By Guest Blogger John Manuel:

Supreme Court is back in session.  Justices have taken their seats and are ready to tackle today’s sports issues.  Here are the justices again.

The Matzie
Bob
Vic Vinegar
Gib
Stinger

Question 1:
Were you tired of the Melo trade talks and is the NBA getting ridiculous with all the players heading to 3 or 4 teams in the future?

The Matzie- Glad that the Melo drama is finished? Yes. Although, I think that Denver should have made this deal 6 months ago. I guess they were hoping for a change of heart. Melo and his not so beautiful bride always had an Empire State of mind. Denver was stuck and they got the best deal possible. Some decent prospects instead of nothing come summertime. As for the unbalance of power in the league? I’m all for it. It gives great publicity to the league and makes those teams interesting to watch. Which, I can’t say about the rest of the teams or the NBA as a whole. The solution, smaller market teams and those with only the power to star gaze are welcome to learn how to draft. Just ask San Antonio.

Bob-Absolutely, not. I love hearing the sound bites from Net’s Owner Mikhail Prokhorov in his best Dolph Lundgren voice, ”It was a fantastic meeting, trust me. No words, live music, excellent atmosphere. We looked into each other’s eyes. Just real man talk.” Safe to say, the new star of the NBA is indeed Mr. Prokhorov. Only a matter of time before he brings in some huge Russian cyborg to patrol the paint in the swamp.

Vic-Like most situations, Egyptian unrest and the wrongful, hateful persecution of Lindsay Lohan for example, I blame the media. The phenomenon of some big time player being disgruntled in the final year of his contract and wanting to move to a better situation is nothing new. What is new though is the manner in which agents and players use the media to communicate their messages. The media (ESPN in particular) are a bunch of suckers that treat this as “news” 24/7, and allow the players to save face (except for LeBron). I’m not a huge NBA guy, but the notion of too many teams being able to truly create “super teams” seems pretty unlikely with a salary cap system in place. We’re dealing with massive egos, and the list of guys of will truly take a backseat (and less money) to win a championship is a lot shorter than one would think.

Gib-Tired?  It’s always refreshing when little old Gotham lands a free agent.  Really, after missing out on free agent LeBron James and Cliff Lee recently on the baseball side of things, New York was beginning to feel like a city that actually had to compete on a level playing field in the NBA and MLB.  As for NBA players buddying up – I think LeBron forced the issue when he formed his own super group in Miami, now everyone else feels they have to do the same to compete.  This is a bad business model and the NBA needs to find a way to reduce this trend.

Stinger-It got old and it was great to see the Knicks get smoked on the trade.  Denver loses a top player but added a lot of pieces.  All the best to La La on her career now in NYC!  I had no issue with Melo the past month but I think my real issue is I hate the Knicks.  Actually I hate all New York teams.  Next up is Chris Paul or Dwight Howard to NY next season.  The Olympics crushed David Sterns NBA or did it?  Is this really bad for him?  As a Wizards fan, do we start shopping John Wall in the off season since we’re not LA, NY, Miami or Chicago?  Many questions to be answered about many players with crazy tattoos.

Question 2:

Where will Cam Newton go in the draft?

The Matzie- Cam Newton…..is a special talent. The type of player that is worthy of #1 pick status and money. However, the Panthers are stuck on Jimmy Clausen like Jim Carrey was Stuck On You.  They will draft Nick Fairley, who will be a great player but I don’t like the off the field wildness. That character trait just doesn’t seem to work in the NFL. Even if he does pan out, he is not the elite type of player that a franchise gets the opportunity to draft once a decade. Buffalo will relish this same opportunity and he will thrive in a young and soon to be up and coming team. You see Buffalo doesn’t understand everything but they know one of the most important rules. This IS a quarterback driven league. And neither Jimmy Clausen or Ryan Fitzpatrick is cutting it.

Bob- Not sure where, but a lot higher than people think. Michael Vick proved for the time being that an athletic QB can indeed make it in the NFL.  If McDaniels was still coach, I’d imagine he’d be drooling of the idea of pairing him and Tebow in the same backfield. Alas, not to be, but maybe McDaniels can convince the St. Louis Rams that they need him more than Sam Bradford. The man has the midas touch.

Vic-Me thinks that “Cameron the Entertainer” make a big blunder this week by touting his ambitions to become a multi media icon before he’s played a down in the league. Not sure where such bad judgment comes from (wait…stolen computer, academic dishonesty, daddy agent, etc…), but he’s setting himself up as Jemarcus 2.0 (minus the Drank problems). Have you ever had the Drank? I knew a guy my freshman year who drank a bottle of Robo and ended up in Leland hospital with a huge gas bubble in his belly instead of the mind enlightening experience he read about in “High Times”. Newton may have some pretty sick athletic talent, but the last 10 years are littered with QB’s who put up huge numbers in college but were just too stupid (see no common sense) to succeed at the next level. All that being said, I hope the Redskins draft him. Better yet, I hope they trade a bunch of picks to move up to get him. Then I will just sit back and watch the Snyder carnage continue for another several years…giggling.

Gib-Cam Newton is destined to be drafted higher than he should.  Too many teams have struck gold in the first round in the last few years – most recently the Rams with Sam Bradford – that there probably is a false sense of security settling in.  Still, Newton hasn’t played much football, and when he did, it was out of the gimmicky spread offense.  Plus, there is huge knucklehead potential here – he may see himself as “an entertainer and an icon” but I think he’s lucky he wasn’t declared ineligible by the NCAA this past season and he appears to be pretty immature.  So, which NFL team would draft a not-ready-for-primetime quarterback from Auburn and take him way too early?  That move sounds like it could be right in Dan Snyder’s wheelhouse.

Stinger- Cam Newton will end up the #1 pick by Carolina.  Dad Newton will use all his recruiting cash to hype Cam up so much the Carolina Panthers can’t pass him up.  It happens every year this time.  Teams get nervous taking a defensive player #1 overall and the QB’s rise.  Plus I last saw Todd McShay had him going 10^th so that means he will go 1 or 3 at the latest.  I would believe a mock draft by “The Situation” or Bieber before McShay.  I just don’t see anyone else going #1 overall.

Question 3:
Who is your early call for the World Series?

The Matzie- This is easy. The Phillies are the lone horse in this race and they are going to win by more than a nose. They have the best pitching rotation in the history of baseball. You are looking at FOUR # 1 pitchers on one staff. How are you going to beat Hamels, Holliday, and Lee with Oswalt pitching the 7 and 8th of every other game? It’s not happening. Now look at the Phillies lineup and you will see that there’s no chance and it’s really an unfair race. I’d be crying too….if I wasn’t a lifelong Phillies fan. Go Phils!

Bob-Orioles. Why? I say, Why Not?

Vic- How can you not pick the Phillies? Pitching wins championships, and the Phils have arguably assembled the best starting rotation in the last 20 years. Tell me that the O’s wouldn’t love to have Cole Hammels at the front of their rotation. Guess what? Cole Hammels is the FOURTH best pitcher on that staff. Couple that with an offense loaded with big bats, and you have a team that can beat you a bunch of ways. Assuming they can stay away from a bunch of injuries, I’d have to say they are the clear cut early pick to win it all.

Gib-Pitching wins championships and you can’t get much better than the staff in Philadelphia – I’ll take the Phillies.

Stinger-It crushes me to say but it has to be Boston and Philadelphia.  The Red Sox have the American league’s best staff and lineup and the Phillies have the best staff in a long time and probably the Nationals best lineup.  Praying for injuries.  Vince Coleman tarp remover type injuries for both.  I am really hoping for a demise of the Yankees this season.  Did you see the pics of Cameron Diaz on the beach with A-Rod?  Looks like Mr. and Mrs. Clemens may not be the only juicing couple.  New York will probably add Pujols by midseason and then all my hopes are crushed.

Question 4:

Who do you see in the Final Four at this point of the season?

The Matzie- Duke, Ohio State, Pitt and BYU. The first two are easy. Pitt will win the Big East, which is the BEST division in the country. As for BYU, they’ve beaten San Diego State TWICE and they have the best player in the country. That’s right…I said it, I meant it, I’m here to represent it. Jimmmmmmmmmer!

Bob- Duke, Wisconsin, Ohio State, and BYU. Note to reader, no Big East teams.  Enough talk that the Big East should have 11 teams in the tournament. Last year they got 8 bids (the most) and only 4 teams made it out of the first round. Big 10 got 5, and 4 teams made it out of the first round, 3 teams into the sweet 16.

Vic-I would LOVE to see Charlie Sheen in the Final Four. His radio rant the other day was epic. His “Thomas Jefferson was a pu**y” angle was beyond classic. I realize this question is about hoops, but c’mon, Sheen is gold. Anyone remember the time he bought an entire section of seats at Angels Stadium just so he could sit there alone with his glove on and catch a homerun ball?  Take a crazy idea like that and mix it with a three day coke and “paid talent” bender and this interview is the result. It reminded me of some of the Charles Manson parole board hearings over the years. On a side note, I’ll take Duke, Pitt, Texas, and Ohio State.

Gib-It’s a pretty mediocre field this year in college basketball – there are no truly great teams.  There is one great conference though, and I think they could cancel the NCAA tournament and just let the battle royale at Madison Square Garden in a couple weeks decide the national champion.  The Big East is going to have 3 solid teams in multiple regions for this year’s NCAA tourney – so my prediction may be just playing the percentages:  The Big East sweeps the regions and gets 4 teams to the Final Four.  If that wasn’t ridiculous enough – I will now say that the four teams that make it will be Notre Dame, Pitt, St. John’s and Syracuse.

Stinger-Ohio State, Texas, Syracuse, BYU.

Ohio State and Texas have played the best since conference play began.  The Big East will have 11 of the 68 teams so one of theirs will have to make it.  I like Syracuse to turn it on come tourney time.  Pitt always hits the brakes and I could have had Georgetown here until Chris Wright went down.  Duke will also go down.  And Kansas has to stop the sex romps between the men’s and women’s teams.  BYU has Jimmer and he can carry them in this year.  The teams are just not as good as in the past.  Jimmer improved his game by playing prison ball.  Word is that JR Rider took him for 36 though.

Question 5:

Which was a bigger event to you? A rookie winning Daytona or the Rock’s return to Wrestlemania?

The Matzie-I will go on record as saying that NASCAR is the biggest waste of time in all of Sports….if you can call driving a car a sport. Sorry Joe Campanella….even Dale JR sucks. And since I am a fan of all wrestling….I will take the Rock. Can you smelllllllll what the Matzie is cookin!

Bob- I have to say the Rock. I have not seen a Wrestlemania event in two decades but I would if old wrestlers came back to wrestle. Who wouldn’t want to see Magnum TA fight Ivan Koloff one more time only to have the match interrupted by Tully Blanchard and a 60 year old Baby Doll running into the ring to join the fray? Like the old adage says, “Put any sport on one side of a gym and a fight on the other, guess what people watch.

Vic-Let’s look at this a different way. Which participant was more excited about last week’s event? On one hand, you have a kid who is not old enough to rent a car winning a race where you drive in a circle at 200mph. This kid will be a chick magnet for years to come, and will be a legend should he never win another race. On the other hand, you have a gentleman who left the world of wrastling to become a film star. His movie career maybe not playing out to be as “huge” as he thought, he is forced to return to the squared circle in some sort of eye brow trick shame to stay relevant in the public eye. I go with the kid winning the race.

Gib-C’mon, we all know that one of these sports is completely rigged…….and for that reason I just cannot take Nasser seriously.  Give me the people’s elbow.

Stinger- It’s the Rock.  Daytona has already been forgotten.  The Rock should throw in his famous catch phrases in his movies so maybe someone would go see them.  Am I too old to remember Wrestlemania I?  Hogan and Mr. T versus Piper and Orndorff.  King Kong Bundy beat some nugget in like 6 seconds.  Now if Kamala or Mr. Fuji won the Great American Race I would go with the Daytona 500.

A Guest Blog By Corey M. Schwartz

Pitching is often touted as the essential ingredient for winning championships while offense is often referred to as the entity that fills the seats. You would think that with a lineup consisting of players by the names of Howard, Utley, Rollins, and Victorino would be the guaranteed magnet that continues to draw consecutive sellouts to Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia this summer. However, in 2011, we may hear about another foursome that overtakes that throne.

Historically, if you ask any merchandise director of a professional baseball team what position sells consistently the most, I guarantee their response will be an offensive player. However, for the first time in franchise history the pitching staff of the Philadelphia Phillies might legitimately outsell the rest of the team as the city of brotherly love shows they also <3 their pitchers.

I could honestly spend the next five years discussing how R2C2 (commonly known as Halladay, Oswalt, Hamels, and Lee) may in fact be the best starting four pitchers any rotation, yet alone the Phillies, has ever embraced in baseball. However, rather than spending several paragraphs gushing like a school girl over how much talent the Phillies starting rotation presents this year. Instead, I will just share some statistics that will concisely express the awesomeness that is about to embark in the city of Philadelphia. Enjoy:

Wins – Loss ERA CG K
481-275            3.47  105   5,362

Low and behold, the above statistics are the combine career stats for Roy Oswalt, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels. Without jinxing the Phillies pitching staff, I think the biggest concern this year for the Phantastic Phour is not their impending success, but who will come out at the end of the season as the statistical ace of the staff. Keep an eye on this starting rotation as it seems for this deck of arms, aces will be wild.

Loudly heard, the biggest concern for the Phillies pitching staff going into the 2011 baseball season is the current state of their bullpen. After spending close to 100 million dollars on their fierce starting rotation over the last two years, the Phillies have unfortunately neglected the one area on their team that needed the most attention – middle relief.

Inadvertently, the Phillies pitching staff is exceptionally strong at the front (Oswalt, Halladay, Hamels, Lee, Blanton) and at the rear (Contreras, Madson, Lidge), but like an Oreo, they currently have a very weak middle. Even more troublesome the most consistent middle reliever of the Phils pitching staff over the last several years – Chad Durbin – has still not re-signed with the club in 2011. As it looks right now, the bullpen lines-up like this on Opening Day 2011:

Middle Relief:
Danys Baez, David Herndon, and Kyle Kendrick

Left-Handed Specialist:
JC Romero, Antonio Bastardo

Setup:
Ryan Madson, Jose Contreras

Closer:
Brad Lidge

Excitingly for the Phillies this year, Madson came off an impressive year in the setup roll in 2010, Jose Contreras was very consistent last season, and for the first time in three years Brad Lidge reported to spring training this year healthy and probably in the best shape of his career. On the flip side of that coin, JC Romero walked more people than he struck out in 2010, Antonio Bastardo has very little major league experience and Baez, Herndon, and Kendrick are inconsistent at best.

So, as a die-hard Phillies fan, we can only hope that the work ethic, competitiveness, and energy surrounding the Phillies starting rotation will rub off on the rest of the pitchers this spring. Yes, pitching can and will win championships, but only if their whole is stronger than the parts that makes up its’ composition. With young pitchers waiting in the wings like Vance Worley, Michael Zagurski, Brian Schlitter, and Justin De Fratus, I expect no less than an arms race this spring for the middle relief spots on the opening day 25-man roster. Let the games begin…

Corey, an avid Phillies fan, will be analyzing the Phillies chances at another ring through a 3-part series looking at their offense, pitching, and the x-factor. Corey is also the Founder and CEO of RemixYourHealth, a grassroots and social media based health promotion initiative. Visit RemixYourHealth.com for more information.

Ryan Mallett:

If Mallett ever figures it out upstairs he could be a franchise quarterback, but right now I don’t know if I could ever imagine that he’ll be able to do that. When it comes to throwing the ball, Mallett has the biggest arm and spins it with anyone, but he still needs to learn some touch.

Jake Locker:

Locker really impressed me throughout the day. He did great during all the workout drills, and showed perhaps the best speed of any quarterback. He also had a very good interview session, and showed he can handle the rigors of the media. The most impressive thing was his accuracy, which was vastly improved from his Senior Bowl performance (and season performance). Locker still has questions about doing it with pads on and in games, but its nice to see some improvement.

Colin Kaepernick:

Kaepernick tore it up in the athletic drills, and was officially the 2nd fastest quarterback at the combine. He was a bit inconsistent in the throwing drills, but overall showed a big arm, with a lot of accuracy. His motion and footwork aren’t the best, but the talent is very clear. Easily, he was one of the 5 most impressive quarterbacks at the combine.

Andy Dalton:

Dalton didn’t wow in any one area, but I saw good improvement from the Senior Bowl and pretty accurate overall.

Blaine Gabbert:

Gabbert didn’t throw, but he showed great athleticism and I thought answered some questions about him in the drills. Gabbert probably had as good of a combine as anyone, despite not throwing the ball.

Christian Ponder:

I thought Ponder looked the by as the best quarterback today at the combine. He tested well in all the athletic drills, and threw a nice spiral.

Ricky Stanzi:

Stanzi, isn’t the fastest quarterback or the biggest arm, but he shows nice touch and accuracy.

Josh Portis:

Portis is no doubt a late round guy, but he was pretty impressive and looks like a good developmental guy. His athletic drills were up there with anyone, and he displayed a strong arm and decent accuracy. He’s still raw but in the right system he could really develop.

Cam Newton:

Newton amazed everyone in the athletic drills and with a strong arm, but was really inaccurate in the short and intermediate drills. There is a lot of raw talent, but its a disappointing performance for a quarterback projected to be in the top 10.

Cam Newton:

All eyes will be on Newton, and when it comes to the workouts he shouldn’t disappoint. Newton is extremely athletically gifted. Newton needs to do the most work at the combine in the interview process, but putting up big physical numbers can’t hurt.

Jake Locker:

I’ll be interested to see what Locker’s accuracy looks like at this stage. I expect him to do very well in all the drills particularly the 40 yard dash, but the passing drills will tell the tale.

Colin Kaepernick:

Kaepernick is looking to prove his doubters wrong with a big combine. He should put up big numbers, and I also expect him to look good in the throwing drills as well. Kaepernick’s draft stock is rising and I think the combine will help launch it, into the 2nd round range.

Josh Portis:

Portis played the majority of his football at California University of Pennsylvania, but don’t necessarily consider him a small school guy. He started out at Florida and then Maryland, so he does have some recruiting chops. Portis is a raw passer, but he throws a good ball and shows a strong arm. Portis has exceptional speed and should do well in all the drills.

Christian Ponder:

I think Ponder will probably show himself to be the most polished quarterback in this draft. I think he is going to impress some people with his accuracy and deceptive arm strength. I think Ponder really could move up the draft boards if he shows that he is completely healthy.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN:

Tyron Smith:

Smith came into this combine with questions about his his size after playing at USC under 300 lbs, but weighed in at a 307 and just under 6’5″. I think Smith is going to impress all day ad really seal a top 15 pick.

Gabe Carimi:

Carimi doesn’t have the size and athleticism of some of his fellow linemen, but he is probably the toughest offensive linemen in this class. He should show well in the positional drills.

Marcus Cannon:

Cannon might be the biggest offensive lineman at the combine, but that doesn’t mean he’s not one of the better athletes. Cannon carries himself very well for his size and could prove that he could play RT.

James Carpenter:

Carpenter is flying up draft boards and I expect him to have a good overall combine.

Ryan Bartholomew:

Bartholomew is near the bottom of the center rankings, but he is an exceptional athlete and could really move up draft boards with his performance.

Brandon Fusco:

Fusco is the smallest school at the combine, but I expect him to have a big weekend and firm his status as one of the top centers.

By Guest Blogger Brian Murphy:

As ESPN loves to call this pivotal week in college hoops, Judgment Week is upon us.  This Saturday is absolutely stacked with great matchups around the country and I will preview some of them here.  Saturday will definitely have a feel of March and it should not disappoint.

12:00 EST: #20 Syracuse @ #11 Georgetown: Syracuse will look to stay hot on the road in the Big East as they travel to Georgetown.  The Orange won a huge game against Villanova this week in Philly and were really never down in the game.  Georgetown won the first matchup in Syracuse 64-56 behind stellar defense and evenly-distributed point scoring.  Both teams are 10-6 in the Big East this year, and this will be a huge win for either team in the standings heading closer and closer to the Big East Tournament.  There have been times this year when both teams have showed inconsistency and I really don’t know which team will show up.  I was impressed with Syracuse’s victory at Nova and look for them to pull another upset on the road if the three J’s (Jardine, Jackson, and Joseph) play within themselves and as a team.

2:00 EST: #7 BYU @ #4 San Diego St.: The highest ranked matchup of the weekend is between the two powerhouses from the Mountain West Conference.  This is a must-watch game for college fans as the West Coast gets a chance to represent their basketball.  BYU handily beat the then-undefeated Aztecs earlier this year in the Marriott Center 71-58.  Player of the Year finalist Jimmer Fredette showed the nation how great he really is by scoring 43 points in that game.  That was SDSU’s first and only loss of the season, and they have reeled off seven straight MWC wins since.  I look for this game to be closer than the first contest and coming down to the last minute.  Overall, I don’t think SDSU has an answer for Jimmer and the Cougars will get another win and take the #1 spot in the MWC standings.

2:00 EST #25 St. John’s @ #14 Villanova: St. John’s return to glory this year has really been a treat to watch.  Head coach Steve Lavin has turned around the once-prestigious program in his first year, and has made Madison Square Garden a snakepit for opponents to play in.  However, much to the chagrin of the Red Storm, this game will be in Philadelphia.  Since Villanova beat Maryland, their last out-of-conference opponent, on January 15th (capping an 11-game win streak), they have lost 6 out of the last 11 Big East games.  Five of those games were losses by 5 points or less.  After a tough loss to Syracuse on Big Monday, I look for Corey Fisher to help the Wildcats get back on track at home and hold off St. John’s in the second half.

4:00 EST: #13 Florida @ #22 Kentucky: Finally a top 25 matchup in the SEC!  The Gators (as of mid-day Thursday before their Georgia game) have won five SEC games in a row, including a two-point win over Kentucky in Gainesville.  The struggling Wildcats will be looking for revenge as the Gators come chompin’ into Rupp Arena.  Kentucky has lost five of their last ten games (all on the road and by less than four points).  As much as I want to pick the Gators again, I will have to say that Kentucky has the edge as they are 16-1 at home this season.  Their only loss was early in the season to UCONN and they have had no trouble with SEC teams at home.

9:00 EST #1 Duke @ Virginia Tech: Blacksburg, VA will be in prime “football season” form this weekend as ESPN’s College Gameday will be in town and broadcasting live inside Cassell Coliseum Saturday morning.  This will be the first and only meeting of the regular season between the Blue Devils and Hokies.  Duke has only lost one ACC game this season and has won ten straight ACC games.  Virginia Tech, yet again, finds itself in the latest bubble discussions and need a huge, quality win like this in front of the nation to solidify its spot in the NCAA Tournament.  In order for VT to pull off the upset, they need Jeff Allen to not get into foul trouble early and be a force in the paint.  Duke will pressure 1st team All-American PG Malcolm Delaney all game, so he needs to find open shots and not hesitate to bang ‘em down.  Duke’s Seth Curry has not been playing too well the last couple of games and it will be interesting to see if he steps it up in the arena where his father, Dell, excelled as an All-American for VT and drafted into the NBA.  The atmosphere will be hard to match and if Virginia Tech makes the most of their opportunities and doesn’t make stupid mistakes/turnovers, they will be in it to the end.  I’ve seen many big games come down to the wire in Cassell, and it seems as though VT hasn’t come up as the winners in many of late.  I will leave this up to everyone to predict an upset or not, as I can not pick against my Hokies!

By Guest Blogger Geoff Nelowet:

There has been a lot of talk that the New York Knicks had little reason to make this trade since Carmelo Anthony was willing to sign with them in the offseason, which obviously would have allowed the Knicks to hold onto a ton of assets. I think, though, that it’s hard to really gauge how obvious it is that Carmelo was a lock to sign with the Knicks from the open market. We don’t really know what was said between Carmelo’s party, the Nuggets and the Knicks, but I think it would have been worth rolling the dice. The Knicks have given away a ton to pick up a second superstar, which is generally an acceptable proposition, but the Knicks really aren’t in position to contend for a title in the near future.

One of the biggest drawbacks to making this deal now, though, is that it could prevent them from signing Chris Paul or Deron Williams down the road, and I think this is the biggest issue with the trade. Because Melo will be signing an extension as opposed to a free agent contract, he can sign at the Joe Johnson rate, which could be the absolute max: 6 years, $119 million. If the Knicks can’t put together a superstar trio (a la Miami, an unproven model at this point), they’re left with very few options if they want to contend for a title. From here on out, they’re likely a 50-win team, so there is no more rebuilding, and free agency is really their only option for getting better.

At this point, they have two superstars, a good but aging point guard in Chauncey Billups who isn’t a substantial upgrade over Raymond Felton, a solid rookie at shooting guard in Landry Fields, a hole at center, and an empty bench. This team is grossly unbalanced, and they won’t be able to afford resigning Fields in 2012 if they intend on going after another star. It’s hard to imagine that they’ll be a serious championship contender, and even if they bring in a Chris Paul, how great will that team really be? The general consensus will still be that Miami’s trio will be markedly better than New York’s, and not to mention the teams that are currently better than Miami.

The NBA is run by superstars, and the elite fifteen to twenty players in the league dictate virtually everything, and when one of those players is made available, it’s sensical to think that a team such as New York would give away a huge number of assets in order to add a second superstar to their team, but this deal just doesn’t make that much sense, and especially when looking at the current NBA landscape.  The Knicks could be a much better situation if they cultivated their young talent over the next two seasons and waited for 2012 in hopes of luring a Dwight Howard and maybe even a Chris Paul as well. Putting Dwight Howard with any other superstar equates to a championship team. Giving away your bench and all meaningful role players to play two or three-on-five basketball really won’t cut it, and the Miami Heat at this point look like a very good team but with very little chance of knocking off defensive juggernauts like the Celtics, Spurs or Mavericks come playoff time.

The trade itself wasn’t horrendous. The Knicks gave away a bit too much, but my issues lies with their desire to trade for Carmelo Anthony in the first place. Their roster is not equipped for him, and they’d be in substantially better shape if they had waited for free agency to sign him. If they miss out, it’s not the end of the world. They would still have a solid young core centered around Stoudemire and a huge free agent class coming up in 2012.

WIZARDS GET:

PG MIKE BIBBY, G JORDAN CRAWFORD, SF MAURICE EVANS, 2011 1ST ROUND PICK

HAWKS GET:

PG KIRK HINRICH, C/PF HILTON ARMSTRONG

WASHINGTON’S GRADE: A-

I absolutely love this deal for the Wizards, and in fact I fail to see any downside. Mike Bibby might no longer be the Mike Bibby of 1998, in fact he’s not even the Mike Bibby of 2008, but he still has a place in the NBA. He can give the Wizards valuable veteran minutes off the bench, while at the same time mentor John Wall. Is there a talent drop off between Hinrich and Bibby? Of course, but it isn’t so much so that it is a real negative for this trade. Bibby was at one time on a higher plateau than Hinrich has been on, making him an even better example for Wall to follow.

The real area where the Wizards win in this trade is with Jordan Crawford and a first round pick in this draft. Crawford was a first round draft pick this past April, and a player I had long hoped the Wizards would acquire. He is an impressive young combo guard, who can create off the dribble, or be deadly sitting behind the arc. Crawford’s numbers don’t jump out at you, but he’s only averaged 10 minutes per game this season, and couldn’t crack the Hawks back court rotation of Bibby, Jeff Teague, Jamal Crawford, and Joe Johnson. I’m guessing he fairs better with the Wizards, and he has great developmental potential down the road. While it is a down draft, and it will likely be a pick in the early-to-mid 20′s, the Wizards should still be able to find a quality player there. If not they could always trade the pick for a player, or a future draft consideration.

This was a no-brainer deal for the Wizards as Crawford alone would have been enough to make the trade worthwhile, adding a first rounder was the icing on the cake for Washington. While this move alone doesn’t help make the Wizards contenders, they added two promising young prospects for a player that was superfluous to their team.

ATLANTA’S GRADE: C

I understand the Hawks needed to make some sort of move as they head into the playoffs, but I’m not sure that this is the right move. Hinrich is a little bit better than Bibby, but we aren’t talking about a vast improvement. While barring a major injury they won’t miss Crawford this season, I’m thinking they could miss him next year, when Jamal Crawford is a free agent and likely to leave. I do think that Hinrich could flourish in Atlanta given the level of talent around him, and his unselfish attitude, but I just get the feeling the Hawks will regret this trade. Had they even added another role player I might have understood this deal for their playoff run, but Armstrong is completely inconsequential. He is only going to see minutes if Atlanta is up or down by 20+ points, and even then he’s not going to do much for them. The Hawks may be better this season, but I’m guessing by next year Jordan Crawford alone will have turned the deal in Washington’s favor.

By Guest Blogger Brad Pate:

Winning in the ACC isn’t the easy.  For anybody.  Carolina had high hopes coming into this basketball season, with a pre-season ranking of 9, and Harrison Barnes was predicted to be an All-American. He is the only freshman in history to do this.  Those are some lofty expectations for a Carolina team who barely made 20 wins and only had 5 in the ACC last year.

This season began and Carolina was in Puerto Rico. Carolina had a pretty disappointing showing losing 2 out of 3 games.  Their two loses came at the hands of Vanderbilt and Minnesota.  Those are two good teams, but teams that Carolina should have beaten.  Carolina ended up losing two more in the non-conference schedule.

Carolina entered ACC play on a solid winning streak.  The first loss in conference was the most embarrassing loss I have witnessed in awhile.  It was tough to watch for any die-hard fan, but every team has their hard times.  After that loss, Roy Williams got the team ready and focused.

Carolina then went on a winning streak and was playing some of their best basketball and entered the top 25.  It was great to watch.  Carolina finally looked liked the top-10 team they were predicted to be.  Then came a game at Duke.  Leading by 14 at halftime, I thought Carolina was going to pull this one out.  But I forgot that I was watching college basketball and that anything can happen.  Duke ended up coming back and winning.  It was very heart breaking and just horrible to watch.

But since that loss, Carolina has been winning game after game. Their last win was against Boston College.  It was disappointing and frustrating at the same time.  Carolina couldn’t score and kept turning the ball over. They won 48-46, an ugly score for an ugly game.

In their next game against arch-rival NC State tonight, I’m hoping that Carolina should win if it’s like the previous meeting, it should be by 20. Carolina should do no worse than 12-4 in the ACC and be second place going into the tournament. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season and to the NCAA tournament.

Do you think Carolina can win convincingly tonight?

NETS GET:

PG DERON WILLIAMS

JAZZ GET:

PG DEVIN HARRIS, PF DERRICK FAVORS, 2011 1st round pick (Nets), 2012 1st round pick (Golden State via Nets), $3 million

NEW JERSEY GRADE: A-

I thought the Nets did exceptionally well in this deal, mainly because no one knew it was going on. Unlike the Carmelo deal that was completely aired in public and was basically dictated by the player himself, this deal was done in private and was built between the Jazz and the Nets. Now I’m sure a few additional teams called the Jazz asking for the availability of Williams, but I doubt there was much in the way of substantive discussions. This allowed the Nets to strike quickly and complete the deal, not only did it ensure that there wouldn’t be a bidding war, but the Nets quickly answered their soon to be city rival’s acquisition of Carmelo Anthony. As indicated by my grades I prefer what the Nets did over what the Knicks did, because of the additional contracts New York took on.

While Devin Harris was a good point guard, Williams is still a big upgrade because he is simply a star. He’s one of the top 10 players overall in this league and plays a prime position. He is a better shooter, passer and floor leader than Harris, which should make the Nets’ other star Brook Lopez a better player as well. Since the Nets lacked production from their 2, 3, and 4 positions they had to get another true star. Adding Williams is great because at PG he can impact everyone else.

As for what they gave up I don’t think it will come back to haunt New Jersey. I really do like Devin Harris and think he is a playoff caliber guard. The problem is he needs to be on a team with 2 other stars, and shouldn’t be a focal point of the offense. If he is a team’s 3rd or 4th option I think he can be very effective, but as a true star he will always be overmatched. As for Favors, I’ve never been too high on him and thought he was a reach for the Nets last year. While he has a ton of potential I think it will take him a couple years to reach it. While Favors doesn’t have an expensive contract because he is on the rookie scale, he’s not exactly a bargain either. It’s quite possible that two years from now Favors is still languishing on the bench and eating up valuable cap room. Right now perception is above reality for Favors and they were able to capitalize and land a true star. The draft picks are another matter, but 2011 is looking like a fairly weak draft class so in all likelihood the Nets are only sacrificing a solid starter there (unless of course the Nets would win the lottery). As for the 2012 pick, it has some protections from being a top selection and with the Warriors playing better basketball it is likely to be a pick in the teens. Again it could yield a solid starter but no guarantees.

Yes there is a chance that Deron Williams leaves after next season, but with an impending move to Brooklyn and a new stadium it could be enough to convince Williams to stay. Now I think the Nets will need to have a good offseason and add some talent via free agency. If they can do that and begin to compete, I see little reason why Williams would look to leave.

UTAH GRADE: C+

In a vacuum I’m not a huge fan of this deal for the Jazz. When you have one of the 10 best players in the game, you should try to do everything in your power not to lose him. And if you are going to lose him, you should probably have a bidding process to ensure you are getting the best possible deal. I can’t believe that a contending team (or even other non-contenders) wouldn’t give up more for a star like Williams. Devin Harris is a nice replacement, but the rest of this deal should have improved the Jazz and I don’t believe it really did.

Does giving Derrick Favors minutes over Milsap, Okur or Al Jefferson make any sense? All of whom are signed for at least next season, with Milsap and Jefferson signed for 2012/2013 as well. I don’t see how Favors will be much of an asset these next two seasons, at a time where Williams would have kept the Jazz as a playoff contender. While Favors contract extends beyond that, he’s going to have to vastly improve to duplicate the value Williams is bringing to the Nets (particularly if the new CBA offers some sort of ‘franchise’ player distinction keeping him in New Jersey another season). I realize there is a chance this could allow the Jazz to trade Milsap or Okur (to help get under the luxury tax they are now going to have to pay), but unless they land a good wing player it’s probably a bad trade. If you trade them just to clear cap room and create playing time for Favors, it is hurting this team in the long run.

As for the first rounders, they are nice and all, but won’t lead to stars. Hopefully the Jazz can use these picks to help them land another young star. No it won’t be someone on Williams level, but they could get a good young player if they play their cards right. I would hang on to the Nets pick until at least the Lottery since it has a chance of being a top 3 pick. If they do luck out in the lottery, then I would give them more of a B to B+ grade.

Overall, I don’t mind developing a young talent like Favors, but considering you gave up your best player, and an elite star in this league, you shouldn’t have to wait so long for a return. If Favors doesn’t produce in the next couple of years, this trade grade likely falls to an F, and right now I don’t have much faith in the current grade. The Jazz should have landed a better return for their star, and unless they luck out in the lottery/draft I’m guessing this deal haunts them for some time.