We've already taken a look at quarterbacks when it comes to fantasy, now let's look at running backs. First off, running backs are again the fad of fantasy football. After trending away from running backs over the last few years, it is again the position to heavily hit early in drafts. In my overall rankings, RB's make up the top ten. Getting one in the first round is vital. Getting your second somewhat early is important too.
There are a number of "workhorses" this year after it seemed they were all going away. Plus, there are still some fairly attractive RBBC's too (such as the Patriots last year). With that in mind here are my top 50 running backs in fantasy football. This list is based off of PPR, in large part because they have become more popular now than normal leagues, and secondly because every league I'm in is a PPR league this year.
Fantasy RB Top 50
1. Adrian Peterson - Minnesota Vikings
He rushed for over 2,000 yards last year and is a lock for double digit touchdowns. No brainer!
2. Arian Foster - Houston Texans
If you've played fantasy football for a few seasons, you should know his name is always near the top of drafts, and rightfully so. He is a touchdown machine that's become a workhorse for the run first Texans.
3. Jamaal Charles - Kansas City Chiefs
AD got all the pub for returning from an ACL injury, but Charles ran for over 1,500 yards doing the same thing last year. And with Andy Reid directing things now, he'll have an even bigger year, particularly catching passes. He also is the all-time leader in YPC in NFL history.
4. Doug Martin - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Only reason he's behind Charles is that I'm afraid of the sophomore slump (but not enough to drop him any lower).
5. CJ Spiller - Buffalo Bills
He's a threat to score on any player and is dynamic running and catching the football. He's on the rise and a player I want in fantasy this year.
6. Ray Rice - Baltimore Ravens
He remains a fixture alongside Joe Flacco despite many other losses around them. He's also still a great player in PPR leagues no matter if backup Pierce poaches a few carries.
7. LeSean McCoy - Philadelphia Eagles
There is a small injury risk here, but the upside is massive running for new coach Chip Kelly. His RB's at Oregon dominated and they run it, a lot!
8. Trent Richardson - Cleveland Browns
Despite struggling at times last year, he was a touchdown machine. This year, the offense around him will improve and he'll have more holes to run through. Plus, he's bound to be a little healthier.
9. Marshawn Lynch - Seattle Seahawks
They remain a run first team even under Russell Wilson. "Beast Mode" will again help lead them to the playoffs and Wilson will have the field spread even more for Lynch to use to his advantage.
10. Alfred Morris - Washington Redskins
A true surprise last year but we can expect him to be a workhorse again. Shanahan finally found who he was looking for and will ride him once more in his second season.
11. Matt Forte - Chicago Bears
New coach Marc Trestman will do wonders with this offense. The offensive line should be better and added playmakers should give Forte more room to run. He remains a great target through the air also.
12. Chris Johnson - Tennessee Titans
A down year last season have cooled people on CJ2K. But he remains a great talent and someone who is bound to perform better than in 2012.
13. Maurice Jones-Drew - Jacksonville Jaguars
He's in a contract year and is healthy once again. What's not to like?
14. Steven Jackson - Atlanta Falcons
He is getting older, but his new team gives him new life. Finally he'll score some TD's to go with his yardage.
15. Reggie Bush - Detroit Lions
Looking for a PPR gem? Look no further than this guy. He'll light it up through the air with Stafford throwing it to him often.
16. Stevan Ridley - New England Patriots
In a traditional league, he'd likely leapfrog a few guys ahead of him. The Patriots have become a run heavy team and he leads the way, particularly in the redzone.
17. Lamar Miller - Miami Dolphins
Hidden by Bush last year, Miller will get his chance to shine now. With an improving offense around him, his speed and power will leaned upon.
18. Le'Veon Bell - Pittsburgh Steelers
If there is a rookie to invest in early, it's Bell. He will become an instant every down back for a team that historically loves to run. He can do it all just like he showed at MSU.
19. Frank Gore - San Francisco 49ers
Getting old in the tooth but showed last year how valuable he still can be.
20. Darren Sproles - New Orleans Saints
Classic PPR dynamo but should be ranked much lower in standard leagues. Threat to catch 90 passes though.
21. DeMarco Murray - Dallas Cowboys
Talent and skillset is there to make him a star, but the injury history lingers threatening each game.
22. David Wilson - New York Giants
Should become their lead back with Bradshaw gone. Andre Brown remains though as a TD vulture and was his small sample size last year enough to warrant a top pick?
23. Darren McFadden - Oakland Raiders
See DeMarco Murray. Has never played a full season.
24. Ryan Mathews - San Diego Chargers
Once again, injuries have prevented him from becoming a great RB.
25. Rashard Mendenhall - Arizona Cardinals
Coach Bruce Arians brought him in to fulfill the role of workhorse for Arizona. Seriously undervalued in fantasy circles right now.
26. Ahmad Bradshaw - Indianapolis Colts
Great mid-round selection as long as he beats out Ballard for the starting job in Indy. Follow that battle closely in the preseason.
27. Montee Ball - Denver Broncos
This rookie is getting a lot of early love on draft boards, but it's unknown if he'll even start. Ronnie Hillman is doing the first team thing currently, although Ball possesses the upside.
28. Giovani Bernard - Cincinnati Bengals
Love his ability catching the ball, which is why he ranks so high in these PPR rankings. Will split time with BJGE though.
29. Chris Ivory - New York Jets
Now on the Jets, he's out of the logjam that took place in New Orleans. But he's on an atrocious offense team now...
30. Eddie Lacy - Green Bay Packers
Drafted to become a viable running back, which Green Bay has lacked recently. Can he cause them to actually run the ball though instead of throwing it constantly?
31. BenJarvus Green-Ellis - Cincinnati Bengals
Should start initially, but Bernard will likely steal the show by the end of the year. In PPR leagues (like these rankings are based on), he should go behind his teammate.
32. Shane Vereen - New England Patriots
While Ridley will garner more carries and TD's, Vereen will get loads of passes thrown his way. Think Danny Woodhead but better.
33. Bryce Brown - Philadelphia Eagles
Broke out late last year when McCoy was injured, now is a must own handcuff. Plus, in Kelly's system, there will be plenty of running plays for him too each game.
34. Andre Brown - New York Giants
Outside chance he becomes the feature back in New York over Wilson, but guaranteed chance he's the guy in short yardage and inside the 5.
35. Ronnie Hillman - Denver Broncos
Most expect Ball to beat him out but Hillman will play a role all year and could actually earn the starting job because he's the better pass protector... which is important for Peyton Manning.
36. Bernard Pierce - Baltimore Ravens
Pierce has begun to take more and more carries away from Ray Rice, as you may have seen in the playoffs. This year, they will inch even more towards a committee approach.
37. Jonathan Stewart - Carolina Panthers
The younger and more talented back in the muddy Carolina backfield, but injuries are a cause for concern.
38. DeAngelo Williams - Carolina Panthers
If Stewart is beat up, Williams becomes the guy. Although they will both likely play on and off.
39. Mark Ingram - New Orleans Saints
Sproles catches the ball but Ingram will get the most carries. He's also the guy that will rack up the most touchdowns.
40. Vick Ballard - Indianapolis Colts
This second year player broke out as a rookie and helped lead them to the playoffs. He got rewarded by being placed likely behind Ahmad Bradshaw on the depth chart.
41. Daryl Richardson - St. Louis Rams
Nobody knows who will end up starting at RB for the Rams, but Richardson is my best guess.
42. Danny Woodhead - San Diego Chargers
Now in San Diego, he will play the Darren Sproles role from many years ago (although not nearly as well). He's also a threat for carries when Mathews gets hurt.
43. Ben Tate - Houston Texans
A name that's very familiar to Foster owners, as he's become a must own handcuff. When healthy, he's a decent flex option himself since they run a lot as a team.
44. Michael Bush - Chicago Bears
Not only a handcuff for injury-prone Forte, but he is their goal line back.
45. LaMichael James - San Francisco 49ers
This young athlete excites people within their organization. He can do a lot well which is why he'll steal carries from Gore repeatedly.
46. Johnathan Franklin - Green Bay Packers
Another rookie RB for Green Bay. If Lacy fails to secure the starting job, then Franklin will step in.
47. Mikel Leshoure - Detroit Lions
Bush may get a lot of action, but Mikel earned himself some carries based on last year's performance.
48. Jacquizz Rodgers - Atlanta Falcons
He is their change of pace back and likely third down guy. He may get decent minutes too if they try and keep Jackson fresh until the playoffs.
49. Pierre Thomas - New Orleans Saints
This third option in New Orleans is used a lot between the 20's. The offense is so good though he'll also have a decent role running and catching.
50. Zac Stacy - St. Louis Rams
If I'm wrong about Richardson, Stacy could be next in line for the starting job for the Rams. Although it could be Pead too...
By: The Sports Guys
Monday, July 29, 2013
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Western Conference Offseason Grades
The offseason is nearly over in terms of additions and subtractions (although big pieces Jennings, Oden, Neal, etc. have yet to be signed). Yesterday, I started with the Eastern Conference teams and gave them their grade for the offseason. Today I'll grade teams in the Western Conference. Remember, each team was already graded on their draft nearly a month ago, but we know more about the entire roster now and have seen many of the rookies play in summer league.
Dallas Mavericks
Mark Cuban struck out. He struck out repeatedly I should say. His plan to remake the roster via free agency failed. The best free agent he managed to sign was Monta Ellis, but he's a ballhog, the opposite of a winner, and they overpaid him. The also signed/drafted about 20 guards/wings. They literally only brought in one big man, Samuel Dalembert, who is limited in ability. Dirk and Brandan Wright are the only other "bigs" on the roster. So recap, Plan A failed, and Plan B sucked.
The ONLY positive I see is that they have a lot of money coming off the books next summer, which means they can possibly rebuild in the awesome summer of 2014, especially if Dirk takes a pay cut like he says he might...
Overall Grade: D-
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets were in a tough spot because they aren't that attractive of a market. That's the reason they lost Andre Iguodala. Losing Corey Brewer also hurt because now they have a gaping hole at SF unless Danilo can recover from his injury sooner rather than later.
They did bring in JJ Hickson, Nate Robinson, Darrell Arthur, and Randy Foye. I loved their drafting of Erick Green in the second round of the draft too. But I simply see them now as a team with a crap-load of role players that doesn't have a star player. That's the position they were in after Carmelo and before AI. Not what they had in mind, especially since they are basically capped out for the next couple seasons. Trades can only save them now.
Overall Grade: C-
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors were one of the most talked about teams this offseason when they jumped into the Dwight Howard discussion. Once they realized they were behind, they grabbed Iguodala out of nowhere. Great move! What's even better was in that move they dumped the salaries of Rush, Biedrins, and Jefferson. That kept them below the tax line and in decent shape headed forward. They were exciting in the playoffs last year, but this season they will be even better.
There is just a touch of bad news however, as they did lose key bench cogs Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry. That hurts for sure. But, they will move Barnes to the bench, have a more developed Draymon Green, and they added bench guys in Toney Douglas, Jermaine O'Neal, and Marreese Speights. That's not a bad recovery. Especially with all of your big stars returning too. Here's to hoping they avoid the injury bug.
Overall Grade: A-
Houston Rockets
Unless you live like a hermit (in which case you won't be reading this), obviously Houston landed Dwight Howard. This turned them into an instant contender in the conference. He and Harden will make a great tandem, and Howard will improve their defense dramatically. They also signed/resigned tons of role playing shooters which will open up the court and give them a little balance on offense. They did this and were able to keep Lin and Asik, which kept the core of last year's team together, and now provides more depth with Asik set to come off the bench.
The other amazing thing is that many of their deals were one year deals for vets or longterm cheap deals for their young assets. TRANSLATION: They helped themselves massively in the present without compromising the future. They can still be players next summer if they want, and they still hold a lot of good assets to trade if they want also.
Overall Grade: A
Los Angeles Clippers
I guess we're in the section of teams that really helped themselves, because like GS and Houston, I loved what LA did this offseason. It started by resigning Chris Paul, continued by acquiring Doc Rivers to coach, and escalated by completing a trade for JJ Redick and Jared Dudley. These moves created a dangerous lineup, one that Doc Rivers could contend in the West with.
But it didn't stop there... By resigning Matt Barnes it gave them toughness and defense off the bench that they'll need. By signing Darren Collison it gives them a great backup point guard since they parted with Bledsoe. By drafting Reggie Bullock it gave them a great young shooter that could turn into a very good player. And just recently they added Byron Mullins, who is a great backup big man that can stretch the floor for them. I now love the starters and the bench. They now have size, quickness, shooting, scoring, defense, and a coach that can get the best out of these guys. This summer turned them into my preseason West favorite.
For those that want negatives, they could use another defensive big man, and they don't have much flexibility for a couple seasons potentially, but they can always dump/trade Jamal Crawford.
Overall Grade: A
Los Angeles Lakers
The streak of high grades is over, because this LA squad didn't have a good offseason. Let's start with the obvious once again: they failed to retain Dwight Howard. And because last season sucked with him, it made their trade for him essentially worthless and it really set them back. Throw in the fact you waived veteran starter Metta World Peace and you will only have an injured Kobe for part of the year, things suddenly look bad in Laker land.
One of the reasons they struggled so mightily last year was because of depth... and at least they added some guys who could help in that regard. Wesley Johnson, Chris Kaman, Nick Young, and Jordan Farmar are all guys that can contribute here and there. Even second round pick Ryan Kelly could give good minutes. But it still is a far cry from replacing what was lost.
There are two other problems here also. Because they did add some bench help instead of just tanking, this team isn't bad enough to land a Top 5 pick in the loaded 2014 draft, which they could desperately use. And with Kobe a free agent next summer, much of the cap space they'll have will have to go to him. So can they create room for another star? And if they can, will anyone want to come there after they failed with Dwight?
Overall Grade: D
Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis was fairly quiet this offseason but they were sneaky good. First, they kept everyone in place by resigning Tony Allen to a fair deal. Second, they just added veteran Mike Miller at a great price which will give them some shooting off the bench. Third, they got a steal in the draft by selecting Jamaal Franklin in the second round. Fourth, they upgraded one of their backup bigs by trading Darrell Arthur for Kosta Koufos. So they were quiet, but efficient.
Overall Grade: B
Minnesota Timberwolves
Technically, Minnesota isn't done because Pekovic hasn't officially signed. But it's 99% certain he'll return. So I'm counting that as a done deal. On top of resigning him, they kept Chase Budinger who will really help stretch the floor for the big boys inside. And even though they lost Kirilenko, they dominated free agency by adding Corey Brewer, Ronny Turiaf, and Kevin Martin. They now have a solid core with Rubio, Martin, Love, Pekovic, and a slew of shooters/role players.
I also liked their draft. Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng don't carry a lot of risk in my opinion. Each player has a high ceiling but won't be asked to do much this year with all the other contributors already there. They can simply sit back and learn. Lorenzo Brown was good value in the second round also. With everything this team did in the offseason and has returning, they honestly have a great chance at a playoff spot barring the injury trouble that hit them last year.
Overall Grade: B+
New Orleans Pelicans
Talk about a team going for it, New Orleans was extremely aggressive this year. They made waves on draft night by trading #6 and a 2014 pick for Jrue Holiday. It's not everyday you land a 23 year old All-Star that is still improving. Then they went out and stole Tyreke Evans from Sacramento. Anthony Morrow was a nice pickup too as he will help the bench a lot. And second rounders Pierre Jackson and Jeff Withey will help off the bench dramatically.
This team has 3 wildcards: First, they are a finalist for Greg Oden. That would complete a magical offseason. Second, they retained Eric Gordon and his big salary. That could payoff if he is finally healthy. He could be trade bait if not. Third, Austin Rivers had a very solid week in Vegas. If he becomes the player they drafted him to be, he'll make their bench strong. Depending on how things play out, New Orleans could improve by nearly 20 games and potentially make the playoffs. And if things aren't going well, they have some tradable pieces to try again next year.
Overall Grade: A-
Oklahoma City Thunder
I'm going to be very tough on the Thunder. They blew it this offseason. When so many elite teams across the NBA improved (offseason acquisitions plus getting healthy players back), OKC got worse. Last year, they were hurt by downgrading James Harden to Kevin Martin. This year they are downgrading Kevin Martin to NOBODY. They failed to bring in a player to be their third scorer and couldn't even convince a veteran shooter like Mike Miller to join them. Throw in the fact that Russell Westbrook will be coming off a serious injury, and I see OKC dropping back in the West quite a bit. Their only hope would be if Jeremy Lamb or Reggie Jackson have a breakout year, and that's not something I would want to bank on.
They did draft four players in the top 40 of the draft, but honestly they are all projects and years away from contributing. I thought they had a chance at #12 to select somebody who could help right away (Kelly Olynyk was one of my top options for them). Instead they went with a project in Steven Adams. Overall, I saw them as a team that went backwards, when they needed to jump forward to get over the hump and win a championship.
Overall Grade: F
Phoenix Suns
The Suns are a great example of a team that knows where they are at and what they need to do. They are rebuilding so they focused on simply that. They traded for Eric Bledsoe, one of the best available assets on the market. They also brought in a lot of talent via the draft (particularly Alex Len and Archie Goodwin). And when you look at their team now, you see a collection of young assets mixed with soon-to-be expiring deals, which means they can do some damage a year from now. They will also be bad enough again to "compete" for a top 5 pick in the loaded 2014 draft. They are trying through young players instead of established vets, which will benefit them in the long term.
Overall Grade: B+
Portland Trailblazers
With Lillard, Mathews, Batum, and Aldridge, Portland had some stars capable of leading them to the playoffs coming into the season. But they didn't have depth at all, which has continue to hold them back. That's why I loved their offseason. Inside, they replaced JJ Hickson with Robin Lopez and Thomas Robinson via trade. These are players that can help immediately as backups, and they still have very large upsides. Pretty cheap considering.
On the perimeter they replaced Eric Maynor with Earl Watson and Dorell Wright via free agency. What I said about the inside guys applies here too (cheaper, solid backups with upside). They also had a great draft bringing in CJ McCollum and Allen Crabbe. These are players that will add scoring instantly, and could develop into stars. With all of these assets, Portland can play things out and push for one of the last playoff spots, or they can be very active in the trade market this year and next. They have a lot of cap space opening the year after that also.
Overall Grade: B+
Sacramento Kings
Mixed feelings here. They did add an abundance of decent pieces, but note the word decent. These players include McLemore, McCallum, Landry, Mbah a Moute, and Vasquez. They lost Toney Douglas and Tyreke Evans. Those things probably cancel out or maybe they actually improved a little. But that's tough to tell at this point, with many of those players still young.
The real problem though is that they don't seem to have a plan going forward. They are iffy on signing Cousins to a long term deal, and any max type deal for him eliminates their chances of bringing in another top player. And who wants to come play there anyways based on recent team success?
Overall Grade: C
San Antonio Spurs
This had to be a long summer for the Spurs. They were seconds away from a championship, and instead they came up short. The good news is that everything essentially stayed intact after resigning Manu and Splitter. They switched Marco Belinelli in for Gary Neal. They added Jeff Pendergraph to replace DeJuan Blair. Like I said, essentially the same.
I liked what they did in the draft (Deshaun Thomas and Livio Jean-Charles) but those guys will mainly only contribute down the road as the team continues to age. The biggest question mark is can they still add Greg Oden. They are rumored to be one of the finalists for his services, and he could add youth to an aging frontline. And let's face it, this team is getting old outside of Green and Leonard.
Overall Grade: B-
Utah Jazz
The Jazz took an interesting approach this offseason... get worse seemingly on purpose. They took on three bad contracts just to meet the league minimum (Rush, Biedrins, R. Jefferson). They failed to resign A. Jefferson and/or Millsap, and that was after failing to trade them last year when they had total leverage.
But let's look at the positives... 1. They unloaded a lot of money and will unload a lot next summer all in the contracts they added. This will allow them to be aggressive in free agency. 2. They added multiple picks in the upcoming drafts, which look to be drafts filled with incredible talent. 3. They brought in two promising draft picks this year in Trey Burke and Rudy Gobert. 4. They still have their young core intact with Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, and Enes Kanter.
Overall Grade: C-
By: The Sports Guys
Dallas Mavericks
Mark Cuban struck out. He struck out repeatedly I should say. His plan to remake the roster via free agency failed. The best free agent he managed to sign was Monta Ellis, but he's a ballhog, the opposite of a winner, and they overpaid him. The also signed/drafted about 20 guards/wings. They literally only brought in one big man, Samuel Dalembert, who is limited in ability. Dirk and Brandan Wright are the only other "bigs" on the roster. So recap, Plan A failed, and Plan B sucked.
The ONLY positive I see is that they have a lot of money coming off the books next summer, which means they can possibly rebuild in the awesome summer of 2014, especially if Dirk takes a pay cut like he says he might...
Overall Grade: D-
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets were in a tough spot because they aren't that attractive of a market. That's the reason they lost Andre Iguodala. Losing Corey Brewer also hurt because now they have a gaping hole at SF unless Danilo can recover from his injury sooner rather than later.
They did bring in JJ Hickson, Nate Robinson, Darrell Arthur, and Randy Foye. I loved their drafting of Erick Green in the second round of the draft too. But I simply see them now as a team with a crap-load of role players that doesn't have a star player. That's the position they were in after Carmelo and before AI. Not what they had in mind, especially since they are basically capped out for the next couple seasons. Trades can only save them now.
Overall Grade: C-
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors were one of the most talked about teams this offseason when they jumped into the Dwight Howard discussion. Once they realized they were behind, they grabbed Iguodala out of nowhere. Great move! What's even better was in that move they dumped the salaries of Rush, Biedrins, and Jefferson. That kept them below the tax line and in decent shape headed forward. They were exciting in the playoffs last year, but this season they will be even better.
There is just a touch of bad news however, as they did lose key bench cogs Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry. That hurts for sure. But, they will move Barnes to the bench, have a more developed Draymon Green, and they added bench guys in Toney Douglas, Jermaine O'Neal, and Marreese Speights. That's not a bad recovery. Especially with all of your big stars returning too. Here's to hoping they avoid the injury bug.
Overall Grade: A-
Houston Rockets
Unless you live like a hermit (in which case you won't be reading this), obviously Houston landed Dwight Howard. This turned them into an instant contender in the conference. He and Harden will make a great tandem, and Howard will improve their defense dramatically. They also signed/resigned tons of role playing shooters which will open up the court and give them a little balance on offense. They did this and were able to keep Lin and Asik, which kept the core of last year's team together, and now provides more depth with Asik set to come off the bench.
The other amazing thing is that many of their deals were one year deals for vets or longterm cheap deals for their young assets. TRANSLATION: They helped themselves massively in the present without compromising the future. They can still be players next summer if they want, and they still hold a lot of good assets to trade if they want also.
Overall Grade: A
Los Angeles Clippers
I guess we're in the section of teams that really helped themselves, because like GS and Houston, I loved what LA did this offseason. It started by resigning Chris Paul, continued by acquiring Doc Rivers to coach, and escalated by completing a trade for JJ Redick and Jared Dudley. These moves created a dangerous lineup, one that Doc Rivers could contend in the West with.
But it didn't stop there... By resigning Matt Barnes it gave them toughness and defense off the bench that they'll need. By signing Darren Collison it gives them a great backup point guard since they parted with Bledsoe. By drafting Reggie Bullock it gave them a great young shooter that could turn into a very good player. And just recently they added Byron Mullins, who is a great backup big man that can stretch the floor for them. I now love the starters and the bench. They now have size, quickness, shooting, scoring, defense, and a coach that can get the best out of these guys. This summer turned them into my preseason West favorite.
For those that want negatives, they could use another defensive big man, and they don't have much flexibility for a couple seasons potentially, but they can always dump/trade Jamal Crawford.
Overall Grade: A
Los Angeles Lakers
The streak of high grades is over, because this LA squad didn't have a good offseason. Let's start with the obvious once again: they failed to retain Dwight Howard. And because last season sucked with him, it made their trade for him essentially worthless and it really set them back. Throw in the fact you waived veteran starter Metta World Peace and you will only have an injured Kobe for part of the year, things suddenly look bad in Laker land.
One of the reasons they struggled so mightily last year was because of depth... and at least they added some guys who could help in that regard. Wesley Johnson, Chris Kaman, Nick Young, and Jordan Farmar are all guys that can contribute here and there. Even second round pick Ryan Kelly could give good minutes. But it still is a far cry from replacing what was lost.
There are two other problems here also. Because they did add some bench help instead of just tanking, this team isn't bad enough to land a Top 5 pick in the loaded 2014 draft, which they could desperately use. And with Kobe a free agent next summer, much of the cap space they'll have will have to go to him. So can they create room for another star? And if they can, will anyone want to come there after they failed with Dwight?
Overall Grade: D
Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis was fairly quiet this offseason but they were sneaky good. First, they kept everyone in place by resigning Tony Allen to a fair deal. Second, they just added veteran Mike Miller at a great price which will give them some shooting off the bench. Third, they got a steal in the draft by selecting Jamaal Franklin in the second round. Fourth, they upgraded one of their backup bigs by trading Darrell Arthur for Kosta Koufos. So they were quiet, but efficient.
Overall Grade: B
Minnesota Timberwolves
Technically, Minnesota isn't done because Pekovic hasn't officially signed. But it's 99% certain he'll return. So I'm counting that as a done deal. On top of resigning him, they kept Chase Budinger who will really help stretch the floor for the big boys inside. And even though they lost Kirilenko, they dominated free agency by adding Corey Brewer, Ronny Turiaf, and Kevin Martin. They now have a solid core with Rubio, Martin, Love, Pekovic, and a slew of shooters/role players.
I also liked their draft. Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng don't carry a lot of risk in my opinion. Each player has a high ceiling but won't be asked to do much this year with all the other contributors already there. They can simply sit back and learn. Lorenzo Brown was good value in the second round also. With everything this team did in the offseason and has returning, they honestly have a great chance at a playoff spot barring the injury trouble that hit them last year.
Overall Grade: B+
New Orleans Pelicans
Talk about a team going for it, New Orleans was extremely aggressive this year. They made waves on draft night by trading #6 and a 2014 pick for Jrue Holiday. It's not everyday you land a 23 year old All-Star that is still improving. Then they went out and stole Tyreke Evans from Sacramento. Anthony Morrow was a nice pickup too as he will help the bench a lot. And second rounders Pierre Jackson and Jeff Withey will help off the bench dramatically.
This team has 3 wildcards: First, they are a finalist for Greg Oden. That would complete a magical offseason. Second, they retained Eric Gordon and his big salary. That could payoff if he is finally healthy. He could be trade bait if not. Third, Austin Rivers had a very solid week in Vegas. If he becomes the player they drafted him to be, he'll make their bench strong. Depending on how things play out, New Orleans could improve by nearly 20 games and potentially make the playoffs. And if things aren't going well, they have some tradable pieces to try again next year.
Overall Grade: A-
Oklahoma City Thunder
I'm going to be very tough on the Thunder. They blew it this offseason. When so many elite teams across the NBA improved (offseason acquisitions plus getting healthy players back), OKC got worse. Last year, they were hurt by downgrading James Harden to Kevin Martin. This year they are downgrading Kevin Martin to NOBODY. They failed to bring in a player to be their third scorer and couldn't even convince a veteran shooter like Mike Miller to join them. Throw in the fact that Russell Westbrook will be coming off a serious injury, and I see OKC dropping back in the West quite a bit. Their only hope would be if Jeremy Lamb or Reggie Jackson have a breakout year, and that's not something I would want to bank on.
They did draft four players in the top 40 of the draft, but honestly they are all projects and years away from contributing. I thought they had a chance at #12 to select somebody who could help right away (Kelly Olynyk was one of my top options for them). Instead they went with a project in Steven Adams. Overall, I saw them as a team that went backwards, when they needed to jump forward to get over the hump and win a championship.
Overall Grade: F
Phoenix Suns
The Suns are a great example of a team that knows where they are at and what they need to do. They are rebuilding so they focused on simply that. They traded for Eric Bledsoe, one of the best available assets on the market. They also brought in a lot of talent via the draft (particularly Alex Len and Archie Goodwin). And when you look at their team now, you see a collection of young assets mixed with soon-to-be expiring deals, which means they can do some damage a year from now. They will also be bad enough again to "compete" for a top 5 pick in the loaded 2014 draft. They are trying through young players instead of established vets, which will benefit them in the long term.
Overall Grade: B+
Portland Trailblazers
With Lillard, Mathews, Batum, and Aldridge, Portland had some stars capable of leading them to the playoffs coming into the season. But they didn't have depth at all, which has continue to hold them back. That's why I loved their offseason. Inside, they replaced JJ Hickson with Robin Lopez and Thomas Robinson via trade. These are players that can help immediately as backups, and they still have very large upsides. Pretty cheap considering.
On the perimeter they replaced Eric Maynor with Earl Watson and Dorell Wright via free agency. What I said about the inside guys applies here too (cheaper, solid backups with upside). They also had a great draft bringing in CJ McCollum and Allen Crabbe. These are players that will add scoring instantly, and could develop into stars. With all of these assets, Portland can play things out and push for one of the last playoff spots, or they can be very active in the trade market this year and next. They have a lot of cap space opening the year after that also.
Overall Grade: B+
Sacramento Kings
Mixed feelings here. They did add an abundance of decent pieces, but note the word decent. These players include McLemore, McCallum, Landry, Mbah a Moute, and Vasquez. They lost Toney Douglas and Tyreke Evans. Those things probably cancel out or maybe they actually improved a little. But that's tough to tell at this point, with many of those players still young.
The real problem though is that they don't seem to have a plan going forward. They are iffy on signing Cousins to a long term deal, and any max type deal for him eliminates their chances of bringing in another top player. And who wants to come play there anyways based on recent team success?
Overall Grade: C
San Antonio Spurs
This had to be a long summer for the Spurs. They were seconds away from a championship, and instead they came up short. The good news is that everything essentially stayed intact after resigning Manu and Splitter. They switched Marco Belinelli in for Gary Neal. They added Jeff Pendergraph to replace DeJuan Blair. Like I said, essentially the same.
I liked what they did in the draft (Deshaun Thomas and Livio Jean-Charles) but those guys will mainly only contribute down the road as the team continues to age. The biggest question mark is can they still add Greg Oden. They are rumored to be one of the finalists for his services, and he could add youth to an aging frontline. And let's face it, this team is getting old outside of Green and Leonard.
Overall Grade: B-
Utah Jazz
The Jazz took an interesting approach this offseason... get worse seemingly on purpose. They took on three bad contracts just to meet the league minimum (Rush, Biedrins, R. Jefferson). They failed to resign A. Jefferson and/or Millsap, and that was after failing to trade them last year when they had total leverage.
But let's look at the positives... 1. They unloaded a lot of money and will unload a lot next summer all in the contracts they added. This will allow them to be aggressive in free agency. 2. They added multiple picks in the upcoming drafts, which look to be drafts filled with incredible talent. 3. They brought in two promising draft picks this year in Trey Burke and Rudy Gobert. 4. They still have their young core intact with Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, and Enes Kanter.
Overall Grade: C-
By: The Sports Guys
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Eastern Conference Offseason Grades
The offseason is nearly over in terms of additions and subtractions (although big pieces Jennings, Oden, Neal, etc. have yet to be signed). With that in mind, I'll start with the Eastern Conference teams today and give them their grade for the offseason. Remember, each team was already graded on their draft nearly a month ago, but we know more about the entire roster now and have seen many of the rookies play in summer league.
Atlanta Hawks
Many in the media looked at Atlanta as a team that failed to bring in the free agents they really wanted. I mean, they lost Josh Smith, failed to get big Dwight, and were in the running for Brandon Jennings and/or Monta Ellis and didn't get either. Essentially, people thought they wasted all that cap space. But in reality they did a bunch of things well:
1. They likely held onto a playoff spot by keeping Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver, and signing Paul Millsap, Elton Brand, and DeMarre Carroll to appropriate deals. In fact, the Paul Millsap deal was likely the best valued deal in the NBA this season (2 years, 19 million). These players join a roster that still has Al Horford, Lou Williams, and other role players, which will keep them in the running for another playoff birth.
2. They improved their young talent giving them great hope for the future. I liked their draft that included Lucas Nogueira, Dennis Schroeder, and Mike Muscala, but I LOVED it after watching them in Vegas. Lucas and Dennis were two of the most promising and exciting rookies in the event, so the Hawks have to be thrilled.
3. They stayed flexible in terms of cap space for 2014. In fact, without much wiggle room at all they can bring in a max player next year. And if you read my blog from yesterday, their are TONS of superstars that will be free agents next year.
Overall Grade: A-
Boston Celtics
Ouch. The Celtics went from a team that's competed for NBA Championships for the last 5 years, to a bottom feeder. They lost star players Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in a trade that didn't bring them any young players to build around. All it brought (in terms of actual players) were overpaid bench fodder that will simply be dumped a year from now. They also lost Doc Rivers, one of the best coaches in the league. Obviously, this team is in rebuilding mode.
There is a hope though in the years to come... They brought in Brad Stevens who is an extremely promising young head coach (Butler Bulldogs). They seemed to find a nice player in the draft in the selection of Kelly Olynyk, who dominated the Orlando summer league. They acquired 4 future first rounders from other teams (mostly unprotected) in return for Pierce, Garnett, and Rivers. They seem to be in position to land a high draft pick next year (because they will suck) in a loaded 2014 class. And by dumping some of the bad salaries, they could be primed to make noise in free agency a year from now. So we'll see...
Overall Grade: C-
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets made it clear they are chasing a championship. They obviously aren't worried about the future (no cap space and not many picks in years to come). But, with an owner who isn't afraid to spend money regardless of any taxing, this is a team that can win now and can figure it out as they go on.
By bringing in Pierce and Garnett as I mentioned from the Celtics, they boast on of the best starting 5's in the league (Pierce, Garnett, Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez). They also made some nice moves to keep their bench potent: Andrei Kirilenko, Shaun Livingston, Andray Blatche, Jason Terry, Reggie Evans, Mason Plumlee (draft pick), etc. all on their bench.
The question is this: Can new head coach Jason Kidd blend all these players together in 1-2 years before this team gets too old and then broken apart? The pressure is now enormous.
Overall Grade: A
Charlotte Hornets
There are two sides to this story. The good news is that they brought in a big-time free agent at a position of need in center Al Jefferson. They also seemed to draft appropriately with Cody Zeller, who was the most impressive rookie in Vegas. They were atrocious inside last year as a team, but with Zeller and Jefferson here, they will see that change. The backcourt is still together and young (assuming they resign Gerald Henderson, which seems like a done deal), but can Kemba, Henderson, or MKG turn into the stars they are hoping?
The bad side is that they slightly overpaid Jefferson, in large part because Charlotte is not an ideal free agent destination. They still look to be terrible on offense and don't have any go-to scorer. And they still are massively overpaying Ben Gordon, and weren't able to dump him. Is this an improved team... yes. Is it a good start... yes. But there is still so much work to do here.
Overall Grade: B
Chicago Bulls
Chicago took the approach of essentially getting healthier and developing from within. Obviously, Derrick Rose will return this year, young guns Jimmy Butler and Marques Teague will be better, and hopefully they won't get the injury bug come playoffs. But they stood still in terms of their roster...
They lost Nate Robinson and Marco Belinelli. Those were two extremely important players late last year. They added Mike Dunleavy Jr. who will fill the shooting role, but their only other real addition was Tony Snell in the draft, who will be a little used rookie. The only reason I won't give them an F is that they will still compete for a championship simply by getting Rose healthy.
Overall Grade: D-
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs were rumored in so many scenarios leading up to the draft and even after. It's not their fault nobody bit on a big trade offer. But it may have worked out better for them. As I noted a few weeks ago, they did well in the draft getting some players that can help some now, but could be stars in the future. As much as I was surprised by Bennett, he has the talent to be a star. They saw that same thing in Irving and that turned out well.
In terms of free agency, Andrew Bynum was a huge get. The way the deal is structured, it wasn't massively risky, so I see a lot of upside there. Jarrett Jack was another great addition. He will be a nice backup to Irving and will likely play alongside him a lot, like he did with Curry last year in Golden State. Earl Clark is also a sneaky good bench add. All these moves those accomplished another goal too: they remained flexible enough to add a max player next year, possibly even King James!
Overall Grade: A-
Detroit Pistons
I really like was Detroit did this year. They had a bunch of young talent already (Knight, Monroe, Drummond) so they added a great veteran piece and a star. The star is Josh Smith, who will play at both forward positions this year. The vet is Chauncey Billups, who is beloved in Detroit going back to his championship days nearly a decade ago. These moves alone likely will deliver them a playoff birth. And they weren't really in position to do much in free agency next year since Greg Monroe will be up for a huge contract.
And don't forget, they also had a solid draft. Caldwell-Pope is a guy that can score the basketball. He has huge upside, as does second round pick Tony Mitchell. These are players that they can add to that young core. Peyton Siva is someone to keep an eye on, because he could become a solid guard off the bench if he makes the roster.
Overall Grade: A
Indiana Pacers
I view what they did as similar to Chicago. They too get a star back in Danny Granger this year. They also kept their core (young) together and focused on the bench, once they resigned David West. While I loved that they added CJ Watson and Chris Copeland, I hated that they lost Tyler Hansbrough and seemingly didn't replace him inside. They make a living on beating teams up, but all of a sudden they are weak inside on the bench. And if they play Copeland at power forward instead of small forward, they will not be too pleased with their defense and rebounding. So that whole situation was confusing.
I was very critical of their draft because I thought Solomon Hill was a huge reach. But after watching Hill in the Orlando summer league, I'm slightly encouraged by what I saw. Still, with Paul George, Danny Granger, and Chris Copeland on the team, Hill is way down on the depth chart unless they move those other guys around.
Looking ahead, they will clear Granger's salary next year only to use it on Paul George. They won't be able to bring in any big name free agents due to that and resigning Lance Stephenson. So I don't see tons of hope for big improvements in the years to come. I think they blew a big chance by not trading Granger. I would have loved to trade him to Cleveland for #1 and taking Victor Oladipo...
Overall Grade: D+
Miami Heat
I'm going to be harsh on the defending champs... they got worse. Honestly, they simply kept their team basically intact and said that was good enough. They did add James Ennis as a draft pick, but they had to lose Mike Miller to free up some money. That's all they did. Since the Miller loss hurts much more than the Ennis gain, I say they got worse.
There are three caveats... First, they are a finalist for Greg Oden. They suck inside so if he signs that would actually help them out barring injury. Secondly, they remained flexible heading into next summer. They could nearly lose every player on the roster, but that means they would be able to essentially bring in whoever they wanted in 2014. The third caveat is that they are the two-time defending champs, so they didn't have to make any moves cause they were already the best.
Overall Grade: D
Milwaukee Bucks
I'll admit, what Milwaukee has done this offseason is puzzling, but I'm not nearly as down on the moves as others. They lost Dalembert, Dunleavy Jr., and Ellis (1 big and 2 wings) via free agency. They brought in Zaza Pachulia, OJ Mayo, and Carlos Delfino (1 big and 2 wings) though via free agency. They lost Mbah a Moute and Redick via trade (getting picks in return), but added Antetokounmpo and Wolters via the draft. Overall, they seemed to stay steady, which means they'll compete for the playoffs once again.
The wildcard here is Brandon Jennings. He still hasn't resigned and has said to want out. The Bucks made an offer to keep him however. My guess is that he'll return, simply because nobody else in the league seems to want him right now, or are able to take his salary on. The other thing to consider is the future is unknown. They will have to pay Larry Sanders a lot next year to keep him, but they could still have decent cap space available, especially if Jennings leaves.
Overall Grade: C
New York Knicks
Similar to the Bucks, people have hated what the Knicks have done. I'm in another camp. Unlike other top teams in the East (Miami, Indiana, Chicago), the Knicks went out and got better, or at least brought in new guys to potentially make them better. The biggest difference I have is how I view the trade... They gave up bench guys (and picks) for Andrea Bargnani. I like it. This gives them another option at power forward if Amar'e isn't healthy again or if they want to keep Carmelo at the 3 to play more traditional. If nothing else, Bargnani can come in and provide bench scoring. The other guys (that they traded) weren't important anyways so this will either keep them the same or make them better. It can't hurt at all.
In terms of free agency they did lose Chris Copeland, but they resigned other shooters in JR Smith and Pablo Prigioni. They also added another small forward in Metta World Peace. That is a HUGE addition in my opinion. It makes them tougher, better defensively, adds depth, gives them more options and variety within the lineup, and honestly gives them a solid veteran presence who has won a championship. Throw in a solid first rounder in Tim Hardaway Jr. and they have added plenty of help.
Will they still struggle a little defensively... yes. Will they fret when Carmelo becomes a free agent next summer... yes. But if they stay healthy this year, they could compete with all the other top Eastern Conference teams.
Overall Grade: B-
Orlando Magic
The Magic are tough to judge. They didn't really lose anyone, but they didn't add a ton either. They are clearly rebuilding so this summer wasn't as important. Next summer will be, both in the draft and even free agency.
What I can judge them on is did they acquire anything that can help them rebuild? The answer is OH YEAH. Victor Oladipo was my favorite player in the draft and #1 on my board. He dominated the Orlando summer league and can become a star. So I give them props to selecting him.
Overall Grade: B-
Philadelphia 76ers
Right on board with Orlando, they are rebuilding for sure. They lost Andrew Bynum, Dorell Wright, Nick Young, and Jrue Holiday. Why do I say that's okay? Because I liked the draft picks they acquired, money that got freed up, and the young players they got in Nerlens Noel, Michael Carter-Williams, and Royce White. There is a LONG way to go, but I think it was smart to simply start over and rebuild.
Overall Grade: C+
Toronto Raptors
Outside of the Bargnani trade, they didn't do much. They got garbage in the trade, picked up some bench guys in free agency, and didn't have a draft pick. The good news is that they added picks and became much more cap friendly now and in the future. They have an important summer in 2014.
Overall Grade: D+
Washington Wizards
Similar to some other teams in the East, one of the best things going for them is that they should almost certainly be healthier this year than last. That will help them improve on the court. Another thing they had going for them this year is that they didn't really lose players. But they did add a few...
In free agency they picked up Eric Maynor, who will serve as a great backup point guard to John Wall. They also did great in the draft by adding wings Otto Porter Jr. and Glen Rice Jr. Neither did that great in Vegas, but I think their games weren't perfectly suited for summer league.
None of these things will help massively now, but they did manage to keep their young core together while resigning some guys at fair value. The future looks decent too once the Ariza/Okafor duo gets off the book next summer. Both could also be great trade candidates midseason with expiring contracts.
Overall Grade: B
By: The Sports Guys
Atlanta Hawks
Many in the media looked at Atlanta as a team that failed to bring in the free agents they really wanted. I mean, they lost Josh Smith, failed to get big Dwight, and were in the running for Brandon Jennings and/or Monta Ellis and didn't get either. Essentially, people thought they wasted all that cap space. But in reality they did a bunch of things well:
1. They likely held onto a playoff spot by keeping Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver, and signing Paul Millsap, Elton Brand, and DeMarre Carroll to appropriate deals. In fact, the Paul Millsap deal was likely the best valued deal in the NBA this season (2 years, 19 million). These players join a roster that still has Al Horford, Lou Williams, and other role players, which will keep them in the running for another playoff birth.
2. They improved their young talent giving them great hope for the future. I liked their draft that included Lucas Nogueira, Dennis Schroeder, and Mike Muscala, but I LOVED it after watching them in Vegas. Lucas and Dennis were two of the most promising and exciting rookies in the event, so the Hawks have to be thrilled.
3. They stayed flexible in terms of cap space for 2014. In fact, without much wiggle room at all they can bring in a max player next year. And if you read my blog from yesterday, their are TONS of superstars that will be free agents next year.
Overall Grade: A-
Boston Celtics
Ouch. The Celtics went from a team that's competed for NBA Championships for the last 5 years, to a bottom feeder. They lost star players Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in a trade that didn't bring them any young players to build around. All it brought (in terms of actual players) were overpaid bench fodder that will simply be dumped a year from now. They also lost Doc Rivers, one of the best coaches in the league. Obviously, this team is in rebuilding mode.
There is a hope though in the years to come... They brought in Brad Stevens who is an extremely promising young head coach (Butler Bulldogs). They seemed to find a nice player in the draft in the selection of Kelly Olynyk, who dominated the Orlando summer league. They acquired 4 future first rounders from other teams (mostly unprotected) in return for Pierce, Garnett, and Rivers. They seem to be in position to land a high draft pick next year (because they will suck) in a loaded 2014 class. And by dumping some of the bad salaries, they could be primed to make noise in free agency a year from now. So we'll see...
Overall Grade: C-
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets made it clear they are chasing a championship. They obviously aren't worried about the future (no cap space and not many picks in years to come). But, with an owner who isn't afraid to spend money regardless of any taxing, this is a team that can win now and can figure it out as they go on.
By bringing in Pierce and Garnett as I mentioned from the Celtics, they boast on of the best starting 5's in the league (Pierce, Garnett, Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez). They also made some nice moves to keep their bench potent: Andrei Kirilenko, Shaun Livingston, Andray Blatche, Jason Terry, Reggie Evans, Mason Plumlee (draft pick), etc. all on their bench.
The question is this: Can new head coach Jason Kidd blend all these players together in 1-2 years before this team gets too old and then broken apart? The pressure is now enormous.
Overall Grade: A
Charlotte Hornets
There are two sides to this story. The good news is that they brought in a big-time free agent at a position of need in center Al Jefferson. They also seemed to draft appropriately with Cody Zeller, who was the most impressive rookie in Vegas. They were atrocious inside last year as a team, but with Zeller and Jefferson here, they will see that change. The backcourt is still together and young (assuming they resign Gerald Henderson, which seems like a done deal), but can Kemba, Henderson, or MKG turn into the stars they are hoping?
The bad side is that they slightly overpaid Jefferson, in large part because Charlotte is not an ideal free agent destination. They still look to be terrible on offense and don't have any go-to scorer. And they still are massively overpaying Ben Gordon, and weren't able to dump him. Is this an improved team... yes. Is it a good start... yes. But there is still so much work to do here.
Overall Grade: B
Chicago Bulls
Chicago took the approach of essentially getting healthier and developing from within. Obviously, Derrick Rose will return this year, young guns Jimmy Butler and Marques Teague will be better, and hopefully they won't get the injury bug come playoffs. But they stood still in terms of their roster...
They lost Nate Robinson and Marco Belinelli. Those were two extremely important players late last year. They added Mike Dunleavy Jr. who will fill the shooting role, but their only other real addition was Tony Snell in the draft, who will be a little used rookie. The only reason I won't give them an F is that they will still compete for a championship simply by getting Rose healthy.
Overall Grade: D-
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs were rumored in so many scenarios leading up to the draft and even after. It's not their fault nobody bit on a big trade offer. But it may have worked out better for them. As I noted a few weeks ago, they did well in the draft getting some players that can help some now, but could be stars in the future. As much as I was surprised by Bennett, he has the talent to be a star. They saw that same thing in Irving and that turned out well.
In terms of free agency, Andrew Bynum was a huge get. The way the deal is structured, it wasn't massively risky, so I see a lot of upside there. Jarrett Jack was another great addition. He will be a nice backup to Irving and will likely play alongside him a lot, like he did with Curry last year in Golden State. Earl Clark is also a sneaky good bench add. All these moves those accomplished another goal too: they remained flexible enough to add a max player next year, possibly even King James!
Overall Grade: A-
Detroit Pistons
I really like was Detroit did this year. They had a bunch of young talent already (Knight, Monroe, Drummond) so they added a great veteran piece and a star. The star is Josh Smith, who will play at both forward positions this year. The vet is Chauncey Billups, who is beloved in Detroit going back to his championship days nearly a decade ago. These moves alone likely will deliver them a playoff birth. And they weren't really in position to do much in free agency next year since Greg Monroe will be up for a huge contract.
And don't forget, they also had a solid draft. Caldwell-Pope is a guy that can score the basketball. He has huge upside, as does second round pick Tony Mitchell. These are players that they can add to that young core. Peyton Siva is someone to keep an eye on, because he could become a solid guard off the bench if he makes the roster.
Overall Grade: A
Indiana Pacers
I view what they did as similar to Chicago. They too get a star back in Danny Granger this year. They also kept their core (young) together and focused on the bench, once they resigned David West. While I loved that they added CJ Watson and Chris Copeland, I hated that they lost Tyler Hansbrough and seemingly didn't replace him inside. They make a living on beating teams up, but all of a sudden they are weak inside on the bench. And if they play Copeland at power forward instead of small forward, they will not be too pleased with their defense and rebounding. So that whole situation was confusing.
I was very critical of their draft because I thought Solomon Hill was a huge reach. But after watching Hill in the Orlando summer league, I'm slightly encouraged by what I saw. Still, with Paul George, Danny Granger, and Chris Copeland on the team, Hill is way down on the depth chart unless they move those other guys around.
Looking ahead, they will clear Granger's salary next year only to use it on Paul George. They won't be able to bring in any big name free agents due to that and resigning Lance Stephenson. So I don't see tons of hope for big improvements in the years to come. I think they blew a big chance by not trading Granger. I would have loved to trade him to Cleveland for #1 and taking Victor Oladipo...
Overall Grade: D+
Miami Heat
I'm going to be harsh on the defending champs... they got worse. Honestly, they simply kept their team basically intact and said that was good enough. They did add James Ennis as a draft pick, but they had to lose Mike Miller to free up some money. That's all they did. Since the Miller loss hurts much more than the Ennis gain, I say they got worse.
There are three caveats... First, they are a finalist for Greg Oden. They suck inside so if he signs that would actually help them out barring injury. Secondly, they remained flexible heading into next summer. They could nearly lose every player on the roster, but that means they would be able to essentially bring in whoever they wanted in 2014. The third caveat is that they are the two-time defending champs, so they didn't have to make any moves cause they were already the best.
Overall Grade: D
Milwaukee Bucks
I'll admit, what Milwaukee has done this offseason is puzzling, but I'm not nearly as down on the moves as others. They lost Dalembert, Dunleavy Jr., and Ellis (1 big and 2 wings) via free agency. They brought in Zaza Pachulia, OJ Mayo, and Carlos Delfino (1 big and 2 wings) though via free agency. They lost Mbah a Moute and Redick via trade (getting picks in return), but added Antetokounmpo and Wolters via the draft. Overall, they seemed to stay steady, which means they'll compete for the playoffs once again.
The wildcard here is Brandon Jennings. He still hasn't resigned and has said to want out. The Bucks made an offer to keep him however. My guess is that he'll return, simply because nobody else in the league seems to want him right now, or are able to take his salary on. The other thing to consider is the future is unknown. They will have to pay Larry Sanders a lot next year to keep him, but they could still have decent cap space available, especially if Jennings leaves.
Overall Grade: C
New York Knicks
Similar to the Bucks, people have hated what the Knicks have done. I'm in another camp. Unlike other top teams in the East (Miami, Indiana, Chicago), the Knicks went out and got better, or at least brought in new guys to potentially make them better. The biggest difference I have is how I view the trade... They gave up bench guys (and picks) for Andrea Bargnani. I like it. This gives them another option at power forward if Amar'e isn't healthy again or if they want to keep Carmelo at the 3 to play more traditional. If nothing else, Bargnani can come in and provide bench scoring. The other guys (that they traded) weren't important anyways so this will either keep them the same or make them better. It can't hurt at all.
In terms of free agency they did lose Chris Copeland, but they resigned other shooters in JR Smith and Pablo Prigioni. They also added another small forward in Metta World Peace. That is a HUGE addition in my opinion. It makes them tougher, better defensively, adds depth, gives them more options and variety within the lineup, and honestly gives them a solid veteran presence who has won a championship. Throw in a solid first rounder in Tim Hardaway Jr. and they have added plenty of help.
Will they still struggle a little defensively... yes. Will they fret when Carmelo becomes a free agent next summer... yes. But if they stay healthy this year, they could compete with all the other top Eastern Conference teams.
Overall Grade: B-
Orlando Magic
The Magic are tough to judge. They didn't really lose anyone, but they didn't add a ton either. They are clearly rebuilding so this summer wasn't as important. Next summer will be, both in the draft and even free agency.
What I can judge them on is did they acquire anything that can help them rebuild? The answer is OH YEAH. Victor Oladipo was my favorite player in the draft and #1 on my board. He dominated the Orlando summer league and can become a star. So I give them props to selecting him.
Overall Grade: B-
Philadelphia 76ers
Right on board with Orlando, they are rebuilding for sure. They lost Andrew Bynum, Dorell Wright, Nick Young, and Jrue Holiday. Why do I say that's okay? Because I liked the draft picks they acquired, money that got freed up, and the young players they got in Nerlens Noel, Michael Carter-Williams, and Royce White. There is a LONG way to go, but I think it was smart to simply start over and rebuild.
Overall Grade: C+
Toronto Raptors
Outside of the Bargnani trade, they didn't do much. They got garbage in the trade, picked up some bench guys in free agency, and didn't have a draft pick. The good news is that they added picks and became much more cap friendly now and in the future. They have an important summer in 2014.
Overall Grade: D+
Washington Wizards
Similar to some other teams in the East, one of the best things going for them is that they should almost certainly be healthier this year than last. That will help them improve on the court. Another thing they had going for them this year is that they didn't really lose players. But they did add a few...
In free agency they picked up Eric Maynor, who will serve as a great backup point guard to John Wall. They also did great in the draft by adding wings Otto Porter Jr. and Glen Rice Jr. Neither did that great in Vegas, but I think their games weren't perfectly suited for summer league.
None of these things will help massively now, but they did manage to keep their young core together while resigning some guys at fair value. The future looks decent too once the Ariza/Okafor duo gets off the book next summer. Both could also be great trade candidates midseason with expiring contracts.
Overall Grade: B
By: The Sports Guys
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Summer of 2014
Most people thought that this summer was a lot of fun in regards to the NBA. We saw a WILD NBA draft that was filled with trades, unpredictable picks, and puzzling moves. And that was in a "weak" year. Following that were blockbuster trades, signings, and an influx (and outflux) of free agent talent that will make the NBA race even more compelling this year.
NOTE: When some of the final big players pick a team (Jennings, Oden, etc.), we will grade every team's offseason performance.
But if you liked 2013, you will LOVE 2014. Let's break down the two big areas:
2014 NBA Draft
Analysts are calling the draft next year the best potential class since 2003, which was the class that brought us Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, David West, Mo Williams, Kaman, Hinrich, Collison, Perkins, etc... That's a nice list of superstars and impact players and there were more role players I didn't mention.
But the draft next year could be even better, for it will bring new superstars to the league (top picks), and a plethora of other impact role players (depth picks). The top prospects are being hyped up so much, and one such player (Andrew Wiggins), is being compared to Lebron. These top prospects include Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Julius Randle, Marcus Smart, Willie Cauley-Stein, Gary Harris, Glenn Robinson III, James Young, Semaj Christon, Aaron Gordon, Andrew Harrison, James McAdoo, Dario Saric, etc. Again the list could go on forever and that doesn't include potential prospects like Dante Exum and Noah Vonleh who we could see next year or they may stay in school.
Looking at some of the mocks, we see tremendous depth as well. The last half of the SECOND round include players like Cory Jefferson, Patric Young, Cleanthony Early, PJ Hairston, Russ Smith, Chane Behanan, etc. These are not only great college players, but they project as good pros too. So from top to bottom, the draft is loaded. Every team in the draft next year, no matter where they are drafting at, could be selecting an All-Star.
Free Agency
Remember the draft class a few years ago with Lebron leading the way? Well next year is like that again, but maybe better. It's going to be nuts. Here are the big names, listed by position:
Point Guards - John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, Mario Chalmers, Kirk Hinrich, Isaiah Thomas, Greivis Vasquez, Chauncey Billips, Rodney Stuckey, Kyle Lowry, Steve Blake, Luke Ridnour, Ramon Sessions, DJ Augustin
Shooting Guards - Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, Paul George, Ray Allen, Vince Carter, Lance Stephenson, Gordon Hayward, Avery Bradley, Thabo Sefolosha, Evan Turner, Jordan Crawford, Ben Gordon
Small Forwards - Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Paul Pierce, Luol Deng, Rudy Gay, Danny Granger, Andrei Kirilenko, Shawn Marion, Metta World-Peace, Trevor Ariza, Shane Battier, Anthony Morrow, Caron Butler, Richard Jefferson, Marvin Williams
Power Forwards - Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Bosh, Zach Randolph, Tim Duncan, Pau Gasol, Andrea Bargnani, Amar'e Stoudemire, Derrick Favors, Elton Brand, Kris Humphries, Andray Blatche, Udonis Haslem, Chris Anderson, Josh McRoberts, Darrell Arthur, Channing Frye, Charlie Villanueva
Centers - Demarcus Cousins, Greg Monroe, Larry Sanders, Andrew Bogut, Chris Kaman, Matt Bonner, Marcin Gortat, Spencer Hawes, Andris Biedrins, Emeka Okafor
See what I mean? There is a superstar available at every position, and many available at SG, SF, and PF. Every team in the NBA could potential add/bring back an All-Star caliber player just in free agency, but we said that about the draft as well. So now you know why to be excited right?
By: The Sports Guys
NOTE: When some of the final big players pick a team (Jennings, Oden, etc.), we will grade every team's offseason performance.
But if you liked 2013, you will LOVE 2014. Let's break down the two big areas:
2014 NBA Draft
Analysts are calling the draft next year the best potential class since 2003, which was the class that brought us Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, David West, Mo Williams, Kaman, Hinrich, Collison, Perkins, etc... That's a nice list of superstars and impact players and there were more role players I didn't mention.
But the draft next year could be even better, for it will bring new superstars to the league (top picks), and a plethora of other impact role players (depth picks). The top prospects are being hyped up so much, and one such player (Andrew Wiggins), is being compared to Lebron. These top prospects include Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Julius Randle, Marcus Smart, Willie Cauley-Stein, Gary Harris, Glenn Robinson III, James Young, Semaj Christon, Aaron Gordon, Andrew Harrison, James McAdoo, Dario Saric, etc. Again the list could go on forever and that doesn't include potential prospects like Dante Exum and Noah Vonleh who we could see next year or they may stay in school.
Looking at some of the mocks, we see tremendous depth as well. The last half of the SECOND round include players like Cory Jefferson, Patric Young, Cleanthony Early, PJ Hairston, Russ Smith, Chane Behanan, etc. These are not only great college players, but they project as good pros too. So from top to bottom, the draft is loaded. Every team in the draft next year, no matter where they are drafting at, could be selecting an All-Star.
Free Agency
Remember the draft class a few years ago with Lebron leading the way? Well next year is like that again, but maybe better. It's going to be nuts. Here are the big names, listed by position:
Point Guards - John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, Mario Chalmers, Kirk Hinrich, Isaiah Thomas, Greivis Vasquez, Chauncey Billips, Rodney Stuckey, Kyle Lowry, Steve Blake, Luke Ridnour, Ramon Sessions, DJ Augustin
Shooting Guards - Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, Paul George, Ray Allen, Vince Carter, Lance Stephenson, Gordon Hayward, Avery Bradley, Thabo Sefolosha, Evan Turner, Jordan Crawford, Ben Gordon
Small Forwards - Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Paul Pierce, Luol Deng, Rudy Gay, Danny Granger, Andrei Kirilenko, Shawn Marion, Metta World-Peace, Trevor Ariza, Shane Battier, Anthony Morrow, Caron Butler, Richard Jefferson, Marvin Williams
Power Forwards - Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Bosh, Zach Randolph, Tim Duncan, Pau Gasol, Andrea Bargnani, Amar'e Stoudemire, Derrick Favors, Elton Brand, Kris Humphries, Andray Blatche, Udonis Haslem, Chris Anderson, Josh McRoberts, Darrell Arthur, Channing Frye, Charlie Villanueva
Centers - Demarcus Cousins, Greg Monroe, Larry Sanders, Andrew Bogut, Chris Kaman, Matt Bonner, Marcin Gortat, Spencer Hawes, Andris Biedrins, Emeka Okafor
See what I mean? There is a superstar available at every position, and many available at SG, SF, and PF. Every team in the NBA could potential add/bring back an All-Star caliber player just in free agency, but we said that about the draft as well. So now you know why to be excited right?
By: The Sports Guys
Monday, July 22, 2013
Tiger Talk
First of all, congrats to Phil Mickelson on winning the Open Championship for the first time in his career. He played great last week, particularly on Sunday, especially on the back nine, and truly deserved to win.
With that said, Tiger Woods was in the mix again, but like we've seen over the last few years, he failed to get it done. He's still stuck on 14 majors and is still "majorless" since his big '08 injury, since the scandal broke in '09/'10, and since his most recent swing changes. Are any of these factors? Are all of these factors? What's his problem?
On the course, I still believe his problem recently has been his short game, not his ball striking. Sure he misses fairways at times and can't hit a driver... but over the last year he's hit the ball well enough to win 4 majors. He simply isn't the putter he once was and is failing to get up and down like he used to.
This week was a perfect example... After playing terrific golf on Thursday, Tiger failed to take advantage of an early tee time Friday. He missed two tap-ins, and couldn't get up and down on a number of occasions. Yet, he was still only 1 back entering the weekend thanks to the way he hit it.
On Saturday, he seemed to 3-putt every time he wasn't in the same vicinity as the pin. After taking the solo lead early on, he failed to pull away like he used to. And down the stretch, he made crucial errors while winless Westwood dropped everything. His mistake on 17 loomed large, but he still could have made the final group by making either putt on 17/18. Neither dropped and he didn't even get his putt on 18 to the hole.
That led to yesterday (Sunday), where he started the day with a 3-putt on #1. A few missed putts and opportunities later, and he was out of it by the back nine. Mid-round his confidence dropped so low that he started making errors off the tee for really the first time all week. It was pathetic. We saw the same thing at The Masters this year and in multiple majors in 2012.
So why is he struggling so much now? I believe it is because he's a control freak. We've seen it in all areas of his life. He was in control of his personal life and public perception for a long time. But when the sex scandal broke, he lost that control. It literally took him years to recover, but he's getting that control back now as people no longer obsess over it. So he's back to playing golf.
Due to his injury history and lack of success, Tiger once again took on another swing change. For a long time the last couple years, he hasn't been in control of his swing. His results therefore sucked. Now in control of his swing, and he is winning (regular events) again. For him, it was all about his "trust" and control. Nearly every other golfer would have made adjustments faster, but it took him years. Because he needs sole control...
Tiger seems to only win big tournaments when he has the lead entering the last day. Why? Because he is in control when he has the lead. He dictates how others have to play. When he is trailing, he can't control things, and he ends up just falling away helplessly. We've never seen him do what Phil did yesterday. Cause he must have total control!
We even see his mental game get altered by his lack of control. The speed and firmness of the greens this week changed nearly every round he played. At the start of the week, it was fast. He was in control and playing well because he was used to it. When they slowed down on the weekend, he lost control of his feel, didn't adjust, and fell apart. A slight adjustment could have been made and he would have been fine. In fact, the course was set up easier over his final 3 rounds as opposed to round 1, when he played in the afternoon. But he threw a mental pity party because he lost control and therefore lost the tourney.
NOTE: Slight adjustments that I'm talking about are simply landing it farther on the green when it wasn't releasing like it was earlier in tourney. And simply hitting putts/chips harder when the green speed slowed. I, as an average golfer, do those things on a round by round basis depending on course/conditions. He seems to suck at these things over the course of a tourney.
Why can other players adjust to all these things but he can't? Like I said, the man is a control freak. His largest issue going forward is that he can't control the media now when they are starting to say he won't catch Jack. It's becoming to big of a distraction that he maybe won't overcome. Or maybe I'm wrong and he he'll win the next 4. Who knows?
By: The Sports Guys
With that said, Tiger Woods was in the mix again, but like we've seen over the last few years, he failed to get it done. He's still stuck on 14 majors and is still "majorless" since his big '08 injury, since the scandal broke in '09/'10, and since his most recent swing changes. Are any of these factors? Are all of these factors? What's his problem?
On the course, I still believe his problem recently has been his short game, not his ball striking. Sure he misses fairways at times and can't hit a driver... but over the last year he's hit the ball well enough to win 4 majors. He simply isn't the putter he once was and is failing to get up and down like he used to.
This week was a perfect example... After playing terrific golf on Thursday, Tiger failed to take advantage of an early tee time Friday. He missed two tap-ins, and couldn't get up and down on a number of occasions. Yet, he was still only 1 back entering the weekend thanks to the way he hit it.
On Saturday, he seemed to 3-putt every time he wasn't in the same vicinity as the pin. After taking the solo lead early on, he failed to pull away like he used to. And down the stretch, he made crucial errors while winless Westwood dropped everything. His mistake on 17 loomed large, but he still could have made the final group by making either putt on 17/18. Neither dropped and he didn't even get his putt on 18 to the hole.
That led to yesterday (Sunday), where he started the day with a 3-putt on #1. A few missed putts and opportunities later, and he was out of it by the back nine. Mid-round his confidence dropped so low that he started making errors off the tee for really the first time all week. It was pathetic. We saw the same thing at The Masters this year and in multiple majors in 2012.
So why is he struggling so much now? I believe it is because he's a control freak. We've seen it in all areas of his life. He was in control of his personal life and public perception for a long time. But when the sex scandal broke, he lost that control. It literally took him years to recover, but he's getting that control back now as people no longer obsess over it. So he's back to playing golf.
Due to his injury history and lack of success, Tiger once again took on another swing change. For a long time the last couple years, he hasn't been in control of his swing. His results therefore sucked. Now in control of his swing, and he is winning (regular events) again. For him, it was all about his "trust" and control. Nearly every other golfer would have made adjustments faster, but it took him years. Because he needs sole control...
Tiger seems to only win big tournaments when he has the lead entering the last day. Why? Because he is in control when he has the lead. He dictates how others have to play. When he is trailing, he can't control things, and he ends up just falling away helplessly. We've never seen him do what Phil did yesterday. Cause he must have total control!
We even see his mental game get altered by his lack of control. The speed and firmness of the greens this week changed nearly every round he played. At the start of the week, it was fast. He was in control and playing well because he was used to it. When they slowed down on the weekend, he lost control of his feel, didn't adjust, and fell apart. A slight adjustment could have been made and he would have been fine. In fact, the course was set up easier over his final 3 rounds as opposed to round 1, when he played in the afternoon. But he threw a mental pity party because he lost control and therefore lost the tourney.
NOTE: Slight adjustments that I'm talking about are simply landing it farther on the green when it wasn't releasing like it was earlier in tourney. And simply hitting putts/chips harder when the green speed slowed. I, as an average golfer, do those things on a round by round basis depending on course/conditions. He seems to suck at these things over the course of a tourney.
Why can other players adjust to all these things but he can't? Like I said, the man is a control freak. His largest issue going forward is that he can't control the media now when they are starting to say he won't catch Jack. It's becoming to big of a distraction that he maybe won't overcome. Or maybe I'm wrong and he he'll win the next 4. Who knows?
By: The Sports Guys
Thursday, July 18, 2013
College Football Early Poll
Back in April, I came out with an early college basketball poll. Today, with college football just over a month away, I'll take a stab at the college football poll:
College Football Top 25
1. Alabama - They return a lot from their Championship team, and only really have question marks on their offensive line entering the season. But in Saban I trust.
2. Ohio State - The Buckeyes are the only real threat to replace Alabama on top in the preseason. Remember, this team was undefeated last year but weren't eligible for the postseason. Urban Meyer has to replace a lot of defensive players, but he's got the incoming talent to do it.
3. Texas A&M - Manziel is making a lot of headlines off the field, but he is still the best quarterback in the nation entering the season. Will the defense hold up though in the SEC?
4. Stanford - Last year they overcame the loss of Andrew Luck and Coach Harbaugh to have a nice season. This year could be even better. Will they smell roses again?
5. Louisville - The Cardinals return 19 starters from a team that beat Florida in the Sugar Bowl. They are a legit title contender seeing as nobody in the Big East can challenge them.
6. Oregon - If Chip Kelly was still coaching, this team would make a case for a spot in the top 2 or 3. Without him, can they play with the same magic... better yet, will they be postseason eligible?
7. Michigan - Devin Gardner played well after replacing Denard Robinson at QB last year. I think that continues as the pro-style offense is installed even more.
8. South Carolina - There are a lot of injury issues with this team early on, but if they get healthy, they will be a threat once again under Coach Spurrier.
9. Clemson - They would love to play fast once again, and that seems likely with many of their stars back. The defense needs to continue to improve however.
10. LSU - This may be over-ranking the Tigers slightly, but it's LSU and they are always in the mix.
11. Georgia - The offense should be very good, the defense has a lot of question marks however. Seems to be the case with a lot of teams this year, but that's because so many defensive players were in the NFL Draft in 2013.
12. Florida State - There is a change at quarterback, but Jameis Winston looked great in the spring and the team could be better this year than last.
13. Florida - The Gators were carried by their defense last year, but they lost a lot. Can the offense pick up the slack?
14. Texas - I think Texas continues to climb back into the national picture, after going under the radar for a couple years.
15. TCU - It was a rough first season in a power conference, but they are much more prepared for the Big 12 this year than last.
16. Oklahoma State - They have an experienced defense returning, but have a lot of changes in the coaching staff. Their first decision will be to settle on a QB, because they have three good options.
17. Notre Dame - Last year's darlings took a huge hit when it was announced that quarterback Everett Golson cannot play this season due to academic issues. If they can find decent production there, they will be still be good however, and this ranking could end up being too low.
18. Oklahoma - The team must replace Landry Jones, their record-setting passer from a year ago, but they also need to improve their defense.
19. Boise State - One of America's favorite teams could make some noise again this season if they solve their cornerback issues.
20. Kansas State - Replacing QB Collin Klein is no easy task, but JUCO offensive player of the year Jake Waters may be a great fill-in.
21. UCLA - Had a very good season last year under new coach Jim Mora, I expect similar results in year 2.
22. Nebraska - Stop if you've heard this before... they enter the season needing to overhaul their defense. Sounds familiar doesn't it?
23. Northwestern - After their best season and first bowl game victory since 1949, Northwestern has a promising football program suddenly.
24. USC - I don't like Lane Kiffin as a head coach, but it's still USC and they have plenty of talent there.
25. Oregon State - Always an under the radar team in the Pac-12, I think they will be sneaky good again this year.
By: The Sports Guys
College Football Top 25
1. Alabama - They return a lot from their Championship team, and only really have question marks on their offensive line entering the season. But in Saban I trust.
2. Ohio State - The Buckeyes are the only real threat to replace Alabama on top in the preseason. Remember, this team was undefeated last year but weren't eligible for the postseason. Urban Meyer has to replace a lot of defensive players, but he's got the incoming talent to do it.
3. Texas A&M - Manziel is making a lot of headlines off the field, but he is still the best quarterback in the nation entering the season. Will the defense hold up though in the SEC?
4. Stanford - Last year they overcame the loss of Andrew Luck and Coach Harbaugh to have a nice season. This year could be even better. Will they smell roses again?
5. Louisville - The Cardinals return 19 starters from a team that beat Florida in the Sugar Bowl. They are a legit title contender seeing as nobody in the Big East can challenge them.
6. Oregon - If Chip Kelly was still coaching, this team would make a case for a spot in the top 2 or 3. Without him, can they play with the same magic... better yet, will they be postseason eligible?
7. Michigan - Devin Gardner played well after replacing Denard Robinson at QB last year. I think that continues as the pro-style offense is installed even more.
8. South Carolina - There are a lot of injury issues with this team early on, but if they get healthy, they will be a threat once again under Coach Spurrier.
9. Clemson - They would love to play fast once again, and that seems likely with many of their stars back. The defense needs to continue to improve however.
10. LSU - This may be over-ranking the Tigers slightly, but it's LSU and they are always in the mix.
11. Georgia - The offense should be very good, the defense has a lot of question marks however. Seems to be the case with a lot of teams this year, but that's because so many defensive players were in the NFL Draft in 2013.
12. Florida State - There is a change at quarterback, but Jameis Winston looked great in the spring and the team could be better this year than last.
13. Florida - The Gators were carried by their defense last year, but they lost a lot. Can the offense pick up the slack?
14. Texas - I think Texas continues to climb back into the national picture, after going under the radar for a couple years.
15. TCU - It was a rough first season in a power conference, but they are much more prepared for the Big 12 this year than last.
16. Oklahoma State - They have an experienced defense returning, but have a lot of changes in the coaching staff. Their first decision will be to settle on a QB, because they have three good options.
17. Notre Dame - Last year's darlings took a huge hit when it was announced that quarterback Everett Golson cannot play this season due to academic issues. If they can find decent production there, they will be still be good however, and this ranking could end up being too low.
18. Oklahoma - The team must replace Landry Jones, their record-setting passer from a year ago, but they also need to improve their defense.
19. Boise State - One of America's favorite teams could make some noise again this season if they solve their cornerback issues.
20. Kansas State - Replacing QB Collin Klein is no easy task, but JUCO offensive player of the year Jake Waters may be a great fill-in.
21. UCLA - Had a very good season last year under new coach Jim Mora, I expect similar results in year 2.
22. Nebraska - Stop if you've heard this before... they enter the season needing to overhaul their defense. Sounds familiar doesn't it?
23. Northwestern - After their best season and first bowl game victory since 1949, Northwestern has a promising football program suddenly.
24. USC - I don't like Lane Kiffin as a head coach, but it's still USC and they have plenty of talent there.
25. Oregon State - Always an under the radar team in the Pac-12, I think they will be sneaky good again this year.
By: The Sports Guys
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
The Open Preview
Seemed
like the US Open just ended, but here we are gearing up for another major.
We’ve been quiet on the golf front for a month, but the season is ramping up
once again, thanks to this week’s Open Championship (British Open). This event,
of course, is the only major outside the US. This year, it will be held in
Scotland, at Muirfield. We’ll begin our preview by answering some tough
questions:
1.
How will last week’s winners, Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson, fair this week?
Andrew –
Both players have played solid golf this year, culminating in great wins over
this past weekend. As for the Open, I like Phil’s chances, but not Jordan’s.
Jordan simply doesn’t have enough experience in the majors, let alone in the
Open, which is completely different than the golf he’s used to. As for Phil,
he’s played well in this tourney before, and his win last week was on a similar
course. This could be his time to win his first Open.
Greg
– Last week's
winners will have very different results. I do not believe that Speith will
make the cut, but Mickelson should be in the hunt from start to finish, as he's
not even bringing a driver with him again (that served him very well at
Merion). If he putts well, he should be in the hunt.
2.
Where would you rank Muirfield as an Open venue?
Andrew
– In terms of history, it’s #2 behind St. Andrew’s. As
for the course, it’s my favorite and the best test. I mean, look at the list of
winner’s here: Faldo, Watson, Trevino, Nicklaus, Player, Els, Hagen, Vardon,
etc. The best courses bring the best players to the top, and you don’t find a
better list than that.
Greg
– I've not
actually watched an Open played at Muirfield yet, but from everything I've read
it seems to rank just behind St. Andrews as an Open championship venue. The
winners at this course have a pretty rare trait in common: every winner of the
Open at Muirfield is in the Golf Hall of Fame. No other venue can say that.
3.
How will Tiger Wood’s elbow injury and time off affect his performance?
Andrew
– The time off helped the elbow but I think hurts his
golf. He’s hit the ball fairly well this year but he may come in a bit rusty.
This course should set up well for him, but I don’t love his chances. Any time
in the rough could re-injure the elbow, and I don’t think he’ll be sharp enough
following his month off. For the first time in a long time, I’m not picking
him.
Greg
– Tiger's
elbow will affect him when he hits it into the rough. The rough won't be as bad
here as it was at Merion, but it will still be a factor. The two tournaments
that he has played with his injury were two of the worst of his entire career.
If he is not fully healthy he will not contend here.
4.
Will we have another first time major winner, like Rose and Scott so far this
season?
Andrew – I say yes. Sergio, Westwood,
Donald, Kuchar, Poulter, Stricker, and many others are great players out there
yet to win a major. I think the pattern holds and we’ll have another great
player win their first one here. I don’t think it will be a no name though, but
somebody ranked in the top 25 in the world.
Greg – No, this course's history does
not suggest a first time winner. A major winner (likely multi-major winner)
will walk away from this Open with another Claret Jug.
Now
for our normal preview:
Key Holes
The
Par 5’s – There are three par 5’s on the course (#’s 5, 9, and 17). All of
these holes are drivable in two for most players, but all of them present
trouble. Like any hole on the course, well-placed bunkers and deep rough await
wayward drives and approaches. These holes are critical though to take
advantage of, especially #17 coming down the stretch on Sunday.
#1/#10
– It is imperative to start a round on the right foot. Everybody will tee off
from #1 to start their rounds on each day, and that’s fairly tricky… #1 is a
fairly lengthy par 4 that bends to the right. #10 opens the tricky back nine in
a similar fashion. It’s a touch longer but it doesn’t bend to the right quite
as severely.
#14/#15/#18
– Everybody loved seeing the tough closing stretch at the US Open at Merion.
Well, you will see a similar tough stretch here. 16 and 17 may not be massively
brutal, but 14, 15, and 18 are. All three are long par 4’s that if playing into
the wind will bring on some high scores. As much as guys will be teeing off
with less than driver, they may have to pull the big stick a time or two on
these holes.
Pick 5 Challenge
For
those who are not familiar, for each PGA Tour event we pick 5 players in
different categories that we think will do well. Andrew leads the competition
so far this year 1383 to 1223. Just like at the Masters and the Players, this
week our categories are based on age, we changed it slightly however. We must
pick one player in each of these age ranges: 20’s, 30-34, 35-39, 40+, and a
free choice. Here are our picks:
Greg's
Picks
20’s:
Webb Simpson
30-34:
Graeme McDowell
35-39:
Tiger Woods
40+:
Ernie Els
Free
Choice: Phil Mickelson
Yeah,
my picks are all chalk. Who cares?
Andrew's
Picks
20’s:
Billy Horschel
30-34:
Graeme McDowell
35-39:
Matt Kuchar
40+:
Ernie Els
Free
Choice: Lee Westwood
So
mad to find out we picked two guys the same, and I didn’t even pick Tiger!
Players to Watch
Greg – Ernie Els: Won last year's Open
and his game fits this venue very well. Adam Scott: Should have won the Open last
year but broke through at this year's Masters. Phil Mickelson: Is playing well
and comes off of a victory at the Scottish Open. Graeme McDowell: He’s a major
winner and this course will play to his strengths.
Andrew – I’m intrigued by Sir Nick
Faldo. He’s now a full time golf analyst, but I’m sure he still has some game.
Plus, he’s won on this tournament on this course twice. Nobody will know the
course better and we’ve seen older players get in the mix in majors recently
(Watson, Couples, etc.). I’m sure he’d like nothing more than to make the cut,
or maybe be on the leaderboard at some point this weekend.
Americans vs. Internationals
Greg
– As you can see from my list
above, I'm going with the international flavor this week. This course has
historically favored the international style of game and I think that trend
continues this week.
Andrew – I’ve gone with the
Americans nearly every time on this question due to the fact we’ve dominated
the PGA Tour this season. However, internationals have dominated the majors in
2013. It wouldn’t shock me at all if an American wins, but I’m going to answer
here by siding with the Internationals. It’s their tournament after all.
Intriguing Early Pairings
Greg – 1. Bubba Watson, Nicolas
Colsaerts, Dustin Johnson: Will be interested to see how the players who are
not teeing off first in this group learn from the way the first players' shots
play with the extreme firmness of the ground at Muirfield. Also, how many
greens are driveable for this group?
2.
Ian Poulter, Keegan Bradley, Billy Horschel: When I first saw this group I
couldn't help but think this was a lineup card for a celebrity boxing match.
These guys will be fun to watch as their competitive fire will be flowing.
3.
Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, Phil Mickelson: Rory, Phil, and....who?
Exactly.
4.
Tiger Woods, Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen: This is a great group. McDowell will play well since he
is paired with Woods… he always does.
Andrew – I’ve nicknamed the
following groups that I can’t wait to watch:
“The
Bombers” – Bubba Watson, Nicolas Colsaerts, Dustin Johnson
“The
Oldies” – Sir Nick Faldo, Tom Watson, Fred Couples
“The
Ryder Cup Rivalry” – Ian Poulter, Keegan Bradley (and also Billy Horschel)
“The
Internationals” – Lee Westwood, Charl Schwartzel, Sergio Garcia
“The
Young Guns” – Rickie Fowler, Matteo Manassero, Hunter Mahan
“The
Favorites” – Tiger Woods, Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen
Like
always, let us know your thoughts. Feel free to pick five guys yourself and
compete against us. Let us know what you are looking forward to. And don't miss
the action, particularly on Sunday afternoon. Enjoy!
By:
The Sports Guys
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