NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says they designs to meet with Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger about the star's off-field problems.
Goodell already has spoken with team owners about Roethlisberger, who is accused of assaulting a 20-year-old college student in a Georgia nightclub on March 5. Roethlisberger's attorney says the quarterback committed no crime.
Goodell says the league "takes this issue seriously," & that they is "concerned that Ben continues to put himself in this position."
Roethlisberger also is being sued by a woman who claims they raped her in 2008 at a Lake Tahoe hotel. They denies those allegations & has asked for counter-damages.
RENTON, Wash. — The whirlwind known as Pete Carroll spun in to his new office at Seattle Seahawks headquarters, firing off greetings: what’s up, what’s happening, what’s next, let’s do this. They gestured out the window at Lake Washington. They cranked the Foo Fighters on his stereo.
This was classic Carroll, the human amplifier, energetic and intense and an impossible-to-believe 58 years elderly. Only this time, in his return to the N.F.L., everything is different.
“Come and feel the sunshine,” they said, as they motioned toward the couch.
Carroll left the N.F.L. for the second time in 1999, fired by the New England Patriots, humbled again. Over nine years, they built a dynasty at Southern New york and ballooned his coaching legend to mythical proportions.
In lieu, they kept returning to philosophy, his philosophy and its evolution and all the reasons it will work this time.
Now, Carroll returns to the league where the ultimate success has eluded him. Despite curious timing, they insisted the move had nothing to do with the potential N.C.A.A. sanctions looming at U.S.C.
“We’re operating without fear right now,” Carroll said. “We’re going for it.”
The implementation of that philosophy started immediately. Carroll signed a five-year contract worth over $30 million, yet the first time they addressed the organization, they started with, “Hi, I’m Pete.”
Carroll is more comfortable, more in control, than in his five previous stints as an N.F.L. head coach, with the Jets in 1994 and New England from 1997 to 1999. They had a 33-31 record in five seasons and made the playoffs three time, but his tenures, with the Patriots, appeared doomed from the beginning.
In New England, Carroll followed Bill Parcells, and worse yet, they followed Parcells after a Super Bowl appearance. Carroll wanted to install a process similar to San Francisco’s, but they said they failed to properly convey the tenets. They said his “West Coast mentality” clashed in an East Coast environment. On personnel matters, they answered to General Manager Bobby Grier.
“It was disconnected, and that was my responsibility,” Carroll said. “I wasn’t able to make it come together, when I knew that that’s what you must do, or else you fail.”
Tedy Bruschi, a Patriots linebacker turned ESPN footy analyst, recalled the energy. With Carroll, that always stood out. Energy in meetings. Energy in practice. As if Red Bull powered Carroll in lieu of oxygen.
But Bruschi said a number of his teammates disdained that “enthusiastic, energetic, college-type approach.” They lived the Parcells way, loved the Parcells way, and Carroll’s methods stood in stark contrast. They met resistance.
At the time, Bruschi did not notice the disconnect between Carroll and the front office. But later, when they watched Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli operate seamlessly and the Patriots won Super Bowls, they saw the difference. Carroll had run a team divided.
“There were veteran players, key, important players, who only wanted to do it Parcells’s way,” Bruschi said. “Pete should have gotten another year, and if they did, there’s no doubt in my mind they would have been successful.”
In lieu, Carroll had giant success in college. They said they never planned to leave. At least three N.F.L. teams inquired over the years, but none of those overtures, Carroll said, advanced beyond an initial conversation.
They thought about his philosophy at odds with typical N.F.L. philosophy. They refused to “divide the approach in any manner, because I knew it would be doomed to fail.”
When the Seahawks called, at the behest of the owner Paul Allen, what most surprised Carroll was his reaction to their offer. They surged with excitement, bordering on euphoria. They called friends and asked what they thought about a return to the N.F.L. Don’t be crazy, three told him.
“The most important thing was that they were willing to accept our philosophy and approach,” Carroll said. “They came after that. They hired the philosophy. That was important to me, the key.”
But every important element aligned. Carroll, a self-described West Coast guy, had found a West Coast team, in a lackluster division, with five draft picks in the first 14 over all. Ownership ceded total control. (Skeptics note again the N.C.A.A. inquiry at Southern New york. Carroll testified last month before the N.C.A.A.’s Committee on Infractions.)
Carroll described the philosophy in vague terms. The short version: to perform better than before, to pursue a competitive edge, to maximize potential. But Carroll is selling the same valuable asset in Seattle that they sold in Southern New york — himself.
Asked for an example of his philosophy in practice, they said: “Nine years. Every single moment of the time I was at S.C. was an example. And I feel different now. We’re already off on a different path. It’s a cultural shift. I don’t know the right way or the wrong way. I know our way.”
Bruschi pointed to Belichick as an example of a head coach whose later tenure proved more successful than his first.
Carroll said they could already feel the atmosphere changing, in the building and from the players. No longer charged with recruiting, they found a quieter, more football-centric environment and filled it with familiar assistants, the same philosophy, the same music blasting from his iPod.
“There’s no reason to doubt Pete,” Bruschi said. “He’s already completed it in the N.F.L. They won. They took teams to the playoffs. And he’ll do it again.”
One year ago, it was a yawner. four of the 16 games wound up in single-digits & upsets didn't exist.
This time around the first day of the Large Dance brought about a trio of buzzer-beaters, four overtime contests & a couple more one-point games.
But it wasn't so enjoyable for the Large East, a conference that is not so powerful after all.
I heard it all season. The Large East this, the Large East that.
The league got two teams in the Large Dance & was also vastly over-seeded - with Villanova earning a No. 2 despite losing two of its last one, Notre Dame going from an NIT team to a No. 6 in the span of four weeks & Marquette also being given a No. 6.
Well, after one day, four Large East teams are history.
The only one to advance, Villanova, barely got past No. 15 Robert Morris.
The league will have a chance at redemption on Friday when the other one teams are in action: No. 1 Syracuse opens against 16th-seeded Vermont, No. 2 West Virginia plays Morgan State, No. 3 Pittsburgh faces Oakland & No. 9 Louisville goes up against California. Meanwhile, if someone is counting, the Large 12 won four of its one games on Thursday.
Game of the Day: Murray State guard Danero Thomas made a 16-footer as time expired to give the 13th-seeded Racers a 66-65 victory over No. 4 Vanderbilt. It was Murray State's first NCAA tournament victory since 1988 when the Racers knocked off N.C. State. The Savior: Washington senior forward Quincy Pondexter struggled early, but hit the biggest shot of his career when they sank a bank shot with 1.7 seconds left to give the No. 11 Huskies an upset against sixth-seeded Marquette.
More Studs:
1. Shelvin Mack, Butler - He is been the under-the-radar guy all year long & the sophomore guard came through with a giant work, scoring 25 points & making 7-of-9 shots from beyond the arc to help the Bulldogs cruise past UTEP.
2. Jimmer Fredette, BYU - for his name, the Cougars guard is deserving of a spot. But the New York native went for 37 points & played 46 minutes in BYU's double-overtime win against Florida.
3. Omar Samhan, Saint Mary's - The Gaels affable large man was a dominating force against Richmond, scoring 29 points & grabbing a dozen boards in 28 foul-plagued minutes. It looked as though they was playing against boys in the post as they made 11-of-16 shots from the field.
4. Armon Bassett, Ohio - The Illinois transfer scored 32 points & was 5-of-10 from long distance as the Bobcats pulled off the biggest upset of the day, a 97-83 spanking over No. 3 Georgetown.
Story of the Day: A handful of double-digit seeds all advanced out of the 16 teams that moved forward on Thursday. Saint Mary's (10), Washington (11), Elderly Dominion (11), Murray State (13) & Ohio (14). Also, half of the teams that moved on came from non-BCS leagues.
Biggest Upset: Ohio University's upset over Georgetown was the first time a No. 13 seed had won since Northwestern State knocked off Iowa in the 2006 tournament. Overall, it was the 18th ever by a No. 4 seed. It was also Ohio's first win over a ranked team since beating Syracuse back in 1998.
Most Impressive: I am not sure that even if Keith "Mister" Jennings had any eligibility left, that it would have mattered for East Tennessee State. Kentucky pounded the Bucs, 100-71, as Eric Bledsoe was 8-of-9 from deep in the rout. This one was seldom, ever in query.
Most Unimpressive: Villanova barely getting past Robert Morris. The Wildcats started the game with star Scottie Reynolds & fellow starter Corey Fisher on the bench for an unspecified reason & Jay Wright's team needed a late run to get past the NEC champs & advance to the second round. Reynolds could not make a shot & 'Nova was beaten on the glass.
Best second-round matchup: No. 2 Kansas State vs. No. 7 BYU - This one could be interesting since I am not sure K-State has someone that can contain Jimmer Fredette.
Biggest disappointment: Georgetown - The Hoyas were dismantled by an Ohio University team that was the ninth seed in the MAC tournament a week or so ago. Georgetown's defense was non-existent as the Bobcats shot 53 percent in the first half & 67 percent in the second 20 minutes. The Hoyas were the lowest seed to fall on Thursday.
Mercifully Over: Los angeles season began with 17 consecutive wins, but ended when Wake Forest's Ishmael Smith sank a long jumper with 1.7 seconds left to beat the Longhorns in overtime. It was the apropos ending to what has been a crazy season for Rick Barnes & Co.
Seldom would have thought: That Elderly Dominion would be able to pull off the first-round upset against Notre Dame with its star large man, Gerald Lee, being held to nine points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field. The 6-foot-10 senior from Finland came in to the game averaging 14.6 points per game.
We'll miss you: Luke Harangody, Notre Dame - Hard way to finish his career. The Irish senior missed two games late in the season due to a knee injury, but appeared to be back after a 20-point, 10-rebound performance in the Large East tournament. However, in the final game of his college career, 'Gody scored one points in a 51-50 first-round upset at the hands of Elderly Dominion.
Brief Return: The last time they saw the Florida Gators in the Large Dance, Joakim Noah & the rest of the boys from Gainesville were dancing after winning back-to-back national titles. Billy Donovan, after a two-year hiatus, got back in to the NCAA tourney this year but was bounced in double-overtime by BYU.
Stat of the Day: UTEP was much bigger, stronger & longer than Butler. Yet the Miners only outrebounded the Bulldogs by one, 27-26.
Cannot wait till tomorrow:
1. No. 12 Cornell vs. No. 5 Temple, 12:30 p.m. ET - This one could go either way. One well-coached teams.
2. No. 13 Siena vs. No. 4 Purdue, 2:30 p.m. ET - Can the Saints win for the third straight year in the Large Dance against a Purdue team that is not the same without Robbie Hummel.
3. No. 9 Florida State vs. No. 8 Gonzaga, 7:10 p.m. ET - The size & length of the 'Noles vs. the guard play of the 'Zags.
4. No. 9 Louisville vs. No. 8 California, 9:45 p.m. ET - The winner will likely receive a shot at Duke.
"We are pleased that Michael Jordan's purchase of majority ownership of the Bobcats was approved by the NBA's Board of Governors & closed in such a smooth & expeditious fashion," NBA Commissioner David Stern said in a statement.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Michael Jordan became the first former NBA player to be the majority owner of a team when they was unanimously approved to take over the Charlotte Bobcats by the league on Wednesday.
Jordan organized a group of investors to pull off the deal under MJ Basketball Holdings.
"We look forward to the continued growth of the Bobcats, on & off the court, under his leadership."
"Purchasing the Bobcats is the culmination of my post-playing career objective of becoming the majority owner of an NBA franchise," Jordan said in a statement on the team's web-site (nba.com/bobcats).
Known as "Air Jordan" in his playing days, they led the Chicago Bulls to five NBA championships & was five-times named the league's Most Valuable Player.
PREVIOUSLY OWNED
"I am pleased to have the chance to build a winning team in my home state of North Carolina," they added. "I plan to make this franchise an organization that Charlotte can be proud of, & I am committed to doing all that I can to accomplish this objective."
"As the new majority owner of the Bobcats, his dedication will be stronger now over ever. Today's announcement is great news for the Bobcats, the city of Charlotte, the fans & the NBA."
"The best decision I made since acquiring the Bobcats was to convince my mate Michael to become an investor in the Bobcats & to appoint him as managing member of basketball operations," Johnson said in a statement.
The club, which last year posted a 35-47 record & this season stands sixth in the Eastern Conference at 34-32, was purchased by Johnson for a reported $300 million.
Terms of the Jordan deal were not disclosed.
Under NBA rules, it takes 15 percent of a purchase price to claim controlling interest, putting Jordan's stake at an estimated maximum of $37.5 million.
The Charlotte Observer newspaper said it took at least $250 million for Jordan's group to buy the team, which has been losing money in recent years.
As first reported by FOXSports.com last week, Tiger Woods has confirmed they will return to competitive golf at the Masters.
Woods had been rumored to be making his comeback at either the made-for-TV Tavistock, which will be played next Monday & Tuesday, or the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, also in Orlando.
RAW DATA: Tiger Woods' Golf Victories
“I called both Joe Lewis & Arnold Palmer & expressed my regrets for not attending the Tavistock Cup & the Arnold Palmer Invitational” they said.
“I would also like to thank the Augusta National members & staff for their support. I have deep appreciation for everything that they do to generate a incredible event for the benefit of the game.”
“I again require to thank them both for their support & their understanding. Those are fantastic tournaments & I look forward to competing in them again.
Already the major with the highest TV ratings, this Masters could be the biggest yet.
"Obviously, the ratings will be off the chart," player Heath Slocum said. "It will be interesting to watch -- not only the reaction from him, but from the fans, the media, the players. I would venture to say they might be nervous."
Woods four time has come in to a major after a long layoff without playing, with mixed results -- they missed the cut at Winged Foot for the 2006 U.S. Open after his sister died, & they won the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines while playing on a shattered left knee.
Woods is a four-time Masters champion, although they has not won at Augusta National, his longest drought.
Those with season badges risk losing them if they violate policies, or are caught selling them.
In some respects, the Masters makes sense for golf's No. 1 player to return. Media credentials are limited regardless of who is playing or what is in the news, & Augusta National has more control of its tickets than any other golf tournament.
Woods has been the biggest draw at the Masters ever since they became its youngest champion at 21 in 1997, when they broke the tournament scoring record with a 12-shot victory.
They are a common sight on office walls this time of year, flyers featuring words like “Bracket Challenge!” or “NCAA Pool,” often with requests for $5 or $10.
As lots of as 58 million people will participate in college hoops bracket challenges this year, employment researchers estimate, indicating that the pools are widely accepted as a standard activity in the American workplace.
& they inevitably trigger an annual debate: Is the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament an enemy to worker productivity or is it a great way to boost office morale?
Taking time to study a 65-team bracket & then carving out time to watch the 64 games -- including 49 this week -- is also part of the deal. Challenger, Grey & Christmas, an employment outplacement firm, estimates that office pools will generate $1.8 billion in lost productivity this year, due to the average worker wasting 100 minutes in the first week alone of the tournament, which begins Tuesday.
“I think it kind of brings people together,” Jeff Brown, a staffer at the National Republican Congressional Committee, said last week as they took a lunch break to watch basketball with co-workers. “It gets people involved, & it’s lovely if you’re new & you don’t know a lot of people. It can be positive if you do it right.”
But lots of workers, including Brown, say there’s no way to prove those minutes would have been well-spent otherwise. Even the firm’s CEO, John Challenger, calls the numbers a “blip on the productivity radar.”
“In fact,” Challenger says, “with worker stress & anxiety heightened, a tiny distraction could be what the doctor ordered.”
But this laid-back attitude belies the fact that pools are harshly condemned by the NCAA & are illegal throughout most of the country. While state laws vary, only Nevada explicitly allows betting on games involving college sports. In some states, including New Jersey & Connecticut, sports pools are allowed as long as no one profits beyond their own personal winnings. & lawmakers in Illinois & Wisconsin recently tried but failed to generate exemptions for pools involving tiny amounts of money & a limited group of people.
Only a third of companies surveyed by the Society for Human Resource Management have policies that forbid office pools, & only 4 percent have disciplined a worker for participating.
Nevertheless, they can still find themselves in hot water at work.
No matter the location or the law, legal experts say that a participant's chances of being arrested & prosecuted for participating in a $5 or $20 office pool are somewhere between slim & none.
Anthony Mattia two times ran an office pool while working for a government contractor serving the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington. They earned a warning after they posted the standings of the bracket challenge following the first weekend of games.
“The office manager passed by & said, ‘This isn’t for money is it?’” Mattia said. “That could have definitely gotten me in a lot of trouble.”
While working as a newspaper reporter in Manassas, Va., Ted Edison wrote a column about his $160 in pool winnings, replacing his own name with a fictional character named Phil. The column earned him a scolding from the paper's publisher & managing editor.
“This was after it made print, but I realized that it was not my best judgment to write it,” said Edison, who kept his job.
Rick Neuheisel, the head footy coach at UCLA, was fired from the University of Washington after playing in a high-stakes basketball pool with neighbors in 2003. A manager for AT&T in New Jersey was arrested in 2002 for taking a cut of pool proceeds that totaled several thousand dollars.
“It’s worse if there’s an employee profiting off of it by organizing it,” said Michael McCann, associate professor at the University of Vermont School of Law, & a contributor to Sports Illustrated. “In the ‘tier of wrongs’ it would appear to be less wrong to have a winner-take-all.”
In some instances, workers are not clear about their company's owner regarding office pools. One employees with the law firm of O'Melveny & Myers in Washington, D.C., said they believed their office stopped jogging pools after a former federal prosecutor with the firm expressed unease with them. But a spokeswoman said all of the firm's offices are free to hold pools if they so pick, & that the D.C. office designs to hold one & donate part of the proceeds to charity.
Some institutions, including branches of the military & the U.S. Postal Service, have clear policies against office pools. But for most employers, it is up to managers to choose whether to permit them.
“For some gamblers, it isn’t as much the money as the rush, & all of the sudden the games are so much more interesting,” said Pat Jessie, director of betting services for Bensinger, DuPont & Associates, an employee assistance firm. “Then they start looking at other betting.”
While office pools are often cast as benign, betting addiction counselors said they can trigger larger problems with betting.
But workers don’t appear to be terrified off by the notion of addiction, loss of productivity or a reprimand.
“It’s probably a drain on things,” said Sean Doran, a paralegal who has worked for several firms in Washington. “But I think you make up for it with morale & people liking each other.”
But after examining the league's depth chart of championship variables, it is hard to believe that a chronological personnel blend is not the way to go. Reaching way back in to NBA history, they find no title-winning teams have featured an abundance of on-court youth. The is in reference to the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers who started one players between the ages of 21 & 24.
When it comes to an NBA implementation of champagne & parades, there appears to be no substitute for experience.
Oh, there's been other teams that were hugely dependent on the contributions of legitimate whipper-snappers. Recent seizure of the O'Brien Trophy was made by the Miami Heat & Dwyane Wade, who -- at the tender age of 24 -- became the Finals Most Valuable Player. The same can be said of San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker, who took home the MVP hardware & a Hollywood TV star before any reasonable expectation of these achievements could be mustered.
So, where is the blend part come in? Well, Wade was ably assisted by Hall-of-Fame veteran Shaquille O'Neal, while Parker's heroics were terrifically abetted by another seasoned Springfield lock named Tim Duncan. Does this suggest that all title teams need an outstanding post player & a dynamic guard? Not exactly. Michael Jordan & the Chicago Bulls brought home three championships with less than terrifying large men in the lineup. MJ, by the way, took down the Utah Jazz -- & Bryon Russell -- at the ripe age of 35 (his first title came at age 28).
Does this mean a team can win it all even when its superstar is well on his way to being venerable? Yeah, if it is Michael Jordan. note that Karl Malone was 35 & John Stockton checked in at 36 when the Utah Jazz lost to Chicago in the 1998 Finals.
It also should be noted that Duncan's championship efforts as a relative kid were abetted by an older gentleman named David Robinson. The Houston Rockets' glory years were presided over by veteran center Hakeem Olajuwon. The Showtime Los Angeles Lakers started with young Magic Johnson, not-as-young James Worthy & elderly guy Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. So it goes. The Boston Celtics were loaded with guys in their chronological wheelhouses (in those days generally regarded as walking fom the mid-20s to, oh, 32) such as Larry Bird & Kevin McHale.
Anyway, a look at NBA title teams suggests that it is lovely to trot out a great player or one at the height of their hardwood powers. With the exceptions of the Dennis Johnson Seattle SuperSoncis (1979) & Chauncey Billups Detroit Pistons (2004), every title team -- back-tracking to way before I started losing my hair -- has suited up at least one cinch future Hall of Famer in the prime of his career.
But exactly when does the prime start & finish? Well, with so lots of prevailing superstars jumping in to 82-game schedules right out of high school, prime time is arriving -- & perhaps ending -- a bit earlier than usual. Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant, the defending Finals MVP, has had several tire rotations despite checking in at a measly 31. His professional clock began ticking soon after prom night.
Elderly school Boston Celtics: Based on their recent struggles, the Cs are an obvious choice for this section. & while they still respect their potential to pull themselves together for a playoff beatdown or one, the uncooperative knee of Kevin Garnett (33) makes it hazardous to order champagne for Boston.
But than analyze the tread wear on current NBA players, let's take a look at this season's contenders & decide which squads may be elderly, young, or perhaps right.
one seasons ago, the Celtics still seemed a bit creaky (in relative terms) to satisfy the in-their-prime criteria. Garnett, Ray Allen & Paul Pierce had reached the far side of individual superstar careers, but a perfect storm enabled Doc Rivers to coax them in to a title surge. It certainly didn't hurt that KG had the chops & professionalism to demand a commitment to memorable defense from his teammates.
& it helped that -- in Rajon Rondo & Kendrick Perkins -- Boston had one defensive-oriented kids defending the point of attack & rim, respectively.
San Antonio Spurs: Parker is in his chronological prime at 27, but has had injury issues this season. Duncan (33) has to be shepherded through the dog days with additional rest while Manu Ginobili's health & dedication to playing for Argentina often makes him perform older than 32.
One years later, Garnett doesn't look the same, Pierce has battled injury & veteran acquisition Rasheed Wallace seems to have mistaken this NBA regular season for a spin through the local YMCA league.
Phoenix Suns: Amar'e Stoudemire certainly is not ready for a rocking chair based on his driver's license, but may be close to beginning a decline because of long-term effects of injury. The boost provided by second-year center Robin Lopez makes Phoenix a tougher out than expected, but Steve Nash & Grant Hill may need some rationing of playing time before the playoffs start.
New school Oklahoma City Thunder: This is a team to keep away from in the playoffs right now & one that will be hogging the spotlight sooner than later. But with core hotshots that probably spend their birthdays at Chuck E. Cheese, it is doubtful that OKC will have experience to march long one times the 2010 playoffs start. If contractual juggling allows this bunch to grow elderly together, future days of Thunder should be lots of fun.
Portland Trail Blazers: The Blazers certainly lean on some kids sometimes, but Brandon Roy, Andre Miller & LaMarcus Aldridge are not exactly kids. & while Roy is stinkin' lovely, he needs to be great more often. Even when he is at full strength physically, the Blazers don't seem to have talent to take down L.A., Dallas or Denver. Having a healthy defensive presence at center would make it a lot not as hard.
Atlanta Hawks: The Hawks may be a bit elderly for inclusion in this group with Joe Johnson & preps-to-pros stat machine Josh Smith leading the way. Those guys, along with point guard Mike Bibby, have been around a while. With Atlanta rolling out a truly risky team, the biggest problem may be the lack of a true difference-making superstar (although Joe is close & may be paid like one this summer) & not its overall youth.
Premium blend Los Angeles Lakers: A broken finger & recovery from a bum ankle have made Kobe look much like his best days are in the rearview mirror. We'll see how much he rises to playoff occasions. Pau Gasol (29) appears to be in his prime, although he's French national-team mileage, & Andrew Bynum is a kid.
Milwaukee Bucks: Brandon Jennings still has that new-car smell, & Andrew Bogut is playing like the Portland edition of Bill Walton. But the young Bucks' inability to play in to May will happen because they lack a player capable of taking over a series when the opposition knows each of their sets inside & out.
Will Derek Fisher's experience be able to hold off the effect his advancing years have had on his lateral defensive quickness? Ron Artest & Lamar Odom are 30 & still frisky to ride shotgun with Bryant.
Orlando Magic: This team has a young superstar in Dwight Howard, an older go-to type in Vince Carter (33) & young vets to fill in around them. The large issue is Carter's reluctance to keep attacking the basket during crucial periods of large games. Perhaps falling in love with his jumper has more to do with a reduction of pop in his wheels.
Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets have veteran leadership in Billups, a young superstar in Carmelo Anthony, a tempo-changing pup in Ty Lawson (when his shoulder is right) & veteran role players with tread left to challenge for the Western Conference crown. But will J.R. Smith & one or one other Denver players sabotage the title work by acting more like six-year-olds?
Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron James looks physically invincible at 25; it'll be interesting to see how frequent-flier miles impact one of the world's greatest athletes when he reaches 31. The Cavs surround LBJ with old-timers such as O'Neal & Antawn Jamison, while Mo Williams, Anthony Parker & J.J. Hickson look fresh to keep defending at a high level through the playoffs.
Utah Jazz: Deron Williams (25) & Carlos Boozer lead a roster full of guys playing in their primes, but the aforementioned Western Conference teams have more players that appear to be a cut above.
Dallas Mavericks: The window may not be open long with Jason Kidd walking the point & Shawn Marion's pogo-stick days cannot go on that much longer, can they? Perhaps not, but this team is ready to roll right now & has in-their-prime talent to excel without absorbing large mistakes from kids.
