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basketball NBA Sports

Rolling The Dice With Andrew Bynum

Bynum was pursued by the Mavericks and Cavaliers this free agency

The Cleveland Cavaliers have officially signed Center Andrew Bynum to a two-year deal worth a total of $24.5 million. While this sounds like a risky deal for Cleveland, it’s actually a brilliant pick up.

A new team requires a new hair style

The details of the contract only guarantee Bynum $6 million dollars and one single year; Cleveland has given him an incentive heavy contract and holds the option for a second year. This ensures that Cleveland will have plenty of cap space come the 2014 free agency period to lure a big name free agent, Lebron James, and bring him back home. On top of ensuring plenty of cap space Cleveland now has, when healthy and engaged, easily one of the top five big men in the league.

Cleveland is clearly hoping for the Bynum who played in L.A to show up

Bynum, who didn’t play all of last season with the 76ers, was an up and coming All Star back in Los Angeles. In his final year in L.A he averaged 18.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and made his first NBA All Star appearance. On top of all that he was also part of two NBA Championship teams during his tenure as a Laker. Andrew Bynum is a very good, if not nearly complete basketball package; he has a good post game on offense and is a big body to deal with on defense.

The Eastern Conference is becoming much more interesting…

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basketball Boston NBA Sports veterans

The Brooklyn Nets Have To Win

Last night during the 2013 NBA Draft the Brooklyn Nets acquired the Celtics two biggest names, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett along with veteran shooter Jason Terry; in return the Boston Celtics got three first round picks (’14, ’16, and ’18), Kris Humphries (expiring contract), Gerald Wallace, Kris Joseph, Marshon Brooks, and Keith Bogans. Here’s a minute to let that all sink in.

The pressure is on for new Nets coach Jason Kidd

Right minute over, you alright? Looking at this trade it shows that the Brooklyn Nets have no problem with being way over the cap, love to be a center of attention, and have fully embraced the “win now” mind set. Overall their starting five: Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Brook Lopez, is pretty strong looking. With Paul Pierce they fill their need at Small Forward, with Kevin Garnett they bring a tested player and veteran into the locker room, lastly with Jason Terry they bring more perimeter shooting.

Will Brooklyn hoist a NBA Championship banner soon? Unlikely.

The trade puts Brooklyn in a tough position for the next few seasons. This team is walking into the 2013-2014 season with a new inexperienced coach, aging roster, weak bench, and as a whole way over the cap and into the luxury tax. If you ever wanted to see a team pull a “all or nothing” move, you’re looking at it. Brooklyn clinched 4th seed in the East last season and lost to an undermanned Chicago Bulls team. With the additions of Pierce, Garnett, and Terry they become more intimidating but still lack the punch teams like the Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, and Chicago Bulls have to even contend for a championship. The Brooklyn Nets are stuck at the borderline of being mediocre and being a contender this season and will be stuck there for many years to come.

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New York Sports

What Drafting Geno Smith Means

Mark Sanchez is owed $8.25 million next season after having a miserable 2012-13 season

Let me just say, I’m not sure if drafting Geno Smith was a wise move or just a move to create publicity. The Jets current roster has Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, Geno Smith, David Garrard, Greg McElroy, and Matt Simms all for the position of quarterback; That list is just down right ridiculous. While guys like McElroy and Simms are not big names nor important right now, the questions still circulate around Sanchez and Smith. Will the Jet’s release Sanchez, taking a $12.35 million cap hit this year and $4.8 million hit in 2014, or will they keep him and let him compete for a job that was once easily his? Will Garrad be the back up to Smith or will Garrad have the starting job?

Welcome Geno Smith, to the Jets media circus

Once again I’m going to do a favor to a professional sports teams front office, free of charge; it would be wise to release Mark Sanchez. Granted his 2012-2013 season was horrific,  though it will be an immediate cap hit this season, it will push the Jets under cap for the 2014 season. Garrad is more than skilled enough to help Geno Smith grow, assuming he is the next franchise quarterback for the Jets. If they shall go on this releasing frenzy, also release Tebow and allow him to carve his own path in the NFL. Let Geno get comfortable playing for the Jets and let Rex Ryan reel in his defense again; perhaps one day soon we shall see the Jets again in an AFC championship game. Until that day comes, the Jets have quite a lot of work to do.

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fan Mike Brown NBA Sports

Keep Dreaming Cleveland..

There is no secret behind the end of the 2014 NBA season and that years top free agent, Lebron James. There is also no secret behind top marquee teams, I’m looking at you L.A Lakers, freeing up cap space that year to land the current best player in the NBA. There is also no surprise behind the rumors of  “The King” returning to his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers for one last stint. To that I say: Keep dreaming Cleveland.

Lebron James left Cleveland in 2010

It’s sad to see how quickly the Cleveland Cavaliers fell after the departure of Lebron James back in 2010. They fired coach Mike Brown, who they just recently rehired, months before James left. Since then there’s very very little they’ve gotten right outside of their lottery pick up of up and coming All Star Kyrie Irving. Since 2010 they’ve gone 19-63, 21-45, and 24-58 under coach Byron Scott, who is now unemployed.

Cleveland fans would love a Mike Brown and Lebron James reunion

Entering the 2014 season the Cleveland Cavaliers will have an estimated $29 million in free cap space to sign a number of players or just give Lebron a max contract and a blank check. I can’t say I have much faith in the Cavaliers front office to work out a smart business decision, but players such as Luol Deng, Rudy Gay, Andre Iguodala, and Paul George are all free agents that year as well. Match any of them with Kyrie Irving and you will easily have an amazing duo to play and dominate in the immediate future.

Current Cavaliers Point Guard Kyrie Irving

Speaking of Kyrie, he is the only person the Cav’s front office should be concerned of keeping very happy. He is the only player on the roster who a team should be built around. Hey Cleveland! Kyrie Irving is going to be an All Star very soon, he’s going to be a top Point Guard in this league even sooner; Cleveland, this is your next star!

Here I can do it for you Cavaliers front office and best of all is that I won’t charge you a penny. Throw out your pipe dreams of landing Lebron in 2014 and start shopping the free agent market, use your incredibly valuable top draft picks wisely, and also keep Mike Brown around for his contract length, he is a good coach.

Lastly…if I was a Cavaliers fan I’d never want a star player who went out like this, back in my hometown’s uniform.

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