Jeremy LinRON: The Smartest Guy In The Room

The New York Knicks made everyone anxiously wait for their decision on Jeremy Lin. I haven't seen so many will they/won't they moments since Ross and Rachel sucked the life out of "Friends".

New York finally made their decision and opted not to match the offer sheet that Jeremy Lin signed with the Houston Rockets.

Lin, 23, will receive $25.1 million over three years, a price the Knicks couldn't see as the correct value for the point guard phenom.

Houston was sneaky and their offer sheet included a back-loaded contract that would have paid Lin $14.8 million in the third year of the contract. The Knicks would have been over the luxury tax and cost them nearly $43 million in salary + "repeat offender" luxury tax.

Lin came out yesterday and said that he would have loved to finish his career as a member of the New York Knicks. It's the politically correct thing to say, but it was sincere. Lin was a borderline NBA player before he found himself in New York.

Jeremy Lin didn't need his Harvard education to know that signing Houston's offer sheet was the smartest decision he could make. No one can blame Lin for signing it. He had a very exciting six-week run last year before injuring his knee. He had a few moments of vulnerability, most notably a 1-11 shooting night against the Miami Heat. A $25 million dollar offer might not be there in a few seasons.

Carmelo Anthony's comments earlier this week about Lin's offer sheet being a 'ridiculous' amount of money didn't help the situation. Lin had most of his success when Anthony was injured and one would have to believe that jealousy could have lead to that comment. If Lin had stayed, he would have taken away from Anthony's spotlight.

The Knicks wouldn't have been able to pay him near the $8 million annually that Houston will pay him. His marketability will be hurt by not staying in New York, but Yao Ming did very well as a member of the Rockets.

Goran Dragic and Kyle Lowy already out of town. The core players on the team are very young. Royce White, Terrence Jones, and Jeremy Lamb will be contributing right away as rookies (if they aren't moved in an escalated attempt to sign Dwight Howard...ugh).

The Rockets will be Lin's team. I look forward to watching them in 2012-13...they will be a lot of fun.

NBA: Memphis Grizzlies sign Jerryd Bayless

In what could be the most 'sneaky good' signing of this off-season so far, according the ESPN's Marc Stein, the Memphis Grizzlies signed Jerryd Bayless.

Memphis hopes that he will fill the void left by the all-but-certain departure of O.J. Mayo. He will be in line to backup starting point guard Mike Conley.

Bayless, 23, has already bounced around the league and has yet to live up to his potential. He was a lottery pick coming out of the University of Arizona. He has not averaged more than 22.7 minutes per game in his career.

He is coming off his best season as a pro by averaging 11.4 points per game and shooting 42.3% from behind the arc. He played the 2011-12 season with the Toronto Raptors.

The terms of his deal are yet to be disclosed, we will update when they are announced.

Would Peyton Help Groom Tim Tebow?

As Peyton Manning is in Denver talking with the Broncos, we all wonder how this will affect Tim Tebow. It isn't a guarantee that Manning will sign with them, since he will most likely visit a few more teams. Would Manning be afraid of the backlash that comes with blocking Tim Tebow from starting? Would he accept the role of mentor? What can Tebow learn from one of the games best quarterbacks? A lot of questions are still in the air, but one thing is known, they are both fierce competitors.

Manning has never been on a team with another quarterback that could start in the NFL. I think he has helped groom some of his back-ups in Indianapolis, but it wasn't his job. When the Colts were winning 12 games a year, Jim Sorgi or Curtis Painer would play a lot in the last few games of the year. Manning would have a headset on and he would be calling plays. He was able to do that because he had no threat at losing his job. I'm guessing that he enjoyed watching someone that he helped mold and call plays for him. Saying all of that, the situation in Denver would be quite different.


Drafting Tim Tebow in the first-round and having the ground-swell of support from Denver's fans, has been a problem for the Broncos front-office. John Elway has since taken over the operations and he wasn't in charge when Tebow was drafted. Football bloggers and mainstream journalists were waiting to see if Elway would him a shot. After a watching the first few games last year, Elway thought that they had nothing to lose and unleashed Tebow. Was Elway hoping that he would fall on his face? Elway's in a position that he has to leave Tebow alone or the fanbase will turn on him. The only way out of this would be if he signed Peyton Manning.

Denver's defense was very solid last year and rookie Von Miller was exceptional. In a weak AFC West, the Broncos are built to win now. They have the cap space to sign Manning and maybe a few of his old teammates (Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, and/or Dallas Clark). The fanbase would realize that Manning would be the best choice to lead this team...right now.

What can Tebow learn from being Manning's back-up? First, he would probably be in less pictorials with his shirt off. I've seen Tim Tebow shirtless more times than I have seen myself nude. After that is addressed, he can learn to become a better passer. Manning helped build an offense around his strengths. Tom Moore was a huge help in doing that, but he started to learn defenses and call audibles at the line. This what Tebow needs to learn the most from Manning. If he can recognize defenses, he can go in the huddle and call one passing play and one QB option play. He can see what the defense gives him and then signal to his teammates which play he's calling. If he perfected that, Tebow would be more of a threat than Michael Vick...assuming that Tebow learns how to throw more accurately.

Will Manning groom Tim Tebow if he signs with Denver? I'm assuming that it would be a condition in his contract. What if Manning finishes his career there, in three or four years, and hands the keys to Tebow and he stinks? It wouldn't completely tarnish his reputation, but it wouldn't look good. Brett Favre never had that problem with Aaron Rodgers, even though he had nothing to do with Rodgers' success.

The apprenticeship that Tebow would receive from Manning would be priceless. They are both fierce competitors, Tebow just needs someone to mold him. He will not be fixed over night, so Manning would be the perfect stopgap.





Seriously bro, put on a shirt!

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Why Terrell Owens Won't Be On The Jets

I know all of the New York Jets fans are excited for the upcoming season. You overachieved last season and a few players emerged as future stars in this league. You spent the off-season acquiring high-profile players in hopes of making a championship run this year. The rumor is that the Jets are now targeting Terrell Owens to sign with the team. Why would the Jets sign T.O. when they already have a wide-receiving corps able to handle the "run-first" offense? Here are some of the reasons why Ownes will not be playing for the Jets this season.

First, you have to look at the wide-receiving corps and realize that there isn't any room for him on the roster. He would be steaming on the sidelines waiting for a 4-wide set to be called. Mark Sanchez already has Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards, Jerricho Cotchery, Dustin Keller, David Clowney, and Brad Smith to catch the ball. I know Holmes will have to sit out the first few games this season, but when he comes back, he would jump right into that #1 or #2 receiving role. Sanchez isn't going to be out there throwing the ball 40 times a game. Rex Ryan will still be trying to manage the game and let his defense win games.

Next up, the sheer thought of having Braylon Edwards and Terrell Owens on the same team is spine-tingling. How many balls would this duo total? 40? It would be a safer bet to throw screen passes to LaDanian Tomlinson and let him get his usual 2.5 yards (he's washed up).

The Jets can't turn into the Washington Redskins and try to sign free-agents who are 2-3 years past their prime. It will get butts in the seats, but from what I know about NFL games, only the Jacksonville Jaguars have trouble in that department. Fans will go to Jets games and scream "J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets" even if their starting quarterback was Justin Bieber and "The Situation" was their running back.

The chemistry of the team is important, especially one that goes into a season with high hopes. If they start out the year 2-3 or 3-4, people of T.O.'s ilk will start trying to motivate the team and there will be too many chiefs and not enough indians. You can't load a team up with veterans with a young quarterback. Sanchez will have to start being the leader of this team and get into the faces of players trying to cause trouble. I'm not sure if T.O. could handle another young quarterback trying to get into his face.

The Jets will be a good team this season, no doubt about it. They shouldn't be trying to reach. Their team is solid and they should just stand pat. Who knows, all of this could just be driven by the PR Machine of Drew Rosenhaus. He could be trying to drive up the price that the Cincinnati Bengals have to pay to sign Owens. The Bengals and Rams were the only two teams in the hunt a few days ago, and it appears that the Rams have fell out of the running. If that is the case, Rosenhaus, you got me again...show T.O. the money!

Possible White Boys The Pacers Can Sign

It's a running joke here that the Indiana Pacers love their white guys. Larry Bird seems to have a crush on un-athletic white boys who "hustle" and are "scappy." If David Eckstein played basketball, Bird would sign him today. There are plenty of eligible candidates out there that are of the pale variety, here are some options that could end up rocking the yellow and navy next season and beyond.

Brian Scalabrine - unrestricted - Scalabrine was close to becoming a member of the Pacers before last season. Indiana and Boston tried to workout a sign & trade with Marquis Daniels, but Indiana refused to take Tony Allen. He had some past run-ins with authorities and the Pacers have been shy to take on players with a record since the Palace Brawl. I think Scalabrine would be a nice option once they trade Jeff Foster or Troy Murphy before the trading deadline this season.

Adam Morrison - unrestricted - I really wouldn't know what to do if Bird signed Morrison. I think more Adam Morrison jokes have been posted on this site than about any other player. I guess it would be karma showing its ugly head that I would have to see him shoot 29% from the field as a member of the Pacers. Please God...don't ever let him on the Pacers!

Joe Alexander - unrestricted - As much as I want a guy with the nickname "Vanilla Thunder" on the Pacers, I couldn't stomach it. We already have a guy that can only hit a shot within 3 feet of the basket (Josh McRoberts) and he barely sniffs the hardwood. They might as well give him an ergonomic chair on the bench, wouldn't want him to have circulation issues.

Steve Novak - unrestricted - The Pacers already have an older version of Novak and his name is Troy Murphy. Murphy has improved his rebounding over the last few years, but Novak will always be known as the "tall kid that could hit 3-pointers when Dwyane Wade was at Marquette."

Shavlik Randolph - unrestricted - NO MORE DUKE PLAYERS! The Pacers love Duke players and I can't stand it. I dislike Duke and somehow I am tricked into liking them because they are on the Pacers. It's a cruel, cruel trick the world plays on me.

Brian Cardinal - unrestricted - Is it sad that Cardinal is 6'8 and it wouldn't surprise me if he couldn't get touch the net? He looks like he should be playing on your father's recreation league team. I don't know how he ever managed to make it in the NBA, but he has been paid very well over his career.

Chris Quinn - unrestricted - I actually wouldn't mind if the Pacers signed Quinn. He reminds me of Travis Diener and he did a decent job with the team. They need depth at point guard and I don't know if transforming Lance Stephenson into a point guard is the correct move.

Jason Williams - unrestricted - Speaking of decent point guard options, Williams would probably be the leading candidate in this bunch. I doubt he would want to play in Indiana, but I think he still has some tread on his tires. Plus, imagine if Indiana signed Joe Alexander and Williams, you would have a "Vanilla Thunder" and "White Chocolate" combo, sounds like a Blizzard at Dairy Queen.

Louis Amundson - unrestricted - Out of all these candidates, I believe Admundson could receive a Brian Cardinal-like contract from a team that fell in love with his play the last few weeks of the season. He had a productive portion of the season when Robin Lopez was banged up. The Pacers probably won't be able to afford him and I think Phoenix should probably lock him up.

Travis Diener - unrestricted - He already had his shot with the Pacers. He filled in as a nice option at the time, but clearly he wasn't in their long-term plans. Maybe he can be a minimum contract option for the Heat. He did play with Wade and Novak at Marquette with success.

Well, I know the Pacers don't have much room under the salary cap and signing a player this off-season could be a long-shot. Once they trade their expiring contracts before the deadline, they could be in need to sign cheap replacements, so these guys could end up on the team if they don't land with another team this off-season.

I can't say this enough, please, please don't sign Adam Morrison. I mean look at the guy!

McGrady Would Be Nice Fit For Bulls

The Chicago Bulls are rumored to be interested in signing Tracy McGrady. The 31-year old has been on the shelf with injuries over the last few seasons, but has shown the ability to score points in a hurry in the past. Would he accept a bench role for a chance to make it out of the first-round of the playoffs? Would he accept a a one-year, incentive based, low salary deal? Those questions are yet to be answered, but I believe he would be a nice fit on the young Bulls team.

The Bulls have been very active this off-season and they are making a push to be contenders this season. They have had the moniker of "team on the rise" over the last three seasons, but with the addition of Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, and Ronnie Brewer, they are becoming a very deep team. Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah had career years last season and they are yet to hit their prime. The Bulls know that the window for this team is a few seasons, but that could change with key injuries.

McGrady, who is still younger than his body seems to be, could mentor some of the players on the team and help them mature. He has been a leader on some very good teams, but has always fell short of making it out of the first-round. The only season in which his team made is past the first-round, was when he was injured and couldn't play. The risk of signing McGrady would be his knee. He had microfracture surgery and it usually takes two years for a player to regain his prior form or it never comes back at all. Amar'e Stoudamire had the surgery two seasons ago and he came out in 2009-10 and had a very productive year. He is a success story, but with that story come many others that aren't as positive. Chris Webber had the surgery and even though he was solid when coming back, he was never the same. Age could be to blame in Webber's case, but having the microfracture surgery couldn't have helped.

Signing a player who has a history of injuries is very risky. It usually doesn't work out and with the guaranteed contracts in the NBA, it's a chance that many GMs don't want to take. The one example of an injury-plagued player bouncing back later in his career is Grant Hill. He basically had his ankle completely reconstructed and had various other injuries when he was with the Orlando Magic. He signed a very cheap deal to resurrect his career with the Phoenix Suns and he has had a second-life with the team. I hope McGrady has the same luck, because he was such a phenomenal scorer during his prime, it would be a shame that an injury could shorten his career.

2009 Free Agents - Who Will Sign Them?

The NBA free agent period started at midnight tonight. Plenty of teams will be trying to find the pieces to put them over and make a run at the championship. Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur, and Kobe Bryant decided to stay with their teams and did not opt out of their contracts. The economy was the deciding factor with Boozer and Okur, but Bryant decided to stay because his team could end up in the NBA Finals again next season.

Here are some of the free agents that hit the market tonight at midnight.

Charlie Villanueva - He was a stud at UConn, but didn’t seem to fit in during his stays in Toronto and Milwaukee. Villanueva loves his Twitter and it could have been a reason why Scott Skiles and the Bucks decided to not offer him a contract. He will be a prized free agent for a team that need a scorer and can deal with his lack of defense. Potential Team – Cleveland Cavaliers

Rasheed Wallace - Wallace is a headcase, but he has proven that he can play, if his team is a contender. He could end up signing a one-year deal, but with his advancing age, he will be looking for security with at least a two-year deal. Potential Team - Chicago Bulls

Trevor Ariza - No one outside of UCLA alumni knew who Trevor Ariza was before the NBA Playoffs. He was acquired by the Lakers in a trade with Orlando for Brian Cook and a case of Bud Ice. Ariza can make key steals and is a much-needed motor that doesn’t stop. Potential Team – Los Angeles Lakers

Marcin Gortat - “The Polish Hammer” was another player that benefited from quality play in this year’s playoffs. Gortat replaced a suspended Dwight Howard in the Philadelphia/Magic series. He did much better than expected and many teams looking for a big man will be calling him at 12:01 AM. Potential Team – Houston Rockets

Glen Davis - A key reserve on the 2007-08 NBA Championship team, Davis continued strong play last season. When Kevin Garnett went down with an injury, Davis filled in and helped lead the team into the playoffs. He is still under-sized with a questionable jumper. Potential Team – Boston Celtics

Jason Kidd - Kidd is clearly on his last legs and will be a surefire Hall of Famer when he retires. He could help a team trying to leap from the Lottery into the playoffs. He can still run an offense effectively, but don’t expect the Jason Kidd of years past. Potential Team – New York Knicks

Grant Hill - Hill was a superstar at Duke and had an amazing first couple years in the NBA. Injuries have cost Hill a lot of playing time, but last season with Phoenix, he was an iron man. Hill can still be a factor and can help a young team with his veteran leadership. Potential Team – Portland Trail Blazers

Chris Anderson - Anderson didn’t let his colored past get in the way of his game last season. He helped the Nuggets get to the Western Conference Finals. He can do a lot of things on the floor and has qualities that every team in the NBA need. Potential Team – Denver Nuggets

Nate Robinson - He is an under-sized guard with crazy leaping ability. He is a proven scorer and can light up defenses with his quickness. A team who signs Robinson should have an established point guard, since he is not a natural point guard. He is a restricted free agent, so a team may not want to overpay for Robinson. Potential Team – New York Knicks

David Lee - Lee has the potential to be a great player in the NBA. He is a great rebounder and can score points in the paint. He plays hard and doesn’t have any other gear other than overdrive. He is also a restricted free agent, but many teams covet his skills. Potential Team – Indiana Pacers (What!? He’s a white boy who can rake. Bird loves those guys!)

Paul Millsap - The Jazz has a surplus of power forward talent on their team. He is a restricted free agent, but with Boozer and Okur staying and Andrei Kirilenko still with the Jazz, Millsap could be the odd man out. He had a break-out season last year and can be a starter on any team that signs him. Potential Team – Oklahoma City Thunder

Hedo Turkoglu - Turkoglu was the reason that the Magic made the NBA Finals. His play against Cleveland pushed the Magic into the next level. He has had struggles fitting in during his tenure with the Kings and Spurs and really seems to like playing in Orlando. Potential Team – Orlando Magic

Linas Kleiza - Kleiza was a piece of the Allen Iverson trade that sent “AI” to Denver from Philadelphia. Kleiza was considered a “throw-in” at the time, but he has improved his play and could be a contributor on nearly any team in the NBA. He could be had fairly cheap and could benefit from playing in an up-tempo offense. Potential Team – Detroit Pistons

Raymond Felton - The Bobcats have stuck by Felton, even after they pick D.J. Augustin in the draft. Felton has had a better-than-expected career in Charlotte and is a proven scorer. He was improving at point guard and could be a starter on a young team, but probably not a contender. Michael Jordan loves Felton, so it would take a large offer for Felton to blot. Potential Team – Chartlotte Bobcats

Josh Childress - Childress wasn’t pleased with the offers that he received from teams last season and didn’t want to go back to Atlanta. He spent last season in Europe and could sign with an NBA team this year. He is still a young player and he could be a star in this league. Potential Team – Boston Celtics

Ramon Sessions - Sessions went from D-League All-Star to potential future NBA star in a matter of months. When Michael Redd went down last season, the Bucks were in need of points and Sessions delivered. He is young, 23 years old, and could be had with a mid-level exemption. Potential Team – Memphis Grizzlies

Hedo Turkoglu: Prized Free-Agent?

Why is Hedo Turkoglu smiling? Well, he played his way into a possible new, huge contract. "The Jordan of Turkey" didn't take very long to opt out of his contract and test free agency. Trevor Ariza and Turkoglu could be the two best free agents out there this year. They weren't considered in the top 10 possible free-agents before the beginning of the year, Ariza wasn't even in the top 30.

Turkoglu started out very slow this year, but turned it on in both the Boston series and in Cleveland. He could very well re-sign with Orlando for a major contract, a very smart choice, or could a pretender turn into a playoff team with the signing of Turkoglu? Here are some teams that could turn their fortunes around.

Indiana Pacers - This would be my personal choice, but I don't think that the Pacers have a shot. Turkoglu's old running mate, Peja Stojakovic did very poorly in Indiana and doesn't have many pleasant memories of his time there. He does fit Larry Bird's mold. He's tall, can shoot the 3, and he's white. I don't think Lary Legend has a penchant for the European players, but he would look good next to Danny Granger.

Phoenix Suns - If the Suns trade Shaq for Ben Wallace and Pavlovic, they should offer Wallace a buyout, let him retire, and sign Turkoglu. He is a better shooter than Pavlovic and can spread the floor. I would love him in Phoenix.

Chicago Bulls - The Bulls will lose Ben Gordan and probably Hinrich soon. They need another shooter and Turkoglu can do everything those guys can, but he can start and play 40 minutes a game.

Oklahoma City Thunder - The Thunder could have a huge turnaround if they get Rubio in the draft. Turkoglu to go along with Durant and Westbrook would look like a possible playoff team in maybe two seasons. Would Turkoglu want to wait? OKC definitely has the cap room to afford a nice free agent.

New York Knicks - I don't think the Knicks have the cap space to pull this off, but D'Antoni would like to add an experienced playoff veteran to his team. He would do well in the fast-paced system and he loves to shoot the ball. He could be the piece the Knicks need to make the playoffs.

Hedo Turkoglu should re-sign with the Magic. After his stint with Sacramento, he was a free agent and signed with San Antonio. He didn't do very well there and got lost in the rotation. He needs to choose his next team wisely and not go after money, but try to find the team where he would fit in the best. On the right team, he could be the piece to put a team over and make a playoff run.