Bleacher Report - Articles by Michael McGowan

NBA Trades to Come, Lastest Buzz

Michael McGowan — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 20:20:37 -0400

So close, yet so far away. NBA teams have caught the Boston Celtic disease that Danny Ainge has sent spreading across the league. The disease consists of a long burning sensation that will suddenly stop upon the trading for a new all-star.

There were traces of this disease tracked all the way back to 2004 when Shaquille O'Neal was traded from Los Angeles to Miami. But Danny Ainge is the reason why everyone thinks they can be a winner now.

This NBA off season has already started off with a bang, even though we were all waiting for a summer of no movement. 2010 has been the year most NBA teams have been waiting for. The summer of LeBron, Wade, and Bosh all becoming free-agents.

Maybe that summer came a year early. Wade may be looking to lock up now, if the Heat will put the pieces around a year early. He has already switched shoe companies, now being part of the most popular brand in the country, the Jordan Nike Brand.

Bosh finally got a a wing man in Hedo Turkoglu. He looks like he will not be traded a year early.

James' team had the biggest off season move by adding Shaq who will be on a war path to win one more NBA title before he is done and goes up to the broadcast booth.

Washington thinks it has made its jump from the Lottery to the playoffs by getting Mike Miller and Randy Foye from Minnesota, and the return of their stars Antwan Jamison and Gilbert Arenas.

So what other moves can we be expecting this offseason? Here are five that are likely to happen.

1. Utah sends Carlos Boozer and CJ Miles to Miami for Udonis Haslem and the Marcus Banks Trade exception. Miami also ships Dorrell Wright to Memphis to help clear a little space and give him a chance to play elsewhere.

This is a cap move for Utah, knowing they will be losing Boozer at the end of the year anyway. Miami puts a piece around Wade and tries to get him to sign the long-term deal. Chicago is also interested in Boozer.

2. The 76ers sign and trade Andre Miller, sending him to Portland for Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw. Miller is sure to make this young team much better. This is a move that Portland needs to make. Andre has made the Sixers a playoff team by himself. This is one point guard who does not get his due, he will never be a star, but makes stars so much better.

3. Here is a swap that won't wow anyone, but Charlotte sends Nazr Mohammed and Vladimir Radmonovic to Philadelphia for Samuel Dalembert. Sammy has written his one way ticket out of town. He played for Larry Brown and this move will help Charlotte with salary after next season. Dalembert could also end up in Houston, but it is not likely.

4. Amare Stoudemire should end up in Golden State for Biedrins and Belinelli. This trade will take another team to step in. This trade is long overdue, and I believe it is waiting for the rookies signed by Golden State to clear their 30 days waiting period. Miami could try and step in again if they do not get Carlos Boozer.

5. The rest of the moves remaining in this off season are destination for the last couple free agents. Lamar Odom does not want to leave LA. But it is sure getting there. Odom should either end up staying to play with long time friend Ron Artest, or leaving and going to Miami where he can make the most money besides LA.

If Miami does not give its mid-level exception to Odom, than Allen Iverson could be headed there. Iverson would provide a scorer when Wade is not in the game. Iverson could also sign with the clippers, or the Bobcats.

Big Baby and David Lee are both waiting. Could Europe lure either player? It sure could, but unlikely. Portland may make a play at Lee and Big Baby could sign in Texas with any of the playoff bound teams. Neither player should get much more than a MLE. And last, Marquis Daniels should be suiting up in a Celtics uniform next year.

Miami Heat Ready To Wheel and Deal

Michael McGowan — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:59:54 -0400

Today Pat Riley spoke with Heat fans and his message was very clear. It is the same message that he has been trying to get across to Dwayne Wade. Stay with us and we will win now and later. Riley is ready to make a big move, and another, and possibly another.

According to ESPN, the Heat could be close to signing Lamar Odom to a deal that would net him close to the $9 million he wanted from the L.A. Lakers and is expecting that Portland will give him now that Utah matched there offer to Paul Millsap. Lamar Odom's feud with the Lakers is enough evidence to me that he will sign with someone that is going to make a run for the championship.

Odom loved Miami and did not want to leave when he was dealt to the Lakers back in 2004. He never had any ill will to the Heat or Pat Riley for trading him. The Heat also hold one more advantage in this situation. The State of Florida has not state tax when you get paid from your employer. For someone like myself, it would only equate to dollars per year, but to someone making millions this is a huge advantage.

After Odom, or possibly even before, the Heat are also looking at adding Carlos Boozer. First they are checking to make sure that he is fully healthy. The deal on the table right now is for Carlos Boozer along with C.J. Miles. Memphis would receive Dorell Wright from Miami. Utah would get Udonis Haslem and a trade exception to cover the rest of the salary difference. Udonis Haslem would be a big loss for the Heat as he has been a co-captain along side of Wade and has helped get this team to a championship. They will need scorers in the front court and right now Udonis is not one of them. Haslem scores most of his points off of open jumpers and put-backs.

Both of these moves seem to show that Miami is ready to compete with the rest of the East again. Last year was a great turnaround for the Heat, but now it is time to build off of that. With a starting lineup of Jermaine O'Neal, Carlos Boozer, Lamar Odom, Dwayne Wade, and Mario Chalmers this team would be unstoppable. Michael Beasley could slide into the lineup with Odom handling the ball at the point and Chalmers coming off the bench.

The Heat will be officially, ON!

Philadelphia's Conundrum

Michael McGowan — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:36:09 -0400

What's in a name?

Can one name make the difference?

Yesterday starts the official beginning of the Philadelphia Phillies 2010 Championship run.

Early Thursday morning, Phillies front office members gathered to put together an offer for Roy Halladay. The offer should be made official sometime today, but will not be a final offer. The Phillies will make a strong competitive move, making sure to hold their ground on some prospects.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays do not want to deal Roy to a division rival, and will take a good hard look at the Phillies' offer. Pat Gillick was in town yesterday for the first time in a couple of weeks. For this trade to be made, Ruben Amaro will need Gillick's help, as he doesn't have the skills to go it alone.

But with all of this talk in Philadelphia of "selling the farm" for one player, they need to wonder, is any one player worth all of this hype?

Last year, the Philadelphia Phillies became "The World Champions of Baseball" as a team.

There was no "I" in this team. They were 25 strong, all with the same mentality and same goals. Everyone stepped up when they were needed. Cole Hamels was dominant. Joe Blanton was hitting home runs. Shane Victorino was flawless. Even Pat Burrell stepped up. Bench players, like Geoff Jenkins, came through in important game situations.

So, what's in a name?

The Philadelphia Phillies are at a crossroads. They could take the path of winning now and thinking of the future later. Or they could take the other road, the road that could lead to a dynasty.

The Phillies are good right now. Would Roy Halladay or another top two pitcher make them great? Would it guarantee them a championship? If the Phillies choose to move ahead with a couple minor deals, save the prospects and hope they turn into the next group of Cole Hamels, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard, then this team could be dangerous for a long time.

Players like Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins have already shown that they could be on a decline. Is it worth saving a "five tool" player like Michael Taylor as a kick start to this lineup in the next two years?

Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels as a one-two punch could be pretty lethal. It may be the best one-two in baseball and make them the team to beat. But is it as lethal as Cole Hamels, Kyle Drabek, Joe Savery, J.A. Happ, and Carlos Carrasco as a one-two-three-four-five punch?

We may never know the answer to that question.

Philadelphia fans are just asking one thing: "Please don't make us wait another 25 years."

Kevin Curtis Out At Least Two Months

Michael McGowan — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:08:43 -0400

Kevin Curtis will undergo surgery Thursday to fix a sports hernia that he suffered in a preseason game last week. Curtis was the No. 1 option for the Eagles last year. The news was announced around noon today by Coach Andy Reid. Reid later stated that they would not be bringing in a replacement.

The Birds will, however, be looking into a replacement for Curtis, because he will be out at least two months. Joe Horn and Anquan Boldin will both be options for the Eagles, depending on how serious they are about replacing him.

Javon Walker may also be close to getting cut and could be an option for the Eagles. The sports hernia could mean as little as two months of recovery time, or up to as many as three to four months.

The Eagles are very thin at the wide receiver position and must move quickly to replace Curtis, while division rival Dallas is also out there looking at the same three names.

Philadelphia Phillies' Trade-Deadline Update

Michael McGowan — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 04:21:54 -0400

The Phillies want a starter. Their fans want a starter. Everyone knows that the Phillies need a starter, and it's not going to be easy to get one. The Phils also feel that they are close to failing completely at getting one, even though they have been so close to acquiring a few.

That is because they have heard that A.J. Burnett will not waive his no-trade clause for them. Erik Bedard may be out of reach because Pat Gillick is ready to pull the trigger, but the rest of the organization is not.

Other front-office executives know that Gillick is going to Seattle at the end of the year, either to be a front-office member or he will be joining a group of guys who will buy the Mariners. So, they think Gillick could be giving up too much to help Seattle in the long run, when Gillick himself will be a Mariner in the future, reaping the benefits of this trade.

Not that Gillick is trying to sabotage the Phils, because he is trying to take care of a major need for his current team and go out a winner at the GM position. But he is pulling the trigger too quickly, possibly when the Phillies could have a front-line starter in the minors so close to being big-league ready.

Carlos Carrasco would be an option coming up as a replacement. He looked great on Sunday playing in the Futures game, and many scouts took notice. Kris Benson could be ready and healthy sometime this year.

Brett Myers will start on Tuesday at Shea vs. the Mets after striking out 10 in his last start in the minors. He will have one more minor-league game in AAA on Thursday, then the Phils hope he will be back to his '07 starting form and ready to help against the Mets.

A.J. Happ threw about five or six innings in both starts, and he could be ready to pitch in more games and maybe give a couple more productive innings.

Moyer has shown signs of brilliance at his old age, and he could anchor this rotation. But with his great performances, he also throws in starts he would like to forget now and then.

Now the Phillies are actually talking to the Rockies about Matt Holliday, and they could give up their young pitcher Carlos Carrasco and possibly top-rated young middle infielder Adrian Cardenas for him.

If you cannot get the pitching that will, without a doubt, improve your staff, then what else is there left to do? Manuel is looking for a bat that will stabilize this lineup. That bat could very well be Matt Holliday, who is signed through 2009.

Holliday could be the starting right fielder and would be that bat that would separate Ryan Howard and Chase Utley in the order. Left, right, left!

Phillies have been looking for that for three years in the middle of the order, but have not been able to get it. At the end of 2008, Holliday would stay and Jason Werth and Geoff Jenkins would again try to win a spot in the outfield, if Pat Burrell should choose to leave for more money, or if the Phillies would choose not to sign him.

If there is an arm out there, it is not coming easy. Ken Rosenthal says, “The Burnett rumor is not legit.” I know that it was legit, both teams were scouting each other for weeks. But maybe it is now not legit because of Burnett’s unwillingness to go to Philadelphia.

Erik Bedard sits on the DL right now, and Seattle may be willing to take less to get him out of their city. He has the talent, and he would be the solution. They are not demanding young or old prospects in particular. They just want talent in the minors. The same kind of talent that they lost by acquiring him.

Adrian Cardenas would have to be the starting chip. Somehow, keeping Carrasco out has to be the most important piece to the Phillies. Carrasco was showcased for the league in the futures game, and I would be surprised if almost every team has not picked up the phone and offered a pitcher today, for Carrasco’s future.

According to Bodog, the Phillies sit at 14-1 to win the World Series, and 11/2 to win the NL. Matt Holliday would no doubt bring both odds down and give the Phillie's a great shot at extending their lead over the Mets and Marlins in the NL East. But would it help them win a World Series? Only pitching will.

NBA Signings: Day One

Michael McGowan — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:25:45 -0400

It's signing day, NBA fans! Day One has come and gone, and there aren't really any surprises to report. All the news that has been reported over the last couple of weeks is becoming official today.

So, who signed where? Here we GO:

Elton Brand finalized his five-year, $82 million dollar deal with the 76ers. Brand was examined physically head to toe—and maybe even more than that. He is healthy, the is back on the East Coast and he is now very rich.

To free up that money, the Sixers sent Rodney Carney and Calvin Booth to Minnesota with a future first-rounder to get an extra $2.9 million in cap room.

Beno Udrih is back in a Kings uniform, and should be their starting point guard for the next five years.

Desagana Diop reached his deal with the Mavericks, finalizing a five-year, $31 million contract. Diop has averaged 2.5 points and five rebounds in his career. You be the judge.

Last year, the Miami Heat shot 36 percent from behind three-point line. James Jones shot 44 percent. Pat Riley says Jones is a perfect fit, and he received a five-year, $23 million dollar deal from the Heat. Jones, who played his college ball for the University of Miami, is coming home.

Two very talented swingmen for opposite reasons have agreed to terms with new teams. Corey Maggette is headed up the state to Golden State, signing a five-year, $50 million deal. Maggette was pursued by many teams, all offering half that amount.

Also, the Orlando Magic and Mikael Pietrus came to terms on a "multi-year deal" which was reported by Florida Today. Pietrus should be the starting shooting guard for the Magic, and will make them a better all-around defensive team.

The Raptors have re-signed Jose Calderon, after trading TJ Ford in the Jermaine O'Neal deal.

The Hornets have announced the extension of Chris Paul for $68 million. New Orleans surprised many teams last year, owning first place in the very tough Western Conference for a good portion of the year. The Hornets have also targeted James Posey in free agency.

In other extension news, Andrew Bogut has been extended for five years and $72.5 million with the Bucks.

Deron Williams should be announcing an extension with the Jazz very shortly.

Some other quick news:

The Clippers lost out on the Elton Brand sweepstakes and now will pursue Emeka Okafor and Josh Smith.

James Posey is still trying to decide where to sign. He has his choice of just about everyone who made the playoffs last year. Detroit, the Lakers, Boston, New Orleans, Cleveland, Dallas and San Antonio are all said to be options for James.

How about some news on some ink that has not dried yet? I keep hearing Baron Davis is a Clipper. But is he? He verbally agreed to a deal last week, but usually that kind of deal is signed on the first day of the signing day. No word on that signing yet, stay tuned!

Minnesota could have four first round picks in the 2009 draft after getting that pick from Philadelphia today. Some are conditional, so the stipulations would have to be met—but it is a very good possibility. Philly gave Minnesota Utah's pick, and the Wolves still have one from Boston for KG and one from Miami for Ricky Davis and Mark Blount.

The Spurs are very interested in JR Smith, if the James Posey saga does not turn their way.

And last—Sam Cassell, the ugliest man in the NBA since the retiring of Tyrone Hill, may be re-signing with Boston for the Veteran Minimum. Cassell was dealt to Boston midseason last year, and was at times the second or third point guard on the depth chart.

This brings us to the end of Day One. Just remember that this is suppossed to be a weak free agency year.

Report: Philadelphia 76ers Sign Elton Brand

Michael McGowan — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:39:54 -0400

950 AM Radio in Philadelphia is reporting that Elton Brand has signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. No terms of the deal have been released yet.

Many believed that Elton Brand would return to the Los Angeles Clippers, after he chose to opt out so the Clippers could add other talent. The Clippers had to renounce their rights to both Elton Brand and Corey Maggette to be able to sign Baron Davis. Then, they hoped to sign Brand too.

Today, the Sixers traded a future first round pick, Rodney Carney and Calvin Booth to Minnesota so they could add a $2.9 million trade exception and increase the salary cap space they had.

No one knew whether it would be Josh Smith or Elton Brand that space would be offered to. But 950, an ESPN affiliate, is reporting that a deal is done.

Brand is familiar with the area, because his doctor who performed ACL surgery for him last year is located in North Delaware(Wilmington), which is about 15 minutes from Philadelphia.

Brand played in only a handful of games last year due to that injury and expects to be at full strength this year.

Deals can be officially signed tomorrow, July 9th.

ARTICLE UPDATE: It is 100% official Brand is going to be signing a 5 year 82 million dollar contract tomorrow. The only question left is how many games will he play next year?

NBA Ready? Beasley Vs. Rose

Michael McGowan — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:19:02 -0400

Round One:

Michael Beasley and Derrick Rose both kicked off their NBA career yesterday in Summer League action. Beasley and Mario Chalmers led the Heat past the Chicago Bulls in the first pro game for all three rookies.

Michael Beasley dominated most of the game, and finished with 28 points and nine rebounds in only 23 minutes. Beasley was asked how he performed, and he gave himself a C.

Beasley looked very "tall" on defense and when rebounding. One issue teams had with Michael is that he only measured 6'8'' with shoes on at the NBA rookie combine. He was matched up against the Bulls Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah, and never showed signs that he was smaller.

Keith Askins did limit the time of Beasley, because he had three fouls in the first half. Riley then reminded the Heat summer league head coach that there is no fouling out in these games.

The Miami Heat are searching for a point guard to start for them this year, and may have found one in the second round of the draft. Mario Chalmers was able to shut down Derrick Rose and force him into five turnovers.

Chalmers, acquired in a draft day trade for two future second-round picks from the Minnesota Timberwolves, finished with 11 points, six assists and six steals, while only committing one turnover.

He may have been the better point guard in his first game for the Miami Heat. The Heat will be looking very closely at what Chalmers can do in the upcoming days, while they have four more summer league games in four days.

While Rose struggled, but showed signs of one day being a star, the Heat rookies looked very impressive. Rose showed signs of why he was the number one pick; he was very quick with the ball to the basket.

In transition, he was the first man to the basket every time. Rose had his moments, but did finish with only 10 points, five assists, and five turnovers. Who have thought that Derrick rose would have a 1-1 assist to turnover ratio, while Chalmers would produce a 6-1 in their first games as pros?

While the Heat rookies had very productive stats in their first games, the most important lesson that this Heat team must learn is the way of winning again. The Heat forgot how to win last year, and these rookies are already reminding them how.

Fantasy Football: Drafting, Rankings, and Questions!

Michael McGowan — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 11:35:18 -0400

Fantasy football is right around the corner, and players will be reporting to training camp in less than three weeks, which means fantasy drafts are just over six weeks away.

If I could, I would draft today. I love draft day. But as much as the preseason is a waste of time, it's important to see who makes it through and who is healthy going into the season for fantasy reasons.

Comments and tips are encouraged for this article. I am in no way a fantasy expert. I play every year and usually have two teams, one in a friend's league and one in a work league. I have won the friend's league two times in six years, but have gone zero for three in the work league.

But with your help as readers, and since you are people who are probably better at this fantasy thing than I am, maybe you can help me go two for two this year.

All these comments are based on a typical scoring-league, where touchdowns count five points for a quarterback and six for everyone else. QBs get a point for every 25 yards and RBs and WRs get one point for every 10. Sacks, INTs, and fumbles are all -2 for skill players and +2 for your defense.

Approaching your draft

When finding out where you will be drafting, you immediately go to your fantasy rankings and see what players should be available at your drafting spot.

Should you always draft a running back in the first round? Or should you take the best available position-player at all times?

In recent years, I have had the seventh and eighth pick (out of 12) in the first round.

With one QB being taken ahead of me, that left me with a pick of either the second-best QB or the sixth-best running back in the year that I chose seventh. Taking the sixth-best running back seemed like I would be hurting my team.

In recent years, there have been a couple of surprise running backs every year. But it is so important in fantasy football to get a 1,100-1,400-yard running back. If you miss out on that running back in the first round, there is almost no chance you will be as lucky in the next round.

So question No. 1: you're picking in the lower end of the first round, one QB has been taken and the rest have been RBs.

Do you take the seventh-best running back at pick No. 8, or do you pick the second-best quarterback?

Tom Brady will be that guy who breaks up the running-back trend in the top half of the first round, as he has been cemented as the best fantasy QB. Peyton Manning will be there in the second half, along with your choice of any other QB.

In the past, I have always gone with the running back, but this has not always benefited me. The seventh-best running back, for example, would be Steven Jackson or Clinton Portis. Both of these backs have injury problems, but the chance to score huge. They should be 1,000-yard backs, and have around 10 touchdowns or so. But Peyton is without a doubt going to throw for close to 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. What will you all be doing in this situation? It seems to be a reality for me every year.

Just how high should a wide receiver go?

The receivers in New England are just as valuable or more valuable than most running backs. There is no question in my mind that Laurence Maroney is a very valuable No. 2 RB in fantasy football. He is used when needed, but the Patriots and some other teams have started to use the short passes in running situations more often. In the Patriots' case, they have at least two WRs that are more productive than their RB. Does that mean that Randy Moss is a first-round draft pick?

This leads into my next question. It's the same situation as question No. 1. You have pick No. 8, with one quarterback and six running backs selected. Peyton Manning is available, Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson, and Marion Barber are all available, and lastly, Randy Moss is there.

Do you take Randy Moss in the first round in this draft scenario?

In a normal-scoring league, Peyton Manning is going to score about 290 points. The running backs listed are about 200-point running backs, give or take a few. 200 is a solid year out of a fantasy back, but compare it to the upper echelon of RBs that score about 275-315. Lastly, Randy Moss scored close to 300 points last year, and he is being projected on ESPN's fantasy projections as a 240-point scorer this upcoming year.

What is the order of the top-five running backs?

ESPN lists the top five projected RBs in point order are: LaDainian Tomlinson, Adrian Peterson, Brian Westbrook, Joseph Addai, and Steven Jackson. After Steven Jackson, who was arguably the most disappointing fantasy player last year, there is a huge point drop-off to the sixth running back.

So, according to ESPN, the top five backs are cemented into that upper echelon. Ranking has nothing to do with what they will accomplish, but how can a second-year back be ranked No. 2? He was the best fantasy football and NFL story of 2007. But he also did get injured and is yet to actually play a full season in his football career. When picking a running back, you are looking for the guy who is going to get those points, but you are also looking for durability.

My running-back ranking would go like this, and this is how I would draft: LaDainian Tomlinson, Brian Westbrook, Joseph Addai, Adrian Peterson, and Steven Jackson. Peterson may be the best back, one on one, in this crop of backs. But Westbrook should be used a little more this year than last, and he catches the ball so much more than any other RB. He should score even more this year, with Donovan McNabb being healthy, and the red zone will really open up with a healthy McNabb and a healthy L.J. Smith.

Addai is a point monster, even though he missed a game last year. Jackson was No. 2 on everyone's list last year, or three, right behind Larry Johnson. Both backs missed most of the year, but could return right back to their form from two years ago. You should not have a question mark when drafting your first-round running back.

How important is a fantasy football defense to your fantasy team?

I believe that a defense is a very big part of your team, and it's worth missing a draft pick in the later rounds (8-10), to pick up one of the best defenses. Each year in a normal-scoring league, a fantasy defense comes close to scoring 200 points. Last year it was the Chargers, and this year someone will do it again.

A 200-point season is as productive as a running back in the 6-10 rankings. The Chargers should have another big turnover year.

How early are you willing to draft a defense in your league?

Again, this year is a questionable year, because there are a bunch of question marks. The Eagles should have a great defense, and score a ton of points, but they do not have linebackers with experience.

The Patriots have a stellar D every year, but are old at linebacker, but they added a great rookie. They lost Asante Samuel who had a bunch of picks last year. Now that the Ravens and Bears are not guaranteed to be that 200-point team, how high will you go?

If I see San Diego in the 11 to 12 rounds, I would take them this year. They will produce turnovers and get to the QB.

Please respond below, or on my profile.

Where's the Money? More NBA Free Agency News

Michael McGowan — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 20:32:46 -0400

The NBA Free Agency period is upon us. Going into the free agency period, many experts said that there would not be money out there for teams to spend.

Some major players in the NBA such as Corey Maggette, Baron Davis, and Elton Brand, have decided to opt out of their contracts. They are ready to go and get some more cash—maybe with the same team, or maybe with another.

Now that the Big Three of the free-agency period chose to go this path, there is actually more money available than people thought. Golden State is sitting out there with some cap room, along with Philadelphia and Memphis, who were already listed as spenders. The Clippers had cap room, but that was spent on Baron Davis and the rest will soon be going to Elton Brand.

On top of cap space, the NBA also supplies each team with veteran exceptions and one mid-level exception (which is the NBA-average salary, around $5.8 million). Baron Davis surprised everyone—including the Warriors—by leaving $17.8 million dollars on the table, while people like Shawn Marion and Ron Artest know that sticking around for one more year may make for a bigger payday next year.

Maybe these guys who opted out aren't about money, then. Maybe they just want to win? Let's talk about some major free agents and where they have gone or could go, and who is interested:

Elton Brand and Baron Davis

The LA Clippers could be the place where everyone wants to go to win this summer. With Maggette gone and Brand opting out, the Clips signed Baron Davis first, and now are trying to get Elton Brand locked up.

Since Brand is a returning player, the Clippers can go over the cap to sign him. Both will be taking pay decreases in '08-'09, but will be making a lot of money by the end of their contracts, with raises each year.

It is going to take alot more than Brand, Davis, Gordon, Kamen, and the other non-mentionables to win the West. The Clippers are not ready to even get a home playoff series with the additions thus far. They will be trying to talk veterans into taking a minimum, and playing for a winner.

Brand will get attention until July 9 from Philadelphia and Golden State, two teams who may not have enough money to pull Josh Smith from Atlanta. He could be that power postup player they are looking for. Brand could be using both teams to get a larger contract from the Clippers. Word is that Brand is close to being signed with LA but the amount of years seem to be the hold up.

James Posey

The second most popular free agent? Everyone wants a bench defender who can shoot. Posey may have made his case in the NBA Finals this year with his stellar defense, hardnosed plays, and overall hustle.

Is he a starter? Maybe—but not for the whole season. He is best played off the bench and in crunch time.

Who is interested? Well the Lakers were a James Posey away from winning the championship. They only have a mid-level exception to offer, though—will three years and $20 million be enough? It may take a larger number than that.

(Note that teams over the cap can use the mid-level exception, and extend a long term deal using yearly increases that would be about a million dollars per year each year.)

Posey's agent says that Boston and San Antonio are the finalists, but they both are in the same situation as the Lakers. Posey has to be ready to settle down, and stop moving around. Boston is where he wants to be—but they will have to lock him up for a couple years and may not be willing to do so.

Josh Smith

He is a restricted free agent, and the Atlanta Hawks have been saying that they will match anything that is thrown his way. The only teams that could take them out would be the 76ers and the Warriors, but they will not throw that much at him. Smith may not be a big enough post player for those teams to sacrifice their whole cap allowance.

Andre Iguodala

He is in the same boat as Smith. Iguodala will not get a ton of money anywhere but Philly—but they will not overspend to sign him.

Andre turned down a five-year, $60 million deal last year, then underperformed in the playoffs in leading the Sixers to a first-round exit. In doing so, he did not bulk up his resume.

Golden State is said to be cornering both Iguodala and Smith. Sixers could lose out on both or overpay on Andre, due to the Warriors upping his price.

The other option would be a sign-and-trade of Iguodala for Al Harrington, filling the Sixers' need at the power forward for one year. Harrington makes about what Golden State would pay Andre at $9.22 million, and is in his last year. The Sixers would then be free to pursue other options next summer in a bigger free agency year.

But first, they would have to sell the fans on this, and that could be tricky. Word around Philadelphia is very sour when his name is mentioned, but Andre can play. He works hard, does everything he can do to keep getting better, so he deserves a long-term deal. The best bet for Andre may be a short deal, around the mid-level, so he can promote himself for a larger future contract.

Point Guards

Monta Ellis, Raymond Felton, and Shaun Livingston will all get good deals in some area of the MLE.

Livingston is an unknown. He may be NBA-ready or may not be—only a physical will tell. Livingston will be the most underpaid of the three.

Ellis is a great talent, and should go back to the Warriors unless a sign-and-trade is done.

No news on Felton yet, but now that the Knicks are out of the hunt, he could go to Miami for about half the MLE. The Knicks came to terms with Duhon from the Bulls for the full MLE.

Mikael Pietrus and Matt Barnes

Both of these guys are available, and are right in that mid-level exception area. They are both restricted, but will probably not be matched by Golden State. Pietrus may be a poor man's James Posey, and teams who miss out on Posey may go after Mikael.

Kurt Thomas

He is available and should be a solid defensive addition to a team with front court need. He will get a three-year deal around $9-12 million, and it will probably be late in the summer.

Corey Maggette

He is restricted, but with the signing of Baron Davis, he is gone, because the Clippers will be forced to renounce his rights. The Magic are said to be the team that will sign him, but they are a MLE-team too.

Teams with money could court Maggette, but it just does not match up. Memphis? Yes, if Corey is ready to be on a terrible team. They have young pieces who play his position. If the Sixers choose to let Iguodala go, and have to trade for a big man, then they could use the extra cap room on Maggette.

Golden State? They don't know what to do with their own free agents at this point. The latest has Maggette going wherever Posey does not, which means Boston or San Antonio. Maggette may have to settle for the MLE, but he will wait as long as possible to see if Golden State, Memphis, or Philadelphia will use their cap on him.

LA Clippers: Are they trying to be this years Boston Celtics? They could be, but they only have two pieces. Kaman is a good big man but Mobley, Rookie Eric Gordon and the disappointing Tim Thomas just do not add up. But they will be playoff bound—and that is huge for you Clipper fans.

Miami Heat

Right now the Heat are pretty happy with the results of the draft. But they are a couple of pieces short of a full team. Lacking real starters at center and point guard, the Heat are poised to go after Monta Ellis. They are also trying to add Diop, the former Maverick and Net.

The Heat may have to ask the Nets to sign and trade Diop, because he wants to go to Dallas. Ellis wants to play in Miami, and the Heat may try and get him for more than the Warriors can afford.

Miami is trying to clear room for the '09-10 offseason, so they can sign Chris Bosh, then max out Wade to play alongside Michael Beasley and maybe Ellis. Or, they may be trying to get Carlos Boozer next offseason. Carlos is said to be interested in Miami, and the Heat are interested too. They will have the money available next year at the rate they are going.

While the Heat sit back and wait while players are signed, one thing is for sure—they are doing more than nothing. Kirk Hinrich, Andre Miller, and Ellis are all within the Heat's reach with a trade of Udonis Haslem or Shawn Marion. The Heat could be in the works of remaking this team from top to bottom.

For right now though, they may start Haslem, Marion, Beasley, Wade, and then, with the signing of Ellis, him. They also have Marcus Banks, who they want to send away, Mark Blount, who they will pay to get rid of, promising young Dorell Wright, and rookie guard Mario Chalmers, who could turn into a big-minute player off the bench. The Heat's goal is to not start Chalmers or Banks at the point.

Chicago Bulls

Let's not forget about them. Duhon is free and a Knick, but the Bulls also have Hinrich (trade), Tyrus Thomas (trade), Ben Gordon (restricted), and Deng (restricted). Deng will stay. Hinrich will be traded. Duhon has already gone to the highest point guard bidder. Tyrus Thomas is a wild card. Chicago could be on the verge of adding Udonis Haslem or Shawn Marion from Miami. Hinrich would head the trade, with maybe a sign-and-trade of Gordon including Joe Smith or Thomas.

San Antonio Spurs

Right now the most interesting rumor is Ben Gordon to the Spurs. This would change them dramatically—well not really, but he is sure better than Michael Finley. The Spurs could then try to sign a couple guys with veteran minimums like Robert Horry.

The Spurs are really active, considering they just have the MLE. Its 2009, which is an odd year, so it is time for the Spurs to make a run. Brent Barry and Michael Finley should have a new address for partial MLEs by the start of the season.

New Jersey Nets

New Jersey is looking to sign and trade Nenad Krstic. The underperforming Krstic has been playing with pain. He once had so much potential, but now is a big question. The Sixers are interested.

Going back to the Bulls, Nocioni is being talked about by New Jersey. They are looking to get him with a trade. That is in the preliminary stage as of now.

Detroit Pistons

Rumors were that the whole team was going to get blown up. Sheed is gone, they want Carmelo, and the only untouchable was the rookie.

Well, Detroit has been quiet. They may have rethought that remodeling plan. They can compete with what they have—and with an addition like Mikael Pietrus or James Posey, the Pistons could be right back on track to the Finals. The big question will be—is it enough to beat Boston? One game separated them last year.

On The Move

From New York, it looks like Zach Randolph and Stephon Marbury could be gone. Randolph should be traded, because he does not work in the new system. Marbury could be officially bought out by next week. It would not effect the Knicks' cap for this year.

The Returns to Sender

Jose Calderon of the Raptors, Gilbert Arenas and Antwan Jamison of the Wizards, Beno Udrih of the Kings, and Eddie Jones with the Mavs, are all returning to their teams. Ron Artest decided not to opt out with the Kings, and the Bobcats are hoping to keep Emeka Okafor and Dave Hollins, and have started by making qualifying offers. Contracts can not be signed until July 9, but negotiations can take place between now and then. Trades and sign-and-trades will happen after this date.

Baron Davis Is a Clipper

Michael McGowan — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:20:59 -0400

There are many reports out there indicating that Baron Davis has signed a five-year, $65 million contract with the LA Clippers. Baron recently opted out of his contract in Golden State where he was being paid $17.8 million this year.

The Clippers had two stars opt out yesterday, freeing up space for them to go out and sign a free agent. Corey Maggette and Elton Brand both opted out, but Elton Brand had a plan in mind.

The Clippers will sign Baron Davis first, then bring back Elton Brand even though they will be at the cap. Brand is allowed to be signed while going over the salary cap because he is returning to his same team.

To make this final, the Clippers will first renounce their rights to Corey Maggette, then they will have to wait until July 9 when players are allowed to be signed. Brand will then be signed after. Nothing is official with Brand.

In years prior, the Clippers have struck out with Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant. Now they are looking to add not only a top point guard in the league when healthy, but they are getting back a healthy power forward who can be tops at his position.

The lineup for the Clippers could look like this next year before they add a veteran or two with veteran exceptions or a player at the mid-level exception. Players will most likely be encouraged to join Davis and Brand and try and win the West and take less money in the process.

Here is the lineup:

G Baron Davis

G Cuttino Mobley

F Al Thornton

F Elton Brand

C Chris Kaman

Bench—Tim Thomas, Brevin Knight, and Rookies DeAndre Jordan and Eric Gordon. Gordon should be starting for Mobley, not sure how long he would be on the bench.

This is a huge splash on the first day of free agency. Look for the Clippers to be busy trying to spend the exceptions wisely and bringing back a couple of their own free agents for minimum contracts.

Brand was being chased by Philadelphia with many sites reporting that GM Ed Stefanski placed a call to Brand at midnight on the first night of Free Agency.

NBA: Rumor Time!

Michael McGowan — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 15:36:57 -0400

As we listen to the terrible commentary for the NBA Finals and watch Kobe Bryant destroy his relationship with his team in trying to avoid to inevitable loss to the Celtics, I thought maybe we could talk some rumors about the upcoming NBA offseason.

Of course this is all just talk, since no teams are allowed to make real moves yet. But it is still a ton of fun.

There are some teams that may really be looking to make over their squad because they feel like their talent has peaked. Detroit is one of them. They may actually move one of the centerpieces of their team—while trying to not lose a step in the Eastern Conference.

Both Dallas and Denver may also be doing the same. Rumors out of Denver have management possibly calling the Allen Iverson-Carmelo Anthony experiment a failure, and moving one of two players.

George Karl may be turning to his former team, the Bucks. Karl wants Michael Redd. Anthony and Redd would match up, salary-wise, and such a deal could be beneficial for both teams. If Iverson is ready to be the leader, while letting Redd do his thing, they could be dangerous next year.

Denver could also be thinking about sending Iverson to the Bucks for Redd, but the Bucks would then have to include Charlie Villanueva or Desmond Mason.

Denver could lose some fans if they lose Anthony, but word out of Denver is they are sick of his attitude and latest legal problems. Available Nuggets right now are Nene, Kenyon Martin, Marcus Camby, Anthony—and maybe, Iverson.

The Bucks will trade either Redd or Mo Williams. Miami may call for Williams.

Detroit is also contacting Denver—mostly to see if they can find a replacement for Rasheed Wallace if they trade him, or to grab a scorer like Carmelo in exchange for Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, or Chauncey Billups.

Next—word is that injury-prone Tracy McGrady may be available. Can that be true? The Rockets had a great stretch that started with Yao, but lasted because of Tracy McGrady. This seems to be just speculation.

One thing these NBA Finals have shown is that the Celtics are not just the Big Three. They have had great bench play all year.

That is the good news. The bad news is that PJ Brown, James Posey, and Eddie House are all unrestricted free agents. Posey will opt out, according to his agent, PJ may retire, and Eddie House could come back.

So who has money this year to sign pretty much whomever they want? Well, maybe three teams—but when it comes down to it, only two. Memphis and Philadelphia both have around $12 million to spend. Washington does too, but they will have to try and sign Gilbert Arenas and/or Antawn Jamison.

Gilbert wants to be maxed out, after filing the paperwork to opt out of his contract last week. Washington will be done after they spend that kind of cash, and may be able to sign a mid-level free agent.

Teams can go over the salary cap to re-sign their own player, but can not go over to sign new free agents—unless using an exception.

Some other teams could jump into the frenzy, if their players opt out. For example, Miami is around the salary cap, but Shawn Marion could opt out of his deal—putting Miami under the cap, big time. Players like Marion would be crazy to opt out, because with so many teams at or over the cap, they can not offer these players more money.

Elton Brand is looking to stay, or go, or stay—no, wait, now he wants to go. Brand was on the radio in Philadelphia last week saying he would love to be in Philly, and he has connections in north Delaware. He told the station to have Philly call his agent.

Brand would be that front court scorer the Sixers need, with Sammy Dalembert and Reggie Evans both playing great defense but having graduated from the Dennis Rodman school for scoring.

Miami and Chicago are being talked about in the same sentence because of their top positions in the upcoming draft. But they may also make a trade with each other, depending on who gets picked.

If Chicago takes Rose, then they could send Kirk Hinrich to Miami for Udonis Haslem, while Miami takes Beasley and the need for a starting point guard.

Miami is looking to make moves anyway they can. They want to win now, and rebuild quickly like Boston, not like Atlanta. They want this team back on track now, or Shawn Marion could be gone very quickly. If they fail, his $17.4 million could be very valuable come the trade deadline—or even as early as the start of the season.

The NBA Draft is right around the corner, and so is this very exciting and possibly very busy off-season.

Pat Gillick, in Last Year as GM, Considers Trades for Philadelphia Phillies

Michael McGowan — Mon, 26 May 2008 08:22:19 -0400

The trade deadline lies far off in the distance, with many days of baseball before that. With a couple of days left in May, the Phillies stand just 2.5 games back of the Florida Marlins. The Braves stand right with them. This division is anything but lost.

With so much season left, and such a little gap to over come, this is still the Phillies division. The Marlins always seam to climb in and win the division and the World Series every five years. But it is only May, and they may not be real. They certainly look solid and do have the young players to make a run. The Braves are unhealthy and old. But even they have been able to stay close with all these issues. Chipper Jones is being Chipper Jones and leading this team to a decent record.

What can the Phillies do? They have a team that can make a playoff run. But Pat Gillick is in his last year as GM of the Phillies, and Pat wants to go out a winner, just like he has been in his whole career. If the owners will give him the cash, he will add just about anything to put this team over the top. But he may not have to mortgage the farm to add talent. Pat is smart, and I am sure the wheels are already turning.

The catcher position is shaky, but Chris Coste can play if Carlos Ruiz is not producing. Coste handles the pitchers better anyway. Third base is OK, but Feliz was expected to come in and hit 30 home runs. Right now at seven HRs, he is just over par. The rest of the infield really should not be talked about. Howard will come around, he is already starting too. He has really been on the ball lately, and there is no reason why that will not be kept up all year.

SO, what are their needs? Right now, the Starting pitching is really scary. Right now Hamels can be locked in as the No. 1. Myers should fall down to the four, and hopefully Moyer would be the three. Kendrick or Eaton should be battle in their next couple starts as the fifth. That leaves the Phillies searching for a number two starter. They could use another left-handed arm in the bullpen.

Pat Gillick should look over to a couple former Phillies. First, Paul Byrd is looking very solid right now. His ERA is 3.61, which is well below the Phillies average of five runs scored per game. Shane Victorino should be enough to bring back a starter that would fill that No. 2 hole. He has a terrible attitude and reminds me a lot of Bobby Abreu. Abreu's attitude was shipped to New York, and the Phillies have improved every year since. He hustles, he works hard, he is fast, young, talented, and is always smiling. But his gamesmanship, attitude, and over confidence is not good for this team.

I would much rather see a slower Geoff Jenkins in right field. Jenkins reminds me of Brett Favre. Not only in his looks, but just his overall demeanor. Byrd, Randy Wolf, or Greg Maddux could all be had for the price of Shane. Victorino has almost lost his job. He is playing a lot of right field and some center with Jason Werth playing too.

With Geoff Jenkins and Iguchi, the Phillies have backups in the outfield to replace Victorino. At the trade deadline, they could then make one more move for a bat in the outfield.

The Phillies need to jump on the Padres and other teams who may start trading now before the asking price goes up. They have other options in Kris Benson and Carlos Carrasco, who may both be ready soon to pitch. Neither is going to be a solid No. 2 starter. The options are out there, and this team may soon be desperate enough to go out and make one of these trades.

Summer Olympics: Beijing 2008 Preview

Michael McGowan — Sun, 04 May 2008 13:35:24 -0400

While the NBA tries to figure out who is the “Best of the Best,” the table was set last Saturday for the World to try and figure out the same. The United States used to walk in to these tournaments as the heavy favorites. The NBA players that were all Americans would dominate the world and usually win games by large double digit amounts.

Now, that all is changed.

Many other clubs have players who are NBA ready, NBA up and comers, or NBA veterans. Last Saturday, the teams that have qualified were broken down into two groups that will play to qualify for the Olympics playoff. In August during the Beijing Olympics, each team will play five games against the other five teams in their group. The top four teams will move on to play in the quarterfinal round.

After the first round (group play), the teams will play a playoff style, 1 loss elimination tournament. 8 teams will compete in this tournament and unlike the old world tournaments, this time many teams will have NBA talent.

Breaking down the Groups and Teams:

Group A

Argentina: This team is a squad of up and downs. They won a gold and silver in 2004 and 2002 respectively. But they failed to medal in world championships 2 years ago then finished 6-1 with a second place finish in the 2007 FIBA tournament. Really it depends who will play and who will show up.

Argentina has some solid NBA talent, Manu Ginobili, G, San Antonio Spurs; Andres Nocioni, F, Chicago Bulls; Luis Scola, F, Houston Rockets (3rd in rookie of the year voting); Carlos Delfino, G, Toronto Raptors; Fabricio Oberto, C, San Antonio Spurs. Manu seems to be healthy, but a long playoff run could change that.

The best thing for Argentina would be a Spurs loss to New Orleans in the playoffs. Manu is truly the leader of this team, but they have a good front court and excellent back court.

Australia: Andrew Bogut is the only real player that is held above the rest on this team. Bogut is supported by some decent role players who play mostly in Europe and Australia. This is a tough division for them, and they may not make it to the playoff round.

Iran: The NBA.com websites states that this is the most unknown team in the tourny. Which could mean one of two things: No. 1 - WATCH OUT! No. 2 - Early Exit. This team is made up of guys who all play in Iran. The one player who is known a bit is Jaber Rouzbahani who declared himself eligible for the NBA Draft back in 04, but was not drafted.

Lithuania: This team is ready to possibly make a run in this tournament. One thing we will see with them is Three Pointers. They like to shoot and then shoot again. This team will live and die with the outside shot. Linas Kleiza of the Nuggets is gaining much respect in the NBA.

This guy can play the other big notable player depending on health and the Cavs run this year in the playoffs is Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Lithuania will be a tough physical team that will make you remember who you played the day after the game, win or lose.

Russia: The last team in group A made it into the Olympics with a win over Spain in the finals of the Eurobasket tournament beating the Spaniards on their own court. Andrei Kirilenko brings his squad of young players who play in mostly in Russian leagues. Behind great coaching and youth, Russia could be tough.

GROUP B

Angola: The African champs are brought to you by Joaquim Gomes a Power Forward/Center from Valparaiso. Besides that they are a bunch of home landers. This team could throw out an upset or two and make some serious noise. But they are not serious contenders yet.

China: YAO MING! WANG ZHIZHI! The home team that was hoping to roll into these Olympics with some excitement and no questions on their team, will certainly have one. The Excitement is there. But Yao finished this season abruptly with a stress fracture in his foot. Wang also was done a couple games early with an injury.

But both of these guys, despite what their NBA teams think, will certainly be showing up ready to play come August. Check out this front line, of a 7-5 Yao, a 7-1 Zhizhi and a 6-11 Yi. Around them will be a couple solid guards with their shooting ability in question. If they are making their outside shots, the inside game will take care of itself.

Spain: Here is another squad with some NBA talent: Pau Gasol Los Angeles Lakers, Juan Carlos Navarro Memphis Grizzlies, Marc Gasol Akasvayu Girona (Spain), Jose Calderon Toronto Raptors, Jorge Garbajosa Toronto Raptors, and Sergio Rodriguez Portland Trail Blazers. All of these players should be on the team and ready to compete excluding possibly Garbajosa who had surgery in December.

Spain has the most talent in the tournament besides the US and should be the most competitive team against the US. They will get to see them in the first round and probably again in the tournament. Look for Spain to be int he final four.

United States: Obviously every player that is eligible is an NBA player. Some key players will be Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, and possibly Dwayne Wade depending on his health. This team is always the favorite going in, but since 2000 they have come up short. This time the US has talent but also role players. Not everyone is there to be a star, they have defense, they have passers and they have shooters.

This is their tournament to lose.

Note: There will be three more teams that will qualify for this tournament. This will take place in a 12-team tournament held in Greece from July 14-20. Those competing will be Brazil, Canada, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Korea, Lebanon, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and Slovenia.

Final Four: Of the teams that have qualified, it looks like it would be Argentina, China, Spain and the United States in the Final Four.

This could be the year for the United States to take back what is belongs to them. A dream team they are not, but 2008 in Beijing will be their time to return to the head of the world in Basketball.

Breaking Down the NFC East Draft

Michael McGowan — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 09:19:09 -0400

The NFC East is the best division in football hands down. The Cowboys were the best in the NFC last year with the NY Giants winning the whole thing. Washington and Philly were no slouches either. Showing that they have issues, but still closing strong. Even Philadelphia who brought up the rear in the division still closed strong.

Lets break down each teams top three needs and take a look at what order they will pick in for each position. Who will be available for the number one pick for each team? And who could be a steal that could contribute later in the draft.

Let's start with the Super Bowl Champs. They are actually facing a tough decision right now. What will they do with Jeremy Shockey? If they are thinking about moving him, they should definitely try to do it come draft day. The Giants will watch alot of teams draft D-line in the first round. They will all be trying to build a mold of what the Giants brought to the playoffs. A mold that even made Tom Brady struggle. First, the Giants will need to upgrade their Line backing and Secondary. They need a starting Corner. I really like the Giants taking Mike Jenkins with the 31st pick. If he is there, which he could be, they should take him. I have seen him anywhere from number 10, to the second round on Mock Drafts. The other issue the Giants may face is whether Michael Strahan is coming back. He said his decision would come sooner this year, but going into the draft they still do not know. They do have two back up plans, one in Justin Tuck and two in linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka. Which means they may have to add depth linebacker. Every team has needs, but the Giants really are set at all major positions.

So far this off season, they have added David Carr to back up Eli. They had to replace Gibril Wilson and Kawika Mitchell with Danny Clark and Sammy Knight. They look very solid though and right now the Giants will be going into the draft with very little concerns. Jared Mayo a linebacker could also step in and start right away. His stock has been doing nothing but rise this off season.

Here are some players they may look to add in the second. Dajuan Morgan a Safety from NC State should be a solid second round addition. CB Justin King may also be a good second round pick who could step in and play atleast the nickel corner.

Next up the Dallas Cowboys:

The top three needs for Dallas would be Corner, and then depth at the WR position and Running back positions. Good news for the cowboys is that they have two first round picks at 22 and 28. They should be able to take car of two of those needs no problem. Unless they feel like they should trade up and get a star. They were in talks for a while with Miami about trading for their number one overall pick, but that stalled. Now they could really get up in the top 7 and get Darren McFadden like they wanted in the first place. The tandem of Marion Barber and McFadden would be unstoppable. If they do not do that, then I see them taking Johnathan Stewart the running back from Oregon and a Corner with Aqib Talib. They could go this way, or get Malcolm Kelly if he is still available at 22 and possibly take Felix Jones at 28.

The Cowboys could try and steal a WR in the second round with Early Doucet or Mario Manningham. This is a very weak WR draft, but you never know where these guys will fall. Jerry Jones will make a move if he feels like he can get the guy he really wants.

The Redskins up next, and again have alot of needs but had a solid year last year and they will pick 21 in the first and 20 in the second. The Redskins also need a WR but need help more on both lines. They should be stock piling on both lines in the first and second rounds. The Redskins are always a threat to move up always a threat to trade. I really do not see them doing it this year, but in a year where some teams are trying to trade down, the Redskins would always think about trading up. With the 21st overall pick the Washington Redskins will take James Hardy a WR out of Indiana. We all know they need help with the line, but the Redskins are always looking at skill position guys. I really do not see them going any other way.

In the Second round, they will probably make a smart pick and take Calais Cambell. Cambell is a Miami Boy, who is very quick at the Defensive End position.

And Last, the first team to pick from the NFC East, the Philadelphia Eagles. Needs for the Eagles would be O-line depth, WR, and then it would be the Safety position to replace Brian Dawkins, and possibly another linebacker with the subtraction of TKO. The Eagles usually would take a line position in the first round, but it looks like unless they move up with the trade of Lito Sheppard, that too many Offensive lineman will be taken ahead of them, and they will have to take either Kenny Phillips or a WR. Receivers that could be available would be Desean Jackson, Devin Thomas, or Limas Sweed.

The Second round is where they could actually add a pick with Lito being traded. I expect them to grab a defensive end and an Offensive tackle. The Eagles are very good at bringing up Offensive lineman and it wouldn't be too bad for them to wait on one. Lawrence Jackson from USC would be a very solid second round pick. He could step right in and get minutes on the D-line.

Can't wait for next Saturday, ENJOY!

Miami Heat: The Center of Attention

Michael McGowan — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:29:30 -0400

Newsflash! The Miami Heat need to rebuild! Oh wait, you already knew that?

The Heat and many other teams will be in hot pursuit of a center this offseason. Pat Reilly came out and stated that it is very important that they add a center to start fixing the problem that the Miami Heat have.

That problem is? Everything.

But let's start with the center position. This is what the Heat have. They have Mark Blount, who in Reilly's words "is a backup center who has proven he can start." I disagree, Mark is a backup center who is actually a backup center. He has issues rebounding, he plays below average defense, and really does not have an inside game. I actually like him more as a power forward when you have a dominating center in the game. Blount stretches the floor out in the half-court game and gets the big guys away from the basket. He can shoot, which is great, but he is not Rasheed Wallace.

Alonzo Mourning is the wild card. He is contemplating a return. He told the fans at a game last week that he was four weeks ahead of schedule for returning from his injury. Whether he comes back or not, he will be only be a backup, and a 20-minute guy like he has been the past couple years.

So again, this leaves the Heat with a void to fill at center. Earl Barron is the last wild card, and Shaq once said he was mini-Shaq. Well that doesn't look like it is going to pan out.

The Heat have two options. One, they can do something with that draft pick which should be the number one or number two. Two, they can try to sign someone or make a sign and trade.

The first scenario is almost too ridiculous to even discuss. If they somehow do not land the first or second pick, which would turn into Beasley or Rose, then trading may actually be a good option. They could trade the pick and package in Mark Blount to land a center or just clear space. Another trade piece could be Udonis Haslem (especially if they draft Beasley).

Some centers who would then be available to sign if a trade could not be pulled off would be: San An's Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto, Memphis' Kwame Brown, New Jersey's DeSagana Diop, Houston's Dikembe Mutombo, Seattle's Francisco Elson, Toronto's Primoz Brezec, and Sacramento's Lorenzen Wright.

Stromile Swift could also be an option, he has a player option much like Shawn Marions. There are also a couple restricted free agents, that if Shawn Marion Opts out, the Heat could offer more than the player's current team. Emeka Okafor, Golden State's Andris Biedrins, and New Jersey's Nenad Krstic are the three names that would fit this bill.

The other options would be a sign and trade, but that may not be realistic because the current teams would like to see these guys stick around.

A lot of this all depends on Shawn Marion. Will he come back? If he does, then they do not have much money to work with. If he opts out, (he is crazy) but that would benefit the Heat and they would have the most money under the cap in the whole league.

The best bet for Miami would be to offer him a long-term contract and see if they can get him to take less money this year, but more over all in the long run. He probably knows that the market is not too beneficial for free agents this year, and that he will not make more than $17.9 million if he explores free agency. He is a great piece to build around, but it may be tough to rebuild if he sticks around.

What other options do they have? Well there are some players who may be available in a trade. Eddy Curry, Brad Miller, Jermaine O'Neal, and Tyrus Thomas may be available. I am not big on any of these guys. Curry is having a solid year and may good enough if he is available. Thomas may be the odd man out with Noah being favored by the Bulls. I know he is a power forward, but he may be decent in the East to contribute as a big man.

After the Heat draft and find a center, they can resign Jason Williams and Dorrell Wright. That would leave the Heat with a starting lineup of the incoming center, Beasley, Marion, Wade, and Jason Williams/Marcus Banks/ or a free-agent signing. This lineup would be fast and we see in the Sixers how a fast lineup can be effective.

Needless to say change is very important. Pat Reilly needs to bring in guys who want to win and have the right mindset. This Heat team has been beaten and battered. Getting away from the losing mentality is the first step the team must take.

NBA: Oh, How the Playoffs Will Be Fun!

Michael McGowan — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 13:20:16 -0400

The next two months will bring some of the most intense moments and clutch play on the basketball court that we have seen in a long time. Let’s preview some of the action that is in store for us.

The Lakers will win the West (barring any setbacks) but the teams that fall behind them will not fare much worse.

Having home court is big, but the difference between the No. 1 seed and the No. 8 seed is eight games, as opposed to the 27 games in the Eastern Conference.

What does that mean? No blow outs this year in a league in which the first round is usually a cake walk for the No. 1 seed.

It was the Denver Nuggets that once upset a No. 1 seed in the first round, and right now it looks like it will be the Nuggets again in that eighth seed.

Predicting the West is a very tough task.

Some of the most intriguing matchups include Kobe vs. Iverson in a 2001 NBA Finals Rematch.

This time, Iverson brings his boys Carmelo, Martin, and Ed Najera off the bench. Kobe's squad is no slouch either. He may have a healthy Andrew Bynum along with Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom.

The Lakers look like they could be the cream of the playoff crop, but will have no walk in the park against the Denver Nuggets.

The Houston Rockets are a surprise team that somehow started playing better once Yao Ming was injured.

We could have seen an amazing matchup between Shaq and Yao Ming, but now Shaq will have to go up against Mr. Elbows himself, Dikembe Mutombo. Shaq never has it easy when it comes to Deke. Again, this is a rematch of the 2001 NBA finals

Prediction time. The Lakers over the Nuggets in seven. The Suns over the Rockets in six. The Spurs over the Jazz in six. The Hornets over the Mavs in six.

The East is a totally different beast. The Boston Celtics have run away with it, and are the best team hands down.

The Pistons are the only steady constant over the past five years. They bring more experience than any other team, which is scary—but not as scary as facing a LeBron James in playoff mode.

Also very scary is an Orlando Magic team that can shoot outside and score inside with a young Dwight Howard. It is pick-your-poison in the East, and the lower seeds will be poisoned early.

The top seeds will sweep the first round, even though I feel that Washington is playing better with Gilbert back. The Sixers may have peaked early, and may not be ready to make as much noise as many thought they would.

Boston, Detroit, Orlando, and Cleveland will all win in six or less.

The Conference Finals

Out in the West, The Lakers will be upset by San Antonio and will face off against a young and exciting New Orleans Hornets team.

The Hornets are very exciting and play in a style totally different from San Antonio. This series will be decided by whomever controls the tempo. I think that San Antonio will be able to win the West as long as Manu Ginobli comes back healthy.

Moving onto the Finals Round in the East, I see Boston facing off against the Orlando Magic.

This matchup is going to be very complex. If the Magic can shoot, they can win this series. I don't see relying on the outside shot as a way to win the East, and with all those stars, the Celtics will win and face off against the Spurs.

Many would like to see the Lakers and Celtics face off, with all the history behind those two teams.

Phoenix is very choppy, the Lakers are still young, the Pistons are too old, and the Magic have a lot to learn. But the newly built Celtics and Good Ol’ San Antonio Spurs will both make this year’s finals one of the most exciting matchups in recent history.

Stay tuned for my playoff team previews and finals picks once the seedings are official.

How the NL East Was Won

Michael McGowan — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:58:50 -0400

Harry Kalas: "Long drive, deep center field—home run (fill in the name)!"

The Philadelphia Phillies will try to break a single season home run record for a team this year.

The New York Mets added pitching and subtracted bats.

The Atlanta Braves are trying to win with age.

The Washington Nationals added some talent, but still remain far away.

The Florida Marlins put their team right on track for a World Series in a couple years by adding enough prospects to fill the field.

But here are the burning questions:

How will the NL East turn out?
Is it the best division in baseball?
Will Johan Santana be the Cy Young Winner?
Will The Phillies three-peat with another MVP?
Who are the best players on the division?

The NL East is the toughest division in the National League, no doubt, and is right up there with the AL East when it comes to talent.

Many believe that the Braves are great and will return to the head of the division.

I have to question the age of the rotation.

Smoltzy is already hurt. Glavine was solid last year, but not great. I also remember that these guys won the division for most of the 90's and 2000 era.

The Phils will try with a different approach.

They will try to beat the crap out of opposing pitching.

The addition of Pedro Feliz will really help this line up. He could hit 30 home runs this year—adding on to the 30 for Utley, 25 for Rollins, possibly 55 or better for Howard, and at least 30 for Burrell in a contract year.

I believe this will work with Myers and Hamels having great years and a couple young guys who may show their face very soon for the Phils.

The bullpen is the key.

The Mets will finish a close second and will be the Wild Card out of the NL.

The Braves will try and finish third with a clubhouse full of Pampers and Metamucil.

Phillies: 91 wins

Mets: 89 wins

Braves: 83 wins

Nats: who cares?

Marlins: 40 wins

NL East Roster:

1B: Ryan Howard

2B: Chase Utley

SS: Jimmy Rollins—Hanley Ramirez a very close second.

3B: David Wright

Catcher: Lo Duca/Johnny Estrada—what a great combo!

OF: Jeff Francoeur

OF: Carlos Beltran

OF: Lastings Milledge in a break out year. Still hate this guy, BUY MY ALBUM!

Starter: Johan Santana, with Hudson very close

RP: I would take Lidge over Wagner any day!

Can't wait for the race, it is going to be fun.

MLB Season Predictions

Michael McGowan — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:43:02 -0400

I wanted to take a minute and make some preseason baseball predictions:

Oh wait the season started last night, So I guess I am cheating but I am going to do it anyway.

Here are the picks for Division and Wildcard winners. Fly to Vegas boys and girls, these picks are gold!

East: Philadelphia Phillies

Central: Chicago Cubs

West: Arizona Diamondbacks

Wild Card: New York Mets (Although people think the Braves will be solid this year, the Wild Card belongs to the Mets, and will belong to the NL East for many years to come)

NLCS: Phils/Backs—Phillies win in six

East: Boston Red Sox

Central: Detroit Tigers

West: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Wild Card: Cleveland Indians

ALCS: Detroit over LA in seven

World Series

Detroit in six over the Phightin' Phils

MVPs

AL: Miguel Cabrera

NL: Ryan Howard with 60 home runs

Cy Young

AL: Erik Bedard, Seattle Mariners

NL: Brandon Webb, D-backs

Here is to a fun year! 161 to go!

If I Were The Manager of the Philadelphia Phillies

Michael McGowan — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 07:00:50 -0400

The 25 men that will lead the Phillies to the National League Championship and further should be as follows:

Starting pitchers: Brett Myers, Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Kyle Kendrick, and Travis Blackley. Travis must make this team, he should not be optioned back to Los Angeles. Travis could be moved to the bullpen if they needed to and Chad Durbin will make the team as either the fifth starter spot or in the bullpen.

Bullpen: Lidge is a lock, barring any setbacks. Ryan Madsen and Tom Gordon will help the Phillies get to Lidge. Gordon will be closing if Lidge can't. Francisco Rosario must make this team, he is throwing the ball very well. And the last lock would be JC Romero. He is a stud.

That leaves two spots open for pitching. Kris Benson will fill one of those spots, but he should open the season on the DL. Benson will one day move back to the starting rotation and the person who is struggling the most either Kendrick or Blackley would be optioned down or go to the pen.

For argument's sake I am going to give a spot to Benson though. That leaves one last pitcher spot open and I would love for Mike Zagurski to get it, but it will have to go to J.D. Durbin until Zagurski is ready. Other options will sit in the minors for a bit and wait for these guys to work themselves out.

Infielders: Let's lock up the starters with Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and Pedro Feliz all getting on as locks. The two back-up infielders will have to cover a lot of ground.

Eric Bruntlett can play the whole infield and has played outfield too. I am not in love with him, but he makes it on the team. Eric Dobbs will work a little at first base, but start mostly at third and can fill and outfield void that really is not needed.

Catchers: Starter Carlos Ruiz and Chris Coste are locks. Coste can play first too for Howard should and injury occur.

Outfielders: The five spots for the outfield are filled. Chris Snelling would actually look nice as a No. 5, but could be traded since Dobbs can be fifth if they need it. They also have a nice prospect in AAA should something happen.

Pat the Bat, Shane Victorino, and Geoff Jenkins look like the starters. Jason Werth can play both corners and So Taguchi can play all three. Truthfully, as of now, Taguchi would be starting in right even though I like his bat off the bench. I would make the starter in right field earn it.

Can't wait for the season to start. Looks like the pitching is a little bit of an issue. But someone will step up and Carlos Carrasco could be a stud pitcher eventually.

Here is to the 2008 National League Champions.

Award Time: NBA Postseason Plaudits Preview

Michael McGowan — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 08:14:06 -0400

NBA AWARD TIME:

It is time to start talking about the NBA Awards.

Every year around this time the great debate on who should be the MVP and which rookie had the most impact on this year starts up. Which coach had the biggest impact? Was it the guy who had the most wins, or the guy who battled the most intangibles and was able to push his team into the playoffs?

MVP:

Lets start at the top. I have just recently read this article about LeBron on Bleacher Report, and I really don't think the writer could be more on target.

LeBron is the reason for the Cleveland Cavs season.

LeBron is Santa Claus and as we all know, without Santa there really is not much reason for us to wake up on Christmas Morning.

Without King James the Cavs would be battling Miami for worst in the league, hands down.

He not only scores at will, but his assist totals are incredible. Comparisons to Jordan will go on for years, but if he keeps up at this pace, he may end up better than His Airness.

James made it to the finals by himself last year and makes every player around him better. Enough said, LeBron wins!

Honorable Mentions: Chris Paul and Steve Nash

Defensive Player of the Year:

I really hope this award does not go to Marcus Camby. He does not deserve it.

It's too close to call but I would hand it out to Bruce Bowen. He does not get enough credit for shutting down the biggest threats in basketball night in and night out. Why do the Spurs win championships?

Because of people like Bruce Bowen.

Honorable Mention: Raja Bell

Coach of the Year:

Oh Mr. Jackson, where have you been for the past four years?

You never left you say?

You never forgot how to coach you say?

Well welcome back to the NBA, and congratulations on posting a heck of a year with the Lakers, who at the beginning of the year had nobody good enough to play alongside Kobe.

You made this team good before you acquired Pau Gasol. You did this, not Kobe. You made Kobe forget.

Honorable Mention: Isiah Thomas... Just kidding

Comeback Player of the Year:

Chris Kaman on a bad LA Clippers team is the only bright spot. Unfortunately they have taken a huge step back from last years playoff run. They must implode now, but Chris is something to build around.

Honorable Mention: Hedo Turkoglu

Rookie of the year:

Kevin Durant, hands down.

Too bad Greg Oden didn't get to play this year.

Honorable Mention: Kevin Durant

6th Man:

Leandro Barbosa brings an intensity to the game that no one in the league can match. Stats aside, this guy must be rewarded. There are about twenty games left, and I think this will show even more in the remaining games.

Honorable Mention: Manu Ginobili

Western Conference Playoff Race to Be One for the Ages

Michael McGowan — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:22:00 -0400

The Western Conference playoff race may be one of the best in the history of the NBA.

The No. 1 seed Lakers could fall from their No.1 rankings to anywhere from second to eight. No one is really safe. So when you break this down, predictions are really hard to come by. For most people, but not for me. I see the big picture, I see past the records and can see how this thing will pan out.

There have been many great articles breaking down the race here on BleacherReport.com. Lets start at the bottom and work our way up.

The Race ends around the ninth seed. The Golden State Warriors and the Denver Nuggets are locked into a playoff duel that should continue well into the end of season.

The Nuggets have the talent to get in and create havoc for the number one seed. But Golden State will take this title behind Baron Davis.

What will the fall out be in Denver? Really, George Karl will be fired, Iverson will opt out and the team will need to be rebuilt. They have some over inflated salaries that need to be moved. Golden State will push in and probably lose to San Antonio in the first round.

The 5-7 seeds are tough to predict. Dallas and Phoenix are playing up and down. But I really think that both teams are just kind of starting over. They are in the first or second week of the season, while these other teams have been playing the same basketball style all year.

Kidd makes the team play a different style of basketball, same with Shaq. So it is start over time for them and they are showing flashes of greatness. Dallas played San Antonio very tough last weekend, then lost when Jason Kidd fell apart.

The big question for both teams is do the news guys have playoff greatness left in them? We all know Shaq does. The guy played his heart out against San Antonio Sunday and finished with 15 points and 16 rebounds. Shaq does make this team better, but Jason Kidd really does not make Dallas better.

The fall out is that Dallas will stay where they are and finish as the seventh seed. A weak Houston team that is playing out of their minds, will realize that they are playing without Yao and fall to the sixth seed.

New Orleans drops a bit and pulls up the No. 5 seed behind CP3. It will be nice to see if CP3 can keep up his big games come playoff time.

What next? Utah is no threat at all come playoff time. I predict that no matter what they face in the first round, they are done. They are very close to wrapping up the division and will finish with at least a four seed, as a division winner. Home court against New Orleans sounds nice, but the Hornets play well on road.

Seeds one-three—The LA Lakers are looking sharp, but they don't have a fifth gear that San Antonio has that they will shift into come playoff time. The Spurs have switched over to fifth gear and make a run at another Championship.

The Lakers will get the second seed, but we still have not seen how good they will be once Bynum returns. Gasol is too weak to beat Duncan, Stoudamire, and Dirk in the playoffs. He is not strong enough on D. Phoenix steals the 3rd seed because they will learn how to play with Shaq.

The Diesel may even get a couple das off between now and the end of the year so he can flip into 5th gear too. San Antonio is really starting to pick it up. Kurt Thomas looks great as a sub and is playing big late minutes. The Spurs will be even better come the playoffs, but it will be a great race.

NBA: How the West Will Be Won

Michael McGowan — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 12:06:37 -0400

The Western Conference playoff race may be one of the best in the history of the NBA.

The No. 1 seeded Lakers could fall from their top spot to anywhere from second to eighth. No one is really safe.

So when you break this down, predictions are really hard to come by. For most people, but not for me. I see the big picture. I see past the records and can see how this thing will pan out.

Let’s start at the bottom and work our way up.

The Race ends around the ninth seed. The Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets are locked into a playoff duel that should continue until the end of season. The Nuggets have the talent to get in and create havoc for the No. 1 seed, but Golden State will take this title behind Baron Davis.

What will the fall out be in Denver? George Karl will be fired, Iverson will opt out, and the team will be rebuilt. They have some over-inflated salaries that need to be moved. Golden State will push in and probably lose to San Antonio in the first round.

The 5-7 seeds are tough to predict. Dallas and Phoenix are playing up and down. But I really think both teams are just kind of starting over.

They are in the first or second week of the season, while these other teams have been playing the same basketball style all year. Jason Kidd makes Dallas play a different style of basketball; same with Shaq in Phoenix. So, it is start over time for them and they are showing flashes of greatness.

Dallas played San Antonio very tough last weekend, then lost when Kidd fell apart. The big question for both teams is do the new guys have playoff greatness left in them?

We all know Shaq does. The guy played his heart out against San Antonio, Sunday and finished with 15 points and 16 rebounds. Shaq does make this team better, but Jason Kidd really does not make Dallas better.

The Fall out is Dallas will stay where they are and finish as the seventh seed. A weak Houston team that is playing out of its mind will realize that it is playing without Yao and fall to the sixth seed. New Orleans drops a bit and pulls up the No. 5 seed behind CP3. It will be nice to see if CP3 can keep up his big games come playoff time.

What next? The Jazz are no threat at all come playoff time. No matter who they face in the first round, they are done.

They are very close to wrapping up the division and will finish with at least a four seed as a division winner. Home court against New Orleans sounds nice, but the Hornets play well on road.

As for the Top 3 seeds, the Lakers are looking sharp, but they don't have the 5th gear that San Antonio has to shift into come playoff time.

The Spurs have switched into fifth gear and are set to make a run at another Championship. The Lakers will get the second seed, but we still have not seen how good they will be once Bynum returns. Gasol is too weak to beat Duncan, Stoudamire, and Dirk in the playoffs. He is not strong enough on D.

Phoenix steals the third seed because it will learn how to play with Shaq. The Diesel may even get a couple days off between now and the end of the year so he can flip into fifth gear, too.

San Antonio is really starting to pick it up. Kurt Thomas looks great as a sub and is playing big late minutes. The Spurs will be even better come the playoffs, but it will be a great race.

The Matchups: From ESPN.com

(1) San Antonio (43-19)
Games remaining: 20 (10 Home, 10 Away)vs. +.500: 13 vs. Div: 3

(8) Golden State (39-23)
Games remaining: 20 (10 Home, 10 Away)
vs. +.500: 13 vs. Div: 8

(2) Los Angeles (44-18)
Games remaining: 20 (12 Home, 8 Away)
vs. +.500: 12 vs. Div: 6

(7) Dallas (40-23)
Games remaining: 19 (11 Home, 8 Away)
vs. +.500: 11 vs. Div: 2

(6) Houston (42-20)
Games remaining: 20 (9 Home, 11 Away)
vs. +.500: 10 vs. Div: 2

(3) Phoenix (41-22)
Games remaining: 19 (9 Home, 10 Away)
vs. +.500: 12 vs. Div: 3

(4) Utah (42-22)
Games remaining: 18 (10 Home, 8 Away)
vs. +.500: 9 vs. Div: 4

(5) New Orleans (42-20)
Games remaining: 20 (9 Home, 11 Away)
vs. +.500: 13 vs. Div: 3