Above the Rim: The 2013 NBA Draft: Up in the Air

As the NBA season came to an end in spectacular fashion last week, NBA fans and teams focus their gaze on the 2013 NBA Draft, which takes place this Thursday, June 28^th. Although the draft is an exciting time every year for teams looking to get better and strive for future playoff runs, this draft is less hopeful than most. With no surefire All-Star caliber prospects and no legitimate #1 player, this year’s draft is not one that will put any forlorn franchise immediately back into playoff contention.

Co-op Confidential: Josh Brackett

Name: Josh Brackett

Year: Pre-Junior

Company: Philadelphia Eagles

Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA

Position: Ticket Operations Intern

Who are the Philadelphia Eagles?

The Philadelphia Eagles are a historic football team in the National Football League. Since the team’s inception in 1933, the Eagles have won 3 NFL Championships and have been to 2 Super Bowls. The team is currently owned by businessman Jeffery Lurie.

Above the Rim: Oh How the Mighty Have Fallen

The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. This has to be the mindset of the Los Angeles Lakers front office following a first road playoff sweep at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers had grand expectations going into this season after creating a proverbial super-team that brought together a starting lineup of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Steve Nash, and Dwight Howard. With four potential Hall of Famers on the court, what could go wrong?

Above the Rim: Utter Dominance

In the wake of Miami’s big three era, greatness was always expected. The hype was undeniable, and the winning seemed like the only possible outcome. In the new team’s first year, a savvy, veteran-lead Mavericks squad ousted them in the Finals. The following year, the Heat found their stride and won the championship, making quick work of the Thunder in six games. This season, Miami has found their groove and are clicking on all cylinders imaginable. As if things couldn’t get any better, their season was recently highlighted by an epic 27-game winning streak, the second longest in NBA history.

Fun Friday: Drexel Sport Management Group in Ireland!

The Drexel SMTSU team would like to wish the group of Drexel Sport Management students currently in Ireland an amazing trip as they immerse themselves in Irish Sport Culture. A special "shoutout" goes to our President, Kevin Giordano, and our Vice President, Kevin Rossi. Also, our blog contributors, Matthew Puzio and Josh Brackett!

 

Have fun and Éirinn go Brach!

Above the Rim: What could have been

The 2012-2013 season was loaded with possibilities for the Philadelphia 76ers. After defeating the #1 seeded Derrick Rose-less Bulls in the first round of the playoffs last year, they brought the Celtics to seven games before being knocked out. As a team without a conventional “star,” the Sixers surprised fans by performing well with a solid nucleus of players who were great defensively. They could only get better from here, right?

Above the Rim: Another Utterly Underwhelming NBA All Star Weekend

On paper, the NBA All star weekend should be one of the (best) sporting events of the calendar year. Unlike other professional all star games, the NBA hosts an entire weekend of events, with different (things) happening every day from Friday until Sunday. The two biggest events besides the All Star game itself are the Dunk Contest and Three Point Contest. Regrettably, these promising factors haven't lead to very much entertainment in the last few years. It seems as if I get sucked into all of the hype year after year. It's going be great!! The dunks are going to be awesome! And the three point contest! And the actual game! After it was all over this year, I felt really let down. It can't be this bad, right? With all of the best players in the league participating, why does this weekend continue to disappoint?

Above the Rim: NBA Trade Deadline Preview

With the NBA trade deadline just a few weeks away, teams are researching about how they can make their teams better and set them up for a playoff run or their long-term future. Some may need that one last piece to compete for a title, while others may just want to rid themselves of long-term salary commitments and rebuild with young players and draft picks. The first ball has already dropped with Rudy Gay going to the Toronto Raptors in a 3-team trade. Who could be next?

Above the Rim: Outrage and Ecstasy

Over the past few weeks, there have been stories that Maloof family are going to sell the Sacramento Kings franchise to a Seattle-based ownership group. This group would then relocate the Kings to Seattle and the team could conceivably play next season in the Sonic’s former home, Key Arena. A new arena would subsequently go under construction with the goal of being completed in time for the 2015-16 NBA season. It appears that the framework of the deal that was reported a week or two ago as “close to complete” has now become official . Basketball fans in the Seattle area are rejoicing, while Kings fans in Northern California still hold out a small sliver of hope.   

Black Monday and the Hope of a Better Tomorrow

One of the less than uplifting days of the year falls on the Monday following the end of the NFL regular season. Dubbed “Black Monday,” this is the day every year when many struggling head coaches are sent packing. This year, seven head coaches and several general managers were fired, leaving the door wide open for new guys to be hired across the league. Andy Reid, now former coach of the Eagles, acted extremely quickly and got the job with the Kansas City Chiefs, the team he felt gave him the most control over personnel.

Black Monday can also give college coaches or lesser known coordinators the opportunity to make the big bucks as an NFL head coach. Soon after Reid was hired, Syracuse coach Doug Marrone bolted for the Buffalo Bills after they offered him the position. For college coaches like Marrone, NFL jobs not only offer more prestige and responsibility, but a much bigger paycheck as well. Marrone, who earned around $1 million salary at Syracuse, is sure to see a significant pay increase in Buffalo. This is no small factor in the decision making process for college coaches getting offers at the NFL level. No matter how much loyalty/importance a coach has to a program (Bill O’Brien, Chip Kelly, countless others in recent years), the allure and financial rewards of NFL jobs may be too much to pass up.

Even after Reid and Marrone were hired, there are still five head coaching jobs open in the NFL: Philadelphia, Chicago, San Diego, Arizona, and Cleveland. Chicago seems to be the most sought after position, considering they already have a stable quarterback and a good defense. The other teams don’t have those same luxuries, with all four having quarterback situations that are relatively up in the air. Philadelphia is expected to let Michael Vick go, San Diego’s Phillip Rivers has had a miserable last two seasons, and Arizona and Cleveland have to decide whether their current QB’s can really get the job done in the long term. Any coach who takes those jobs needs to be prepared to make tough decisions right off the bat. Luckily all of those teams have the opportunity to build from the draft and their high first round picks. Recent history shows that immediate success in the NFL can be accomplished. Just this season, both the Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings rebounded from 2 and 3 win seasons to make the playoffs. However, those teams both had the return/emergence of franchise players Adrian Peterson and Andrew Luck. Any head coach who gets the job in Philadelphia, San Diego, Arizona, or Cleveland needs to be ready for struggles early on in the season, but if he’s smart and has enough control to implement his system, these teams could rebound sooner rather than later. 

Reggie Evans and the Fall of Flopping

In an effort to promote fair play, the NBA instituted “flopping” rules this season to discourage players from feigning contact in order to get a foul call. The NBA will monitor and review all games throughout the season and hand down punishment if they feel a player clearly flopped. They’ve chosen to use an escalating system of punishment, with the first offense only resulting in a warning from the league. After that, the league goes after the players wallets. A second offense will cost a player $5000, a third offense $10,000, and so on. Reggie Evans, an example used in the NBA’s flopping video (below), has already committed two offenses in just the first month of the season, becoming the first player ever to be fined for flopping. A few other players have been warned for flopping, but for the most part, players who were thought to be the most prolific offenders have behaved themselves so far this season.

When the league first talked about instating these new rules, I was skeptical that players would even listen. Thankfully, it looks like players are behaving and not trying to dupe the referees as frequently. Anderson Varejao, one of the league’s worst floppers the past few years, hasn’t even been warned as of yet. "I'm not flopping anymore," Varejao said before the season. "I used to flop a little bit." It seems that professional basketball players, at least in the NBA, care a lot more about their checkbooks than one call during a game. It will be interesting to see how the season progresses with these new rules in place, and if fines are truly a deterrent later in the season during the playoffs when the games mean so much more. As a big NBA fan, I’m happy to see that players are taking these new rules seriously and that the league is eager to punish those who unfairly flop during games.

Source:

http://www.nba.com/2012/news/10/29/nba-flopping-rules.ap/index.html

http://www.sportingbreakdown.com/image/sports/small/1211/reggie-evans-first-flop-fine-nba-basketball-sports-1353554754.jpg

Above the Rim: Expanding the NBA Brand

Frankly, the NBA preseason can be pretty dull. Most of the marquee players get marginal minutes, meaning most of the goes to rookies and less talented guys. The preseason is good for teams and coaches trying to evaluate young talent and try different lineup combinations, but it’s not an appealing product for fans. The one positive aspect of the preseason that I’ve noticed is the alternative venues and locations where some of these games have taken place. Here’s a breakdown of nine games held in foreign countries:

• The Boston Celtics played local teams in Istanbul (Turkey) and Milan (Italy)
• The Dallas Mavericks vs. FC Barcelona Regal in Barcelona (Spain)
• The Dallas Mavericks vs. Alba Berlin in Berlin (Germany)
• The Miami Heat and LA Clippers played two games in Beijing and Shanghai (China)
• New Orleans Hornets vs. Orlando Magic in Mexico City (Mexico)
• New York Knicks vs. Toronto Raptors in Montreal (Canada)
• Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Detroit Pistons in Winnipeg (Canada)

The NBA also scheduled preseason games at several neutral facilities throughout the US. These sites include Las Vegas (NV), Fresno (CA), Canton (OH), Hidalgo (TX), Ontario (CA), Charleston (SC), Champaign (IL), Atlantic City (NJ), Hartford (CT), Cincinnati (OH), Anaheim (CA), La Crosse (WI), Tulsa (OK), Albany (NY), Raleigh (NC), Wichita (KS), Long Island (NY), Kansas City (MO), South Bend (IN), and Green Bay (WI).   

The NBA is making an effort to not only expand their product internationally in new and demanding marketplaces, but also here in the US in smaller cities that don’t have professional basketball teams. The added games in the US can only help to garner new fans in different regions that may not have a lot of exposure to the NBA. Many of the cities listed above only have college teams in the area, so the presence on one or more NBA games can make a big impact.

David Stern has always stressed the importance of making basketball a truly international sport. He sees that one best ways of doing this is to play as many NBA games in other countries, preseason or otherwise. The Knicks and Pistons are set to play a regular season game in London in January 2013. This game is expected to sell out just like the two other NBA games held in England last season between the Nets and Raptors.   Stern has also floated the idea of an NBA Europe division with five teams in different countries, but that hasn’t doesn’t seem likely to happen in the near future. Stern still believes the NBA isn’t popular enough in Europe. He also thinks there needs to be new basketball arenas built to live up the “NBA standard.” Stern made his points clear before the Celtics game in Milan saying:

“What I’ve said is if we’re going to have an NBA presence here in terms of the league, it should be five teams. It’s safe to say that there aren’t enough buildings, there aren’t adequate TV arrangements, we don’t have owners, and I’m not sure we could charge the prices that would be necessary. I don’t think our fans are that avid yet.”

If the NBA ever does expand to international markets, Europe seems like the most likely place to start. From there, they can go other places like China, where basketball popularity and participations continues to grow exponentially. There’s a bright future for the global sport of basketball. Whether we’ll see the NBA pull the trigger on any sort of expansion in the near future is still up in the air.  

Stern quote source:

http://articles.boston.com/2012-10-14/sports/34427391_1_euroleague-teams-nba-presence-fenerbahce-ulker

Forza Azzurri: An Italian Sport Perspective

A few weeks ago, I had the unique privilege of going to Italy as a part of Drexel’s first sport management study abroad trip. During our stay in Italy, we travelled to Milan, Parma, Florence, and Rome for varying amounts of time. Most our days were filled with tours and presentations highlighting the prominent aspects of Italian sport and what makes Italy’s culture unique.

Like most countries in Europe and around the world, soccer is king. It’s arguable that the American sport climate is filled with parity, with several popular sports taking a piece of the popularity pie. In terms of participation, fandom, success, and cultural relevance, soccer stands above all other sports in Italy by a very wide margin. During our first stop in Milan we got to see just how big soccer is when we visited the epic 80,000 seat San Siro stadium, home to two of Italy’s most popular professional teams, Inter and AC Milan. The next day, we got to tour AC Milan’s Youth Academy complex, where Filippo Galli (head of the youth department) told us about the team’s detailed process for developing players. At AC Milan, they utilize a system called Milan Lab, which is a system by which the team tests and measures all of its youth players to see how they are developing in incredible detail. Coaches monitor their player’s development in person and with this computer data to help make decisions as to whether the team should keep a given player. Milan Lab also does an incredible job of tracking future growth, and actually predicting what physical size kids will develop into when they get older. This is certainly something unique to European soccer and something I’ve never seen in American sport, at least in this amount of detail and financial investment.

We also had the opportunity to visit the beautiful state-of-the-art FICG technical center where all of Italy’s national teams practice and train. The money and passion generated by soccer certainly pays for the best facilities, which was clear when we saw the technical center. This was also the home of the FIGC soccer museum, which is home to almost every piece of Italian soccer memorabilia that you could think of. After touring both of these places, it’s very apparent how important and impactful soccer is in Italy. It’s a relationship that can’t really be paralleled in the US, even with American Football.

During our trip, we also went to see a few basketball-related venues, including two professional teams as well as the Italian basketball federation. They’ll be the first to tell you that’s in incredibly difficult to compete with soccer. They can’t generate nearly the same level of fanfare, but basketball is still are considered by many to be Italy’s second most popular sport. On these tours, it was driven home to us my multiple people, including the GM of the Virtus Roma basketball team, that European sports teams are not businesses. In the US, teams are owned and managed in a way to generate profits and build on their brand. In Italy, they’re focused on promoting and growing their sports, which are agendas both soccer and basketball federations help enforce. All revenue generated is secondary to many clubs in Italy. Many owners decide to own teams simply because they can, and they know that there’s a lot of prestige and community impact to putting your name on a sports franchise.

Probably our most unique experience while in Italy was getting to meet and talk to the coach and a few players of the Parma Panthers, an American Football club in Italy. If basketball is a distant second to soccer in terms of popularity and participation, imagine how much small American football teams struggle to gain recognition. Coach Andrew Papoccia, a former American college player from Chicago, spoke to us about how he transitioned from American to Italian culture, as well as how he gets Italian athletes to play American football instead of several other popular sports. For Italian youth, there aren’t a lot of alternatives to soccer in terms of contact sports. Rugby is marginally popular in Italy, so Coach Papoccia uses rugby as a starting point when talking to kids about American football. As the coach told us, they’re getting more and more kids involved every year because it’s so different and distinctive from every other sport in the area.

Italian sports are clearly very different than American sport, from which ones are most popular to how they’re managed and beyond. I would have never known how sports in Europe operated on such a detailed level if I hadn’t chosen to go on this trip. It certainly helped to broaden my sport horizons and taught me that countries around the world treat sports very differently than they do in the US. I strongly encourage anyone in our field to take a similar opportunity if it’s presented to you. I hope to carry the things I learned overseas to future situations, professional or otherwise. If nothing else, this experience was certainly something not a lot of people can put on their resume.

The Other NFL Lockout

If you've been watching any preseason games this year, you’ve probably heard the commentators talk about the use of replacement referees. If you’re like me and don’t really care about the preseason, here’s what’s happening: The NFL and the NFL Referee’s Association have yet to sign a new collective bargaining agreement. Just like the NFL lockout last summer, this means that NFL officials won’t be working any NFL games this season until a new deal is agreed upon. The two sides met late last week for a few days but were unable to structure and sign a new contract. After talks broke down on Saturday, the NFL announced that replacement officials will be used during week 1 of the season, beginning September 5.

The NFL has already made some minor concessions during the negotiations, but it’s clear the NFLRA still wants other additions, including salary increases and better pension/retirement benefits. Nothing has been settled as of yet, so it looks like we’ll have replacement officials for the foreseeable future, at least until the two sides agree to meet again.

From the limited about of preseason games I’ve watched, along with a plethora of YouTube clips (see below), it’s clear that the replacement referees could be doing a whole lot better. Players and coaches have had varying degrees of disgruntlement, but those sentiments will surely increase exponentially once a replacement ref makes a horrible/game-changing call during the regular season. On the bright side, the NFL has announced that they’ll be sending their own officiating supervisors to each game to assist the replacements. The supervisor’s authority will be limited, as final decisions will still be made by the referees. However, the supervisor will be able to communicate with officials from a booth to ensure correct enforcement of penalties. Hopefully this will lessen the likelihood of major mistakes, but I’m not sold entirely.

As an NFL fan, I hope the NFL and NFLRA can come to a fair agreement as soon as possible. It’s not like the 2011 NFL lockout, because they’re will still be football, but replacement officials can certainly have a negative impact on game outcomes and fan enjoyment.

Show Me the Money

This past Friday, the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers put together an improbable trade that will surely alter the immediate future of both franchises. With Boston sending Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and Nick Punto to Los Angeles, the Red Sox have eliminated about $250 million in salary through 2018 (the year Gonzalez and Crawford’s contract expire). In exchange, the Red Sox received struggling first baseman James Loney and 4 prospects with varying degrees of major league experience. The most promising among them is 23 year old pitcher Rubby De La Rosa, who has shown top of the rotation potential in limited appearances for the Dodgers. Loney should also shore up first base for the Red Sox until they figure out what they want to do in the long term. Although getting a ton of money off the salary cap was Boston’s primary motivation, this group of players should help the Red Sox out in the seasons to come.

The motivation for the Dodgers to complete is a little less obvious. Los Angeles clearly isn’t afraid to spend money; this trade coming after new owners bought the team for over $2 billion in May. Gonzalez is the prize, but the Dodgers had to take a lot of seemingly dead salary back in order to get him. Beckett has had a very bad season, and Crawford enormous salary isn’t going to be paid out for another five years. Both players certainly have potential for greatness, but are highly overpaid at the moment. If money really is no object, the Dodgers did a fantastic job in improving their chances to compete immediately. The team is currently fighting the Giants for the NL West division crown, and these new players should help them win this year and in the next few seasons, assuming the health and improvement of Beckett and Crawford.

It’s clear this was a bold move for both teams, but the true winner and loser won’t be determined for at least a few more years. The Dodgers could be saddled with heavy and useless contracts, or could be talented long term contenders in the National League. The Red Sox may use their new cap space to make good free agent moves, or they could be bad for few more seasons and struggle to lure big name talent. One thing is certain, however: this trade will be remembered by both teams as a time when they each took audacious steps in a new direction.

A Young Man’s Game

Quite frankly, the NFL preseason can be dull at times. Starters only play one to two quarters (if any), while rookies and journeymen get the bulk of the remaining snaps. Preseason games are entertaining, however, in that they give inexperienced players the chance to shine and earn playing time during regular season. This time is especially important for young quarterbacks. Many of them have never started a game or had any significant playing time, so preseason games can drastically improve their development.

I’ve noticed an interesting trend this year that may have not been so prevalent in years past. It seems that teams are now less hesitant to name rookies or second year quarterbacks starters for the beginning of the regular season. Just today, rookie Ryan Tannehill and second year QB Jake Locker beat out more experienced veterans (Matt Moore and Matt Hasselbeck) and secured the starting jobs on the Dolphins and Titans, respectively. These cases are unlike situations on other teams with young starting quarterbacks because of the veterans already in place. Teams like Jacksonville and Carolina also have less experienced QB’s as starters, but there isn’t really any other competition for those spots. Teams are now excepting the risk of inexperienced/unproven quarterbacks, where coaches were more likely to stick with solid veterans in past seasons.

Tannehill is an especially unique case. Fellow QB Matt Moore led the Dolphins to a respectable finish last season as was assumed by many to take the reins this year until Tannehill proved himself. It appears head coach Joe Philbin has had less and less confidence in Moore after signing recently-injured David Garrard and now picking a rookie ahead of him. It will be interesting to see how Tannehill performs in the remainder of the preseason and beginning of the regular season, especially after so many scouts and draft experts pegged him as a multi-year developmental project at quarterback. 

With Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III also getting starting jobs this season, the crop of young quarterbacks in the NFL is stronger than even. Keep an eye on all of them as the season progresses. As history has shown, many will succeed, but even more will likely fail.

Give Me A Job: NFL Edition

A lot was lost during the NFL lockout in the summer of 2011, namely weeks of training camp and free agency, fan support for players and owners, and even a deferred release of the new Madden video game. But perhaps the most grueling loss was the brief cancellation of the television show Hard Knocks. The HBO series chronicles the 4-5 weeks of training camp for one NFL team before the upcoming season begins. Although I don’t watch much reality television, I've very much enjoyed the series about the behind-the-scenes workings of NFL training camp. Because last season’s training camp was so rushed, the executives in charge of the show felt they should take a year off and start anew in 2012. Thankfully, the show is back this season with the Miami Dolphins as the centerpiece team.

A key facet of the show is the process by which players are cut/released. Each week, coaches cut several signed/un-signed players, and whoever is left at the end of the preseason makes the team (or at least the practice squad).  Hard Knocks highlighted that reality very quickly this season in the first episode, showing guard Derek Dennis being cut before he even got to put his pads on. The producers do a very good job at profiling as many of these players as possible so viewers can get attached to their motivations and backstories. However, they don’t exclusively emphasize rookies and players hoping to make the team. A few highlights of the first episode include the quarterback battle between Matt Moore, David Garrard, and Ryan Tannehill, the coaching style of first-time head coach Joe Philbin, and the struggles of high school basketball player turned tight end Les Brown.

But probably the most intriguing and entertaining character of the first episode was oft-quoted NFL pariah Chad “don’t call me Ochocinco anymore” Johnson. In the span of one episode, Johnson cursed out the media at a press conference, played FIFA with Reggie Bush, barged in on a coaches-only meeting, and explained how he met his wife on Twitter. Unfortunately for us, Chad was cut by the Dolphins yesterday after being arrested for alleged domestic violence against his wife, Evelyn Lozada. Stay tuned to see how Hard Knocks documents his release in upcoming episodes.

Like the popular documentary series 30 for 30, Hard Knocks does a fantastic job of dramatizing the true stories in sports. I highly recommend this show to any sports fan, regardless if the NFL is your favorite sport. Luckily for us, with four weeks still to go, the show has only just begun.

Welcome Back (Fantasy) Football!!

With the NFL preseason beginning this week, football fans can rejoice as one of America’s most popular spectator sports begins anew. But are the games what fans are really most excited about?

Fantasy football seems to be an unstoppable and ever-growing aspect of NFL fandom. According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, an estimated 35 million people played fantasy sports in North America last year, with a large majority of that participation likely from fantasy football. That participation will only increase this season, with more and more fans being introduced to the game every year. Even before the preseason began, popular websites that host fantasy sports like ESPN.com and Yahoo.com opened up their fantasy functionality, giving fans weeks to draft and prepare for the upcoming season. ESPN even devoted the entire August issue of their magazine to the subject. Even I can admit to getting too carried away with the phenomenon. I’ve already joined/re-joined 4 leagues, many of which have already conducted drafts.

I’m really curious to see how fantasy sports, fantasy football in particular, advance in popularity over the next few years. With the modern advancements in technology and the introduction of younger fans to the game, I wouldn’t be surprised if participation increase exponentially in the years to come.

It’s also interesting to see how large fantasy-hosting companies have noticed the games’ popularity and have catered to its users. ESPN and Yahoo have mobile apps that users can integrate onto their smartphones and keep track of their teams while they’re watching the actual games. By investing this heavily in fantasy football, it’s easy to get distracted while watching, and may even cause conflicts between NFL fandom and fantasy participation.

The following excerpt is from a research paper I wrote last year about this very subject:

“There are times that I might care about fantasy football more than actually watching the games. For example, I own Ben Roethlisberger on one of my fantasy teams. Roethlisberger’s team, the Pittsburg Steelers, was playing my favorite team, the New England Patriots, a few weekends ago. This situation presented a huge conflict of interest. I wanted Big Ben to play well because it would greatly help my fantasy team, but I also wanted the Patriots to win because they’re my favorite real life team. So whenever Roethlisberger would complete a big pass play or a touchdown, I’d be both happy and angry. In the end, I’ll always side with my fandom of the Patriots, but it’s definably scary to see how fantasy has drastically altered the way that I watch football.”

What do you think? Will fantasy sports eventually disconnect fans with actual gameplay? Will fantasy sports ever mean more than or usurp the popularity/fandom of the games themselves? 

USA Basketball: Embracing a New Style of Play

If the 2012 NBA Finals showed us anything, it’s that teams can indeed succeed by playing fast, up-tempo offense. LeBron James and the Miami Heat did away with half court offensive schemes as much as they could and utilized the team’s innate athleticism to score and ultimately win. It helped that they were elite defensively as well, forcing bad shots and turnovers to create easy fast break opportunities.

With the team’s current roster, USA basketball and Coach Mike Krzyzewski have fully embodied that mentality. With injuries to big name centers like Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum, the only two traditional big men left on their roster are Tyson Chandler and Kevin Love. They aren’t perfect for fast pace play, but both have certain skills that help the team when they’re called upon. Chandler can get a ton of rebounds and get up in the air for alley-oops, and Love is arguably the premier outlet passer in the NBA (he’s also ok at rebounding too). Like the Heat, Team USA is also a great defensive team, and should capitalize on turnovers and blocked shots with relative ease. Just take a look at some highlights from the USA’s most recent dominant win against France:

But just as athleticism and speed are the team’s biggest advantages, they can also be Team USA’s downfall. Because they’re forced to sacrifice size for speed, skilled big men may pose defensive problems. The most glaring mismatches are those created by Spain and Brazil. Spain’s Gasol brothers and Brazil’s trio of Nene, Tiago Splitter, and Anderson Varejao are the types of players that can score in the low post. If these types of teams can utilize their size advantage, Team USA will have to find ways to adjust defensively and stop them.

The other most intriguing aspect of this team beyond their athleticism is their versatility. Even if their having trouble creating fast break points, they can still slow it down and create their own shots in a more traditional pick and roll offense. Chris Paul and Tyson Chandler are perfect for this alternative play. Paul can also initiate set plays, or defer to gifted one-on-one scorers like Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony if they feel there’s a mismatch. If they can combine all of these different strategies into a cohesive offensive game plan, they’ll be very tough to beat.

Grading the NBA Offseason: Winners and Losers

With the NBA offseason winding down, teams around the league are almost done making new signings and transactions. Some teams have helped themselves, while others haven’t done much to improve and compete next season. Here’s a look at some of my winners and losers.

Winners:

Brooklyn Nets

If any team swung for the fences this offseason, it was the Brooklyn (no longer New Jersey) Nets. General Manager Billy King made a bold move last season by acquiring star guard Deron Williams, with no promise that he would stay beyond that year. Incredibly, by trading for former All-Star Joe Johnson, and re-signing Gerald Wallace, King convinced Williams to sign a long term deal. He then proceeded to re-sign/ possibly overpay Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries, creating a very interesting starting lineup. It’s clear the Nets don’t care about spending money and want to compete now in their brand new arena. Look for them to possibly make the playoffs next season and compete with Miami, Chicago, and Boston for the top seeds in the rapidly improving Eastern Conference.

New Orleans Hornets

The Hornets are one team who accomplished everything they set out to do this offseason. They drafted stud Anthony Davis and promising scorer Austin Rivers with the first pick and tenth picks in the draft, respectively. They also retained their best player, Eric Gordon, after he signed an offer sheet with Phoenix Suns. They were also able to dump the salaries of Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza. Done, done, and done. I'm really looking forward to see how the Hornets continue to develop and add to their promising core.

Los Angeles Lakers

(Note: As a Celtics fan, the following paragraph was incredibly difficult to write.)

The Lakers made one move this offseason (minus the pending signings of Antawn Jamison and Jordan Hill). ONE!! And it’s arguably the best acquisition of the entire offseason. Scrapping their future for the present, Los Angeles miraculously traded for aging star point guard Steve Nash without giving up any players in return. They did trade 4 draft picks, but it’s hard to believe that this was the best trade option available for the Phoenix Suns. The Suns receive no players to help them next season, and hand Nash over to division rival Los Angeles so they can make a run for a championship. Compile this with Memphis gift-wrapping Pau Gasol to them a few years ago, and it seems like every other team wants the Lakers to win. Can they be unlucky once??? I know the Chris Paul veto was bad, but that doesn’t count (I'm bitter).

Losers:

Toronto Raptors

Speaking of Steve Nash, he was one of the only offseason targets of the Toronto Raptors. They could pay him more than anyone else, and had home-court advantage in a sense, considering Nash is Canadian. Unfortunately, the Raptors were unable to lure him to Toronto. To compound their loss, Toronto signed guard Landry Fields to an exorbitant offer sheet to make it harder for the New York Knicks to sign-and-trade for Nash. With Nash going to the Lakers, the Raptors were left with Fields and his unnecessarily large contract. Toronto did add Kyle Lowry and last year’s #5 overall pick Jonas Valanciunas, but losing Nash had to hurt the most.

Orlando Magic

The Magic were in the news often this offseason because of the ongoing trade rumors involving star center Dwight Howard. As of today, Howard is still on the team, with the Magic’s future direction up in the air. They still don’t have a coach, and this isn’t exactly a dream starting scenario for new GM Rob Hennigan. The team still looks the same as last year for the most part, except for loss of Ryan Anderson, who ended up being too expensive for Orlando to re-sign. This is particularly ironic when you consider all of the bad contracts the Magic have, including the recent contract extension of Jameer Nelson. Not quite sure what this team is up to, but they’ll have to make a decision soon regarding Howard in order to move on.

Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers were last season’s Cinderella team, defeating the #1 seeded Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs, before forcing #4 Boston to seven games. After that successful run, you’d think Philadelphia would try as hard as possible to improve in the short run and try to compete. I’m not quite sure they’ve done that at all. They selected two promising prospects in the draft (Maurice Harkless and Arnett Moultrie), but it’s very unclear if either of them will produce right away. They also re-signed center Spencer Hawes, who has his bright moments, but he isn't someone I would not give $14 million dollars to, especially when they had to amnesty Elton Brand to afford him. The Sixers also replaced Lou Williams with Nick Young, so those two moves kind of cancel each other out. Philly then signed much-maligned big man Kwame Brown, creating one of the more bizarre frontcourts in recent memory. If Hawes and Brown both start, the Sixers will have one player who can’t guard anyone, and another whose offensive game revolves solely around wide-open dunks. This is going to be interesting.