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In life, there are times where we must go through a shift that sets us on a new course. Times where things change and we must acclimate ourselves to a new environment or lifestyle. That is a constant for infants, as new things are explored and realized daily. As we go through adolescants, shifts in our lives come with every higher grade reached, with every new hormone and unforseen event. And now, I've reached the one that is the bridge from adolescants to adulthood: graduation from high school.

Friday, May 9th was my last day of high school. I showed up to take a final exam in 1st hour for Psychology, which I believe I did well on. And then took the time to go to my Algebra III class to correct some mistakes on that final, bringing it up from a 52 to an 84. And then at approximately 9:05 A.M., I drove my truck out of the parking lot for the last time as a student, screaming "freedom!" over my blaring radio.

BAM.

Anyway, it's exciting and scary at the same time, being out of high school and thrown into reality. That ever so harsh reality, filled with taxes, car payments, credit card debt and mid-life crisis. Luckily for me, though, that reality may not take place in the immediate future. I plan on going to college, but being smart in commuting from home. Burning gas to and from college is a small price to pay, when I'll be able to have home cooked meals and no apartment payments to make.

The transition for me is probably somewhat like what Mike D'Antoni and Rick Carlisle are going through. They've been somewhere else, somewhere where they were comfortable and had established themselves as legitmate coaches. And now, for whatever reason in each case, they've had to depart from that reality they had known, and now must find another niche in this world to pitch their tent. For D'Antoni, it's the Big Apple and the New York Knicks where he must take over the same anemic franchise Isiah Thomas had so much futility involved in coaching. Carlisle is now set in Big D, with a much better off roster than Mike D'Antoni is forced to deal with. He's got a former MVP, and a future HOF 'er with a laundry list of talented players that have gotten nothing to show for it, much like the Suns franchise D'Antoni had been with for the past few years.

The coaching changes leave some vacancies around the NBA, both indirectly and directly linked to these switch ups. The Suns now have to search for a new Head Coach, and the Chicago Bulls have now been left out in the cold, with a roster of studs but no superstar. It'll be interesting to say the least where both organizations will head in the next few weeks as they try to fill the void. I hope Paxon can find someone that can lead the Bulls, or whatever's left of the current roster as there are some needed changes.

Earlier this year, Novak Djokovic had been featured in the Monday Mac Attac with some impressive victories at the Australian Open and the Masters Series. Today, he's being featured for the same reason as he took a tourney on a clay surface in Rome. Djokovic won his 10th title on Sunday over unseeded Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 at the Rome Masters.

The 3rd seeded Djokovic will look to keep to his winning ways in two weeks as the world's greatest tennis stars face off in the French Open.

A few days ago, there were some teams across the playoff landscape that were on the brink of getting the boot. The Orlando Magic were down 2-0, just like the San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers. Now as it is Monday, the Cavs are trailing 2-1. The Spurs are all notted up at two a-piece just like the Jazz against the Lakers. The only series that didnt get the shift back towards balance was the Magic - Pistons series, as the Pistons are now up 3-1.

Possibly the biggest story so far in the 2nd round of the NBA Playoffs is Lebron James... or the absence of his dominant play through the first three games of their series. James averaged 30 points per-game during the regular season, but only has managed to put up 18 a game against the Celtics. James is an abismal and down right astonishing 13 of 58 from the field, translate that to a rechid 22%. Yet somehow, the Cavaliers were able to blitzkrieg the C's in Game 3 in Cleveland by a score of 108-84 even while James only put up 21-points. If the Cavs can somehow even the series before things shift back to Boston, not only would they be extremely fortunate, but they could be looking at a shot to take control of the series; but only if LBJ gets it in gear.

In the first two games in Los Angeles, the Lakers were hitting on all cylinders, with Kobe leading the way with 34 each night. The Lakers won each game by at least 10-points, forcing a total of 23 turnovers in each game. Then the series went to Salt Lake City, where it took a combined margin of victory of 13-points, including an overtime period for the Jazz to even the series at 2-2. And yes, also the MVP to suffer from back pain throughout Game 4 and the overtime period. I didnt give the Jazz a shot before the series started, and especially so when it was 0-2... guess they showed me. But Kobe has averaged over 30-points per game so far in this series, and they cant expect to win it with him doing that.

Bryant's Stats: 33.6 PPG, 48%, 7.6 APG, 7 RPG

In the first two games of the series between the Spurs and Hornets, it was pretty one sided. The Hornets fresh off their first playoff series victory in years took a deathly hold on the series by going up 2-0, in both games where they completely dominated the defending champions and their star forward, Tim Duncan. Flash forward and into San Antonio, the Spurs have now evened things up after two back-to-back games where they turned the tables on the Hornets, and where Duncan got himself back into the fold by putting up over 20-points in each contest. Despite his efforts and the rest of Spurs defenders, they could never slow down CP3.

Paul's Stats: 29 PPG, 59%, 8.6 APG, 3 RPG, 1.6 SPG

Nor could the Hornets slow down Tony Parker. Where Manu and Duncan have struggled he has succeded, slicing through the Hornets defense each night allowing him to shell out a decent stat line through four games.

Parker's Stats: 21 PPG, 50%, 7 APG, 4.6 RPG

NBA Player of the Week: Kobe Bryant

NASCAR

Somehow, someway Kyle Busch was able to find his way into Victory Lane on Sunday. Busch has now become in recent days the most hated driver in NASCAR, giving Jeff Gordon a bit of a break from the honor. He had wrecked Dale Earnhardt Jr. last week at Richmond at a most inopportune time for "Little E", as it was in the final laps when Jr. had a legit shot at taking his first race in years. Busch was penalized for his wrecking effort, and entered Darlington looking for his eigth win of the season.

He got his eigth win, but it didnt come easy. Busch lived on the wall, hitting it so many times he even had no idea how many times he made contact throughout the course of the race. Busch led 169 of the 367 laps at Darlington, and in a car he called "pathetic." So, by that occurence... if you're car is so pathetic that you cant keep it out of the wall, that's a good sign that you're gonna win? Lucky, Kyle.

One franchise in sports that doesnt need to be making any changes is the Arizona Diamondbacks. They're still one of the NL's best teams, and also are housing one of the MLB's hottest players. Brandon Webb has started eight times in 2008 and he's won every single one of them. People are already buzzing about the ludicrous idea that Webb could reach 30 wins this year. Any sane baseball fan would know that he might get around 35 starts in 2008, and winning 30 of them just isnt possible. But it will be interesting to see where he finishes off on the year. And speaking of hottness around the League, the Florida Marlins are scoarching hot as they are on a seven game win streak, after two Dan Uggla HR's lifted them past the Washington Nationals. The Marlins lead the NL East by a margin of a few games over the New York Mets, with the lowly Nationals nearly nine games back. And to top all that off for the Marlins, they just bit the nail by signing Hanley Ramirez to an exstention. Yay for the Marlins in not trading away their stars!

I dont know if this is because of bias, but I've got two Red Sox players being featured this week. The Sox went 4-3 this week, mostly because of how hot the bats were and two blown saves by Jonathan Papelbon. The tandem of Mike Lowell, David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis hit for a combined average of .409, with 10 HR's and 22 RBI's. The two being featured today on the Monday Mac Attac are none other than Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis, who both outdid themselves in the past week.

Lowell was on the DL for a few weeks with a thumb injury, and since his return has gotten his batting average in the upper .200's, mostly due to the week he had. Old greybeard chipped in with nine runs scored and nine runs batted in, and a smooth .406 average.

Lowell's Stats: 13/32, 9 R, 9 RBI, 2 BB, 3 HR, .406 BA

The other guy in the Sox lineup that was scorching hot this past week was Kevin YOUUUUUUUKILIS. He didnt have as many runs scored or walks, or even as good of a batting average as Mike Lowell, but he did hit five home runs in the Sox's seven games. That's pretty damn good if I dont say so myself, homer or no homer.

Kevin Youkilis' Stats: 12/32, 7 R, 10 RBI, 1 BB, 5 HR, .375 BA

I was so looking forward to putting Ervin Santana in the post this week, but then he had to give up nine hits and five runs on Sunday night, blowing his shot at the MLB's Player of the Week. Santana had a shut down outing earlier in the week, as he went nine innings of four-hit shutout baseball. So, because of his lackluster performance on Sunday night, the pitcher from the Rays being featured today is James Shields, who just so happened to have his own nine inning effort. And that was against the Angels, ironically.

Shields: 9 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K (W)

MLB Player of the Week: James Shields

See, I'm not a homer.

Sergio Garcia had not won a tournament in over three years, until Sunday at the Players Championship. Yet again, Tiger Woods was not taking the course due to his recent knee surgery, once again taking a load of stress off the entire field of competitors. Garcia won in a playoff with Paul Goydos. Garcia had to fight the swirling 40 mile an hour wind gusts to get to a 71 score on the final day to push for a playoff, which he won after Goydos cerplunked a tee-shot into the water on 17.

Garcia's 7th PGA Tour win on Sunday earned him a pretty penny. $1.71 million to be exact.

SIFS Player of the Week: Kobe Bryant

In the time since acquiring of Pau Gasol, the Los Angeles Lakers have dominated their schedule going 28-7, six of those wins coming in the post season. Prior to that acquisition of Gasol, the Lakers had been one of the NBA's best, who just were missing one piece to the puzzle. Go back a bit more into the offseason, the team was under a bit of pressure as Bryant was being speculated for wanting out of Los Angeles. For the past few years, Bryant was a one-man show in LA, and he had begun to realize it and grow tired of it. He needed a helping hand. Someone to hit the refresh button in Los Angeles, and spark a new beginning, one that would lead the Lakers to the Finals for the first time since the departure of Shaquille O'neal.

Enter Pau Gasol to go around Bryant and a cast of characters all pitching in consistently, and you've got the Lakers as one of the best of the West, sitting in a 2-2 tie in the semis against the Utah Jazz. Through four games of the semi-playoff round matchup between the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant has averaged a remarkable 35-points per game. In the first two games of the series, Bryant had on average four other teammates in double-figures to go with his input. The same thing has happened in games three and four, but the Lakers have still fallen allowing the Jazz to even the series. It appears that's merely home cooking that's keeping the Jazz in this series. In my mind, it's only a matter of time before the Lakers break through in Utah, because they are yet to really play poorly. If Bryant can continue to shell out over 30-points a night, and still manage to have very good balance throughout his teammates, they're bound to upset the #1 home team in the NBA and take the series.

On tonight's plate of sports, there's the Red Sox at Twins on ESPN, and then on TNT, Game 4 of the Celtics - Cavaliers series. Enjoy sports fans of FanNation.