FIVE QUICK NBA THOUGHTS: 1. Ben Smith Jersey . TORONTO RAPTORS AND THE PLAYOFFS: After watching the Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat game Tuesday night and once again witnessing the Nets beat the Heat, Im convinced that the best course of action for the Raptors will be for them to make sure they do everything in their power to secure the third seed in the Eastern Conference and the Atlantic Division title. I want no part of the other current bracket (Heat/Nets/Chicago Bulls). Ill take my chances with the Washington Wizards or Charlotte Bobcats in the first round, though, either of those match-ups isnt a walk in the park, either. If you can win a series, and that wont be easy, and the current standings hold form, I feel confident that the Raptors could play a very competitive series against the Indiana Pacers. Im not saying they would win that series - the defence has to really improve down the stretch here and get back to early-mid-January form - but it would be quite compelling. There are five games left. Win all of your games and you write your own ticket. Stumble and the help will have to come from others and thats never a position you want to be in. 2. JOE DUMARS (Pistons): Rumours are swirling that hes going to step down as the teams president and GM and Im not a bit surprised. Too many coaching firings and going all-in on guys like Ben Gordon, Charlie Villaneuva, Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings sealed his fate in Motown. He had a terrific run in the early 2000s as the elite team in the Eastern Conference, but you see it often with coaches and GMs - you lose your fastball and get stale in your approach/creativity and you lose your way. Hes a good basketball man and some time away will reinvigorate him and Im sure hell be back at it again down the line. 3. MIKE DANTONI (Lakers): Watching some of his recent games, he looks like a beaten man and someone who knows that his fate is sealed in LA. DAntoni is an outstanding offensive coach who has had to deal with numerous injuries and drama there. At the end of the day, its a results-oriented business and when you evaluate his run in Denver, New York and LA, it doesnt look good. On the other hand, his teams in Phoenix - thanks in large part to Bryan Colangelos personnel moves - were awesome and entertaining to watch. Does he get another shot? Im not sure, but I do know that hes very capable if you give him a solid roster. If it ends there, I think hell be heard from again, at least as an assistant coach for a head coach looking for a guy who can upgrade his offence. Hed be a guy to talk to if hed consider being in that role. 4. INDIANA PACERS: Heard coach Frank Vogels interview where he said that being the top seed in the East was the "goal", but the "priority" is to be playing well down the stretch and be healthy/sharp heading into the playoffs. Well, what a change in approach. Theyve been obsessed with being the top seed since training camp. Now its about trying to rebuild your teams collective psyche, which wont be easy, but is doable. The talent is there to win the East, but the chemistry is off-kilter and Roy Hibbert needs a reality check. He is a defensive player who can block shots and rebound on both ends. Do what you do well, thats your strength, and play to it. Hes a quatenary or quinary offensive option in the grand scheme of things when hes on the floor. If they get him to buy into that, theyll be fine. Paul George and David West must have the ball in their hands a majority of the time, plain and simple. 5. STEVE NASH (Lakers): Congrats on becoming number-three on the NBAs all-time assists list last night. I watched the game versus the Houston Rockets and felt for him playing injured and in pain. Its ice to see him out there, though. What a career. Hell be a Hall of Famer. Itll be interesting to see if hes back next year for the Lakers for the final year of his contract, but its been a great run either way. Erik Johnson Jersey .com) - Australian Open champion Li Na, former Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova and former world No. Patrick Roy Jersey . 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell while figuring out which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. http://www.hockeyavalancheteamshop.com/Colorado-Gabriel-Landeskog-Adidas-Jersey/ . CEO Steve Koonin on Tuesday told the Hawks flagship radio station that he made the decision to discipline Ferry but allowed him to keep his job managing the team. He did not say what the punishment was, but noted that he relied on a law firms three-month investigation of Ferry and him describing Deng as someone who has a little African in him.Before most television cameras start rolling and fans enter the stadium, Odell Beckham Jr. practices making acrobatic, one-handed catches in pre-game warmups.It paid off for the rookie receiver.Beckhams spectacular, leaping, right-handed grab while falling backward and drawing an interference penalty was the talk of the NFL and the Internet on Monday.Everyone from LeBron James to Hollywood celebs Elizabeth Banks and John Cusack marveled at Beckhams touchdown catch in the New York Giants loss to Dallas on Sunday night.The greatest catch Ive ever seen, said James, who was an All-Ohio wide receiver in high school.Banks tweeted: Just back from the #AMAs and seeing replay of that Odell Beckman Jr. catch. OMG that was sick.Cusack compared it to David Tyrees helmet grab in the Super Bowl and Lynn Swanns diving reception in an earlier Super Bowl.Beckham, however, does it every day in practice and before games. This catch just happened to be in front of a national television audience against the Cowboys. His teammates, coaches and anyone who watched him play werent surprised.He practices that one-handed snag, said Eli Manning, who also threw the pass to Tyree that helped the Giants beat New England. Hes got big hands and great concentration and he can make those plays. That was a pretty great one.Beckham made several stunning catches at LSU, including a diving, one-handed grab against Iowa in the Outback Bowl.I saw him and Jarvis (Landry) do things like that on the practice field all the time. I mean all the time, LSU coach Les Miles said. They finally caught one on camera, I guess. Its something that we would have expected.NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth, a three-time Pro Bowl receiver in the 80s, repeated: That might be the greatest catch Ive ever seen.When asked about working on one-handed catches recently, Beckham said: Its something you just have to practice. The opportunity sometimes presents itself and you know you want to be prepared. That is one of those things that I have been doing for a long time. Jarvis Landry and I would always do that every day in practice. We wouldnt compete, but we would see who could make the most ridiculous catch.Many players work on one-handed catches in practice and afterward on the JUGS machine. Its not just receivers, either.Two-time All-Pro defensive end J.J. Watt catches balls one-handed before games, too. Of course, Watt has actually lined up as a receiver and has two TD catches this season.Its partially just hand-eye co-ordination before the game and its partially to warm up the hands a little bit, partially for fun, Watt ssaid. Tyson Barrie Jersey. The more you can do, the better athlete you can (be), the better youre going to be on the field. Its all part of it.San Franciscos Stevie Johnson said you can practice the one-handed catches by tossing the ball in the air and out of view and then trying to catch it, but when it comes to games, its a natural instinct for a soft-handed wideout — with a little assist from those sticky receiver gloves they wear, too.Its a little bit of both, the gloves and his talent, Johnson said. It was a solid catch.Several players have made amazing one-handed catches this season, including Carolinas Kelvin Benjamin, Chicagos Brandon Marshall, New Englands Rob Gronkowski, Philadelphias Jeremy Maclin and Miamis Mike Wallace.Buffalos Robert Woods got into the act Monday night against the New York Jets. Woods appeared to get his left arm tangled a bit with a defender, so he reached up with his right, gently bobbling the ball at first before controlling it with that one hand for a 27-yard gain.Benjamin rated Beckhams grab a 9.0 and joked that he only gets a 10 if he wouldve caught it with his eyes closed. Unlike Beckham and others, the Panthers rookie doesnt practice one-handed catches.One-handed catches are just reaction catches, he said. You just go to that zone at the moment. Its entertainment.Swann put Beckhams catch into perspective.I dont know how many times you throw that pass and how many times you actually catch it, the Hall of Famer said. He threw it to him one time, he caught it, and for a touchdown. There are a couple of things that make it phenomenal. Fact he caught it with two fingers and a thumb and didnt use all of his hand. He stopped that baby with two fingers and his thumb, thats hard to do.Colts veteran Reggie Wayne often draws a large crowd when he practices one-handed catches on a JUGS machine. His coach, Chuck Pagano, encourages players to work on it.If you make them in practice, youll make them in games, Pagano said. And thats what we talk about all the time. Its all about preparation.Wallace catches 100 balls per hand each day. He also thinks those super-sticky gloves are helping guys make these plays.Anything you do, if you practice it, youll get better, Wallace said.___AP Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner and AP Sports Writers Kristie Rieken, Will Graves, Steven Wine, Janie McCauley, Michael Marot, Tom Withers, Howard Ulman, Tom Canavan, Noah Trister and Steve Reed contributed to this report.___AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_RobMaaddi Stitched Jerseys Jerseys NFL Cheap Wholesale Jerseys 2018 Jerseys NFL Cheap Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic ' ' '