Caveat emptor! The New Jersey Nets have acquired outstanding point guard Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz for Devin Harris, Derrick Favors and two first round picks. On the surface, this is not a bad trade for New Jersey. The Nets have received arguably the best point guard in the NBA. Williams is a special player and even though I really like Harris, it makes sense to give him up along with Favors and at least one first round pick (maybe a second, as they did, to seal the deal). But Williams has only one year left on his contract after this season and if they don't secure him for more years, this trade could blow up on the Nets.
The Nets will be moving into their brand new digs at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn in the 2012 - 2013 season. Nets' owner Mikhail Prokhorov is intent on making his team formidable by the time they become the Lords of Flatbush (Avenue). Obtaining Williams would be a good first step but if he decides for whatever reason to depart after next season, the Nets will be left empty and of course the chips they gave up to get him will have been wasted. Williams could be a good enough piece to convince other great players to come to Brooklyn if he decides to stay. Though the team will still play second fiddle initially to the New York Knicks in New York City, Brooklyn will still be attractive to Williams and other potential free agents. The Nets will enjoy the benefits of being a New York team and will absolutely be embraced by Brooklynites, especially the younger ones. In addition, Prokhorov's boldness along with partner Jay Z's presence will also help the appeal of the team. I recommend that they hire Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz as their Assistant PR/GM, because there is probably no one else on earth that can sell Brooklyn like he can. The Nets should give Markowitz Williams' phone number right now. He'll have Williams wrapped up and signed by this summer!
This trade could indeed be the start of something special for the Nets. But they clearly took a big risk; they have to hope Williams stays past next season. If he bolts, it would be a black eye for the organization (especially if he goes to the Knicks, which it has been rumored a preferred destination for him) and may set them back further than they would like.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Carmelo Anthony Goes To the Knicks
Finally! After a nauseating amount of reports over the last few weeks of where Carmelo Anthony may or may not go, the Denver Nuggets have sent him to the New York Knicks. As you probably already heard a "few" times, it had been speculated that the New Jersey Nets and the Knicks where the top suitors for Anthony. The bottom line is Anthony wanted to become a Knick; he would have been a Net a long time ago if he didn't care about going to New Jersey. Since Anthony was in the last year of his current contract, he held a big bargaining chip in this deal because if he would have been traded to any team like the Nets he could just finish out the season and sign with the Knicks next season. No team in their right mind would have given up true value to the Nuggets unless they could have had Anthony sign a contract extension. With the trade deadline approaching this week, it was in the best interest of the Nuggets to trade Anthony so they would at least get something back in return. Otherwise, they just would have lost him to free agency in the off season.
The one thing that was working against the Nuggets was the apparent want of Anthony to only go to the Knicks. The Knicks of course knew of Anthony's desire to play at the Garden so they were willing to play the cat and mouse game hoping they wouldn't have to give up much or anything to get Anthony. But the Nuggets can thank the Nets for showing a strong interest in obtaining Anthony; the Knicks definitely didn't want to lose Anthony to another team, especially to their neighbors the Nets. So the Knicks themselves wound up parting with more players than I'm sure they would have liked. They reportedly have shipped Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov and some draft picks to the Nuggets for Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter, Shelden Williams, and Renaldo Balkman (who the Knicks originally drafted in 2006). The Minnesota Timberwolves were also part of this deal; they received Eddy Curry and Anthony Randolph from the Knicks in exchange for Cory Brewer. It will be debated whether the Knicks gave up too much. I think that they did, considering they seemed to have leverage against the Nuggets. But getting a player of Anthony's caliber I think ultimately will be worth the price. The Knicks probably won't contend for a title this season but combining Anthony with Amare Stoudemire will make a solid foundation for what could be a championship team with a couple of more added pieces (the Knicks will have to get better on defense over time as well).
Now that the drama of this trade situation is over, I'm sure Anthony, the Knicks, the Nets and the Nuggets are relieved and everyone can get back to playing basketball. But there are still a couple of more days left before the NBA trade deadline. Could there possibly be another blockbuster trade on the horizon?
The one thing that was working against the Nuggets was the apparent want of Anthony to only go to the Knicks. The Knicks of course knew of Anthony's desire to play at the Garden so they were willing to play the cat and mouse game hoping they wouldn't have to give up much or anything to get Anthony. But the Nuggets can thank the Nets for showing a strong interest in obtaining Anthony; the Knicks definitely didn't want to lose Anthony to another team, especially to their neighbors the Nets. So the Knicks themselves wound up parting with more players than I'm sure they would have liked. They reportedly have shipped Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov and some draft picks to the Nuggets for Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter, Shelden Williams, and Renaldo Balkman (who the Knicks originally drafted in 2006). The Minnesota Timberwolves were also part of this deal; they received Eddy Curry and Anthony Randolph from the Knicks in exchange for Cory Brewer. It will be debated whether the Knicks gave up too much. I think that they did, considering they seemed to have leverage against the Nuggets. But getting a player of Anthony's caliber I think ultimately will be worth the price. The Knicks probably won't contend for a title this season but combining Anthony with Amare Stoudemire will make a solid foundation for what could be a championship team with a couple of more added pieces (the Knicks will have to get better on defense over time as well).
Now that the drama of this trade situation is over, I'm sure Anthony, the Knicks, the Nets and the Nuggets are relieved and everyone can get back to playing basketball. But there are still a couple of more days left before the NBA trade deadline. Could there possibly be another blockbuster trade on the horizon?
Monday, February 7, 2011
Green Bay Packers: Super Bowl XLV Champs!!!
Congratulations to the Green Bay Packers! They are now the reigning champions of the NFL after defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 31 - 25 in Super Bowl XLV. The Packers jumped out to a 14 - 0 lead early and even though they were tested throughout the game, they never gave that lead up. Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers was mostly sharp in this game as he continued his hot streak through the playoffs. Rodgers threw for 304 yards and 3 touchdowns; he also had a bunch of dropped passes from his receivers that might have made this game a blowout. The Packers was able to overcome some key injuries in the game, most notably losing their defensive leader CB Charles Woodson right before halftime. But we should not be surprised that they kept the train moving because that is what the team has done all season. I don't ever recall seeing a team win a Super Bowl after losing as many key personnel as the Packers did this season. Kudos to their front office, coaching staff and backup players for illustrating the meaning of the word "team".
The Steelers have to be kicking themselves and will find it hard to get over this loss. The most obvious reason for them going home without the Lombardi Trophy is turnovers. They had a total of three; two in particular that were killers was QB Ben Roethlisberger's first interception which was a floater returned 36 yards for a touchdown by Packers S Nick Collins and RB Rashard Mendenhall's fumble at the start of the 4th quarter when the Steelers had momentum and was driving to take the lead. What was less obvious but more influential to the final outcome was the inexplicable playcalling by the Steelers. The Packers could NOT stop the Steelers running attack. After the Steelers grabbed the momentum in the game in the 3rd quarter, they were close enough on the scoreboard to go to their smashmouth, running assault. But they didn't; they continued to pass the football. The Steelers averaged nearly 5.5 yards per carry but only rushed 23 times (4 of those were Roethlisberger scrambles). And the "eye test" clearly showed a Packers defense that was incapable of stopping any of the Steelers' ball carriers, particularly Mendenhall. I really think this oversight killed their championship chances.
Fans and spectators have to be happy that they got to see a great Super Bowl game. This came after a week that the Dallas Metroplex area will probably not live down anytime soon. Most of the issues in the hosting city area were weather related (snow & cold temperatures) which was out of everyone's hands, especially this snow riddled winter. But the snafu that occured a couple of hours before the game, where it was reported that 1250 temporary seats were not ready to be occupied by paid fans, may be one of the worst transgressions ever to take place at a Super Bowl. The league announced that about 850 of those folks were relocated to similiar or better seats but the other 400 were left without a seat and they were given the option to stand inside the stadium and watch the game from monitors. The NFL will compensate those folks by paying them triple the face value amount of their tickets. It will be interesting to hear exactly what happened and why were those seats not ready to be used on the day of the Super Bowl.
I am happy that the Packers and the Steelers gave everyone an exciting game to the end. I would like to congratulate the Packers again for winning their fourth Super Bowl in team history. And they should send Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson and the Philadelphia Eagles a playoff/Super Bowl cut as well. You see, if the Eagles had not made the miraculous comeback (28 points in last 7 minutes of the game) against the New York Giants in Week 15, the Packers would not have had the opportunity to play their way into the playoffs by winning their last two games. That NFC sixth seed was the Giants spot; the Pack may want to give a cut to the Giants defense and special teams as well! But that is to take nothing at all away from the Packers themselves. They won their last two regular season games and four playoff games to wrap up the title. Their hard work, perseverance and teamwork is to be commended and emulated. Enjoy your victory Green Bay, it's well deserved!!
The Steelers have to be kicking themselves and will find it hard to get over this loss. The most obvious reason for them going home without the Lombardi Trophy is turnovers. They had a total of three; two in particular that were killers was QB Ben Roethlisberger's first interception which was a floater returned 36 yards for a touchdown by Packers S Nick Collins and RB Rashard Mendenhall's fumble at the start of the 4th quarter when the Steelers had momentum and was driving to take the lead. What was less obvious but more influential to the final outcome was the inexplicable playcalling by the Steelers. The Packers could NOT stop the Steelers running attack. After the Steelers grabbed the momentum in the game in the 3rd quarter, they were close enough on the scoreboard to go to their smashmouth, running assault. But they didn't; they continued to pass the football. The Steelers averaged nearly 5.5 yards per carry but only rushed 23 times (4 of those were Roethlisberger scrambles). And the "eye test" clearly showed a Packers defense that was incapable of stopping any of the Steelers' ball carriers, particularly Mendenhall. I really think this oversight killed their championship chances.
Fans and spectators have to be happy that they got to see a great Super Bowl game. This came after a week that the Dallas Metroplex area will probably not live down anytime soon. Most of the issues in the hosting city area were weather related (snow & cold temperatures) which was out of everyone's hands, especially this snow riddled winter. But the snafu that occured a couple of hours before the game, where it was reported that 1250 temporary seats were not ready to be occupied by paid fans, may be one of the worst transgressions ever to take place at a Super Bowl. The league announced that about 850 of those folks were relocated to similiar or better seats but the other 400 were left without a seat and they were given the option to stand inside the stadium and watch the game from monitors. The NFL will compensate those folks by paying them triple the face value amount of their tickets. It will be interesting to hear exactly what happened and why were those seats not ready to be used on the day of the Super Bowl.
I am happy that the Packers and the Steelers gave everyone an exciting game to the end. I would like to congratulate the Packers again for winning their fourth Super Bowl in team history. And they should send Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson and the Philadelphia Eagles a playoff/Super Bowl cut as well. You see, if the Eagles had not made the miraculous comeback (28 points in last 7 minutes of the game) against the New York Giants in Week 15, the Packers would not have had the opportunity to play their way into the playoffs by winning their last two games. That NFC sixth seed was the Giants spot; the Pack may want to give a cut to the Giants defense and special teams as well! But that is to take nothing at all away from the Packers themselves. They won their last two regular season games and four playoff games to wrap up the title. Their hard work, perseverance and teamwork is to be commended and emulated. Enjoy your victory Green Bay, it's well deserved!!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Steelers vs. Packers: Super Bowl XLV Rodeo In Texas
Alright! The time is upon us. The big game! The one that all NFL players work so hard to try to reach. The one that they think about as they work through two-a-days in the sweltering heat of training camp. The one that they sacrifice their body and mind for. It's Super Bowl time! After having a weekend without a real game, it is time to get it on! And as you are well aware of already from all of the hype, Super Bowl XLV features the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Green Bay Packers (-2.5) at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
I think that we lucked out as fans and spectators with this game because it is a great matchup. I really can see either team winning a close battle. The Packers have charged into the Super Bowl in playoff mode since Week 16 of the regular season. They have won five consecutive games in five weeks. My one concern for them is the extra week off they just experienced. Will that hurt the rhythm on offense at all? Or, are they due for an "off" game? And what about the Steelers? Will the extra week off, their second off week of the playoffs, hurt them at all? Ironically, both teams had similar championship games in that they jumped out to convincing first half leads, only to be shut down in the second half and nearly lose the game. Will the Steelers be able to pick up what the Chicago Bears did to the Packers defensively in the second half of the NFC Championship game? I think that is the key to the game for them. The Steelers do not want to fall prey to what the Bears and the Atlanta Falcons did in the playoffs against the Packers and that is fall behind big. Though the Steelers can move the ball, I think they will be hurt if they have to try to play "catchup" and get into a one dimensional passing mode. They will need their running game to succeed. So the Steelers defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau will have to come up with a combination of schemes to stop the Packers from spreading them out and gaining big chunks of yards in the passing game. Conversely, the Packers will have to find a way to be effective passing the ball since the Steelers are the number one run defense in the league. On defense, I think the Packers can contain the Steelers offense. The one thing the Packers defense should do that the New York Jets defense did not do in the AFC Championship game is capitalize on the Steelers banged up offensive line, especially with C Maurkice Pouncey being a no-go due to a ankle sprain. They will also have to do a better job than the Jets in stopping Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger in key moments. Roethlisberger's overall numbers were not impressive against the Jets but he made clutch plays when his team needed them.
So the Packers will need to execute in their passing game and take advantage of the Steelers offensive line on defense. The Steelers will have to keep the Packers offense in check and not fall behind by a large margin. The Steelers also will have to get their running game going and stay away from going heavy in the passing game (though I do think the Steelers speedy wideouts can cause havoc on the Packers secondary). While I do believe this game could go either way, I think Packers QB Aaron Rodgers will stay hot for one more week and bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Green Bay. Take the Packers and give the -2.5 points.
I think that we lucked out as fans and spectators with this game because it is a great matchup. I really can see either team winning a close battle. The Packers have charged into the Super Bowl in playoff mode since Week 16 of the regular season. They have won five consecutive games in five weeks. My one concern for them is the extra week off they just experienced. Will that hurt the rhythm on offense at all? Or, are they due for an "off" game? And what about the Steelers? Will the extra week off, their second off week of the playoffs, hurt them at all? Ironically, both teams had similar championship games in that they jumped out to convincing first half leads, only to be shut down in the second half and nearly lose the game. Will the Steelers be able to pick up what the Chicago Bears did to the Packers defensively in the second half of the NFC Championship game? I think that is the key to the game for them. The Steelers do not want to fall prey to what the Bears and the Atlanta Falcons did in the playoffs against the Packers and that is fall behind big. Though the Steelers can move the ball, I think they will be hurt if they have to try to play "catchup" and get into a one dimensional passing mode. They will need their running game to succeed. So the Steelers defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau will have to come up with a combination of schemes to stop the Packers from spreading them out and gaining big chunks of yards in the passing game. Conversely, the Packers will have to find a way to be effective passing the ball since the Steelers are the number one run defense in the league. On defense, I think the Packers can contain the Steelers offense. The one thing the Packers defense should do that the New York Jets defense did not do in the AFC Championship game is capitalize on the Steelers banged up offensive line, especially with C Maurkice Pouncey being a no-go due to a ankle sprain. They will also have to do a better job than the Jets in stopping Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger in key moments. Roethlisberger's overall numbers were not impressive against the Jets but he made clutch plays when his team needed them.
So the Packers will need to execute in their passing game and take advantage of the Steelers offensive line on defense. The Steelers will have to keep the Packers offense in check and not fall behind by a large margin. The Steelers also will have to get their running game going and stay away from going heavy in the passing game (though I do think the Steelers speedy wideouts can cause havoc on the Packers secondary). While I do believe this game could go either way, I think Packers QB Aaron Rodgers will stay hot for one more week and bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Green Bay. Take the Packers and give the -2.5 points.
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