went to seven different elementary schools. He sometimes took special education courses to keep up academically. While Jones was at school, his mother would take the bus to work and they would meet back at the homeless shelter every night. This went on for what seemed like an eternity.

“I saw how strong my mother was just to keep on,” Jones said. “She worked so hard with nothing. She tried to get a job here, a job there. I saw how hard she worked. I would never let my mother down. I would do anything to make her happy, and what made her happy was me going to school and staying out of trouble.” (Credit: JSOnline.com)

As a young boy, Jones was tempted to do things he knew God wouldn’t want him to do. Living in a bad neighborhood, Jones made friends with thugs, drug dealers and burglars. Somehow someway, Jones held strong to his mother’s beliefs and he stuck close to her rather than falling prey to the ways of the world.

After Jones went to go live with his grandmother during high school, his athletic talents were presented on display. He was one of the best players on the Gunderson High School basketball team, but his play at wide receiver, quarterback and safety on the football team was what the college prospects were really impressed with. The athletic high school superstar went to San Jose State University where he caught 125 passes for 1,488 yards and 12 touchdowns in 35 games.

From there, Jones was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft.  He was a part of the Packer’s Super Bowl winning team and back on March 17, he signed a three-year deal with the Oakland Raiders. His past did not determine his future as he held strong to his faith and believed in the hope of God through seeing his mother and what she accomplished.

Now, Jones has decided to help out the ones who used to be in his position. He partners with a homeless shelter in Green Bay called Freedom House. For the past four years, Jones has donated to this shelter and has provided for those in need. He also helps out disadvantaged children through his other foundation “Love Jones for Kids.”

Jones’ story proves that everyone can make it. No matter where you come from and no matter what kind of environment you grew up in, you can escape it through the power of Jesus Christ. Jones knows that God doesn’t put any obstacle in his path that he can’t handle. Jones was able to escape poverty and is now making millions in the NFL. It just goes to show that as long as you put your faith in God, He will bless you in due time.