To leave or not to leave.....

This NBA free agent class is one of the best in recent history. I can think of another year when so many valuable individuals had the ability to control their own destiny..... Until now.... But who goes where??
1.) LeBron James (26 years old) - how can you not go after Bron Bron if you are the Nets, Knicks, and other teams with alot of space and nothing to loose. Hell, put him with some more than average players and make sure they stay away from his moms......that is pretty much the recipe. The most dominant player in the league. I say Lebron will either stay or go to Chicago and keep riding his MJ high.

2.) Dwayne Wade (28) - in my opinion is the most complete player in the league next to Kobe Bryant. But as long as LeBron is linked with him, Wade will stay at #2. Wade will NOT by any means leave South Beach. For what reason should he? He has his own team, beautiful weather, beautiful women, and women who look ten times better than his own wife. I think the bigger question is who will join him? He is in need of a Big man, and a good set shooter. All of the other role players are in place already. Besides the combination that will destroy every franchise for years to come would be the devastating combo of #1 James and #2 Wade. And this would be good for sports!!!

3.) Chris Bosh (26) - Is one of the Best big men in the game. He averaged 22 and 8.7 over the last four seasons. Last year he chose to put up dominant numbers putting himself on display with 28.9 and 11.5 a game. Will Bosh even leave? Raptors showed they will spend money by bringing in Hedo Turkoglu to go with an emerging Calderon and Bargnani. With a couple more pieces this could be a good team in the future. If not im sure that any team with cap space will be willing to take the young fella.GUARANTEED Hell... he would look very good in purple and gold...

4.) Dirk Nowitzki ( 32) Well he averaged 26 and 9 a game this past season. This season also showed that even bringing in role players didnt help. It is time Dirk linked up with a player better than himself because it is obvious he does not have what it takes to get to the promise land.... It will be hard for him to brake away from that Maverick rope Cuban tied him in. I was just thinking to myself... they could be gay. What do yall think??????

5.) Joe Johnson (29) Boy got some game on him!!!! 39% three point shooter as well and very active with assists and boards. He will have high value this off season and will more than likely leave Atlanta. That is if he wants to win someday. He could be that piece LeBron or Wade needs. Maybe him and Bosh would be the new Pat Ewing and Alan Houston?? He is another player who needs someone better than him on his squad.

other notables:
Amare Stoudamire - unimpressive postseason for a top big man and someone wanting top pay.
Carlos Boozer - consistent and underrated. alot of injury issues as well but I like his toughness
Paul Pierce - he still got it.
Manu Ginobli - he came back in rare form. it is his time to get out of San An. and go shine elsewhere

David Lee - Give him the money he deserves. A great complimentary Big man to anyone

Yao Ming - The Chinese tried and hope fully no more experiments from them. this didnt work
Michael Redd - He fell off helllllllla hard.
Ray Allen - he hits threes, but will give you nothing else at all. so just imagine when he is having an off day? You are better off picking the less expensive version of this Ray Allen like.... JJ Reddick or Kapono.

http://espn.go.com/nba/features/freeagentslotmachine

Houston, We have a Problem?

The NBA is a copycat league. In the 80s, everyone got caught up in the run and gun of Showtime. The 90s, build your team around 2 superstars like Jordan/Pippen, Duncan/Robinson, Hakeem/Drexler, then fill your roster out with role players. Now, heading into the 2008 season, the 3 headed monster is the way to go. Dont get me wrong, teams still want the superstar that sells tickets, the classy superstar that doesnt cause any "image" problems, and the up-and-coming superstar that has a cult following. With the Celtics pummelling the Lakers in Game 6 of the Finals, the verdict was in: You can't win without the three headed monster. Ultimately, KG, Ray Allen, Pierce and Co. proved too much for the Lakers and Kobe. The key here it was Kobe, Gasol, and the third piece was Odom by default. Had they had the promising Bynum in the lineup, it is another ball game. So what has happened since then? Panic.

Teams are going after the new model of small ball and agile stars. The latest sucked into this fray are the Houston Rockets. The Rockets traded Bobby Jackson, a player to be named (Dontae Green), and a future 1st rounder to the Kings to rent Ron Artest. Yes, rent. Artest is in the last year of a contract that pay a modest $7.4 million. Yes, modest for a player that is arguably the Dennis Rodman of his era when its comes to defense, intensity, and plain old scary. But this experiment could over as just another Houston melee did with Scottie Pippen and Charles Barkley. One and done. Beyond that, where does Ron Ron fit in the lineup? Last years starters: Alston, T-Mac, Battier, Scola, Yao. So does Ron Ron play the 4 and Houston play somewhat small ball. (Sidenote: Can't play small ball when someone on your team is 7'5.) Projected Lineup A: Alston, T-Mac, Battier, Ron Ron, Yao. Good lineup if you are playing against the East but does Ron Ron guard Amare, Boozer, David West, Pau? Dont think so. Sure he has help over the top in Yao but that is a lot to ask a player that would rather promote his rap album next summer with DJ Drama.

I hope this is just trade bait to lure an actually need to Houston. With the stars on this team turning the corners in their careers, Houston is still in the playoffs, but they are not going anywhere fast.

After 34 years, CBS' Packer done with Final Four

From ESPN
Billy Packer will reportedly be replaced by CBS studio analyst Clark Kellogg.
Packer, a color commentator, will be replaced in CBS' coverage by studio analyst Clark Kellogg, according to media reports Monday.

Jim Nantz will continue in his Final Four play-by-play role.

Packer, 68, will leave CBS after 28 years to pursue "other projects in basketball," according to The Miami Herald.

An announcement was expected Monday.

Speculation of Packer's exit was fueled amid widespread criticism during this year's tournament. Early in the 2008 semifinal between Kansas and North Carolina, with the Jayhawks up 38-12, Packer declared, "The game is over." (PS - Nantz didnt catch any slack for saying yes it is. Followed by "Kansas is pummeling North Carolina.")

North Carolina cut the lead to 54-50 with 11 minutes left before Kansas pulled away, winning 84-66. (I think the score shows that the game...indeed was over)

The Jayhawks beat Memphis 75-68 to claim the national title.

Packer, who began his Final Four run at NBC, later defended the comment to USA Today.

"My job is to say what I see, not have some kind of subconscious feelings about offending anybody. ... It probably annoyed some people, but I don't concern myself with having some agenda that's contrary to what I'm seeing," he said.

I am going to miss when he yells out "with the kiss", and when he keeps it real about "fagging out."