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Biggest Questions and Answers for the LA Lakers This Offseason

Ehran Khan — Fri, 24 May 2013 04:23:31 -0400

Hollywood is the epicenter of drama, so it's no wonder the Los Angeles Lakers are always surrounded by it.

This offseason promises more of the same as the NBA's signature franchise faces a crossroads.

There are burning questions regarding the team's three biggest stars and also their head coach. Who will stay and who will go? Or rather, who should stay and who should go?

And will it be enough to avoid a repeat of a disastrous 2013 campaign?

Let's delve into L.A.'s five most-pressing queries in the offseason.

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French Open 2013 Draw: When and Where to Catch Singles Bracket Release

Patrick Clarke — Fri, 24 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

The tennis season's second Grand Slam event has arrived, as Friday marks the release of the 2013 French Open main draw.

Reigning men's champion Rafael Nadal enters Roland Garros with a ton of confidence as always, but this time having won three consecutive clay-court tournaments dating back to last month.

On the women's side, it's all about American superstar Serena Williams. The 2002 French Open champion has won 24-straight matches overall, defeating defending French Open champion Maria Sharapova in two tournament finals over that stretch.

But while both Nadal and Williams currently look like the players to beat in their respective singles draw this summer, the draw could set them back a bit.

Here we'll get you set with everything you need to know to catch Friday's 2013 French Open main draw release.

When: Friday, May 24 at 5:30 a.m. ET

Where: Roland Garros, Paris

Watch: Roland Garros TV

Link to Men's Singles Draw

Link to Women's Singles Draw

Men's Draw Missing Stars

Two of the top players in the men's game will sit out the French Open this summer, including current world No. 2 Andy Murray, who won the 2012 U.S. Open last September.

Murray has been battling a lower back injury that forced him to retire early on at the Rome Masters last week. With a plethora of big tournaments upcoming, including Wimbledon a month from now, the 26-year-old Scotsman felt he would be best suited to withdraw (via ESPN.com):

It's a really tough decision and I love playing in Paris, but after seeking medical advice I am not fit to compete. Apologies to the organizers and thanks to everyone for the messages of support. Now my complete focus is on getting back on the court as soon as possible.

Murray lost in the quarterfinals here a year ago, one year after making a run all the way to the semifinals in 2011.

The only player outside of the Big Four to win a Slam since the 2005 French Open, Juan Martin del Potro was also forced to withdraw from this year's clay-court Slam.

Delpo, the 2009 U.S. Open champion had been battling injury and illness before ultimately deciding to skip Roland Garros and put forth a full effort to recover from a respiratory illness. Like Murray, Delpo lost in the quarterfinals at the French Open a year ago.

Will Anyone Stop Serena?

Serena Williams is playing arguably the best tennis of her career coming into the French Open this May. Despite getting set to turn 32 in September, and not having won this tournament in over a decades, Williams comes in as the overwhelming favorite on the women's side.

The women's world No. 1 is off to a 36-2 start this season and has already won five singles titles, including three on clay.

Even scarier, Williams has dropped just four sets total over her current 24-match winning streak.

Some feel that last year's champion, Maria Sharapova has a shot to knock off the scorching-hot American. But keep in mind that Williams has won 12-straight meetings with the Russian star and is 3-0 all-time against Sharapova on clay.

World No. 3 Victoria Azarenka would have her hands full in a potential clash with Williams as well. Vika is just 2-12 against Williams all time and 0-1 against her on clay.

While Serena Williams has some making up to do after suffering her first-ever, first-round loss in a Slam at Roland Garros last year, all indications are that she'll cruise through the women's draw in Paris this summer.

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter.

Raul Ibanez and Endy Chavez Deserve More Playing Time

Madison Guernsey — Fri, 24 May 2013 03:56:39 -0400

The 2013 Seattle Mariners season has been, well, mediocre thus far. The team has underachieved and is in the midst of a six-game losing streak, including three walk-off losses in four days against the Cleveland Indians.

One of very few bright spots that came to light during the skid was the emergence of Raul Ibanez. The veteran outfielder slugged five home runs in as many days on the road trip and reminded the baseball world that he can hit.

Ibanez got off to a terrible start, hitting .158/.213/.298 in April, and was looking like he may be sent down to Tacoma when Franklin Gutierrez recovered from his injury.

But the month of May has been a complete 180 for Raul. He's batting .333/.366/.872 with six homers and 15 RBI, cementing his spot on the roster. Maybe it's a hot streak. Maybe he was fueled by returning to Yankee Stadium. Either way, he's earned a starting spot in the lineup.

Another guy who fills up the box score whenever he sees the field is Endy Chavez. Believe it or not, he has the highest batting average on the team at .289 and remains one of the only players with speed. He isn't going to wow you with the long ball, but he plays hard and is a defensive upgrade in the outfield.

The tricky part for Eric Wedge is, how can both of these guys see more playing time without benching an indispensable player?

Chavez could take Jason Bay's place in left field and Ibanez could be the DH over Justin Smoak, but Smoak is getting his season back on track and taking him out of the lineup would only slow down that process.

Wedge will have an even tougher decision to make when Gutierrez comes back. Who will be sent down or designated for assignment? Robert Andino is the logical choice, but he's the only backup infielder on the roster. Jason Bay is performing the worst of Seattle's five outfielders and should be moved to make room for Guti.

Wedge has no easy task in finding playing time for each one of his five outfielders, each of whom deserve to play. Maybe the answer will come in the form of a trade for a middle infielder or pitcher, both positions Seattle is in need of.

All stats via espn.com.

Why Nathan Ake Was Chelsea's Breakthrough Star of 2012-13

Rowanne Westhenry — Fri, 24 May 2013 03:27:23 -0400

18-year-old Nathan Ake made his full debut for Chelsea's first team in the FA Cup tie away at Middlesbrough. Rafa Benitez's post-match bite-back at the fans overshadowed what had been a composed, confident performance by the youngster, but it was not Ake's only chance to shine.

His inclusion in the squad to face Rubin Kazan raised eyebrows, but his six tackles and seven interceptions were vital to Chelsea's 5-4 aggregate win. With injuries and fatigue pressuring the squad, Ake found himself playing in the second leg of the FA Youth Cup final and sitting on the bench for the Europa League final in the same week that he made his full Premier League debut in the final game of the season.

Again he impressed, with an 84 percent passing accuracy complimenting his three tackles and four accurate long balls. When you consider the fact that he is significantly younger than even Eden Hazard and Oscar, the impact that Ake has made in the centre of midfield is nothing short of remarkable.

Ake was brought to Chelsea from Feyenoord in 2011 and spent a year in the youth and reserve teams before his promotion to the senior squad. One of many promising young talents currently employed by Chelsea, Ake looked likely to be spending a season watching from the sidelines instead of gaining valuable experience out in loan.

Instead, he has patiently awaited his opportunity, and when it presented itself he seized it with both hands. Whilst he would have had significantly more minutes on the pitch if he had departed West London, the experience that he has gained from regularly training with the first-team squad will be invaluable to his, hopefully long, future at Chelsea.

Dennis Bermudez Isn't Gunning for a Post-Fight Bonus, but Keeps Racking Them Up

Damon Martin — Fri, 24 May 2013 03:22:25 -0400

It's next to impossible to top a classic fight.

For UFC 160 fighter Dennis Bermudez, his next bout on paper will be an attempt to pick up his fourth straight win inside the Octagon. In reality, however, fans will undoubtedly look at his bout against Max Holloway as a chance to produce another epic battle with fists meeting flesh in a 15-minute slugfest.

In Bermudez's last trip to the cage, he and opponent Matt Grice put on a Fight of the Year-worthy performance while attacking and countering each other for the better part of three full rounds. The two featherweights were applauded loudly by the crowd in Anaheim, Calif. as part of UFC 157's undercard and were rewarded with a Fight of the Night bonus by UFC President Dana White.

As spectacular a moment as it was for Bermudez, he admits as he comes back for his next fight there's probably no way to try and top that performance, so it's not worth pursuing that kind of perfection again.

"I mean ultimately the goal is to go in and get the win as fast as possible. I do feel like that was such an epic battle that it would be super hard to beat. It's almost like I’m playing horse if you will against myself," Bermudez explained when speaking to Bleacher Report ahead of UFC 160. "I make an amazing shot and then I'm up again and I have to make another amazing shot again."

The expectations to go out and put on another action-filled fight could weigh on the minds of many fighters, but not Bermudez. With a new baby at home that he's had to spend weeks away from to concentrate on preparing for this bout, Bermudez knows there are bigger things on the line now than ever before.

His goal is to go out and put on the best fight possible that earns him the win. If it happens to be a knock-down, drag out classic, then that's what it is. But Bermudez isn't gunning for another fight like he had against Grice.

"I feel like a lot of my fights are exciting. I'm not too worried about it. I feel like if I go in there and do what I do, everything will turn out alright," Bermudez said. "There's no secret. I go out into every single fight with the same mindset, the same mentality, with the same game plan. To get in the guy's face, put constant pressure on him and just make it so he can't breathe. He'll be so tired he'll either quit or he gets knocked out or just gives me a submission. Ultimately, just grinding guys out until they are nothing."

Bermudez may not like to talk about surpassing his last performance because of how that fight will be remembered, but he's capable of topping it even if it's not the foremost thought on his mind. Through four fights thus far in his UFC career, Bermudez has taken home three post-fight bonuses—an impressive feat for any fighter in the promotion.

The bonuses he's won have allowed him to become a full-time fighter, provide for his new baby and allow him the financial breathing room to only think about the next opponent in his way.

Still, as great as the monetary compensation has been, Bermudez only wants to acknowledge one factor that plays the biggest role in his fight career—get the victory at any cost necessary.

"It's exciting to think about, and it's great to have," Bermudez said about the UFC bonuses he's earned. "It's made it so I didn't have to work a second job and if I head to the healthy store I don't have to think about the price. I don't go crazy and buy fancy cars or anything like that.

"Going into the fight I don't think 'oh I have to put on a show to get a bonus.' It's go out there and win—win ugly if I have to."

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained first hand unless otherwise noted.

Florida Football: Discipline Will Be Key for the Gators in 2013

Tyler Piccotti — Fri, 24 May 2013 03:11:46 -0400

If the Florida Gators want to have a season as successful as their 2012 campaign, they will have to improve in a variety of areas.

Jeff Driskel's performance at quarterback, a lack of depth at wide receiver, a brutal SEC schedule and key losses on defense are all being looked at as possible trouble spots. The Gators will have to overcome these obstacles in order to remain competitive.

However, there is another obvious problem that has been getting worse and needs to finally be addressed.

I am, of course, talking about Florida's tendency to be penalized. A lot.

You can certainly pin some of the blame on Will Muschamp and his staff for the Gators' offensive woes throughout the season and poor performance in the Sugar Bowl. However, they have repeatedly been forced to deal with an avalanche of costly penalties on both sides of the ball.

That needs to stop.

Since the 2009 season, the Gators' average of penalty yards per game has risen every calendar year. Last season's average of 68.8 yards marked a 9.3-yard jump from that of 2011.

Such behavior has turned Florida into the most penalized team in the SEC in recent years.

This makes their 2012 BCS run seem all the more remarkable. Their defensive unit had to repeatedly follow up stalled offensive drives with momentum-shifting series in order to turn tight games in their favor. Without this effectiveness, they could have easily lost three or more games during the regular season.

That brings us to this season. With so many departures from the defensive side of the ball, the Gators will have to score more points in 2013 to continually remain competitive. This cannot happen if holding violations and false starts repeatedly put Driskel and the offense in a bind.

Likewise, Florida cannot afford to give away extra points to opponents on the heels of silly personal fouls and other defensive violations.

Therefore, limiting the damage done through penalties will be crucial to the Gators' success.

Last year, we saw the Gators at their best when the flow of the game was relatively quick. They would get in a rhythm, and one big play would follow another.

This did not happen against Louisville and Georgia, and it proved costly on both occasions.

Driskel is certainly under enough pressure already. He doesn't need to deal with 3rd-and-longs that resulted from undisciplined penalties. Furthermore, his receivers should not have to feel like they need to make a huge downfield play just to move the chains.

Finally, Muschamp and Brent Pease need to believe that the entire playbook is always available for use. They cannot afford to protect Driskel with safe passes and hand-offs on third down.

The Gators simply will not win with that formula.

Yes, they need to play better football and make more plays. However, they also need to stop inflicting wounds upon themselves.

When they prove that they can do this, more and more people will begin to recognize them as a legitimate national contender.

Boston Red Sox: 5 Prospects Who Never Lived Up to the Hype

Bryan Shaffer — Fri, 24 May 2013 03:04:11 -0400

With the 2013 MLB first-year player draft set to begin on June 6, teams are excited about the prospect of replenishing their organizations with young and promising talent.

The sad fact of the matter is that for every young player who pans out, there are dozens who fade into obscurity.

The Boston Red Sox have seen their share of both. Over just the past decade, they have seen the likes of Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and Jacoby Ellsbury—to name a few—come up through their farm system and thrive in Boston.

They have also had players who have fizzled out without meeting their promise. These are the kind of players whose underwhelming careers disappointed the Red Sox fans who anticipated watching the young stars light up Fenway Park.

This list is by no means comprehensive, but it is a sample of some of the biggest disappointments to roll through the Red Sox farm system.

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New York Yankees: Top 5 Surprises This Season

Josh Housman — Fri, 24 May 2013 03:00:14 -0400

Baseball, and especially New York Yankees baseball, can be unpredictable at times. From the emergence of unlikely heroes, such as Aaron Boone in the 2003 ALCS, to the out-of-nowhere dominance of previously unknown prospects such as Joba Chamberlain in the closing month of the 2007 season, one never knows where the Yankees will find their magic.

This season has been different than most for this generation of Yankees. They entered the season as an underdog, a postseason afterthought. However, a plethora of unexpected performances has given the team early success.

Given their abundance of needs due to injury, many replacement level players have been relied on to take the spots of All-Stars such as Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Kevin Youkilis, Curtis Granderson and Russell Martin. Some have played as replacement level players, while others have come close to or exceeded the production of the players they are filling in for.

There has been enough of the latter to say that to this point, the whole Yankees season has been a surprise. Here are the top five surprises for the New York Yankees in 2013.

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San Jose vs. Los Angeles: No Need for Veteran Sharks to Panic in 3-2 Hole

Nicholas Goss — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:56:51 -0400

The San Jose Sharks are facing elimination for the first time in this year's playoffs following their 3-0 loss in Game 5 to the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center on Thursday night.

If the Sharks lose at home in Sunday's Game 6, the team will have failed to reach the Western Conference Finals for the sixth time in the Joe Thornton era (eight seasons from 2005-06 through 2013).

But even after a very difficult loss in a crucial Game 5, there are plenty of reasons for this Sharks team to feel confident about its chances of extending this series to a deciding seventh game.

The series will once again shift to the HP Pavilion in San Jose, where the Sharks have been nearly unbeatable this season with a 21-2-5 record, including a 4-0 mark in the playoffs. The Sharks have scored an average 3.25 goals at home during the playoffs, compared to just 1.8 goals scored on the road.

But the real advantage that San Jose has had at home during the regular season and the playoffs has been on the power play. Even though the Sharks have played just four games at HP Pavilion in the postseason, they still lead the league with 11 power-play goals at home.

In its only two wins of this second-round series, both of which were at home, San Jose converted on three of its nine opportunities with the man advantage. Both of these victories included game-winning goals from star center Logan Couture on the power play.

Special teams is always a key factor in the outcome of every playoff series, and this matchup has been no different. For whatever reason, the Sharks' success on special teams is far greater when they play on home ice.

	PP	PK
Home	3-9	4-5
Road	0-10	7-10

With the support of the rabid Sharks fans giving the team plenty of energy on Sunday, there is a strong chance that San Jose will bring a ton of energy and a high level of effort to the first period of Game 6.

The Sharks have outscored opponents 5-2 in the first period at home during the playoffs, and when this team goes into the first intermission with a lead, it's 4-0 during the postseason.

Not only are the Sharks a better team at home than on the road, the Kings have played far worse away from the Staples Center compared to their performance on home ice during the playoffs.

Here are some notable road stats from L.A.'s postseason run thus far:

	G	GA	PPG	PPGA	W/L
Home	16	7	3	1	6-0
Road	7	10	3	4	1-4

Another reason why the Sharks should not panic after losing Game 5 is because of the fact that this has been a very close series. They have not been severely outplayed through five games, and if San Jose didn't give up two power-play goals in the final two minutes of Game 2 in Los Angeles, the Sharks would have a 3-2 series advantage with a chance to close out the Kings.

This is still a very winnable series for the Sharks, especially since starting goaltender Antti Niemi has been fantastic in the playoffs thus far.

Through nine games, he has a .929 save percentage and a 1.95 GAA, both of which would be career playoff highs if they were his final stats of the postseason. Niemi gave the Sharks a chance to win Game 5 by allowing only two goals and making some brilliant saves in the first and second periods.

Given his impressive success at home against the Kings in this series (2-0 with two goals allowed), the Sharks can rely on Niemi to give the team a big performance on Sunday. He has Stanley Cup-winning experience and knows what it takes to win high-pressure games.

San Jose will have to win at the Staples Center one time to end Los Angeles' Stanley Cup defense and reach the Western Conference Finals, but the focus right now is to continue its dominance on home ice.

If the Sharks take care of business in front of their hometown fans on Sunday, they will be a confident group playing with house money in Game 7. In that situation, all of the pressure would be on the Kings as the home team with its championship defense on the line.

As a team with a strong veteran core that has a lot of experience in closeout games, the Sharks will have plenty of confidence and focus in Game 6. They played their worst game of the playoffs on Thursday, but this team has done a great job of turning the page, not panicking and focusing on the next challenge all season.

For veteran players such as Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, this year's postseason run is one of their last quality opportunities to win a Stanley Cup in San Jose. Both players' contracts are set to expire at the end of next year (per Capgeek), and their future with the team beyond 2013-14 is uncertain right now.

These players will be highly motivated to extend their season by another game, and as the leaders of this team, Thornton and Marleau will help the Sharks win Game 6 and force a deciding seventh game back in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

San Jose has let its fans down plenty of times over the last few years with disappointing playoff exits, but there won't be another heartbreaking ending on Sunday.

Follow @NicholasGoss35

Nicholas Goss is an NHL Lead Writer at Bleacher Report. Nick was a credentialed reporter at the 2011 Stanley Cup Final and 2012 NHL playoffs, and he is also a credentialed writer at the 2013 NHL playoffs in Boston.

How the Memphis Grizzlies Defy Conventional Notion of Championship Contender

Tom Firme — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:52:09 -0400

Fans may mistake the Memphis Grizzlies' strained march much of the way through the first two games of the Western Conference Finals for that of a team that doesn't belong in the conference finals. However, the Grizzlies have earned their way to the conference finals.

They won frontcourt matchups in the second round against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Thus far, the Grizz have put up impressive offensive numbers.

Indeed, not everyone's awoken without squinting to a world in which the Grizz make the NBA's final four. CBSSports.com's Matt Moore tried to hush someone on Twitter who thought the Grizzlies weren't for real.

A few aspects to the Grizzlies throw fans for a loop. They don't have a big-time scorer. Memphis isn't in the top four in their conference. They've moved past the trade of their leading scorer. Here's a look at why these haven't shaken the Grizz.

No overwhelming scoring talent

Whether the casual fan happens to catch a Grizzlies game or pick up a stat sheet, he or she might feel let down by the absence of the a killer scorer. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph won't barrel down the lane and throw it down in an opponent's face. Randolph isn't that type of athlete.

Gasol, who takes 20.9 percent of his shots at the rim, according to basketball-reference.com, prefers to take mid-range jumpers.

Also, Gasol isn't a shoot-first player. He kicks it out when he sees that a teammate may have a better shot.

Mike Conley only turned into a scorer after the Rudy Gay trade. Conley averaged 16.9 points per game to finish the season after the trade and is averaging 17.4 per game in the playoffs. His career high before this season was 13.7 per game in 2010-11. Whether he's capable of posting Deron Williams-esque lead guard numbers has yet to bear.

Gay had been that talent, but he never fulfilled himself as a scorer. He hung between 18.9 and 20.1 points per game for five years. Before being traded, he managed just 17.2 per game on 40.8 percent shooting. Additionally, Gay never took more than 16.3 shots per game in a season for Memphis.

The Grizzlies would be one of those rare teams to reach the NBA Finals without a dynamic scorer. They'd be the first since 2001-02 New Jersey Nets to make the finals without a 16-points-per-game player.

Anyway, Memphis' hard-driving defense, which ranked second in opponent turnover rate and defensive rating this year and led the league in opponent turnover rate the previous two, allows it to live without much scoring. With such a tough defense, the Grizz don't need to ask someone to stack up points.

Living down trading the leading scorer

That the Grizz lack such a scorer doesn't diminish their contender status. Many questioned the logic of dealing someone with Gay's scoring ability after it happened—and some still do, as The Commercial Appeal's Kyle Veazey noted via Twitter.

But the volume of scoring in one man's hands doesn't matter if it makes the offense less efficient. He produced 104 points per 100 possessions in 2011-12 and 97 per 100 before the trade this year.

Also, as Grantland's Zach Lowe pointed out, the Grizzlies offense became more efficient with Tayshaun Prince's efficient low-usage play.

The Grizz shot 45.9 percent from the field after the trade, compared with 43.8 percent beforehand.

As SI.com's Rob Mahoney said, the Grizz have kept this up in the playoffs, shooting significantly better than in last year's first-round loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Also, the Grizzlies had the second-best offensive rating in the first round, as ProBasketballTalk.com stated.

Teams don't often achieve great playoff success after making a dramatic trade. The 2003-04 Detroit Pistons, which were Rasheed Wallace's third team for the season, were one exception.

Surviving with an eight-man rotation

Lionel Hollins' crew is going deep in the playoffs with a short bench. It only has eight players with double-digit minutes per game.

No other team in the last four postseasons made the conference finals without nine or more with at least 10 per game.

Hollins is leaning particularly hard on Conley and their starting big men. Gasol is playing 40 minutes per game, 0.2 fewer than LeBron James, who leads all those still in the playoffs. Conley is averaging 37.8 per game and Randolph is putting in 36.4 per game.

The burden the Grizz put on their leading bigs is surprising. Darrell Arthur, the third Memphis big man, is putting in 11.8 minutes per game. Their fourth, Ed Davis, gives a mere 6.1 per game.

They never put such pressure on Gasol and Randolph in the playoffs before. Last year, Marreese Speights and Dante Cunningham received more than 15 minutes per game, combining for 40 per game. Arthur played 15.5 per game in 2011.

Indeed, Arthur suffered injuries this season and shot 35.7 percent in a two-month stretch from Jan. 23 to March 23.

With that and the loss of other big men in midseason trades, Hollins seems reluctant to turn to backup frontcourt players.

Some may wonder when that will wear on Gasol and Randolph.

Overcoming not having a top-four seed in the playoffs

Before the playoffs, I had harped on the Grizzlies' need to get home-court advantage for the first round.

That turned out not to be a necessity. First, the Grizz won a franchise-record 24 road games in the regular season, good for fourth in the league.

Second, Memphis quelled fears that its post-Gay roster might not fit. As noted before, it's shot better and has been more efficient offensively without Gay.

Third, finishing within four games of first place and becoming the second team to land fifth place with 56 wins lessened the damage of missing out on the home-court spot.

The odds aren't in favor of the Grizzlies becoming the first team outside the top four to make the finals since 1999, but commentators haven't ruled them out. ESPN.com's J.A. Adande spoke of their never-say-die attitude when trailing by double digits in the third quarter.

Moore and Zach Harper talked in a podcast about Memphis' ability to rattle Tony Parker.

Conclusion: Cutting against the grain wouldn't kill the Grizzlies

Sitting outside these conventional ideas won't bring Memphis down. Instead of having one high scorer, the Grizz have three putting up 17 per game.

Falling behind 2-0 to the Spurs didn't happen simply because San Antonio is the No. 2 seed and the Grizz are the No. 5 seed. Memphis didn't succeed in the areas that made it a contender. Its defense failed in Game 1 and allowed 61 points between the second and third quarters of Game 2.

It also didn't shoot well, hitting 43 percent in Game 1 and 34 percent in Game 2.

If a comeback series win surprises people, it should be as a result of the fact that the Spurs blew a 2-0 lead in consecutive conference finals, not Memphis' low seed or scoring configuration.

Which Washington Capitals Free Agents Should Stay and Which Should Go?

Robert Wood — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:49:23 -0400

With their offseason in full swing, the Washington Capitals can now focus on re-signing a small handful of free agents.

Keep in mind, however, that Washington has a cap payroll of $58,641,517, seventh-highest among NHL Salary Cap Payrolls for the 2013-14 season. As a result, the Capitals only have $5,658,483 of cap space with which to re-sign these free agents, not to mention possible free agents from other teams. That leaves the team with some decisions to make.

Here is a list of which Washington Capitals free agents should stay and which should go. Each player is listed with his position, and the type of free-agent status (restricted or unrestricted) that applies to his contract.

Note: All data courtesy of CapGeek.com unless noted otherwise.

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Should the Denver Broncos Have Upped Their Offer for Charles Woodson?

Christopher Hansen — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:32:37 -0400

The Denver Broncos had Charles Woodson in for a visit, but couldn’t come to an agreement with the 36-year-old defensive back. Woodson ended up visiting with the Oakland Raiders and signing a contract that is worth a maximum of $4.3 million, according nfl.com.

That seems like a lot of money for an older player in the twilight of his career, but the Broncos offered Woodson a seemingly comparable contract worth a maximum of $3.7 million, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. It certainly looks like Woodson chose money over the ability to play for a contender.

If the Broncos were serious about signing Woodson, they should have upped their offer before he visited the Raiders. It sure seems like the Broncos miscalculated Woodson’s interest in returning to the Raiders and ended up losing a player they would have liked to add to their secondary.

Champ Bailey was on 102.3 FM in Denver on Tuesday and said there was “no freaking way” Woodson wanted to go to Oakland; he also called the visit a “negotiation tactic." Bailey’s thoughts may or may not have echoed the sentiments of the organization.

The Broncos may have assumed that they had the advantage if the money were equal. Not only would Woodson have a chance to win a ring in Denver, but his tax burden would have been lower playing more games in Colorado and fewer games in California.

Woodson will now play nine games in California instead of two, which means his base salary will be taxed at a higher rate for seven more games. Any incentives earned will also be taxed at the California tax rate. The cost of living is also much higher in California, so Woodson’s expenses will also be higher.

Based on these differences, Denver’s offer was probably nearly the same, even if the total dollar amount was $600,000 lower. What it likely came down to is the structure of the incentives, Woodson’s role with the team and the signing bonus.

According to Josina Anderson of ESPN, the base value of Woodson’s deal is $1.8 million, which included a signing bonus of $700,000. The Broncos reportedly offered realistic incentives with a base salary near the league minimum. As far as we know, Denver’s offer didn’t include a signing bonus.

Although the total amount of the deal was comparable, the Raiders' offer was better by at least $700,000. The base salary would have been nearly the same. The other factor could have been the structure of the incentives.

Although the incentives may have been realistic in Denver, the Raiders' offer may have been impossible for the Broncos to match. For Woodson, the opportunity to play free safety probably wasn’t on the table in Denver.

Woodson’s contract should, in theory, allow him to reach his incentive triggers more easily playing free safety for the Raiders than he would have playing strong safety for the Broncos (assuming interceptions are one of the incentives). Woodson may have also felt like he had a better chance to stay healthy not playing in the box at his age.

It didn’t make a lot of sense for the Broncos to offer Woodson more to play strong safety when they have a perfectly capable one in Mike Adams. In fact, ProFootballFocus graded Adams higher than Woodson last season (subscription required).

In a weird way, Woodson signing with the Raiders and not the Broncos could be a win for all parties. Both teams wanted to sign Woodson to help their team, but obviously more than the on-field factors were considered by all sides.

The Raiders need all the help they can get on defense, a good leader and something for the fans to be excited about. If Woodson doesn’t hold up physically or athletically, they have a realistic fallback plan in Usama Young.

Woodson gets to finish his career where it started, close to his winery in Napa, playing free safety and making more guaranteed money. For a player who has already won a Super Bowl, that’s not a bad consolation for playing for a rebuilding team.

The Broncos avoid overpaying for a player who may or may not be even better than their projected starter. If Woodson doesn’t have much left in the tank, Peyton Manning should be able to exploit him in pass coverage.

Even if Woodson does have something left, he isn’t likely to make a significant enough impact on the Raiders to make them a threat to the Broncos. Fans in Denver can also continue to dislike Woodson with the fervor they did when he played in Oakland for the first eight years of his career.

Golden State Warriors Fans Shouldn't Hold Breath About Landing Dwight Howard

Zach Buckley — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:25:17 -0400

The Golden State Warriors thought they had their offseason checklist already written.

A 47-win regular season brought them a rare postseason appearance, meaning May 21's draft lottery was finally not their concern. In fact, unless they're enthralled with a player from what's been called a historically weak draft class or they're offered an unlikely chance to unload one of their awful contracts, the Warriors don't need to be concerned with the draft at all.

Their first-round pick, 21st overall, is headed to the Utah Jazz as a late payment for their ill-advised acquisition of Marcus Williams(!) in 2007-08. Their second-round pick, 51st, belongs to the Orlando Magic after several exchanges since they dealt the pick as part of the David Lee sign-and-trade in 2010.

The cash-strapped Warriors, who could have as much as $74 million in salary commitments depending on player options (via HoopsHype.com), didn't figure to be concerned with outside free agents, either. At least, not before deciding on the futures of Jarrett Jack (an unrestricted free agent) and hearing the option decisions of Carl Landry and Brandon Rush.

Then Long Beach Press-Telegram hoops scribe Mark Medina offered the latest update on Dwight Howard's free agency. Essentially Medina said what all other Howard observers have been saying for months: The All-Star big man doesn't know where he wants to play next season.

That's great, but how does this relate to the Warriors? Because Medina offered a one-sentence bombshell, some 16 paragraphs into the piece. "A source familiar with Howard's thinking says he plans to test free agency and has considered the Lakers, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Golden State," Medina wrote.

And just like that, Golden State general manager Bob Myers' checklist was a crumbled mess in the bottom of his trash can.

The Warriors found a winning combination this year, one that carried them all the way to a competitive, six-game series with the San Antonio Spurs in the second round.

But folks, this is Dwight Howard we're talking about. Superman. A 6'11", 265-pound sculpture of a man, a player that never lost his standing as the best center in the business despite a nightmarish debut season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Think Warriors owner Joe Lacob isn't still cleaning the remnants of his beverage off his keyboard? He had tried, unsuccessfully, to pluck the big man away from the Orlando Magic in each of the last two seasons but could never sell his franchise as a viable landing point for the superstar.

Now not only was his team in the running, but it was reportedly just one of five hand-picked by the big man himself.

Sounds a little too good to be true, doesn't it?

I mean, Andrew Bogut proved invaluable in the Warriors' playoff run, but who's to say the big man will ever be fully healthy again? Even if it meant sacrificing Harrison Barnes or Klay Thompson (it would), those players built intrigue on their potential. Howard has suitors and media members hanging on his every word for substance, for tangible results like a trio of Defensive Player of the Year awards and seven All-NBA selections.

Bogut has the defensive ability (when healthy) to watch the backs of the defensively challenged Stephen Curry and David Lee, but never averaged better than 15.9 points per game even in his best years. Howard supposedly just finished one of his worst seasons as a pro and still managed 17.1 points a night on 57.8 percent shooting from the field.

Howard thrives when sharing the floor with proficient perimeter marksmen, which the Warriors have in droves. Golden State's shooters suffered to find space without a post scorer that demands defensive attention. Howard's devoured single coverage throughout his career and found ways to be successful when faced with double- or triple-teams.

A match made in heaven, right? One that Warriors coach, and pastor, Mark Jackson couldn't sign off on quickly enough.

If only it was that easy.

Unless Myers' past life as an NBA agent has made him the greatest salesman the world has ever seen, Medina's article will be as close as this team ever gets to landing Howard.

For starters, any ticket out of L.A. would be incredibly expensive for Howard. The Lakers can offer more money ($118 million as opposed to $88 million) and a longer contract (five years instead of four) than any of his other suitors.

Forget the economics, says blindly optimistic Warriors fan, Howard can recoup that money and then some in his next contract.

It's possible, but even that doesn't necessarily help the Warriors. With so much money already committed to next year's payroll, the Warriors would have to sacrifice valuable assets to land Howard in a sign-and-trade with the Lakers. The Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks can sign the big man outright on the free-agent market, and possibly still have enough financial wiggle room to search for even more talent.

And don't forget Howard reportedly just said he felt under-utilized and over-looked by Mike D'Antoni in Los Angeles (via Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com).

Part of Golden State's long-overdue return to relevance centered around adding high-character players and respectable leaders to the locker room.

Howard's been the center (no pun intended) of three drama-filled locker rooms over the last three seasons. Would his same frustrations return when the Warriors' snipers are firing at will and the big man's not getting any touches? Does the team have a strong enough leadership core to handle a disgruntled star?

The only time Howard's coming to the Bay Area next season is when he's donning a road jersey and searching for laughs inside the visitors' locker room at the Oracle Arena.

But that doesn't mean that this situation is a complete loss for the Warriors.

Rather it means that Lacob's accomplished what he set out to do when he led the group that purchased this franchise in 2010.

And no, I'm not talking about giving this fanbase a reason to watch playoff basketball. I'm talking about completely changing the culture of the organization, transforming one of the league's laughing stocks into a coveted landing spot for superstar free agents.

This isn't the last step that this club needs to take, but you can see the light at the end of the tunnel that Lacob and Co. have been selling to Golden State fans for three years.

Yes, that light is indeed golden. And words can't begin to describe how magnificent of a site it is to see for Warriors fans.

Follow @Hoops_Guru

How the State of Virginia Is Shaking Up College Football Recruiting

Adam Kramer — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:25:11 -0400

The state of Virginia is poised to knock the recruiting world off its axis.

With three of the nation’s top 10 players in the 2014 class calling Virginia home—Da’Shawn Hand, Andrew Brown and Quin Blanding—geography could soon flex its recruiting muscles.

Whether or not in-state schools can capitalize on this perk won’t be known until next February, but the possibility of a shakeup (even a temporary one) is alive and well.

“Virginia has always produced outstanding football talent, but it is rare for a state other than Florida, Texas or California, to have three elite of the elite-type of prospects,” said JC Shurburtt, National Recruiting Director for 247Sports. “But these three, given their lofty comparative positions with other prospects nationally, will be remembered for years.”

This comes at a time where the names and faces are familiar. Not with the players, who become household names by the end of the recruiting cycle shortly before we hit the reset button and start from scratch. But instead the teams, coaches and powerhouse programs that reserve this yearly real estate at the very top of the recruiting rankings.

Under Nick Saban, Alabama has become a fixture at the top. The likes of Florida and LSU know plenty about this real estate as well, while Ole Miss and Auburn were able to stake their claim to this spot earlier this year. Other SEC schools such as Georgia and South Carolina occasionally stop by.

Sprinkle in Notre Dame, add in Big Ten powers Ohio State and Michigan, and throw in the occasional USC and Florida State commit, and a familiar equation comes into focus. Despite the unexpected that comes with recruiting, the end game remains predictable. At least it has in recent years.

2014—and perhaps beyond— could be different. If Virginia and Virginia Tech are able to close on these three prep stars, it will be different.

Da’Shawn Hand

The Woodbrige, Va. defensive end is the No. 1 player according to 247Sports. He’s already been compared to Jadeveon Clowney and sports a 4.6 forty at 250 pounds.

“Hand's first step and quick hands (no pun intended) are elite and some of the best I've seen in person, said Shurburtt. “Combine that with his natural strength and tireless work ethic and it adds up to the No. 1 overall prospect at this time thanks in large part to the rarity factor.”

Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster has established a wonderful relationship with Hand, something that has been discussed often. 84 percent of the experts on 247Sports’ Crystal Predictions feel Hand will eventually sign with the Hokies, while the other 16 percent predict Michigan.

Andrew Brown

The No. 4 player nationally on 247Sports and the highest-ranked defensive tackle, the 6'4", 282-pound Chesapeake native is one of the fastest risers in the recruiting world.

“Brown's quickness and athleticism are too much to handle for most great offensive tackles,” Shurburtt noted. “That type of size/athleticism combo plus the versatility factor makes him a big-time rarity.”

As for 247Sports’ Crystal Ball, 89 percent feel he’ll stay close to home and commit to Virginia. Yes, that Virginia. North Carolina checks in second, getting 11 percent.

Quin Blanding

The nation’s top safety prospect according to 247Sports and also the No. 9 player overall, Blanding is the only top-10 player verbally committed.

“Blanding is a 6'2", 200-pound defensive back that has the hips, speed and athleticism to play cornerback in college, though he can and likely will be an elite free safety in the NFL,” Shurburtt said. “He's not just a coverage guy, either, as he's not afraid to come up and strike an opposing ball-carrier in the run game.”

Blanding has verbally committed to Virginia. Yes, that Virginia. If the commitment holds, it would be an enormous land for head coach Mike London, who is under pressure in 2013 to a) win and b) close strong on the recruiting trail.

A Big Splash Could Lead to Much More

It’s unfamiliar territory seeing the Virginia logo (and only the Virginia logo) at the top of the recruiting rankings.

Granted, it’s incredibly early in the 2014 recruiting cycle, and a verbal means little until the letter of intent is signed. Still, non-traditional powers rarely climb this high, at any time, even with distinct geographical advantages in play. If Virginia and Virginia Tech are able to keep three of the top 10 players from leaving the state, it’ll be an exceptional win in the world of ultra-competitive recruiting.

Landing one (or two) of the nation’s top players could go beyond simply landing a potential difference-maker. It could provide buzz and an infusion of energy both schools crave. It could give future recruits, both in- and out-of-state, something to think and talk about.

Success on the recruiting trail could be contagious, and the perks beyond simply keeping in-state talent close to home could be enormous.

The schools weren’t able to do it last year with quarterback Christian Hackenberg, linebacker Jonathan Allen or running back Derrick Green, all of whom were Virginia products considered premier players in the country at their positions. Hackenberg chose Penn State and Allen signed with Alabama, while Green chose to attend Michigan.

2014 could be different.

Alabama will still be in the picture, of course. So will Ohio State and Michigan. And LSU. And other familiar recruiting assassins will make their yearly cameos when it comes to landing the elite. But if both Virginia and Virginia Tech are featured prominently amongst the familiar powers, don't be surprised.

Geography is on their side, and momentum might not be far behind.

*Adam Kramer is the Lead Football Writer for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.

Projecting the State of the American League West in 2015

J.J. Matthews — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:23:47 -0400

With about a quarter of the 2013 season in the books, the American League West still has its fair share of questions moving forward as it did at the beginning of the season. With the exceptions of the Texas Rangers running away from the pack; and the Houston Astros performing at a historically poor level, there are no clear answers for what the rest of 2013 holds for the Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Angels.

But what about 2014? Or 2015? With strong farm systems, progression and regression of current players, free agency and trades; the landscape of the AL West could be drastically different a year and a half from now.

On that note, we peek into the crystal ball and predict how the AL West will look two years from now. The slides will be done in a power ranking from first to last, with a list of starting lineups, rotations, and best players.

Follow @thejagepage

Begin Slideshow

2013 MLB Draft: 8 Position Players Philadelphia Phillies Should Target

Marilee Gallagher — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:22:27 -0400

For the Philadelphia Phillies and all teams around baseball, the MLB Amateur Player Draft, taking place during the first week of June, is a chance for the team to really bolster what in recent years has been a barren and nearly decimated farm system.

The strength of the Phillies farm system comes in the form of pitching, particularly left-handed pitching. In fact since 2002, the Phillies have spent four of their six first round picks on pitching, three of which, including Cy Young finalist Cole Hamels and minor league standout, Jesse Biddle, who were left handers.

But while the pitching has been developed pretty well, many other areas, most notably at the corner outfield, have been neglected and sorely underdeveloped.

And for that reason, the Phillies should make the most of their four draft picks in the top 100 and their 16th overall pick, the highest since the team drafted Hamels in 2002.

While this draft has been considered a pitching heavy one, there are plenty of good corner outfielders as well as other positions that are there to be had. There are also some standouts who might fall through the cracks and some guys with marginal talent that could end up being draft steals when all is said and done.

There are spaces throughout the minor league organization that need to be filled, and the Phillies will certainly have a group of talented guys to choose from.

So in no particular order, here are eight position players the Phillies should consider drafting with some of their early picks.

All prospect rankings courtesy of Baseball America's Top 250 and MLB's 2013 Top 100 Draft Watch.
Scouting Grades courtesy of Jonathan Mayo (MLB's 2013 Top 100 Draft Watch)

Statistics courtesy of: Samford Baseball, Mississippi State Baseball, Stanford University Baseball, Fresno State Baseball

Begin Slideshow

Sacramento Fans, Franchise Legends Celebrate with 'Long Live the Kings Rally'

Grant Hughes — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:16:51 -0400

The Sacramento Kings are staying put, and on May 23, their fans got together with a whole bunch of the franchise's royalty to celebrate.

The rally actually kicked off well before the crowd gathered at Cesar Chavez Park in downtown Sacramento. In a fashion befitting the Kings' forward-looking new ownership, the social media hype reached a fever pitch well before everyone met up in the real world.

Hey, any excuse to watch Chris Webber snarl and dunk, right?

C-Webb also showed up in the flesh. He didn't come alone, though, as former Sacramento luminaries like Mitch Richmond and Scot Pollard (yes, that Scot Pollard) joined the party, too.

The rally was an excellent reminder of the kind of fans the Kings actually have. Nobody can blame them for failing to support a team whose ownership was totally clueless. The Maloofs ran the franchise into the ground with terrible coaching hires and even worse talent evaluation.

But now that there's reason to believe things might be turning around, people showed up in droves.

Suddenly, one of the league's most devoted fanbases was back.

Of course, since these are the Kings we're talking about, there had to be a few party poopers. One even took the opportunity to fire away at the woeful attendance levels that marked the past few seasons in the aptly named Sleep Train Arena.

Jokes aside, there was real reason to be concerned about one of the attendees. Former Minnesota Timberwolves GM David Kahn, famous for laughable draft picks and unforgivably bad contracts was spotted and photographed in secret.

Be afraid, Kings fans. Be very afraid.

There'll be plenty of time to worry later, though. It was cool to see so many happy fans assembled at the dawn of a new age for the beleaguered franchise.

In fact, all of the excitement may have triggered an actual tremor, according to the city of Sacramento.

As soon as that new downtown arena goes up, the shaking will likely be coming from a sellout crowd, which is a lot safer than the kind that results from tectonic shifts.

Party on, Sacramento!

Los Angeles vs. San Jose: Anze Kopitar's Emergence Makes Kings a Force

Steve Silverman — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:15:06 -0400

The Los Angeles Kings have all the elements to win their second straight Stanley Cup.

They have the strength up front with players like Jeff Carter, Mike Richards and Dustin Brown.

They have a powerful and swift defense that does not often make mistakes. In the rare cases players like Slava Voynov, Drew Doughty or Jake Muzzin make a mistake, the Kings have Jonathan Quick in goal to clean up for them.

All he did last year was win the Conn Smythe Trophy.

But the one thing that the Kings had to be concerned about was Anze Kopitar. He is the Kings' best all-around player. When it comes to offense, he can dominate with his explosiveness and timely scoring.

Kopitar has excellent instincts and is regularly able to play the game with patience so he can finish his scoring opportunities.

But Kopitar has struggled for the Kings this year. His regular-season numbers were decent—10 goals and 32 assists in 47 games—but they were far below what Kopitar is normally capable of providing.

Kopitar has also struggled in the playoffs. Going into Game 5 of the Kings' series with the San Jose Sharks, he had scored one goal and four assists in 10 playoff games. In last year's playoff run, Kopitar had eight goals and 12 assists in 20 games.

Kopitar has not been the patient scorer who could hold on to the puck an extra split second and find the back of the net. Instead, he was firing the puck into Antti Niemi's pads or missing open corners.

But Kopitar came through for the Kings as the series returned to the Staples Center. The Kings were dominating in the offensive zone, but they couldn't dent Niemi until the late stages of the second period.

Kopitar was off to Niemi's side and when the goalie could not control a rebound on a shot by Justin Williams. Kopitar calmly backhanded the loose puck into the back of the net.

The Kings took the momentum from that goal and ran with it. Voynov added to the lead early in the third period and the Sharks were not able to get one past Quick. An empty-net goal by Jeff Carter made the final score 3-0 and gave the Kings a 3-2 lead in the series.

But the best news was clearly Kopitar's ability to score the goal that proved to be the game-winner.

After the game was over, Kopitar was relieved as he spoke with Joe Micheletti of the NBC Sports Network. "Yes, I have to say that my legs feel lighter after scoring that goal," Kopitar said with a smile.

Credit Kings head coach Darryl Sutter for helping Kopitar find a way to score his second goal of the postseason. The tight-lipped Sutter placed energy forward Kyle Clifford on the same line as Kopitar, and the move seemed to help the Kings create far more chances than they had in the two games that were played in San Jose. The Sharks won both of those games.

Kopitar had three shots on goal and worked well with Clifford and Justin Williams. Brown, who had skated with Kopitar and Williams, played with Trevor Lewis and Dwight King. Brown had one shot on goal, but he did not score.

A relaxed Kopitar could be a huge factor for the Kings. With the Chicago Blackhawks struggling badly in their conference semifinal matchup with the Detroit Red Wings and trailing 3-1, the Kings may be able to play themselves into the role of Stanley Cup favorites the rest of the way.

If Kopitar is squeezing his stick tightly and missing opportunities, the Kings are in trouble. But when he's having fun and relying on his instincts, he's a formidable player.

That's the best news for a Kings team that can clinch the series with a victory Sunday night in San Jose.

Jemile Weeks Is the Player on the Oakland A's That Should See More Playing Time

Clarence Baldwin Jr — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:13:45 -0400

It is time for the Oakland A's to call Jemile Weeks up from Triple-A Sacramento. With all due respect to Adam "Lewis Skolnick" Rosales and Eric Sogard, Weeks is a better option at either second base or shortstop along with Jed Lowrie.

Now, if Sogard was lighting it up at second base after earning the job out of spring training, that would be one thing. But while he hasn't been inept, his .250 average, zero sacrifices and just five RBI is a lot of empty production.

Compounding that lack of production is that Sogard currently does not have one sacrifice. There are many instances when the A's could play for a single run (something that has been a weakness of this team for a long time). A player like Sogard would theoretically fit that bill, but yet he does not.

As for Rosales, he is a very quality utility player that can spell a starter or step in when an injury arises. But he is not a full-time starter and has not been for a reason. His production has been solid (.262/.342/.415 slash line) and again, I think the utility position is a great spot for him.

But understand, this is not an opinion based on what these players are not doing. This is about what I think Weeks can do. Having adjusted his swing to cut down on pop up and fly balls, the second baseman has gotten back to using his speed, something the A's could use more of in their lineup.

The most promising thing about Weeks' AAA numbers is his .416 on-base percentage. Oakland can use an infusion of speed and daring. Weeks, when he's slashing the ball, does that unlike no other player in their organization currently.

Grant Green would be a viable option too, except he continues to be a liability in the field, as his six errors at first and second base would indicate. Right now, he would be best suited as a right-handed designated hitter, and I don't see a spot for him there currently.

Ultimately, it serves everyone a bit of good to get Weeks back up as Hiroyuki Nakajima continues to adjust to the Major League game. The A's can see what a player once regarded as their top prospect can do in terms of making adjustments. Weeks gets a chance to prove himself after a humbling 2012.

Most of all, the A's don't risk losing much in their lineup due to the lack of production from the guys Weeks would be stepping in for. It is not a complete no-lose situation, but it is close. Besides, if Daric Barton could get another chance (and another), why not Jemile Weeks?

Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat: Game 2 Preview and Predictions

Bryant Knox — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:10:12 -0400

The Indiana Pacers gave the Miami Heat their best shot in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Unfortunately for the road team, LeBron James and the Heat were the ones who narrowly escaped with a 103-102 victory.

James’ late-game heroics trumped Paul George’s big shots when it was all said and done. The two leaders came up huge during crunch time, but when you give James the last look, you’re gambling with one-on-one coverage.

As well as Indiana played in the first contest, the big topic of the night became Roy Hibbert’s absence on the final play. With the 7’2” center on the bench, James took advantage of an empty painted area and finished in the lane with nothing but space between him and the rim.

If Frank Vogel could do it again, you have to believe he’d put Hibbert near the hoop to at least challenge the game-winning field goal.

But no game has ever truly been decided by one possession. Both teams played well enough to win, and with overtime, physical play and last-second shots still on our minds, we can believe that Game 2 will live up to its lofty expectations.

Time: Friday, May 24, 8:30 p.m. ET

Where: AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami, FL

Series: Miami 1-0

TV: TNT

Game 2 Storyline: How Indiana Bounces Back

Losing a contest the way Indiana did can be far more draining than getting blown out. That sentiment only gets stronger in the playoffs, and the way the Pacers bounce back will speak volumes to their character and willingness to compete.

If you’ve watched the Pacers at all during the 2012-13 season, you know they’re not a team to give up. They’re young enough to ignore the fact that the Heat are the favorites, but mature enough to hold their heads high and recognize how close they were the first time around.

According to the Associated Press (via ESPN), Vogel believes that his team is “very encouraged” by the play in Game 1. Forgetting the loss and honing in on what went right is going to be key, while also focusing on where the team can improve along the way.

On that same note, Miami knows that it also needs to play better (per the AP report). If Indiana comes into Game 2 feeling more invigorated than hung over, the Heat must be ready for a group that is highly motivated.

Star Watch: LeBron James

Has it become cliché to call James the best player in the world? If it has, it's for a very good reason.

James made headlines with his late-game execution in Game 1, once again proving that the clutch gene is something you can develop. He didn’t settle for jump shots, he played to his strengths and just as importantly, he recognized what the defense was willing to give him.

According to ESPN, James is 7-of-16 in his career on potential game-tying and game-winning shots in the final 24 seconds of postseason contests. That’s 43.8 percent shooting in those situations, and the most makes of anybody since James entered the Association.

But as much as everybody will remember the last-second layup that sent the home crowd into a frenzy, you can’t ignore the fact that James had 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in 47 minutes. Paul George played him tightly throughout much of the game, but he’ll have to do more if he wants to be successful in the second go-around.

Speaking of George, we’d be remiss not to mention his name in this category. The youngster has established himself as a franchise player and a superstar in the making, and he’s proven he’s capable of hitting big shots when it counts.

The problem for the 23-year-old comes when he is forced to expend too much energy on defense. James is one of the toughest covers alive today, and George has the unfortunate task of keeping up with him on both sides of the floor.

Projected Starting Lineups:

Indiana: George Hill, PG; Lance Stephenson, SG; Paul George, SF; David West, PF; Roy Hibbert, C

Miami: Mario Chalmers, PG; Dwyane Wade, SG; LeBron James, SF; Udonis Haslem, PF; Chris Bosh, C

Pacers Injury Report (via CBS Sports)

N/A

Heat Injury Report

Mario Chalmers (Shoulder), Questionable for Game 2

Pacers Will Win If…

They take care of the basketball.

In a game of inches, turnovers can sway the result one way or the other. George had the most notable turnover of the contest when he threw the ball to his own bench late in the game, but the Pacers as a whole turned the ball over 20 times.

In losses this postseason, the Pacers are averaging 19 turnovers per game. In wins, that number drops to 13.6.

They played well enough in Game 1 to take down the defending champs, but those pesky giveaways are to blame for Miami’s constant confidence and momentum.

In Indiana’s defense, it also forced 20 turnovers. The Heat, however, recognize that they need to play a cleaner brand of basketball, and we saw how well they can adjust after falling to the Chicago Bulls in the first game of Round 2.

The Pacers defense is going to remain imposing, and if their offense can take advantage, life will be a little bit easier as the series continues.

Heat Will Win If…

They continue to attack the paint.

The Heat scored 60 points in the paint Wednesday night. They shot just 27.8 percent from the three-point line, and while fans in South Beach would like to see that number improve, attacking the rim has to remain a constant.

Miami is shooting just 33.5 percent from deep range during the playoffs. That’s notably better than their current Eastern Conference opponent, but it’s a far cry from the 39.6 percent that nearly earned them the top spot in the regular season.

Almost as important as getting to the rim, the Heat must keep Indiana out of the paint. The Pacers scored 48 points of their own in the key, but the bigger story is offensive rebounds.

Indiana collected 17 offensive rebounds in Game 1. The number itself is only one more than what Miami was able to grab, but the bigger theme is that those rebounds put a halt on any run the Heat were trying to make.

Miami was never able to truly pull away, and it’s because poor rebounding negated otherwise solid defense. Rebounding has been a problem for Miami throughout 2012-13, and this is where we learn if it keeps them from reaching the Finals.

Prediction

When it comes to predicting this outcome, Game 1 is going to influence a lot of opinions. The Pacers played the Heat down to the wire, and they showed that they can compete in a long, grueling series.

That said, we can’t forget that the Heat are still the favorites, and with another game in Miami, it’s possible that Indiana missed out on its one true chance of gaining all momentum.

While both teams can play at a higher level, the Heat appear to be the ones who can boost their game the most. There’s a reason they’ve won 46 of their last 49 contests, and with Ray Allen yet to have an impact, the Pacers have to be ready for an improved unit come Game 2.

What Indiana will look to do, aside from clean up its own execution, is get even more physical. Teams have shown that when you bully the Heat, you gain a slight advantage, and that’s the blueprint the Pacers must follow.

Indiana will win games in this series, and it will keep the drama high. But with the Heat re-focused and playing at home, they enter Game 2 with an edge over their foes out East.

Heat 98 – Pacers 93

Ohio State Football Recruiting: Evaluating the Buckeyes' 2014 Commits so Far

Tim Bielik — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:09:54 -0400

After getting the long-awaited verbal commitment from Akron LB Dante Booker on Thursday—per Jeremy Birmingham of Eleven Warriors—Ohio State's 2014 recruiting class stands at nine.

The Buckeyes do have a good group of prospects already in tow with the hopes of adding several more top prospects like QB Kyle Allen, LB Raekwon McMillan and OT Jamarco Jones.

So far, Ohio State has done a solid job of attacking some of its biggest needs, particularly on the offensive line with the commitments of two in-state linemen in Kyle Trout and Marcelys Jones.

Jones already has the size of a college guard at 325 lbs., and Trout possesses the prototypical frame for a tackle. Ideally, the Buckeyes would love to continue to add to this group because they graduate multiple starting linemen and don't have much depth behind them.

Another one of OSU's early verbals came from its rival's backyard, as Detroit product Damon Webb verballed to the Buckeyes.

Webb is the latest in a long line of talented corners to commit to the Buckeyes in recent years and brings plenty of skill with him.

The Buckeyes' fourth commitment was a bit of a surprise in Booker's high school teammate, RB Parris Campbell. The speedy back didn't pop onto the radar all that much until he exploded for 156 yards and three touchdowns in last season's Division III State Championship Game win over Bellevue.

Campbell brings to the table what 2013 signees Dontre Wilson and James Clark also have: game-breaking speed, and a lot of it to burn. He's the type of player Urban Meyer will want to have the ball in his hands at least a few times every game once he fills his body out.

Like with Booker, the Buckeyes didn't look too far to supplement their linebacking corps with in-state products Kyle Berger and Sam Hubbard.

Both are outstanding athletes with a nose for the football and for making big hits.

As for the rest of the class, getting verbals from out-of-state prospects WR Lonnie Johnson and DL Dylan Thompson were just as crucial with both boasting good offer lists despite only 3-star rankings on Scout.com.

This class is certainly far from complete, with the Buckeyes hoping to land more big-name prospects as they did late in the last recruiting class by getting commits from Wilson, Clark and S Vonn Bell all within the last week.

Even though this class will be the last to be limited by scholarship sanctions, the Buckeyes should be able to have another great recruiting class in 2014.

And so far, they're off to a pretty good start.

Follow me on Twitter @bielik_tim for the latest college football news and updates.

Biggest Questions and Answers for the Chicago Bulls This Offseason

Ernest Shepard — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:03:00 -0400

There will be plenty of tough decisions that the Chicago Bulls will have to make this offseason. The Bulls, still stinging from 4-1 elimination by the Miami Heat in the second round of the playoffs, showed that they did not lack heart. What they were missing were healthy bodies.

Injuries are common in sports but few teams had to deal with as many injuries as the Bulls did.

Finding healthy players will not be a problem for Chicago. They have other questions to solve.

How the Bulls fill out their rosters and if any of their pending free agents return are just two of the questions that require solving.

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Biggest Takeaways from Thursday's NHL Playoff Action

Carol Schram — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:00:58 -0400

Thursday night's NHL playoff action featured three hard-fought games. Fans were treated to great action from start to finish and a couple of unexpected results.

At Madison Square Garden, the New York Rangers overcame a 2-0 deficit in their pivotal Game 4 to grab a 4-3 overtime win and secure the first victory of their series against the Boston Bruins.

Over in the Western Conference, strong goaltending was the theme of the day. The Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings each got shutouts from their netminders on their way to grabbing the third win of their respective series.

Here's a closer look at the big storylines and takeaways from Thursday's action.

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Report Card for Each NHL Playoff Team's Head Coach

Jerry Bonkowski — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:56:28 -0400

When teams reach the playoffs and then try to move on from round to round, they're usually only as good—or bad—as their head coach.

Usually.

But some of the teams in this season's conference semifinals have great coaches, yet they've struggled and are facing potential elimination (can anyone say Blackhawks?).

Let's take a look at the conference semifinals and see which coaches have made the grade—and which ones have come up short.

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Biggest Questions and Answers for the Boston Celtics This Offseason

Grant Rindner — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:55:37 -0400

Every NBA team heads into the offseason with questions, but perhaps no team is facing more significant questions than the Boston Celtics.

Fresh off of a mediocre 41-40 season and a first-round playoff loss to the New York Knicks, Danny Ainge and the C's front office have much more time than usual to ponder the future direction of the franchise.

Which is good because there's a whole lot of pondering to do.

With the futures of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and even Doc Rivers in jeopardy and with plenty of holes to address through the draft and free agency, this team is going to have to take a long look in the mirror and really commit to a direction for the future during this offseason.

Either Boston is going to gear up for one final run at a championship with Pierce and KG in tow, or they are going to bite the bullet, look to deal one or both of their veteran stars and attempt to build around the core of Rajon Rondo, Jeff Green and Avery Bradley for the next few seasons.

As the Celtics sit and watch the conference finals from home, let's take some time to examine the big questions Boston needs to address this offseason.

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The Biggest X-Factors for Each Conference Finalist Remaining in NBA Playoffs

Josh Cohen — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:43:02 -0400

The NBA conference finals will be determined just as much by the X-factors as they will be by the stars.

That isn't to say the great players aren't the most important ones in the series; they're just less volatile.

LeBron James is going to be a one-man force of nature for the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers' Paul George will strive to match him with his incredible athleticism. In the Western Conference Finals, Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies and the San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan will battle on both ends of the floor to see who's the more dominant big man.

A big part of these players' stardom is their consistency. You know what type of production you're going to get from those guys in any given game.

It's the unpredictable elements that can turn a close series into a blowout or tip it toward the underdog. The impact role players and strategic maneuvers make—whether they work out or not—will ultimately decide who moves on to the NBA Finals.

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How Cavaliers Selecting Otto Porter at No. 1 Would Change 2013 NBA Draft

Grant Hughes — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:36:21 -0400

Just about everyone has the Cleveland Cavaliers selecting Kentucky's Nerlens Noel with the top pick in the 2013 NBA draft, but if there's any truth to the rumor that they're actually interested in Otto Porter, the resultant ripple effect could really shake up the rest of the top picks.

According to Michael Lee of the Washington Post, the Cavs might not be as set on Noel as it seems:

But there is a possibility that Porter, arguably the most NBA-ready player among the top prospects, might not be around when the Wizards pick third. A source with knowledge of the Cavaliers’ thinking said Porter is under consideration to go No. 1.

It's actually pretty reasonable for the Cavaliers to be looking at options beyond Noel. The lanky big man is coming off a torn ACL and might have trouble bulking up enough to be the dominant interior force some think he'll eventually become.

Plus, Porter fills an obvious need for Cleveland on the wing. With a backcourt of Dion Waiters and Kyrie Irving set in stone and a pair of solid bigs in Anderson Varejao and Tristan Thompson, Porter could fit nicely into the mix as a small forward with a smooth mid-range game.

The lanky wing averaged 16.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists during his sophomore campaign with the Georgetown Hoyas. More impressively, he earned some major praise from a rival head coach:

It's still very early in the process and it's key to note that teams put out smoke screens like this all the time. This could simply be the Cavaliers' effort to seem unpredictable. After all, there's no advantage to letting every other team know what they really want to do with their No. 1 pick.

But just for the sake of argument, let's assume Lee's source is legitimate and the Cavs really are looking at Porter. If that's actually the case, there could be some interesting changes throughout the draft's remaining lottery picks.

For starters, the Orlando Magic would be stuck wondering whether they could shoehorn Noel into their frontcourt mix. The Magic have a promising big-man tandem in Nikola Vucevic and Andrew Nicholson, but they'd have to at least be tempted to take a look at Noel. Ben McLemore or Trey Burke certainly appear to be the better fits in Orlando, but the Magic might not be able to pass on Noel's talent.

Assuming the Magic can restrain themselves, Noel would slip to the Wizards, who already have a whole lot of money tied up between Emeka Okafor and Nene (more than $27 million in 2013-14 combined) in the frontcourt. So they might also look to fill a need on the wing, perhaps reaching for Shabazz Muhammad or the tantalizing Anthony Bennett.

The Wizards would really like to just take Porter, who played his college ball in their backyard, and be done with it. But if they can't have the small forward they really want, they'll be stuck between choosing from among less impressive replacements or picking Noel and hoping he's good enough to force them to offload one of their high-priced veteran bigs.

With Bradley Beal and John Wall set at the guard positions, there's no way the Wizards even look twice at Burke or McLemore.

So by the time the Bobcats get a chance to pick, it's likely that one of either Burke or McLemore will be available along with Noel.

If Noel somehow dropped past the Wizards and McLemore was also still available, there's a good chance that the projected No. 1 pick could fall even further. The Charlotte Bobcats are in desperate need of young talent up front (and everywhere, really), so you'd think they'd be ready to pounce on Noel if he were available.

But McLemore might be the safer pick and would fit in nicely alongside Kemba Walker, who showed some steady growth during the 2012-13 season.

The slippage for Noel might not stop there, either. Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated has the Bobcats taking Victor Oladipo at No. 4, so if Noel and McLemore both become available to the Phoenix Suns, it's possible that they'd opt to take the Kansas guard ahead of the Kentucky center. Mannix points out that the Suns are bad enough that they need to take the best player on the board.

To them, that could be McLemore.

At No. 6, the New Orleans Pelicans are set up front with last year's top pick, Anthony Davis, and Robin Lopez. So they're not a guarantee to grab Noel either.

We have to stop here, though, as the Sacramento Kings have proved that they have no idea what they're doing and are basically impossible to predict. Let's just hope for Noel's sake that he's off the board by the time the Kings are selecting at No. 7.

Hey, we're piling speculation on top of speculation here to try to project how a potential surprise selection of Porter could affect the rest of the first round, but really, nobody knows yet what's going to happen.

Keep in mind, though, that if the Cavs really do forego Noel for Porter at the top spot, there really could be some far-reaching consequences—especially for Noel.

20 Most Astonishing Photos of the 2013 NBA Playoffs

Luke Petkac — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:27:32 -0400

We've got plenty of the 2013 NBA playoffs left to go and already the amazing and astonishing moments are piling up.

Every postseason is memorable in its own way, but this year it seems even more memorable than usual. That's not always necessarily a good thing—the injuries haven't been fun, that's for sure—but in general, all of these crazy moments have delivered a great postseason. So what could possibly be better than reliving them?

Nothing, that's what.

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Sharks vs. Kings Game 5: Score, Twitter Reaction and Analysis

Ryan Rudnansky — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:24:47 -0400

The defending champion Los Angeles Kings defended home ice with a 3-0 victory over the San Jose Sharks in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals Thursday night.

Anze Kopitar, Slava Voynov and Jonathan Quick were the heroes for the Kings.

It was a relatively clean first period with only one penalty.

The Kings' Jeff Carter got two minutes for boarding Matt Irwin 5:28 into the game, but, minus a couple of long slap shots by Irwin and Dan Boyle, the Sharks didn't threaten much during the ensuing power play.

Despite the lack of penalties, however, that doesn't mean it wasn't physical. The Kings racked up 24 hits in the first period alone, making it known that they came to play and to protect their Staples Center ice.

The one and only Tom Cruise was in attendance, via C.J. Fogler:

Neither team scored in the first 20 minutes. Los Angeles managed nine shots on goal during the first period, while San Jose registered six shots. It was clear coming into the battle that Antti Niemi and Jonathan Quick would make life tough for the offenses, but the defenses helped out early on, too.

Larry Beil of ABC 7 News in San Francisco tweeted:

Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times quipped:

The Kings once again came out firing early in the second period, playing aggressive hockey and keeping the Sharks in their zone for the most part. But the Kings were still unable to get much going on the offensive end, failing to score or even draw a penalty from San Jose.

Eric L. Smith of the Antelope Valley Press tweeted:

While there weren't very many penalties, there were plenty of whistles for icing. There were six stoppages for icing in the first eight minutes of the second period.

At the 11:19 mark, the Kings were the ones to commit another penalty. Kyle Clifford was whistled for charging Patrick Marleau.

But it was the short-handed Kings that actually threatened more, with Dustin Brown's wrist shot from 13 feet being saved by Niemi.

Los Angeles was awarded a power play a few seconds after San Jose's ended when Jason Demers boarded Robyn Regehr. But the Kings weren't even able to get off a shot on goal.

After some back and forth, the Kings finally got on the board at the 18:08 mark of the second when Anze Kopitar flipped it home from point-blank range off a rebound, assists going to Clifford and Justin Williams.

Former NHL player and Sharks radio color commentator Jamie Baker hit us with a Pulp Fiction reference, and we thank him for it:

After San Jose's T.J. Galiardi was hit with interference at the 18:50 mark, Jeff Carter's attempt from 11 feet was saved brilliantly by Niemi, keeping the Sharks within range headed into the final period.

A mere 53 seconds into the third period, the defending champions struck again. This time, it was Slava Voynov, who connected on a 50-foot wrist shot off an assist by Trevor Lewis. The Kings had the lead, 2-0.

Of course, TheRoyalHalf.com knew better than to call it a game:

San Jose was awarded a power play at the 10:26 mark when Kopitar was whistled for tripping Joe Thornton. But two shots on goal by the Sharks were saved by Quick and time was ticking for San Jose.

San Jose's James Sheppard was given two minutes for roughing Mike Richards at the 13:36 mark. The Kings got off three shots during the ensuing power play, but they were all blocked by the Sharks.

The Sharks' last-ditch effort down the stretch ultimately came up short, as Jeff Carter finished off the win by swinging the puck into the open net with 32 seconds remaining.

The Kings racked up 29 shots and 51 hits in the 3-0 victory, while Quick saved all 24 attempts by the Sharks.

Game 6 is slated for Sunday in San Jose, with the Kings leading, 3-2.

How Does Adrian Peterson Compare to the Top 10 Rushers of All Time?

Matthew Stensrud — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:22:40 -0400

Adrian Peterson currently ranks No. 33 among the NFL career rushing leaders with 8,849 yards. Emmitt Smith sits comfortably at the top with 18,355 yards.

Coming off his best season in 2012 with 2,097 yards, which was nine yards away from breaking Eric Dickerson's season rushing record, the reigning MVP is currently the best running back in the NFL.

But how does he stack up against the best running backs in history, and can he remain healthy enough to contend for Smith's record?

With the running back position taking a considerable beating, a player must possess both athletic ability and longevity in order to have a chance at cracking the list of top 10 career rushers, let alone breaking Smith's record.

The NFL Players Association claims the average career of an NFL player is 3.30 years, with the average career of a running back at 2.57 years.

The NFL qualifies this statistic in claiming the average career of a rookie making a club's opening day roster is 6.0 years and players with at least one Pro Bowl selection or appearance last 11.70 years.

However you slice it, Peterson will need to more than double his production from his first six seasons over the remainder of his career to reach Smith—a challenging task in a league that has become more pass-happy over the years.

But let's not forget who we're talking about here.

After a shortened season in 2011 due to a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee, Peterson shattered all odds by returning in 2012 and having the best statistical performance of his career. He has set his own personal goal of 2,500 rushing yards for 2013.

While that target may be a bit of a stretch, Peterson is on a better pace than most of the career rushing leaders in the NFL. Let's take a closer look at how he stacks up against the top 10 rushers:

Rank	Player	Yards	Seasons	Yds/Season	Games	Yds/Game
1	Emmitt Smith	18,355	1990-2004	1,223.7	226	81.2
2	Walter Payton	16,726	1975-1987	1,286.6	190	88.0
3	Barry Sanders	15,269	1989-1998	1,526.9	153	99.8
4	Curtis Martin	14,101	1995-2005	1,281.9	168	83.9
5	LaDainian Tomlinson	13,684	2001-2011	1,244.0	170	80.5
6	Jerome Bettis	13,662	1993-2005	1,050.9	192	71.2
7	Eric Dickerson	13,259	1983-1993	1,205.4	146	90.8
8	Tony Dorsett	12,739	1977-1988	1,061.6	173	73.6
9	Jim Brown	12,312	1957-1965	1,368.0	118	104.3
10	Marshall Faulk	12,279	1994-2005	1,023.3	176	69.8
33	Adrian Peterson	8,849	2007-2012	1,474.8	89	99.4

Courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com

What stands out in this breakdown is that only Sanders tops Peterson in yards per season. And while Jim Brown is the only player on this list to average over 100 yards per game, Peterson is on his heels with 99.4.

According to Curtis Martin (the No. 4 rushing leader), speaking to Pro Football Weekly, Peterson is already one of the best running backs of all time:

To me, as far as God-given ability, Adrian Peterson has more than anyone I've ever seen play running back. I’m talking in the history of the NFL, not just in this era. I believe he’s that guy. Adrian Peterson is the type of talent that, even if his career ended with the injury last year, he’d make it into the Hall of Fame.

Martin continued:

I don’t know any other back with his elusiveness combined with his speed, his power, with his durability. He may not have the best career of any running back, but I think he’s probably the most talented there is.

In assessing Peterson's odds of reaching Smith, let's project Peterson into 10 seasons. If he can rush for 1,600 yards over each of the next four seasons, Peterson would be at 15,249 yards, just 20 yards shy of Sanders at No. 3 all time.

Sanders himself averaged 1,649 yards per season his final four years of a 10-year career.

If Peterson can continue that pace for an additional two years, Peterson would finish with 18,449 yards, supplanting Smith as the NFL's all-time leading rusher.

Heading into the 2013 season, it seems almost a certainty that Peterson will break 10,000 yards. If he maintains a similar yards-per-game pace, he will do so in Week 13 at home against the Chicago Bears.

And while cracking the top 10 list of all-time rushers may still be a few years out, Peterson has certainly set the pace over the past six seasons. With a steady level of production and a couple breakout seasons, the Vikings running back may eventually cement his name in history.

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