Setting the record straight on Timothy Richard Tebow

Denver Broncos' quarterback Tim Tebow is as polarizing an athlete as we will ever see.

I think Ryen Russillo said it best this morning on the Scott Van Pelt Show when he pointed out that nobody hates Tim Tebow, people just hate people who disagree with them about Tim Tebow.

For many people, I’m a ‘disagreer.’

As much as I like Tim Tebow as a person, I don’t think he’s a very good NFL player.

To explain this however, I need to get a couple things out in the open.

The first is that I really do like Tim Tebow as a person and wish he was as good as everyone says he is.

I appreciate someone who stands up for what they believe in in the face of a world that seems to stand for everything that goes in the face of his beliefs. I’m not saying I like him just because he’s a Christian, though. For example, I liked Ricky Williams for similar reasons when he turned down millions of dollars because he’d rather smoke weed.

Two different people opposing the culture they thrive in for two separate reasons, both of which I appreciate.

The second thing I need to get off my chest is that I hate the Denver Broncos. Now I don’t believe my argument would be any different if Tebow were doing this as a member of the St. Louis Rams, but the fact that he is doing it for a team fighting the Raiders for a playoff spot is frustrating.

Now on to Tim Tebow as a football player. There are a few things we know for sure about him: he’s 7-1 as a starter in the NFL this season on a team that was 1-4 before he got there. He was one of the greatest college football players of all time. The Broncos have an excellent defense. The Broncos don’t have a ton of talent on offense. Denver hasn’t faced the toughest schedule in the world under Tebow (more on this later). And many believe he isn’t a very good passing quarterback.

Whichever side of the argument you fall on, I think those are things we can all agree on.

The reason I’ve decided to write this article now, is because I think that Tebow’s latest victory is the perfect example of why I have yet to jump on the “Tim Tebow, future hall-of-famer” bandwagon.

With 4:34 left on the clock in the fourth quarter of the game against Chicago, Tebow had led the Broncos to just 221 total yards and zero points.

If you ask me, the credit everything that would happen next doesn’t belong to the greatness of Tim Tebow, but instead belongs to the ridiculousness of the Chicago Bears.

Let’s start with Chicago’s offense. On the two drives just before the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Bears had finally begun to move the ball, scoring all 10 of their points.

Then they went into “all-we-care-about-is-running-clock” mode.

In the fourth quarter, the Chicago Bears had four drives. In the fourth quarter the Chicago Bears ran exactly 12 plays (11 runs, 1 pass). In the fourth quarter the Chicago Bears gained a total of 13 yards.

While the Bear offense is terrible and the Bronco defense is excellent, the point here is that the Bears’ gameplan was obvious: play it safe and get the game over with.

My problem with this strategy, however, was more on the defensive side of the ball.

Defensively, the Bears had held Tebow in check the entire game. Brian Urlacher had done a great job of containing his ability to run the ball, and with the help of some drops from receivers, the Broncos passing game was non-existent (Tebow was 3/16 passing going into the fourth).

Then came everyone’s favorite defensive strategy: the prevent defense.

For anyone who watched the Broncos’ final two drives in regulation the strategy was clear: allow Tebow to complete short passes but to prevent the long ball.

As a result, Tebow hit wide open receiver after wide open receiver, and slowly but surely the Broncos moved the ball. Tebow was never required to make a tough throw or break an impressive run, just throw it to the wide-open receiver in the flat and gain ten yards at a time.

After the Broncos marched down the field and cut the lead to 10-7, an unsuccessful onside kick attempt gave the Bears the ball back with the chance to run the clock down to about 15-seconds.

As fate would have it, Marion Barber forgets to stay in bounds and suddenly the fighting Tebows were gifted with an extra 40-seconds to work with on offense.

So with 53-seconds remaining and the ball at their own 20, Timothy Richard Tebow glided onto the field.

For anyone who thinks I am downplaying the following plays, here is a youtube link with the final drive of regulation:  (skip ahead to 1:53 for when the drive finally begins).

On first down, Tebow finds a wide-open Eric Decker for eight yards.

On second down, it’s a wide-open Lance Ball who gains 13.

Spike.

Next it’s a wide-open (not even a defender in the screen) Matt Willis for 17 as the Bears let him get out of bounds to stop the clock.

Next Tebow looks to find Demaryius Thomas in tight coverage but the pass falls incomplete. As much as I’d like to point out that the first throw of the drive into coverage falls incomplete, it may have been pass interference, so I’ll let it slide.

With 18 ticks remaining, Tebow throws another incomplete pass, this time at the feet of his running back. (This turned out to be a great decision, and while I don’t know if he did it on purpose, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt).

With 14 seconds left, Tebow runs out wide for no gain, bringing out Matt Prater for a 57-yard field goal.

Naturally, the kick is good and we’re headed to overtime.

Bears win the toss, and elect to receive with exactly 0% of the world thinking they have any chance to win this game.

Of course, no longer playing not-to-win, the Bears mount an impressive drive. Also as expected, things went completely wrong.

After marching the ball to the Denver 33 in just six plays, our good friend Marion Barber coughs up the football. (Note: this game was over, Gould wasn’t missing that field goal, but whatever).

I’m pretty sure Tebow floated onto the field for the overtime drive, but regardless, the Broncos took over at their own 34 (here’s video for this drive).

Facing a second and 12 a few plays later, Tebow makes probably his best throw of the game when he finds Thomas along the sideline for a gain of 16. Can’t tell if this was actually a great throw or a great catch, but it’s probably a combination of the two.

Then, as expected, a couple plays later Prater knocks home another monster field goal to win the game.

So to summarize this game: the Broncos needed the Bears to go into the prevent-the-win offense and defense, Marion Barber to run out of bounds in the fourth, Marion Barber to fumble in overtime and for Matt Prater to nail two monster field goals in order to win.

Now before everyone who loves Tebow begins to scream, “YEAH, BUT THEY WON!” I ask them to consider how much needed to go wrong for the Broncos to squeak by a really bad team.

Speaking of bad teams, Tebow has now beaten: Miami (4-9), Oakland (Carson Palmer’s first start), Kansas City (5-8), the Jets (8-5), the Vikings (2-11) and the Bears (0-3 without Cutler).

In those eight games, including the loss to Detroit (8-5), the Broncos have a total point differential of +2. They’ve won seven games by an average of 5.28 points.

To go one step further, if you look at how these teams were doing heading into their matchup with the Broncos, the 7 teams have a combined 3-11 record in the two games prior to playing Denver. 3-11!

While I am sure none of this will change anyone’s mind, it’s food for thought. For those who agree, it’s ammo, and for those who disagree, it’s angering.

Either way, I think we can agree on one thing: Tim Tebow seems like a pretty good person. Right?

Freshman to Keep an Eye On

Which freshman will be this year's Vontaze Burfict? (AP)

Every college football season there are a number of true freshman or junior college transfers who come in right away and make an impact. So with the start of fall camp just a few weeks away we thought we would break down and give you a little preview of the previous recruiting class for each Pac-10 program and maybe give you a few names people expect to make an impact and maybe a few that might surprise you.

Arizona

The Arizona Wildcats are coming off a relatively successful season and return a lot of talent to potentially compete in the undistinguishable Pac-10. With stars at quarterback and running back as well as along the defensive line but a few questions left unanswered in other places, there is a possibility that a freshman or two could have an impact. The most obvious player signed in the 2010 recruiting class would be JC transfer Dexter Ransom. Ransom is a rangy 6’4 215 pound receiver out of Blinn C.C. which is one of the best JC programs around. With a few years of college ball under his belt don’t be surprised if you see Ransom get into camp and be in contention to start by the time September rolls around. Another player to keep an eye on is local product Marquis Flowers. Flowers was a U.S. Army All-American who at 6’3 and 210 pounds was recruited to Arizona to be a safety. With his size and athleticism, and at a position where freshman tend to get opportunities, Flowers could end up being a key component to helping Arizona smell roses.

Arizona State

The Sun Devils need a lot of help in a lot of places. Where they don’t need help is middle linebackers where last year a true freshman in Vontaze Burfict was one of the only bright spots in an otherwise gloomy year for coach Dennis Erickson. With another rebuilding year on the horizon the possibility for younger guys to get playing time is very real. Offensive tackle Brice Schwab out of Palomar C.C. was once a Trojan commit but switched to ASU late in the game recognizing he had a good chance to start from day one. At 6’8 and over 300 pounds he has the perfect frame to step in at left tackle immediately. With no clear cut favorite to run away with the running back position freshman Deantre Lewis has a good shot to not redshirt. Coming from the same Norco program that produced Toby Gerheart, Lewis has the size and speed to be able to threaten the older guys in camp.

California

The Golden Bears are coming off a disappointing season and most pundits see no reason this season will be any different. However with a more experienced offensive line and a senior QB in Kevin Riley there is hope in Strawberry Canyon from within the program that this can be the year all the pieces finally click. With a strong running game from Shane Vereen and co. the Bears need help at receiver and they believe they got it in a few ways. The first is from one time Alabama commit Keenan Allen who hails from North Carolina. The All-American super athlete who also will see time at DB has size, speed, and superior body control that will allow him to be a special player whether that is this season or down the road. Since receiver is the biggest area of need, the Bears signed five of them in this class including Coleman Edmond out of Pierce C.C. the one time UCLA track athlete is expected to contribute in the return game as well as out wide for Tedford and offensive co-ordinator Andy Ludwig.

Oregon

The Ducks are favored to repeat as champions in the Pac-10 but that doesn’t mean that there won’t be opportunities for young guys to step up. They closed off the 2010 recruiting cycle very strongly bringing in a talented group of players with potential to keep the ball rolling long after the 2010 season. With the spread option offense they run, quick running backs with good vision a la LaMichael James are important. Therefore Duck fans will love Lache Seastrunk, the All-American youtube phenom from Temple, Texas. Seastrunk’s arrival in college has been long anticipated and odds are every college football fan in America will know by the conclusion of his freshman season. The defensive backfield and more specifically the cornerback position is one that is going to be competitive this fall. Terrance Mitchell is a 5’11 corner from Sacramento who graduated early to enroll in time for spring ball, expect to see his name in the rotation this year along with fellow freshman Dior Mathis from Detroit.

Oregon State

With the departure of Pete Carroll from USC to the NFL the title of best talent evaluator now gets placed firmly on the shoulders of Mike Riley. Every year they are towards the bottom of the recruiting rankings in the Pac-10 yet somehow they always end up towards the top of the final standings. Despite the lack of “star power” when it comes to their 2010 class as per the recruiting services, expect this class to be no different then previous classes in that they will over achieve and continue the success that Riley has had. Because Riley puts such a premium on player development it is tough to project who will potentially succeed as a true freshman. With that being said Shaydon Akuna out of Kapolei, HI is a missile at the outside linebacker position. He fits perfectly into Mark Banker’s defense and has a great opportunity to fill in for departed senior leader Keaton Kristick. You can never have enough quality defensive linemen and Fred Thompson out of Oakland Tech high school is a monster on the inside at 6’4 290 pounds. He has the size to be able to contribute right away and could be expected to eat up blockers in the middle for players like Akuna to make tackles.

Stanford

The Cardinal are building upon the first successful year they have had in quite some time. Jim Harbaugh and staff continue to bring in a bevy of talented prep players and this year was no different as they signed a number of players with the ability to compete for playing time. Last season Shayne Skov made a huge impact starting a number of games at the outside linebacker position so you know that Harbaugh is willing to play freshman if they give him the best chance to win. The player with the best chance at playing time will be Blake Lueders a one time Notre Dame recruit. This 6’5 250 pound defensive end is a monster as a strong side defensive end and would provide instant help in the run game as he comes into camp already with the necessary size to play the position in a 4-3 defense. Also, with the departure of Gerheart to the NFL, Anthony Wilkerson a bruising 210 pound back from Tustin, CA and Ricky Seale a 5’9 scat back from Escondido will compete to take the load off Heisman darkhorse QB Andrew Luck.

UCLA

Similar to Stanford, UCLA is coming off a successful season with a bowl game appearance and victory for the first time under Rick Neuheisel. Despite their previous lack of on-field success, the Bruins have recruited extremely well. The obvious answer to the question of whom should be expected to play as a freshman is the Gatorade National Player of the Year; Malcom Jones. Jones is a 210 pound running back out of Oaks Christian high school, the same school that produced Jimmy Clausen among others. The All-American clearly has the size but also has the balance, vision, and necessary intangibles to be able to handle the transition to college ball. Owamagbe Odighizuwa or “Owa” for those of us without Nigerian decent was considered one of, if not the best weak side defensive ends in the nation. Despite having groin problems this summer, the Portland, Or native is expected to be a star in Westwood sooner rather then later.

USC

This just in, USC can recruit. According to Rivals.com, USC had one of, if not the best recruiting classes of all time. Instead of picking one or two players to focus on you could easily close your eyes and pick a name out of a hat and assume that player will be contributing this fall. Robert Woods, a safety/wide receiver from Serra high school in southern california was considered to be the best athlete in the country by many and has Charles Woodson like talent similar to Cal signee Keenan Allen. At 6’2 and 180 pounds with 46 second 400 meter dash time, Woods athleticism coupled with freakish ball skills is going to enable him to be one of the Pac-10′s best for the next 4 years no matter which side of the ball he decides to play on.

Washington

Steve Sarkisian proved he learned a thing or two from Pete Carroll when they beat the Trojans on a last second field goal this season. However, he may have learned the most when it comes to recruiting. The Huskies signed a number of talented players who figure to be in the mix this season. Sione Potoae is a massive 6’3 285 defensive tackle from in-state Lakewood high school, the All-American is a force in the middle and with the rotation that defensive lines are usually run on, expect too see him at some point this year. It is often tough to project a kid’s position from high school to college. This isn’t the case with Victor Burnett, a 6’1 230 pound athlete from Culver City, CA who has middle linebacker written all over him. His frame will instantly put him in the mix and if he can learn the playbook he most likely will get significant playing time.

Washington State

There isn’t much to get excited about in Pullman these days. However, the folks up there are relatively positive about the direction of the program despite the two previous years with a grand total of two wins. The need for any type of playmaker is desperate and they may have gotten a steal or two with the signing of two Northern California tailbacks. Ricky Galvin is a bit undersized at around 5’8 and 170 pounds but if he gets in space he is very dangerous. If he can add a few pounds before camp he will have an opportunity to be used in the return game as well as certain packages that involve getting him to the outside. Devonte Butler from Grant high school in Sacramento somehow went his career without being heavily recriuted. The more classic of the two as far as the running back position goes, the 5’11 Butler ran for around 30 touchdowns his senior season and brings a state championship and winning mentality to Pullman. If either or both of these two athletes are able to have the type of impact they are capable of, things may be looking up in Pullman afterall.

Dodgers at the Deadline

AP Photo

As I watched the MLB trade deadline show on MLB Network, I noticed a funny comment by one of the analysts.  When asked who his “winner” was for the day, he mentioned the Dodgers due to their ability to be so active despite their financial hardships.  He said nothing else.  The Dodgers were winners simply because they were active, and to me, that makes no sense.  These moves weren’t terrible, but it was exactly what Ned Colletti is known for: overpaying.  Great.

The first move the Dodgers made today was fine by me.  The Dodgers began the day by sending Blake DeWitt and their 17th and 34th best prospects to Chicago for Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot.  While many were up in arms over the departure of DeWitt, he was never going to be a franchise player, and the Dodgers could do well to simply sign a new second baseman every year for the next ten, and they would never do significantly worse than DeWitt, so no big loss there.  Other than that, Theriot adds more speed to a lineup of Furcal, Podsednik, and Kemp, adding just another player capable of stealing bases at any moment.  Lilly was a much needed inning-eater at the back of the rotation, so this trade didn’t bother me.

The second trade, however, reeks of Ned Colletti’s biggest weakness: forcing a trade.  The Dodgers parted with James McDonald and Andrew Lambo (12th best prospect) for some much needed help in the bullpen with Octavio Dotel.  Dotel is a great pickup, but at far too large a price.  McDonald has Edwin Jackson part two written all over him (Dodgers dealt Jackson a few years back for Danny Baez, another relief pitcher), and the last thing the Dodgers need is for another prospect to develop in someone else’s’ system (ala Carlos Santana).  So while the future will tell how much this helps the Dodgers, if they don’t make the playoffs this season, these moves will come back to haunt them.

Don’t Robert Green This One and Let it Slip Away

(619sports) Landon Donovan moments after he scored the biggest goal in U.S. soccer history

Soccer in the United States is as popular now as it has ever been. It has the opportunity to build on that popularity in an attempt to make the entire sport relevant as opposed to a passing fad every four years. As the only “major” professional league in this country the MLS has a responsibility to take this opportunity and make the most out of it. The best way that they can do this is to let go and make sure that their best American born players aren’t playing in their league.

Obviously this seems contradictory but if it is thought out, this really is the best course of action if the league and the state of the sport in general wish to grow. Sometimes you have to take one step back to take two steps forward but it appears that the MLS doesn’t understand that as they are only concerned about selling a few extra tickets as opposed to putting out a good national product. Following the U.S. advancement into the second round of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa led by Landon Donovan; the time to build towards the future is now. Several English Premier League teams have courted Donovan this transfer season including Manchester City, which has grown to one of the bigger and better teams in what is widely considered the best league in the world. However, Donovan is under contract with the L.A. Galaxy of the MLS until 2014, and even though he has an outstanding opportunity it appears as if the Galaxy and the league as a whole is not willing to part ways with their star.

I understand the league wanting to keep the little popularity it has and that Donovan is it’s best commodity. Other then the occasional transfer from international stars such as Pele` or Beckham in the past and Thierry Henry presently, they really don’t have much in the way of star power to offer fans. What the league has to realize is that there are soccer fans in this country that are going to be MLS fans because that is the closest thing to high level soccer they can get. They aren’t going to raise their fan base dramatically by hanging onto their top players. The MLS and U.S. soccer in general is going to increase its fan base by doing two things:

First and foremost is winning on the international stage and they can only do that by developing their players. They need to send their top players to Europe at a young age to develop them the best they can. If these young talents are stuck playing in the MLS they are only going to get as good as there opponents can allow them to get and at its current stage, frankly, that isn’t very good.

The second thing that they can do, and that they have the opportunity to do, is to continue to expand globally. If they send their players to Europe, not only are they going to improve as players but also they are going to improve as global icons. Building up to and following the conclusion of the World Cup I often saw people in Soccer Jerseys and other apparel. However, despite being in America most of those Jerseys say things like “F.C. Barcelona” with Messi on the back, or “Brazil” with Kaka’s name and number eight printed on the back. Rarely if ever do I see a Landon Donovan “Galaxy” Jersey or a “United States” Clint Dempsey jersey. Clearly the U.S. players are not on the level of these international super giants but there is no reason that they can’t be marketed on a global stage and the way to do that is to raise awareness of their talents by once again, allowing them to play in Europe.

Now there are a lot of U.S. players that are currently on European rosters and that is clearly a good thing. The aforementioned Dempsey as well as Howard, Davies, Altidore, and Bradley as well as a few more all took their talents abroad. So if the MLS has no problems letting these players go, why would they not want to let Donovan get one more chance at A.) Proving he can play on that level. And more importantly B.) Proving that Americans as a whole are capable at putting out a good product when it comes to soccer. He is currently 28 years old, which would put him towards the latter stages of his career in terms of appeal to European teams. Why not allow him to go play in Europe for two or three seasons and to gain prominence for himself as well as credibility for U.S. soccer and have him return to the MLS to finish out his career. He would be as popular as ever, if not more popular at that point and he would still be capable at playing as high a level as necessary to be a star in the MLS.

The only example that I can think of with similarities to this situation is in Japan with baseball. The best league in the world is clearly Major League Baseball however the Japanese leagues are very good as well. Over the past decade or so the top players in Japan have been coming over to play in America with great frequency. Ichiro, Matsuzaka, and Matsui are the three most prominent names and it has done wonders not just for their careers but also for the American awareness of the talent that Japanese baseball has to offer. This example has one major flaw in it as compared to the soccer situation. While those teams did allow the buying of their top players, they did it with an outstanding support system already in place for their league. The MLS’ concern is that if they lose Donovan they will lose a lot of fans whereas in Japan, baseball is one of if not their most popular sports.

As I previously stated I don’t believe losing Donovan would be catastrophic to ticket sales. While fans want to see the best players playing, the fans that are going to MLS games are going because they are soccer fans, and not solely because they want to see Donovan play. If the MLS is serious about advancing soccer in this country, which it would be wise to do, then it should be serious about entertaining offers for Donovan. Don’t lose out on a great opportunity because you are being selfish, be realistic about the current state you are in and about where you want to ultimately end up.

R.I.P. Original Swagger

Crossing the middle was never a good idea when Tatum was playing

The term “swagger” gets thrown around much too often today. Whether it be by rappers, athletes, sportscasters, or thirteen year old boys on Facebook the term has firmly cemented itself into pop-culture today. Unfortunately because of its popularity it gets thrown around by any and everyone and has come to mean a sort of combination between confidence and being conceited.

The way that it first came into existence was as a way of describing someone’s style and the way they carry themselves. It has to do with the way they walk, talk, act, and in sports the way they play the game. It isn’t about how you celebrate your touchdowns, it’s about acting like you’ve been there before. It isn’t about beating your chest or screaming about a big hit, it’s about standing over the guy and looking him in the eye to let him know he better not cross the middle again. And in the case of Jack Tatum, it is about playing the game the right way no matter what the cost is because you know that you are better then anyone else out there and you don’t need to show off to prove it.

The ESPN film series 30 for 30 documented the Miami Hurricane football team of the 90′s and showed off how they dominated on the field with what they considered to be the first showing of “swagger.” I have seen shirts and ad-campaigns by the school and affiliated clothing companies that read “The “U” Invented Swagger.” If people think that Miami invented swagger then they must have never seen the ‘ 85 Bears and damn sure hadn’t ever seen the 1970′s Oakland Raider teams. Willie Brown, Art Shell, George Atkinson II, and certainly Jack Tatum all led by Al Davis played and approached the game with an attitude that not only were they going to beat you when they played you but they were going to hurt you and they carried themselves like it. They knew that they were tougher, meaner, and flat out better then whoever was unfortunate enough to get in their way. That type of attitude is what swagger is all about, the “U” certainly didn’t invent swagger, they may have borrowed it from the original bad boys of football but today respect needs to be given where it is due.

This morning Jack Tatum died of a heart attack at the age of 61 after battling diabetes for years. He was always known for his hard hits on the field which earned him the nickname “The Assassin.” His most famous hit made that nickname a bit haunting when he ended the career of New England Patriot receiver Darryl Stingley in a 1978 preseason game. After the hit Stingley was paralyzed and ultimately died in 2007. While it is all part of the game, the NFL community expected and never received an apology from Tatum for Stingley, as Tatum felt he had done nothing wrong and in reality all he was doing was what he did on a regular basis. He hit and he hit hard. Unfortunately that bravado which led to him being as feared of a defensive back in the history of the game also led to him being looked upon by some with a feeling of discontent for never publicly showing remorse for Stingley’s shortcomings. However that attitude and way that he carried himself is all about what swagger is and what swagger should be and I for one hope that the legacy that those Raider teams started carries on because they played the game the way that it was intended to be played and nobody played it harder, better, or with more swag then Jack Tatum.

Pac-10 Pre-Season Power Rankings

Will the Ducks finish the season celebrating again? (Getty Images)

With a new season just around the corner, here are my predictions for how the teams will all shake out…

1) Oregon – When the defending champion returns 17 starters, 9 of whom were part of the best offense in the conference last year, they deserve to remain at the top.  The loss of Masoli hurts the Ducks, but with a defense that will continue to improve, and the best running back corps in the conference, I don’t expect the Ducks to miss a beat this season

2) USC – While many people are picking them to finish near the top, I think USC remains one of the biggest wildcards in the conference.  Based on talent, they definitely deserve this ranking, however it remains to be seen how motivated they will be without the chance of making the postseason, and how well Lane Kiffin can handle the pressure that coaching USC brings.

3) Stanford – While the Cardinal will severely miss Toby Gearhart this season, Andrew Luck is a dark horse candidate for conference player of the year.  While everyone is talking about Jake Locker, many seem to forget how good this guy is, and with arguably the best coach in the conference in Jim Harbaugh, I’m predicting a big season in Palo Alto.

4) Oregon State – The biggest question mark this season will be who plays quarterback for the Beavers, but whoever ends up under center will have some serious help in the form of James and Jaquizz Rodgers.  While the Beavers need both of these guys to stay healthy in order to remain successful, Mike Riley always seems to make things happen in Corvallis, and I don’t think this season will be any different.

5) Washington – While I mentioned above all of the hype that Jake Locker has been receiving this year, I must also add that it isn’t without reason.  This guy has all of the tools you look for in a quarterback, and now in his second season within the Sarkisian system, Locker could make the jump into an elite group of quarterbacks in conference history.  Combine all that with the emergence of Chris Polk, and the Huskies know that their success hinges solely on whether or not their defense can rise to the occasion.

6) California – The Golden Bears remain an interesting team to predict, given the history of quarterback Kevin Riley.  No player in the conference has experienced such highs and lows over their career, and yet, here he stands as the starting quarterback for his senior year.  While I don’t think he has the tools to consistently lead an elite college program, the Bears have lots of talent overall, and should remain in the middle of the pack this season.

7) UCLA – Call me an optimist, but I think this is the year that UCLA emerges under Rick Neuheisel as a serious competitor.  With the return of quarterback Kevin Prince, and a new offensive scheme, I think UCLA is poised to compete, as long as their defense can maintain the high level of play.  That being said, this is a defense which has lost Brian Price and Alterraun Verner, which is why I have them finishing seventh.

8 ) Arizona – Not much to say here other than that I am not expecting much from the folks from Tuscon this season.  The offense has some playmakers, however, overall this team doesn’t jump out at me, and that leads me to believe they won’t be anything other than bystanders in the conference race.  A player to watch this season, however, is quarterback Nick Foles, who quietly put together a very impressive rookie season last year, and could emerge as the conference’s best kept secret.

9) Arizona State – Unfortunately for ASU, the quarterback competition between Threet and Osweiler may be the most exciting and talked about storyline the program has going for them this season.   The team lost seven players on each side of the ball, and with a new quarterback and a new system, folks shouldn’t be expecting much come fall.

10) Washington State – The Cougars will be much, much, much better this season, and may even sneak out of the cellar, however I can’t seem them moving out of the bottom three.  The Cougars are a young team with lots of room for improvement, however, they are a long way from being relevant again.  Jeff Tuel has a chance to become a good college quarterback, but it remains to be seen if he has enough help around him to make a difference.

Haze Me While I Take Your Spot

Midwestsportsfans.com

Roy Williams was Born in Odessa,Texas and attended Permian High School, the subject of the hit movie “Friday Night Lights.” He stayed in state to attend the University of Texas where he was a star earning multiple accolades. He went on to become the 7th overall pick of the 2004 draft by the Detroit Lions where he started off a very successful early career highlighted by an 82 catch 7 TD year in 2006.

Dez Bryant is also a Texas native, born in Lufkin,Texas where he was a prep super star before deciding to take his talents out of state to Stillwater Oklahoma and Oklahoma St. where he became an All-American caliber receiver before running into trouble. He was suspended for the majority of this past season for his lying to the NCAA about his contact with Deion Sanders. During the draft process his character was again called into question when questions of his past became an issue. They went so far deep into his personal life that questions on whether his mother was an actual prostitute were brought up. Before the season Bryant was in mock drafts slotted to go in the top ten as the first receiver taken and maybe even the first offensive skill position player taken. However after his “issues” his stock dropped and it wasn’t until the 24th overall pick that he heard his name called by his home state team the Dallas Cowboys.

Bryant saw this oportunity as a fresh slate so to speak and by all accounts he has been running with it. He has been doing all the right things in training camp on and off the field. Working hard, performing at a high level as expected, staying out of trouble, and interacting with the fans and community. Apparently the only thing he hasn’t been doing is accepting his role within the dynamic of the locker room as a rookie.

In 2008 Williams was traded to Dallas from Detroit for a first round pick as a compliment to Terrell Owens and Jason Witten to form a potentially vaunted offense. Instead he has 57 catches in 25 games for 8 touchdowns. Not quite the homecoming that either Williams or the Cowboys had in mind when they gave such a high price for him. With the emergence of Pro Bowl receiver Miles Austin, the Cowboys sent a clear message to Williams that he wasn’t getting the job done opposite of Austin by using their first round selection on Bryant. Despite his lack of production on the field and his lack of consistency in camp this summer compared to the rookie Bryant, Williams still felt the need to treat Bryant as if he were a free-agent signee and Williams was still a star. In reality Bryant appears to be breezing past Williams on the depth chart as he has been cornerbacks in camp.

So when practice ended one day, and Williams told Bryant to carry his pads for him, Bryant refused. He refused to accept the role of rookie, he refused to accept the fact that he was low on the totem pole, and most importantly he refused to ignore the fact that he was gunning for Williams’ spot. Now, there are two trains of thought that could come to mind when looking at this situation:

Number one is that you look at Bryant and say “hey, you are a rookie, take the punches and roll with them because this guy has served his time and is a veteran in this league.” This is the route that most go with and they realize it is all part of being a professional athlete and being on a team. Even though you are a first round pick and expected to play at a high level that doesn’t mean you are above getting initiated onto the team.

The other option is one that is rarely seen but one that in this case sends a clear message. By accepting the responsibility of taking Williams’ pads and doing his work for him, Bryant decided that he would be giving a mental edge to Williams.He decided that he didn’t want to give any mental ground to Williams because he was trying to take his spot. So instead he didn’t carry his pads and despite his status as a rookie on the team he decided he was above the rookie hazing that comes with the territory.

By going with the latter of the two options Bryant may be shaking things up in the locker room but he is sending a message to Williams, to his teammates, to the coaches and management, and to the fans that he is here to play and that he expects to be climbing the totem pole of the team very quickly, all while Williams watches with a baseball hat from the bench. And you can bet that if Bryant performs on Sundays as he has been in camp and if Williams continues to struggle that this little incident will be looked upon as the turning point in this position battle. A little note to Roy: don’t tell the kid who is “It” during a game of tag that you kissed his girlfriend, especially when he looks like this

Denver Post

because he will catch you and in this case he won’t ever look back.

Monitoring Chris Paul’s Potential Destinations

Throughout this summer (and likely the last few years), calls to the New Orleans Hornets regarding the availability of Chris Paul have rung off the hook.  In fact, sources reported that discussions heated up to the point where prior to the NBA draft, the Trail Blazers and Hornets had thoroughly discussed the possibility of sending Paul to Portland in an exchange of various expiring contracts and young talents.  A second reported deal had Paul nearly ending up in New Jersey.  However, the one constant through all of this has been Paul’s stated preference to stay in New Orleans – provided that the team is committed to building a team capable of winning a championship around him.

Now, however, Paul’s stance appears to have changed.  On Wednesday, CBS Sports reported that Paul had provided the Hornets with a list of three teams – the Knicks, Magic, and Lakers – as trade destinations that he would prefer.  Thursday, on ESPN’s Chris Broussard challenged that report stating that Paul’s desired potential destinations include New York, Orlando, Portland, and Dallas.  Regardless of the teams, it appears Paul has made up his mind that the Hornet’s organization, amidst ownership turmoil, a new GM, and a new coach simply does not have the ability to become a contender in the upcoming years.  The Hornets have planned a meeting with Paul for this next Monday as an effort to convince him otherwise, but it appears that Paul’s trade demands are concrete.

It should be noted that Paul has very little leverage in his current situation.  Paul still has 2 years left on his contract, and thus the Hornets have no compelling reason to listen to his demands.  The Hornets should, and will, only trade Paul in the near term if the trade improves their future outlook 2-3 years down the line.  Doing so would require a trading partner that can offer significant cap relief (by taking on the contracts of Emeka Okafor, James Posey, or both), as well as young talent with small contracts.  You might wonder how trading Paul could ever improve the Hornet’s outlook 2 years from now, but it may be (and quite reasonably) assumed that Paul would simply leave the Hornets in two years if the team fails to trade him before he becomes a free agent.  With this in mind, let’s take a look at the four teams reportedly on Chris Paul’s wish list to see what they have to offer.

New York

ESPN has reported that the Knicks are at the top of Paul’s wish list, and reasonably so.  The team recently signed Amar’e Stoudemire, and looks to have a great deal of cap space next season to make a run at Carmelo Anthony.  A threesome of Paul, Anthony, and Stoudemire would make for quite a battle in the Eastern Conference Finals each year with Miami.  Further, New York has all the assets to make this trade happen through Eddy Curry’s expiring contract and the potential of Danilo Gallinari and Anthony Randolph.

Proposed Trade

New York trades: Eddy Curry, Danilo Gallinari, Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azubuike, and Wilson Chandler

New Orleans trades: Chris Paul and Emeka Okafor

This is the type of trade that New Orleans would have to consider.  First, every player they take on is in the last year of the contract, and this allows them to get the monstrous Okafor contract ($11-12 million for 4 more years) off of their books.  Not only that, but the Hornet’s get the excellent young talents of Gallinari and Randolph, while also getting solid players in Azubuike and Wilson Chandler.

However, this trade creates a precarious situation for New York.  For all the talk of a trio of Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, and Amar’e Stoudemire, the inclusion of Emeka Okafor’s contract in this deal makes it nearly impossible for them to sign Carmelo outright in the 2011 offseason.  This would be further complicated if New Orleans insists on James Posey ($6.5m for 2 seasons) being included in the deal.  Further, it leaves the cupboard quite bare in New York outside of Stoudemire and Paul, with no formidable starting small forward and no bench.  Is this a trade New York should consider?  I certainly think so.  While they may not become contenders immediately, future offseason acquisitions through the draft and free agency would make a foundation of Stoudemire and Paul a force to be reckoned with.

Portland

The Trailblazers are a team that has long been after Paul, and his trade demands present them an excellent opportunity to make their pitch.  They have the expiring contracts of Andre Miller ($7.3m) and Joel Pryzbilla ($7.4m), as well as enough young talent in Nicolas Batum, Jerryd Bayless, and Rudy Fernandez to create an interesting package for the Hornets.  A trio of Chris Paul, Brandon Roy, and LaMarcus Aldridge could wreak havoc in the western conference, especially if Greg Oden returns from his injury woes anywhere near his potential.

Proposed Trade

Portland Trades: Andre Miller, Joel Pryzbilla, Nicolas Batum, Rudy Fernandez, and Marcus Camby

New Orleans Trades: Chris Paul, Emeka Okafor, and James Posey

You should be quick to note the inclusion of Marcus Camby in this trade.  Camby recently re-upped with the Blazers for 2 years at nearly $12 million per year, and does not necessarily fit the mold of the salary dump New Orleans would be attempting in trading Okafor and Posey.  However, with this deal, the Hornets would save $4 million in the upcoming season (maybe more if Pryzbilla can’t return from injury and his contract is covered by insurance), $14.5 million in the 2011-2012 season after Miller and Pryzbilla’s contracts expire, and an additional $12 million in the season after Camby’s contract expires.  Marcus Camby is set to make the same amount of money as Emeka Okafor, but his contract is for half the number of years.

The inclusion of Nicolas Batum in this deal has to be appealing to the Hornets, as he is an excellent defensive player with an ever-improving offensive game compared to Tayshaun Prince.  However, it’s the inclusion of Rudy Fernandez where the deal becomes questionable.  Fernandez has publicly stated that he is unhappy on the Blazers, but has reportedly expressed interest in heading back to Spain.  The Hornets certainly are not looking for young talent that plans to leave upon the expiration of their contract, and thus they may insist on Jerryd Bayless being included in the deal.

If this is the case, the Blazers would have an interesting decision to make.  In trading Batum and Bayless together, the Blazers would essentially have no formidable starting small forward (they traded Martell Webster earlier this summer), no backup point guard, and an unhappy backup shooting guard in Rudy Fernandez.  Wesley Matthews would presumably slide into the starting lineup as an undersized small forward, creating vast matchup problems for the Blazers against the Heat, Celtics, Thunder, etc.  Thus, the Blazers certainly have the assets to entice the Hornets to trade Chris Paul, but in doing so they would be sacrificing a great deal of their depth that has been such an asset to them in the past two seasons.  Ultimately, however, a team must take risks to become a contender, and the prospect of getting Chris Paul is likely too great for the Blazers to pass up.

Orlando

Unfortunately for Orlando, they do not have a great deal of attractive pieces outside of Vince Carter’s gigantic $18m expiring contract.  Beyond that, you have to look at pieces such as Jameer Nelson, Marcin Gortat (a bad contract, but he certainly has potential), Brandon Bass, and Mickael Pietrus as potential chips in a deal with the Hornets.

Proposed Trade

Orlando Trades: Vince Carter, Jameer Nelson, Marcin Gortat, 1^st round pick

New Orleans Trades: Chris Paul, Emeka Okafor, and James Posey

This trade seems highly unlikely from New Orleans standpoint.  While they do receive a good amount of cap relief from the expiring contract of Vince Carter, Jameer Nelson and Marcin Gortat are the only two young assets on Orlando that garner much interest and they each come at a relatively high price compared to the players that New York and Portland have to offer.  For the past two years, there has been much speculation around how good Gortat could be, but we can never know until he is out of Dwight Howard’s shadow.  Taking on his 4 year contract at approximately $7m per year would be a rather large risk for New Orleans if they are trying to cut salary.  Jameer Nelson is a nice player and past all-star, but arguments could be made that he is no better than Darren Collison, the apparent heir to the starting point guard spot in New Orleans should Chris Paul be traded.  Ultimately I find it hard to believe New Orleans would make such a trade from Orlando.

Dallas

Should the Mavericks be the team to land Chris Paul, the deal would most certainly be the purest form of a salary dump in NBA.  The Mavericks hold the expiring contracts of Caron Butler ($10.m), Tyson Chandler ($12.6m), and DeShawn Stevenson ($4.2m).  Their one solid young prospect is Roddy Beaubois, the young point guard from France.

Proposed Trade

Dallas Trades: Caron Butler, Tyson Chandler, DeShawn Stevenson, Roddy Beaubois, and picks

New Orleans Trades: Chris Paul, Emeka Okafor, and James Posey

(Note: This trade would have to take place September 13 or later because Dallas is over the cap and recently traded for Tyson Chandler)

This deal would save New Orleans approximately $4 million in the current season, and approximately $28 million in the 2011-2012 season.  However, the possibility of such a New Orleans trade with Dallas is questionable for various reasons.  First, a salary dump like this would be a complete slap in the face to all the New Orleans fans.  Not only do they lose Chris Paul, but they get very little in young talent back for it.  Further, the young talent that they do get back (Beaubois) plays the same position as young point guard Darren Collison, and thus adds very little to the New Orleans rotation.  Sure, the Hornets do get Caron Butler in the trade, and a team of Collison, Butler, David West, Chandler, and Marcus Thornton may win a few games (albeit miss the playoffs).  However, it’s certainly unlikely that Butler would return to the Hornets following next season.  Finally, in the event that Dallas does trade for Chris Paul, what happens to Jason Kidd?  By no means would this be a deterrent for Dallas to obtain Paul, but it certainly would add an interesting dynamic to their team with Kidd coming off the bench.

Ultimately, if Chris Paul is traded to one of the four aforementioned teams, they will have the chance to immediately become a contender who runs deep into the playoffs.  However, as previously mentioned, Chris Paul has little leverage, and the Hornets may decide to hold their cards until a date to be determined later.  It would certainly make sense for the Hornets to hold onto Paul throughout the upcoming season and trade Paul in the follow offseason, before he can leave the team as a free agent.  Right now, however, there are deals that the Hornets should strongly consider, should they recognize that they will not be a contender in the next two years.  There will likely be surprise teams in the discussion over the upcoming weeks (Denver anyone?) with just as enticing offers as the ones above.  It may be tough for Hornet’s fans to stomach, but that’s life as an NBA fan in tough economic times.

Rating the NBA Off-Season

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In an off-season dominated by LeBron, many people have overlooked numerous other moves made by teams around the league.  While some teams have completely changed personalities, other look relatively the same, but all of these moves must be viewed in the grand scheme of things.

I’ve rated the teams based on four factors:

1) Amount of money to spend

2) Ability to lure free agents within their price range

3) Fit of signees within current system and roster

4) Draft outcomes

For example, the Clippers can’t be downgraded for not being able to lure LeBron when they really had a 0% chance from the outset.  That being said, here are my grades thus far:

Atlanta Hawks – The story of the Hawks begins and ends with the signing of Joe Johnson, and while they are getting killed in the media for the size of the contract (largest given out this season), I tend to have a different opinion.  If the Hawks didn’t sign Johnson, what exactly would they have done? Who would they have been able to sign? I understand that Hawk fans are now stuck with Johnson for the next six seasons, and with a team who seems poised for numerous playoff runs, but never a championship run, but without Johnson they aren’t a playoff team.  While they definitely overpaid and didn’t get significantly better, people have to understand that the best case scenario this offseason was to maintain the status quo without getting any worse, and with that: mission accomplished.  As far as the draft goes, I like the Jordan Crawford signing, because his high scoring off the bench will fit right into their up-tempo style.  Overall Grade: B

Boston Celtics – For me, this team may be one of the most difficult offseasons to grade.  While they did well to resign Ray Allen and Paul Pierce while bringing back coach Doc Rivers, I have to wonder whether or not this was their best option.  The Celtics spent most of the 2009-2010 regular season underachieving due to the accumulative age of their players, and yet the core of that team remains almost entirely in tact.  Celtics fans will also be quick to point out that this was also the same team that was just minutes away from being the NBA champions last season, so that has to mean something.  Overall I look at this the same way I look at the Hawks.  While they didn’t get any better, this was still best-case scenario for them.  While I don’t think the big three will win another championship together, I think this team gives them the best chance.  In other news, the Celtics resigned Nate Robinson, and let Tony Allen walk.  I think the Robinson signing was perfect, and gives them scoring and a spark off the bench, while I think Tony Allen will be missed, but letting him go was probably the team’s best option. Overall Grade:  B+

Charlotte Bobcats – The Bobcats biggest loss this offseason was starting point guard Raymond Felton, while the Bobcats failed to make any splash signings.  In minor news, the Bobcats added Larry Hughes and traded Tyson Chandler for Erick Dampier, Eduardo Najera, and Matt Carroll.  Overall, this appears to be a disappointing offseason for the Bobcats, who did nothing to improve their roster from last season, especially given their lack of draft picks this season. Overall Grade: D-

Chicago Bulls – One of the teams in the LeSweepstakes who came out empty handed, it is difficult to justify a high grade for the Bulls this offseason.  Their biggest move was the addition of Carlos Boozer, who will fit perfectly alongside Joakim Noah on the front line.  Other notable moves include the signing of Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer as well as the trading of Kirk Hinrich.  The Korver and Brewer signings provide nice complimentary pieces to the roster they have assembled, however the Hinrich trade is especially devastating given their failure to sign LeBron.  They traded Hinrich solely to create room for a massive signing, and got nothing in return.  Overall the Bulls will be a team to watch in the east next season, but the loss of Hinrich was a blemish on an otherwise somewhat productive offseason.  Like the Bobcats, the Bulls had no draft picks this season. Overall Grade: C+

Cleveland Cavaliers – Unfortunately there is absolutely nothing positive that came out of this offseason.  While it was clear the former hometown hero had no intention of ever signing with his former team, he hung them out to dry by not allowing them to pursue other options in the meantime.  As a result, the Cavs ended up with zero draft picks and zero major signings.  In the meantime they also lost Big Z and will probably lose Shaquille O’neal this summer, leaving them with just one player under contract over 6’9″ (Varejao).  One potential move proposed by ESPN’s Bill Simmons is exploring a trade for Gilbert Arenas, however that trade looks extremely unlikely.  Overall Grade: F

Dallas Mavericks – The Mavericks grade begins and ends with their ability to resign Dirk Nowitzki.  When the Mavericks’ best player opted out of his contract, the team’s only goal became to resign their best player, which they were able to do – even at a discount.  The Mavericks convinced their best player to sign for just $80 million over four years, in hopes that they could be active elsewhere in free agency.  The remainder of their time was spent re-signing Brendan Haywood and a trading for Tyson Chandler.  Both will add solid big men to play in the front court alongside Dirk, and with the continued emergence of Rodrique Beaubois, the Mavericks have prepared themselves for another successful campaign.  Overall Grade: B+

Denver Nuggets – One of my favorite moves of the entire offseason belongs to the Denver Nuggets in their signing of Al Harrington to a contract last week.  While Harrington may be somewhat of a liability on the defensive end, he provides them with another high-powered scorer off the bench to add to a team who won’t have any problems scoring this season.  Elsewhere, the biggest priority here is to sign Carmelo Anthony to a long-term deal before next offseason, however thus far they have failed to do so.  With very little money to spend, and very few needs, I think the Nuggets did a great job finding a player that will fit in their system and compliments their existing roster well.  Overall Grade: B+

Detroit Pistons – After an atrocious offseason last year, the Pistons were remarkably quiet this offseason, doing almost nothing outside of the draft.  In the draft, however, they picked up talented big man Greg Monroe, who fit their needs, and could make an impact this season.  Overall, the Pistons had little to work with and accomplished nothing, so enjoy another losing season for DETROIT BASKETBALLLLLLL.  Overall Grade: D

Golden State Warriors – If you asked Warrior fans what the biggest move this offseason was, I can tell you it has nothing to do with David Lee.  The best thing to happen to Bay Area basketball this summer was a change in ownership.  The fans can finally look forward to an owner who may be committed to spending some money and winning, and luckily for him, that era will begin with David Lee in the fold.  In one of the busiest offseasons in the league, the Warriors have parted ways with Anthony Morrow, Kelenna Azubuike, Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf, and Corey Maggette via trade and free agency.  To compensate for their losses, they have added an all-star quality big man in David Lee and a versatile small forward in Dorrell Wright.  In the draft they added Ekpe Udoh, a raw big man who specializes in shot blocking more than shot making, but could be a long-term solution on the front line. Overall Grade: B+

Houston Rockets – With a GM as creative as Daryl Morey, you expect nothing less than a productive offseason, and this summer was no different.  After a late season trade that brought Kevin Martin into the mix and the impending return of Yao Ming, Morey knew that his team didn’t need much to continue their ascent in the western conference.  All he did was add a solid veteran center in Brad Miller at an affordable price as an insurance policy for Yao Ming, as well as rookie Patrick Patterson to boost depth along the front line.  Combine this with their ability to retain Luis Scola and Kyle Lowry, and the Rockets did everything they needed to this summer.  Overall Grade: B+

Indiana Pacers – For as bad as a season as the Pacers had last year, you would think they would be one of the more active teams in the league.  Unfortunately for the folks in Indianapolis the team they got used to see lose last year isn’t getting any better.  While the Pacers had a solid draft pick going into the draft, they spent it on a player full of raw, undeveloped talent in Paul George who seems a little ways off from being a contributor in the NBA.  Overall Grade: F

LA Clippers - The Clippers are an odd case to examine, because they had the money to target whoever they wanted, and yet, the reality of them landing a star player was near zero from the beginning.  Free agents departing from the squad include Rasual Butler and Craig Smith, two players who aren’t guaranteed not to be wearing a Clipper uniform next season, but have yet to be signed by anyone.  Outside of that, the Clippers added Randy Foye and Ryan Gomes, in addition to draft picks Al-Farouq Aminu and Eric Bledsoe, both of whom figure to see some minutes this season.  Overall the team didn’t add a ton, but given their lack of desirability, they had an average summer.  I compare them to a below average student who just isn’t that smart regardless of how much they study.  That being said, the Clippers studied a lot this summer, and still landed at the class average.  Overall Grade: B-

LA Lakers - When a team wins an NBA championship and returns all of their best players, one can’t expect much during the off-season, but all things considered, the Lakers have done well for themselves.  Going with the student analogy that I mentioned above, the Lakers are the star athlete who just needed to pass their classes to stay on the team, but instead, they happen to ace the test anyways.  The signings of Steve Blake and Derek Fisher weren’t sexy by any means, and yet, they’re exactly what the Lakers needed.  The loss of Jordan Farmar, Josh Powell, DJ Mbenga, and possibly Shannon Brown will hurt the team, but they will be better at point guard given the system they run with Steve Blake.  Also, their draft cannot be overlooked in the slightest.  For a team with no cap room, they need to sign players to minimum contracts, and their ability to draft two players who are dominating the summer league and who could contribute this season late in the second round was definitely clutch. Overall Grade – B+

Memphis Grizzlies - It cannot be easy to be a Memphis Grizzlies fan, but hey, at least your best player (Rudy Gay) on an awful team got a huge contract to return this season right?  The addition of Tony Allen will definitely help  add depth to a team that needs it, but in no way is he a solution.  The drafting of Xavier Henry will also help, but again, he isn’t going to be the difference between a bad team and the playoffs.  Overall Grade – C+

Miami Heat - It would be easy for me to spend my time gushing about how great the Heat will be with the new big 3, but in reality, it was their action other than those three signings that will make the biggest difference.  Their ability to retain Udonis Haslem and James Jones while signing Mike Miller and Big Z was the difference between a team with no depth, and a team everyone in the league should be terrified of.  If there was ever an A+ offseason, this was it.  Overall Grade – A+

Milwaukee Bucks – While last season ended with so much pain and anguish following the injury to Andrew Bogut just before playoff time, the offseason did little to relieve any doubts fans may have.  The biggest moves have been the resigning of John Salmons and the addition of Drew Gooden and Chris Douglas Roberts, however none of those are season-changing moves.  Their draft was okay, but again, nothing overly special.  The Bucks are relying on improvement across the board from their younger players, and hoping they can simply ride the momentum they developed at the end of last season.  Overall Grade – C

Minnesota Timberwolves - Any time you can trade your best player for Kosta Kuofos, you have to do it, right?  Apparently that is how things work in the mind of the infamous David Kahn, who did just that in trading away Al Jefferson.  If their offseason ended there, it would be an awful one, but unfortunately for Timberwolves fans, things only got worse.  They also traded two second round picks for Michael Beasley and his awful contract, in addition to their resigning of Darko Milicic for an absurd 4 years and $20 million.  Darko Milicic.  Yes, that Darko.  The same Darko who has a career average of 5.6 points per game.  Thats one point for every million dollars he will be making for the next four years.  The Wolves did get better in the draft, with the addition of Wesley Johnson, who won’t be a star, but should be a solid contributor for a few years, and the acquisition of Martell Webster through a trade. Overall Grade – F-

New Jersey Nets - Entering the offseason, people hinted at the possibility of the Nets being a major player this summer, with a new owner and lots of money to throw around, but unfortunately, that never came to fruition.  Their best move of the offseason was the drafting of Derek Favors, who when teamed with Brook Lopez, could develop into one of the best front lines in the league.  The Nets also added point guard Jordan Farmar from the Lakers, who will provide some scoring off the bench in relief of Devin Harris, in addition to the signings of Anthony Morrow, Travis Outlaw, and Johan Petro.  All of these are solid signings, and give the team some depth throughout their lineup, but it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to put them into the playoffs.  Overall Grade – B+

New Orleans Hornets - I guess the good news is that Chris Paul is still on the Hornets?  That is literally all that happened this offseason.  They had an unspectacular draft, and didn’t add any free agents, so there really isn’t much else to say.  Overall Grade – C-

New York Knicks - While the Knicks can claim membership in the group of teams screwed by LeBron James, at least they can’t claim membership in the group of teams who did nothing this offseason.  While the signing of Amare Stoudemire seems like a bit of a buzzkill given the potential for moves this offseason, he will definitely make the team significantly better from last year.  That being said, the loss of David Lee is a tough one to swallow, given that he was their best player for the past few seasons.  Overall the Knicks added Kelenna Azubuike, Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf, and Raymond Felton.  Felton should see time as the starting point guard this season, and Azubuike and Randolph will also both see significant minutes, so while they only made one splash signing, they, like the Nets, were able to add numerous solid players to a roster that needed a lot of help.  Overall Grade – B+

Oklahoma City Thunder - Objective number one was to lock Kevin Durant into a long-term deal.  Check.  Objective number two was to obtain a big man that can grow alongside the youth already on the roster, and GM Sam Presti is hoping that big man is Cole Aldrich, whom they added in the draft.  While the team didn’t get significantly better this offseason, they were one of the few teams who could afford to do so, given their projected growth and improvement over the next few seasons.  Overall Grade – B-

Orlando Magic - Another team with a slow offseason, the Magic had very little to work with, and ended up simply maintaining their roster from last season.  Their biggest move was the resigning of coveted guard JJ Redick, who has emerged from anonymity over the past two seasons to become a solid contributor.  They also signed Chris Duhon and Quentin Richardson, while adding Daniel Orton and Stanley Robinson in the draft.  Overall not an exciting offseason for Orlando.  Overall Grade – C+

Philadelphia 76ers - For a team with so little talent on its roster, I would have expected a busier offseason, however the 76ers were surprisingly quiet all summer.  The offseason began with the trade of Samuel Dalembert to Sacramento for Spencer Hawes and Andres Nocioni, and then the drafting of Evan Turner.  I actually like both of these moves, because I think Hawes and Nocioni will both fit nicely in Philadelphia, and I am a big fan of Evan Turner.  I think the 76ers will be better next season, but they haven’t done nearly enough to put themselves in contention for the playoffs.  Overall Grade – C-

Phoenix Suns - With the loss of Amare Stoudemire, the Suns needed to make some moves in order to stay competitive, and I think they did the best they could.  The addition of Hedo Turkgolu is the biggest wildcard because you never know which Hedo you are getting, but I think this was their only chance of remaining amidst the top of the conference.  They also added Hakim Warrick and Josh Childress to account for the loss of Leandro Barbosa, while also resigning Channing Frye.  Overall this was a tough offseason to swallow for Suns fans, because in watching their series against the Lakers, Amare was the only thing keeping them alive, and I just don’t see Hakim Warrick, Hedo, and Josh Childress making up for that gap in performance.  Overall Grade – C

Portland Trailblazers - In what has been a strange offseason for the Blazers, their activity has been tough to predict.  I would never have expected the amount of turnover from the start of last season to the beginning of this season, but the Blazers have lost Steve Blake, Martell Webster, and Travis Outlaw while adding Marcus Camby, Wes Matthews, and Luke Babbit.  I like the addition of Babbit, however I don’t see how they expect him to be much of an upgrade over Martell Webster, at least in the short term, which is where they should be focusing their attention given the make-up of their roster.  Matthews is the biggest question mark.  How does a one-year player who averaged 13 points a game in college merit a 5 year $34 million deal?  Sure he will be a nice player, and provide solid minutes, but where?  He obviously isn’t starting over Brandon Roy or Nicholas Batum, and is a bench player worth that kind of money?  The same can be said for Babbit, who will quickly find himself lost in a list of shooting guards and small forwards including Jerryd Bayless, Rudy Fernandez, and the aforementioned Matthews, Roy, and Batum.  Overall this was a very strange offseason in Portland, and I just don’t see how they got any better.  Overall Grade – C

Sacramento Kings - The first major move made by the Kings was the addition of Samuel Dalembert in the trade mentioned above for Spencer Hawes and Andres Nocioni.  Dalembert should be a better fit in the Kings’ system, and if given quality minutes, could become an above-average NBA big man.  Outside of that trade, the Kings have been quiet, only aquiring other new players through the draft.  They did add Demarcus Cousins, who has the potential to be one of best rookies in the league this season, and will definitely start and contribute immediately.  Overall Grade – B

San Antonio Spurs - When the resigning of Matt Bonner is the highlight of your offseason, you know things have been dull.  Spurs didn’t do much in free agency or the draft, but rumors of the resigning of Richard Jefferson could be good news for a team that needs all the help it can get.  Overall Grade – D

Toronto Raptors - When the opportunity to take a mulligan on the signing of Hedo Turkgolu presented itself, the Raptors’ front office jumped all over it.  While Leandro Barbosa won’t be a season-changer, he will be a nice piece to add to a team that doesn’t have many other nice pieces.  Obviously the loss of Chris Bosh was devastating, however, I don’t think anyone was surprised.  The addition of Ed Davis in the draft was a solid pick, and he could see lots of court time this season given their lack of talent and depth. Overall Grade – D-

Utah Jazz - While everyone expected Carlos Boozer to leave town, I don’t think many people forecasted the loss of Kyle Korver and Wes Matthews as well.  What was expected to be a slow summer in Utah, quickly turned into a devastating one very quickly.  And then David Kahn came calling.  In a trade that was about as one-sided as the Pau Gasol deal, the Jazz literally stole Al Jefferson from the Timberwolves to make up for the loss of Boozer.  Jefferson could very easily become a monster this upcoming season playing alongside Deron Williams, as long as his health can be maintained.  The Jazz also signed Raja Bell and added Gordon Hayward in the draft, both of whom will receive lots of playing time this upcoming season.  For a team on the verge of losing so much to recoup just about all of it, while maybe even improving, the Jazz must be given credit for putting together what could possibly be the most creative offseason in the league. Overall Grade – A

Washington Wizards - The good news is that the Washington Wizards added John Wall in the draft.  The bad news is that Gilbert Arenas is still under contract.  The best move of the offseason came with the acquisition of point guard Kirk Hinrich, however it appears that three of their best players all seem to play the same position now, in point guard (Arenas, Wall, Hinrich).  The Wiz also added Yi Jianlian to add some depth to a roster that seems surprisingly talented.  If the Wizards can make the Arenas situation work, or can deal him for something useful, it will change the entire complexion of the team, however, as of now that seems unlikely.  Overall Grade – B

So there it is.  Every team, every move, graded.  In summary, the best offseason obviously goes to the Miami Heat, however there were a few teams who didn’t have to spend a ton of money in order to earn high grades.  I really liked what Utah did this offseason, because they had so much to lose with Carlos Boozer, and yet managed to remain near the upper echelon of the Western Conference.  I also really liked what the New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks did, in adding numerous quality players to rosters that desperately needed depth.  I thought the Lakers, Celtics, and Mavericks all did a good job maintaining their positions near the top, with the Lakers’ stellar draft, while the Celtics and Mavs were able to keep their best players around.  I thought Golden State, Houston, and Denver all improved themselves this offseason without having to splurge on the free agent market.  It has been a busy summer around the NBA, and while things may not have been as crazy as predicted, it was definitely one of the most memorable offseasons in NBA history.

The Curious Case of Derek Fisher

AP Photo

What do LeBron James and Kobe Bryant both have in common? (Hint: not championships).  It’s Derek Fisher.  You know, the thirteen-year veteran from Arkansas Little Rock, who has been recruited personally by the two greatest basketball players in the world.  The number of players who can claim membership on this list both begins and ends with Fisher, despite all of this year’s free agent hoopla.

As the debate about Derek Fisher swirls, I find myself reminded of two distinctly unique players.  One is a man who single-handedly won the Los Angeles Lakers two playoff games this past postseason, while the other is arguably the worst starting point guard in the NBA.  While it may be hard to believe that one person could embody both of these descriptions, I assure you that I use neither description lightly.

In the 2010 season, Derek Fisher shot an abysmal 38% from the field (152nd among guards), and just 34.8% from three-point range (79th among guards).  Unfortunately for Laker fans, this didn’t stop him from shooting almost seven shots per game, with 2.7 of those coming from behind the arc, for a meager 7.5 points per game.  While most guards with similar numbers can at least boast high assist numbers, Fisher only averages 2.5 assists per game (85th among guards) in over 27 minutes per contest.  For comparison’s sake, consider the following mystery point guards:

A: 46% FG, 38.5% 3p, 12 ppg, 5.6 assists (33 minutes)

B: 37% FG, 34% 3P, 7.4 ppg, 5.4 assists (31 minutes)

C: 41.6% FG, 39.5% 3P, 7.3 ppg, 4.8 assists (27 minutes)

Now clearly, all three of these point guards have superior numbers to Fisher’s, with Fisher finishing at the bottom of each category listed.  The three players listed above are Raymond Felton, Chris Duhon, and Steve Blake.  Not exactly the all-star team, let alone above-average players.

Just as these words leave my mouth, I am quickly reminded of his game 3 performances in both the second round of the 2010 playoffs and of the NBA Finals.  The Lakers literally would have lost both of these games without Fisher.  Forget Kobe, Pau, Odom, or Artest, but Fisher was the irreplaceable player in both instances.  In game three of the Finals, Fisher scored eleven fourth-quarter points to give the Lakers a crucial win, to put them up 2-1 in the series, a series they most definitely would have lost without that game.  This all begs the question: what should the Lakers do?

The numbers tell us that the Lakers will be significantly better without Fisher in 98% of their games next season, and yet those games that fall in the last 2% just happen to come when the games matter most.  There are obviously other factors concerning his leadership ability and personal relationship with Kobe Bryant that increase his value as a Laker, but does that all make up for his awful statistics?  Ask any Laker fan what their thoughts are when Fisher hoists up an open three and I’ll tell you their answers aren’t pretty.  Remember that noise Laker fans made when Ron Artest threw up a three pointer in game three of the Western Conference finals? That’s just the Derek Fisher noise with the volume turned up a little bit.

So how will this all play out?  The question gets thrown out there and simply lingers, and yet, it’s a question that baffles me.  Championships aren’t won simply with statistics, and yet, teams must ask themselves just how much they want to put that theory to the test.  How much value is placed on leadership, the clutch factor, and loyalty will absolutely determine where Derek Fisher ends up next season, and while part of me hopes it’s in LA, a lot of me hopes it’s somewhere else.