It's now mid February, so you know what that means in the NBA. We are fastly approaching the trading deadline. The quiet rumblings that have persisted for most of the season are now turing into rumors and have a lot of Bucks fans wondering what this team will look like in three weeks. Will Michael Redd be traded? What about Keith Van Horn or Tony Kukoc?
The two latest rumors to appear have Keith Van Horn going back to Philadelphia for former Buck-and my all time favorite-Glenn Robinson. I don't see this trade going down for one reason, why would the Sixers want Keith Van Horn back? I like Keith Van Horn, and I was in favor of the KVH for Tim Thomas trade, but after a season with him you see why he's moved around so much. Tim Thomas has immense potential, potential that could make him one of the best players in the NBA. But it's also potential he has yet to live up to, and probably never will.
Van Horn on the other hand is a consistent player. The problem however is Keith Van Horn in the NBA is nowhere near as good as Keith Van Horn in the NCAA. When you evaluate it you can't really say that's surprising. Some players have great college careers, but you look at it and just say "he won't be that good in the NBA." Corliss Williamson, Ed O'Bannon, Mateen Cleaves, you know who those players are. Keith Van Horn is one of those guys. Van Horn and Thomas put up nearly identical numbers, but the difference is you expect more from Thomas.
So why does Philadelphia want Van Horn back? They would like nothing more than to unload Glenn Robinson, we've known that for a full season now, but at the expense of adding the contract of Keith Van Horn. I know the sixers need offense to go alongside A.I., but they already tried that with Van Horn and it didn't work out. For that reason alone, I gotta believe this rumor is just a rumor.
When you evaluate it from the Bucks end it doesn't make much sense either. Sure you get rid of a huge contract in Van Horn, and Big Dog's contract expires at the end of the season, but what else do you get besides cap space. This is a team that has a lot of holes and overachieved last year. Van Horn has proven he can score 15-20 points a night. If you loose that, where are you getting offense from besides Michael Redd? And keep in mind you may loose Redd in the summer. Desmond Mason can score, but he's not as consistant, although he is starting to show some consistency now. So you gain a lot of cap room and hope you can use that to resign Redd and another player or two right? Ask teams like the Bulls, and Hawks how that worked out for them.
Just because you have a lot of money doesn't mean players will want to play for you. Especially in the NBA. The NBA is set up differently, where for the most part players current team can pay him more than any other team. If you're a free agent and the Bucks are throwing a ton of money at you, do you want to go there? We have seen this before, and the answer is no. At least in the case of high profile free agents.
If they loose Michael Redd and deal Keith Van Horn, as a free agent you're looking at joining a team who lost those two guys and TJ Ford, let's face it TJ will probably never play again. So you're thinking of going to a team who returns Desmond Mason as it's best player, no real post threat, a Joe Smith who is getting older, no small forward and two backup point guards fighting for the starting spot. Doesn't sound too intriguing. I could be wrong, they may be able to lure a high profile guy, but I doubt it. Unless they bring back Michael Redd.
The other rumored deal is just as unlikely in my opinion. Michael Redd and Keith Van Horn to Golden State for Dale Davis, Clifford Robinson and another player. Just as with Glenn Robinson, Davis and Clifford Robinson's contracts expire, but then again you'll have to lure someone to a team with little returning.
The bad thing is the Bucks are in a catch 22 here. A shooting guard is the easiest thing to find in the NBA, just look at Redd he was drafted late in the second round. You can always find 2 guards, so unless you have someone like Kobe, T-Mac, or Ray Allen you can move on without them. So that part of me says trade Michael Redd and get value for him. But the other half of me says what I just illustrated before. Without Redd it's going to be hard to lure a free agent here, unless they deal Redd for value and not cap room.
Because the rumors have been there all season long, and given Redd's situation you would think something is going to happen. But given that, I doubt anything will go down, at least anything big. I wouldn't be surprised to see Kukoc, Eric Strickland or Mike James go to a contender, but I still am not 100% convinced a big move will go down.
One thing to keep an eye on is Ray Allen. Allen has still not signed a long term deal with the Sonics, and by all accounts the two sides are miles apart. Ray has publicly said he misses Milwaukee and if the situation is right he'd like to return. I would not be surprised to see Ray Allen back in a bucks uniform next season. The Bucks could let Redd walk, or deal him for another player and then go after Allen in the offseason, or just let Redd walk, sign Allen and save money for the 2006 offseason to lure free agents to a team with Ray Allen, Desmond Mason, and Joe Smith.
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Number Four
Yesterday during an interview on sirius satellite radio, Donald Driver spoke the words I dread to hear. Brett Favre, in his opinion, will retire. Many people, including Favre and Driver's teammate Ryan Longwell have already begun to question this, but not me. In my heart of hearts I felt Brett Favre had left us for good when he walked off the field on January 9th.
When the game ended I can recall telling both of my parents that I thought he would retire. Everyone I told disagreed, even to this day except for my mom. She knew there was more to him than football. You can't underestimate how tough it is to deal with loss of human life, especially when it strikes you three times within a year. In my opinion when Reggie White passed on that was it for Brett. He saw a good friend of his, not much older than him pass away and he doesn't want to do the same thing before getting to spend more time around his family. I don't know if people truly feel that Favre will return, or they just don't want to imagine what life after Favre will be like for the Packers.
In his interview, Driver said "If you're coming back just because of that playoff game, don't show up..." I couldn't agree any more. Sure, I don't want to see Brett Favre end his career with an embarassing home loss in the playoffs, but only one quarterback can leave the game on top every year. John Elway was lucky. How did Troy Aikman go out, or Steve Young, even Joe Montana? Anyone who has been lucky enough to watch Favre play won't remember him for his playoff loss to the Vikings, they will remember an accumulation of the previous thirteen years.
I remember him taking off his helmet and running around the field like a five year old after tossing his first touchdown in Super Bowl XXXI. I remember him scrambling for a game winning touchdown against the Falcons, propelling the Packers to the playoffs for the first time in twenty-five years. Even this past year, I remember the play that sums up the career of Brett Favre when he returned to the game against doctors orders and tossed a touchdown to Javon Walker just plays after suffering a concussion from the Giants.
More than that I will remember his smile, his laugh, and his enthusiasm and passion for this game. You don't even have to mention the word toughness when you say his name, that's a given. I remember watching Favre show up to training camp and mini camp every year, and give it his all as if he were a rookie. I remember the two gun salute he used to do with LeRoy Butler after tossing touchdowns, or when he would sprint downfield into the endzone so he could tackle the reciever he just threw a touchdown to.
I will always remember December 22, 2003 and so will every Packer fan, Wisconsonite, and probably sporting fan, when Brett Favre played the greatest game I have ever seen him play less than one day after losing his father. I have so many memories of Brett Favre the player. I think it's time his family gets to have some memories of Brett Favre the husband, the father, and the man.
If Brett Favre really is done, I will miss him. I'll miss watching him play the game for kids, like a kid on sundays. I'll miss the highlights and stats he could compile, but as a fan of his, if he wants to retire we as fans nor the packers should stand in his way. We owe at least that much to him. Yeah I'll miss him, but I'll never forget him. I'll always remember number four.
When the game ended I can recall telling both of my parents that I thought he would retire. Everyone I told disagreed, even to this day except for my mom. She knew there was more to him than football. You can't underestimate how tough it is to deal with loss of human life, especially when it strikes you three times within a year. In my opinion when Reggie White passed on that was it for Brett. He saw a good friend of his, not much older than him pass away and he doesn't want to do the same thing before getting to spend more time around his family. I don't know if people truly feel that Favre will return, or they just don't want to imagine what life after Favre will be like for the Packers.
In his interview, Driver said "If you're coming back just because of that playoff game, don't show up..." I couldn't agree any more. Sure, I don't want to see Brett Favre end his career with an embarassing home loss in the playoffs, but only one quarterback can leave the game on top every year. John Elway was lucky. How did Troy Aikman go out, or Steve Young, even Joe Montana? Anyone who has been lucky enough to watch Favre play won't remember him for his playoff loss to the Vikings, they will remember an accumulation of the previous thirteen years.
I remember him taking off his helmet and running around the field like a five year old after tossing his first touchdown in Super Bowl XXXI. I remember him scrambling for a game winning touchdown against the Falcons, propelling the Packers to the playoffs for the first time in twenty-five years. Even this past year, I remember the play that sums up the career of Brett Favre when he returned to the game against doctors orders and tossed a touchdown to Javon Walker just plays after suffering a concussion from the Giants.
More than that I will remember his smile, his laugh, and his enthusiasm and passion for this game. You don't even have to mention the word toughness when you say his name, that's a given. I remember watching Favre show up to training camp and mini camp every year, and give it his all as if he were a rookie. I remember the two gun salute he used to do with LeRoy Butler after tossing touchdowns, or when he would sprint downfield into the endzone so he could tackle the reciever he just threw a touchdown to.
I will always remember December 22, 2003 and so will every Packer fan, Wisconsonite, and probably sporting fan, when Brett Favre played the greatest game I have ever seen him play less than one day after losing his father. I have so many memories of Brett Favre the player. I think it's time his family gets to have some memories of Brett Favre the husband, the father, and the man.
If Brett Favre really is done, I will miss him. I'll miss watching him play the game for kids, like a kid on sundays. I'll miss the highlights and stats he could compile, but as a fan of his, if he wants to retire we as fans nor the packers should stand in his way. We owe at least that much to him. Yeah I'll miss him, but I'll never forget him. I'll always remember number four.
Friday, January 28, 2005
I like whats brewin'
You know, I may be a bit of a homer here, but I really like the moves the Brewers made this offseason. Luis Vizcaino and Scott Podsednik for Carlos Lee? I mean are you kidding me? The Brewers killed the ChiSox on that deal.
Lee gives the team a formidable right handed hitter, not just power hitter, but hitter and thats something they haven't had in a while. Don't say Richie Sexson, because he was only a home run hitter. As for losing Vizcaino, lets face it the guy has never been the same since getting tourched in that series against the Cubs in the summer of '03. He has terrific stuff, it's just a mental thing with him.
Scott Podsednik may have been the face of the team, but after his struggles last year I can't help but point out the obvious here, maybe theres a reason why this guy spent EIGHT years in the minors.
Brady Clark just resigned, and for all he does he is an underrated player, does he start for you if you're a contender? Probably not, but lets not get ahead of ourselves just yet. Ben Sheets and Junior Spivey will be back, and as someone who covered this team last year, they did overachieve in the first half of the season, but the wheels fell off when Spivey went down. He was the guy who made that offense go, and now you get him back.
Look at their potential opening day lineup:
1. Clark/Krenzel: I give the edge to Clark to beat out the youngster in camp.
2. Spivey: If he can stay healthy he's an all-star caliber second baseman.
3. Overbay: Now he has protection in the front and back.
4. Lee: Finally a right handed hitter in this lineup, not named Wes Helms
5. Jenkins: He can't have back to back bad seasons offensively. Can he?
6. Branyon: Ok so he'll battle with Wes Helms, but I think Branyons their guy.
7. Hall/Hardy: I think Bill Hall goes in ahead of J.J. Hardy, but they do like J.J. a lot.
8. Miller: I love that signing, offensively he's underrated, calls good games and solid D.
9. Pitcher
That looks a heck of a lot better than last years lineup. The two concerns are depth and bullpen, well those are the two main concerns. Guys like Doug Davis and Victor Santos need to prove last year wasn't a fluke, if they can, I like how this team looks. Ricky Botallico was a solid signing, he'll probably be the closer to start, but I see Capellan taking that job. Speaking of that deal how do you think that phone conversation went for Doug Melvin..."Yeah so we'll take a young prospect for Kolb (probably a AA'er)"........"Ok how about Capellan?"......."Whaaaat, I mean are you serio..OK sure, sounds good, I'll tell Danny right now."
Lee gives the team a formidable right handed hitter, not just power hitter, but hitter and thats something they haven't had in a while. Don't say Richie Sexson, because he was only a home run hitter. As for losing Vizcaino, lets face it the guy has never been the same since getting tourched in that series against the Cubs in the summer of '03. He has terrific stuff, it's just a mental thing with him.
Scott Podsednik may have been the face of the team, but after his struggles last year I can't help but point out the obvious here, maybe theres a reason why this guy spent EIGHT years in the minors.
Brady Clark just resigned, and for all he does he is an underrated player, does he start for you if you're a contender? Probably not, but lets not get ahead of ourselves just yet. Ben Sheets and Junior Spivey will be back, and as someone who covered this team last year, they did overachieve in the first half of the season, but the wheels fell off when Spivey went down. He was the guy who made that offense go, and now you get him back.
Look at their potential opening day lineup:
1. Clark/Krenzel: I give the edge to Clark to beat out the youngster in camp.
2. Spivey: If he can stay healthy he's an all-star caliber second baseman.
3. Overbay: Now he has protection in the front and back.
4. Lee: Finally a right handed hitter in this lineup, not named Wes Helms
5. Jenkins: He can't have back to back bad seasons offensively. Can he?
6. Branyon: Ok so he'll battle with Wes Helms, but I think Branyons their guy.
7. Hall/Hardy: I think Bill Hall goes in ahead of J.J. Hardy, but they do like J.J. a lot.
8. Miller: I love that signing, offensively he's underrated, calls good games and solid D.
9. Pitcher
That looks a heck of a lot better than last years lineup. The two concerns are depth and bullpen, well those are the two main concerns. Guys like Doug Davis and Victor Santos need to prove last year wasn't a fluke, if they can, I like how this team looks. Ricky Botallico was a solid signing, he'll probably be the closer to start, but I see Capellan taking that job. Speaking of that deal how do you think that phone conversation went for Doug Melvin..."Yeah so we'll take a young prospect for Kolb (probably a AA'er)"........"Ok how about Capellan?"......."Whaaaat, I mean are you serio..OK sure, sounds good, I'll tell Danny right now."
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