Battle of the Jims

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim and University of Connecticut’s Jim Calhoun are two of the best coaches in college basketball and they’ve been matching wits in the Big East since Calhoun took the coaching job at UConn in 1986. They’ve each won at least one National Championship and are two of only eight Division I coaches to win 800 games. Fittingly, the two Jims were inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame together in 2005.

So I ask you, which one is the better coach?

TALE OF THE TAPE

National Championships

Boeheim – 1 (2003) (and a Keith Smart jump shot away from a 2nd)

Calhoun – 2 (1999 and 2004)

Final Four Appearances

Boeheim – 3 (1987, 1996, 2003)

Calhoun – 3 (1999, 2004, 2009)

Regular Season Big East Titles

Boeheim – 8

Calhoun – 9

Big East Tournament Championships

Boeheim – 5

Calhoun – 7

Players Sent to the NBA

Boeheim – 29

Calhoun – 23

20 Win Seasons

Boeheim – 33 in 35 seasons

Calhoun – 18 in 25 seasons at UConn

Career Wins

Boeheim – 855

Calhoun – 840 (601 with UConn, 239 with Northeastern)

Big East Coach of the Year Awards

Boeheim – 4

Calhoun – 5

Top Ten Athletes I Wish I’d Seen in Their Prime

The Mick

Ever hear your father or grandfather speak in a reverential tone about an athlete from their generation and wish that you could have seen that guy play in his prime? Ever hear a ballplayer you really admire talk about the players he idolized when he was a child, with the same sparkle you have in your eye when talking about Jordan’s shot over Bryon Russell or Barry Sanders juking three guys before breaking a touchdown run? There are countless great athletes that I wish I could have seen play in their prime, but I narrowed it down to a list of the top ten.

Let me know which ballplayers you wish you could have seen play.

10) Julius Erving

I’m talking about the mid 70’s Dr. J, the virtuoso with the sick afro, soaring through the air with that red, white and blue ball and winning ABA championships with the New York Nets. Doc transformed the game by taking it above the rim, where he was a master of improvisation. I wish I were in the crowd when he first took off from the foul-line in 1976.

9) Ted Williams

It’s said that there’s nothing more difficult in sports than hitting a baseball and Teddy Ballgame did it better than anybody. I know the joy of watching great hitters like Don Mattingly, Wade Boggs and Alex Rodriguez approach their craft on a regular basis and I can only imagine what it would have been like to see Williams work a count.

8)  Walt Frazier

He’s the namesake of this blog, my former neighbor and I own his jersey; you had to know he was making the list. Clyde was as cool on the court as he was off it. He didn’t receive one technical during his entire thirteen-year-career and was unflappable in the clutch. Watching Clyde would come with the added bonus of seeing the other Hall-of-Famers he shared the ball with, especially in his later years with the Knicks when he and Earl “the Pearl” worked their magic in the same backcourt.

7) Satchel Paige

Satch was one of the most dominant pitchers of any color to ever toe the rubber and perhaps the game’s greatest showman. He was known to intentionally walk the bases loaded and then strike out the side, or tell his fielders to either sit down in the field or go to the dugout while he made a batter swing and miss.

6) Pete Maravich

Speaking of showmen, Pistol Pete was a wizard on the court. Magic Johnson said he learned his signature no-look passes from the Pistol and the great John Havlicek recently said Maravich was the greatest ballhandler of all-time. Oh and by the way, he averaged a mind-blowing 44.2 points per game over his four years at LSU.

5) Bill Russell

If I could watch any basketball player for one game I’d probably choose Wilt, but over a season or career I’d pick the greatest winner in team sports. It would be a pleasure for a basketball junkie like me to watch Russell lead his team into battle and control game after game from the defensive end of the floor.

4) Jim Brown

By all accounts, Brown was the greatest running back and possibly the greatest football player of all-time. His devastating combination of speed and power put the fear of god into opposing linebackers and he averaged a staggering 5.2 yards per carry for his career. Brown retired at the height of his powers, so fans never saw him at anything less than his best.

3) Mickey Mantle

Of the four greatest Yankees Ruth was the most awe-inspiring, Gehrig the most admired, DiMaggio the most revered and Mantle the most loved. The Mick was a product of his time, before cable or the internet, and no athlete will ever capture people’s imagination or conjure up such emotion in fans again. Every baseball fan my age whose father is a Yankee fan has heard countless tales about his blazing speed and tape measure home runs.

2) Babe Ruth

No athlete ever dominated his sport like the Babe did. One season he hit more home runs than every other team in the American League and he still ranks number one all-time in OPS. The Bambino’s larger than life personality added to the show. You never knew when he was going to go into the stands and grab a couple of hot dogs during the game.

1) Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali was a warrior in the ring and a poet who had mastered the art of trash talking. He divided the nation with his principles, yet captivated the world through the courage and ingenuity he displayed against pugilists like Joe Frazier and George Foreman. Those battles with Frazier were some of the greatest fights ever and I would have killed to be in attendance for any one of them. Fittingly, yesterday was the 40th anniversary of their legendary first bout.

Honorable mention:

Sandy Koufax, Oscar Robertson, Pele, Joe DiMaggio, Bjorn Borg, Willie Mays, Wilt Chamberlain, Jesse Owens

Love is a Battlefield

by Paul Knepper

Last night, Timberwolves forward Kevin Love scored 26 points and grabbed 17 rebounds to extend his double-double streak to 51 consecutive games, tying Moses Malone for the NBA’s longest streak of double-doubles since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976. Wilt Chamberlain’s streak of 224 consecutive double-doubles, which will likely never be touched, occurred prior to the merger.

Love’s statistics this season have been eye-popping. He’s averaging 20.9 and 15.7 points per game and leads the league in both offensive and defensive rebounds. Since the NBA added the three-point shot in 1979, only Moses Malone has averaged over 20 points and 15 rebounds over an entire season and he won the MVP that year. There have been 12 20 points and 20 rebound games this season and Love has 11 of them. He even posted 31 points and 31 rebounds in a game against the Knicks in November.

It may come as a surprise to some that the Wolves forward has plenty of naysayers. Some players, coaches and members of the media have  dismissed his double-double streak on the grounds that he’s compiled these numbers playing for an awful Timberwolves team that has the second worst record in the league at 15-50. Love himself said after last night’s game, “I’m just going out there and playing hard and it is just kind of happening for me. But it is kind of an afterthought because we aren’t winning.”

Some NBA players and coaches have alluded to Love being a stat-stuffer, a guy who racks up meaningless numbers for a bad team. The league’s leading scorer, Kevin Durant recently commented, “Video-game numbers. Thirty rebounds is unheard of around this day. For him to get 30 rebounds, at his height, he’s not as athletic as other players at his position, but he is just playing for numbers.”

That last line about him “just playing for numbers” is the rub. The argument goes that if he were on a contending team he’d have to refine his game to mesh with teammates and win ballgames and wouldn’t produce those kinds of numbers. Phil Jackson even accused Love of padding his stats by grabbing every missed foul shot and shots at the end of quarters.

Just being on a terrible team creates opportunities for good players to juice their stats. The Timberwolves take and miss more shots than any team in the NBA and give up the third most shots, so Love has more chances to grab rebounds than players on other teams. Plus, when your two best teammates are Michael Beasley and Luke Ridnour, you’re going to have less competition for shot attempts and rebounds.

David Lee is a good example of a player in recent years whose numbers were inflated because of the team he played for. Last year, Lee scored 20.2 points and grabbed 11.7 rebounds per game on a dreadful Knicks team and benefited from Mike D’Antoni’s wide open system. This season, on a mediocre, though still fast paced, Golden State squad he’s averaging a more pedestrian 16.2 and 9.7. Put him on the Celtics, Heat, or Durant’s Thunder and those numbers would drop further, at least the points would.

There’s another argument that Love’s streak is meaningless because he hasn’t helped his team win ballgames. The Timberwolves are 11-40 during the streak. Last season, LeBron James led the now dismal Cavs to the best regular season record and Chris Bosh carried a pretty poor Raptors team to the playoffs. If Love were that good, and his streak that significant wouldn’t the Timberwolves at least be mediocre?

One counter argument is that the cast around LeBron in Cleveland and Bosh in Toronto was more talented than what Love is working with. However, nobody is saying that Kevin Love is in the same class as LeBron James, or the next Moses Malone. He’s a good, exciting, young player in the middle of a remarkable streak.

No matter what the circumstances, 51 consecutive double-doubles is very impressive. There have been plenty of good players whose production spiked while playing for bad teams, but none of them approached numbers like this. Sure, somebody has to do the scoring on a terrible team, but the flip side is that opposing coaches gameplan around stopping Love because he’s the T-Wolves best player.

It’s also not as if the California native is launching wild shots to stuff his numbers. He’s shooting a very efficient 47% from the field and 86% from the line. His 15.7 rebounds per game are over two more than the closest competitor. Even if we knock off a few a game for being on a terrible team he’d still pull down 12 to 13 boards a night, which is incredible considering he’s only about 6’8 (Don’t buy his official listing of 6’10), and wasn’t blessed with the muscular build of Dwight Howard or hops of Blake Griffin.

What’s most remarkable about Love’s streak is his consistency. In a demanding, physical league, with an 82 game schedule, long road trips and back-to-back games, he’s brought tremendous effort and desire every single night. Even the great ones have a few off nights during the season. Love hasn’t, and the fact that he’s maintained that level of commitment and focus despite all of the losing makes it all the more impressive.

If you’ve seen him play, you know he’s not merely a stat stuff; he competes to win. His 31-31 game was the one of the most dominating performances I’ve seen on a basketball court in the past several years. He’s also one of the most unique players the NBA has to offer. He throws the best outlet pass, is a fierce rebounder and shoots 42 percent from behind the arc.

Love will attempt to surpass Malone’s mark on Wednesday night when the Timberwolves host the Pacers. This isn’t DiMaggio’s hitting streak or Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record, but it’s a tremendous accomplishment by an exciting young player. Show the kid some Love.

Athlete Endorsements of Wisconsin Workers Ring Hollow

by Paul Knepper

For the past few weeks thousands of Wisconsin residents have swarmed the state Capitol in protest of a proposal by Governor Scott Walker which would require public employees to pay more for their health insurance and pensions, and severely diminish their ability to collectively bargain. The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) and individual members of sports teams in Wisconsin have issued press releases backing the protesters, but their support stops there.

During the 1960’s athletes like Muhammad Ali, Bill Russell and Wilma Rudolph were at the forefront of social and political change in this country. Two of the most enduring political statements from that tumultuous period in American history came from athletes, when John Carlos and Tommy Smith raised their black fists on the medal stand and Muhammad Ali stated, “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Vietcong…They never called me nigger.”

Over the past quarter century player salaries and individual endorsement deals have skyrocketed, leaving athletes with a lot more to lose and reluctant to take a political stand. There are some current ballplayers who speak out for what they believe in, like Saints linebacker Scott Fujita, Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo and Hawks forward Etan Thomas but they’re few and far between, and you’d be hard pressed to find a superstar willing to take the lead on a political or social issue.

The prevailing political statement by a professional athlete of the past 25 years was Michael Jordan’s refusal to make any statement at all. When asked why he doesn’t support Democratic causes MJ replied, “Republicans buy sneakers too.”

Given the current climate, at first glance it would appear unusual for the NFLPA and NBPA to publicly support the protesters in Wisconsin, but their motives are clear. Both parties are currently involved in heated negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement and face a potential lockout by their league’s owners. They’re trying to establish solidarity with laborers in an attempt to gain public support for their own clashes with management. Interestingly, the NHLPA and MLBPA – who aren’t embroiled in labor negotiations – haven’t issued an official press release on the subject. The lone statement on MLBPA’s website is from an individual, Craig Counsell, of the Milwaukee Brewers.

The statements issued by the NFLPA and NBPA are perfunctory in addition to self-serving. If the associations are truly concerned about the potential law in Wisconsin, they should be sending their members to Madison in droves. Their unwillingness to make a meaningful sacrifice for the protesters’ cause merely calls attention to the growing divide between athletes and other laborers in this country. Public employees are storming the Capitol while the wealthy ballplayers issue press releases.

The battle in Wisconsin, like any labor dispute is a dichotomy of “us verses them.” For the working man and woman, “us verses them” morphs into “the haves and the have-nots.” Today’s athletes are wealthy to a degree that public employees can’t relate to and they hide behind gated mansions and traveling entourages from the laborers they’re now trying to cozy up to.

To the average American, athletes are the “haves.” They’re the “them” in “us verses them.” It’s irrelevant that ballplayers are also laborers who have a legitimate gripe with ownership. Most Americans see the labor strife in the NBA and NFL as billionaires fighting millionaires over billions of dollars. If there’s a lockout in either sport the fans may blame one side more than the other, but ultimately they’ll be bitter towards both.

To an extent, Wisconsin residents are an exception. The Green Bay Packers are the last “small town team,” the lone community owned professional sports franchise in America, and their players do make an effort to embrace that community. For example, as part of a tradition dating back to the days of Vince Lombardi, the Packers ride to practice on the bicycles of local children during training camp. So when Charles Woodson and other Packers issued statements of support, it may have resonated with the protesters, but any public relations boost for the NFLPA failed to extend beyond the Wisconsin border.

The ironic thing about the chasm between fans and athletes is that athletes now have a greater ability to mobilize people and bring about social and political change than ever before. High salaries, the branding of individual athletes and a plethora of communication mediums provide them with a tremendous amount of power.

Some former athletes have called out today’s pros for not using that power to bring about positive change. Jim Brown has been particularly critical of Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. While I agree that athletes have a unique opportunity to make a positive impact on society, I don’t believe Brown or anybody else has the right to tell another man how to spend his time or allocate his resources, regardless of his status.

I also recognize that great athletes like Jordan who come across as charismatic in commercials and rehearsed responses to simple interview questions don’t necessarily have the tools or the desire to lead a movement. In fact, based on the one time we heard MJ give a real speech (his Hall of Fame induction speech) evidence is to the contrary.

I’m not arguing that the NFLPA, NBPA or individual athletes have a responsibility to support the protesters in Wisconsin. I’m simply saying that if athletes want to be taken seriously as advocates for a cause and develop camaraderie with other advocates they need to be willing to make a significant sacrifice. If they’re sincerely interested in protecting the rights of laborers in Wisconsin, they should put their reputation on the line and join the demonstrators on the front line. Self-serving press releases are a nice gesture at best. They don’t bring about meaningful change or win hearts and minds.

Ten Athletes That Make You Say “Holy S#%@, That Guy’s Still In the League?!?”

Earlier this week I heard that Garrett Anderson retired and my first thought was “Holy s#%@, that guy’s still in the league?!?” I thought the former Angels outfielder hung up his spikes years ago. So I started thinking of other old-timers most people would be shocked to know are still on a pro roster. Longevity or age by itself isn’t enough to make the list. Manny Ramirez and Jason Kidd are pushing 40, but everybody knows they’re still suiting up. I’m talking about guys who you had no idea were still playing.

Here’s a list of ten athletes that make you say “Holy s#%@, that guy’s still in the league?!?”

10) Kurt Thomas

Kurt’s crazy-eyes were on both ends of the Knicks-Heat rivalry in the 1990’s and he was a starter on that Knicks team that advanced to the finals in 1999. He’s a product of bygone era, when teams needed an enforcer to throw some elbows and intimidate the opposition. Yet, somehow Thomas has survived and surprised basketball fans by logging big minutes for the Bulls this season.

9) Mike Modano and Teemu Selanne

I recognize that to NHL fans these are just two players in the twilight of their careers, but to people like myself whose most recent knowledge of hockey comes from NHL ’94, it’s startling to hear that these two former all-stars are still active. Modano is 4o years-old, in his 22nd season and Selanne, also 40, has 20 goals this year in his second go-around with the Ducks.

8)   Mark Brunell

We all remember Brunell as a poor-man’s Steve Young with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The lefty made three Pro Bowls, all of which were last century. After leaving Jacksonville in 2003, he spent four years in Washington, then backed up Drew Brees in New Orleans. There’s no doubt many fans did a double-take when they saw him lineup under center in place of Mark Sanchez – who’s young enough to be his son – in the Jets season finale.

7) Theo Ratliff

Does the name ring a bell? Ratliff was one of the premier defensive players in the game at the turn of the century as a member of the 76ers. He was named to the all-star team in 2001 and led the league in blocks per game three times. Knee injuries curtailed his career and he’s provided minimal production for eight different teams over the past six years. This season he’s played just 67 minutes for the Lakers.

6) Mike Hampton

Remember when this guy cashed in on a great post-season with the Mets by signing that mind blowing deal with the Rockies? That was 2000. After two years with Colorado he was traded to Atlanta, where he was hit by the injury bug. The hard-throwing lefty has started a total of 46 games since 2004. He missed the entire 2006 and 2007 seasons and threw just 4.1 innings last year, but still managed to secure an invite to Arizona’s camp.

5) Anthony Carter

Carter played big minutes for the rugged Heat teams of the late ’90’s, early ’00’s. Then he seemed to disappear. In fact, he was out of the league for one year, playing ball in Italy. Few hoops fans realized that he returned to the NBA and had been languishing on the Nuggets bench for five years, until his name popped up as a throw-in in the Carmelo Anthony trade. Suddenly, he’s getting some burn again in New York.

4) Omar Vizquel

Many American League fans lost track of this slick-fielding shortstop when he left Cleveland for San Francisco after the 2004 season. By 2008 he was 41 years-old, had lost his starting position and was expected to retire. But Vizquel wasn’t done. He served as a utility man for the Rangers in 2009 and at the age of 43 is back for his second season with the White Sox.

3) Juwan Howard

It kills me to say this, but anybody who played at Michigan before I enrolled there is ancient in athlete years. Juwan’s lone all-star appearance was in 1996, he hasn’t been an impact player for a long time, and his buddies Jalen and C-Webb joined the booth years ago. There’s no doubt that more than a few Heatles fans were shocked to see this former Wolverine at the end of the bench.

2) Matt Stairs

It’s remarkable for any athlete to play in the big leagues for 20 years, but Stairs’ staying power is that much more impressive because 1) He’s built like John Kruk and 2) He was never that good. He was a poor fielder and is a career .236 hitter. The portly pinch-hitter was nearly impossible to keep track of as he donned ten different uniforms over the past ten seasons. There will be some stupefied Nationals fans if he makes the team this Spring.

1) Todd Collins

This year’s NFC Championship Game between the Bears and Packers produced the the ultimate, “Holy s#%@, that guy’s still in the league” moment. When Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was knocked out of the game with a knee injury everybody watching wondered who his backup was. When they received the answer, their jaws dropped. Collins was a starter in the NFL for one season, in1997, and he’s started only four games since. Even die-hard fans didn’t know he was still carrying a clipboard.

Honorable Mentions:

Kwame Brown, Craig Counsell, Bartolo Colon, Mike Sweeney, Jason Kendall, Arthur Rhodes, Tony Richardson, Jamie Moyer, Brian Scalabrine

NBA News and Notes

The NBA trade deadline has come and gone and with about a third of the season remaining teams are gearing up for a post-season run. I for one am in full playoff mode, taking in as many games as I can as teams jockey for position. Here are some of my observations from around the league.

I took two things away from Sunday night’s Knicks-Heat game: Dwyane Wade is a lot more comfortable with the ball in his hands down the stretch than LeBron is and now I see what Danny Ainge was thinking. LeBron has always preferred to pass to the guy who takes the winning shot, rather than take it himself. There’s nothing wrong with that, that’s just is game. He took the clutch shots for the Cavs because he was by far their best player and was crucified when he didn’t. Now he has another superstar on his team who’s more comfortable in that role. Wade should be the finisher.

Everybody knows that the Heat lack size and it was believed that the way to beat them was to pound the ball down low. That’s part of the reason it was so surprising that the Celtics traded their starting center Kendrick Perkins. However, the Knicks showed that the way to beat the Heat may actually be to go smaller. New York’s smaller lineup enabled them to switch on pick-and-rolls and stay in front of LeBron and Wade. Bosh never made them pay for their lack of size. He’s not a low post back to the basket type of player.

Even without Perkins, the Celtics are bigger and more physical than the Heat. Neither team is particularly strong at center and Garnett is much more assertive than Bosh. By trading Perkins for Jeff Green, the Celtics got younger and more athletic on the wing, which should help them keep LeBron and Wade out of the paint as the Knicks did. If the Celtics face the Lakers in the finals, that’s a different story.

There will be a few players hitting the market in the next 24 hours. After being traded from the Hawks Mike Bibby reached a buyout agreement with the Wizards, under which he forfeited the entire $6.2 million he had guaranteed next season. Bibby will clear waivers on Wednesday and wants to play for a contender. Sources say that he’s headed to Miami, where he’ll be a perfect fit. At 32, he’s lost a step since his days in Sacramento and is essentially just a jump-shooter now, but that’s exactly what Miami needs from its point guard. They have Wade and LeBron to create off the dribble and Bibby can knock down the open shots when they do. Plus, his playoff experience would be invaluable down the stretch.

Troy Murphy reached a buyout with Golden State after being trading to the Warriors from the Nets. The big fella languished on the bench in New Jersey this season, but just last year he averaged 14.6 points and 10.2 rebounds with the Pacers. He’s said to be interested in joining the Heat or the Celtics. He would add much needed depth to a Celtics team that’s too dependent on Shaquille O’Neal after the Perkins trade and his outside shot would set up pick-and-pops with Rajon Rondo.

Jared Jeffries also agreed to a buyout with the Rockets and is expected to sign with the Knicks today. D’Antoni liked his defense during his first go-around with New York and the Knicks could use him on their depleted front line. To make room for Jeffries and former Bobcat Derrick Brown, the Knicks waived Kelenna Azubuike and the recently acquired Corey Brewer. The Mavs and Celtics are among the teams who have shown interest in Brewer. The Pistons have stated that they have no plans to buy out disgruntled shooting guard Richard Hamilton.

Every time I watch Oklahoma City play I think they should have selected Stephon Curry. The Thunder opted for James Harden instead with the third pick in the 2009 draft. Harden was spectacular at Arizona State and is developing into a solid all-around player (He played great defense on Kobe on Sunday) but he isn’t the ideal fit for that offense. Harden is a slasher and OKC already has one of the best slashers in the league in point guard Russell Westbrook. What they need is a spot-up shooter to make teams pay when they double-team Westbrook or Durant. Curry would have been perfect for the role and his ball-handling ability would also have allowed Westbrook to work off the ball at times.

Forget about a franchise tag. Owners and fans of small market teams are up-in-arms over the recent migration of star players to big market teams. They’re rightfully concerned about holding on to their marquee players and maintaining a level playing field with the Lakers, Celtics, Knicks and Heat of the world. Therefore it’s expected that many owners are going to push for a franchise tag in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) this summer, like the one that exists in the NFL.

The biggest obstacle to the franchise tag is that David Stern knows that LeBron’s “Decision” and this year’s “Melodrama” have only added to the league’s popularity. Another issue is that the NBA’s salary cap structure is very different than the NFL’s. In football there’s no maximum salary. If a player is franchised he’s compensated with the average salary of the five highest paid players at his position. In the NBA any player good enough to be franchised would already be in line for a maximum salary contract, so there would be no way to adequately compensate him for foregoing free agency. Individual stars wield a tremendous amount of power in the NBA and there’s no way they’ll go along with such an arrangement. The league will have to find another way to placate small market owners.

There also won’t be contraction. The subject has to be discussed because many teams have lost money over the past few seasons. There’s also a theory that’s been espoused by LeBron James and others that contraction would improve the competitive balance of the league. However, eliminating two teams would mean cutting 30 jobs and the players will take a strong stand against that. New Orleans would be the most logical team to go since they’re now owned by the league, but the NBA will want to avoid the negative publicity that would come with removing a team from New Orleans. That being said, would anybody outside of Sacramento and Charlotte even notice if the Kings and Bobcats were contracted?

This summer won’t be anything like last or next. Last year was the long anticipated “Summer of LeBron” and in 2012 Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Dwight Howard can opt out of their contracts. It’s likely that the biggest names to change location in 2011 did so last week, when Carmelo was traded to the Knicks and the Jazz sent Deron Williams to New Jersey. Several other quality players who might have been available this summer were traded prior to the deadline due to uncertainty regarding the CBA. The NBA draft is also expected to be very weak. There’s no consensus number one pick and scouts believe the talent pool is neither top-heavy nor deep.

The Rockets, Pacers, Kings and Grizzlies will have the most money to spend this summer. The top free agents available to them are David West (assuming he opts out of the last year of his deal), Zack Randolph, Tyson Chandler and Tayshaun Prince. Jeff Green, Rodney Stuckey and Wilson Chandler are restricted free agents, meaning their current teams can retain their rights by matching any offers they receive.

The most intriguing players on the market are oft-injured centers Yao Ming and Greg Oden. Yao, who turns 31 in September has said he’ll wait to see how the stress fracture in his ankle heals before deciding whether to call it a career. He’s made it clear that if he does play, he’d like to finish his career in Houston, though the Rockets have been non-committal on the subject. Oden, a restricted free agent, will garner more interest because he’s still only 23 years-old.

I can’t help but feel sorry for Blazers fans. They’re some of the most passionate and loyal fans in the country and have endured more than their share of grief. A few years ago the future was so bright in Portland. Oden and Brandon Roy were the cornerstones of a team that expected to be a serious contender in the Western Conference for ten to twelve years. Now it looks like both of their careers may be over. Oden has suffered three season-ending knee injuries and Roy’s knees are bone on bone. Worse yet, Oden is the third franchise center the Blazers have lost due to chronic leg or foot injuries, Bill Walton and Sam Bowie being the other two. Nate McMillan has to be in consideration for Coach of the Year for holding the team together despite the injuries and keeping them in playoff contention.

Here are a few other names to consider for Coach of the Year: Greg Popovich (San Antonio), Tom Thibodeau (Chicago), Doug Collins (Philadelphia) and George Karl (Denver). This is a tricky award because it’s very difficult to determine if the coach did a great job or the team was just severely underrated heading into the season. At this point I’d probably vote for Pop. The makeup and quality of his team was well established and he made adjustments to get more out of the same personnel.

Quick hits:

The Nets and Raptors are playing a doubleheader in London later this week. Is this really the best the NBA has to offer its fans overseas?

Check out this clip of the world’s youngest Sasha Vujacic fan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTyReubo_FY

The Timberwolves really dropped the ball with the fifth and six picks in the 2009 draft. Ricky Rubio is still in Europe and Jonny Flynn can’t beat out Luke Ridnour for the starting job.

I’d love for the Heat to sign Eddie Curry and set the record for most washed up big men on a roster. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Jamaal Magloire, Erick Dampier and Juwan Howard are already on the squad.

It will be interesting to see if Michael Redd has anything left after his serious knee injury. He’ll be a free agent this summer and could be a great bargain for a team in the market for a shooter like the Bulls.

I still wonder how many championships Portland would have won in the late 1980’s – early 90’s if Arvydas Sabonis had joined the team when they drafted him in 1986.

Ozzie vs. Jenks

After signing with the Red Sox in December, former White Sox closer Bobby Jenks criticized the way his old manager Ozzie Guillen handled him and the bullpen in general. A few days later Guillen’s son Oney tweeted that Jenks used to cry in the manager’s office.

Round two began on Friday, when Jenks claimed that there’s a problem between Guillen and the White Sox front office. Naturally, Ozzie had plenty to say in response. He initially dismissed the comments, then alluded to dirt he and Oney have on Jenks, and concluded with…

“I’m not even mad. I wish I was mad about it because I will rip his throat.”

Jenks has 18 years, 5 inches and probably over 100 pounds on his former skipper, but you don’t mess with crazy. So who you got?

20 Most Athletic Families

by Paul Knepper

As I watched TNT’s coverage of the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday night, I was struck by how remarkable it is that two individuals as talented as Cheryl and Reggie Miller grew up in the same house. In fact, countless families have produced more than one professional athlete, whether it be siblings, father and son, or in some cases three generations of ballplayers. So I decided to countdown the 20 most athletic families in sports history.

To clarify the criteria I used; the athletes had to be blood relatives. Married couples such as Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi and Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra weren’t considered. Neither were sister-in-laws Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Florence Griffith-Joyner. I also didn’t count NASCAR families like the Earnhardts, Andrettis or Pettys because I don’t believe driving around in a circle requires athleticism.

20) Perry – Jim and Gaylord

Gaylord was the first pitcher to win the Cy Young award in both leagues. The master of the spitball won 314 games and was elected to Cooperstown in 1991. Older brother Jim won 215 games and a Cy Young award of his own. They made eight all-star appearances between them.

19) Niekro – Phil and Joe

The knuckleballers combined for 539 wins, a record for a brother combo. Phil won 318 of those and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997. Joe was an all-star in 1979 and a member of the 1987 World Series champion Minnesota Twins.

18) Sharpe – Sterling and Shannon

Shannon was the first tight-end to amass 10,000 yards receiving and won three Super Bowls as a member of the Broncos and Ravens. His brother Sterling would have joined him in Canton had it not been for a career-ending neck injury. The elder Sharpe was a five-time All-Pro selection as a wide receiver for the Packers and led the NFL in touchdowns twice.

17) Griffey – Ken Sr. and Ken Jr.

The Griffeys were the first father-son combo to play in the Major Leagues at the same time and even hit back-to-back home runs with the Mariners. Junior was one of the premiere players of his generation and ranks fifth on the all-time home run list. Senior won two World Series with the Reds and was a three time all-star.

16) Alomar – Sandy Sr., Sandy Jr., Roberto

Sandy Sr. played several positions over his 15 year career and was named an all-star in 1970. Junior made the all-star team six teams as a catcher and was named the game’s MVP in 1997. Younger brother Roberto was one of the best all-around second basemen to ever play the game. He’ll be inducted into Cooperstown this summer.

15) Spinks – Leon and Michael

Both brothers won a Gold Medal in the 1976 Olympics. Leon became heavyweight champion when he defeated Ali in 1978 and Michael was the light heavyweight champion. Michael also won the IBF heavyweight title after beating Larry Holmes, though he’s best remembered for his pathetic showing against Mike Tyson.

14) Robinson – Mack and Jackie

In addition to breaking baseball’s color line, Jackie Robinson was named N.L. MVP in 1949 and won a World Series with the Dodgers in 1955. His older brother Mack won a Silver Medal in the 1936 Olympics in the 200 meters, finishing just .4 seconds behind the great Jesse Owens.

13) Ali – Muhammad and Laila

Muhammad Ali was the three-time heavyweight champion of the world and in his own words, “The greatest of all-time.” The champ’s daughter won the Super middleweight title in 2002 and never lost a professional fight.

12) Waner – Paul and Lloyd

The Waner brothers starred in the Pittsburgh Pirates outfield in the 1920’s and both went on to the Hall of Fame. Paul was named NL MVP in 1927 and compiled over 3,000 hits. Lloyd was a lifetime .316 hitter and had close to 2,500 hits of his own.

11) Bonds – Bobby and Barry

Barry holds the single season and career home run records and was named N.L. MVP seven times. His father Bobby wasn’t too shabby either. The elder Bonds became only the second player to hit 300 home runs and steal 300 bases over a career and reached the 30-30 mark five times in his career.

10) DiMaggio – Joe, Vince and Dom

The “Yankee Clipper” was one of the greatest all-around ballplayers to ever step foot on a baseball diamond. His 56 consecutive game hitting streak is a record that may never be broken. Joe’s younger brothers Vince and Dom also played center field in the big leagues. Dom made seven all-star appearances as a member of the Red Sox and Vince smacked 125 career home runs.

9) Howe – Gordie, Mark and Marty

“Mr. Hockey” was an all-star 23 times. He won four Stanley Cups, six Hart Trophies and is the second leading scorer in NHL history. His son Mark made the Stanley Cup finals three times during his 16 seasons in the NHL and his older brother Marty bounced back and forth between the NHL and minors over seven seasons.

8)  Boone – Ray, Bob, Bret and Aaron

Ray played thirteen seasons in the Major Leagues during the 1940’s and 50’s. His son Bob was an excellent defensive catcher and grandson Aaron sent the Yankees to the World Series with his 11th inning blast in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. When Aaron’s brother Bret was named an All-Star in 1998, the Boones became the first family to have three generations of all-stars.

7) Barry – Rick, Scooter, Jon, Brent and Drew

Rick was named NBA Finals MVP in 1975 and is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. His oldest son Scooter won the 1988 NCAA championship with Kansas. Jon, played 14 seasons in the NBA. Brother Brent won NBA Championships with the Spurs in 2005 and 2007 and Rick’s fourth son Drew also played three years in the league.

6) Matthews – Clay Jr., Bruce, Clay III and Kevin

Clay Jr. made four Pro Bowls as a linebacker with the Browns and his younger bro Bruce is considered one of the greatest offensive linemen ever. Their father Clay Sr. played four seasons with the 49ers in the 50’s. Clay III just won the Super Bowl and finished second in voting for NFL Defensive Player of the Year this season. His younger brother Casey, a linebacker at Oregon is a pro prospect and his cousin Kevin (Bruce’s son) plays center for his father’s old team, the Titans.

5) Sutter -Brent, Brian, Darryl, Duane, Rich, Ron, Brandon and Brett

Six Sutter brothers: Brent, Brian, Duane, Rich and Ron reached the NHL in the 70’s and 80’s. None of the brothers were stars, but collectively they played closed to 5,000 games, scored 1,320 goals and won six Stanley Cups. Darryl’s son Brett and Brent’s son Brandon now play for the Carolina Hurricanes.

4) Miller – Darrell, Cheryl and Reggie

Reggie’s big sis once scored 105 points in a high school game and many basketball insiders believe she was the greatest female basketball player ever. Reggie was the NBA’s all-time three point leader until last week and little known older brother Darrell was a catcher for the California Angels for four seasons.

3) Hull – Bobby, Dennis and Brett

Bobby is probably the best left winger to ever play the game. He led the NHL in scoring three times and won the Hart Trophy twice. His brother Dennis was his linemate for several seasons in Chicago and scored over 300 goals of his own. Bobby’s son Brett led the league in goals three times and ranks third all-time with 741 for his career.

2) Williams – Venus and Serena

Not only have they dominated the women’s game over the past decade, they’re arguably two of the top ten greatest players of all-time. Serena has 13 Grand Slam titles to Venus’ 7. The sisters have also won 12 Grand Slams as doubles partners.

1) Manning – Archie, Peyton and Eli

Archie was a two-time Pro Bowler with the Saints and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, but he wasn’t able to accomplish what two of his sons did, win a Super Bowl. Peyton will own a slew of NFL records by the time he retires and Eli was MVP of Super Bowl XLII.

Honorable Mentions:

Gus, Buddy, David and Mike Bell; Cal Jr., Cal Sr. and Billy Ripken; Felipe, Matty, Jesus and Moises Alou; Ramon and Pedro Martinez, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Sr.; Bengie, Jose and Yadier Molina; Ken Norton Jr. and Sr.; John and Patrick McEnroe; Calvin and Grant Hill; Cecil and Prince Fielder; Howie and Chris Long; Bill and Luke Walton; Kellen Winslow Jr. and Sr.; Dizzy and Daffy Dean; Yannick and Joakim Noah

Breaking Down the NBA Trade Deadline Deals

The NBA trade deadline came and went at 3:00 PM Eastern Time and news of trades trickled in over the hour that followed. Due in large part to the uncertainty surrounding the next Collective Bargaining Agreement, it was one of the most active deadlines in recent memory. While the biggest trades involving Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams went down earlier in the week, several very good players were on the move today. Here’s a breakdown of all the deadline deals.

Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks

Details:

Denver sent Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Renaldo Balkman and Anthony Carter to the Knicks.

Knicks sent Danillo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Timofey Mozgov, 2014 first-round draft pick, two second-round picks and cash to Denver – The Knicks also sent Eddie Curry and Anthony Randolph to Minnesota.

Minnesota sent Corey Brewer to the Knicks.

The Knicks gave up a lot, but they came away with a superstar in the prime of his career. Melo puts them one step closer to being a championship contender. Now their eyes turn to the summer of 2012 when Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Dwight Howard become free agents. The Knicks also got the second-best player in the deal in Chauncey Billups, whose contract expires in time for the 2012 bonanza. Melo and Amar’e are both isolation players who need their shots, so it remains to be seen how well they’ll coexist, though it helps that they’re good friends off the court. Lack of size was a major concern for the Knicks before the trade and now they’re even smaller.

Denver didn’t get the deal they wanted. They were sold on the Nets package centered around Derrick Favors and multiple draft picks, but Melo forced their hand. That being said, they received a number of solid pieces in return. Felton had a breakout season this year and is underpaid for what he brings to the table. Gallinari’s one of the top long-range bombers in the league and his size creates favorable matchups at the small forward position. Chandler will be a restricted free agent this summer and Mozgov is a project who should develop into a solid backup center.

Minnesota gave up relatively nothing to acquire a talented player who a lot of teams are high on in Anthony Randolph.

Deron Williams to the Nets

Details:

Jazz send Deron Williams to the Nets.

Nets send Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, two first-round picks and some cash. They also sent Troy Murphy’s expiring contract and a second-round pick for Dan Gadzuric and Brandan Wright.

Not a bad consolation prize for the Nets. Melo’s a bigger name, but there’s not much of a gap in their games. The Nets hope other stars will want to play with one of the best point guards in the league, though they’re gambling that they can convince D-Will to re-sign after next season. It was a chance they had to take considering they’re moving into a new arena in 2012.

Great job by the Jazz of getting ahead of this situation. They knew that Williams wasn’t going to re-sign next summer and avoided the Melodrama that Denver endured this season. Favors was the third pick in the draft last year and the 2011 pick they got from the Nets will be a lottery pick. Devin Harris isn’t too shabby either.

Celtics Trade Kendrick Perkins

Details:

Celtics sent Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to Oklahoma City in return for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic.

This was the shocker of the trade deadline. Many people believe the Celtics would have won the championship last year if Perkins didn’t get hurt early in Game 6 of the finals, and Boston was waiting all season for him to come back from his knee injury. In making this trade the Celtics gave up their biggest advantage over Eastern Conference teams like the Heat and Knicks, which was size, and it could come back to haunt them in the playoffs against the bigger teams like Orlando, Chicago and the Lakers.

The Celtics also dealt valuable reserve Semih Erdin and Luke Harangody to the Cavs for a second-round pick. They do still have a number of big bodies up front, but they’re unreliable. The two O’Neals, Shaq and Jermaine are never healthy. Krstic will help. There’s already speculation that Rasheed could come out of retirement, though that’s unlikely, and the Celtics would certainly be interested if Golden State buys Troy Murphy out of his contract.

I suppose their thinking was that Perk will be a free agent and they either weren’t willing or able to meet his contract demands. Jeff Green is a very good ballplayer who was underutilized in Oklahoma City due to the presence of Durant and Westbrook. He’ll be a great backup to Pierce and Garnett.

The Thunder are the big winners of deadline day.They desperately needed some muscle inside and Perk is one of the best defensive big men in the game. They also acquired a solid backup in Nazr Mohammed from Charlotte for Morris Peterson and D.J. White.  If Perk can get fully healthy they may compete for a championship this year.

Gerald Wallace to Portland

Details:

Charlotte sent Gerald Wallace to Portland for Joel Przybilla, Dante Cunningham and two first-round picks.

This is a nice addition for Portland. Wallace is a great athlete who can play both forward positions. It will be interesting to see how they use him, since they have Nicolas Batum at the three and LaMarcus Aldridge at the four. Wallace will likely come of the bench and coach McMillan can go with a smaller lineup at times, playing Batum, Wallace and Aldridge together.

Charlotte appears to be in cost cutting mode. They didn’t get a lot back for their former all-star other than the two draft picks and they also dumped Nazr Mohammed for Mo Pete’s expiring contract.

Rockets Deal Aaron Brooks and Shane Battier

Details:

Rockets sent Aaron Brooks to Phoenix for Goran Dragic and a first-round pick. They also sent Shane Battier to Memphis for Hasheem Thabeet and a first-round pick.

The Rockets have been trying to trade Yao’s expiring contract and acquire a star player for a year now and they’ve been unsuccessful on both fronts. So they decided to acquire more pieces in hopes of making a run at another star in the future. The team had grown tired of Brooks, who will be a free agent this summer and Battier is getting older. Dragic is a decent backup point guard who has been great at times, but is inconsistent. Not a bad idea to give Thabeet another chance in new situation.

Aaron Brooks brings some explosiveness to the Suns off the bench, though I don’t know that it was worth giving up a first round pick for a free agent to be.

It was a smart of the Grizzlies to reacquire Battier, especially since Rudy Gay is out for another month or so. He’s a respected veteran who can defend several positions. Reportedly, a deal to send O.J. Mayo to Indiana for Josh McRoberts and a first-round draft pick fell through at the last minute.

Hawks Swap Bibby for Hinrich

Details:

Hawks sent Mike Bibby, Jordan Crawford, Maurice Evans and first-round pick to Washington for Kirk Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong.

The Hawks felt Bibby had lost a step defensively and he’s become purely a jump-shooter. Hinrich is a little more athletic and should do a better job of distributing the ball to the scorers on the team, but he’s not good enough to push the Hawks past any of the top four teams in the East.

Hinrich was expendable in Washington with John Wall at the point and they were happy to unload his contract, receiving a pick in the process.

Clippers Ship Baron Davis to Cleveland

Details:

Clippers trade Baron Davis and a first-round pick to Cleveland for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon.

Baron Davis’ enormous contract was considered to be untradable. L.A. was thrilled to unload that $28 million over the next two years and B-Diddy has to be the first player to be upset about being traded away from the Clippers. The Cavs were thinking long term and made the deal for the first-round draft pick. None of the rumored deals involving Antawn Jamison came to fruition.

Hornets Acquire Carl Landry

Details:

Sacramento traded Carl Landry to New Orleans for Marcus Thornton and cash.

This is a great addition by the Hornets. Landry is one of the more underrated big men in the league. He’s a rugged player who will provide them with much needed rebounding and defense off the bench. For whatever reason, he never fit in well in Sacramento and the Kings made some cash by shipping him to New Orleans.

On an interesting note, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has made a valid objection to this trade. He argued that since the Hornets are now owned by the NBA, the additional $2 million they’re taking on in salary is essentially being covered by the other 29 owners, some of whose teams may have to compete against them in the playoffs.

Clyde In the Spotlight

One of the benefits of the Knicks revival is seeing Walt “Clyde” Frazier back in the spotlight.

The only thing better than the tiger-print jacket he wore to Melo’s Knick debut was his response when asked what it was like to face Earl “The Pearl” Monroe…

Said Clyde, “He’s the only man I’ve ever dreamed about.”

The Pearl and Clyde