24 Jan 11 Free College Football Pick Washington at USC 10-2-10

Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesWashington Huskies at USC Trojans (-10.5) Saturday October 2, 2010 8:00 PM EST Lane Kiffin has these USC Trojans, ranked #18, playing at a high level as of right now. They bring into this Pac-10 game a 4-0 record. Washington looked horrible 2 weeks ago losing to 8th ranked Nebraska 56-21. They bring in a 1-2 record and look to get back to .500. All eyes will be on the QBs this week. For Washington, Jake Locker was said to be a Heisman hopeful. After a sub-par performance last week, he looks to gain back his form in this one. Thus far Locker has thrown for 626 yards with 6 TDs and 2 Ints. USC QB Matt Barkley has looked more so like the Heisman hopeful after a strong start to the year. The Sophomore has 941 yards with 12 TDs and 4 Ints. These two will be under Atlanta Falcons jersey
a microscope in this one. USC outranks Washington in passing yards, rushing yards, points for, and points against. With football picks, all four of those categories are huge. USC performs very well at home and should have no trouble easily beating this Washington team. Free College Football Pick: USC (-10.5)Visit Freepick1.com each day for the winning free sports picks and expert football picks from our professional team. Be sure to check out our sportsbookspage for updated infoformation on bonusesfor the week. This article is also featured onSports Picks

22 Jan 11 Pac-10 Football: Monday Morning One-Liners

Steve Dykes/Getty ImagesArizona is ranked its highest in 12 years thanks to a win over then-No. 9 Iowa. During Arizona Statebattle with Wisconsin on Saturday, a total of 71 fans were ejected. You have to love college football. In case you did not know, California was thoroughly embarrassed by a WAC team last Friday. The Bruins at UCLA did a lot more than beat Houston on Saturday. They knocked the top two quarterbacks off the Cougar depth chart. (My note: Unless Houston quarterback Case Keenum takes a medical redshirt, he will not break the all-time career Reebok Indianapolis Colts 18 Peyton Manning Realtree camo Jersey
passing yard mark.) OregonLaMichael James only recorded 14 carries on Saturday for the Ducks, but they went for 227 rushing yardsall in the first half. Check out what he said after the game. Oregon State nearly lost to a Big East team in Corvallis on Saturday. What will it take for Southern California to be satisfied with a win? No luck was needed for Stanford in the Cardinalwin over Wake Forestother than Andrew Luck of course. If you think NCFHeadlines "something is off-the-record, does that make it okay? P.S., I told you Jake LockerHeisman campaign was through. Southern Methodist won their rematch with Washington State. The Cougars lone win from a year ago was against the Mustangs

15 Jan 11 St. Louis Rams "Nothing more than personal pride on the line for Rams, 49ers

For a period of about 30 years from the 1970s through the early 21st century, 49ers-Rams matchups usually played a big part in deciding the champion in the NFC West Division. Not anymore.With both teams entering this week;s game with identical 2-7 records, there is nothing more than personal pride on the line. No playoff implications ride on this matchup between two teams that know each other well.Commentary: As far as meaningless battles go, this one does offer some intrigue. The Rams will see some familiar faces in San Francisco on Sunday. Reebok New England Patriots #12 Tom Brady Realtree camo Jersey
Former head coach Mike Martz is running the offense for the 49ers, while one of the former faces of the St. Louis franchise, Isaac Bruce, will be catching balls for San Francisco.Both teams are trying to regain NFL respectability. The Rams got embarrassed last week by the Jets to the tune of 47-3. The 49ers, meanwhile, played a good game Monday in taking division-leading Arizona down to the wire in a 29-24 defeat. San Francisco did end up with egg on its face because of clock mismanagement that cost the 49ers a victory.Don;t expect there to be much defense played between the Rams and 49ers. St. Louis is 30th in the league. allowing 398.6 yards per game, while San Francisco is 22nd, giving up 334.6. Fan Pulse: Rams fans are less than excited about this storied rivalry. With both teams out of the playoff race, it is a game with just pride on the line for the Rams and 49ers.Fantasy Football Impact: Be wary of using any Rams on your fantasy roster except for Jackson and rookie receiver Donnie Avery. Jackson should still be benched because he isn;t fully healed from his leg injury. Marc Bulger has struggled this season, but he has found a connection with Avery that has produced fantasy points.Injury Watch: Jackson is still battling his strained quadriceps muscle and isn;t 100 percent. It remains to be seen whether he will play against the 49ers, but he has been practicing on a limited basis. Look for Jackson to play, but not with the usual number of carries. (0) In recent history, the Bengals like the Rams have both stunk and they haveReebok New Orleans Saints #9 Drew Brees Realtree camo Jersey
other similarities: star Pro Bowl quarterbacks (Bulger and Palmer) who have either under performed or have been injured, great running backs (Jackson and Benson), and a desperate need to recreate themselves and get their franchises respectable again.The Rams won last week;s smack down so I have nothing but love for them. However, and none of us want to say it; the real reason they won was due to Bengal turnovers. Three of the 4 fumbles Bengal fumbles were recovered by the Rams.With an exception of the defensive line, who were great, the Rams overall looked pretty good. The defense recorded 6 sacks on Bengal QBs and while they played they kept a lot of pressure on the QB. The O-Line gave up zero sacks and the receivers looked pretty good (but receiving yards for the night was only around 140). Walker had the most receiving yards with 24. Kyle Boller had a pretty good night. Passing for 14/20, 96 yards, and 1 TD pass. The Bengals threw for just under 200 yards. Every Bengal receiver on the field had a reception for at least 10 yards (Ochocinco;s longest catch was 9 yards) which is not good. Good news is that there was only one receiving TD against the Rams. I think the Rams are moving in the right direction. I still have some reservations regarding the Rams. Reebok New York Giants #27 Brandon Jacobs Realtree camo Jersey
Their QB situation is not completely solid. Where was Marc Bulger the other night? I want to see him and his fractured finger jumping up and down on the sideline cheering his team on. And finally, until I see a healthy Stephen Jackson breaking for some serious yards, I am not going to sleep completely sound. (0)

14 Jan 11 Carolina Panthers DeShaun Foster Steven Davis

Although the Carolina Panthers are among the elite teams in football, many still question their running back position. The Panthers bring DeShaun Foster, Nick Goings, Eric Shelton and Jamal Robertson as the top four backs on their depth chart. The main point of concern which leads people to question this group of backs is the fact that all have been injury-prone in the past. On the contrary, the Panthers' offensive coaching staff and front-office is confident in the health of their lead trio of backs.For openers, the Panthers bring the highly talented, yet oft injured Reebok Indianapolis Colts 18 Peyton Manning Realtree camo Jersey
Foster, who is officially penciled in as the team's No. 1 back for next season. After starting last season behind veteran bruiser Stephen Davis on the Panthers' depth chart, Foster took over and had a big season with 879 rushing yards and 372 receiving yards. He was also second on the team in receptions with 34, so he undoubtedly has an opportunity to be one of the league's best all-purpose threats, if he can stay healthy. In four seasons, Foster, a former second-round pick from UCLA, has appeared in just 33 out of a possible 64 games. However, the Panthers put a lot of trust in Foster's future health last month as they re-signed the 26-year-old to a three-year contract worth a hefty $14.5 million. Foster's contract came just 10 days after the Panthers released Davis because of salary cap constraints. Clearly, the Panthers have put their faith in Foster, and for once, they better hope he stays healthy. If his health can hold up for a full season, the Panthers will have one of the league's finest dual-threats.In the event that Foster fails to stay healthy, the Carolina Panthers can always bring the 28-year-old Goings to the table. Goings isn't necessarily a well-known entity, but he's an above-average back with the ability to bang up opposing defenders with his 225 pound frame. In extended duty in 2004, Goings rushed for a surprising 821 yards and six touchdowns. He was also among the Panthers' leaders in receptions that year with 45. Thus, much like Foster, Goings has proven to be a nice all-purpose player who can puzzle the opposition on a good day. Certainly, many NFL teams would be more than happy to have him as a backup or change of pace player.One player who hasn't gotten much notoriety on the Panthers is the 22-year-old Shelton. Subsequent to being drafted in the third-round of the 2005 draft, Shelton broke his foot last Reebok Minnesota Vikings 28 Adrian Peterson Realtree camo Jersey
September in a preseason game, and that forced him to miss all of last season. At the University of Louisville, Shelton was extremely impressive as he led the team in rushing and regularly dominated opposing defenses, even though he had to split carries with former teammate and current Buffalo Bills reserve running back Lionel Gates. Weighing in at a whopping 249 pounds, Shelton will be able to step in as the heir apparent to the departed Davis if he pans out the way Carolina hopes. He has the opportunity to be a major factor around the goal-line with his imposing bulk. Out of all the Panthers' running backs, it may be the 29-year-old Robertson who ends up as the odd man out. The five-year veteran has never proven to be capable of winning a job or even carrying a load for a single game. He will likely end up having difficulty making the Panthers' roster, since he has three superior backs ahead of him. In the event that Robertson does earn a roster spot in Carolina, it'll likely be due to an injury to one of the Panthers' other backs; Robertson's other hope is to make the team as a special teamer, since he's solid in that aspect.If the Carolina Panthers end up contending for a Super Bowl title next season, it will be due in no small part to the success of their running game. Therefore, it is imperative that Foster gets the jobReebok Minnesota Vikings #4 Brett Favre Realtree camo Jersey
done and stays healthy as the starter, and it's also of high importance that Goings and Shelton provide legitimate threats as reserves. If not, the Panthers will be looking at a redo of their NFC Championship game loss last season, as their running backs were shut down because of injuries. The result? A humiliating 34-14 defeat. Obviously, nobody in Carolina wants to see that nightmarish scenario played out again.--Connor Byrne can be reached at cbyrne

Despite being all finesse and no defense, Jamison is one of the more explosive scoring forwards in the NBA.

Washington had Gilbert Arenas and Larry Hughes in the backcourt and needed a frontcourt scoring punch more than a speedy distributor and an aging and expensive wing scorer. If the trade wasn made, Stackhouse would have trouble getting minutes with Harris, Arenas, and Larry Hughes/Caron Butler locking up the guard and wing spots. The Wizards also figured that Harris wouldn be strong enough to be a defensive presence, or as consistent as they would like, so they shipped him out and signed Antonio Daniels the following offseason. 2007 Grade: A 2010 Review: Stocked in the backcourt with Gilbert Arenas and Larry Hughes, Washington traded Devin Harris and Jerry Stackhouse to acquire Antawn Jamison. Jamison gave the Wizards more frontcourt firepower, while Harris, Stackhouse, Hughes, and Arenas wouldve been struggling to get minutes. The trade was the right move at the time and has worked out for all parties involved. 2010 Grade: A Atlanta Hawks (6) Drafted Josh Childress. (17) Received the No. 17 pick from Milwaukee (Josh Smith), received Bobby Sura, and Zeljko Rebracca from Detroit, Chris Mills from Boston, and sent Rasheed Wallace to Detroit. (34) Drafted Donta Smith. (37) Drafted Royal Ivey. (42) Drafted Viktor Sanikidze. Players received: Josh Childress, Josh Smith, Bobby SuraBuffalo Bills jersey
Zeljko Rebracca, Chris Mills, Donta Smith, Royal Ivey, Viktor Sanikidze Players lost: Rasheed Wallace 2007 Review: The scrubby players in the Rasheed Wallace deal were simply contracts used to clear up space used on Joe Johnson. Essentially getting Josh Smith for Rasheed Wallace isn a terrible trade. Smith has freakishly long arms and an incredible vertical which he shows repeatedly with highlight dunks and blocked shots. Unfortunately, Smith offensive game (and immature ego) are nowhere near as advanced as his defensive skills are. Josh Childress is one of the more enigmatic players in the league. Incredibly gifted athletically, but what is his role on a team? He's not dynamic enough to be a premier scorer, not intelligent enough to be a premier distributor, and not disciplined enough to be a lock down defender. When he figures out his niche, hell be able to utilize his athletic gifts to their full potential. Chris Duhon is a better player than Royal Ivey, but Ivey has been able to stick around and Duhon has gotten in trouble with Scott Skiles a few times in his career. Immaturity is never something you want with such a young team. 2007 Grade: B 2010 Review: The mediocrities from the Rasheed Wallace trade turned into cap space for Joe Johnson, while the pick received turned into Josh Smith. Successes on both fronts, especially now that Smith has finally started to mature and refine his game. Josh Childress was an athletic swingman who never found a niche and now plays overseas. He was a useful player on the Hawks 2007-2008 team that made the playoffs, but in hindsight, the pick shouldve been used on somebody else. Of the second round picks, Royal Ivey has carved a niche as a defensive specialist but Chris Duhon has emerged as a better overall player. Duhon shouldve been the selection. 2010 Grade: B Phoenix Suns (7) Traded this pick (Luol Deng) to Chicago for the No. 31 pick (Jackson Vroman), cash, and a future pick. (16) New York traded the No. 16 pick, along with Antonio McDyess, Charlie Ward, Howard Eisley, Maciej Lampe, Milos Vujanic, and a future first round pick to Phoenix for Stephon Marbury, Penny Hardaway, and Cezary Trybanski. Phoenix then traded the No. 16 pick (Kirk Snyder), Tom Gugliotta, and a future first round pick to Utah for Keon Clark, Ben Handlogoten, and cash. (36) Traded No. 36 pick (Antonio Burks) to Orlando for Donell Harvey. Players received: Jackson Vroman, Antonio McDyess, Charlie Ward, Howard Eisley, Maciej Lampe, Milos Vujanic, Keon Clark, Ben Handlogoten, Donnell Harvey Players lost: Luol Deng, Stephon Marbury, Penny Hardaway, Cezary Trybanski, Kirk Snyder, Tom Gugliotta, Antonio Burks 2007 Review: Forget about all the players gained in the Knicks trade. None of them played for Phoenix after the end of the year. Forget about Vroman, Clark, Handlogoten, and Harvey. They were just bodies. Forget about the discarded picks, even Luol Deng. The entire 2004 season and draft, for Phoenix was all about clearing cap space and roster space for Steve Nash. Since the Suns have taken off astronomically with Nash at the helm, (and it unlikely that Phoenix run-and-gun pace best suits Luol Deng game) the draft gets an A. 2007 Grade: A 2010 Review: The players involved in the 2004 draft mean nothing for the Suns. They were simply conduits for cap room used to sign Steve Nash. Considering where the Suns are with Nash, the Suns draft was a complete success. Even giving up Luol Deng was smart. Wings who can shoot murder spread pick-and-roll offenses because the teams running the offense can space the floor. The Suns wouldn have gained anything with him. 2010 Grade: A Toronto Raptors (8) Drafted Rafael Araujo. (38) Traded the No. 38 pick (Chris Duhon) to the Carolina Panthers jersey
Bulls in 2003 for the rights to Matt Bonner. (39) Drafted Albert Mirales. Then traded the rights to Mirales to Miami for the draft rights to Pape Sow and the No. 58 pick in 2005 (Uros Slokar). Players received: Rafael Araujo, Matt Bonner, Pape Sow, Uros Slokar Players lost: Chris Duhon, Albert Mirales 2007 Review: Chris Duhon is a better player than Matt Bonner and Toronto flat out blew their pick on Araujo. He was a bust in Toronto so they shipped him to Utah where he sits behind Jarron Collins in the depth chart. Considering Toronto could have picked up Andre Iguodala there is no way to give the Raptors any grade but an F. 2007 Grade: F 2010 Review: Araujo is the first flat-out bust of the draft, and a complete waste of a lottery pick. Matt Bonner is a serviceable shooter, but Duhon a decent shooter in his own right and a better overall player. The draft was a disaster for the Raptors. 2010 Grade: F Philadelphia 76rs (9) Drafted Andre Iguodala. 2007 Review: A simple draft for Philly and an effective one. With Allen Iverson shipped out and Andre Miller brought in, Iguodala had a chance to blossom late in the year for the Sixers. Iguodala can run the floor, finish with power, assault lazy dribbles and loose passes for steals, and has become a smart passer, averaging almost six assists in 2006-07. Iguodala has a high upside for superstardom and no player drafted later would have suited the Sixers more than their new A.I. 2007 Grade: A 2010 Review: Andre Iguodala isn a classic scorer because his jump shot is iffy. As a result, good individual defenders or coordinated double teams hold him in check. However, he still a talented one-on-one scorer, and absolutely lethal in the open floor. He rebounds well, is a talented passer, and is one of the best wing defenders in the game because of his athleticism, strength, and anticipation in the passing lanes. In short, Iguodala an outstanding two-way player and an outstanding pick. 2010 Grade: A Cleveland Cavaliers (10) Drafted Luke Jackson. (30) Traded Tony Battie, the No. 44 pick in 2005 (Martynas Andriuskevicius), and the No. 54 pick in 2007 (Wound up in Houston as Brad Newley), for the rights to Anderson Varejao, Drew Gooden, and Steven Hunter. Players received: Luke Jackson, Anderson Varejao, Drew Gooden, Steven Hunter Players lost: Tony Battie, Martynas Andriuskevicius 2007 Review: Cleveland stole their two power forwards on their Eastern Conference Championship team in this lopsided deal. While both Varejao and Gooden are flawed, each is a relentless rebounder. Chicago Bears jersey
Gooden is a poor defensive player who can hit jumpers out to 20 feet, and has good face-up and turnaround skills. Varejao is limited offensively but is one of the better post defenders in the league and plays with all out intensity. Both players are better than Tony Battie. Aside from a random 30 point, five assist, four rebound performance for Toronto in their last regular season game in 2007, Luke Jackson has been a complete nobody in the league, and a wasted pick. 2007 Grade: B 2010 Review: The 2004 draft had two parts for the Cavaliers. The first part involved the selection of Luke Jackson, a player not cut out for the NBA, and a busted pick. With Al Jefferson, Josh Smith, Jameer Nelson, Kevin Martin, and Delonte West available, any of those players couldve been Cleveand. Instead, they chose Jackson and deserve an F for it. The second part involved the Cavs essentially giving up Tony Battie and Martynas Andriuskevicius to get Anderson Varejao and Drew Gooden. While Gooden has his flaws, namely focus and consistency, he is a useful player who shoots well, rebounds, and defends some. Varejao has evolved into one of the best defensive frontcourt players in the league. He an exceptional screen defender, a powerful post defender, an astute help defender, and has a terrific combination of strength, awareness, and fluidity. His offensive game is coming around, where he developed a competent short jump shot and some face up skills to augment his garbage man work. Cleveland stealing two-thirds of the frontcourt rotation of its 2006-2007 Finals team earns an A. Weigh the Finals appearance more than the Jackson bust and the Cavs earn a solid B overall. 2010 Grade: B Golden State Warriors (11) Drafted Andris Biedrins. 2007 Review: It took awhile, but Biedrins finally blossomed under Don Nelson this year. Long and lanky, Biedrins still has a lot of work to do in terms of his free-throw shooting and his bulking up to be an anchor down low. His rebounding and shot blocking skills really emerged this year and were huge reasons why Golden State fast break was so effective down the stretch. Biedrins also runs the floor extremely well; perfect for Golden State game plan. Biedrins effectiveness would be hindered if he were with another team with a different system. Both Golden State and Biedrins got lucky. 2007 Grade: A- 2010 Review: A simple draft but a positive one for the Warriors as Biedrins has evolved into a useful rebounder and shot blocker who thrives in Golden State uptempo system. The pick earns bonus points for the fact that Biedrins probably wouldn be as effective in most other NBA systems, while many other players would struggle in Golden State chaotic uptempo gameplan. Al Jefferson was still on the board and the Warriors get docked some for not choosing him, but it also difficult to imagine AJ lumbering down the court with how fast Golden State plays. 2010 Grade: A- Seattle Supersonics (12) Drafted Robert Swift. (35) The Los Angeles Clippers traded the No. 35 pick to Seattle for Predrag Drobnjak. Seattle then traded the pick (Andre Emmett) to Memphis for their No. 48 pick in 2005 (Mickael Gelabale) and cash. (41) Drafted David Young. Players received: Robert Swift, Mickael Gelabale, David Young Players lost: Predrag Cincinnati Bengals jersey
Drobnjak, Andre Emmett 2007 Review: Robert Swift is a big question mark. Is he as good as Seattle front office, coaching staff, and fans say he is? Can he stay healthy enough to show what he can do? Mickael Gelabale has shown that at least he can get NBA minutes. David Young no longer plays in the NBA. I can give the Swift drafting more than a C until he proves himself. David Young gets a D- and the Gelabale trade gets a B. Not a very impressive draft. 2007 Grade: C 2010 Review: Robert Swift supposedly had potential but he never put together more than a promising half season in his NBA tenure. Most No. 35 picks don amount to too much, but the Sonics did parlay the pick into Mickael Gelabale who played decent minutes for a time. Al Jefferson was available. Instead the Sonics took Swift. A terrible decision in hindsight. 2010 Grade D Portland Trail Blazers (13) Drafted Sebastian Telfair. (22) New Jersey traded the draft rights to Viktor Khryapa to Portland for Eddie Gill. (23) Memphis traded the No. 23 pick (Sergei Monia) and Wesley Person to Portland for Bonzi Wells. (46) Drafted Ha-Seung Jin. Players received: Sebastian Telfair, Viktor Khryapa, Sergei Monia, Wesley Person, Ha-Seung Jin Players lost: Eddie Gill, Bonzi Wells 2007 Review: Only two of these decisions were meaningful. One was the decision to unload Bonzi Wells. That was one of the many positive steps Portland took in purging their roster of punks and losers. Unfortunately, Sebastian Telfair basketball skills were over-hyped and his first handgun incident didn help Portland image problem. At least the Blazers corrected their mistake and shipped Telfair out the first chance they got. 2007 Grade: C+ 2010 Review: The Blazers used the 2004 draft to begin clearing away the malcontents from their misconstrued roster. While Bonzi Wells was traded for a bunch of stiffs, his departure was addition by subtraction. However, Sebastian Telfair has neither the speed, strength, or shot-making abilities to be a meaningful NBA player, to say nothing of his horrendous court awareness. Delonte West, Kevin Martin, even Beno Udrih would have been better selections than Telfair, who has become little more than a very poor backup on a very average team. 2010 Grade: C- Utah Jazz (14) Cleveland Browns jersey
Drafted Kris Humphries. (16) Phoenix traded the No. 16 pick (Kirk Snyder) along with a future pick, and Tom Gugliotta to Utah for Keon Clark and Ben Handlegoten. (21) Drafted Pavel Podzolkin. Then traded draft rights to Podzolkin to Dallas for a 2005 first round pick (ended up with Denver as Linas Kleiza). (48) Sacramento traded the No. 55 pick (ended up in Houston as Luis Flores), Keon Clark, and a future pick to Utah for the No. 48 pick (Ricky Minard) Utah received: Kris Humphries, Kirk Snyder, Tom Gugliotta Utah lost: Keon Clark, Ben Handlegoten, Pavel Podzolkin, Ricky Minard 2007 Review: Utah did a lot of things involving the 2004 draft but did nothing meaningful to improve their team. Humphries is little more than a body and is now on Toronto. Snyder is little more than a scoring guard, but there are far better scorers in the league than Snyder. His lack of versatility is the reason why he been on three different teams in three seasons. Utah could have had Varejao over Humphries, and could have had Jameer Nelson, Delonte West, Tony Allen, or Kevin Martin over Snyder. A failed draft. 2007 Grade: F 2010 Review : Kris Humphries has stuck around as a rebounder and mid-range jump shooter, but if the Jazz wanted rebounding, why didn they select Anderson Varejao who has more offensive skills and is a vastly superior defensive player?

12 Jan 11 Hawks-Spurs: Joe Johnson's 31 Points Not Enough Against San Antonio

Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesAtlanta came into San Antonio on a three game win streak and as one of the hottest teams in the league. Meanwhile, the Spurs entered the game on a three game losing streak. The Spurs have not been as hyped up as the Hawks and some were even saying that the Spurs are Reebok Dallas Cowboys #9 Tony Romo Realtree camo Jersey
getting too old and can't compete with the best.The Spurs aren't listening to the critics, as they blew out the Lakers on Jan. 12 and last night they blew out another "elite team" as well/The firstquarter was bad for the Hawks, as they were pounded and trounced throughout the opening quarter. Around the 5:50 mark the Spurs went on a big 20-9 run, making the Hawks look like the Hawks of old.The secondquarter was not as bad as the first, but it was another blow out. However, the Hawks were able to prevent the Spurs from going on a huge run like they did earlier.Atlanta made a run in the third quarter, as they were able to narrow the deficit to 12. The Hawks won fourth quarter as well, cutting the lead to nine at one point in the final quarter. However, the Spurs played great and despite cutting into the lead, the Reebok Green Bay Packers #12 Aaron Rodgers Realtree camo Jersey
Hawks never really had a chance to get back into the contest.San Antonio point guard Tony Parker only was able to net 10 points, but Duncan, Hill, and McDyess helped out the Spursscoring 21, 16, and 17 points respectively. Joe Johnson had 31 points in the game for Atlanta and Jamal Crawford finished with 25. Josh Smith struggled throughout and finished with only 14, while Williams had 10, Horfordhad four, and Bibby was held scoreless.

12 Jan 11 Mo Williams, Cavs Should Use This Year's All-Star Snub As Motivation

Doug Pensinger/Getty ImagesFor the second straight year, Cleveland Mo Williams has been left on the outside looking in by opposing coaches voting for the Eastern Conference All-Star team.Last year, Williams was shunned by coaches as a reserve for the game, despite averaging 17 points a game at the time selections were made. He was snubbed a second time when Commissioner David Stern tapped Boston Ray Allen to join the East squad in place of the injured Jameer Nelson.It wasn until Toronto Chris Bosh was scratched for the game that Williams St. Louis Rams jersey
was finally named an All-Star for the first time in his career.This year, Williamswith his nearly identical scoring averagewas passed over by Eastern Conference coaches in favor of Boston Rajon Rondo and Chicago Derrick Rose. It not likely that hell be named a replacement should someone go down with an injury, given that he out for several more weeks with a sprained shoulder of his own.Just as he did a year ago, Cleveland coach Mike Brown expressed frustration Thursdaythat Williams was left off of this year team. Brown argument is that the Cavaliers have the best record in the conference and should be rewarded accordingly.LeBron James, the leading vote-getter in fan balloting, is Cleveland only All-Star. Brown frustration stems in part from the fact that Boston and Atlanta, the numbers two and three teams in the conference, have three and two representatives, respectively,on the team.On the surface, Brown would appear to disagree with the selection of Rose over Williams. There are talented guys in this business who can be put in situations to go do what they want, he said . There's not as much pressure on guys to perform the right way and get numbers."Presumably, he means that Williams focuses more on the needs of the team and defers to James leadership and statistical prowess, both in points and assists. Tennessee Titans jersey
Williams also does those things for the best team in the East. Rose, on the other hand, is playing well for an average team.Brown has a point, to a degree, but it hard to quibble with the selections of Rondo or Rose.What more critical is that Williams uses this snub, which is likely not intentional but rather just a numbers game, as motivation for the rest of the season. The Cavs should do the same.A year ago, Williams faded late in the season and didn play well in the conference finals loss to Orlando. He has spoken openly about that performance and returned to training camp last fall determined to learn from it and put it behind him.There no question that Williams is a solid offensive complement to James. He a true second option and opens up the floor with his outside shooting.Williams has also emerged as a floor general for the Cavaliers, averaging better than five assists a game. That not a gaudy number, but don forget that James, the unquestioned leader of the team, leads Cleveland in that category as well.The talent is there with Williams, All-Star selections notwithstanding. Given that he was passed over again, he should allow that to motivate him the rest of the wayand use it as an incentive to put last year playoff failures behind him.Likewise, the Cavaliers, faced with sending just one player to the All-Star gameWashington Redskins jersey
despite having the NBA best record, can use the snub of Williams as motivation for the entire team.Opposing coaches have spoken; the consensus is that the Cavs are made up of LeBron James, and everybody else.Fair enough. They should let their play do the talking the rest of the way. This could be just what the team needs to ensure a focused, take-no-prisoners approach down the stretch and into the postseason.

10 Jan 11 The Philadephia 76ers Future

Chris Chambers/Getty ImagesThe NBA's trading deadline has come and gone. The Sixers, at one point wereone of the teams most rumored to be wheeling and dealing, but did next to nothing.While it is too early to say whether this was the right move, we do know what the Sixers could have done. They could have traded Andre Iguodala and Samuel Dalembert for Tracy McGrady, in a deal that would have cleared $25 million off next season's payroll, $27 million off the next year's, and Iguodala's remaining two years on his contract after Dalembert is Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers #86 Hines Ward Realtree camo Jersey
gone.While this trade would've sent our best player packing in return for no on-court help, it would've made us contenders to snag someone from this summer's free-agent pool and given Thaddeus Young more opportunities to shine. Also, I think the Sixers would've probably lost a few more games if they traded Iguodala, thus securing a better draft position.Or, we could have dealt Iguodala and Dalembert to the Sunsfor Amare Stoudemire and Leandro Barbosa. I don't think I need to stress how big of an upgrade Stoudemire would've been over Dalembert.There was plenty of speculation as to whether Stoudemire would opt out of his $18 million contract if he had been traded to the Sixers. However, Stoudemire told reporters that he wouldn't mind going to Philadelphia at all, and saw the Sixers as a team with some nice pieces. Who knows whether he would've opted in or out? Who knows whether Stefanski would've signed him to an extension? Or who knows if we would've been able to convince him to sign for less money and make a splash in the free agent marketin the summer of 2011?Anyways, moving on from what could have been, let's talk about whatlies ahead/what could lie ahead.Barring an incredible finish to the season, the Sixers will just miss the playoffs this season (if they make it they're the best story in the nba this year). They will all but guarantee themselves a spot in the middle of the first round of the draft, a trend Sixers fans have to be getting used to. With this draft pick, who knows how good our pick will be. And who knowsThis season was one Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers James Harrison Realtree camo Jersey
that was lost before it began. The Sixers decided to let Andre Miller walk, and waited until midway through the season that it was a good idea to bring Iverson back, an obvious upgrade over Willie Green, who before Iverson came to town was playing so many minutes, and until his very fortunate injury still has had a prominent role for us. The guy is terrible. Eddie Jordan deserves plenty of credit for the Sixers leading the league in games lost in which they held a double digit lead. DiLeo,last season'stemporary replacement,was a way better coach than this guy. We really need to get rid of him as soon as possible.Under Mo Cheeks, who never should've been fired, the Sixers were a team that attacked at all times. In Jordan's Princeton offense, the Sixers, a team without anynotableoutside shooters (minusJason Kapono, who rarely gets off the bench), settles night in and night out for the outside jumper.The coaches rumored to have interest in the Sixers are Larry Brown, Avery Johnson, and Byron Scott (all three would be huge upgrades over Jordan).The Sixers have no better idea about how good Speights and Jason Smith can be after this year. The Sixers have spent another season playing four on five on offense, with you know who playing as the team's ghost offensive player. Just because the guyis making $12milliondoesn't meanyou have to play him $12 million mintues.Looking forward, next year is Dalembert's last season under contract. He is set to make $12 million nextyear, andin this day and age, expiring contracts have beentraded for some talented players(Pau Gasol, Antawn Jamison, Kevin Martin, JohnSalmons, Caron Butler, Stephen Jackson, Zach Randolph, Ray Allen) all in the last three years.If the Sixers don't find anything worth trading Dalembert's expiring contract for, he is off the books following Reebok San Francisco 49ers #21 Frank GORE Realtree camo Jersey
next season, as well as Jason Kapono's $7 million and Willie Green's $4 million.In the summer of 2011, a man by the name of Chris Paul can opt out of his contract and become a free agent. The Sixers could be a popular destination by that time. The future has potential.

9 Jan 11 NBA Daily Dribbles: Shaq Fu Down for the Count

SATIRE What Im Reading So Shaq had surgery today on his injured thumb. The timetable for his return is slated to be 6-8 weeks. Cause for concern? If you can beat em, join em take their bench warmers off their hands. Well, it looks like the Celtics have adopted a new philosophy after an embarrassing loss to the Nets over the weekend. Is Tony Battie the answer? Chris Bosh has some options coming up this off season. Kevin Durant plans on making a strong push to get him to join the Thunder. Things aren going so well down in South Beach. And if Dwyane Oakland Raiders jersey
Wade leaves after the season? Well, it might actually sink.What I Think About ItShaq 6-8 weeks is a long time for the Big Fella. That Jamison trade is looking better and better every day.Of course, he didn exactly set the bar high when he started his Cavs career by taking twelve shots and hitting precisely zero of them.But regardless, he going to be a crucial part of Cleveland front line moving forward. Had they not acquired him, wed be looking at a much less formidable Cavs team.Luckily for Cleveland, help will be on its way in the next few weeks as the thirty-day window of not being able to sign Zydrunas Ilgauskas slowly shuts.It clear that hell be returning and will offer some relief for the Cavs front court.As for Shaq, he might have a hard time coming back from this injury. He likely to miss the rest of the regular season, so he won have any conditioning games to get back in basketball shape before the playoffs.A lot of weight will fall on his broad shoulders to maintain his body while he recovering.Celtics To put it simply, no. Tony Battie is not the answer.The answer for the Celtics should have come at the trade deadline.But it didn, and here we are. The Celtics just dropped a miserable one to the Nets. The NETS. Are we looking at the 06-07 Celtics, a team that at one point lost eighteen straight?Not quite, but Boston fans can be feeling too optimistic about their team post-season hopes right now.The team lacks any sort of energy and enthusiasm reminiscent of the title year.Things need to turn around quick before the window for this team closes and the ice beneath Philadelphia Eagles jersey
Doc River feet thins. Since it is unlikely that Chris Bosh will take a hometown discount for Oklahoma City, which is neither his hometown nor his current location, the cards are stacked against the Thunder acquiring the coveted free agent.But that won stop them from trying.It won be hard to convince Bosh that his services, along with Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook, etc. would instantly render the Thunder a heavy contender in the West.But it will be hard to convince him to take the roughly $12 million that OKC has to offer due to salary cap restrictions.Of course, a sign and trade is always a possibilitythe most likely scenario in which Bosh ends up as a member of the Thunderbut it in all likelihood, Green would be the odd man out and would be sent to Toronto in the deal.In that case, how much better would the team actually be?There is no question that Bosh is a superstar and would undoubtedly help the Thunder immediately, but the team has significantly improved every year since its inception. Who to say that the current nucleus has hit its ceiling? Being 95% sure that Dwyane Wade will be returning to Miami, as Heat owner Micky Arison claims to be, is one thing.Being 5% sure that he won is another.In short, a Dwyane Wade-less Miami Heat would be disastrous for the city.As it is, the team is on the outside looking in regarding its playoff hunt. Losers of four in a row, Miami is currently ninth in the conference with a sub-.500 29-31 record.If Wade leaves, then ladies and gentleman Id like to now present to you the 2010-2011 New Jersey Nets!" Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
Alright, maybe theyd get ten wins. But still.Miami cannot afford to lose its only hope for success in Wade.I do believe that he will be returning and will be the main recruiter for any free agents that he feels will help him in his quest for a second title.However, if he bolts, 2012 might be coming a little early for South Beach.PDFollow Pat DeCola on Twitter!

8 Jan 11 Atlanta Hawks Are Example of Why Early Season NBA Power Rankings Lie

Ever since the 2008 playoff game in which we saw the eighth seeded Atlanta Hawks take the first seeded Boston Celtics to the seventh game, all we heard was Joe Johnson is the most underrated player in the NBA and that the young Hawks will only get better as they mature and will soon be a championship team.Nearly two years removed, Atlanta fans and Charles Barkley still have yet to see this "championship caliber" team show its potential.Joe Johnson does his job on a nightly basis but does it make sense that you can sweep the annual series with the CelticsPhiladelphia Eagles jersey
but lose to the Bobcats by 20, blow a 13-point lead with just over four minutes to go against the Mavs, blow two leads against the Cavaliers in the 4th quarter and lose by 32 to the Orlando Magic?Now I don't know if it's beneath a guy like myself to put the majority of the blame on the shoulders of Mike Woodson and Josh Smith. I do not mind Woodson for the most part, but the lack of development from players like Marvin Williams and Josh Smith has me questioning his coaching ability.While the addition of Mike Bibby was what put us over the top in the 2008 season and helped the Hawks develop into one of the top four teams in the East, people are beginning to wonder when are we going to stop developing and just get to the Eastern Conference Finals at least!How many times have you seen Marvin Williams miss a wide open jump shot?How many times have you seen Josh Smith take a jump shot, when our 15-point lead has dwindled down to a two point lead, and then the ball barely catches the rim and the opposition takes off on a fast break to get an easy dunk to tie it up?While we all appreciate Josh's dunks that help build the highlight factory, I think we would all like to see Josh finally get a consistent jump shot. Smith is a guy that possesses the same abilities as Chris Bosh and LeBron James, but seems to not have that push that makes him reach that plateau.With all these other problems that have seemingly piled on at the worst possible time, life always seems to throw you another.Joe Johnson will be a free agent at the end of the season, and many teams in the NBA were so impressed by how he transformed the Hawks that they are willing to give up the big bucks for his services. Leaving us with an inconsistent Jamal Crawford, an aging Mike Bibby, and an underachieving Marvin Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
Williams.The Hawks seem to have only a few options: Either trade for a guy who could replace Johnson, or allow Crawford to run the 2-Guard and obtain a big man to run center or No. 2 for whatever he is asking for.Staying on that topic, I have long been a fan of moving Al Horford to his natural position, power forward, which is currently occupied by Josh Smith. Most fans do not think about the most important aspect when it comes to putting together a team, and that is the money.Not only is Josh Smith a one dimensional power forward, but also carries a big contract that you can bet management wants to get rid of, especially to free up space for whatever the offseason could hold. Everything that Josh does Horford does just as well, if not better; most decent basketball minds will tell you whoever leads the league in blocks is only doing so because of his teammate who boxes out the opposition setting him up for the big play.If you are concerned about the defense lost with Josh Smith, Al Horford does a great job on his own defending far bigger centers San Diego Chargers jersey
and shows the same quickness and ability that J-Smoove brings to the table, but remember Horford brings a well-developed jump shot.All in all, the Hawks need to decide are they going to linger around in the four or five spot of top teams in the Eastern Conference, or do they want to take that next step and project themselves into the next level and become a top-tier team in the NBA?