Buyouts 101

Will we see this pairing again?...

...Or maybe we'll see this paring again.

The trading deadline isn’t exactly over. While teams can no longer trade for players, they can sign free agents up until March 1st and still have them eligible for a playoff roster spot. This means that if a team buys out a player’s contract before March 1st, then a contender can try to sign him.

The disadvantage to this is that the players that this historically applies to are older, lower impact players who don’t fit into their current teams’ long term strategies, so they’re more of a band-aid than a long term addition. An example of this is Sacramento Kings. They have a 22 year old power forward named Jason Thompson, and a 32 year old power forward named Mikki Moore. Because they’re not making the playoffs, Mikki Moore will probably agree to the Kings buying out the remainder of his contract for less money, so he can try and win a championship with Cleveland or Boston. Usually Moore can expect to recover any money he lost in the buyout by signing a deal with a new team for the remainder of the season. And if he plays well, this often leads to him getting a better contract offer this summer from a new team who saw him make an impact in the playoffs.

Every team (Celtics, Lakers, Spurs, Cavs,  etc.) can also try and sign the same players, so no one has first dibs on guys the way they did at the trade deadline when teams like Cleveland and Portland could offer Wally Szczerbiak’s and Raef LaFrentz’ expiring contracts around the league.

But there is one more card to play, which is called the “Mid-Level Exception”. The mid-level exception is a clause that was implemented to give teams who are over the salary cap an extra $5 million of salary cap space. It was put in place so teams can still improve a bit, even when they would normally be out of options.

This exception is normally used to sign a free agent in the offseason, but the Cavs didn’t use their exception over the summer, while Boston, LA and San Antonio did. So Cleveland can actually offer more money than anyone else in contention for the title.

So there’s about a 50-50 chance the Celtics, Spurs  and Cavs still pick up one more piece. The biggest catch is  Joe Smith, the power forward from Maryland who played power forward for Cleveland last year and is currently stuck in Oklahoma City. Smith played with Kevin Garnett for a few years in Minnesota, and the two are friends. So we’ll see who he signs with, but Boston needs his services more than Cleveland does, so he could end up being that eyelash that either Cleveland or Boston wins by.

NBA in December: All Rookie Team

Even though the season is less than half over, this year’s rookie class has performed remarkably well. From top to bottom, there have been key first year contributors on good teams, bottom feeding teams, and even great teams. This list is only preliminary, because some players, such as Marresse Speights and JJ Hickson have played well in very limited minutes, while at least one of these players will regress as the grind of an 82 game season wears on, but it’s important to note that this year’s rookie class has talent, skill and a deceptive amount of experience.

Guard: Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose has been off the charts (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

While everyone expected Rose to pan out, critics expected far more out of #2 pick Michael Beasley than they did of Rose, especially since he’s playing the toughest position on the court on a team loaded with established guards. But in two short months, Rose has proven to be the best of the bunch. With a crossover that teams know is coming, combined with a pass-first mentality, superior defensive prowess, and a team-first attitude, it’s only a matter of time before Rose joins Chris Paul and Deron Williams at the top of the point guard food chain.

Guard: Rudy Fernandez

Rudy Fernandez brings experience and long distance shooting (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Like Rose, people expected Fernandez to eventually become a good NBA player, but maybe not a great NBA player. But what has been remarkable about Fernandez so far this season has been his quick adjustment to the NBA three-point line, shooting an eyelash under 40% for the year. And despite being a 23 year old rookie, Fernandez has played professionally for seven years, has been tested against a wide variety of defensive scenarios, and doesn’t need the ball in his hands all the time in order to be effective. The big thing holding him back at this point is the overall logjam of talent in Portland.

Guard: O.J. Mayo

O.J. Mayo is already an NBA quality scorer (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Mayo leads all rookies in scoring and PER, while being only second to Rose in minutes played. This means that Mayo is not only scoring well, but he’s doing it with far greater efficiency and consistency than normally expected from a rookie. In a way, Mayo development has been bittersweet. Scouts always spoke the world of him in high school, but as they saw more of him, the hype machine began to break down, dropping his stock to a more manageable level. I’m often concerned when scouts gush over a player, because it almost always means they haven’t seen much of him. Consider any highly touted young player. It’s rarely the case that his hype goes up while he’s under the spotlight of a nation of scouts, even if he’s consistently improving, las Mayo has been doing.

Center: Marc Gasol

Marc Gasol is a tough and skilled big man (AP Photo/Mark Weber)

Marc may have a lower ceiling than his brother Pau, but since Pau is an All-Star, that’s barely a knock against him at all. Marc is experienced from his days on the Spanish national team, able to provide a polished set of post and finishing moves, and is willing to crash the boards. So far this season, Gasol has finished 18 games with 6 or more rebounds while playing only about 29 minutes a night, which counts as a windfall, considering that he was regarded as a throw-in to the trade that sent his brother Pau to the Lakers.

Center: Greg Oden

You can win a championship with these two guys manning your frontcourt (AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens)

Oden may have been the most hyped draft pick since Lebron James, but he has been able to step in immediately and provide tough defense and rebounding. His offensive game isn’t very polished, and he hasn’t been able to command double teams, much less learn to pass out of them, but Portland is full of shoot first guys. Plus Portland has been handling him with the tiniest of child gloves, which should ultimately help Oden’s confidence as he grows into the center position.

Sixth Man: George Hill, Spurs

George Hill may be the biggest rookie surprise this year. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Despite a great set of pre-draft workouts, Hill has still surprised everyone by filling in heroically for the then-sinking Spurs. With Manu Ginobili out, Coach Gregg Popovich assigned Hill to take every available shot. And while giving a rookie point guard the green light to take a heaping helping of field goal attempts is usually counter productive to their overall development, Hill has blossomed for this very reason. Hill has been averaging 19 points per 40 minutes, while getting to the foul line at an absurd rate (3.8 attempts per game on a 22 minute average), which has put Hill’s confidence somewhere between the middle and the top of the stratosphere. And in many ways, giving a rookie the confidence to succeed is half the battle.

The Lebron Block

It begins so unsuspectingly with the makings of an open court layup. But while that dribbler has his eyes on the rim, his previously assumed uncontested layup gets swatted off the glass from behind by a defender. This move is arguably the most exciting type of blocked shot available to the viewer because it manages to combine the excitement of an outlet pass so perfectly tossed that it leaves the basket wide open, but compounding that scenario with a defender that is racing back in pure desperation, makes for either an exciting block, or a flailing rocket of arms and legs right into the crowd.

Until the 2008-2009 season, successful attempts at blocking a fast break layup from behind were few and far between. Some people remember the image of Tayshaun Prince successfully chasing down Reggie Miller in game 4 the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals. But that play was only possible because Tayshaun is built with arms hanging down to his ankles. It’s very hard to chase down a dribbler while also maintaining any sense of trajectory on where the ball is headed.

Fortunately for Lebron James, he is ambidextrous, usually faster than his opponent, and can certainly jump higher, so he stays balanced while beating the dribbler towards the rim. Mr. James showed promise at this move a year ago, but this season has become an absolute hawk. The Cavs’ increased pace from last season has inevitably lead to a reciprocation of fast break attempts, but Lebron is smart enough to see the break develop, and quick enough to block several shots from behind each game.

The propensity of Lebron’s hands getting to the rim before his opponents’ has helped add another layer to the Cavaliers. Their defense has received some aggressive tweaks and twists from head coach Mike Brown in order to take advantage of Cleveland’s desire to push the ball more. But Lebron’s ability to hunt players down in the open court is a perfect complement to his aggressive offensive style, and makes him considerably more dynamic as a player. It’s also arguable that Lebron is already the greatest ever at this move. Michael Jordan was certainly a predator on defense, but he feeded more on his opponents ballhandling skills in order to force steals. And Bill Russell was certainly a better shotblocker in the half court, but he never possessed Lebron’s speed and leaping ability needed to hunt down speedy guards.

It’s imaginable that ten more seasons of Lebron protecting the rim from half court will result in “The Lebron Block” being standard nomenclature. But sports writers are sometimes slow to accept a term until it takes place in a climactic enough scenario, such as an NBA Finals game, or several NBA Finals games. And maybe that is deserving. If Lebron is truly the greatest fast break shot blocker ever, the opportunity for him to prove how far he has come on defense will eventually present itself.

NBA after week 1: Cleveland Cavaliers

After one week into the NBA season, it’s become rather clear that a completely healthy Cleveland Cavaliers team is, at worst, the second best team in the Eastern Conference.

For the first time in his career, Lebron has a real team

Offense

Anyone who has seen the Cavs play at any point prior to this season knows how anemic and underdeveloped their offense has been. Most play sets revolved around Lebron running an isolation play at the top of the key, waiting for a big man to come out and set a screen, before he gallivants towards the rim, violently drawing contact and either finishing from up close, or violently drawing contact and kicking the ball to an outside shooter. But not this year.

The addition of Mo Williams would not have been a dealbreaker for most teams, but Williams is an excellent fit with Lebron not just because he can shoot, but also because he can take over ballhandling duties, allowing Lebron to receive the ball in other places besides 30 feet from the basket.

The Cavs have James playing about 8 minutes per game at power forward, which not only gets him the ball in scoring position, it has also been an attempt to cover up their low post scoring deficiencies. So far this move has worked very well, as James is fast enough that he can beat his man down the court, and get into an advantageous position on the low block. Plus he’s strong enough that opposing big men can’t simply back him down on the other end.

Moving Lebron to the 4 hasn’t been the only change for Cleveland this year, as it’s pretty clear that Cleveland emphasized ball movement and passing during training camp.  Making the extra pass has been a priority, and so far, the Cavs rank second in the east in field goal shooting percentage, third in scoring per game, and first in the east in points per shot.

Almost down to a man, Lebron’s supporting cast has improved from a training camp of offensive coaching. G Daniel Gibson has developed a nice catch-and-shoot move from the corners of the foul line, G Delonte West’s field goal percentage is over nine percent higher than last year , and Zydrunas Ilgauskas is taking a greater advantage of his 7′3″ height, which has improved his passing considerably. But the biggest improvement has been made by Anderson Varejao, who has lost at least 20 pounds, and can now finish around the basket with considerable force, shooting over 60% from the field; a 14% improvement from last season. He has developed his jumpshot as well, to the point that he is able to bring his defender out to 17 feet, which clears up the lane to either put the ball on the floor, or pass to a cutting Lebron.

Anderson Varejao has improved on offense

Defense

The Cavs have continued to defend well by outrebounding their opponents (5th in the NBA), rotating well, and cutting off the three point shot. Their rebounding differential is +4.4, and their point differential is +6.6, which ties them with Boston for 5th in the league. The major difference between this season and last, has been the aggressive use of Mo Williams as an on-ball defender. Head coach Mike Brown is still in the process of teaching Williams how to use his quickness to consistently pressure the ball, but so far, the 7.9 steals per game that the Cavs are putting up, is higher than the 7.1 from a year ago.

And although Lebron has been playing 4.4 fewer minutes than last season, his rebounding numbers have gone up, and his defense has gone from very good to elite. He’s now one of the 10 best defenders in the league, and has become extremely difficult to score on, due to his size, and his ability to swat layups off the glass from behind.

Intangibles

Lebron sacrificed a summer of mid-range shooting practice in order to win a gold medal with the USA olympic team, but the mental fortitude gained from training and watching game film with the likes of Jason Kidd and Kobe Bryant has helped James understand the role that an MVP must play on his team. So far, Lebron has been getting his stats, but he’s been effective at “managing” his team; content to let his teammates score when the offense is clicking, and taking the game over when they need him. This has resulted in a 5-2 record, with the only two losses coming on the road in Boston and New Orleans.

So unless an injury derails this Cavs team, it’s a safe bet that the Detroit Pistons switching out their starting point guard will result in enough transition losses for Cleveland to swoop in for their first division title in over 20 years. And considering that the Cavs have improved, all it takes is for a slight slip by Boston for Cleveland to claim its second Eastern Conference title in three years.

NBA Trade Alert: Billups to Denver, Iverson to Detroit

Allen Iverson lays it all on the line, for better or worse, in every game

Detroit Pistons PG Chauncey Billups and PF Antonio McDyess were traded to the Denver Nuggets today, in exchange for G Allen Iverson. The deal, which is expected to be finalized later today, provides the shakeup that Pistons GM Joe Dumars had promised earlier in the summer, after Detroit was eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Dumars, apparently convinced that his core group of Billups, G Richard Hamilton, SF Tayshaun Prince, and PF/C Rasheed Wallace had reached its ceiling in terms of success, has found a trading partner in Denver that makes over the playing style for both teams.

Allen Iverson will be able to step in and provide a higher scoring average and a deadly crossover that has kept the lightning quick guard a step ahead of his defender for 13 NBA seasons. Billups, on the other hand, provides the Nuggets with a more stable half-court option, as well as a refined all-around game. But while there are advantages for both teams, there are also disadvantages as well.

Chancey Billups: Floor General

Denver

Pro: At 32, Billups is coming off of an excellent year in which he shot over 40% from three-point range, and over 90% from the line. Billups is a master at drawing fouls late in the game, and is a strong, savvy defender, which has made Detroit one of the hardest teams to catch in the fourth quarter. He is also a better passer than Iverson, and doesn’t turn the ball over. Additionally, because Billups can shoot, and is tall for his position, he will likely be effective for the duration of his contract. In general, “Mr. Big Shot” may be the most complete two-way point guard in the league today.

PF/C Antonio McDyess, despite being included for salary purposes, is an underrated addition to Denver’s bare cupboard front line. Since the 2004-2005 season, Denver’s front line of Nene and Kenyon Martin have played an average of 34 and 50 games, respectively per season, so adding a competent big man who can knock down a mid-range jumpshot will help the team transition into more of a half-court offense.

Con: Billups plays fewer minutes per game than Iverson, putting some additional pressure on backup Anthony Carter. Billups’ contract also runs three years longer than Iverson’s, with about $38 million being owed to him after this season. This development is detrimental to Denver’s previous trade, that sent starting center Marcus Camby to the LA Clippers for nothing other than cap relief. Had the Nuggets retained Camby’s services, they would be competing with Utah for the Northwest Division crown, and subsequently, a top-four playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Detroit

Pro: Despite being an eyelash over 6 feet tall, Allen Iverson brings a big time scorer’s mentality to a team that has been getting its points by committee. Iverson is quicker and better in transition than Billups, meaning he will be able to create more open looks for Richard Hamilton. Iverson and Hamilton are likely the quickest backcourt in the NBA, and should result in a faster pace than what the Pistons are used to. This move also carves out a larger role for G Rodney Stuckey, whose size will be utilized more on the defensive end.

Con: Iverson’s defensive acumen is based on his elite quickness, while Billups could always use his strength to prevent bigger guards from posting him up. Whenever Billups would get burned by a quicker guard, Rip Hamilton would simply slide over to the point. Now the Pistons run the risk of losing the strength battle on the perimeter, while also losing the rebounding battle.

Conclusion

It’s hard to find a more complete player than Chauncey Billups. He’s a good player on both ends, can play on or off the ball, and is the only elite point guard to have played a significant role on a championship team. He won’t beat Allen Iverson one-on-one, but he’s stable as a table, and is going to provide the outside shooting and defense that Denver needs.

Detroit is receiving an injection of energy with this trade. Iverson’s scoring can keep pace with anyone, and his lack of size won’t be as much of an issue in the East, as the Celtics and the Cavaliers start point guards at or around Iverson’s height. Plus, even if Iverson and Detroit are a bad fit, the two can part ways at the end of the season, with the Pistons having successfully cleared the way for Rodney Stuckey, having jettisoned an expensive guard in his 30s.

This trade is interesting, because it involves the swapping of philosophies, but the lingering fact is that Denver and Detroit are on opposite ends of the offensive spectrum when it comes to how they get their points. Detroit plays one of the slowest paces in the league, and they’re adding a guy who has spent the last few years on a team that tries to run its opponents off the court. And because Iverson needs the ball in his hands in order to be effective, there will likely be some hiccups along the way as the rest of the members of Deeetroit basketball learn to push the pedal to the floor.

The upshot to this trade is that the infusion of Iverson into the Pistons’ starting lineup will cost Detroit some wins, and likely the Central Division crown. Denver, on the other hand, is still at best, in the lower half of the Western Conference, likely meaning a first round playoff series on the road, and far less cap relief to rebuild over the offseason.

NBA Preview: Houston Rockets

Will T-Mac and Yao finally make it out of the first round?

The Houston Rockets began last season as my dark-horse team to win the championship, and they managed to top my list of dark-horse contenders this year as well. On paper, they possess an elite big man in Yao Ming, a top notch wingman in Tracy McGrady, and an extremely efficient and defensive supporting cast that is also quite experienced.

Strengths: Defense

New arrival Ron Artest is still one of the ten best two-way players in the NBA, and joins Shane Battier to provide two elite defensive stoppers. But even without these two guys, the Rockets are capable of winning games entirely on their defense, because they work well together and they crash the boards. Last season, the Rockets finished among the top ten in the league in rebounding, points allowed, defensive three-point field goal percentage, and defensive field goal percentage. When your team defends consistently, it’s usually enough to beat more than half the teams in the league on any given night, even when your own shots aren’t falling.

Weaknesses: Health

The two best players on the Rockets have a lot of trouble staying healthy. Yao hasn’t played more than 57 games in any of the past three seasons, and McGrady is entering this season with an arthritic shoulder and a surgically repaired knee. Neither player is expected to undergo a major turnaround in terms of health, as McGrady has never played a full season, and Yao appears to be enslaved by the Chinese government’s demands that he play for China in every international tournament. With the Beijing Olympics in the rear-view mirror, it’s possible that China may ease up on Yao and let him use his off-seasons to rest his 7′5″ frame, but extremely tall centers are historically injury prone anyway, so it’s unlikely that we’ll be seeing Yao on a full time basis.

Underrated: Undersized power forward

Despite Yao’s annual trip to the injury list, the Rockets possess a good deal of depth at the 4 spot. Luis Scola, Chuck Hayes and Carl Landry are all good defenders and rebounders. Scola and Landry, despite usually matching up against taller players, are also excellent inside scorers. Once you include Ron Artest, who is build like a truck, and put up some of his best numbers playing power forward, the Rockets are adequately covered for when Yao collapses from his next injury. The only question mark is how rookie second-round draft pick Joey Dorsey will fare as the replacement for Dikembe Mutombo, who may or may not climb out of a coffin around mid-season to lend a shot-blocking hand.

Question Mark: Guard play

The Rockets have succeeded in developing a solid rotation of versatile, low-cost forwards, but have whiffed multiple times at using their first-round draft picks to draft a solid ball-handler to take some pressure off of McGrady. Rafer Alston starts at point guard, but he’s more of a fourth option type of player, as his best skills are spot-up three-point shooting and on-ball defense. Luther Head and Aaron Brooks appear to lack point guard skills at this point, and their respective heights preclude them from spending significant time at the shooting guard position. Newcomer Brent Barry was once a very good guard who could shoot, handle the ball, and play solid defense. But Barry turns 37 in December, and his declining athleticism and lack of strength has begun to show on the defensive end. His outstanding shooting percentage and low turnover rate will put him on the floor in late game situations, but don’t be surprised to see head coach Rick Adelman yank him once the other team gets the ball.

Expectations:

Fourth Quarter Lineup:
G Rafer Alston
G Tracy McGrady
F Shane Battier
F Ron Artest
C Yao Ming

The Houston Rockets’ defense and rebounding will assure a playoff berth, but getting past the first round, let alone the NBA finals, hinges on the health of Yao and McGrady. Yao always starts strong, before succumbing to injuries, so it may be worth it for the Rockets to simply rest their franchise center for the first two months of the season. Artest’s size, defense, and underrated ballhandling will take some pressure off of T-Mac, and allow him to stay on the court for any lineup that Rick Adelman decides to employ. But unless McGrady and Yao stay healthy, the Rockets are likely to fall before the Lakers, Hornets and Jazz.

NBC Sunday Night Football

The NBC Sunday Night Football’s four man crew of Bob Costas, Keith Olbermann, Dan Patrick and Chris Collinsworth may be the most knowledgeable and level-headed four-man studio booth team in years, possibly ever.

Bob Costas heads the group of analysts by being the NBC veteran who has earned his stripes on a variety of sports programs over the past 15 years. Chris Collinsworth is by far the most knowledgeable former player on any NFL pregame or postgame show. Normally former players have a shelf life as tv analysts simply because they lose their inside informational edge once a few years have passed since their playing days. But Collinsworth stays relevant by spending his weekdays reviewing game film and analyzing every teams play calling tendencies. This results in the former Bengals receiver being able to break down game tape on the fly for viewers, often pointing out critical scenarios that the viewer simply wouldn’t have noticed otherwise. If he had Brett Favre’s arm, I have little doubt he could start at quarterback for half the teams in the NFL.

Rounding out the four man group are former Sportscenter anchors Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick. While Olbermann has reached his limits on MSNBC as an Edward R. Morrow impersonator, he is a dynamic, insightful and funny sports analyst. Patrick possesses very similar qualities, and the two have great on air chemistry that has spanned 10 years from when they were Co-anchors on Sportscenter, to the radio show they host, and now to NBC football.

The problem with this team, however, is their overlapping skill sets, and general lack of spontaneity. If an NFL game being covered is exceedingly dull (which is occasionally inevitable), these four analysts lack the ability to turbo-charge the coverage with something unexpected. Every other tv sports crew features at least one “wild card” analyst who can quickly escalate a normally humdrum sports report. Think about Shannon Sharpe, Emmitt Smith, John Madden, or Charles Barkley. Every game, these guys are good for one or two comments that if taken seriously, might make your head explode.

So where could a wild card fit into NBC’s tv booth? One option is to try out a few potential wild-cards before settling on one that gets along with the existing crew. Remember that the addition has to gel with the current guys, or else it’ll feel awkward. The downside to this idea is some inconsistency while trying to incorporate a fifth man into the team. Plus five man teams often break down into shouting matches, as there’s not usually enough air time for that fifth guy.

The other option is to replace one of the existing guys with a wild card. But who would be a good candidate for replacement? Collinsworth is almost guaranteed to be a better analyst than the potential new guy, plus he’s a two-fer, meaning he’s a former player who also offers some insight. Olbermann and Patrick offer similar skill-sets, but their on air chemistry is better than any other two man combination of the four. Costas offers the least among the three guys, because Patrick and Olbermann are so good at recapping the games. But if there was a single member of this crew capable of firing the other three guys, it’s Costas.

So the best option would be to replace Costas with someone less sane and psychologically grounded. But it’s more likely that NBC will just bring in a guest analyst from time to time in order to inject some much needed steroids into the figurative rear-end of this otherwise talented, but bland quartet.

David Lee

It’s no secret that David Lee is a fine basketball player. But the big secret that Knicks fans don’t realize is that the sooner he’s off the team, the better off they really are.

Lee, a 6′8″ power forward is the type of player that championship teams need. He rebounds, passes, defends, and shoots a high percentage from the field. Over recent seasons, he’s earned the adoration of New York fans by being one of the only players to show up and play hard every night for the betterment of the team. He’s also a great fit for Coach Mike D’Antoni’s system.

But David Lee is a victim of circumstance. By becoming eligible for a contract extension at the end of next season, the Knicks will have to dip into the pile of money they’re currently saving for the summer of 2010; being the year that Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh become free agents. By offerring Lee a contract even remotely deserving of his quality of play, the Knicks would essentially be forfeiting their shot at Lebron.

So unfortunately, the Knicks are forced to pair David Lee’s well above average production against the otherworldly production offered by James, Wade or Bosh. Try to guess who gets squeezed out of this dilemma.

The only option available for the Knicks to hold onto Lee past this season is to stick Lee hard next summer, leaving him with the explanation that by playing for the Knicks’ one year tender offer – Lee was a very late pick in the first round, so it will be well below market value – he will ultimately be helping the team become significantly better. In a way, for a guy so clearly committed to making his team better in a multitude of ways, it’s practically the best thing he can possibly do for his team.

Lebron James

It seems that as long as Lebron James walks the earth without a championship ring and a long term contract, sportswriters will continue to take swipes at him, his team, and his hometown.

The recent remarks by Dan Gilbert claimed it was an insult to the city of Cleveland for sportswriters, especially New York sportswriters, to speculate on the 2010 free agent plans for the 6′9″ uberfoward.

While it is pretty low class and presumptuous for New York sportswriters to assume that a basketball player cannot play a long successful career outside of the big apple, James’ talent and global icon aspirations naturally suggest a move to a city that is more receptive to global business.

But a few things suggest that even NYC may not be big enough to cause James to swoon all over the big apple the way its residents always appear to be doing. Everyone in the US already knows of Lebron. They buy his sneakers, drink his sports drinks, and watch his games. He’s a bigger draw to Knicks fans than the Knicks themselves, and that’s the case in every arena except for Kobe’s turf in the Staples Center.

Additionally, endorsers come to him and mold their commercial shoots around his schedule. And when Lebron feels too big for his 35,000 square foot house, he can hop on a 2 hour private flight to play cards with Jay-Z. Consider too that if he were playing for the Knicks and wanted his massive house anywhere near Manhattan, he’d be paying 10 times the price for it, and would still be living a 2 hour commute from Madison Square Garden.

And if the massive cost of living spike weren’t enough for the man who once said that he wants to become the first billionaire athlete, he’d have to take a pay cut to play in New York. Allegedly, there are escalator clauses in James’ endorsement deals should he ever choose to play in a bigger media market, but any specifics on how much more Lebron would receive is entirely conjecture. It is reasonable to assume that they would offset the difference in pay that Cleveland could offer, though.

Another important factor to mention is that Lebron’s agent, Leon Rose, carries an anti-Scott Boras reputation as an agent who cares not only about getting his clients paid, but also taking an interest in his clients’ best interests. Here’s a quote from an article written by Marc Narducci:

“Early in my career, he would wake up at 6:45 a.m. and meet me at Cherry Hill East every morning and rebound for me while I shot,” said Rick Brunson, the Temple University star who became Rose’s first full-time client in 1995. “How many agents would do that? But that’s how bad he wanted me to make it.”

Does this mean that Rose will do everything in his power to keep LBJ in Cleveland? Certainly not. But it does argue that Rose won’t pull anything as sinister as Scott Boras convincing Manny Ramirez to tank the Red Sox season in order to force a trade, either.

But the single item that Cleveland is able to offer Lebron that cannot be matched by the Knicks, Nets, Bulls, Lakers, or any European team, is the chance to be worshiped like he’s the patron saint of round ball. Aside from Jim Brown, Cleveland has been quite void of legendary athletes to cheer for. If Lebron stays in Cleveland, he will be regarded as the best professional athlete to ever play in Cleveland, and will probably end up owning a share of the Cavaliers. Even if he doesn’t win a championship ring, he would have Northeast Ohio as his personal oyster to pursue any type of post-basketball career he wants. Congressman, Senator, Mayor? Hell, if Lebron delivers several championships, the city of Akron may just abolish democracy as a whole, and present itself at the feet of King James to rule over them as he pleases.

Simply put, there are certain advantages to playing in New York City. But moving to the big apple for a bigger career is like dating an incredibly attractive, high-class prostitute. Sure, you can take her to the hottest clubs and mingle with the world’s most powerful people. But deep down, you know that she’s seen it all before, and will eventually ditch you once your star has burned out.

Passing the Torch

Six months after an abrupt exit from the NCAA Tournament, The Georgetown Hoyas have entered a new era with a roster of players teeming with youth, talent, but also inexperience.

The departing Hoya senior class that featured Roy Hibbert, Jonathan Wallace and Patrick Ewing Jr accounted for roughly half of Georgetown’s points and rebounds, but more importantly, provided leadership and a return to prominence among the elite teams in the NCAA.

With G Jessie Sapp as the team’s only senior, the challenge for Georgetown will be to establish an identity of their own, in order to build a foundation for this year and next season. Hibbert, Wallace and Ewing Jr. were the three most efficient players last year, and provided most of the shots during crunch time, so unless somebody among the six returning Hoyas steps up, there will be a lot of confusion toward the end of games, when plays break down and shots have to be created.

Chris Wright will step in full-time to handle the point guard duties, but it remains to be seen what sort of depth will emerge to back him up. Guards Austin Freeman and Sapp will fill out a 3-guard starting luneup, with F DaJuan Summers, the second highest scorer from last year, returning as an athletic defensive forward. Summers will most likely be guarding the other team’s leading scorer, taking over duties from Ewing Jr., so it’s important that he not expend his energy as the team’s primary offensive weapon.

The center position shows more long-term than short term promise, as the Hoyas bring in Greg Monroe and Henry Sims, a pair of 6′10″ big men who hope to fill Roy Hibbert’s massive shoes. But as true freshmen, it’s uncertain as to their short term potential.

So while a changing of the guard is exactly what is needed after a heartbreaking loss in the 2008 NCAA tournament, this Georgetown team will be force-fed minutes and shots without the veteran leadership of a senior class to tell them otherwise. The Hoyas have a lot of talent and potential, but it’s up to the new guard as to whether it will translate into success .