SB Nation Dallas: All Posts by Willie Funk

LeBron James is in town

2012-12-20T13:02:34Z

Unless you're just tuning in, or your name is Kobe Bryant, you know LeBron James is the best basketball player on the planet and has been for a while. But James is not just better than everyone else, he's playing a different game. He comes to the American Airlines Center for the only time this season tonight looking to add to another impressive performance to another spectacular season.

If there's one player in the NBA worth the price of admission on a night in and night out basis, it's James. Checking in at (at least) 6'8" and 260 pounds with more quickness than any player in the league, he's a physical marvel. Combined with his unparalleled feel for the game and the selfless way he plays the game, James is one of the most gifted human beings ever to grace a basketball court. He knows how to both manipulate the game with his mind and dominate it with his talent.

What most people don't realize is that James is not a scorer. He's not a smooth operator with an extensive repertoire of refined moves designed to manufacture space. He's an 18 wheeler with Ferrari handles -- he creates space when he wants to. He scores through sheer physical domination. On top of that, he can get hot from the outside (shooting 42.3% from outside) and devastate you. But be clear, he's the most unstoppable player in the league whether he's on or not.

In fact, James is probably at his most effective in the post. Given his dominant physical stature, 2s and 3s simply have no answer for him on the block. Switch a big onto him, and he's still the most explosive player in the league when he faces up. It's a no win for the defense when he has the ball in his hands.

The best part about James is how consistently and efficiently he puts points on the board. He's scored 20 or more in 43 straight games going back through last year's playoffs, but he's not taking a Carmelo amount of shots to get there. James is shooting 54% from the floor this year -- good for 10th best in the league -- as a roaming point guard. The reason is twofold. For one, James can get any shot he wants anytime he gets the ball (barring a not unprecedented triple team). But just as important is the way he plays the game. He knows where the best shot is and is eager to get it there; he almost never forces up a bad shot.

That's what makes James special on the offensive end. He can score, but he affirmatively lifts the rest of the team too. He sets a selfless tone and is probably the most gifted passer in the game. Not only can he see the floor and anticipate where his teammates will be, he has the physical ability to put the ball where it needs to be -- from any angle, to any spot on the floor. When the ball is in his hands, the respect he commands from the defense opens up the entire floor, and he's willing and able to exploit that -- something that puts him on a different level than the Carmelo Anthonys and Kevin Durants of the world (though Durant is a much improved passer).

But where James really thrives is on the defensive side of the ball. The most physically gifted athlete in sports, James is both an endurance and explosive athlete. What that means in basketball terms is that at his size, he can lock down anyone in basketball and do it all game. With his physical profile, James has rare defensive talent.

That allows him to guard point guards through centers -- something he's done in single games. Really, the versatility and understanding of each defender's role on the court tells you all you need to know -- that the league's Defensive Player of the Year award should belong to James every year -- just like the MVP.

There are players that can do one or even a couple of the things LeBron does if they're really special. What makes LeBron one of the greatest players of all time is that he does everything at such a high level that his game is legitimately flawless. That "'Bron can't shoot" refrain? One, he doesn't need to. Two, he's in the top 30 in three-point percentage this year.

This is the prime of the greatest player since Michael Jordan. Love him or hate him, don't spoil the peak of his career with anymore talk about his character and The Decision. That Samsung commercial should have taken care of those concerns anyway. Show up, turn it on and enjoy a true master at work.

Kliff Kingsbury: A good move

2012-12-19T13:02:33Z

Last week was a whirlwind for Red Raider fans. First, Tommy Tuberville bolted Lubbock for beautiful Cincinnati to take over a program without a conference. Then they hired Butt-Spanking Kliff Kingsbury. Either move, taken alone, would have been excellent; together they were potentially program saving.

For the second time in a row, the program found itself scrambling for a new direction after an unexpected departure. Last time it was Mike Leach that left, forced out by aspiring politician and then ESPN commentator Craig James. Back then, Tech decided Tommy Tuberville was the ideal replacement for one of the most beloved coaches in college football.

Tuberville's hire felt flat from the beginning for a lot of reasons. First, he was not a pirate. He was a defensive coach coming to the southern home of the spread. He'd spent a season off the sidelines after Auburn showed him the door. He seemed to be an odd fit in Lubbock, and as an older coach jumping to a lower conference, it appeared to be a man looking for a safe place to fade away. As it turned out, he was a dry hire that would be gone three unremarkable seasons later during a recruiting dinner. This time, the fit feels a lot better, for a lot of reasons.

The first two things bound to come up when people talk about the Kingsbury hire are his age and his time as quarterback at Tech -- and that's a good thing. At all of 33 years old, Kingsbury is all energy and excitement. And if you look around football, at every level, young passionate coaches are the successful ones. They can reach and motivate their players. They know what buttons to push. Furthermore, his history gives him instant credibility with his players for having been there.

But Kingsbury is not a "potentially" good coach -- he was the brains behind the offense that took the SEC by storm this year, as well as the explosive Houston Cougars' before that. His offensive style is an exciting one, even more so than the statuesque quarterback centered Air Raid offense that put Tech back on the map under Mike Leach. That having been said, you have to wonder if he has the guy he needs to run the offense on the roster right now.

Along those lines, the only real unknown about Kingsbury (other than the ability to run a program generally) is his ability to recruit. It's hard to imagine he wouldn't be better in touch with the 18 year old football mind than Tommy Tuberville, but you have to wonder how much experience he has doing it. He might not have the kind of players he wants for his system on the roster, and he needs to have a quick learning curve.

Kingsbury seems like a bright guy, and he's clearly a fine offensive mind. And while his age makes you wonder if he's ready to take over a program, he seems to have a personality players will gravitate to -- both in the locker room and on the recruiting trail. All in all, mark that one more exciting coach in the Big 12, and one more challenge for Texas to overcome in its attempt to regain its place atop the conference.

Johnny Football: What could have been?

2012-12-07T13:30:30Z

Another year of college football has come and gone, turning dozens of young, muscle bound college students into heroes and legends in the process. But one such transformation stands alone as the most improbable and captivating: the phenomenon known as Johnny Football.

It started simply enough with a kid named Johnny Manziel from Kerrville Texas. With natural athleticism far beyond his peers in the town of just over 22,000, he became a local hero. After parlaying his athletic prowess into a scholarship at Texas A&M, he hid from the college football world as a redshirt his first year in College Station. Then this season happened, and the rest, as they say, is well documented history. But what if that story were a little bit different?

What if Johnny Manziel became Johnny Football before college? What if he grew up embarrassing kids in Dallas or Houston instead of Kerrville, Texas? What if programs like the SMUs and Texases of the world had recruited him as a quarterback instead of a defensive one? Or what if his coach hadn't been so desperate to win in his first season that he forgot about suspending Manziel for his brawl/fake ID incident?

As with any surprise, come-from-nowhere story, the stars had to align. It all starts with where Manziel is from. As an athlete in a rural town, he was still able to generate a good deal of recruiting hype -- just not always as a quarterback. After Manziel called the state's flagship team to inform them of his interest in them, they decided to recruit him as a defensive back. Evidently they were good to go with an impressive duo of Case McCoy and David Ash. But what if they hadn't been so sure of those two?

On one hand, a move to A&M's old conference would appear to supercharge Manziel's already gaudy stats. The conference features some of the worst defenses in the country (Baylor, West Virginia) and the majority of Big 12 teams feature pass heavy offenses -- meaning a lot of possessions and a lot of points. However, UT was far from an ideal fit.

Most of the Horns' offensive talent is concentrated at tailback -- Malcolm Brown, Jonathan Gray, D.J. Monroe and company are all starting-caliber athletes. Accordingly, the Horns run the ball. A lot. Combine that with Manziel taking over as a freshman (assuming he won the job) and it's a recipe for an overly conservative gameplan i.e. no Johnny Football.

With Texas uninterested, Manziel decided to take his talents to Eugene to play for the Nike Ducks. If it had happened, it would have shifted the balance of power in college football for the next 3-4 years. Oregon runs the ideal system for Manziel -- an explosive, wide-open offense featuring playmakers at every position around him. In addition to the offensive fit and overwhelming talent around him (KenJon Barner, DeAnthony Thomas), the Pac 12 is littered with defensive units just as toothless as its Big 12 counterparts (with the notable exception of Stanford and Oregon). The stats and the wins would have been there, but blue collar folk hero Johnny Football may not have been.

In the end, fate had other plans. The small-town hero from Kerrville was struck by homesickness during his senior season and decided to head to College Station, where Ken Sumlin's offense helped him become Johnny Football, savior of Texas' new dominant football program.

June Jones and SMU: A portrait of mediocrity

2012-11-29T17:04:58Z

Last Saturday, the Mustangs pulled out what would be generously termed a thrilling victory over Tulsa to lock up a bowl game of little significance. After yet another season that saw the Mustangs cling to their status as a mediocre football program, it's time for a change at the top for Dallas' Team.

At the center of the middling program on the Hilltop is the man once heralded as its savior, June Jones. Coming off a year in which he took a Colt Brennan-led Hawaii team to the Sugar Bowl, SMU lured Jones to Dallas with a hefty contract and anointed him the program's savior. Five years in, he's been as much a savior as he can be.

Much has been made of Jones' 4-year bowl streak and how far the program has come to consistently win around 7 or 8 games, but the luster of his accomplishments is not so bright. The hard truth is that Jones has ridden a schedule padded by a mediocre at best conference slate to his 6th and 7th Hawaii Bowls as a coach during his time in Dallas. If that's not enough to get you excited, he also managed to sandwich trips to the less scenic Armed Forces and BBVA Compass Bowls in between.

That's not to denigrate what Jones has accomplished during his half a decade at SMU. After a 1-11 first year on the job, he's made the Mustangs consistent bowl participants and a competitive outfit in the conference. He took what was left from Phil Bennett's 1-11 group and took them to a bowl in two years. But since then, the program has leveled off.

The reason the program is stuck in neutral, and more importantly why it will remain there, is simple: recruiting. As with all college sports, winning is more about talent than coaching. Jones' 2011 class was headlined by 11 3-star recruits, followed by a 4-star and 16 3-star players in the 2012 class. But after continually mediocre results and Jones' failed attempt at the Arizona State job, the incremental improvement came to a screeching halt with the 2013 class that boasts all of 9 3-star recruits.

But the numbers aren't the most troubling part of the story. While Jones has centralized his recruiting efforts to Texas, he hasn't done much in the city of Dallas. If the Mustangs want to live up to their self-proclaimed title as "Dallas' team," that would be a good place to start. The talent in the Mustangs' back yard is their best, and likely only, place to begin cultivating an elite program to compete with the BCS conference schools throughout the state. Scouring the rest of the state for hidden gems is far from a surefire way to build a top-tier program when you share that state with Gary Patterson, Mack Brown and Art Briles. In order to make it happen, they need a coach who can recruit the area, not a guy who had a cult following in Hawaii.

In a tough transition period, it's time to bring in a coach that knows how to recruit the area as well as coach. Jones has done an admirable job returning SMU to respectability, but he has consistently demonstrated he can take a program no further. Throughout his career he has done a phenomenal job taking teams from the gutter to the street, but aside from a single year of glory at Hawaii, he hasn't taken a program to the penthouse of college football. For a program with deep pockets in the heart of talent-rich Dallas, struggling against Tulsa and Rice for bowl bids cannot be good enough anymore.

RG3 looking like best rookie QB

2012-11-21T19:32:22Z

The Cowboys enter their Turkey day tussle with the Washington Redskins with plenty of concerns, notably their offensive line. This week, the 'Boys welcome another potential headache in the form of the NFL's newest, shiniest game breaker -- Robert Griffin III.

After months of being inundated with "RG3" refrains during Griffin's senior year at Baylor and the lead up to the NFL draft, Griffin and the moniker have, for the most part, taken a back seat to rookie sensation Andrew Luck and his 6-4 Colts. But make no mistake, the hype machine has run on wins and playoff probability, not performance.

A look at the stats of the two rookie phenoms shows Griffin has put up about 800 fewer yards than Luck, with the two having each thrown 12 touchdown passes. But a look at the efficiency and rushing numbers tell a vastly different story. Griffin has outpaced luck in quarterback rating by nearly 24 points, is on pace to become a 1,000 rusher, and earned the designation of captain along the way -- all while working with a makeshift receiving corps (leading receiver Santana Moss has 374 yards on the season).

On the flip side of the coin, Griffin has had the luxury of growing into an NFL offense at a smooth pace under head coach Mike Shannahan with the league's 5th leading rusher in his backfield. Then there's also the issue of his longevity after the vicious hit he took against the Atlanta Falcons in week 5, and the losses.

The long-term health concerns are understandable given the concussion in Week 5 and the ACL he tore in college when paired with his style of play. However, Griffin has made a concerted effort to avoid the big hit in recent weeks and has shown a maturity to adjust his style of play even further from that of the scrambler he was in college.

For all the big plays, that has been the most impressive part about Griffin as a quarterback. When he began his career at Baylor, he was eager to run as soon as pressure arrived. But as his career progressed, so too did he as a passer. His game matured, and he showed an ability unique among running quarterbacks -- a complete overhaul to his game.

While Luck is lauded for his intellect and ability to pick up the Colts' offense, Griffin's evolution as a quarterback has been even more impressive. Paired with his Olympic-level athletic gifts, it shows he has greater long-term potential. If you're looking for evidence, look no further than their performances last week.

Luck put up big numbers through the air, but added a trio of interceptions against the league's 30th ranked pass defense. Griffin, on the other hand, was nearly perfect against a talented if flawed Eagles defense with Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie starting on the corners. He went 14/15 for 200 yards and 4 touchdowns for a perfect quarterback rating, all while adding over 80 yards on the ground.

Against the Eagles, Griffin showed what he looks like at his best -- a balanced quarterback who can be a gifted and prudent passer in the pocket while retaining his game breaking running ability. The challenge for the Cowboys on Thursday will be to contain Griffin with pressure off the edge and changing up coverages. If they don't, Tony Romo will have to air the ball out 40-50 times again to keep up -- and game falls on the shoulders of the banged up offensive line.

He may not be asked to win the game for the 'Skins, but he has shown that ability to bury the 'Boys if they don't have a good game plan ready for him. Here's hoping the short week hurts Griffin's prep more than Rex Ryan's unit's.

Johnny Heisman?

2012-11-13T13:03:09Z

In an era of hyperbole and overreaction, Johnny Manziel's performance on Saturday spawned an near unprecedented wave of hype and adulation. After leading his team into Tuscaloosa and upsetting previously unbeaten Alabama, Johnny Football staked his claim to becoming Johnny Heisman. For a change, the hype machine explosion is deserved.

As exhilarating as the Ags win over the Crimson Tide was, Manziel's impact goes far beyond the single victory. As I watched the game at a Dallas sports bar, surrounded by fans in "Johnny F'in Football" shirts, it became clear that the kid best known for his shirtless police mug shot mere months ago had restored hope to an A&M program in the midst of a complete transition into the unknown. A new small conference coach, a daunting new conference and searching for a quarterback to replace a first round NFL draft pick, the Aggies were a program of question marks. Until Johnny Football took the reins.

The legend of Manziel almost died before it began at A&M after a campus brawl and tendering of a fake ID earned Manziel a shirtless place in the police blotter. Already locked in a 4-way competition most figured Jameill Showers had a steady grip on, Manziel's slim hopes of winning the job appeared to be on life support. But after the competition lingered into the summer, Manziel seized the job. And from his first game against Florida, the Kerrville native has looked every bit the part of a man named Johnny Football.

Manziel had his (redshirt) freshman moments against an LSU defense that managed to contain him (4 turnovers in a game the Aggies could have won), but outside of that game, he has been consistently electric. Every touch of the ball is accompanied by an air of expectation and excitement. The kid is must watch television. But while that flash provides the excitement, it's his smarts on the field that have turned that excitement into victories and star power.

Through ten games, Manziel has put together a game of 576 yards of total offense, 7 games of 90+ rushing yards, and almost 3800 yards. He's a thousand yard rusher who made Alabama's defense of first round draft picks look very much like a college defense. He's been helped by a strong offensive line to be sure, but he's the team's leading rusher and he's made the Aggies an explosive offense with Ryan Swope and freshman Mike Evans as his go-to threats on the outside.

But there's something even beyond the tangible that he brings to the boys in maroon -- belief. Last year's edition of the Aggies folded in the game's crucial moments. Against Alabama, the Fighting Manziels shook off a potentially crucial missed extra point and field goal to score an insurance touchdown and put together a game-saving goal line stand despite repeatedly giving up big plays in the fourth quarter. And even when things started to slip, there was a sense Johnny Football would make it alright. It may have just been me and the JFF fans at the bar, but it also seemed to permeate throughout the entire team -- a belief that if they needed a play, they had a guy who could do it. And much of that comes from the way he plays the game.

He's been the unique dual threat quarterback that continues to keep his eyes downfield when outside the pocket, while also showing a willingness to dump the ball of to his receivers in the flat instead of holding out for the big plays he seems destined to provide. He's stayed away from becoming a boom or bust player outside the pocket with a football acumen far beyond what is expected from a first year quarterback.

On the strength of the redshirt freshman's play, the Aggies have gone from an also ran in the Big 12 to a contender in the SEC. In the process, all the question marks have aligned for the Aggies' football program. Their quarterback is a star, their coach and his system have transitioned seamlessly into the vaunted SEC, and they've established themselves as a force in the nation's premier conference after all of 7 conference games. For his key role in making that improbable reality come true as much as his stats, Johnny Football may just become Johnny Heisman. Or Johnny Heismanziel. Or, in more simple terms, the first Freshman to win the Heisman trophy.

Colin Klein is the unquestioned leader in the Heisman race, but he's about a single win from sliding off that stage and watching a man named Football become the first Freshman to join college football's most elite fraternity. This, of course, assumes Manziel and the Aggies continue their roll. But after restoring a storied program to prominence in only 10 games, Sam Houston State and Missouri hardly look like a challenge in the crosshairs of college football's newest sensation.

Larry Brown's first year at SMU won't be easy

2012-11-08T14:02:01Z

After a big let-down season that saw them turn in a paltry 13-19 overall record with an even more underwhelming Conference USA mark of 4-12, the the Mustangs overhauled their stagnant program. With the impending move to the Big East, the Ponies showed Matt Dogherty the door and gave the program a spark with the splashy hire of Larry Brown. In an instant, the future of SMU Basketball looked brighter. But now comes the transitional phase.

Brown's first order of business was to scourge the team he inherited of under-talented players. All 5'5" of Dogherty's starting point guard and go-to crunch time closer Jeremiah Samarippas was shown the door, and Brown brought in the transfers. Luther Head's younger brother Crandall came from Illinois, Markus Kennedy came from Villanova and Nick Russell came back to Dallas after Frank Martin left Kansas State. Then it was time to bring in his own players.

The Brown hiring invigorated the program's recruiting reach, with top-5 recruit Julius Randle listing SMU among his final 10-15 schools. The Harrison twins even came to campus for a visit. While the Mustangs didn't grab those top tier guys, they did manage to make their 2012 recruiting class a solid one. However, much of the talent is developmental, with wing Uche Ofoegbu and big man Blaise Mbargorba offering the greatest promise.

As a result, much of the heavy lifting will be borne by the returners -- not particularly great news for Mustang fans. Of those returners, Shawn Williams figures to be the one Larry Brown leans on most to provide him some offense. A former top-50 national recruit out of Duncanville, Williams was lost in a deep rotation at Texas and came home last season with disappointing results, shooting 38% from the field, 27% from beyond the arc and 39% from the charity stripe.

Regardless of who takes the reigns on offense, Brown's coaching ability is their greatest assets. His basketball mind is unparalleled at pretty much any level of the game, but that can only compensate for so much. To be fair, this year's team would have to try to be as talentless as last year's bunch, and it should be interesting to see what Brown can do with the young kids he has coming in. They may struggle to adapt to his demanding style early on, but if they buy in, it could pay surprising dividends by the latter part of the season.

Looking beyond this season, Brown has his first big time commitment for the 2013 class in Sterling Moore, the younger brother of Phoenix Sun Shannon Brown. If Sterling Brown's choice of the Mustangs over DePaul, Minnesota, USC and the hometown Fighting Illini is any indication, SMU is a national player in recruiting going forward. And while that long-term future looks undeniably bright, the immediate future looks to be an improved struggle -- look for the Ponies to split their conference games and finish above .500 in Larry Brown's first year.

NFL Picks Week 9: Cowboys vs. Falcons

2012-11-02T12:01:30Z

I'm going to let you all know a little secret -- the Falcons aren't that good. This is a team that is 7-0, but it's also a team that nearly lost to a decent but far from good Carolina Panthers team at home. Their defensive personnel was the big question entering the season, but Mike Nolan's scheme has seemingly transformed them. I still get the sense that the more tape gets out on them, the more holes will be found.

Offensively, I'm still not sold on Matt Ryan, and this team doesn't run the ball terribly well -- which is good for the Sean Lee-less Cowboys. It'll be a test for the guys on the corners with Roddy White and Julio Jones, but with Anthony Spencer back, he and DeMarcus Ware should be able to limit Ryan's time to pick through the secondary. The Cowboys' line has improved dramatically, and Romo will have a standard bounce-back game to remind everyone of his fluctuating effectiveness.

The pick: Cowboys 31, Falcons 21.