Long live the NBA's trade-deadline buyers.Focus often shifts to the Association's sellers at this point of the season. The league's Feb. 19 trade deadline is less than two months away, and fans and pundits want to know which teams will be making marquee talents available.
Equally important, though, are squads that will be in the hunt for marquee talent. These are the NBA's buyers—the teams that will inevitably try to acquire impact players before this season is out.
Narrowing down the list of buyers can be tricky. Possibilities abound, but "definite" is a strong word. In predicting the league's most aggressive trade suitors, then, we'll focus on teams that have the most to gain, a need to shake things up for the better or outright admitted they'll chase enormous splashes.
Consideration will also be determined by status, assets and past tendencies. The Golden State Warriors are still lording over everyone, so there's little need for them to have 29 other general managers on speed dial. The Philadelphia 76ers aren't trying to win now, so they fall in the same boat. The New York Knicks desperately need help yet are thin on tradeable talent, so they won't be here.
And, finally, teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies (this side of Rudy Gay's departure) aren't ones for midseason turnover, so they won't be here either.
Motive is the glue holding this list together. Let's see which teams have enough of it to be answers to the future question of "Who dunnit?"
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2317511-6-nba-teams-primed-to-enter-2015-as-definite-trade-market-buyers
Monday, 5 January 2015
Biggest Takeaways from NFL's Sunday Wild-Card Action
The Wild Card games lived up to their name on Sunday as the Dallas Cowboys pulled out a late 24-20 win against the Detroit Lions amid dubious officiating and an unraveling narrative for a certain quarterback.
The evening drama made up for the early matchup, a game that was far closer than it should have been at halftime and showed its true colors when the Indianapolis Colts pulled away in the second act to beat the Cincinnati Bengals 26-10.
There was plenty to glean from both games, however. Let's take a gander at some of the takeaways from Sunday's action.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2318253-biggest-takeaways-from-nfls-sunday-wildcard-action
The evening drama made up for the early matchup, a game that was far closer than it should have been at halftime and showed its true colors when the Indianapolis Colts pulled away in the second act to beat the Cincinnati Bengals 26-10.
There was plenty to glean from both games, however. Let's take a gander at some of the takeaways from Sunday's action.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2318253-biggest-takeaways-from-nfls-sunday-wildcard-action
Did Cowboys Wild Card Victory over Lions Silence Tony Romo Critics?
The Dallas Cowboys advanced past the Detroit Lions on Sunday led by Tony Romo's 293 passing yards.
Can Romo quiet his doubters this postseason? Watch as Adam Lefkoe and Bleacher Report NFL Analyst Chris Simms discuss Romo's recent play in the video above.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2319309-tony-romo-playoff-redemption
Can Romo quiet his doubters this postseason? Watch as Adam Lefkoe and Bleacher Report NFL Analyst Chris Simms discuss Romo's recent play in the video above.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2319309-tony-romo-playoff-redemption
Don't Blame Matthew Stafford for Lions' Gut-Wrenching Wild-Card Loss
There was no sixth game-winning drive. No road playoff win for the first time since 1957. No first away win over a team with a winning record.
Just don't pin all the blame on quarterback Matthew Stafford for the Detroit Lions falling to the Dallas Cowboys in gut-wrenching fashion during Sunday's NFC Wild Card at AT&T Stadium.
Quarterbacks often shoulder too much of the blame for losses and receive too much praise for wins. This narrative effect is typically amplified in the postseason, when seasons hang in the balance and the margin for error shrinks to microscopic sizes.
Stafford will take heat in the coming days. Most of it will be unwarranted.Stafford, who fumbled away the football on the final drive to cement a 24-20 loss, failed to snap Detroit's now 10-game road losing streak in the postseason. The Lions remain without a single playoff win since 1991 (eight straight losses), while the club's losing streak against teams with a winning record away from Ford Field extended to 18 games with Stafford under center. These are team realities. So is the fact that Stafford played more than well enough for the Lions to win a road playoff game against a 12-win Cowboys team.
His final line wasn't particularly impressive. He completed 28 of 42 passes for 323 yards, one touchdown and one interception. His passer rating of 87.7 fell below 90.0 for the 13th time in 17 tries this season.
Regardless of the numbers, Sunday was still one of Stafford's better games of 2014-15. He was efficient, productive and mostly safe with the football.
He was also a big reason the Lions jumped out to an early two-score lead.Stafford completed all three of his passes on Detroit's first drive of the game, including a 51-yard touchdown to receiver Golden Tate. On the score, Stafford stepped into a collapsing pocket and delivered a frozen rope—perfectly anticipated and accurate—from his right hand to the waiting mitts of Tate, who made one move on safety J.J. Wilcox and went the distance.
A drive later, the Lions found themselves backed up to the one-foot line. Stafford led the Detroit offense all 99 yards, using a penalty for running into the kicker and a gutsy 9-yard scramble on 3rd-and-8 to extend the drive early. Running back Reggie Bush later scampered into the end zone from 18 yards out to give the Lions a 14-0 lead
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2319226-dont-blame-matthew-stafford-for-lions-gut-wrenching-wild-card-loss
Just don't pin all the blame on quarterback Matthew Stafford for the Detroit Lions falling to the Dallas Cowboys in gut-wrenching fashion during Sunday's NFC Wild Card at AT&T Stadium.
Quarterbacks often shoulder too much of the blame for losses and receive too much praise for wins. This narrative effect is typically amplified in the postseason, when seasons hang in the balance and the margin for error shrinks to microscopic sizes.
Stafford will take heat in the coming days. Most of it will be unwarranted.Stafford, who fumbled away the football on the final drive to cement a 24-20 loss, failed to snap Detroit's now 10-game road losing streak in the postseason. The Lions remain without a single playoff win since 1991 (eight straight losses), while the club's losing streak against teams with a winning record away from Ford Field extended to 18 games with Stafford under center. These are team realities. So is the fact that Stafford played more than well enough for the Lions to win a road playoff game against a 12-win Cowboys team.
His final line wasn't particularly impressive. He completed 28 of 42 passes for 323 yards, one touchdown and one interception. His passer rating of 87.7 fell below 90.0 for the 13th time in 17 tries this season.
Regardless of the numbers, Sunday was still one of Stafford's better games of 2014-15. He was efficient, productive and mostly safe with the football.
He was also a big reason the Lions jumped out to an early two-score lead.Stafford completed all three of his passes on Detroit's first drive of the game, including a 51-yard touchdown to receiver Golden Tate. On the score, Stafford stepped into a collapsing pocket and delivered a frozen rope—perfectly anticipated and accurate—from his right hand to the waiting mitts of Tate, who made one move on safety J.J. Wilcox and went the distance.
A drive later, the Lions found themselves backed up to the one-foot line. Stafford led the Detroit offense all 99 yards, using a penalty for running into the kicker and a gutsy 9-yard scramble on 3rd-and-8 to extend the drive early. Running back Reggie Bush later scampered into the end zone from 18 yards out to give the Lions a 14-0 lead
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2319226-dont-blame-matthew-stafford-for-lions-gut-wrenching-wild-card-loss
Can Andy Dalton Ever Give Bengals Enough from QB Position in the Postseason?
All Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton had to do to quiet the critics who believe he shrinks in big-game situations was defeat the Indianapolis Colts on the road in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. And he had to do it with his favorite receiver, A.J. Green, and tight end Jermaine Gresham both sidelined with injures.
It was even harder for him than all that sounds.Dalton went into the game 0-3 in the playoffs, but this wasn't the Sunday he was to shake off his—and the Bengals'—postseason win drought. The Bengals were bested by Indianapolis, 26-10, in a game where Dalton's supporting cast simply didn't do him any favors.
After the game, Bengals offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth told Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer, "In the big moments, our big guys have to make the plays. You're going to have to make some kind of exceptional play to win the game.''
Dalton ended the day completing 18 of his 35 pass attempts for 155 yards, no scores, no interceptions and a lost fumble. He averaged 4.4 yards per attempt and was under duress all day, taking three sacks and being hit six more times.
Without Green and Gresham—and receiver Marvin Jones and tight end Tyler Eifert, who both landed on injured reserve after suffering foot and elbow injures, respectively—Dalton was tasked with trying to move the ball with the help of Mohamed Sanu, Greg Little and Brandon Tate, among others. Considering Dalton's thin receiving corps, it's no surprise he struggled.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2319073-can-andy-dalton-ever-give-bengals-enough-from-qb-position-in-the-postseason
It was even harder for him than all that sounds.Dalton went into the game 0-3 in the playoffs, but this wasn't the Sunday he was to shake off his—and the Bengals'—postseason win drought. The Bengals were bested by Indianapolis, 26-10, in a game where Dalton's supporting cast simply didn't do him any favors.
After the game, Bengals offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth told Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer, "In the big moments, our big guys have to make the plays. You're going to have to make some kind of exceptional play to win the game.''
Dalton ended the day completing 18 of his 35 pass attempts for 155 yards, no scores, no interceptions and a lost fumble. He averaged 4.4 yards per attempt and was under duress all day, taking three sacks and being hit six more times.
Without Green and Gresham—and receiver Marvin Jones and tight end Tyler Eifert, who both landed on injured reserve after suffering foot and elbow injures, respectively—Dalton was tasked with trying to move the ball with the help of Mohamed Sanu, Greg Little and Brandon Tate, among others. Considering Dalton's thin receiving corps, it's no surprise he struggled.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2319073-can-andy-dalton-ever-give-bengals-enough-from-qb-position-in-the-postseason
Gutsy Cowboys Victory Overshadowed by Controversy, Typical Lions Errors
ARLINGTON, Texas — It will be talked about for days, weeks, years—maybe even decades. It will cause conspiracy theorists to purchase extra aluminum foil and tin hats for their underground silos. It will cause, yet again, many to say: Lions gonna be Lionsy. It will overshadow what was a gutsy, brilliant Dallas comeback victory over Detroit. A comeback that could propel the Cowboys deep into the playoffs.Though TPFP did not decide the Wild Card Game won Sunday by Dallas, 24-20, at AT&T Stadium—so much else did—it was crucial. It allowed the Dallas momentum to continue surging, like an electrical wire, while simultaneously draining the Lions. It led to Dallas winning a playoff game (and not choking) and also meant the Lions—who do all kinds of Lionsy things all the time—have not won a playoff game in close to 8,400 days. Dallas will play at Green Bay in the divisional round.
The NFL had better hire extra personnel to answer its phone calls from angry Lions fans and purchase some extra bandwidth to deal with the angry emails over The Phantom Flag Play. This is going to be bad.
The Phantom Flag Play overshadowed what was one of the most well-played and exciting playoff games of not just this Wild Card Weekend but any Wild Card Weekend in recent history. There were so many other angles, including the fact Dallas' marvelous, frenetic comeback was historic. The Cowboys were previously 0-8 when trailing by double digits at halftime in their postseason history. The Lions led 17-7 at the break.
There were also other ref mistakes. Dez Bryant ran onto the field to protest the very pass interference flag in question (sans helmet) but didn't get flagged for it. That was an obvious penalty.
Yet no play, no call was like the picked-up flag. Detroit was leading 20-17 and facing a 3rd-and-1 on the Dallas 46 with about eight minutes left in the game. Matthew Stafford threw to tight end Brandon Pettigrew. Pettigrew was being guarded by linebacker Anthony Hitchens, who had his back to Stafford and also had had a handful of Pettigrew's jersey.A flag was thrown, but referee Pete Morelli picked it up. In my 25 years of covering the sport, I can't remember too many scenarios where an apparently totally legitimate penalty was overruled. Tweeted Jim Daopoulos, who spent 12 years as an NFL supervisor, about the play: "I wish I had an explanation regarding the flag pick up but I too am completely confused with that ruling…"
Everyone was. It set off a firestorm of criticism from current and former players, media members and others. Lions fans on Twitter armed their phasers and photon torpedoes.
Fox analyst Mike Pereira, who formerly headed the NFL's officiating, said he had never seen a flag pick-up like that before. "It's clearly pass interference," he said. "I strongly believe that was not a good pick-up of a flag."
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2319213-gutsy-cowboys-victory-overshadowed-by-controversy-typical-lions-errors
The NFL had better hire extra personnel to answer its phone calls from angry Lions fans and purchase some extra bandwidth to deal with the angry emails over The Phantom Flag Play. This is going to be bad.
The Phantom Flag Play overshadowed what was one of the most well-played and exciting playoff games of not just this Wild Card Weekend but any Wild Card Weekend in recent history. There were so many other angles, including the fact Dallas' marvelous, frenetic comeback was historic. The Cowboys were previously 0-8 when trailing by double digits at halftime in their postseason history. The Lions led 17-7 at the break.
There were also other ref mistakes. Dez Bryant ran onto the field to protest the very pass interference flag in question (sans helmet) but didn't get flagged for it. That was an obvious penalty.
Yet no play, no call was like the picked-up flag. Detroit was leading 20-17 and facing a 3rd-and-1 on the Dallas 46 with about eight minutes left in the game. Matthew Stafford threw to tight end Brandon Pettigrew. Pettigrew was being guarded by linebacker Anthony Hitchens, who had his back to Stafford and also had had a handful of Pettigrew's jersey.A flag was thrown, but referee Pete Morelli picked it up. In my 25 years of covering the sport, I can't remember too many scenarios where an apparently totally legitimate penalty was overruled. Tweeted Jim Daopoulos, who spent 12 years as an NFL supervisor, about the play: "I wish I had an explanation regarding the flag pick up but I too am completely confused with that ruling…"
Everyone was. It set off a firestorm of criticism from current and former players, media members and others. Lions fans on Twitter armed their phasers and photon torpedoes.
Fox analyst Mike Pereira, who formerly headed the NFL's officiating, said he had never seen a flag pick-up like that before. "It's clearly pass interference," he said. "I strongly believe that was not a good pick-up of a flag."
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2319213-gutsy-cowboys-victory-overshadowed-by-controversy-typical-lions-errors
Sunday, 4 January 2015
Super-Steady Joe Flacco Just Right for the Playoffs, Again—Watch Out Patriots
PITTSBURGH — There was still some leftover amazement after halftime of the Baltimore-Pittsburgh game from when Ben Roethlisberger did his spinning, dipping, swooning, then launch-it-downfield maneuver in the second quarter on Saturday night. We've seen this from him before. Ben being Ben. But then it was Joe Flacco's turn.
It was the third quarter, and Baltimore held a 13-9 lead. Flacco dropped back, and James Harrison reached for his shoulder pad, almost grabbing it. Harrison had him. Then Flacco ducked and darted. He scrambled left and threw a perfect, tight pass to wide receiver Torrey Smith for an 11-yard score.No, it wasn't as flashy as Roethlisberger's jaw-dropper. Flacco is not Michael Vick. Yet in many ways the play was typical Flacco: effective, borderline athletic-looking, but, most of all, a killer. In the playoffs, this is what Flacco will do. He will destroy you.
It won't be the prettiest destruction. It won't be the most athletic—but athletic enough. His passes won't always be the most accurate—but accurate enough. His leadership isn't exclamatory. There are no Favrian gyrations or Bradian head-butts. A pseudo fist pump. A wry smile. A quick jog. That's what you get from Flacco. That's what you mostly saw during Baltimore's convincing 30-17 victory over the Steelers at Heinz Field on Saturday night.
If a man in a time machine landed on Flacco's front lawn and said he wanted to talk about the future, Flacco would smile and say, "Cool ship, dude. Say, you got anything to eat?"
But make no mistake: There is a fighter underneath the cool exterior, and we are seeing the Playoff Joe back in action. Flacco is back in all of his boring awesomeness, and the Ravens are officially the Patriots' worst nightmare.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2318391-super-steady-joe-flacco-just-right-for-the-playoffs-again-watch-out-patriots
It was the third quarter, and Baltimore held a 13-9 lead. Flacco dropped back, and James Harrison reached for his shoulder pad, almost grabbing it. Harrison had him. Then Flacco ducked and darted. He scrambled left and threw a perfect, tight pass to wide receiver Torrey Smith for an 11-yard score.No, it wasn't as flashy as Roethlisberger's jaw-dropper. Flacco is not Michael Vick. Yet in many ways the play was typical Flacco: effective, borderline athletic-looking, but, most of all, a killer. In the playoffs, this is what Flacco will do. He will destroy you.
It won't be the prettiest destruction. It won't be the most athletic—but athletic enough. His passes won't always be the most accurate—but accurate enough. His leadership isn't exclamatory. There are no Favrian gyrations or Bradian head-butts. A pseudo fist pump. A wry smile. A quick jog. That's what you get from Flacco. That's what you mostly saw during Baltimore's convincing 30-17 victory over the Steelers at Heinz Field on Saturday night.
If a man in a time machine landed on Flacco's front lawn and said he wanted to talk about the future, Flacco would smile and say, "Cool ship, dude. Say, you got anything to eat?"
But make no mistake: There is a fighter underneath the cool exterior, and we are seeing the Playoff Joe back in action. Flacco is back in all of his boring awesomeness, and the Ravens are officially the Patriots' worst nightmare.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2318391-super-steady-joe-flacco-just-right-for-the-playoffs-again-watch-out-patriots
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)