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The Cleveland Cavaliers are actively shopping Larry Hughes to other teams now.

Bad Fit

When general manager Danny Ferry signed free agent Larry Hughes in the summer of 2005, he was hoping for a player that would be the perfect complement for LeBron James.

Thus far, that has not been the case.

Head coach Mike Brown has experimented with a few different roles for Larry Hughes. He’s even tried pushing a square block into a round hole by utilizing Larry Hughes as the team’s starting point guard. His ballhandling skills are good enough for the job, but you take away his aggressive nature on offense by requiring him to focus on setting up his teammates first.

Larry Hughes is a slasher who can handle the ball. That’s basically two of the same skills that LeBron James excels at. A better partner for LeBron James would be someone that can shoot the ball from the outside and can play defense. Someone like Richard Hamilton would be perfect, but we all know it’s not going to be easy to pry him away from the Detroit Pistons.

So, Larry Hughes is a bad fit with the Cleveland Cavaliers. That doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll be a bad fit on another team.

Good Fit

There’s a handful of teams in the league where Larry Hughes may be a good fit.

Every time there’s a trade rumor, the Los Angeles Lakers are usually involved. However, with Larry Hughes, this one actually makes sense. If the Los Angeles Lakers ever decided to concentrate on playing the triangle offense again, then Larry Hughes would be a good fit. His ability to slash would make him a threat in the offense. Plus, he has experience playing with a superstar wing player, so he should be able to transition himself into being a teammate of Kobe Bryant.

With injuries to Mike Bibby and Kevin Martin, the Sacramento Kings could use some backcourt help right now. Then again, there are talks that the franchise is looking to rebuild with fresh faces, so Larry Hughes could fill that spot. He might not be a franchise player, but he can be a solid #2 guy.

Another team that might be a good fit for Larry Hughes is the New Orleans Hornets. His slashing style should be a good complement for Peja Stojakovic’s outside shooting. He can also help Chris Paul with some ballhandling duties.

An interesting combination for the Miami Heat would be a backcourt tandem of Dwayne Wade and Larry Hughes. Both players are similar in that they’re natural shooting guards that can both swing over to the point guard spots. If they were able to share those duties together as interchangeable parts, then that might be the weapon that helps turn things around in Miami.

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On Dislay The Cleveland Cavaliers have begun utilizing Larry Hughes as a starter again. The general consensus is that the franchise wants to put the guard on display to increase interest from other teams. He’s taken over the starting point guard spot from Daniel Gibson. Kind of interesting that he would start at point guard instead of shooting guard. Logic states that it would be best to put Larry Hughes at his natural position, but Danny Ferry could be showcasing him as a point guard because a lot more teams are looking for point guards right now. Larry Hughes has been in the game long enough to understand how things work. He knows that if he really wants to leave the team, then it’d be in his best interest to play the point well enough to raise his stock.

Closing Thoughts

General managers make mistakes all the time. Danny Ferry can fix his mistake by trading away Larry Hughes.

As the team continues to struggle, the Chicago Bulls have fired head coach Scott Skiles.

Mentally Distracted

The Chicago Bulls are a talented team. In fact, they were one of the few teams with enough talent to generate interest from the Los Angeles Lakers when they were looking around to trade Kobe Bryant.

On paper, this is essentially the same team that went into the playoffs last year.

Of course, that’s on paper. On the court and in the locker room, it’s an entirely different team.

Center Ben Wallace has lost everything that made him into a defensive force; he’s lost his heart, desire, and passion. It’s gotten to the point now where the majority of fans believe that he’s overpaid and overrated.

Guard Ben Gordon and forward Luol Deng appear to be disappointed by the fact that neither guy received the contract extensions they were looking for. Both Scott Skiles and general manager John Paxson have publicly voiced their concerns about how the two players have been playing without that extra intensity.

Younger players like guard Thabo Sefolosha and forward Tyrus Thomas have clashed with Scott Skiles, who does have a reputation of not being the friendliest coach when it comes to rookies. Highly touted rookie forward Joakim Noah has yet to earn his way into a bigger part of the team’s rotation.

Even Scott Skiles himself has been distracted. When his players began giving up on him, he began giving up on them as well. Scott Skiles is an honest coach, and he has admitted that he may not be the right coach for this team. Management may have taken that as a sign that it was time to replace him.

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Opportunity Knocks Despite what happened with the Phoenix Suns and the Chicago Bulls, Scott Skiles will still be a hot commodity for teams looking to fill their head coaching spots. There are those that believe that Pat Riley may be close to stepping aside as the head coach. If he does, Scott Skiles might be the perfect candidate to replace him. Pat Riley is a big fan of Scott Skiles’ coaching style. If the New York Knicks finally get rid of Isiah Thomas (like the thousands of fans at Madison Square Garden have been asking for on a nightly basis), then a strict coach like Scott Skiles may be the answer. Chances are, Scott Skills will be back in coaching again soon.

Closing Thoughts

Don’t feel too bad for Scott Skiles. It was a situation that wasn’t exactly great for everyone involved. Besides, he can take some time off before looking for his next job because he should still get about $7 million from the Chicago Bulls.

The Portland Trail Blazers are quietly on a 10 game winning streak right now.

The Rise of Roy

As Brandon Roy improves, so have the Portland Trail Blazers.

In November, he put up solid numbers in 17.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists a game. However, that was only good enough to lead the team to 5 wins and 10 losses. In December, a fire was lit under Brandon Roy as he decided to improve on those numbers. He upped his averages to 21.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.6 assists. The improvement has allowed him to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to win 10 games (and losing only 1) in the entire month of December.

During the 10 game winning streak, Brandon Roy has led the team in scoring the majority of the time. He’s also led the team in assists the majority of the time as well. To complete the trifecta, there’s been a handful of games where Brandon Roy has led the team in scoring, assists, and rebounds.

The best part about the team’s recent success, though, has been the fact that Brandon Roy has shown tremendous leadership by taking over more of the playmaking responsibilities for the team. He’s still getting his points, but now, he’s spending a lot more energy looking to set up his teammates. That unselfish play has inspired his teammates to play with more energy and hustle.

That kind of improvement doesn’t show up in the box scores, but it does show up in the standings.

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The Rise of the Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers began December 7 games below .500. Things were looking bad as they had lost 9 out of the previous 10 games. Then came the 10 game winning streak, which has allowed the team to move back into the playoff hunt (they’re currently at #8). The team is now 3 games above .500. They also have a lot more confidence and momentum. They’re still a young team, so another collapse is possible. However, it’s streaks like these that give the players and the fans something to get excited about. Heck, it’s even got Joel Przybilla playing a little bit better. The big man has been showing a little more aggressiveness with rebounding. It’s almost time to start chanting “Trade Greg Oden!” Well, Joel Przybilla hasn’t improved THAT much.

Closing Thoughts

Now that they’ve built up some momentum, the Portland Trail Blazers actually have a shot at making the playoffs without Greg Oden.

The San Antonio Spurs have decided to honor Avery Johnson’s contributions to their team by retiring his jersey number.

The Numbers Lie

For his career, Avery Johnson has averages of 8.4 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists a game.

He also averaged 25.3 minutes a game, which is a lot less than the typical NBA starter plays.

Of all the numbers, though, the most interesting one is 6. That’s how many teams Avery Johnson has played for. In his NBA career, Avery Johnson has made several stops (sometimes more than once) in Seattle, Denver, San Antonio, Dallas, Golden State, and Houston. In fact, Avery Johnson could possibly be the only NBA player to have ever played for all three Texas teams.

Avery Johnson’s best season was in 1995 with the San Antonio Spurs. He average 13.1 points and 9.6 assists a game. Those are pretty impressive numbers, but when compared to the Hall of Fame players, they don’t particularly stand out. Actually, that’s the best way to describe Avery Johnson’s career. He’s solid, but he doesn’t stand out.

San Antonio Spurs White Tonal Flex Hat

Well Deserved When the 5′11″ guard out of Southern University entered the NBA, many were simply predicting that Avery Johnson would become a journey backup guard. Critics thought he’d be lucky to stay on a team for more than a season. During the early parts of his career, it appeared like that the path that Avery Johnson was heading. He went from team to team without much stability. That is, until he joined the San Antonio Spurs. Well, this 3rd stint with the team was where he finally found a home. During his 3rd stint with the San Antonio Spurs, Avery Johnson’s natural born leadership skills took over and he became an extension of head coach Gregg Popovich. He formed a bond with David Robinson (and later Tim Duncan) both on the court and off the court.

Ceremony

Former San Antonio Spurs forward Sean Elliott and center David Robinson were both on hand to give speeches at the ceremony. Both players played with Avery Johnson, and they all still remain close friends.

Avery Johnson joins his two friends (along with James Silas, Johnny Moore, and George Gervin) as the only players to have had their jerseys retired by the San Antonio Spurs.

Texas governor Rick Perry was also on hand to give a speech.

Closing Thoughts

Sports fans who put too much of an emphasis on stats might not understand it, but we absolutely believe that Avery Johnson deserves this honor.

The Atlanta Falcons have set their target on Marty Schottenheimer to become the next head coach for their team.

Perfect Candidate

Team owner Arthur Blank knows that he needs a big name head coach or executive to help rebuild his tormented franchise.

The Atlanta Falcons and their fans have been faced with quite a bit of anguish this past year. Star quarterback Michael Vick was sent to prison. To make things even worse, head coach Bobby Petrino just walks out on the franchise like the spineless coward that he is.

There’s been so much bad news this year for them. Some good news would surely be welcomed.

The good news could come in the form of Marty Schottenheimer returning to the league to take over th reigns.

Marty Schottenheimer has plenty of credentials as a head coach. He would instantly command respect from the players, bringing stability and leadership to them.

There’s already talks of Marty Schottenheimer bringing in Buddy Knix to become the team’s new general manager. Buddy Knix is currently the assistant general manager for the San Diego Chargers. He’s always had a great relationship with Marty Schottenheimer both on the field and off the field.

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Denial Right now, denial has been the flavor of choice for the former head coach of the San Diego Chargers. Marty Schottenheimer has been telling everyone that he has not been contacted by the Atlanta Falcons. He’s also downplaying his desire to return to coaching. If you factor in the fact that Marty Schottenheimer is such a competitor, you would know that deep down, he’s itching to return. He’s also itching to prove the San Diego Chargers were wrong in firing him after a 14-2 season. It’s also not a rare thing for coaches and executives to downplay a potential hiring. It keeps the media and the fans from getting overly hyped up.

Closing Thoughts

After missing out on signing Bill Parcells (as vice president) and Bill Cowher (as head coach), the Atlanta Falcons should be able to recover if they can sign Marty Schottenheimer.

Amare Stoudemire’s trade value is high right now, and it wouldn’t be a complete shock to see the Phoenix Suns trade him this season.

The Numbers

It’s only been about a month since Amare Stoudemire turned 25 years old. He’s an amazing athlete in an amazing body (6′10″, 250).

He’s currently averaging 20.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks a game right now. That’s a lot more than what a lot of teams get from their interior players.

Plus, Amare Stoudemire provides excitement. He throws down plenty of crowd pleasing dunks every game. Those types of plays help to fill up the arenas.

At $13.7 million, he’s well worth the money.

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Why Phoenix Should Trade HimAmare Stoudemire is a good player who can sometime be great. He’s still young, and he might eventually develop himself into a consistently great player.However, the Phoenix Suns are a team that needs greatness now. It’s no secret that the Phoenix Suns are built around Steve Nash and his incredible skill set. He can do things on a basketball court that most other players can only imagine. The thing, though, is that he’s only got a couple of years left to be able to do those things at a high level. While his scoring is a nice luxury for the team to have, they’d much rather have Amare Stoudemire focus more on the defensive end of the court. They need him to be able to contain the like of Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, Yao Ming and Carlos Boozer a bit better. No one is expecting him to shut them down, but it would be nice if he can contain them better.

Why Phoenix Should Keep Him

For all of his defensive deficiencies, Amare Stoudemire is still a valuable player.

Plus, his defensive issues are all mental. He’s got the size and athleticism to be a dominant interior defender. He just needs to learn to make defense a higher priority.

If the Phoenix Suns decide to keep him, then they really should try hard to find another big man to complement him defensively. Ironically, the team had a player that was a great fit, but Kurt Thomas was traded to the Seattle Supersonics earlier this year. Management made the trade because of luxury tax purposes, but it ended up affecting the team a lot more than they had planned.

Closing Thoughts

The Phoenix Suns need to mortgage a big piece of the future now so they can bring in their first NBA championship.

There have been some changes in the offseason in 2007 Major League Baseball and this has created some great rotations that could equal the pitching staff of the Atlanta Braves back in the 90’s consisting of Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz. The big three were all ace pitchers and good pitchers were added throughout the years like Kevin Millwood and Jason Schmidt. There are a few teams who have made some trades and free agents signings to develop a rotation with at least 3 that are very capable of winning more than 10 wins during the season. Read the rest of this entry »

The Miami Dolphins have hired legendary coach Bill Parcells to take over their football team.

Executive Vice President of Football Operations

To squash the misconception that he’s no longer dedicated to the franchise, Miami Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga made the blockbuster move to sign Bill Parcells to become his new Executive Vice President of Football Operations.

According to Wayne Huizenga, that title means that Bill Parcells will be in charge of everything football related for his embattled franchise. The only person that Bill Parcells has to report to is Wayne Huizenga himself.

Credibility

It’s a credit to Bill Parcells’ greatness that very few people are questioning whether or not he’ll succeed as a vice president.

While it’s true that he’s never held the position before, he does understand the game of football. He’s been a great manager as a head coach. His desire, knowledge, and personality are strong enough where he’s worth the risk for the Miami Dolphins.

It’s not as big of a risk as most people believe that it is. The Atlanta Falcons were ready to sign Bill Parcells for a similar position as well earlier this week. There’s probably even a few other NFL franchises that would have taken the risk as well.

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Will He Coach? The first question that comes to mind is whether or not Bill Parcells will end up coaching the team. If we had to take a guess, we believe that he won’t coach the team unless his new head coach falters.Chances are, Cam Cameron will be gone. He’s a fine coach (he’s better than his head coaching record states), but unfortunately, he’s not one of Bill Parcells’ people. More than likely, the new vice president is going to bring in a coach that has worked under him before. At the very least, he’ll want to appoint a coach that his choice as opposed to inheriting one. Bill Parcells may opt to hire one of his many former assistants who doesn’t have any experience as an NFL head coach. That way, he can still have plenty of feedback into the game plan.

Closing Thoughts

If you’ve bet against Bill Parcells turning around a franchise in the past, then you’ve lost every time. He’s wearing a different hat this time around, but we still wouldn’t bet against him.

Alonzo Mourning’s career might be over after tearing his patella tendon on Wednesday night.

The Injury

When Atlanta Hawks rookie guard Mario West went for a layup, he glanced over and saw Alonzo Mourning in his path. For any young player, that’s both an honor and one hell of an intimidating sight. There you are, nervous as a rookie, trying to score against one of the best defensive centers to have ever stepped foot on an NBA court.

Well, Mario West is always going to remember this play for another reason. This was the play that might have ended Alonzo Mourning’s career.

Alonzo Mourning’s knees basically just gave out on him. As he was attempted to jump up to defend the ball, he knees buckled. There wasn’t any contact from Mario West at all.

In his illustrious NBA career, Alonzo Mourning has blocked 2,356 shots. He’s also contested thousands of shots more than that. When he stepped over to contest Mario West’s shot, he probably didn’t think anything of it. After he felt the pain in his leg, Alonzo Mourning had plenty to think about.

It’s Over

As his teammate was helping him get up to leave the court, Alonzo Mourning kept muttering, “It’s over. It’s over.”

He knew immediately that it was a serious injury. He also knew deep down that this was probably his last game ever in the NBA.

With that in mind, Alonzo Mourning flat out refused to be stretchered out. Medical personnel actually had the former Georgetown star already on the stretcher. With the same pride and determination that has led to him being one of the best centers of his era, Alonzo Mourning rose up and walked away (albeit very slowly) from the court and the game.

Just like any other proud athlete, Alonzo Mourning doesn’t want his last moment in the game to be on a stretcher. Years from now, he wants to look back and know that he walked away from the game as opposed to being carried away.

Alonzo Mourning came close to retiring during the offseason, but changed his mind. Obviously, this wasn’t what he had in mind for his final season. At least, he gets to walk away with an NBA championship ring in his possession. He wasn’t just along for the ride either. He was a valuable contributor to the championship team.

Closing Thoughts

Is there was a sports genie in this world, then we’d definitely ask that one of our wish be for Alonzo Mourning to be able to finish the season.