I was excited when I found out.  I played with him in L.A., and he is one of the best power forwards in the league who can open up the floor, commands double-teams and can help all of us raise our games to another level. I’m excited to see what we can do as a team this year.

I think it’s great that Elton Brand chose to sign with us.  The way we came together at the end of last year was the first step, and adding one of the best power forwards in the league shows that we aren’t satisfied with just making the playoffs.

I really think we can do great things this year and I’m excited to be a part of it.

I too, am excited Andre, and cannot wait to see you and Elton re-unite and hopefully take the Atlantic by storm.  Lets get this season started already.

No doubt that when Denver pulled the trigger on the deal that brought AI to Denver they were convinced he was going to be the guy who put them over the top into instant title contention.  Unfortunately Kenyon Martin's play continues to deteriorate along with his aging, ailing knees and Nene Hilario cannot seem to stay healthy.  So it has largely been the 'Melo and AI show in Denver the past year-and-a-half.

The thing about Iverson is he is 33 years old and plays with such wreckless abandon that one is not sure when he is going to start showing signs of wear and tear and start slowing down.  Once that happens his career is pretty much over and done with since he has never really taken the time to work on shot selection and becoming a more discipline player on the court so his major advantage over opponents is his superior quickness and once he loses that quickness he does not have the jump shot to survive in the NBA.  But Iverson is coming off of one of his most productive seasons in years.  He posted his second best ever field goal and 3-point percentages and his lowest ever assist to turnover ratio.  Certainly he owes a lot of that to having an elite player like Carmelo Anthony to play off of.  As I am sure Anthony will be the first to let it be known that having a guy like Iverson, who attacks the rim and demands the attention of defenses, as a teammate has led to him getting cleaner looks and shots at the basket.

It will be very interesting to see how this plays out over the next few months as, with an expiring contract in hand, Iverson does have some trade value and he can still fill it up on any given night as he did lead the Nuggets in scoring last season.  He also managed to play in every game last season and gave the Nuggets just under 42 minutes per game so he is showing no signs of slowing down.  He has also proven what he has always maintained in that he can share the ball with another superstar and, relatively speaking, he has toed the line in Denver and has kept the complaining to a minimum.  Playing alongside a player like Carmelo Anthony and not stepping on his toes has probably gone along way to enahnce his image around the league as being a guy who can be a good teammate when the time comes.  One of the problems he always faced in Philadelphia was Billy King and Larry Brown would go out and deal young talent like Jerry Stackhouse, Tim Thomas, and get an over-the-hill marquee name like a Chris Webber, Glenn Robinson, or Derrick Coleman and expect him to prop those guys up.

Would an aging team like Dallas that has key players like Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Jerry Stackhouse, and Erick Dampier already at or over the age of 30 be interested in dealing for Iverson?  Owner Marc Cuban is a win at all costs kind of guy and surely he realizes the window is rapidly closing to win a championship with the current core of players he has.  Will a team like the Golden State Warriors, in desperate need of a marquee name try and make a deal for AI?  Given that Monta Ellis may not quite be ready to be a full time PG that may not be out of the realm of possibility.  There is also the wildcard of a team unexpectedly being in contention come January and making a play for Iverson hoping he can be the guy to push them over the top.

Ultimately the $64,000 question is what is Denver's long term goal is here.  No doubt Iverson and Anthony make one of the deadliest scoring combinations in the league, but do Nuggets' execs feel they can field a championship caliber squad with those two on the roster?  If the answer to that is no then do they feel compelled to move Iverson potentially for young talent and draft picks in an effort to re-tool around Anthony before he can skip town via free agency?  Do they risk alienating Anthony by cleaning house and starting over just to save money and get themselves back under the luxury tax threshold?

Speights has proven to be perhaps the most consistent pick of the NBA Draft so far. I know its early and I'm most likely getting my hopes up, but this kid can really rebound well and always seems to be in the right position. One skill that is very hard to teach and one that will never be taken for granted in this league. I know the argument, "it's only summer league, please see: Marco Bellinelli, Nate Robertson, Marcus Banks", but I think this is a different situation, different position, and will ultimately produce different results then those losers. Guess we will find out soon enough.

One friend of mine mentioned how he would have rather have grabbed Darrell Arthur at 16 rather then Mareese Speights.  At the moment I would have to disagree.  Speights is a very LARGE body and looks to be the main man for the backup role behind newly acquired PF Elton Brand.

Tonight though, late in the evening, something inside told me I had to express something I feel very deeply about. Something told me that I had to get a pen and pad and just get my thoughts on paper. I looked and saw I didn't have a pen in reaching distance, or a pad, so the blog made a lot more sense. Tonight is my diatribe. Tonight I have to go on a meaningless rant. My rant? I HATE NEW YORK.

Sports news, blogs included, are almost always about getting the story on your page first (after getting it right of course). You get views and that's nice and all, but tonight I could care less. Fellow Philly fans will understand where I'm coming from with this rant, and New York fans will respond with the usual "Yo, how bout yous talk to me when ya city wins a championship? Eh! Yeaaah, damn right." I dont care. I hate New York teams. I hate the players. I hate the owners. I hate New York fans. I hate the attention that New York gets, often unjustifiablyly so (Yankees v Red Sox on 45 different ESPN Channels tonight! wow!).

New York likes to think they're the center of the world, the best city ever created. It's a nice city, there's no doubt about that. Any city that can have the Daily Show headquarters like 4 blocks from Hustler's night club is a winner. As I said, nice city, but not Rome guys, not the best ever. Is Philly the best city in the history of civilization? No, never said it was. I love Philadelphia, but you don't hear Philadelphia fans proclaiming our city as the cream of the crop (we could too: bash Philly all you want New Yorkers, but come check it out for yourself. I've heard Mets fans even say its a hell of a nice time.)

The problems that go along "our city is the greatest city ever created" are seemingly endless. Fans are beyond cocky. The fans of New York teams are the absolute worst scum of the Earth, end of story. (Again, you clever New Yorkers can go ahead with "heyyyy, why dont yous go win a championships ehhhh?!?!?, good stuff). I don't even think it's just us Philly faithful that hate them either, their douchebagery extends to great reaches of the country. They talk, every season, too much. They talk, every season, like their team is God's favorite, going to win it all without a doubt (except maybe the Knicks). They're obnoxious beyond toleration and boy does it get old fast. And if you're going to speak about championships...the Giants just won. The Yankees just had 3 in a row some years ago. The Rangers won in the early 90's. New York fans have NO right to complain like girls the way they do every..single..year. There has to be some rule when you win it all, that you shouldn't be allowed to complain. Lastly about the fans...I'd like to say they know their stuff at least. My though process is that the real sports fans in this country are Chicago, Philly, New York, and Boston, pretty much mainly the northeast. Other fans, for the most part - yes there are plenty of little exceptions, are pathetic. I'd like to at least say New York fans know their stuff, but with all the sh*t they talk (so...much, so so much), it seems like there's nothing there.

You know, with Bostons sports revival, I tempted myself with the idea that fans from Beantown were the worst. But I got to thinking and realized they dont even come close to New Yorkers, not even close. Until 2001, all they had for the most part for years were the Celtics. Plus, they're the definition of bandwagon fans, it's horribly disgusting. They are proud Patriots fans...since 2001. Proud Celtics fans again....since 2007. Ridiculous. New York on the other hand follows their sports like Philadelphia, all the time. They're always there, saying or doing something annoying/stupid to make me realize just how much I hate them.

Fans aside, it's very tough to hate an entire city just because of douchey fans. Luckily enough, I hate New York teams with a passion. Let me begin with a moment of silence though...for the New York Jets. The bright lights of New York and you guys get pity from everyone, it's amazing(ly sad). I can't hate the Jets, that's like hating a little kid for not being able to make a basket on a regulation hoop. They try so hard, and fail so...so often. Jets aside though, lets stay with football. The Giants...not the Birds number 1 rival, not even close. That belongs solely to D----s (I can't even type it, not worth my time). But boy, the Giants sure are hateable, and not because they're any good. I still have no idea, like most of the sports world, how they won the Super Bowl. They come into this season as the third best team...in their division. As said, an NFC East team is a rival no matter what, and I hate the Giants. I hate Eli Manning for being a young woman and looking like he's going to cry after every incompletion, it's football man. I hate Plaxico Burress for being almost as cocky as an Ocho Cinco or T.O., I can't wait until his nagging leg/ankle injuries force him to retire early. He's really really tall, thus making him, in his eyes, the greatest receiver ever. I hate that blue uniform and everything associated with it. I hate Tom Couglin, especially when he's in 10 degree weather in Green Bay, that was gross to watch. I hate losing to the Giants more than I love whooping their ass during any season.

How about baseball? How bout them Yankees, ehhhh? Do I really have to even talk about the Yankees? - I'm pretty sure everyone hates them. They're ruining baseball with a 200 million plus salary (and aren't in first..), they have their own TV network, and they think they own the damn sport. The Boss was a complete douche, but his son in charge now, Hank, is just a raging idiot. No DH's in the NL?! Blasphemy! Yankee Stadium, I could care less about it, go tear it down now. Derek Jeter? If he played in any other market, he would never be thought of as highly as he is now, overrated to say the least. Giambi...Joba freaking out celebrating after one regular season save...the list goes on. Move to the Mets...oh the Mets. Even your announcers annoy me. How is a team with Billy Wagner not hateable? Calling out your own teammates on television in the middle of the season? Classy and classic Wagner. Johan Santana getting paid more than God. Second highest payroll, behind only your crosstown rivals, and you were stuck under .500 for the majority of half a season. Jose Reyes...getting his own chant in his 2nd year? Really? Guy isnt even that good. Man I hate the Mets.

The Rangers bring more of that "we're the greatest, get out of our limelight" feeling to their sport. Just because you play in MSG does not make you good or special. There's always more Flyers fans at Rangers games anyway, what a joke.

The Knicks? Honestly...I'm going to let that one go for now. It has been a pleasure, a delight, and the ultimate privilege to watch that team go down in flames the past few years. I wish Isiah had stayed, I really do. Keep it up guys!

Honestly, I'm tired of even writing about New York, and this is getting beyond long winded. Just writing all this makes me hate New York even more. You..are..not...the greatest. Try and digest that fact New Yorkers, as hard as that might be. I even hate your soccer team, your arena football team, and all the other sports that don't count. Your fans are the worst. Your teams owners are the worst. Your teams players are the worst. New York....YOU ARE THE WORST.

I leave you...with a bit of happiness:

Not sure which I enjoyed more that day....Phillies winning it, or Mets crashing and burning. CRASHING...and burning.

Rookie PF Mareese Speights played as advertised bruising the Lakers inside and finished with 16 points and 9 boards.  Second year guys Jason Smith and Thaddeus Young also added 16 each in the win.  Local guy Pat Carroll started at the 2 guard for the Sixers.  The former Hatboro-Horsham Hatter had 3 points on 1-3 shooting from the field in 15 minutes of action.

Handshake agreements aside, believe nobody when it comes to sports business, especially agents, owners and players. Brand opted out of his contract with a gentleman's agreement in place to re-sign at a negotiated rate to allow LA the flexibility to sign another All-Star, then pulled a Carlos Boozer, fleeing the scene. While Boozer got publicly criticized, don't expect the same treatment for Brand. First, all indications are his agent, the once mighty David Falk, orcestrated the whole move. Second, Sterling deserves it for all the times he has short-changed players. No owner has shorter arms and longer pockets than Sterling.

If healthy, and he appears to be based on his short stint last season, Brand is a borderline top ten player in the league. With David at the point, up and comer Al Thornton on the wing, underrated Chris Kaman sharing the post with Brand, and first round pick Eric Gordon, the Clips had a chance to compete in the heavyweight Western Conference. Maybe not for a championship, but certainly for a playoff berth, possibly more. Without Brand, forget it.

Left at the altar, LA has money to spend. Expect them to throw it in all directions to fill Brands big shoes - Emeka Okafor, Josh Smith (the restricted free agent big prize) - but none are as good as the Duke product. Last week, rumor circulated that the Clippers even proposed a trade for Zach Randolph. The same enigma the Knicks want to give away. Somehow the Knicks did not find a way to make that deal work. Let's see Randolph or Brand - touch choice.

Signing Baron Davis will prove fruitless if LA does not snatch a big man to replace Brand. Despite one rejection, Sterling owes it to his fans to keep trying. After so many years of dragging Clipper fans through the mud, then having the Lakers rub their faces in it, he has to do everything he can to win.

As for Brand, he got his money, and will do for Philadelphia what he could have of done for LA, transform a borderline playoff team, into a middle of the playoff pack contender. Surrounded with emerging young players, a veteran point guard, and true center in Dalembert, Philadelphia can move up a rung in the Eastern Conference pecking order, right below the top four.

1. Bryan Colangelo and Sam Mitchell both looked visibly excited about the move even though they’ve known about it for pretty much two weeks before it was made official. B.C. made a good point about it being uncommon to find a 12-year veteran with extensive playoff experience without giving up a lot in return. Sam’s comment about how he jokes with other coaches that his ‘draft pick’ this year can average 20 points and 10 rebounds (a reference to #17 going to Indiana in the form of Roy Hibbert) was pretty funny. However, the important things that were outlined are exactly what we can envision Sam Mitchell being when he was an active player (for those that have seen his playing days): capable of defending, rebounding and being a veteran leader. J.O. obviously has a lot more star power and scoring ability, though. I’m sure Sam and B.C. didn’t mean to say Chris Bosh and Jermaine O’Neal will be equal to the tandem of David Robinson and Tim Duncan but just hearing those two names in the same sentence as a Raptors duo should make Toronto fans excited. It’s only logical to play from the inside out on virtually every play next season when you boast arguably the best frontcourt in the NBA.

2. Jermaine sounded excited about the ‘rebirth’ as well. By the time the season gets going, he’ll be 30 years old so if his knee is indeed healthy, he’s still in the physical prime of his career despite having over a decade of experience under his belt. Also, he’s missed so many games in the past three or four seasons that he may be a bit more ‘fresh’ than other guys entering the season. He sounds dedicated to doing all the right things on the court and maybe more importantly – off of it as well. It’s good to hear him acknowledge the fan support he’s gotten in Las Vegas, Philadelphia and now Toronto because Raptors fans do roll deep. I was taken aback by how composed and eloquently J.O. spoke on Wednesday. I had heard him in interviews and post-game scrums before and I’m not insinuating I thought he was an idiot but he really seems like the type of natural veteran leader this team needs. Chris Bosh is an amazing talent and he’s grown into a leadership role out of necessity but a veteran with Conference Finals experience can’t hurt the cause. J.O. seems like he’s looking for some personal vindication this season, as evidenced by his statement about not being 50 years old, contrary to popular belief. He’ll never admit it, but he’ll be playing with a chip on his shoulder.

3. I found it very interesting that O’Neal kept talking about competing for a Championship, attaining a ring, etc. He was asked about the Boston Celtics’ run and how sacrifice plays into what a team can do when it has a deep talent pool. When I first heard of the trade, I thought it’d immediately make the Raptors a better team and probably a top four seed in the East again but a Championship contender? I thought they’d definitely need a swingman for that and I believe they still do. However, it’s hard to really grasp the impact of this move until October and November when we see the team play. Even then, their chemistry and flow won’t be found until maybe January as they learn each other’s games and places within the offence and defense. That got me thinking: is this just overexcitement and confidence from O’Neal, which is understandable considering the big change in his life? Or can the Raptors really be THAT good to the point where they can compete with Boston and Detroit in 2008-2009? I’m confident that when it comes down to it, the Celtics are still superior but the unknown is exciting. O’Neal also promised Matt Devlin that he’d be able to answer the question of “What are the chances of winning the Championship?” after two weeks of training camp. I guess in mid-October, we’ll know for sure just how confident J.O. is.

4. It was refreshing to hear O’Neal talk about all of his strengths and the things he enjoys doing: blocking and altering shots, taking charges, clogging up the middle and taking up space, crashing the glass for rebounds, etc. This is exactly the type of player the Raptors needed to anchor the inside and while a swingman was also very important, unless you’re talking about acquiring one of the league’s premier talents that can single-handedly go off on any given night, there’s little chance someone at the two or three position could have such a far-reaching impact on the entire team dynamics. The Raps needed rebounding desperately and the seven-footer that was here before J.O. couldn’t even muster five per game. Jamario Moon was the second leading rebounder on the team, which I don’t think will happen again this coming season. He was also the main defensive force because of his length and athleticism, as well as activity around the court. Imagine what he’ll be capable of now that opposing teams have to worry about O’Neal in the middle? It’s scary to picture if you’re an opponent.

5. I was interested in hearing about the entire chronology of Jermaine’s knee injury. Two and a half years ago, he suffered a meniscus tear and didn’t want to have surgery at the time. Because he was playing on it, the tear became worse and compromised the health of the knee. J.O. then had surgery last summer and came back from the operation too soon in order to be back for the start of training camp because the Pacers were starting off with their new head coach, Jim O’Brien. Even though the surgery was a complete success, the knee had some bruising on it, as well as swelling that almost immobilized the entire leg from the ankle to the thigh when it got very bad. This caused O’Neal to sit out for 43 straight games in 2007-2008 before returning for the final ten. He called it a ‘career move’ in order to help the knee recover properly so he wouldn’t jeopardize the rest of his playing career, which is totally understandable from his perspective. He’s been at his home in Las Vegas at the basketball academy since then, working out and getting back to the form he was in that got him six straight All-Star appearances. Knowing that he took the necessary time off and the Raptors’ doctors cleared him after rigorous tests should ease everyone’s minds. I’m sure B.C. wouldn’t have pulled the trigger on the deal if there was any more structural damage, since $44 million was riding on the acquisition. 6. When O’Neal talked to Paul Jones, he noted that defense is what the Raps need to focus on the most. High-scoring teams that don’t put an emphasis on D don’t really walk out of the Finals with a ring. Hell, how many of the high-scoring teams even make it to the Finals? We’ve seen the Phoenix Suns knocked out of the playoffs without one Finals appearance for four straight seasons now. It’s clear Jermaine sees something special on this team if everything can fall into place and he talked about the potential for a ‘special year’, where statistics and numbers wouldn’t gauge success – the only number that would matter would be wins. He talked about being viewed as a Champion when his career is over so here’s to hoping he’s viewed as one in the Raptors’ red and white. 7. As for his other teammates, it was good to hear him say in a very clear way that this is Chris Bosh’s team. I didn’t expect him to say anything different but it was just nice for him to answer the question in a straightforward way when he could have said, “This is an entire team effort” or something. In the end, we all know it comes back to CB4. He’s the guy who’s played a significant part in helping to build this franchise back up and he deserves to be the face of it. With that said, O’Neal also seems intrigued by Andrea Bargnani. They’ll be working out together at the academy in Vegas for a while over the summer so I hope J.O. can knock some physicality and toughness into him. O’Neal seems to realize the importance of what Andrea can bring off the bench with his shooting abilities and versatility. If he goes back to his rookie season production or even builds on that, the Raptors will have themselves a solid sixth man. Coming off the bench will be good for him now – there is no uncertainty about his role.

All in all, it was an exciting unveiling by management. We all knew about it since June 25^th or so and the wait was agonizingly long due to the league’s ridiculous moratorium on player movement but it was worth it. Things are definitely looking as good for the Raptors as they ever have heading into a season. Is this a ‘complete’ team? No, it’s probably not. Can it compete for a Conference Championship? I think Boston, Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia (possibly) might have something to say about that but we won’t know until next May and I think that’s the exciting part of this whole thing. Everyone’s got a shot in July and the sky’s the limit. I really need to see how every roster in the league shakes down at the end of August before I make any win projections but like people have noted, finishing .500 would probably be viewed as a failure next season. I’m actually looking at a franchise record in wins, which would mean 48 or more. We’ll see.

Jose Re-Ups

This is by no means ‘minor’ news but it’s a little anticlimactic. Even though we knew of the J.O. move more than two weeks ago, it was still exciting to welcome a new player with so much to talk about. On the other hand, we knew there was an extremely high probability that Jose Calderon would be back with the Raptors this coming season. It was virtually confirmed when T.J. Ford was moved to Indiana. The official figures haven’t been leaked yet but everyone has been saying something in the neighbourhood of a $40 million contract over five years. I think that’s extremely fair for the Raptors and it’s actually a bargain compared to what Calderon might’ve gotten if he actually allowed the free agent market to decide his value. He could’ve gotten something like $10 million if Corey Maggette can get that much from the Warriors. Either way, it’s good to have Jose back, he deserves it and he carries himself with class. If there’s one thing Raptor fans can be proud of, it’s the fact the team is filled with quality people. From the very top, you really won’t be able to find a ‘bad apple’, so to speak.

Free Agent Tidbits

1. Elton Brand, that move was not cool. No one can blame Brand for taking the money but he really should not have let the Los Angeles Clippers on, which it appears he did. He sent out text messages to teammates after the Baron Davis signing and seemed exciting about starting something special. He also appeared to have been having illegal discussions with the Clippers management about a deal, which goes against the collective bargaining agreement since Brand has a registered agent. Basically, it was almost as if two deals were on the table. Brand’s agent accuses the Clippers of not following the system correctly, as well as not putting forth their best offer from the very beginning. The Philadelphia 76ers offered considerably more money and Brand took it. If Andre Iguodala stays in Philly, that team could make some noise. They still have holes and questionable depth, as well as the fact they might have to change their fast-paced system but getting Brand is huge for them in the East. I think with Iggy, they’re an automatic lock for a playoff spot again this year.

2. Corey Maggette going to the Warriors makes total sense to me. He won’t be winning there as much as he could have in Boston or San Antonio but he’ll make more money, which should be a priority for him. He’s been in the league for a while now and he’s in his prime so he should be getting a raise from the $8.4 million he made this past season. The 5-year, $50 million contract he’s getting from Golden State may be a bit inflated but I think he deserves it and playing for the mid-level exception would’ve been unfair to him financially.

There are some other smaller signings like the Nets getting Eduardo Najera and Jarvis Hayes – both of whom are decent players – but I don’t think it’ll help Jersey escape the bottom few spots of the East this year. Mickael Pietrus ended up signing with Orlando, which I think makes them slightly better when it comes to defense on the wing but he’s not going to be a huge upgrade over anyone they had.

That’s it for this entry. It’s sort of in between short and long so it should please everyone. Enjoy. Until next time..

-Mark R.

[The Raptor Core]

Jermaine O'neal is now a Toronto Raptor and Tj Ford is a pacer in a trade which could either help or hinder either team. The Raptors need to get rid of Tj Ford because he could not except his role of coming of the bench and when he started games he couldn't help the team as much as Jose Calederon can. This tade is to be determined because it all depends on Chemistry and potential injuries for either players. Rasho Nestrovic was also including in the trade and he will be Pacer come November.

Baron Davis is looking like an idiot now that he signed with the Clippers who are now without the services of Elton Brand and Corey Maggette. Why are the Clippers trying to trade for Zach Randolph, do you really want a player who is just looking to get his own stats. Also why would New York pass up the Clippers potential trade, do the Knicks really think that Zach can play the up and down style that the new Knicks coach uses? Seriously both teams are stupid and need to really think about what they are doing or else they will be stuck in draft lottery hell forever.

On the smaller trade side, the New Jersey Nets acquired Milwaukee's Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons for Richard Jefferson. I think it's a good trade for both teams because the Bucks had two mainly power forwards and the bucks needed a consisent small foward. On the other hand the nets needed a bunch of role players to help the nets move in the right direction. There have been more signings and trades but these are the ones I deemed note worthy. I look foward to posting the future trades and siginigns when they are

I'm on fire!  It's been one heck of a week.  First, Elton Brand reads my post and takes my very sound advice to get out of LA while he has the chance.

Now, Brett Favre has asked the Packers for his release.  Brett is coming back.  There's no doubt.

For some of you this is news.  For those of you who are regular readers of this blog it NOT!

Check out this post from way back in April:

http://fullcontactsports.wordpress.com/2008/04/10/you-heard-it-hear-first-favre-is-coming-back/

Thanks to both my regular readers and you new folks.  Please spread the word and come on back!

I guess from the Clippers' perspective, and that of their fans, would remain the same, and I think l summed that up appropriately with my initial reaction (Crushed)... but time to have a look at it a little deeper.

I don't think that Brand's move was as pre-determined as some would try and persuade - despite him selling his house weeks beforehand. An opportunity presented itself to move East, and after considering the options available to him, he took it.

Bill Plaschke took Elton Brand to task for lying, he didn't.
Just at the end of the day, Brand's decision had more to do with family than dollars. Both he and his wife are from the Eastern seaboard, and they are about to have their first child. Proximity to family is... should be totally understandable.

I'm betting that it's also a consideration of overall situation. There are those that have been trying to tell me that the roster at LAC is better than the roster that the 76ers will boast (if you had Brand on each). That's a complete joke. The Philadelphia 76ers roster, replete with talent, will include Elton Brand, Sam Dalembert, Andre Miller, Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young.
Ok... the Clip-equivalent would've been Elton Brand, Chris Kaman, Baron Davis, Al Thornton, and... ummm... Smush Parker (ok, kidding on the Parker bit... but he is on their roster! And that's an indictment of itself). When you factor in that Philadelphia is in the East, compared to the LAC's West, then it's a no-brainer. Even with Brand, LAC would be at best looking at a 8-6 finish... and that's assuming Davis can stay healthy, Kaman stay focused (post his Olympic excursion), and Thornton improve.
Philly? The Sixers can look forward to being in the top half of the playoff experience should everything go to plan. This rotation puts them up around the level of the Pistons... in my opinion, better than the one-man-show Cavaliers.

So, for a million less, but going to a better situation, and a situation that's closer to your family... Brand should stay in LA out of some sense of duty? To a franchise that has put mediocre talent around him? How many of us would do the same?
Not a single one. Except for those that will lie about it.

Plaschke has the temerity to say that Brand lied? That in some way this was duplicitous?
Please...

I can understand why the fans of the Clippers are angry and upset, and that might lead to some unfair accusations being flung about... but Plaschke should know better.
It's more just to be angry at Chris Kaman, who's taken on a pivotal role in the German Olympic team, on the grounds that his great-grandparents were German.
Ummm... what?
TANGENT: how the hell does your ancestry give you the right to play for a country other than that of your birth, than that of your parents' birth? That, is ridiculous. When I first read that, I guessed that at the very LEAST, Kaman or one of his parents were born in Germany... but his great grand-parents??? Ridiculous... maybe he comes back insisting that he is called 'Kris'.

Plaschke needs to chill a bit, and remember his own roots - he's become a little too invested in LA... And it's not as if he's an LA native, it's not like he grew up there. Last time I checked, Louisville wasn't a suburb of Los Angeles.

It's ok to be upset over Brand's departure... even upset with Brand himself - to be expected. But to make the spurious comments about Brand that are absolutely without grounds and merely based on speculation that Plaschke does, why hell... just another example of mainstream media telling lies and writing without a clue as to the repercussions. And not caring about it either.

As the free-agent signing period got under way Wednesday, so did a handful of teams quick to spend serious money to improve their teams. Naturally, the salaries creep up a bit from previous years, but there are always some really questionable deals made that just have people scratching their heads as to what kind of dope the GM was taking at the time. Thus far in 2008, I find virtually every signing absolutely ridiculous sans Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Chris Paul. The following is a list of the 5 worst deals in the first two days.

5) Roger Mason, PG: 2-year, $8 million deal with San Antonio
Last year's stats: 21.3 min, 9.1 pts, 1.7 ast
Analysis: The Spurs have a number of aging free agents this season but didn't bode well with Mason, who at best would be Manu Ginobili's backup at the 2-guard. Yet, the Spurs will make Mason the fifth-highest paid player on the team behind their trio and Bruce Bowen. Not what you want to pay for a guy whose career averages are 5.5 points and 1.1 assists.

4) Elton Brand, PF: 5-year, $80 million deal with Philadelphia
Last year's stats: 8 G, 17.6 pts, 8.0 reb, 1.9 blk
Analysis: "Elton Brand didn't leave for the money." Partly true. Brand was hurt that the Clippers took him for granted and offered $20 million less than the 76ers, but in the end, the Clippers' face for the past seven years just saw a better chance of winning in the easier Eastern Conference - the reason why he turned down $10 million more to be at Golden State, which would have been a really ridiculous deal.

3) Corey Maggette, SF: 5-year, $50 million deal with Golden State
Last year's stats: 22.1 pts, 5.6 reb, 2.7 ast
Analysis: The Clippers created $130 million of space for the next five years with the departure of Brand and Maggette. It's reported that their sights are currently on Hawks forward Josh Smith to fill Brand's void, but an inactive offseason is just prep time for the incredible summers of '09 and '10, the latter appropriately named the summer of LeBron.

2) Andrew Bogut, C: 5-year, $60 million extension with Milwaukee
Last year's stats: 14.3 pts, 9.8 reb, 1.7 blk
Analysis: The Bucks just acted like they were a fantasy team that overpaid for a center. The number one overall draft pick in 2005 has improved every year in his short 3-year career but is almost making as much money as Yao Ming, who last year made $13.8 million and averaged 22 and 11.

1) DeSagana Diop, C: 5-year, $31 million deal with Dallas
Last year's stats: 16.5 min, 2.9 pts, 5.0 reb
Analysis: Speaking of overpaid centers, can someone please explain to me what the Mavericks are attempting to do at the center position? This deal is reminiscent of Nene's atrocious 6-year, $60 million contract with Denver two years ago. With Erick Dampier's 7-year, $73 million contract, the two will combine for $17 million a year and 9.0 points and 12.5 rebounds per game for one position.

A look ahead: The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to make their All-Star squad that much better with rumors of interest in Ron Artest. Artest, who recently exercised his option to stay in Sacramento, would likely be dealt in addition to someone for Lamar Odom, to match Odom's salary. Stay tuned for the latest in the signing period.

O Boozer σαν ένα ταπεινό pick 2ου γύρου είχε ένα μισθό με τους Cavaliers μόλις 600 χιλιάδες $ περίπου. Ένα έτος πριν τελειώσει το συμβόλαιό οι Cavs είχαν τη δυνατότητα να τον αφήσουν να γίνει restricted free agent*. Επειδή ήθελαν να τον κρατήσουν στην ομάδα σαν βασικό κομμάτι του roster, συμφώνησαν προφορικά να τον κάνουν restricted για να μπορεί να ανανεώσει με τους ίδιους άμεσα. Το ποσό κιόλας είχε συμφωνηθεί και ήταν 39 εκ. $ για 6 χρόνια. O Boozer έδωσε το λόγο του και τα τυπικά έγιναν.

Που να ήξερε όμως ότι αυτόματα ο ατζέντης του θα δεχόταν δεκάδες προτάσεις... Μία από αυτές ήταν από τους Jazz που εννοείται δε θα μπορούσαν να αφήσουν έναν λευκό (ή τουλάχιστον μη-μαύρο)  παίχτη ελεύθερο χωρίς προσφορά. Του προσέφεραν λοιπόν 70 εκ $ για 6 χρόνια. Οι Cavaliers όμως είχαν ήδη ξεπεράσει το salary cap και δε μπορούσαν να ισοφαρίσουν τη πρόταση της Utah. Ο Boozer φυσικά ξέχασε ότι είχε δώσει το λόγο του και μετακόμισε στους Μορμόνους. Ειρωνικά, η Θεία Δίκη ανέλαβε δράση και στα πρώτα δύο χρόνια στους Jazz τραυμάτισε απανωτές φορές τον αστράγαλό του μένοντας έξω στα 80 από τα 164 παιχνίδια. Τώρα βέβαια είναι ένας all-star με πάνω από 20 ppg και 10 rpg. Του χρόνου μενει ελεύθερος και ετοιμάζεται πάλι να πουλήσει την ομάδα του.

Λευκός ακριβώς δεν είναι, αλλά αφού δεν είναι μαύρος οι Jazz δε δίστασαν...

Αυτό το post όμως δεν είναι για τον Boozer, αλλά για τον Elton Brand. Ο Brand είχε την επιλογή να μείνει από μόνος του ελεύθερος φέτος. Πριν το κάνει δήλωσε πως θα ανανεώσει στους Clippers και όπως φαινόταν ο μόνος λόγος πίσω από αυτό ήταν να βοηθήσει την ομάδα να χειριστεί το salary cap καλύτερα. Οι Clippers χάρη σε αυτό, έκαναν κίνηση ματ και έφεραν τον Baron Davis με αρκετά λιγότερα χρήματα από όσα έπαιρνε στους Warriors. Με αυτό το τρόπο θα είχαν το χώρο να κρατήσουν τον Brand με ένα σεβαστό μισθό και να δημιουργήσουν ένα από τα καλύτερα δίδυμα στο ΝΒΑ.

Για ακόμα μία φόρα παίχτηκε το ίδιο έργο. Ο Brand δέχτηκε δύο μεγάλες προσφορές από 76ers και Warriors, ανώτερες από αυτή των Clips. Χτες επίσημα δήλωσε (video) ότι δε θα παραμείνει στο LA παρά την έλευση του Baron και η νέα του ομάδα θα είναι η Phila. Η πλειοψηφία του λαού κατηγορεί φυσικά τον Brand για ξεπούλημα. Αυτό που έχει σημασία τώρα είναι ότι άλλη μία μεγαλη δύναμη αναδύεται στην Ανατολή. Oi 76ers πέρυσι έδειξαν ότι έχουν  τη χημεία να πάνε ψηλά. Με ταλέντο αλλά με ρηχό roster κατάφεραν να πάνε στα playoff και να κοντράρουν στα ίσα τους Pistons. Φέτος οι στόχοι είναι μεγαλύτεροι...

Ειρωνικό βέβαια είναι ότι με παρόμοιο τρόπο και ο Baron Davis "πούλησε" τους Warriors για να παίξει δίπλα στον Brand. Τώρα έμεινε με... τη μπάλα στο χέρι :P

Restricted Free Agent = ο παίχτης μπορεί να δεχθεί προσφορές από άλλες ομάδες, αλλά αν η ιδιοκτήτρια ομάδα ισοφαρίσει τη προσφορά τον κρατάει

The Sixers definitely are looking to compete now, and adding Brand makes them a formidable force in the East. The starting five of Andre Miller, Andre Iguodala (assuming he doesn't pull a Brand and go elsewhere, though that is unlikely given that he's a restricted free agent), Thaddeus Young, Brand and Samuel Dalembert is pretty formidable starting lineup, which probably compares favorably with just about any starting lineup in the East.

The new look Sixers have a real problem though. They don't have anyone at all who can shoot. Their projected 1-2-3 combination shot 30 precent from outside last year, but all but 53 of their 360 shots came from Iguodala. Miller is a career 20 percent three point shooter who knows not to even try and Young is probably most at home at power forward and only shot 19 threes last year. That group of players simply can't be a winning combination. A half decent defense will just double Brand on the block and sag in to prevent Young and Iguodala from cutting and there is nothing the Sixers can do about it. Louis Williams can kind of shoot, but he's not a real answer, given the total lack of outside shooting on the Sixers roster. Iguodala is at least versatile enough to hurt you if you leave him wide open, which really can't be said for Miller or Young. The Sixers would be wise to take a long, hard look at Ricky Davis or Brent Barry, the best outside shooters on the market, if they are really interested in winning.

This is a team that's total of 31 percent three point shooting last year included quarter seasons each from outstanding outside shooters Kyle Korver and Gordon Giricek. They were the worst in the leage by a full percentage point and 5 points below the league average. A solid inside player like Brand will improve their shooting a little by giving them better looks, but not by that much. If they can't find a way to space the floor and hurt teams for collapsing on Brand and Iguodala, they won't go anywhere. But if they do, they can beat anyone. They have the personel to match up with Boston or Detroit and with some shooting they look like real contenders. But only with some shooting.

The L.A. Clippers have a gutted roster, large salary cap space, and no silver lining in its immediate future.

Elton Brand's departure marks an immediate shift in the franchise's prospects for future development. He was supposed to be a great cornerstone for them to build around. They even sought out the services of star PG, Baron Davis, with the hopes of presenting the air of being western conference contender. But, alas, Brand is off to the city of brotherly love; where I expect his nightly 20-10-2 nightly production to be a huge boon to the franchise's bid to be a serious threat in the east. I expect his presence in the 76er's roster to impact positively on everyone else there too. Andre Iguodala's TOs will finally take a dip downward as he no longer has to be the sole offensive option. He's always been a good passer, so expect him to find Elton open in the paint and drop one or two more for Brand stuff it easily. Andre Miller's assists should als go up - how can they not with a solid big man like Brand as the recipient of his dishes? Hopefully, Samuel Dalembert's games played (GP) will go up as he can now count on another solid inside presence in the paint to help him stay away from injuries. Overall, Brand and his teammates can be expected to put up marginally better fantasy numbers than last year.

Corey Maggette has flown the coop and is off to the Golden State Warriors (GSW).  He will hopefully help fill the scoring void left by star PG, Baron Davis' departure. Somehow, it obviously won't be the same as Baron's court sense and play making abilities will be sorely missed. It appears that there will much more playing time for Monta Ellis at the PG slot on the distant horizon. The warriors will need Monta's ability to break down the defense through his quick-footed penetration into the paint. Corey, on the other hand, was the Clips' leading scorer for several (injury-ridden) seasons. Fantasywise, I consider Corey to still be a big question mark. Not so much for doubts about what he can produce, but more for the lack of his health's reliability. I am hoping for Monta to evolve and become a far superior Tony Parker (high FG with decent passing ability). Stephen Jackson will pretty much have a re-do of last year's performance, which isn't too bad by any fantasy standard as he was able to light it up from beyond the arc while providing good "D" (stls) on the other end of the floor.

Now that the Clippers' two best players have left the team, who is left? Well if Baron Davis pushes through with signing with them, then I suppose he will end up being their "new" cornerstone. 24 PPG, 7.5-8 APG, 1+ SPG, 2+ 3ptPG; high TOs and low %s all around are what I expect BD to deliver. Chris Kaman has proven that he is capable of being a solid inside presence (while healthy) as shown by his early performance last season before he was slowed and sidelined with back problems. If he can stay healthy, expect him to be a solid fantasy contributor. Cuttino Mobley was able to be part of a good backcourt tandem with his former teammate in the Houston Rockets, Steve Francis. Perhaps, there's still a little bit left in him for a new chemistry with Baron to blossom. I know it's a bit of a stretch but hey, we're really scraping the bottom of the Clippers barrel here.

Clippers can look at this EXODUS as a challenge to renew itself under a different paradigm. It's not what they wanted, but we all know we don't always get what we want...

The other major transaction that went down Wednesday was the official execution of the agreed upon trade between the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors.  Indiana receives T. J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, Maceo Baston and the rights to Roy Hibbert in exchange for Jermaine O'Neal and the rights to Nathan Jawai.  This deal does not make a ton of sense.  In T. J. Ford the Pacers finally get someone who should be able to unseat Jamaal Tinsley whom they have been looking to displace for a couple of years now.  But, to do so, they give up the only real post scoring presence and best rebounder they had which kills any chances they may have had at making any kind of a playoff run.

From the Raptors stand point Ford was expendable as the franchise has become enamored with the idea of Jose Calderon being the starting point guard.  Jermaine O'Neal, however, has seen better days and by trading for him the Raptors now have little to no cap flexibility for the next couple of summers.  O'Neal is still owed over $40 million on the remaining two years of his contract and the Raptors are going to have to decide what to do with Andrea Bargnani by the time O'Neal's contract expires.  O'Neal can still give a team quality minutes when he is healthy, the problem is he is rarely healthy enough these days to give a team more than 30 minutes a night for 50 or so games.  I have a feeling the Bryan Colangelo may live to regret taking on O'Neals contract for the next two years.

The Warriors did not stop with Corey Maggette as they also signed restricted Los Angeles Lakers free agent big man Ronny Turiaf to an offer sheet worth a reported $17 million over 4 years.  Turiaf would not be a monumental acquisition for the Warriors but he would give them a rough-and-tumble sort of big man off the bench who is willing to get down in the trenches grind it out in the low post.  Every team needs a guy like Turiaf on their bench.

The Heat reportedly extended 3-point specialist James Jones a 4 year deal starting at $4 million for next season.  The Heat need to add 3-point shooting depth and Jones fits the bill.  Again not a monumental signing but everyone needs one or two guys who can come off the bench and hit the three on command.

It is not being speculated that after losing Elton Brand the Clippers will now turn their attention to either Charlotte's Emeka Okafor or Atlanta's Josh Smith.  Okafor has continually turned away Charlotte's attempts to sign him to a long term deal and has seemed intent on testing the market when he can become an unrestricted free agent after next season.  It has been speculated that Okafor may just sign the minimal one year tender from Charlotte in order to do so.  However, one would think Okafor will listen to what the Clippers have to offer if they come calling offering a lucrative long term deal.  Losing Okafor would be a death blow to any hopes Charlotte has at making a post season appearance next season.  After Okafor the cupboard is essentially bare in terms of big man talent.  Sean May and Nazr Mohammed are the next best options and unfortunately May cannot stay healthy enough to give the 'Cats more than 35 games in a season and Mohammed's knees have seen better days and is really only suited as a back up big man these days.  As for Josh Smith the Hawks still maintain they will match any offer that comes his way.

It took just eighty-two million dollars for Philadelphia to secure a playoff spot:

Elton Brand signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, giving them the low-post presence needed to contend in the Eastern Conference.

The five-year Brand deal buys them a spot in the post-season, but the 76ers still look like a confused team; a muddle of youthful potential (at 24, Andre Iguodala is the only youthful 76er totally ready to play), and veteran ability (Brand is 29, and Andre Miller is 32).

Bench depth still looks like a terrible problem, especially down low: you don't want Shavlik Randolph getting court time (actually, you probably don't want the guy on your team*), and Reggie Evans offers his rebounding and absolutely nothing else.

It's not all bad news: If you believe the hype, Louis Williams still has miles of upside (check his game log though: have you ever seen a clearer picture of inconsistency?); the Dalembert-Brand frontcourt will be potent; Thaddeus Young could well develop into a volume scorer; and this is the year we finally find out if Iguodala is a franchise player.

The verdict for '08-'09? If Philadelphia stays put, they're not getting past the second round. But should they order in some bench help, they'll be tough to beat in the weak East.

*Shavlik, a hyper-religious product of North Carolina, said of John Amaechi: 'As long as you don't bring your gayness on me, I'm fine.' At power forward, for your 76ers: a total dick.

The Sixers could still have another BIG move up their sleeve.  Word on the street is a sign and trade of Andre Iguodala to the Milwaukee Bucks for sharpshooting two guard Michael Redd.

I LOVE IT.

Your thoughts please?