Article by: Zach Henley​ 

Over the last 15 years, many exceptional players have come and gone. One of the best in that group is first baseman, Albert Pujols. Pujols is a two-time World Series champion with the St. Louis Cardinals, and has accumulated eye grabbing stats from his rookie year in 2004. The 39-year-old has tallied 637 homeruns, 1,997 RBI’s, along with a stellar average of .302. These stats alone prove that he deserves to be in the top 10 all time players list. The next couple stats show that “The Machine” is a top 5 all time great, such as having 3,102 hits, with 643 of them being doubles, and has stolen 111 bases, while only being caught 41 times. The stats show that he does not only hit for power, but that he has consistently been reliable to reach the base and be a threat at the same time. To further show that Albert is a major baseball treasure, he is 6th all-time in home runs, third in RBI’s, 22nd in hits, and 9th in doubles in the history of major league baseball. 

These stats show that he is a great player and an obvious first ballot hall of famer. Other than the stats, Albert embodies what a baseball player is and what a player should always be. When he was a rookie, people were not excited, but his rookie campaign changed their minds in the end. In only 2 years, he helped the Cardinals win the 2006 World Series. This showed the immediate impact that he made on the team and caused the rest of the league tremble at what he could accomplish. After winning the title in 2011, he then signed with the Los Angeles Angels, to play along a kid named Mike Trout. Pujols saw this opportunity to help mentor a future star and eventually finish his career. That year, Trout won the rookie of the year award and has become the biggest star in baseball.  Since switching teams and establishing himself as a mentor, Pujols has seen the postseason only once in 2014, but the lackluster Angels have not been able to return since.

Overall, Albert Pujols should be in every conversation as an all time great. Not only because of what his contributions are on the field, but also what he did off the field. His foundation, the Pujols Family Foundation, supports impoverished families in the Dominican Republic, and supports children who are suffering from Down’s Syndrome.  The group, since its creation in 2005, has many different events around the country and has raised a large amount of money. The best players in the sport have been productive for their teams by producing outstanding numbers and providing insight for other teammates, as well as making their organizations an option to play for.

​My personal top five goes; Hank Aaron, Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols, Ricky Henderson, and Lou Gehrig.  

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed the article be sure to drop a like! Also feel free to comment your thoughts and opinions down below.

To get keep getting news and updates on all things sports, be sure to keep it here, with Heated Sports!​​

The first round of the NBA playoffs are, for the most part, what we have expected. All the top seeds in the East took care of business in a relatively smooth fashion, with none of those series going any longer than 5 games. Now, we turn our attention to the West, and it is a much different story for them. I applaud Houston and Portland for coming into the playoffs in stride and playing very confidently. Houston took care of the Jazz without too much of an issue, only losing one game, which was a close-out one against this young Jazz team, who was really looking to defend home-court and come out with a moral victory. Houston even won Game 3, despite leaving the door wide open for Utah via a James Harden 0-15 start from the field. Outside of that, the Rockets were exceptional in their games.

Portland was also equally as impressive in their series against the Thunder. There was a lot of chatter back and forth between the two teams, most of it coming from, you guessed it, Russell Westbrook. The Blazers ultimately won 3 out of 4 by double-digit margins, surprising many fans and analysts. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum were on fire from beyond the arc the entire series. Lillard averaged 33 points (50 in the close-out win) and shot 48% from beyond the arc, which is scary good. The Blazers overcame a 15-point deficit with 7 minutes remaining in Game 5. Then, with the game tied, clock winding down, Lillard hit that cold-blooded 37-foot game-winning three-pointer right in the face of Paul George. George later went on to claim that it was a bad shot, which is absurd because Dame is shooting 39% from beyond 30 feet in these playoffs, which is the same percentage that Paul George shot from three-point range, period.

​So, a major round of applause for the Rockets and Blazers. However, we have two series which are still very much alive. The Nuggets and Spurs go at it in Game 7 tomorrow night at 10:00 ET. The Spurs played a great game in Game 6 last night, defeating the Nuggets 120-103, despite a 43-12-9 performance from Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets will be at home and will be favorites in this game. The Spurs have not really been able to slow down Jokic, but they have given Jamal Murray problems, and the supporting cast has been inconsistent. In a series that has been so back and forth, different guys stepping up in each game, I look at Game 7 as more of a coin toss. Gregg Popovich has been known for his excellent playoff game plans, and DeRozan, Aldridge, and Derrick White have all had an excellent series. The Nuggets on the other hand, are more talented and have shown that by locking up the #2 seed in the West, but their lack of playoff experience has shown. This sets the stage for an exciting Game 7, and an excellent matchup against Portland for whoever wins this game.

​Game 6 of the Warriors versus Clippers series is tonight at 10:00 ET, in a series that almost everyone besides Clippers fans thought would go 4 or 5 games. The Clippers have been sensational. They have been gritty and have not backed down from any of the punches Golden State have thrown at them. In the center of it all is Louis Williams, who has been averaging 24.4 PPG in this series, which includes a whole handful of clutch buckets. The entire team overall has been playing well, which includes Lou, Montrezl Harrell, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Patrick Beverley, Danilo Gallinari, which is essentially the entire team. In the end, Golden State is going to win this series, the talent gap is unfortunately too much for the Clippers to withstand for a 7-game series. The fact that they are still playing deserves endless credit. On the other hand, Golden State has been very disappointing, where their defense has been terrible, there has been very little effort or urgency, and players have even admitted that they are looking forward to Houston. 

​Houston versus Golden State is the matchup that everyone has been looking forward to all year. When the Rockets were healthy, they were one game away from eliminating the Warriors last season. The Rockets are now 37-14 when James Harden, Chris Paul, and Clint Capela all play. They were 42-3 last year. Especially with the Warriors showing so many cracks which all can be credited to sloppy play, turnovers, lack of defense, questions about their future, and even championship fatigue. If they can flip the switch, they will still be the clear-cut favorites in this series.

​The Warriors will always get their points in almost any situation. Between the three-headed offensive monster in KD, Steph, and Klay, and their help of the bench, the Warriors are nearly impossible to stop. What separates Golden State is their ability to lock down on defense. They have the personnel to match up with anybody, whether it is small-ball or a lengthy team, they have the guys to do it. Many of the Warriors game-ending runs come from a barrage of three-pointers combined with suffocating defense resulting in missed shots and turnovers, which then turn into more offense on the other end. They have not consistently shown that ability in these playoffs so far. What makes this so dangerous is that the Rockets have the weapons to match them offensively and will blitz Golden State if they play as lazy as they have against Los Angeles. To sum it up, the Warriors look very vulnerable, and James Harden, Chris Paul, and the rest of the Rockets will be hungry for revenge and ultimately would try for a championship drive.

In the East, we will see Milwaukee facing Boston and Toronto against Philadelphia. Both series are very hard to predict before seeing a game or two. Milwaukee and Toronto are both the strong favorites. However, Boston has been heating up at the perfect time, and like I have said in previous articles, they have perhaps the same amount, if not more, talent than Milwaukee does. Giannis is going to get his, meaning he is going to put up points, make incredible plays on defense, and his fingerprints will be all over this series. The Bucks supporting cast has been excellent, which is why they got the #1 seed in the East. It really depends on which Boston team shows up because we have all seen how well Brad Stevens can game plan and create smothering defensive schemes for Boston. They have the personnel to be able to try different lineup combinations to deal with the lengthy Bucks. I see this being a 6 or 7 game series, and if Boston can summon up the right chemistry, Milwaukee is then on the upset alert.

​On the other hand, Philly has what is probably the second-best starting lineup in the NBA, which gives them the ability to experiment a little with who they are going to have guard Kawhi Leonard for much of the series. I can see the depth of Toronto being the biggest differentiator against Philly. Where the Sixers will be playing their starters very heavy minutes, probably 40+ minutes per game, the Raptors have tons of depth which includes Marc Gasol, Norman Powell, Fred VanVleet, and Jeremy Lin. Their starting lineup is already stacked when you look at Kawhi, Pascal Siakam, Serge Ibaka, Kyle Lowry, and Danny Green. The Raptors are scary good and very deep. Philly will need Embiid to stay healthy, they will certainly need “Assertive Ben Simmons”, Jimmy Butler will need to play top-tier defense and give 100% effort through the whole game, Tobias Harris to step up and make shots and play good defense, and JJ Redick to get and stay hot from beyond the arc.

​With quality performances out of the starting five, Philly fans will probably be celebrating. When they play good basketball together, the Sixers can beat anyone in the league, which they have demonstrated all year long. If any of the Sixers starters get hurt, I immediately hit the panic button because the Sixers’ depth does not go much further than Mike Scott, Boban Marjanovic, James Ennis, and TJ McConnell. Even some of those guys are scary to put out on the floor in crucial playoff minutes. If the Sixers can stay healthy and the bench can give at least half-decent production, this should be another 6 or 7 game series, which again is wide-open. 

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed the article be sure to drop a like! Also feel free to comment your thoughts and opinions down below.

To get keep getting news and updates on all things sports, be sure to keep it here, with Heated Sports!​​

Welcome to the first Heated Sports NFL mock draft.  In anticipation for the 2019 draft, the Heated Sports team got together, assigned teams, and simulated the first round.  In order to keep our first mock simple and easy to follow, we eliminated the trading of draft picks.  

Obviously, it is impossible to foresee what will happen during the actual draft, but if you have any comments (agree/disagree) feel free to let us know. The draft results will be posted below, however be sure to check out our YouTube channel (Heated Sports), where we posted a video of the simulation.  The video is worth watching, as you will be able to see our in-depth explanations, reactions, and comments on every pick.
 
Picks:

1. Arizona Cardinals (Harrison) – Kyler Murray QB, Oklahoma
2. San Francisco 49ers (Justin) – Nick Bosa EDGE, Ohio State
3. New York Jets (Zach) – Josh Allen EDGE, Kentucky
4. Oakland Raiders (Kevin) – Quinnen Williams IDL, Alabama
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Pete) – D.K. Metcalf WR, Mississippi 
6. New York Giants (Harrison) – Dwayne Haskins QB, Ohio State
7. Jacksonville Jaguars (Justin) – Jawaan Taylor OT, Florida
8. Detroit Lions (Zach) – Noah Fant TE, Iowa
9. Buffalo Bills (Kevin) – Devin White LB, LSU
10. Denver Broncos (Pete) – Andre Dillard OT, Washington State
11. Cincinnati Bengals (Harrison) – Devin Bush Jr. LB, Michigan
12. Green Bay Packers (Justin) – Brian Burns EDGE, Florida State
13. Miami Dolphins (Zach) – Daniel Jones QB, Duke
14. Atlanta Falcons (Kevin) – Greedy Williams CB, LSU
15. Washington Redskins (Pete) – Rashan Gary EDGE, Michigan
16. Carolina Panthers (Harrison) – Andre Dillard OT,Washington State
    1. (Realized after recording that Dillard was already selected at #10, but expect Denver to still target an Offensive Lineman)
17. New York Giants (Justin) – Christian Wilkins IDL, Clemson
18. Minnesota Vikings (Zach) – Jonah Williams OT, Alabama
19. Tennessee Titans (Kevin) – T.J. Hockenson TE, Iowa
20. Pittsburgh Steelers (Pete) – Chauncey Gardener-Johnson S, Florida
21. Seattle Seahawks (Harrison) – Marquise Brown WR, Oklahoma
22. Baltimore Ravens (Justin) – Montez Sweat EDGE, Mississippi State
23. Houston Texans (Zach) – Deandre Baker CB, Georgia
24. Oakland Raiders (Kevin) – Byron Murphy CB, Washington
25. Philadelphia Eagles (Pete) – Cody Ford OT, Oklahoma
26. Indianapolis Colts (Harrison) – Dexter Lawrence IDL, Clemson
27. Oakland Raiders (Justin) – Joshua Jacobs RB, Alabama
28. L.A. Chargers (Zach) – Amani Oruwariye CB, Penn State
29. Kansas City Chiefs (Kevin) – Ed Oliver IDL, Houston
30. Green Bay Packers (Pete) – Lonnie Johnson Jr. CB, Kentucky
31. L.A. Rams (Harrison) – Erik McCoy C, Texas A&M
32. New England Patriots (Justin) – A.J. Brown WR, Mississippi

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed the article be sure to drop a like! Also feel free to comment your thoughts and opinions down below.

To get keep getting news and updates on all things sports, be sure to keep it here, with Heated Sports!​​

After one month into the regular season, the National League already has a race for league MVP. As of right now, it's a clear two-man race between Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich and Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger. After 23 games, the stars have 24 home runs with 59 RBIs with a combined .389 batting average. As we can easily see, both players are on historic paces to begin the season. Christian Yelich, the reigning National League MVP, has recorded a .353 batting average along with 13 home runs and 31 RBIs. Since the second half of the 2018 season, Yelich has hit 38 home runs, with 98 RBIs and his average is a ridiculous .360. Last March and April, Yelich hit 2 home runs, with 9 RBI’s and a batting average of .271. Over a years’ time, Yelich has improved his already superstar status and has become even more valuable to the Brewers. 

On the other side, Cody Bellinger has raised some eyebrows and has made his case to be a future MVP. Bellinger has totaled 11 home runs, with 28 RBIs and a league leading .424 batting average. Last season, the 23-year-old won the rookie of the year and the NLCS MVP award. Before last year’s all-star break, Bellinger hit 17 home runs with 44 RBIs and below an average of .245. Bellinger has already shown what he is capable of and shows that he is the most important player on the Dodgers’ squad right now. 

​So far this season, the Dodgers have kept the wins coming, with a 15-9 record. That record is the best in the National League. The Brewers’ current record is 13-10 and that is good for third the competitive central division. If Yelich continues to dominate, then the Brewers will have no problem improving that record. These two stars show that the league is going in the right direction and that young players are starting to take over.  

​Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed the article be sure to drop a like! Also feel free to comment your thoughts and opinions down below.

To get keep getting news and updates on all things sports, be sure to keep it here, with Heated Sports!​​

​Article by: Harrison Weaver

We are only a week into the NBA Playoffs, but there is already so much to talk about. There are a few of surprising series, some players who have been really stepping up, some who are really letting things slip away, and there has been some drama developing as well. In this week’s article, I am going to divide some key elements of this year’s NBA Playoffs into three categories, which will be known as the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. You may agree or disagree with some of these placements, but these are all about how I personally perceive the game of basketball, as well as what I like, and do not like to see.

The rules: situations that I have seen about these playoffs that demonstrate the positive aspects of what basketball is all about. This would be as some edgy play, or a lower-seed really playing well, or a high-seed truly fulfilling expectations, which is what I will call a “Good.” A “Bad” is basically the opposite. An underperforming team, a player who is not getting the job done, and so on. Lastly, the “Ugly” is all about stuff that either makes a player(s) look bad on or off the court, or it could simply be atrocious basketball. So now that you know the ground rules, let's dive into it. 

​The Clippers are doing an incredible job, given their current circumstances. They have been overachieving all year, and they earned an 8 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs, but on the flip-side, they are unfortunately matched up against the Golden State Warriors. This is a spot where a lot of other 8 seeds would throw in the towel, but not the Clippers, especially not Patrick Beverley. To sum up how he plays and how he has been approaching this series, let me tell you something. The Warriors filed a complaint to the league office about how Patrick Beverley has been playing defense on Kevin Durant. Yes, this is legit information. Patrick Beverley has been up in Kevin Durant’s space, getting his hands in the air, swatting at the ball, doing a little pushing and grabbing. Kevin Durant has referred to him as a “pest”, and he even fouled out of Game 2 in the crucial final minutes, which allowed LA to secure the biggest comeback win in NBA Playoffs history.

​Beverley also fouled out of that game, but he had some huge steals, he was guarding Kevin Durant the whole game, and was such a pivotal piece in their comeback. I absolutely love it. This is playoff basketball, and if you can get away with some pushing, pulling, playing pesky defense, then there is no reason to stop. When you are playing a team as explosive and extremely talented as Golden State, you need to do everything you can to find a way to disrupt their rhythm and get under their skin. Round of applause to Patrick Beverley, keep up the annoying defense.

Assertive Ben Simmons

Sixers fans all have nightmares about last postseason. When it came time to face Boston in the second round, Ben Simmons was nowhere to be found. The Celtics walled him off from the paint, and he was too timid to shoot, and unfortunately allowed himself to become a non-factor. This time around, things already seem a little different. After only scoring 9 points in a Game 1 loss to Brooklyn, he followed up with a Game 2 triple-double and 31 points (his playoff high) in Game 3. He is also been tasked with guarding All-Star point guard D’Angelo Russell, and has for the most part, taken him completely out of the series by playing shut-down defense.

​After being called out by Net’s forward and NBA veteran Jared Dudley, who said that Ben Simmons is an average player in the half-court, Simmons chose to take it to heart and step up his game in response. The Sixers now lead the series 2-1 and will continue to need Ben to step up as they advance further in the playoffs when they will need his aggressive attacks in the paint and shutdown defense if they want to compete in future rounds. 

DeMar DeRozan, Derrick White, and the Spurs

​There is something about Spurs postseason basketball that all NBA fans love to see. Led by one of the most influential faces in NBA history in Coach Popovich. No matter how many injuries they suffer, how much talent they may or may not have, they always find a way to play really sound, fundamental basketball at the right time. This Pop dynasty has been around for as long as many of us have been alive. Every year, you can count on Pop and the Spurs to reach the playoffs and put up a respectable fight. DeMar DeRozan has been an incredible surprise this series. In my playoff preview article from last week, I accused him of being a poor playoff player, and he has proved me wrong so far against Denver. As well as Derrick White, who has really flown under the radar this season. White had 36 and DeRozan had 25 points last night to propel San Antonio to a 2-1 series lead against the 2-seeded Nuggets. If the Spurs can continue to maintain this balanced attack led by DeRozan, Aldridge, and White, they might have a real chance at not just winning this series but being a threat deeper into the postseason.

​Two teams that I really hyped up the most for my playoff preview, OKC and Utah, have both failed to gain any footing in their respective playoff series. Both are trailing 0-2 and have yet to even keep a game within single digits. The Jazz lost Game 1 against Houston by 20, and then lost Game 2 by 32 points. The Jazz are a team that I thought could play tough defense against Harden and Chris Paul, and believed that through Donovan Mitchell, Ricky Rubio, Rudy Gobert, and company, that they would be able to score enough to keep the games close. That just has not been the case whatsoever. Their shooting percentages are terrible, they cannot stop the Rockets defensively. I predicted the series to go 7 games, but it is starting to look like it will only go to 4, maybe 5 if the Jazz can shoot better and keep one of these close.

​The Thunder are in the same boat, Paul George is shooting a poor 27 percent from three, and Westbrook’s shooting has been hideous, as he is shooting 10 percent from three in this series. The only guys averaging double figures have been George, Westbrook, and Steven Adams. They have just shown no ability to be able to keep up with the red-hot Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum duo. Both promising series are looking like they may not go any longer than 4 or 5 games.

​This is all based around a really, really awkward 60 Minutes Interview that the Warriors were a part of what aired last weekend. The interviewer was speaking to five Golden State players: Andre Iguodala, Klay Thompson, Shaun Livingston, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry. As they were fielding questions about how they formed chemistry, how they share the spotlight, get through the season and manage success, both Durant and Klay seemed completely checked out and very uncomfortable. Then came a question about free-agency. This is where it really got ‘cringy’. Seriously, this was super awkward, and as Livingston, Iguodala, and Steph all laughed about how much it would take for them to leave Golden State, KD and Klay both sat there in silence, looking around the room to try to escape the weird tension. It was bad sight to see.

So as talented as the Warriors are, this year’s team has a problem it has never faced before. They have key players who appear to be very ready to leave the Bay Area come free-agency this summer. Say Golden State gets in an edgy series against a Houston, or Portland, or Denver/San Antonio. Suddenly, they need to be clicking and playing at the top of their game, but instead, they are fighting and worrying about who may be leaving. This is just a hypothetical situation at this point, as they just beat LA by 27 last night.

​The cracks have certainly shown this season, they have looked vulnerable at times, but are still on a different level than anyone else in terms of talent. I am going to highlight what looks like a second-round matchup between Golden State and Houston as an upset alert. Houston has been nearly invincible when Harden, CP3, and Clint Capela are all healthy at the same time. We will just have to see if the Warriors can hold themselves together long enough to win their third straight title.

An attack on Ben Simmons... by Jared Dudley

I have already mentioned about this from Ben Simmons’ side of it. I could not resist a short section that focuses more on Dudley. Dudley called Simmons an average player in the half-court. Laying out a situational defensive game plan on how to stop Simmons on offense. What happened after that? Simmons drops 31 points on Brooklyn in a 16-point Nets loss, while Dudley had zero points and launched an airball on one of his two three-point attempts. When your team is a 6 seed underdog, please do not fuel one of the opponent’s star players. Especially when you are a declining role player. This may have been what Ben needed to elevate his game this postseason.

​Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed the article be sure to drop a like! Also feel free to comment your thoughts and opinions down below.

To get keep getting news and updates on all things sports, be sure to keep it here, with Heated Sports!​​