LSU-Bama/Clips-Warriors/Harden

So I know longer am going to trash talk for LSU. Because they can't back it up when it matters. The Alabama game is all that matters to me; they are, especially since I've been here, our arch rival - so similar yet such hostility between us. If you think about it we're very similar schools: star football programs, huge party schools, biggest school in respective states, and Nick Saban even won both of us a national championship! The same jokes people make about 'bama they can make about LSU, and likewise. And Stephen A Smith just makes it so much worse by luckily picking the right team. Does he even watch college football? Actually who cares...most journalists don't respect him anyway.
Back to basketball.
Right now I'm finishing up the Golden State-Clippers game, and it's actually a great one. I really like the Clippers this year and they finally have a pretty solid supporting cast behind Griffin and Paul, and they might have the most improved bench in all the NBA. As long as you have CP3 on your team you can bet on making the playoffs, but with a Blake Griffin that (says he) can shoot, while adding pieces like Jamal Crawford (the best one-on-one player in the L), Lamar Odom, and Grant Hill, the Clippers are going to make some noise in the playoffs this year. On the other hand, the Warriors just lost Brandon Rush for the rest of the season due to an ACL tear. The Warriors are one of the most injury plagued teams I've seen this decade (along with Houston and the FrailBlazers), but they really do fight. Remember those '07 Baron Davis-led Warriors? Ah, I digress, Anyway, if the Warriors can keep Bogut and Curry healthy than they can surely fight for a playoff seed. With an improving young core of Curry, Barnes, and Thompson, they have one of the youngest, most talented young-young guys in the league. And I say young-young because there a ton of good young 24 year olds, but these guys are more like 22 or still should be in college. It's insane how much the league age has changed. It used to be you hit your prime around age 28-29 but look at players like Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose who aren't even 25 yet. That would be a good article to write. Talking about how players don't go through college anymore, some before even forgoing college (until Stern's new rule).
Anyway, it's good to see Blake Griffin balling considering he's on my fantasy team.
In other news I see that the Rockets lost, and I immediately when to check James Harden's stats anyway. 8-24 on field goals, not too good. But he has been ballin''. It's going to be really interesting to see how the Rockets season plays out. I laughed at their roster heading into this season, but I really think that this James Harden trade changes everything. I think Harden can be one of those borderline superstars (Pau Gasol) and flourish as the number one option in Houston. But let's see how he adjusts to defenses centering their play around him, instead of focusing on Durant and Westbrook so he had more freedom. Also the Jeremy Lin - Harden backcourt is really interesting to me. Jeremy Lin has turned into a name brand player, but let's see if he can keep up the play he did in those 20-something games in New York. I think he is talented and can fill it up, but it is yet to be seen if he is worth that "ridiculous contract" (words of ex-teammate 'Melo). I think Lin will be fine, especially with Harden to ease a lot of the pressure; mixed with Parsons, Patterson, and Asik, I think the Rockets will be fine. If Harden breaks out this season like he has in his first two games, I think the Rockets will squeak into the playoffs. Imagine if the Rockets and Thunder meet in the first round of the playoffs....awkward. And poor Russell Westbrook, who already was the most critiqued athlete in the league, anytime he messes up in the slightest is going to be ever so magnified more because of this Harden trade. He doesn't want to rise up the debate if the Thunder should have traded Westbrook instead. Because I think their is a legitimate argument there.