Courtesy of Inner-City Newspaper
During all
the hustle and bustle of the NFL offseason, there have been many familiar faces
ending up in new places. These are five moves that are both interesting, and
will have a major impact on the upcoming season.
Darrelle Revis
Old team: Jets New team: Buccaneers
Darrelle Revis was recently traded from the Jets to the Bucs for the 13th
overall pick in this year's draft, and a probably third-rounder in next year's
draft. Revis is the best defensive back in the game. He can cover anyone's best
receiver. If any team needed a player like Revis, it's Tampa Bay. They were
dead last in passing yards allowed, and the particularly could not cover
receivers. The Bucs also added former 49ers safety Dashon Goldson to try to
ratify this issue. Tampa Bay has a great deal of talent on the offensive side
of the ball. Josh Freeman, Doug Martin, and Vincent Jackson all have superstar
potential. So the team clearly feels that improving defensively will be what
gets them over the hump. Revis' contract is the only real point of concern. His
new contract is for 6 years, $96 million. The fact that none of it is
guaranteed helps, but Revis will make the majority of this money if he plays
well. It is an issue because this team still needs to add more pieces, and they
are committing a lot of money to someone who is not a quarterback. They have
good young players and an inspiring coach, but they are not quite ready to take
the next step. With that said, this trade shows that they are serious about
winning right now.
Mike Wallace
Old team: Steelers New team: Dolphins
While this move should help improve the Dolphins' passing offense, it is
probably the most overhyped signing of the offseason. To be clear, Mike Wallace
has lightning speed and is a prolific route runner. He also has the ability to
play both the outside and the slot. This, however, will not be a particularly
positive change of scenery. Miami did have an impressive season last year,
considering a lack of talent and a seemingly uninspiring coach (as seen on Hard
Knocks). They seem poised to take the next step, as seen by the signings of
Dannell Ellerby, Brent Grimes, and Dustin Keller. They spent big money to keep
wide receiver Brian Hartline. Despite these moves, the offense is by no means
elite. They were already thin at the running back position, and then they lost
Reggie Bush. This will put tons of pressure on quarterback Ryan Tannehill to
make huge strides toward superstardom in his second season. The Steelers had
their own offensive problems last year, but they also had Ben Roethlisberger.
Wallace greatly benefited from having such an elite quarterback. Wallace's
small size (6'0",199 lb) means he can be bodied by larger defensive backs,
so he needs a quarterback who can throw into tight windows. Tannehill is talented,
but time will tell if he can be dominant. Having a weak running game will not
do him, or Wallace, any favors.
Wes Welker
Old team: Patriots New team: Broncos
This move is a no-brainer from the perspective of the Denver Broncos. Peyton
Manning and company were the fifth best passing offense in the league last
year, and they did so without a great slot receiver. Brandon Stokley did a
decent job due to his familiarity with Manning, but Welker is a huge upgrade.
Welker led the Patriots last year in receptions with 118, and receiving yards
with 1354. Stokley had 45 receptions for 544 yards. This should be the most
potent passing attack in the league now, considering that Demaryius Thomas and
Eric Decker are great outside receivers. Peyton Manning had a great security
blanket for years in Indianapolis with Dallas Clark, and Welker should fill a
similar role. He will not dominate statistically like he did last year since he
is new to Manning, but this move will take an already potent offense to new
heights.
Osi Umenyiora
Old team: Giants New team: Falcons
Osi Umenyiora is far from the player he was 6 years ago. His amount of sacks
has been declining, and he has been battling injuries in both knees. Not to
mention that he's 31 years old. Considering this, Umenyiora was very
disgruntled with the Giants for failing to renegotiate his contract in 2011. He
clearly needed a change of scenery. He cited Atlanta's talent as his reason for
chose them, which shows that he's excited to be there. Atlanta was in desperate
need of a defensive end due to the departure of John Abraham. Abraham and
Umenyiora had similar stats last season, but Umenyiora is three years younger.
The fact that Abraham remains a free agent proves that teams are uninterested
in a 34 year old defensive end. It is unlikely that Osi will ever be the
stellar pass rusher he was, but he benefits from the fact that Atlanta has a
great defensive system. Coordinator Mike Nolan had the sixth best scoring
defense in the league last year, despite giving up a good amount of yards. I'm
not sure how much better this deal will make Atlanta, but it was necessary to
make. He will not dominate, but this system will utilize his skills properly.
Percy Harvin
Old team: Vikings New team: Seahawks
There was no greater surprise last year than the Seattle Seahawks and their
rookie quarterback, Russell Wilson. Despite this, they still did not have a
stellar passing offense, which ranked 27th in passing yards per game. Granted,
the playbook was expanded as the season progressed. But for a team that
finished 11-5 and had a top five defense, wide receiver was clearly their
biggest need. Golden Tate, Sidney Rice, and Doug Baldwin are talented, but
neither possesses the big play ability of Harvin. He will also be the team's
best kick returner if Seattle chooses to use him that way. It will be tough for
this team to get much better, but they have to try considering how good the
49ers are. The biggest question mark with Harvin is his health, due to the fact
that he missed almost half of last season. Luckily for Seattle, they have
enough depth at the position to replace him if he gets injured. Teams will have
a better idea of how to stop Wilson this year, so having an extra target will
be very beneficial.
Courtesy of Inner-City Newspaper
As
an exhilarating 2012-13 NBA season comes to a close, the playoffs are right
around the corner. This is a breakdown of the likely first round matchups,
based on the standings as of April 16.
Miami
vs. Milwaukee: This series could potentially be a sweep. Miami is the
defending champion, and they have the best record in the NBA. On the other
hand, Milwaukee has a losing record and greatly benefited from a weak Eastern Conference.
The Bucks score 4 points less per game than the Heat, and allow 5 more. Miami's
two best scorers are LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, who are far more
intimidating than Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings. The Bucks have talent, but
they would only have a chance if they were clicking on all cylinders. This is
clearly not the case considering that Jennings recently criticized the head
coach for singling him out. Ellis' willpower will lead to one win for
Milwaukee, but no more. Miami in 5.
New
York vs. Boston: Ahh, nothing like a good old hate-filled rivalry. Two
years ago, the Celtics embarrassed the Knicks by sweeping them out of the first
round of the playoffs. Today, these two teams look completely different. New
York has looked unstoppable as of late, while Boston has struggled to stay
afloat due to age and injuries. One player can make a huge difference in a
series like this, so the fact that Carmelo Anthony has almost 10 points per
game more than Boston's lead scorer is hugely significant. The two teams are
pretty close in terms of points scored and allowed per game, but this series
will come down to star power. Boston has no chance without Rajon Rondo. Not to
mention the Knicks now have Kenyon Martin, who will put an end to any Kevin
Garnett trash talk. Boston has too much pride to be humiliated, but the Knicks
are too good. New York in 6.
Indiana vs.
Chicago: At one point in time, Indiana seemed to be the biggest threat to
Miami in the East. That does not seem to be the case anymore. They have been stumbling
a bit lately, losing 4 of 6. Indiana's biggest asset is their size, but Chicago
matches up best against them in that regard. This will be a very close series,
but the edge will go to the better big man tandem. Indiana's Paul George had a
breakout season this year, but he has never been called upon on a stage as big
as the playoffs. The Bulls, however, have some major holes. They are the third
best team in the league defensively, but the second worst offensively. Their
lack of offensive firepower will be their undoing, although Nate Robinson has
done an admirable job of filling in for Derrick Rose. Indiana in 6.
Brooklyn vs. Atlanta: Another
intriguing first round matchup. Both teams are almost even in terms of points
scored and allowed. Both teams have a dominant center (Brook Lopez for
Brooklyn, and Al Horford for Atlanta). Both teams have solid point guard play.
The Nets will have the biggest star on the floor in Deron Williams, but he has
never experienced the pressure he will face in the playoffs. For Atlanta, they
have been spreading the scoring around, but they do not have a superstar who
can take over when needed. In order for the Hawks to win, Al Horford and Josh
Smith will have to completely command the paint. In a series like this, it will
come down to who wants it more. The Nets want to validate the success they had
this year in Brooklyn, whereas the Hawks never seem to gel in the playoffs. Not
to mention that Joe Johnson will be looking for vengeance on the team that ran
him out of town. Brooklyn in 7.
Oklahoma
City vs. LA Lakers: The Lakers have no chance since Kobe Bryant is out for
the next 6-9 months. This does not mean they will lay down. Their recent win
against San Antonio shows that they have the heart to compete without Kobe. But
the Thunder are just too talented. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are the
best scoring tandem in the league, averaging 28.1 and 23.4 points per game
respectively. Their point differential is close to ten. On the other hand, the
Lakers allow 101 points per game. They have two very talented big men in Dwight
Howard and Pau Gasol. This is the only area where they have an advantage, but
the Thunder have enough size to circumvent it. Emotion will allow LA to win
one, but the Thunder are simply better. OKC in 5.
San Antonio vs. Houston: For the Rockets to have any chance
whatsoever, James Harden will have to play out of his mind. Jeremy Lin is a
solid point guard, but Chandler Parsons and Carlos Delfino do not evoke fear in
anyone. The Spurs are a far better defensive team than Houston, and that will
be the difference. Harden's 25.9 points a game are fantastic, but he will
average less than that during this series. It's unclear how effective Manu
Ginobili is going to be due to his hamstring injury, but it is likely that Tony
Parker and Tim Duncan can pick up the slack offensively. The Rockets are
younger and should be able to outrun San Antonio, but the Spurs' experience
will prevail. Also, this is exactly why Gregg Poppovic likes to rest his
starters. To keep them fresh for the playoffs. San Antonio in 6. Denver vs. Golden State: The Warriors
might be the biggest underdog in the playoffs, but this is the best matchup for
them. The Nuggets are deep, but lack a superstar. That does not bode well come
playoff time. Also, the Nuggets have been banged up. Danilo Gallinari is out
for the year, while Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried might not be healthy to start the
series. If Faried is not completely healthy, Denver will have trouble with
David Lee and Andrew Bogut. Although the Nuggets do score more points, the
Warriors have more offensive weapons. No one on Denver can stop Stephen Curry.
Possibly Andre Iguodala. Denver is the higher seed, but they seem to be built
for the regular season. The Warriors will continue their dream season and shock
the Nuggets. Golden State in 7.
LA
Clippers vs. Memphis: Lately there have been murmurs that both Chris Paul
and coach Vinny Del Negro are losing the team. The Clippers had struggled a
bit, but they seem to have gotten their mojo back in the last few games. Los
Angeles definitely seems like the better team right now, but Memphis matches up
well. Both teams have great big men, but Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph have more
complete games than Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Unfortunately, the
biggest problem the Grizzlies face is their poor perimeter play. They are dead
last in the league in 3-pointers made, and 24th in 3-point percentage. This
means that they will have shooting slumps at certain points in this series. The
Clippers are deeper, have possibly the best point guard in the game, and are
far better offensively. Memphis' bigs are the only chance they have, but they
simply will not be able to score enough. LA in 6.
