Brice Johnson’s 39 points, 23 boards paces No. 6 UNC to win at Florida State

Brice Johnson had 39 points on 14-for-16 shooting from the floor to go along with 23 boards, three blocks and three steals as No. 6 North Carolina went into Tallahassee and knocked off Florida State, 106-90, in a game that may not have actually featured a stop in the second half.

Marcus Paige added 30 points, five boards and five assists for the Tar Heels, who overcame another terrific performance out of Xavier Rathan-Mayes. The Florida State sophomore scored 20 of his 30 points in the first half, which followed up the 35 points he put on the Heels last season. He was lights out in the first half, his hot shooting what kept the Seminoles from getting run out of the gym early on. North Carolina was up 19-5 at one point.

The Seminoles are actually pretty dangerous this season. XRM is a talented playmaker, and while he’s struggled a bit this season with his offense, the freshmen duo of Malik Beasley and Dwayne Bacon — who combined for 33 points on Monday night — have more than made up for that. Throw in Montay Brandon, and this FSU team can trot out a four-guard lineup that is tough for anyone to matchup with. As a matter of fact, North Carolina didn’t pull away until they went small, matching FSU’s four-guard lineup.

But the story of this game was the big fella.

Brice Johnson, man.

How about this factoid: Johnson is the first player in North Carolina history to score 30 points and grab 20 rebounds in a game. Think about all of the great players that have worn Tar Heel Blue. Think about all of the Hall of Famers and All-Americans that Dean Smith and Bill Guthridge and Roy Williams have churned out.

That kind of puts this performance into perspective, doesn’t it?

(UPDATE: It turns out Johnson is the second Tar Heel to do this. Billy Cunningham had 48 and 25 against Tulane on Dec. 10, 1964 and 40 and 28 vs. Maryland on Jan. 13, 1964.)

He was at his best in the second half, scoring 28 of his 39 points and completely controlling the paint on both ends of the floor. He blocked shots, he attacked the offensive glass, he cleaned up misses in traffic. His second half was as dominant of a performance as you are going to see in college basketball this season, and it’s really making North Carolina fans forget about the fact that they have yet to get Kennedy Meeks back from his knee injury.

Mike D'Antoni could be a candidate for the Suns' future head coach opening

th Jeff Hornacek's tenure in Phoenix on life support, who will the Suns, now 12-25, look at next? Intriguingly, former Phoenix head coach Mike D'Antoni is a potential candidate, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.

D'Antoni, who spent five seasons with the Suns and twice led them to the Western Conference Finals, is currently serving as the Sixers' associate head coach. He had been out of the league for more than a year before being hired by Jerry Colangelo, his former boss in Phoenix and Philadelphia's new chairman of basketball operations.

D'Antoni has been a head coach in the NBA for 12 seasons. He's worked in Denver, Phoenix, New York and Los Angeles and has a career record of 455-426. D'Antoni struggled in his previous stop with the Lakers, where he went 67-87 over two years. His most successful stint was with the Suns, who he led to 54 or more wins in four of his five seasons.

Why hiring Mike D'Antoni makes sense for the Suns

D'Antoni is far from a perfect coach. But he has plenty of positive attributes, all of which would instantly make the Suns a better and more functional team.

Any conversation about D'Antoni must begin with the offense. The Suns' roster is stocked with talent and athletes, and yet the Suns are scoring just 100.9 points per 100 possessions, the 10th-worst mark in the league. That number would likely skyrocket if D'Antoni were hired.

In Brandon Knight, the Suns have a point guard who can create and hit shots. In Tyson Chandler, the Suns have an effective roll-man who D'Antoni knows; he coached Chandler in New York. In Devin Booker, D'Antoni would have a knockdown shooter.Markieff Morris is a big man who has shown the ability to hit from the outside, should he be rehabilitated. Eric Bledsoe would be an excellent fit once he returns from injury next season.

D'Antoni would also bring stability and optimism to a team in desperate need of both. There's no question thatHornacek has lost his players. This year, a player threw a towel at him. Last year, Goran Dragic was perturbed about his role with the team. A new voice would certainly help, as would the fact that D'Antoni's is well respected in Phoenix.

Why hiring Mike D'Antoni doesn't make sense for the Suns

D'Antoni has always struggled in two areas: dealing with strong personalities and altering his scheme in a way that best suits his roster. In Phoenix, he'd have to face both, and that could be problematic.

The first issue is the presence of two points guards, the very issue which derailed Hornacek last season. Knight is the only healthy one now, but Bledsoe, who is out for the season with a knee injury, is also under contract for years to come. D'Antoni's system has always centered on a single primary ball-handler on the court. Either he'd have to adjust that next year or the Suns would have to make a trade.

There's also the Morris problem. Could D'Antoni get Morris to stop sulking about the trade of his brother? Will Morris even be on the roster? D'Antoni's been able to form strong bonds with some of his players over the years, but he doesn't click with everyone. His inability to get on the same page as Carmelo Anthony in New York and Dwight Howard in L.A. ruined his tenures in both those cities.

And none of that even touches on D'Antoni's biggest issue: coaching defense. His teams have always struggled getting stops, yet D'Antoni has been against hiring a defensive coordinator in years past.

Likelihood (7/10)

D'Antoni clearly wants to be a head a coach again, so there's no doubt he'd accept this position. The onus then falls to the Suns. D'Antoni might not be perfect, but he is experienced, professional and, most importantly, has a relationship with team owner Robert Sarver.source:sbnation

Bruins Hoping Two Days Work Enough To Move On From Winter Classic Disaster

BOSTON (CBS) – The hype leading up the 2016 Winter Classic was at playoff level, including the schedule that had the Bruins playing nine games in 18 days.

Luckily for the Bruins, the outdoor showdown last Friday against the Montreal Canadiens at Gillette Stadium wasn’t a playoff-elimination game. In fact, the Bruins haven’t even reached the midway point of their season. They have plenty of time to erase the bitter taste of their 5-1 loss.

Recap: Bruins Lay Dud In Winter Classic

The Bruins started the post-Winter Classic portion of their schedule with two days of practice Sunday and Monday. One day after they focused on refining their defensive play, the Bruins spent much of their hour-long practice Monday at TD Garden working on their offense.

After a 5-0-1 stretch that had them knocking on the door of first place in the Atlantic Division, the Bruins are 1-4-0, including the loss to Montreal, heading into the matchup with Eastern Conference-leading Washington on Tuesday.

“I think we needed to do some of that work,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “We haven’t had that much time in the last month or so. We seemed to be playing every second day. So this was good for us to have this quality practice time.”

The core of the Bruins’ roster – Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Dennis Seidenberg, etc. – has experience bouncing back from depressing defeats in the regular season and playoffs. They need to share some of that experience their less-experienced teammates in order to make sure the upcoming stretch of games keeps them in contention despite the absence of center David Krejci and wing Brad Marchand.

“That’s why we had these two days. We have to move forward,” Chara said. “I think with any other game, when you have a bad game, you just have to move forward and get ready for the next one. And that’s the way we took the approach this time.”

The Bruins might benefit from the return of Joonas Kemppainen to play center and win the faceoffs Bergeron doesn’t take. Julien also seems poised to make a switch on defense, with Zach Trotman and Colin Miller going back into the lineup in place of Kevan Miller and Joe Morrow. Trotman has been a healthy scratch nine of the past 10 games. Colin Miller sat out the past three games.

“It’s still the same game. Nothing’s changed while I was gone,” Trotman said. “It’s kind of the same thing. Just going in, taking it day by day and if I’m in the lineup, I’m in the lineup and I’ve got to try to play my best game, put my best foot forward and try to help the team win. It’s been an adjustment coming in and out. I don’t think anyone’s gotten to this level by doing that before, you know. So it’s a challenge. But it kind of helps you learn a little bit about how to be prepared every single day because you never know when you’re going to get called on to play.”

Said Colin Miller: “Every time you sit out you can watch the games and that’s a little bit beneficial. But I think everybody wants to play and everybody wants to be in the lineup. But we have eight defensemen on this team and they’re all capable of playing in the NHL and in the Bruins lineup. So it’s going to happen. It’s one of those years and you’re just trying to gain experience every time you’re on the ice and just use it.”

The experience many of the Bruins gained from the Winter Classic and the weeks leading up to it could be beneficial if the Bruins are in the postseason at season’s end. What they have learned that should benefit them throughout their career is what it takes to be a professional in high-stakes situations and how to handle them when they don’t go your way.

“It’s just everything. You come to the rink and they’re not moping or anything,” Trotman said about the Bruins’ veterans. “You go about your business, it’s another day, it’s a new day. You put in your work and if you do that, then obviously you expect better results. So kind of watching them and you know how they come to the rink. They put in the work and they expect better results. It’s not one of those things that you can say ‘we’re just going to forget about it’ and then hope for something better next game. We’ve got to go work for it. It’s the sort of stuff that you learn and I feel like I’ve learned from being up here watching those guys.”source:cbsboston

Byron Scott cites 'immaturity' as Julius Randle upset at being taken out

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- After Los Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle was visibly upset at being taken out late in his team's blowout win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, coach Byron Scott had a message for the team's promising power forward.

"He's got to grow up," Scott said Monday after the Lakers' practice at their facility. "Simple as that."

Scott added, "I think the main thing I don't like is, when you take him out of a game, how he acts sometimes. But again, I chalk it up to immaturity and just being inexperienced at this level because it's going to happen again. I'm going to take him out of other games that he's not going to like."

Scott singled Randle out for playing poor defense in the Lakers' 97-77 rout of the Suns, the Lakers' third straight win. Randle left without speaking to reporters after the game.

"I don't think there was defense on the court at all in the fourth quarter, and he singled me out," Randle said Monday after practice. "I think it was a team thing."

The back-and-forth marked another bump in what has at times been a rocky relationship between Scott and Randle, the former Kentucky standout and No. 7 pick in the 2014 NBA draft.

Against the Suns, the Lakers led by as many as 38 points, but the Suns whittled that lead to 16 late in the game, at which point Scott began making substitutions. First, Jordan Clarkson entered the game for Marcelo Huertas, then Larry Nance Jr. for Randle, then Louis Williams for D'Angelo Russell.

Of all the players taken out late, Scott said Randle "took it probably the worst, and he's going to have to learn from it."

Randle was consoled on the Lakers' bench by veteran swingman Metta World Peace.

"I was frustrated I wasn't on the court. Simple," said Randle, who finished with two points on 0-of-4 shooting in 16 minutes, the fewest he had played since Oct. 30.

Randle defended his play by saying, "It wasn't like I was 0-for-25 or something. I took four shots. I still had 12 rebounds, still had three assists. I took what the defense gave me."

Asked about Scott's remark on his attitude, Randle said, "Regardless, basketball is an emotional sport. I'm going to feel some type of way about it. ... I'm going to feel frustrated or happy or whatever it may be."

Scott said Randle's attitude at practice Monday was "OK" and added that Randle has "another chance" against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday at Staples Center.

Along with rookie point guard Russell, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft, Randle was removed from the starting lineup Dec. 7 after starting the team's first 20 games. Nance was promoted to starter in place of Randle and has thrived lately. He is averaging 11.6 points and 10.4 rebounds in his past five games.

Scott said he doesn't think Randle is upset because Nance is playing so well.

"I mean, that's almost asking if he's jealous of Larry," Scott said. "I don't think so. One thing about Julius that I do know is that he wants this bad. He wants to perform. He wants to play well. Sometimes, you want that too bad, and you've got to relax and kind of just let the game come to you.

"But, again, [Randle is] 21 years old. He's young. He's going to go through these types of things. As a coach, I'm going to let him go through it. I said my piece last night, and I'm going to let him go through it."

"[Randle is] young. He's going to go through these types of things. As a coach, I'm going to let him go through it. I said my piece last night, and I'm going to let him go through it."

Lakers coach Byron Scott

Nance said he is rooting for Randle as much as anyone.

"I want him to be an All-Star," Nance said. "I want everybody on this team to be the best they can be. So if I come out and he has a double-double, awesome. If he comes out and I have a double-double, awesome. Either way, I'm just trying to win. If he gives us the best chance to win, play him. If I give us the best chance to win, play me. I think, personally, we're a pretty cool duo, like a tag team. Tag me out and tag him in, and let's go."

Asked whether he is trying to regain his role as a starter, Randle said, "It's not my decision. I don't make those decisions."

During the team's first 20 games, Randle was averaging 11.7 points on 43.3 percent shooting from the field along with a team-high 9.2 rebounds in 28.4 minutes.

As a reserve in 14 games since then, Randle's numbers are similar: 10.8 points on 38.9 percent shooting and 10.1 rebounds in 23.9 minutes per game.

In terms of being patient, Randle said he takes it "day by day."

"You can't be frustrated all the time. You can't be happy all the time," Randle said. "Basketball is a game of ups and downs, emotions. Biggest thing is, you control your effort, how hard you play. You control getting better. That's what I will continue to do." source:espn

The Curious Case of Top NBA Prospect Ben Simmons and the Middling LSU Tigers

The biggest head-scratcher of the college basketball season is how a team that includes Ben Simmons, the favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft and the most talented player in the country, seems destined to miss the NCAA tournament.

If the Tigers miss out on March Madness and Simmons goes No. 1, he'd be the first top pick since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985 to attend college and not play in an NCAA tournament.

Simmons has put up outstanding numbers (see chart) and has talented pieces around him, but LSU has myriad issues that have some pointing at coach Johnny Jones for getting handed a filet mignon and turning it into spam.

The Tigers, now 8-5 after Saturday's win at Vanderbilt, didn't have one impressive nonconference win, and they struggled against a mediocre schedule. LSU's nonconference strength of schedule is 315th nationally, according to KenPom.com's numbers.

The improved SEC will give the Tigers a chance to put together a tournament resume. That starts Tuesday, when LSU hosts No. 9 Kentucky—which features its own pair of projected freshmen lottery picks in point guard Jamal Murray and big man Skal Labissiere—but the chances of an NCAA tournament with Simmons included still look bleak.

Simmons is a unique talent, and the NBA hasn't seen a skill set like his since Lamar Odom. He lacks a jump shot, but at 6'10" with the vision and handle of a point guard, Simmons is the type of playmaking power forward the new-age NBA covets. He's also borderline unguardable at the college level, which makes LSU's record all the more dumbfounding.

I reached out to three NBA scouts to get their opinions on why the Tigers have struggled and how that influences their opinions of Simmons.

Despite having the nation's best player, why has LSU struggled?

Scout One: "I think the first thing you have is the fact that they lost a very good assistant coach. Eric Musselman is a guy who is respected throughout basketball. If you look at the success they had last year while he was there and the success he's having at Nevada now, that goes to show how valuable he is."

(Writer's note: Nevada went 9-22 last season, and Musselman has the team out to a 9-5 start in 2015-16. In Musselman's only year on Jones' staff last season, the Tigers made the NCAA tournament for the first time during Jones' tenure and finished 22-11.)

"They also lost two very good upperclassmen in Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey," the scout continued. "Those guys aren't as flashy or as good as players as Simmons, but they were very good players in the SEC and gave them an advantage on the interior night in and night out.

"They were a big part of the identity and the way they played. That's a big adjustment, not just for the coaching staff, but also for the players to get used to that changing personnel. They really have to totally change the way they play.

"They also didn't have [Keith] Hornsby at the beginning of the year. Hornsby is a really, really good player, and he's not going to set the NBA on fire, but you lose a guy like that at the beginning of the year, a senior, a guy who makes shots, he's a big part of what they do, and they hadn't had him."

(Writer's note: Hornsby, the team's leading returning scorer from last year, missed the first seven games with an injury. The Tigers were also without Arizona transfer Craig Victor for the first eight games. Victor wasn't eligible until the 2015 fall semester, and he's the team's best post player. The Tigers are 4-1 with both Victor and Hornsby in the lineup.)

"I think [Tim] Quarterman was really great for them with the ball in his hands, and now that Simmons is there, he doesn't have the ball in his hands as much, so it doesn't play to his strengths.

"Those things lead to struggles. It doesn't mean they can't turn it around, but they've got a lot of things going on. The headline is they add Ben Simmons, but there's other stuff going on there, too. Those are things that they have to adjust to as a team and figure out."

Scout Two: "The No. 1 problem with LSU is they have a terrible coach. Another piece of it is Ben is kind of a unique and flawed player who needs to be used by a smart coach to be most effective. That's the offensive piece of it.

"But their biggest issue is defensively. They're just undisciplined. They don't get back in transition. They're not well-organized, well-coached, well-drilled on the defensive end, and that's how you give up 110 points to North Florida."

(Writer's note: To be fair, it was only 108 points. But the defensive numbers are not flattering. Against opponents ranked in the top 150 by KenPom.com, the Tigers are giving up 86.6 points per game and 1.08 points per possession.)

"Their defensive effort, including Ben's, has not been good enough," the scout continued. "I see a lot of plays Ben makes that are great anticipation plays defensively, but there are also plays when he doesn't put a hand up, doesn't come over to challenge a shot at the rim, where that's just acceptable.

"If you do that at Kansas or West Virginia, any place where guys are well-coached, you're coming out and you're sitting on the bench."

Scout Three: "It definitely seems like Ben has had the opportunity to take over, and he doesn't. He's almost too unselfish and too good of a teammate, working to get everyone involved. I don't know if he's trying to please [Antonio] Blakeney, Quarterman and some of the other guys or whether that's coach's instructions. I think Ben is definitely capable of more.

"Talking to people around the league, everyone likes his unselfishness, but it's a little bit frustrating when you know he's capable of doing more, especially when the team is getting L's. It's almost like he's not competitive to a certain point. When you're that good and you need to get a win, you're going to make sure that your team gets the win, if it takes you taking 30 shots. We've seen that with LeBron [James] at different stages of time with Cleveland and Miami."

 Scout One: "There's certain players where the NCAA tournament really helps them. For a guy like Ben Simmons, who has been scouted at the Hoops Summit and other various Nike events for years and is so defined by his work and his talent, it's really not going to affect him at all.

"He's going to be the top pick and no amount of problems for LSU can change that. The only thing that can stop him from being the top pick is if [Skal] Labissiere comes on, if Dragan Bender comes on, if Brandon Ingram comes on in such a way that they're too tough to pass up. He's not a consensus; he's close. I'd be willing to bet a lot of money that he'll drop no farther than two, and he'll probably be No. 1 no matter what happens."

Scout Two: "Ben is a pretty coachable guy—good guy. He's not really been an issue. Now I also was pretty aware coming in that he's not that good of a scorer and not a good shooter at all. When they don't play defense and they need to go down to score in these close games, those deficiencies get a little bit magnified. He's not well-suited to take over a game down the stretch in the absence of good coaching because he's just not a natural scorer. It's not who he is.

"I'd be surprised if he doesn't [go No. 1], but Brandon Ingram is very talented also, and Jaylen Brown has actually shown some signs of life the last couple games. Dragan Bender is doing quite well lately overseas, so depending on the particular preferences of the team that gets the No. 1 pick, it's possible Ben won't go No. 1, but I think he will.

"The odd thing is people have made him out to be this generational prospect. He's a very good player, no question. A very good college player and a very good prospect, but I don't see him as head and shoulders the top guy not even in the discussion with other players. To me, last year Karl Towns separated himself from the pack more than Ben has done this year."

Scout Three: "I think he goes No. 1 regardless, especially in this draft. I think if there was more competition up top, you'd get worried. But with the lack of competition as far as elite talent in this draft, I don't see that hurting him."

source:bleacherreport

  

Towns, Porzingis on special pace with NBA Rookie of the Month sweeps

NBA monthly awards don't mean anything. I always wonder what LeBron James does with the awards, having won so many. Is there like a closet in his house where he just throws them into? Does he give them away to friends? Do his kids play checkers with them?

They're just small notices of accomplishment. If the NBA Player of the Month award is meaningless, then Rookie of the Month is beyond meaningless. It's somehow in an entire dimension of meaninglessness unto itself. They have to reward someone, and more than that, they split the award into conferences.

That said, Karl-Anthony Towns has won it in back to back months, as the NBA announced Monday that he'd won it in December for the West. It's a nice reward for Towns as he averaged 18.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game this past month. So how often does this happen?

Well, all the time. Andrew Wiggins won four in a row last year. MCW won back to back the year before. Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin all won six consecutive times, sweeping their conference awards. (Of note, Kevin Durant actually won fewer Rookie of the Month awards than Lillard. There's some fun trivia for those Friday night dinner parties you love.)

However, there is something notable, starting with Towns and his Eastern Conference competitor for Rookie of the Year, New York Knicks big man Kristaps Porzingis.

Towns and Porzingis became the first duo to win Rookie of the Month for both of the first two months of the season since Ricky Rubio and Kyrie Irving in 2012. Here's where it gets particularly interesting. The combo before that to win the first three months in each of the conferences?

LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, who both swept the entire season, winning Eastern and Western Rookie of the Month respectively each month in 2003-04. They're the only pair in NBA history to do so. Why would this possibly matter? Because it means that the rookies are playing at a higher level. It already appears that this rookie class is the strongest we've seen since 2009 -- maybe even further back -- and if Towns and Porzingis both win ROM every month from now until the end of the season? It's only going to bolster the intensity over who should win Rookie of the Year. Something special is brewing, and this meaningless award might give us some proof of exactly how special it is.

source:cbssports

Larkin scores, Mrazek has 22 saves as Red Wings blank Devils

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) A highlight-reel goal from Dylan Larkin and a shutout byPetr Mrazek was the winning formula for the Detroit Red Wings against theNew Jersey Devils.

Larkin scored on a breakaway and Mrazek made 22 saves in the Red Wings 1-0 victory on Monday night.

Mrazek, appearing in an eighth straight game, earned his second shutout of the season and seventh of his career.

Cory Schneider stopped 20 for the Devils, who saw their three-game winning streak snapped.

Larkin provided the early theatrics, scoring on a nifty backhander to polish off the breakaway at 9:20 of the first period. Brad Richards hit Larkin with a long lead pass as Larkin slipped behind the Devils' defense and deked Schneider down to the ice. It was the 14th goal for Larkin, tops among rookies.

''We kind of crossed in our own zone and there wasn't much room for that pass to land,'' Larkin said. ''I just flew. I got my head up quick.''

From there it was a one-on-one showdown with Schneider.

''I saw he was out pretty far,'' the 19-year-old said. ''He bit on the move, so I got pretty lucky there. It happened so fast, and it turned out to be a big goal.''

As it turned out, the only goal and all the margin Mrazek and the Red Wings needed.

Detroit played an excellent defensive road game, limiting the Devils to only five shots in each of the second and third periods.

''The third period was probably the best period we played,'' Mrazek said. ''We didn't give them many chances or good looks. We did a great job stick-on-stick, body on body. We didn't give many opportunities to score a goal.''

The Devils came close to pulling even in the final minute of the opening period when Mrazek could not control Jiri Tlusty's rebound. It was loose in the crease, setting off a scramble before Mrazek covered the puck.

''They did a good job after the first,'' Schneider said. ''Mrazek made some big saves early but after that, he was able to find pucks. He played well. He made the saves he had to make. We had some toward the net that just went wide, that just didn't have eyes.'

Detroit threatened to break the game open in the second period.

Schneider sprawled to deny Joakim Andersson about six minutes in, following a glaring turnover by defenseman Damon Severson.

''I think it kind of got me in the elbow,'' Schneider said. ''I got a little desperate. Sometimes you get lucky and they hit you.''

Schneider got lucky several minutes later when Darren Helm hammered a shot off the crossbar, keeping Red Wings lead at 1-0.

The Devils, looking for another victory to solidify their playoff position, took some satisfaction in the effort but not the result.

''It was a hard-fought game by both teams,'' Devils coach John Hynes said. ''I really liked the way we competed tonight from start to finish.''

NOTES: Mike Cammalleri, the Devils' leading scorer, missed a second straight game with an upper body injury. ... This was second of a six-game road trip that started with a 4-3 win in Buffalo. ... The Devils gave fans Schneider bobble-head dolls. . It was Detroit's second victory following a three-game losing streak.

source:cbssports

Leo Messi and Luis Enrique honoured by IFFHS

FC Barcelona has once again been honoured by the IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics), with both Leo Messi and Luis Enrique picking up awards following another remarkable year in which the club won five out of a possible six major trophies.

Messi honoured

Leo Messi is the best playmaker of 2015, finishing above his captain and colleague, Andrés Iniesta. Voters from over 50 countries around the world gave the Argentinian 169 points, while Iniesta took 91. Some way behind in third place we find Italian Andrea Pirlo, formerly of Juventus and now of New York City FC, with 54.

From 2008 to 2011, this honour was collected each year by former FCB midfielder Xavi Hernández, while the title went to Iniesta in the two editions after that. The Barça dominance was interrupted in 2014 by the German Toni Kroos, with Messi coming second.

Luis Enrique, top coach

The Barça manager was also recognised by the IFFHS after leading the team to the domestic double and the European title as well. Luis Enrique was named coach of the year with 165 points, followed in the ranking by former FCB boss Pep Guardiola, now of Bayern Munich, with 86 points, and by Massimiliano Allegri, manager of Champions League finalists Juventus, with 43 points.

Xavi says Barcelona’s Lionel Messi is ‘greatest player ever’ and deserves Ballon d’Or award

Xavi has long been an advocate of the Johan Cruyff-inspired Barcelonaphilosophy, one which remains true to the club’s style. Two things have tweaked it, the first being Lionel Messi.

“Before Messi, we had more control of the ball, more passes, more play,” Xavi told this writer in November after Messi was again listed to be a contender for a Ballon d’Or.

“Then he became the focus of the attack. Now, it’s Neymar, Suarez and Messi.

As soon as they get the ball they’re out to attack. So there’s a little less possession and a little more direct attacking.”

Photo gallery: Barcelona’s Lionel Messi makes his case for 2015 Ballon d’Or award

Two of Barca’s front three are finalists for Monday’s award in Zurich, with Luis Suarez unfortunate to miss out on the three man list. Xavi knows Messi very well – and he thinks he is the greatest player ever.

“Pele and Maradona both made huge differences, but football has evolved,” explained Xavi. “The players are better than they were, the game is better. Physically, tactically, technically and psychologically, football is better than ever.

“And Messi stands out as the best at the best time in the history of football.”

Xavi has seen him develop from a player so quiet that the only doubts about him making it at Barcelona were because he barely spoke, to one who left no doubts after his debut at 16. Xavi saw the boy become a man and deal with the enormous pressure of being a global icon.

“He’s matured, he’s more responsible,” said Xavi. “He’s become a man. He’s shy, but when he has your confidence and trust you see what he’s like and he’s a very good person.

“He’s a joker, one of the biggest in the dressing room. He’s witty, very ironic in his humour. He’s intelligent. He is clever. Most of all, he’s a winner.”

Read about the other Ballon d’Or award candidates:

Neymar’s emphasis on the Barcelona collective sets him apart for Ballon d’Or award

Cristiano Ronaldo, rewriting history for Real Madrid, deserves Ballon d’Or over Barcelona rivals

Messi has won a record four Ballon d’Ors – four years in succession between 2009 and 2012 when the award switched slightly to become the Fifa Ballon d’Or.

Cristiano Ronaldo has won it in each of the last two years and the pair have dominated football’s individual honours since 2008. Ronaldo is the third finalist for the 2015 award after the 23-man long list was whittled down.

Messi should win it. He was the best player in the world’s best team last season.

He made the difference in the biggest games against the biggest teams, scoring sublime goals as Barca eliminated the champions of the Netherlands, England, France, Germany and Italy on the way to winning a fourth Champions League in a decade.

His side’s second goal against Bayern Munich in the semi-final first leg, where he chipped Manuel Neuer, widely rated as the world’s best goalkeeper, was sensational.

And Ronaldo, his nemesis with whom he shares a distant but improving relationship and respect, is one major reason why Messi is so good.

“Messi is the greatest footballer ever, but he wouldn’t be as good without Ronaldo,” said Xavi. “He wouldn’t have won all those Ballon d’Ors. And I don’t think Ronaldo would have won them all too.

“They push each other. The difference between the two is that while they’re both great goalscorers, Messi is much more involved in the play of the team. Messi touches the ball 100 times in a game, Ronaldo 30. There’s a big difference.”

Last year was when Messi’s partnership with Neymar and Suarez continued to develop and he won everything for his club – five major trophies.

It was a spectacular year and he rightly bristled when an Argentine journalist pushed him on perceived failures such as Argentina’s in the Copa America in Chile and the World Cup in Brazil a year previous.

Messi told South American TV: “We got to the World Cup final and the Copa. We didn’t win them but we didn’t lose in the quarter finals.

“Sometimes you don’t know if that would be better or worse. I hear them say that we don’t care about the shirt, that we don’t put our all into it.

“It’s not about not giving your all. We’re the first ones that want to win and celebrate.”

It was a seldom seen fire in interviews, but it shows how criticism from his homeland irks. Messi was out for 10 weeks towards the end of the year and Barca actually improved without him.

That quietened those who had talked of an unhealthy dependence on Messi in the team, but when a team needs a player, there is not one player on the planet who can compete with Lionel Messi.

source:thenational

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi fail to score as Real Madrid, Barca draw

Each week, ESPN FC projects and reviews the scoring battle between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in La Liga.

Current goals total in La Liga: Ronaldo 14-6 Messi

It was a quiet weekend for both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, as both failed to score in draws for their clubs. 

Ronaldo set up a goal for Karim Benzema in Real Madrid's 2-2 draw at Valencia but managed just two shots himself -- neither of which were on target.

Meanwhile, Messi got just one of his four shots on goal as Barcelona were held to a 0-0 draw away to city rivals Espanyol.

Ratings and review

Here's what our Real Madrid and Barcelona club bloggers had to say about each man's performance.

Ed Alvarez on Ronaldo: 6/10 -- Started off well, leading the forward line and showing the energy this match demanded. However, he lost prominence as the match went by and could not finish the few occasions in which his teammates found him.

Francesc Tomas on Messi: 8/10 -- Drifted toward the middle more often as the game developed in an attempt to get more involved, but failed to celebrate the new year with the game-winning goal his team was so desperately craving. Smashed the crossbar with a a superb free kick that certainly deserved better. In what was a rarity, allowed his frustration to shine through in the dying minutes.

source:espnfc