Month: March 2018

Offseason Trade Ideas That Would Trigger NBA Fanbases

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Let’s get hypothetically bent out of shape.

The NBA offseason is, in sum, a mess of the unpredictable. Every year, without fail, big-time moves go down no one foresaw.
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Certain developments aren’t slap-you-in-the-face surprising or universally controversial, even when they’re considered long shots. Gordon Hayward didn’t catch anyone completely off guard by choosing the Boston Celtics over the Utah Jazz. Ditto for Paul Millsap when he took his mixed bag of tricks to the Denver Nuggets cheap youth nfl jerseysaae46e188fe15ed5aa0b6c9aca671153_crop_exact.

Blockbuster trades are a different beast. Some aren’t total shockers—Paul George being dealt from the Indiana Pacers, for instance. Others are truly disarming. nfl youth jerseys cheap

Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets. Kyrie Irving to the Celtics. These deals were stunning. They came, for the most part, out of nowhere. They incited feelz. They obliterated pre-existing notions. They incensed fans.

Now, more than a half-year later, they will be the baseline for our make-believe blockbusters.youth nfl jerseys cheap

All of these deals are deliberately ambitious. They’re aimed at drawing the ire of everyone involved. That doesn’t mean they’re terrible. There will be a clear path for each of the primary subjects to reach the trade block. That route to relocation is neither inevitable nor being endorsed here. But it exists.youth nfl jerseys

Every pretend idea will be accompanied by hard-feelings slants from each side, with a few additional bonus offshoots sprinkled in for good measure. Just so we’re clear: This isn’t a class in “Why Team X would say no.”

It’s more like a “Why Fanbase Y would be riled up in the aftermath of this trade.”nfl youth jerseys

Griffin to miss at least next 3, but no major injury counts as a win for Pistons

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The news on Blake Griffin’s ankle could have been better. But given the experiences the Pistons have had with ankles this year, it could have been a whole lot worse, too.
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The MRI test on Griffin’s right ankle revealed a bone bruise. He’ll be re-evaluated in a week. But unless the re-evaluation turns up something entirely unexpected, the Pistons will count that as a win.

In a season where Jon Leuer’s sprained ankle suffered in the season’s eighth game knocked him out for the season and Reggie Jackson’s sprained ankle in late December cost him nearly half the season, forgive Stan Van Gundy if he went to bed fearing the worst Thursday.griffin_800_180330

“It’s disappointing, but at least there’s nothing major there,” he said after Friday’s practice.nfl cheap nike jerseys

Griffin’s injury came when he took a charge from Julius Randle in Monday’s win over the Lakers.

“Julius Randle fell on his leg,” Van Gundy said. “I didn’t notice it in the game, either. I had to go back and watch it, but that’s what happened.”

Leuer was guarding Randle on Oct. 31 when the Pistons played at new nike nfl jerseys for sale cheap  Los Angeles when he suffered his ankle injury, which eventually ended his season when Leuer opted for January surgery to remove bone fragments that lodged in ankle ligaments.

“Yup. It’s been tough,” Van Gundy said of the crazy bad luck with ankles the Pistons have endured this season. They were 19-14 when Jackson went down and they’re 4-1 since he returned, but are now five games out of the final playoff spot with only seven games left. “You just deal with it and move on.cheap wholesale nike nfl jerseys  The silver lining is Henry (Ellenson) gets some minutes here earlier than expected in games that are still pretty meaningful.”

Griffin’s diagnosis means he’ll miss at least the next three games – cheap nfl nike jerseys free shipping the weekend back to back in New York against the Knicks and Nets and Wednesday’s home game with Philadelphia. After that?

“The last four, we’ll see where he is,” Van Gundy said. “cheap nike jerseys nfl There’s just no way of knowing on that. It’s a matter of the swelling going down and everything else. A week’s a long time.”

Buffalo Bills: Not Making a Move for a QB

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The Bills traded away former starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor at the start of free agency, meaning they’ll be searching for a new signal-caller to build around. Even after adding AJ McCarron, Buffalo will likely look for a franchise quarterback in this year’s draft.cheap replica nfl jerseys

Due to the demand at the position, Buffalo may be forced to trade up to secure one of the top four or five signal-callers. The Bills have already made one move by sending tackle Cordy Glenn to the Cincinnati Bengals and swapping first-round picks. They now select 12th overall.aa963b1c57a0e2825a7f73585253fef9_crop_exact

But the Jets have traded up to the third overall pick, virtually guaranteeing that two quarterbacks will be gone by that selection—the Browns nfl replica jersey virtually have to take one at No. 1 now. With the Broncos still ahead of Buffalo and the Cardinals a threat to trade above them, the Bills must make another move to get one of their top targets.

The Browns’ second first-round pick, No. 4 overall, may be an enticing target. According to sportscaster Dan Patrick (h/t Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan), Buffalo has called about getting the No. 1 pick from the Browns.

Since the Bills have already made moves to be able to trade up for nfl replica jerseys china a quarterback, they need to complete the task. That may require doing business with the Giants at No. 2 to get ahead of the Jets, especially if the Browns take one of Buffalo’s top two guys at No. 1.replica nfl jerseys wholesale

If the Giants decide to grab a signal-caller at No. 2, then the Bills will need to replica nfl jerseys china reevaluate their strategy because going all-in on a fourth or fifth choice at QB would be foolish. However, Buffalo should do everything it can to get its franchise signal-caller.

Atlanta Falcons: Bypassing a Pass-Catcher

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The Atlanta Falcons have one of the league’s top wide receivers in Julio Jones. They also have one of the NFL’s best No. 2 receivers in Mohamed Sanu. Wide receiver doesn’t stand out as a need, but it’s a position the Falcons cannot afford to ignore.nfl youth jerseys cheap

Taylor Gabriel was Atlanta’s No. 3 receiver over the last two seasons, but he joined the Chicago Bears this offseason. This leaves the Falcons without a high-end receiver to fill the role.

Justin Hardy would likely be Atlanta’s No. 3 receiver. He’s shown promise, but he’s also never caught more than 21 passes in a season. He had 20 catches for 221 yards and three touchdowns last season.
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The Falcons don’t have to use their first-round pick (26th overall) on a wide receiver, though if they want one of youth nfl jerseys the draft’s top pass-catchers—like Alabama’s Calvin Ridley or SMU’s Courtland Sutton—they may have to.

Atlanta has bigger needs. It could use help on the interior defensive line and at safety. Adding a premier guard prospect would also be a smart move. If the Falcons want to regain the offensive explosiveness they enjoyed under Kyle Shanahan, however, adding a quality replacement for Gabriel would be wise.

Adding a pass-catcher needs to be a priority for the Baltimore Ravens. Four o youth nfl jerseys cheap f Baltimore’s top five receivers from last season—Ben Watson, Mike Wallace, Jeremy Maclin and Danny Woodhead—are gone. While the Ravens added Michael Crabtree and John Brown this offseason, the team’s receiving corps won’t keep defensive coordinators up at night.

Unfortunately, this draft class isn’t heavy on top-end receiving talent.cheap nfl youth jerseys

“This class has a few specialists, from slot receivers to big red zone threats, so it’s a draft to find No. 2 receivers or role players more than it is a draft to find a game-changing No. 1 option,” Pro Football Focus’ Steve Palazzolo recently wrote.

Baltimore shouldn’t shrug its shoulders and ignore the receiver position, nfl replica jerseys cheap though. Adding a high-end slot receiver could strengthen its rebuilding passing attack.

Adding a quality pass-catching tight end like Penn State’s Mike Gesicki could also help the Ravens. Tight ends Nick Boyle and Maxx Williams combined for just 289 receiving yards last season.

Golden State Warriors: Health, Health, Health

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Stephen Curry suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his first game back from nursing an ankle injury that will sideline him through at least the first round of the playoffs. And head coach Steve Kerr doesn’t seem too concerned about it. custom nfl jerseys cheap

“Regular season or playoffs,” he said, per the Bay Area News Group’s Melissa Rohlin, “we can beat anybody in the league without Steph.”

Good point. Probably. Maybe. But what about beating a first-round opponent without Curry and another All-Star? Or two?customized nfl jerseys cheap

Golden State’s daily injury reports have recently read like a nightmare scenario come to life. Kevin Durant is recovering from a rib cartilage fracture. Draymond Green is on the shelf with a hip injury and illness; he’s now unlocked the “variety of issues” truancy designation.hi-res-b8be81f7296c754469718a0271334bc5_crop_exact

Klay Thompson is expected to return from a broken right thumb at the beginning of April, but any sort of fracture on the shooting hand can hardly be considered an afterthought. Omri Casspi is coping with a sprained ankle. On the semi-bright side: Patrick McCaw is back from his broken wrist. Woo-hoo!

Maybe everyone not named Wardell will be ready to rock by the start of the postseason. That doesn’t entirely immunize the Warriors against concern. Their first-round opponent won’t be a pushover, and as Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey pointed out, they’re a net minus when playing without Curry against the Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves.custom nfl jerseys

Potentially telltale still: Since Jan. 1, the Warriors are getting outscored by nearly two points per 100 possessions when Durant, Green and Thompson wage battle minus their megastar floor general.

That tide can easily turn. These three were a plus-6.5 per 100 possessions on their own beforehand, and Golden State’s playoff switch is real. Plus, this isn’t 2016. The Warriors have a workaround if Curry is less than himself upon return. His name is Kevin Durant.customized nfl jerseys

Except, what happens if he’s not right? What if Thompson’s form and accuracy is impacted ever so slightly by his thumb? What if Green’s hip problems flare up later on, or if his annual postseason shooting uptick breaks tradition?

The Warriors already face a genuine threat to their throne at full strength. nfl custom jerseys cheap The Rockets have earned that much respect. Facing off against them in the Western Conference Finals with their own nucleus compromised in any capacity opens the door for disaster. And that’s assuming a could-be shorthanded or could-be underperforming Warriors squad doesn’t get thrown by the surging Blazers, Kawhi-clad Spurs or forever-feisty Jazz before then.

Boston Celtics: Kyrie Irving’s Knee

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Kyrie Irving’s “minimally invasive” left knee procedure could wind up having an outsized impact on the Boston Celtics’ postseason hopes.nfl wholesale jerseys

A three- to six-week timetable doesn’t guarantee his return before the end of the first round, let alone the start of the playoffs altogether. And if he’s unable to suit up, the Celtics face the prospect of an immediate exit.

It doesn’t matter that they have the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed. Possible matchups with the Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Wizards (assuming John Wall returns) have close-call potential even if the Celtics are at full capacity.nfl jerseys from china

Remove Irving from the equation, and Boston may forfeit favorite status in any one of those hypothetical series.hi-res-8404aaa811b07d5cb78f5f7d71285c00_crop_exact

Indeed, the Celtics have shown they can survive without Irving. Al Horford continues to headline units that outscore opponents by 9.7  official nfl jerseys cheap points per 100 possessions whenever he plays without the All-Star point man. And the defense remains sturdy in the time rookie Jayson Tatum logs on his own.

But generating consistent offense without Irving is a chore the Celtics aren’t fit to complete in a playoff setting. They score like a bottom-three attack when he’s on the bench and don’t have a proven face-up alpha on which to lean in crunch time.

Tatum will be that player one day, just not now. Ditto for Jaylen Brown. Horford can helm an offense by himself for 43 minutes or so, but he’s not the from-scratch dribble-driver needed to excel with the game on the line. (Most big men aren’t, by the way. Boston is lucky Horford is nimble and effective at pump-and-drives from above the break.)reebok nfl jerseys

The Celtics have turned to Irving during high-pressure moments accordingly.

Among the 328 players to make at least five crunch-time appearances, only LeBron James has a higher usage rate or averages more shot attempts per 36 minutes. And just as the Cavaliers would have no way of offsetting his absence, the Celtics don’t have the experience, one-on-one maestros or healthy 6’8″nfl authentic jerseys  All-Star safety nets to last without him.

Jacksonville Jaguars: The Return of Bad Blake Bortles

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The Jacksonville Jaguars finished one game away from their first Super Bowl trip in franchise history in 2017. That had far more to do with the NFL’s best defense and a punishing ground game than anything Blake Bortles did with his arm.

The 25-year-old did more damage with his legs than his arm in a playoff win over Buffalo, and he was uneven against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, Bortles played well enough against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game that the Jaguars re-upped him on a three-year, $54 million deal.nike jersey nfl cheap

Whether that deal turns out to be a bargain or a bust depends on which Bortles shows up in 2018.

Get the quarterback who completed over 70 percent of his passes for 326 yards in a Week 15 blowout of the Texans, and the Jaguars can beat any team in the NFL. With that stifling defense and Leonard Fournette cheap youth nfl jerseysrunning the ball, Jacksonville could represent the AFC in Super Bowl LIII.hi-res-b021a12c709b878e78ae6256857fcc8c_crop_exact

But if the Jaguars get the Bortles who threw three interceptions the following week in San Francisco or the player who struggled with accuracy against the Bills and Steelers, the team will fall far short of Super Bowl contention.

For a quarterback with a career completion percentage of 59.1 nfl replica jerseys cheap and 64 interceptions across his 62 career regular-season games, it’s all about accuracy and turnovers.youth nfl jerseys cheap

First, the Chiefs traded up in the 2017 NFL draft to acquire the Texas Tech star, which cost them their first-round pick this year. Then, despite winning the AFC West last year, another postseason disappointment led them to flip Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins for cornerback Kendall Fuller and a third-round pick.

This offseason, the Chiefs added wide receiver Sammy Watkins to an offense that already featured wideout Tyreek Hill, tight end Travis Kelce and tailback Kareem Hunt. It’s Mahomes’ time now, and Chiefs GM Brett Veach believes he’s ready, per Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News.

“From the day Patrick stepped on the field, in the rookie minicamp, the OTAs, the training camps, youth nfl jerseys he has always ‘wowed’ us,” Veach said. “He has a lot to learn yet. I think he grew tremendously. But having watched him day in and day out, take to the studying, take to working on his craft, he did a good job.”

Mahomes looked good in his lone start last year against the Denver Broncos,nfl youth jerseys  but drawing grand conclusions from one Week 17 start is a fool’s errand. And given the team’s defensive deficiencies, Kansas City will be counting on the young quarterback to win more than a few shootouts.

Indianapolis Colts: All Out of Luck

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We’ve already seen what the worst-case scenario looks like for the Indianapolis Colts. It looks a lot like the organization insisting that star quarterback Andrew Luck is “fine” as days turns into weeks turn into months.

That was the story in 2017, as shoulder surgery ended up sidelining cheap wholesale nike nfl jerseys Luck for the entire season.

It’s been well over a year since Luck had surgery on his right shoulder, and he still hasn’t thrown a football since. However, Colts general manager Chris Ballard continued to sound optimistic about Luck’s availability for offseason workouts during a recent appearance on The Grady and Big Joe Show on 1070 The Fan, according to Matt Danely of Stampede Blue.

“We’ll ease him along,” Ballard said. “I mean, he’s in a great place right now, but we’ll ease him along. He’ll be involved, he wants to be with his teammates, he wants to be involved in the offense. He was just in town this cheap nfl nike jerseys free shipping last weekend for four days. It was great to see him, he looks great.”hi-res-873ad81d0a835908a13bd7ca449bd7fb_crop_exact

Per The Adam Schefter Podcast, Ballard went one step further, giving April 9 as the magic day that Luck will start participating in offseason workouts.cheap nike jerseys nfl

Of course, that doesn’t mean he’ll throw. Or that he’s close to being able to play. We’ve reached the point now where you can believe Andrew Luck will play quarterback again when you see him in a game.

The worst-case scenario is here for Indy, and there’s no getting around it.cheap nfl jerseys from china nike

2014-15 James Harden, Houston Rockets

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Harden was a phenomenal offensive threat during his third go-round as the Houston Rockets’ unabashed leader. He constantly made trips to the charity stripe to supplement the turnovers and missed step-backs accumulated during live action.

But a career-high 4.2 of his win shares came on the defensive end, he earned a nfl jerseys cheap wholesale  positive defensive box plus/minus (DBPM) and his score in ESPN.com’s defensive real plus/minus (DRPM) left him behind only 23 of his fellow 2-guards.

Until this year, his two-way efforts in 2014-15 served as the highest level he’d ever reached nfl jersey cheap wholesale . 24e6687ee5ab5904e28064d0f23ba67d_crop_exact

Was this a dream season for Hakeem Olajuwon? You better believe it.

The big man was thoroughly dominant on both ends of the floor, leading his Houston Rockets to a 55-27 record, though eventually fell to the Seattle SuperSonics in the second round of the postseason. Not only did he win Defensive Player of the Year by jumping passing lanes, rejecting players who dared enter his domain and anchoring the league’s third-ranked defense, but he still found time to compete for a scoring title.

No player on the Rockets averaged more points per game, with Vernon Maxwell’s 13.8 coming closest to Olajuwon’s 26.1. No player on the Rockets averaged more rebounds per game, with Otis Thorpe’s 8.2 coming closest to Olajuwon’s 13.0. No player on the Rockets averaged more steals per game,nfl jerseys wholesale cheap  with Maxwell’s 1.2 coming closest to Olajuwon’s 1.8. No player on the Rockets averaged more blocks per game, with Robert Horry’s 1.1 coming closest to Olajuwon’s 4.2.

Kenny Smith and Maxwell prevented Olajuwon’s assist tally from completing the wholesale cheap nfl jerseys clean sweep in major per-game stats, but that shouldn’t distract from his all-around dominance. The big man could simply do it all, and Houston routinely basked in his two-way excellence as he carried it to one victory after another.authentic nfl jerseys cheap wholesale

2002-03 Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves

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Advanced Metrics: 26.4 PER, 15.6 WS, 553.15 TPA

Kevin Garnett did everything for the Minnesota Timberwolves—a conclusion that can be reached by looking at more than his standard or pace-adjusted per-game numbers. He contributed in every area imaginable replica nfl jersey for a squad that went 51-31, and reached a level about which none of his teammates could even hope to dream.

Just take a gander at Minnesota’s top finishes in NBA Math’s TPA that season: replica nfl jerseys wholesale

Kevin Garnett, 553.15
Wally Szczerbiak, 49.21
Rasho Nesterovic, 31.32
Gary Trent, minus-2.34
Reggie Slater, minus-5.13hi-res-21ab593f94c47f92002d2a18069c2680_crop_exact

That’s it. Three players in the positives. The rest of his teammates combined to accumulate minus-277.09 TPA, and Garnett still dragged them to a first-round playoff matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Though the power forward got even better during his MVP-winning follow-up to these exploits, his work in 2002-03 nike replica nfl jerseys still shouldn’t be overlooked. He was the definition of a one-man team, and his endeavors often yielded positive results.

Players at this age aren’t supposed to dominate.

But a 34-year-old Karl Malone still submitted the best non-MVP season of his career—one that’s been topped by only a dozen players throughout all of NBA history. Of those 12, only Hakeem Olajuwon was in his 30s, and he celebrated the big three-oh during the relevant campaign. For that matter, a 31-year-old Larry Bird is the only player to appear thus far on the wrong end of the milestone age.

Father Time couldn’t hold Malone back.

A physical specimen (as always), the power forward bullied his way past opponents on a regular basis. He showed off his vision by dishing out a pace-adjusted 4.3 assists per game, and his pick-and-roll prowess alongside John Stockton helped lead to a 62-20 record and another matchup against the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals. nfl jersey replica

Michael Jordan got the better of Malone, both in the Finals and the MVP race, but the Salt Lake City star still held his own in both situations against his fellow nfl jerseys replica  veteran.