Trade Deadline

As we are nearing the end of January I can't contain my excitement. No not for spring but for all the possible deals that can alter the power in the NBA. The deals that can take pretenders to contenders and the mediocre to the obscure. This being the summer of "2010" makes it all the better. This is the summer where elite talent may be available for those who have deep pockets, which has many teams fighting to cut payroll. Expiring contracts are at a premium, they are almost as valuable as proven players or young players with "upside." The potential talent in this year's free agent class is astounding, they may include many top 10 picks who have more than already panned out. The current state of our economy also plays a role as some of the smaller market teams may not be willing to spend the money to keep these players and some of these players from smaller markets want more coin as well as a bigger market. Allow me to share some of these situations with you...

The Suns are at a crossroads with Steve Nash getting older as the days go by. Amare Stoudamire being in the last year of his contract doesn't help either. This is a good "team" with Nash running the show but not nearly talented enough to make a deep run into the playoffs. Amare has said in past years that he doesn't get the credit he deserves and that he wants to be the "guy". He has also said that he doesn't think he can get the respect he deserves playing in the small market that is Phoenix. Do you trade him and try to salvage something..or do you let him walk and get nothing? A big factor in this decision is that the Suns do not have an heir to Steve Nash. They are not doing bad enough to be in the John Wall sweepstakes come draft time and rumor has it that this draft might be light on point guards. Remember when people were questioning the Timberwolves' decision to draft Flynn, Rubio, and Lawson? Doesn't sound so crazy now...does it?

The Cavs are not looking forward to this summer. Do you try to better the team to convince King James that you're serious about winning? Or do you stand pat and hope that he chooses to stay, it's not up to the Cavs it's all in LeBron's hands. Rumor has it that Andre Iguadola or Antwan Jamison might be headed over to Cleveland. That would definitely improve their already good chances of competing for a championship, but would their be enough money left over to extend LeBron's contract? LeBron has said that he wants to be a billionaire, do you think Cleveland is a large enough market to reach his goal?

Miami is one of the few teams in this situation that feels comfortable. Pat Riley and the Heat's owner believe that D-Wade is going to finish his career in Miami. He's already brought them one championship, all he needs now is some more help. Beasley is certainly on his way to becoming an effective player in the league. After the departure of Shaq, Miami has lacked a low post presence. So that has some thinking of Amare or Chris Bosh being a target of the Heat. LeBron has also said he would like to play with Wade as well, some don't think that would work but that might be another option. With a roster full of expiring contracts Miami certainly has enough money to retain Wade and possibly have the money to offer a second max contract to a player of their choice. I don't believe Amare is an option because that would surely involve Miami parting ways with the young Beasley. After torching the Heat earlier this season rumor has it that Rudy Gay is a player that Pat Riley has become enamored with. Other than the gaping hole in the post, the Heat do not get great production from the small forward spot. Acquiring Gay would definitely plug that hole and at 23 he will be around for some time. As a Wade fan I am anxious to see who they get down to South Beach to help him.

The Wizards are trying to start over after the "Big 3" loss a member due to an error in judgement. suspension. Thanks to Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton the Wizards are ready to start over. Jamison and Butler are just a few of the names on their roster that are on the block. The Knicks have been gearing up for this summer for some time now to pursue King James and some of the other members of this free agent class. After passing on Brandon Jennings in the draft, the Knickerbockers are pursuing a point guard to run their show. Armed only with cap space and no draft picks the Knicks have some tough decisions ahead of them. Do you try to get a young guard now via trade? Or put all the eggs in one basket to try to lure King James to New York?

The potential landing spot for Chris Bosh is another hot topic, its rumored that he doesn't want to resign with Toronto. However, Toronto's GM has come out and said that Bosh is not on the table. His situation is eerily similar to Amare's, trade him and get something in return or let him walk? The Grizzlies made that infamous trade with the Lakers a year ago that brought Pau Gasol to LA and the rights to Marc to Memphis. Back then it didn't look like the Grizzlies got anything in return but a 1st round pick, now with the Grizzlies doing well maybe it payed off. The Grizzlies' owner has a reputation of being tight with money being that they are a smaller market team. Rudy Gay is in the last year of his rookie contract and he is on the verge of being a young star. Gay has already turned down an offer for 50 million before the season started believing that he is worth more than the proposed amount. If you are the Grizzlies, do you get rid of Gay now and get something back or loose him to the highest bidder in free agency?

These are just a few of the possible scenarios that has me looking forward to the trade deadline. Hopefully I'm not the only one counting down the days.

Pro Bowl...Pre-Super Bowl Thoughts

The Pro Bowl is this weekend and the Super Bowl is a week away. The Pro Bowl is THIS weekend, the Super Bowl is NEXT weekend. I understand that the baseball and basketball have in season all star games and it works for them. This is the FOOTBALL, why are they changing it? I'm no dummy but if the Pro Bowl is before the Super Bowl doesn't that mean some of the "best" players would not be playing considering the "best" 2 teams have yet to play? Not only does this cheapen the experience but who really wants to watch the game anymore? Instead of watching who we voted for, we get to watch the 4th and 5th options at several positions. They had something special when the game was in Hawaii and a week after the season was over, now its ruined. Thank you Mr. Goodell.

With a week to go before the actual Super Bowl all I have heard is how much damage Peyton Manning is going to do to the New Orleans Saints defense. How he's going to carve them up and pick them apart, how far ahead of the curve he's going to be by having extra time to prepare for them. I do not disagree with that line of thinking at all, in fact I believe he is going to do just that. However I also think it will be at a cost, thinking back to last weekend I thought about how tough Brett Farve is and was for making it through that game. The Saints did not hide their ambitions to blitz and stuck with the plan for 4 quarters. Brett Farve is an intelligent experienced quarterback much like Peyton Manning. Manning is a surgeon when it comes to dissecting a complicated defensive scheme. I do not believe that any quarterback enjoys playing a defense that flat out pins its ears back and blitzes relentlessly. More times than not I am sure that Manning will recognize the blitz and find the weak spot in coverage. How many times will he continue to stand in there and deliver the ball when the pass rushers continue to make contact? That's the big thing when talking about a weakness for Manning, he barely gets touched. The combination of the experience of his offensive line and his mind that always seems a step ahead keeps him upright most of the season. I think where Colts opponents fail is that they try to out-think Manning, I don't understand why they waste the time trying. He is so prepared that it's probably not going to happen, why not just go after him? I believe the Saints opportunistic defense might be the perfect weapon against Manning. The constant pressure mixed with the fact that they led the league in takeaways give me the confidence to believe the Saints have a great chance of winning if not at least keeping this game close. After the ball is out of his hands Manning has no control over what happens. I think back to those years the Patriots dominated the Colts, they did so by pressuring Manning and forcing turnovers. It doesn't have to be interceptions, as we saw against the Vikings fumbles lost negates the amount of yardage you gain. The Vikings almost gained 500 yards!!! Where I ask did that get them? I URGE you to check the turnover battle.

Last I checked the Saints had the best offense in the NFL. I also believe that the Colts didn't have the best defense in the NFL. For all the talk of what Manning is going to do to the "poor" Saints defense, what is the Colts defense going to do with the Saints offense? Yes they have Freeny and Mathis, but Bob Sanders and Marlin Jackson aren't walking through that door anytime soon either. The Colts secondary has done a great job stepping up in their absence against the Ravens and Jets "explosive" offenses. Excuse my sarcasm but I really don't see their defense containing the litany of weapons at Drew Brees' disposal. It was kinda sorta the BEST offense in the league!! Brees isn't exactly a slouch at the quarterback position, he nearly broke Marino's single season passing record last year with a depleted receiver corps. I see Wayne, Clark, Collie, Garcon, and Addai; I raise you Colston, Shockey, Meachem, Henderson, Moore, Bush and Thomas. I'm taking the latter and I implore you to tell me who's offense creates the bigger matchup problems. That's all for now, I just wanted the other side of the equation to be seen.

NBA Monday

Why are the Cavs not as good as their record suggests? Am I the only one that feels that way....After watching them barely escape the Heat in Miami I wonder are they in store for another failed playoff run? The Heat, outside of D-Wade and sophmore Beasley have no one..how I ask do you win by a botched behind the back pass? If you can't contain the Wade- Haslem pick and pop how do I believe you can contain Jameer Nelson to Rashad Lewis or Rajon Rondo to Kevin Garnett? On the Miami side of things...they are a couple pieces away from being a real problem in the Eastern Conference. I think if they can somehow get a productive small forward and a halfway decent big man who is taller than 6-10 they can go places this season. Wade already proved to us that he is capable of carrying that franchise on his back...he just needs some more help. Its rumored that they might sign Rudy Gay through free agency as well as Amare Stoudamire instead of being in the Lebron James and Chris Bosh sweepstakes but thats along time from now. What do you think would take the Heat out of mediocrity? Lastly what do the Grizzlies and Thunder have to do to get some love from the networks?? Those rosters include some of the best up and coming players in the NBA...WHY I ask are Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay, Russel Westbrook, OJ Mayo and crew not on TV more? If the Wizards can still get primetime slots at the bottom of the Eastern Conference why cant two teams with winning records and realistic playoff chances get some love??