TSNs Jack Armstrong offers his thoughts on Anthony Bennetts big game, the skills of Jeff Teague, the performance of Nick Calathes, the energy of Joakim Noah and the compete level of Amir Johnson. Joe Johnson Jersey . 1. Anthony Bennett (Cavs): Congrats! Finally. Its been a very frustrating and disappointing rookie campaign for the young Canadian out of UNLV. The Cavs have won three in a row after an embarrassing loss at home to the undermanned Lakers and firing their GM Chris Grant. A wake up call? Maybe. For Bennett, its got to feel good and hopefully the fact that hes rounding back into shape will help his confidence and he relaxes and plays his game. Lots of pressure being the #1 overall pick in the draft to say the least. 2. Jeff Teague (Hawks): For the Raptors to win Wednesday, they have to control this guy at the point of attack. Hes terrific at getting into the lane and outplayed Kyle Lowry in their first meeting back in early November. Hes had a nice season at 15.7ppg and 7.3 apg. Lightning quick and he changes speeds really well. Gets into the lane almost at will. His penetration and ball-hawking skills defensively will be factors to watch. 3. Nick Calathes (Grizzlies): Awesome job filling in at the point guard spot vs. the Wizards Tuesday night with 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Not a bad performance at all. Loved how he played with great poise at the end of the game vs. John Wall and concentrated on getting his team organized in their half-court offence and getting the ball to their two bigs and playing the power game. He really impressed me with his command of the game plan. Nice pick for them. 4. Joakim Noah (Bulls): Fabulous game Tuesday night vs. the Hawks. Watched the game and was blown way by the energy he had and the impact he had on the game. Posted a triple-double with 19 points, 16 boards and 11 assists. He competes at the top of the list for players in the NBA; not many that play harder in the entire league. A winner. With the Raptors currently (big game Wednesday vs. Hawks) in the third seed right now in the East with the Bulls, Hawks and Wizards occupying the 3-6 range of the East, the team I fear the most for a first round matchup for the Raptors is the Bulls. In spite of Derrick Rose being out and Luol Deng being traded, this team has what it takes to win in the playoffs and grind the game to a screeching halt and make you play ugly. For a young Raptors team in their first playoff series, this would be a matchup Id prefer they avoid. I know the Raptors have beaten them two of the first three games theyve played this year (they play again on next Wednesday in Toronto, coming off a back-to-back with Washington) but just ask last years Nets if you want to deal with the Bulls in the playoffs. Led by Noah, this club gets after you at a level in the playoffs that takes some getting used to. 5. Amir Johnson (Raptors): One of my all-time favorite Raptors. Not sure if hell play vs. the Hawks Wednesday but hes always been a gamer and wonderful competitor. The All-Star Break couldnt come at a better time for him than now. He needs the break to heal his injuries and fatigued body. He gives it his all for you and I respect that. I think hed be the first to tell you that he needs to play better and with more consistency down the stretch for the Raptors to be Atlantic Division champs and to also secure the third seed. If you watch the Raptors enough, its pretty obvious that when Johnson and Terrence Ross are going good and compliment Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Jonas and the bench, this team can play with anyone in the league. The night in and night out high level performance of Johnson and Ross, in my eyes, is the key to this team making a run here down the stretch. Consistency needed. Brook Lopez Jersey . Ellis had a season-high 37 points and two key assists late, Dirk Nowitzki led a fourth-quarter rally with 14 of his 35 points, and the Mavericks spoiled Howards best offensive night in Houston with a 123-120 victory over the Rockets on Wednesday night. Mike Gminski Jersey . Rooneys latest piece of football genius lost in the furore which now stalks David Moyes, and the man who gave the Manchester United striker his start as a 16-year old at Goodison Park back in 2002. https://www.cheapnetsonline.com/425g-albert-king-jersey-nets.html . Of course that doesnt mean hes ignoring it. Thats actually rather impossible given the behind-the-scenes access to the Toronto Maple Leafs the network is getting.With the 2014 CFL Draft set to take place next Tuesday in Toronto, CFL on TSN analyst Duane Forde breaks down the top prospects. Today, he looks at the defensive line. 1. Evan Gill (DT, Manitoba) You Should Know: He has grown up around the Bisons program, as his grandfather, Pat Gill, was the team manager for forty years and his mother, Denise, is the current manager.The Good: He had a tremendous season, earning one of two CIS invitations to the prestigious East West Shrine Game in Florida.The Bad: Expected to shine, his on-field performance at the CFL Combine was underwhelming. He had added muscle to his frame but seemed to lack his usual explosion. 2. Dylan Ainsworth (DE, Western) The Good: He is remarkably athletic for a defensive lineman, with his scores on the movement tests actually stacking up well against the top linebacker prospects. This should allow him to contribute immediately on special teams.The Bad: Hes a little light for a defensive end but currently lacks the experience playing in space to be a linebacker. Keep in mind, however, that theres plenty of time for development, as hes one of the youngest players in the entire draft class. 3. Quinn Smith (DT, Concordia) The Good: He turned in the breakout performance of CFL Combine weekend, running a 4.82 40-yard dash at 300 lbs., and completely dominating the one-on-one session.The Bad: A failed drug test at the Combine for the banned substance Stanozolol casts doubt on much of what he achieved that weekend. 4. David Ménard (DE/DT, Montreal) The Good: The 2010 RSEQ Rookie of the Year was third among draft eligible players in the 2013 CIS sack race (8 sacks in 8 games) and won the bench press competition at the CFL Combine (33 reps).The Bad: Although he posted solid numbers last season, his most productive college season was his first, raising the question of whether he is already approaching his ceiling. 5. Nigel Romick (DE, Saint Marys) The Good: Hes 65", 240 lbs. and moves very wellThe Bad: He may be the ultimate "tweener", with the body type of a defensive end, skill set of a tackle, and many scouts projecting him as a linebacker. Other Contenders:• Mathieu Girard (DT, Montreal) – 64", 290 lbs.; among national leaders with 16.5 sacks over last two seasons; missed CFL Combine due to injury; also a highly regarded long snapper• Dylan Roper (DE, Simon Fraser) – high motor; 6 sacks in 2013; 27 bench press reps at CFL Combine• Derek Wiggan (DE, Queens) – 61", 250; smart, technically sound player is a three-time OUA All-Star• Kirby Fletcher (DT, Acadia) – 63", 300 lbs.; two-time AUS All-Star• James Tuck (DE, York) – at 511", 225, a shift to LB is likely; athleticism and effort make him a strong special teams candidate Also on the Radar (alphabetically): Sanmi Adereti (St. Francis Xavier), Shaquille Armstrong (Concordia), Ranji Atwal (Manitoba), Michael Dadzie (Regina), Vincent Desloges (Laval), Adam Dickson (McMaster), Jeffery Finley (Guelph), Jean-Christophe Gagnon (Sherbrooke), Steven Giang (Alberta), Pacome Matulu (Manitoba), Stephon Miller (Windsor), Ryan Northfield (Western), Martin Pesek (Acadia), Ben Rush (Saskatchewan) Analysis: When news of Quinn Smiths positive drug test broke, the immediate question that arose was "How will this affect his draft stock?" The Concordia Stingers defensive tackle will likely be negatively impacted for two reasons – trust and doubt. In pre-draft interviews, teams frequently ask questions along the lines of "Would you ever use an illegal substance if you knew it would help you make the team?" or "Whats the biggest secret youve ever kept about yourself?" If Smith was, in faact, asked those questions, he likely didnt respond by saying, "Yes," and "I took Stanozolol," - a perceived deception that might lead to a lack of trust from some teams. Alonzo Mourning Jersey. The second, and I believe far stronger, reason why this incident will hurt his stock is simply the doubt now cast upon a Combine performance that directly led to Smith replacing Gill as the top defensive line prospect in the Canadian Scouting Bureaus most recent rankings. Rest assured that all nine CFL scouting staffs have already asked themselves whether Stanozolol or hard work was the biggest contributor in Quinn Smith shaving three-tenths of a second off his 40-yard dash time and adding five reps to his bench press performance since last Mays East West Bowl. As for the question of how much his stock drops, I anticipate that teams will downplay the trust factor but will be left with no choice but to eliminate his CFL Combine performance from their evaluation of him. The net result would have Smiths stock landing right back where it was pre-Combine, which is as one of the top three defensive tackles on most boards. I dont envision him being "penalized" beyond that by a community of general managers who have historically welcomed players who have committed far worse transgressions. Another, less controversial discussion surrounding the D-Line group revolves around the difference between drafting tackles and ends in the CFL. The simplified explanation of this is that non-import tackles have a role on every teams defence, whether as starters or backups, and any potential to contribute on special teams is viewed more as a bonus than an expectation. In terms of projecting how a tackle prospect will fit into the CFL, there are always plenty of "comparables" among current or recently retired CFLers at that position to make the process easier. For Canadian defensive ends, like Dylan Ainsworth, however, things are a little more complicated. The main issue is that only a handful of CIS-trained defensive ends ever get the opportunity to play that position regularly in the CFL. There are, of course, exceptions but the concern is that typically, upon reaching the CFL, the top pass rushing ends in Canadian university football are considered either (a) not explosive/athletic enough to play end but too small to move inside to tackle or (b) too small to play end but not athletic enough to play in space as a linebacker. In fact, over the last 25 years, the only non-import draftees who have emerged as consistent impact players at defensive end are Leroy Blugh (7th overall, 1989 Draft), Brent Johnson (20th, 2000 as a redshirt junior), and Ricky Foley (4th, 2006). Considering that Johnson was selected after playing four years at Ohio State and Blugh was actually drafted as a linebacker and later moved to end, that makes Foley the lone CIS-trained defensive end to excel at the same position in the CFL. Revisiting the 06 Draft, part of Foleys value to the B.C. Lions, who selected him, was that they already had an established non-import starting end in Johnson. His backup, Nautyn McKay-Loescher was entering the option year of his contract so B.C. needed depth at the position. Other teams may have been less likely to pick him that early. In terms of size and athleticism coming out of the CIS, Ainsworth comes as close to Foley as any defensive end prospect in recent years and his draft stock will vary from team to team, like Foleys did, depending upon whether they project him as a future starting DE, a backup DE and full-time special teamer, or as a linebacker. In a draft where there are few certainties, I would anticipate Ainsworth being chosen in the Top 10 and given an opportunity to compete and develop as an end. ' ' '