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11/09/2018 6:21 am  #1


battles enough to co

It was four years ago Tuesday that LeBron James told Jim Gray at the Boys and Girls Club in Greenwich, Connecticut that he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers and taking his talents to South Beach to join the Miami Heat. Four seasons, four NBA Finals appearances and two NBA titles later, another decision awaits the 29-year-old Akron, Ohio native. Opting out early from the six-year deal he signed with the Heat, James is once again a free agent with no shortage of suitors. While some clubs may be overly optimistic about their chances of attracting the four-time NBA MVP, there are a handful of teams that realistically can bring the games best player to their city...or, in the case of one team, back to its city. So which jersey will LeBron James be wearing come this fall? The fact that James and the other two members of "The Big Three" - Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade - opted out of their deals with the Heat isnt necessarily an indicator that they want out of Florida. When a player has the leverage that all three possess and negotiated, it only makes sense to use and thats just whats happened here. By opting out, the three can all improve their deals with the Heat. Call it greed if you want, but the Heat were prepared for this development and have already begun to address it. The talk following Miamis six-game loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals was that LeBron wanted Pat Riley to provide him with a better supporting cast. That began in earnest on Monday when the team brought in forwards Danny Granger and Josh McRoberts. Point guard Shabazz Napier, a player admired by James, was acquired on draft night as a means to improve the beleaguered back court (both Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole were benched during the Finals). These three additions may not have James sprinting back to the Heat yet, but LeBron himself must recognize the Catch-22 Miami finds itself in right now - James wants the team to add to quality, but his choice to opt out has negated the biggest carrot the Heat have to dangle to free agents - the chance to play with James. Still, the Heat will feel confident in being the devil that James knows. Hes won with this team and he knows the coaching staff and the players. Hes reportedly been in constant contact with Wade over the free agency process and his close friendship with the 10-time All-Star will go a long way to inform Jamess choice. While James and Wades futures may likely be entwined, Bosh is an intriguing factor when it comes to Jamess future in Miami. If one of the Big Three is most likely to leave South Beach, its Bosh. Reports surfaced on Monday that the Houston Rockets had tabled a four-year, $88 million offer to the nine-time All-Star and Bosh was seriously considering it. Its also been suggested that Boshs first choice would be to stay in Miami with James and Wade, but heading to the Rockets would give Bosh the opportunity to form a brand new Big Three with Dwight Howard and James Harden. What would that mean for James? Bosh leaving would provide the Heat with ample cap space to bring in another marquee free agent in the form of, say, Carmelo Anthony. What better way to assuage Jamess call for support than bringing in a premier scorer whose averaged 25.3 points a game over his 10-year career? Now, whether or not there would be enough ball to go around for both James and Melo is something to be addressed for another day, but the signing of Melo would go a long way to signal the Heats continued ambition and desire to retain LeBrons services. If one calls the Heat the front-runner for James, then who else is potentially in the conversation? Daryl Morey and the Rockets are focused on their first title in 20 years - luxury tax be damned. If Bosh doesnt want to form a new Big Three in the Lone Star State, then perhaps LeBron can do it himself. Dwight Howard would easily be the most talented centre that James has ever played with and James Harden as a No. 3 scoring is a proposition that no defence in the league wants to consider. The Los Angeles Lakers, who look more likely to be players in next seasons free agent frenzy rather than now, have $37 million committed to just five players including the aging Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash. Still, the team seems to be interested in getting James and Melo together at the Staples Center. For this to work, one of the two would have to agree to less than a max contract, but would the allure of trying to win an NBA title with one of the leagues preeminent franchises and two future Hall of Famers in Kobe and Nash be too much for James to resist? They won 48 games last year and still managed to miss the playoffs, but the Phoenix Suns are one of the finest young teams in the NBA right now and the addition of James to a line-up that includes the dynamic Eric Bledsoe and, arguably, the most underrated guard in the NBA in Goran Dragic could turn the Suns from a team with boundless potential to one capable of competing overnight. Oh, and theres the Cleveland Cavaliers. With the level of sheer acrimony that existed when LeBron left for Miami in 2010, the idea that James could someday return to the team he took to the 2007 NBA Finals seemed preposterous. But here we are. The disdain for LeBron from Cavaliers fans and even team owner Dan Gilbert was palpable and bridges didnt just seem burned, but nuked and the earth was salted. James is an Ohio kid. In leaving the Cavs, his intent was to win a championship. Obviously, alienating himself from Cavs fans who once idolized him was a by-product of this and some of their vitriol is understandable. Sure, LeBron James was a free agent and only exercising his rights as a free agent to sign with the Heat, but its hard as a fan to not take your best player deciding that there better options out there as a bit of a slap in the face. They say that time heals all wounds and that seems to be the case here to some extent, but theres more to it than just that. So whats changed? Well, James left four years ago because he didnt have what he deemed to be a suitable supporting cast. In the 2010 playoffs, outside of James, Daniel Gibson was the only Cavaliers player 25 or under. The likes of Jamario Moon, 33-year-old Antawn Jamison and a 37-year-old Shaq didnt exactly instill confidence in LeBron that this team was equipped to compete in the long run. Flash forward four years and the long run is exactly what the 2014 edition of the Cavaliers are all about. Thanks to five lottery picks in the last four years, including three first-overall selections (Kyrie Irving and Canadians Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins), Cleveland is stockpiled with young talent. The environment that James wanted in Cleveland four years ago exists now. But what about the anger? Fans, perhaps reticent at first, will likely come around to a return engagement, but the enmity wasnt a one-way street. While fans were furious with the player leaving, James, himself, felt that the Cavs played into the fomenting anger of the fans and all too easily allowed him to be cast as the villain in his exit. There was also the now notorious open letter to the fans (bizarrely written in comic sans) from Gilbert posted on the teams website that, in no uncertain terms, casted aspersions upon James as both a player and a person. Thats not something that somebody quickly forgives and forgets. Gilbert certainly didnt forget, which is why, after four years, the letter was finally removed from the teams site. While the summer of 2014 wont bring with it the forced and ill-advised pageantry of the Decision, the fallout of LeBrons choice four years later may dwarf that of his first one. So until we know for a fact, well continue to wonder and ask this - Where is LeBron James headed? As always, its Your Call. Wholesale New Orleans Saints Jerseys . -- Its been 21 years since Joe Gibbs Racing celebrated its only Daytona 500 victory. Bobby Hebert Jersey .com) - The surging Montreal Canadiens will try to match their longest winning streak of the season when they visit the Florida Panthers for Saturdays clash at BB&T Center. http://www.cheapsaintsjerseyssale.com/?tag=alex-okafor-jersey-sale. The 26-year-old Sobotka injured his left leg playing for the St. Louis Blues in a 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. The Blues said he would not recover from the injury in time for the Olympic tournament. Trey Hendrickson Jersey . Moments after scoring and setting off another wild celebration at Minsk arena, Platt leapt into the arms of Belarusian captain Alexei Kalyuzhny. Cheap Saints Jerseys Free Shipping . The club announced Friday that Mauro Biello will be kept on as an assistant to coach Jesse Marsch when the Impact join the MLS in 2012.Denver Broncos 1 (31) - Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State; 2 (56) - Cody Latimer, WR, Indiana; 3 (95) - Michael Schofield, OT, Michigan; 5 (156) - Lamin Barrow, OLB. LSU; 6 (207) - Matthew Paradis, OC, Boise State; 7 (242) - Corey Nelson, OLB, Oklahoma Top Picks Analysis: The rich got a little richer as John Elway laced a pair of doubles that could turn out to be much more despite his relatively poor draft positioning. Denver has totally revamped its shaky secondary in the offseason, first adding lockdown corner Aqib Talib and safety T.J. Ward in free agency before drafting talented Ohio State corner Bradley Roby with the 31st overall pick. Roby had top-20 talent but his stock took a hit because he was inconsistent with the Buckeyes and had a high-profile off-the-field incident days before the draft. Lengthy second-round wide receiver Cody Latimer shapes up as the potential replacement for the departed Eric Decker, while third-round offensive tackle Michael Schofield should provide immediate depth and could turn into a starter down the line if he hits the weight room hard. Best Value Pick: Latimer needs to sharpen his route-running skills but he has a chance to do some special things with Peyton Manning throwing the ball to him. "You just need to get in the hip pocket of Peyton Manning," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. "What a great situation for this young man. Hes a height/weight specimen. He needs to learn how to run routes and separate from defenders." Questionable Calls: Schofield is probably not athletic enough to play on the edge right now and he lacks the functional football strength to kick inside. There were better options on the board for Elway. Summary: The Broncos helped themselves at two need positions (corner and wide receiver) and generally scored well on the value meter throughout the process. FINAL GRADE: B Undrafted rookie free agent signings: DE Kenny Anunike, Duke; OLB Shaquil Barrett, Colorado State; RB Kapri Bibbs, Colorado State; WR Isaiah Burse, Fresno State; P Steven Clark, Auburn; RB Brennan Clay, Oklahoma; DT Mister Cobble, Michigan State; WR Bennie Fowler, Michigan State; WR Greg Hardin, North Dakota State; DE Greg Latta, Purdue; QB Bryn Renner, North Carolina; OT Aslam Sterling, Kansas; CB Jordan Sullen, Tulane; RB Juwan Thompson, Duke; CB Louis Young, Georgia Tech Kansas City Chiefs 1 (23) - Dee Ford, DE, Auburn; 3 (87) - Phillip Gaines, CB, Rice; 4 (124) - DeAnthony Thomas, RB, Oregon; 5 (163) - Aaron Murray, QB, Georgia; 6 (193) - Zach Fulton, OG, Tennessee; 6 (200) - Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, OT, McGill; Top Picks Analysis: Despite a desperate need for speed at the wide receiver position Kansas City went edge pass rusher at No. 23 overall, taking Auburn defensive end Dee Ford. On paper Ford projects as an outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense the Chiefs play but Kansas City already has a pair of stars at the position -- Tamba Hali and Justin Houston. The Chiefs didnt have a second-round pick and addressed depth at the cornerback position in the third by adding lengthy Rice cornerback Phillip Gaines, who should fit in as an option behind starters Sean Smith and Brandon Flowers, although Flowers is reportedly on the trading block. Best Value Pick: Fourth-round running back DeAnthony Thomas shapes up as a nice replacement for Dexter McCluster, who left for Tennessee in free agency. The 5-foot-9 Thomas could be an explosive third-down back and an excellent return specialist. Questionable Calls: At just 6-foot-2 and 252 pounds there is no way Ford can play the five-technique in the 3-4 so hes going to be stuck behind both Houston, who is signed through next season, and Hali, who is locked up through 2015, for now. A speedy wide receiver would have been more helpful, at least for 2014. Summary: Ford and Gaines probably wont help all that much until a year or two down the line. The Chiefs seemed to do better in the middle rounds where they got their replacement for McCluster in Thomas, and nabbed a solid developmental quarterback prospect in Aaron Murray. FINAL GRADE: B- Undrafted rookie free agent signings: RB Charcandrick West, Abilene Christian; WR Albert Wilson, Georgia State; RB James Baker, Idaho; OL Ben Gottschalk, SMU; DB David Van Dyke, Tennessee State; S Daniel Sorensen, BYU; RB Joey Demartino, Utah State; LB Ben Johnson, Tennessee-Martin; C Cole Pensick, Nebraska; K Cairo Santos, Tulane; WR Darryl Surgent, Louisiana Lafayette; S Kacy Rodgers, Miami; C Vyncent Jones, Utah; QB Jon Jennings, Saginaw Valley State; DT Kona Schhwenke, Notre Dame; G Stetson Burnett, Tulsa; DT Kenneth Carter, Auburn; DE Shawn Shupperd, Eastern Kentucky; CB Tevrin Brandon, Monmouth; OL Will Latu, Abilene Christian; LB Brandon Denmark, Florida A&M Oakland Raiders 1 (5) - Khalil Mack, OLB, Buffalo; 2 (36) - Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State; 3 (81) - Gabe Jackson, OG, Mississippi State; 4 (107) - Justin Ellis, DT, Louisiana Tech; 4 (116) - Keith McGill, CB, Utah; 7 (219) - Travis Carrie, CB, Ohio; 7 (235) - Shelby Harris, DE, Illinois State; 7 (247) - Jonathan Dowling, SS, Western Kentucky Top Pick Analysis: The Raiders are almost always wild cards when it comes to the NFL Draft but the organization took a far more conventional approach in 2014.dddddddddddd Oakland didnt waver at No. 5 overall when Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack, universally regarded as one of the best four players in the draft, fell to them. The Raiders certainly had bigger needs like quarterback but general manager Reggie McKenzie wasnt spooked by that and stayed true to his board. Oakland was rewarded for its astute work early in the draft when signal caller Derek Carr fell to the second round and was still available at No. 36 overall. "A lot of teams thought he was the best pure thrower in draft," NFL Network Draft analyst Mike Mayock said of Carr. In the third round the Raiders were able to bolster the interior of their offensive line by selecting Mississippi State guard Gabe Jackson, who has a very high football IQ and projects as a starter early in his career. Best Value Pick: Keith McGill, a fourth-round pick out of Utah, is a Brandon Browner-sized cornerback who could excel in press-man coverage, Questionable Calls: There really wasnt much to quibble about in this draft but if you have to take issue with something, look to the seventh round where defensive end Shelby Harris probably wasnt a draftable commodity. Summary: McKenzie seems to be making the most of his third and possibly final chance to turn things around in Oakland. Mack was in the conversation to be the No. 1 overall pick while Carr is a solid developmental prospect at QB and Jackson should be a rather useful addition. DRAFT GRADE: A Undrafted rookie free agent signings: FB Karl Williams, Utah; WR Mike Davis, Texas; TE Scott Simonson, Assumption; RB George Atkinson, Notre Dame; WR D.J. Coles, Virginia Tech; TE Jake Murphy, Utah; OT Danny Kistler, Montana; WR Noel Grigsby, San Jose State LB Carlos Fields, Winston Salem State; DE Austin Flynn, Arkansas; QB Rob Henry, Purdue San Diego Chargers 1 (25) - Jason Verrett, CB, TCU; 2 (50) - Jeremiah Attaochu, OLB, Georgia Tech; 3 (89) Chris Watt, OG, Notre Dame; 5 (165) - Ryan Carrethers, NT, Arkansas State; 6 (201) - Marion Grice, RB, Arizona State; 7 (240) - Tevin Reese, WR, Baylor Top Picks Analysis: The Chargers went into this draft hoping to improve on their 29th-ranked and AFC- worst pass defense. TCU cornerback Jason Verrett is undersized at 5-foot-9 but shapes up as a Captain Munnerlyn-type, a player who battles enough to compete on the outside during early downs before moving into the slot and becoming a difference maker on obvious passing downs. San Diego moved up in the second round to take Georgia Tech outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu, a high-motored edge player with significant pass rushing upside. In the third round the Chargers took heady Notre Dame offensive guard Chris Watt, a very experienced college player who is a great technician and should develop into a solid starter. Best Value Pick: San Diego needed a true nose tackle and was able to get one in the fourth round by taking Arkansas States Ryan Carrethers, a 340-pound, NFL-Strong two-down player. Questionable Calls: The Chargers made four really sound picks before reaching a bit in the later rounds. Seventh-round wide receiver Tevin Reese for instance is not really a legitimate NFL prospect. Summary: Chargers general manager Tom Telesco didnt have a ton of picks to work with but he generally made sound, prudent decisions when it was his turn. FINAL GRADE: B Undrafted rookie free agent signings: S Alden Darby, Arizona State; DE Colton Underwood, Illinois State; DT Tenny Palepoi, Utah; DT Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe, Boise State; TE Mike Flacco, New Haven; WR Javontee Herndon, Arkansas; RB D.J. Adams, Portland State; CB Greg Ducre, Washington; WR Brelon Chancellor, North Texas; OT Ian White, Boston College; P Chase Tenpenny, Nevada; OT Jeremiah Sirles, Nebraska; LB Alvin Scioneaux, Wofford; G D.J. Johnson, New Mexico; CB Chris Davis, Auburn; WR Torrence Allen, West Texas A&M; WR Micah Hatfield, Oregon State Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap Adidas Hockey Jerseys Wholesale Nike Baseball Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China Wholesale Jerseys China Wholesale NFL Jerseys China Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys Authentic Cheap NHL Jerseys Canada Cheap Nike MLB Jerseys Cheap Soccer Jerseys China NCAA Jerseys Cheap Nike NHL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Store Cheap Football Jerseys Store Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Jerseys NCAA China Jerseys NFL Cheap Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys ' ' '

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