Every so often a player comes along who changes the landscape of an NBA franchise's future. Many have the ability to do it on the court, but few have the ability to also do it off the court.
Let's start with the on-the-court stuff. Embiid is average 20.2 points per game, 7.8 rebounds per game, and 2.5 blocks per game. In 25.4 minutes per game of playing time. In his first season back from a two year layoff. Without any summer league seasoning. He is putting up historic Per 36 averages on par with the likes of Wilt Chamberlain and Hakeem Olajuwon, and his plus/minuses are off the charts. In the month of January alone, the Sixers went 8-2 in games where Joel Embiid played. That's 8 wins for a team that won 10 games total all of last season. In those games the Sixers were a +15.2 with him on the court and a -7.4 without him. He impacts the game both offensively and defensively the way very few can.
Unfortunately, here is another stat: Embiid has only played 31 games, and may end up finishing the season on the bench as he continues to recover from a bone bruise and partially torn meniscus in his left knee. Some may argue he hasn't played enough to qualify as a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate. Why screw over Malcolm Brogdon or the Sixers' own Dario Saric for the award when all they have done is play games? Well, for one, getting injured isn't Joel Embiid's fault, so he shouldn't be punished for something he can't control. Besides that, the Rookie of the Year award is about recognition. It's about giving notoriety to rookie athletes for impressive accomplishments. Joel Embiid single-handedly brought recognition and notoriety to a dead and floundering franchise, which hasn't had any kind of significant buzz or fan-interest since 2001... until now. Embiid has put a proud and historic franchise back on the map, so much so, that NBA superstar James Harden had the following quotes to say about him:
"He's probably the most skilled big man we have in this league."
"He has a bright future and Philly has got something special here."
The league is taking notice, and that is what stars do. Stars turn bum fuck franchises into destinations. To be a true superstar, your presence off the court has to be transcendent along with your ability on the court. Joel Embiid has it in spades. This is something that neither Dario Saric or Malcolm Brogdon can bring, with all due respect to them. As a rookie, Embiid is already the team leader, and his infectious personality and will to win has been the perfect compliment to Brett Brown's positive attitude. The concoction has led to the Sixers reaching the 22 win mark-more than doubling last season's win total already. The team, even without him, plays with a fire, confidence, and intensity that they simply didn't have last season. Even with Brett Brown. The key missing ingredient was Joel Embiid. Whether or be 40 games, 35 games, 31 games, or 10 games, Joel Embiid is your Rookie of the Year.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Monday, February 6, 2017
The NFL Needs to Change its Archaic Overtime System
The dramatic conclusion of Superbowl LI was only missing one thing: more drama. Unfortunately, football fans were denied the chance of seeing this because the NFL has implemented an archaic, illogical, asinine overtime system that some people oddly have some type of weird stance against changing.
People misguidedly say things like:
"If you don't want the game to end on one score, then stop them from scoring!"
"Tell the defense to stop them or this wouldn't be an issue!"
"Hold them to a field goal and you'd get the ball back!"
Yeah... those are really poor arguments from short-sighted people who are holding a hard line stance simply because of contrarianism, or just for the sake of doing so.
Each NFL team consists of 3 phases - offense, defense, and special teams. Why you would institute a system that leaves the chance that only one of those parts of your team would see the field in an overtime period, when all 3 just played a major role through the entire 60 minutes before this is asinine. (For the record, I know kickoff teams are technically special teams, but the NFL has so ruined those with the kickoff rule changes, I hardly think they even qualify anymore)
Any NFL game, let alone a Super Bowl, should not have the game decided in a period where all facets of a team are not allowed to play. How is it fair to Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Devonta Freeman when they don't even get to play and give a chance to even the score after playing for the entire 4 quarters prior? The answer is that it doesn't make any sense. Super Bowl LI was the New England Patriots vs the Atlanta Falcons. Not the New England offense vs the Atlanta Falcons defense. It's a stupid system that is lacking in logic and fairness, and the NFL needs to get on board and right the wrong here.
And, hey, if nothing else it means more football for everyone.
People misguidedly say things like:
"If you don't want the game to end on one score, then stop them from scoring!"
"Tell the defense to stop them or this wouldn't be an issue!"
"Hold them to a field goal and you'd get the ball back!"
Yeah... those are really poor arguments from short-sighted people who are holding a hard line stance simply because of contrarianism, or just for the sake of doing so.
Each NFL team consists of 3 phases - offense, defense, and special teams. Why you would institute a system that leaves the chance that only one of those parts of your team would see the field in an overtime period, when all 3 just played a major role through the entire 60 minutes before this is asinine. (For the record, I know kickoff teams are technically special teams, but the NFL has so ruined those with the kickoff rule changes, I hardly think they even qualify anymore)
Any NFL game, let alone a Super Bowl, should not have the game decided in a period where all facets of a team are not allowed to play. How is it fair to Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Devonta Freeman when they don't even get to play and give a chance to even the score after playing for the entire 4 quarters prior? The answer is that it doesn't make any sense. Super Bowl LI was the New England Patriots vs the Atlanta Falcons. Not the New England offense vs the Atlanta Falcons defense. It's a stupid system that is lacking in logic and fairness, and the NFL needs to get on board and right the wrong here.
And, hey, if nothing else it means more football for everyone.
Friday, February 3, 2017
A Strategy in Trading Jahlil Okafor
The Jahlil Okafor situation with the Sixers is as much of a disaster as it is completely and totally baffling. He finds himself only getting playing time when Joel Embiid isn't playing, and it took a disastrous performance by Richaun Holmes in Chicago to regain his spot in the rotation even without Joel Embiid. Okafor's trade value has fallen significantly, and the #3 overall draft pick in 2015 may find himself with the maximum trade value of a late 1st round draft pick in the 2017 NBA Draft at this point.
However, if Bryan Colangelo plays his cards right, he may find a way to salvage some value for Okafor, and it has nothing to do with playing him more, which in case you haven't been paying attention, causes the Sixers to lose more games than when he doesn't play. Jahlil Okafor does not need to be showcased. NBA general managers know his game, and know what he is capable of. They know his extreme defensive deficiencies and his poor effort rebounding the basketball. They know about his lack of hustle, and inability to give effort on screens. They know about his tremendous low post offensive arsenal, but limited versatility on offense, which severely limits the number of teams he can fit in with. Showcasing Okafor at this point is a lost cause. He should be sitting to avoid the risk of major injury, which would completely assure he isn't leaving Philadelphia any time soon.
To maximize value with Okafor, there are two last-ditch options.
Option 1: Find a general manager short-sighted enough to trade a distant future 1st round pick with little or no protections far enough in future, where they consider the cost "out of sight, out of mind." If the Sixers try to sell an unprotected 1st rounder in, say, 2021, GMs may figure that it's so far down the line, it may be worth surrending, which is essentially a free player for the next 4 seasons. Almost like a loan. In addition, GMs may conclude that it isn't even a given they are employed by said team that far down the road, so they will not be around at that time to deal with the back-end repercussions of such a deal.
For the Sixers, it makes sense from a multiple perspectives. With multiple extra future draft picks, a projected NBA-leading amount of cap space, Furkan Korkmaz still playing overseas, and the eventual return of Jerryd Bayless, they will be able to withstand the loss of a player like Okafor without getting an immediate return. Roster spots for the Sixers will be few and far between for the next several seasons. Additionally, by 2021, the Sixers may have advanced to the level of Eastern Conference upper-echelon contenders, and with some luck, could find themselves a rare opportunity to draft in the upper part of the 1st round while contending for an Eastern Conference title. Imagine the Sixers finishing a season with 57 wins, being eliminated by the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, and having a top 10 pick in the draft to bolster their roster for the following season.
Option 2: Trading for a player whose value is currently low, but will only appreciate over time, allowing you to have a chance at a long-term payoff. Scour the league, and look for players who are getting limited playing time who you see being major contributors several years down the road, and look around for raw talents who have yet to put it all together. The best NBA executives are able to identify these players, see the talent no one else can see, and put them on a coaching staff who can develop talent, and get the most out of your acquisition.
The last thing the Sixers want to do is trade Jahlil Okafor, for a maxed out 7 year veteran, who has no future with the organization, and will not be around when they start climbing that playoff ladder. Even if the Sixers acquire a lesser overall talent in return for Okafor, it should be a player who has a chance to contribute to the club for the foreseeable future. It doesn't have to be a starter, nor would I expect one at this point. However, having a strong bench is important in the NBA; especially in the playoffs.
If Colangelo uses the right strategy, and plays his cards right, with a willing dance partner, he may just have an opportunity to get some value for Okafor yet.
However, if Bryan Colangelo plays his cards right, he may find a way to salvage some value for Okafor, and it has nothing to do with playing him more, which in case you haven't been paying attention, causes the Sixers to lose more games than when he doesn't play. Jahlil Okafor does not need to be showcased. NBA general managers know his game, and know what he is capable of. They know his extreme defensive deficiencies and his poor effort rebounding the basketball. They know about his lack of hustle, and inability to give effort on screens. They know about his tremendous low post offensive arsenal, but limited versatility on offense, which severely limits the number of teams he can fit in with. Showcasing Okafor at this point is a lost cause. He should be sitting to avoid the risk of major injury, which would completely assure he isn't leaving Philadelphia any time soon.
To maximize value with Okafor, there are two last-ditch options.
Option 1: Find a general manager short-sighted enough to trade a distant future 1st round pick with little or no protections far enough in future, where they consider the cost "out of sight, out of mind." If the Sixers try to sell an unprotected 1st rounder in, say, 2021, GMs may figure that it's so far down the line, it may be worth surrending, which is essentially a free player for the next 4 seasons. Almost like a loan. In addition, GMs may conclude that it isn't even a given they are employed by said team that far down the road, so they will not be around at that time to deal with the back-end repercussions of such a deal.
For the Sixers, it makes sense from a multiple perspectives. With multiple extra future draft picks, a projected NBA-leading amount of cap space, Furkan Korkmaz still playing overseas, and the eventual return of Jerryd Bayless, they will be able to withstand the loss of a player like Okafor without getting an immediate return. Roster spots for the Sixers will be few and far between for the next several seasons. Additionally, by 2021, the Sixers may have advanced to the level of Eastern Conference upper-echelon contenders, and with some luck, could find themselves a rare opportunity to draft in the upper part of the 1st round while contending for an Eastern Conference title. Imagine the Sixers finishing a season with 57 wins, being eliminated by the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, and having a top 10 pick in the draft to bolster their roster for the following season.
Option 2: Trading for a player whose value is currently low, but will only appreciate over time, allowing you to have a chance at a long-term payoff. Scour the league, and look for players who are getting limited playing time who you see being major contributors several years down the road, and look around for raw talents who have yet to put it all together. The best NBA executives are able to identify these players, see the talent no one else can see, and put them on a coaching staff who can develop talent, and get the most out of your acquisition.
The last thing the Sixers want to do is trade Jahlil Okafor, for a maxed out 7 year veteran, who has no future with the organization, and will not be around when they start climbing that playoff ladder. Even if the Sixers acquire a lesser overall talent in return for Okafor, it should be a player who has a chance to contribute to the club for the foreseeable future. It doesn't have to be a starter, nor would I expect one at this point. However, having a strong bench is important in the NBA; especially in the playoffs.
If Colangelo uses the right strategy, and plays his cards right, with a willing dance partner, he may just have an opportunity to get some value for Okafor yet.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
The Eagles need to go big at WR in free agency
The Eagles have arguably the NFL's worst receiving corps, with a unit that has chronic drop issues and an extreme inability to create separation and get open. You saw this in abundance this season, as Carson Wentz broke contain, eluded a pass rush, scrambled outside the pocket for a good 5+ seconds and still was unable to find open receivers down field. The Eagles have an obvious and massive need to upgrade the position.
Having blown multiple high-round draft picks on receivers in the last few years, I don't think the NFL Draft is the way to go to address the position. Carson Wentz is the future of the organization. They need him to develop and excel to progress to that Superbowl level. He needs immediate help. You saw this past season when Lane Johnson was suspended that his confidence took a major hit. His accuracy and mechanics suffered, and he didn't trust the offense like he did in the first 4 games of the season. However, aside from losing Lane Johnson, I believe the ineptitude of the receivers around him also hurt his confidence. Wentz is only human, and you'd have to think that after dealing with drop after drop, and the inability to find guys open time and time again, the poor group of receivers also played a role in Wentz's confidence level taking a hit.
So, looking at free agency there are a handful of names to take a look at. Those names are Terrelle Pryor, Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, Kenny Stills, and Robert Woods. Pryor is likely to be retained by the Browns, as they already re-upped Jamie Collins, and now are free to use their franchise tag on Pryor. Plus, I wouldn't be in favor of pursuing him anyway. He's immensely talented, no question, but he still has very little experience playing the position, and I worry about shelling out substantial money to such an unproven commodity.
Kenny Stills seems to be the hot name among Eagles fans and media types, but I'm not in the camp. I think Kenny Stills is a terrible idea for the Eagles. Sure, he provides a much-needed vertical threat, but Kenny Stills has been a #2 receiver at best for his entire career, and many of that time, has been no better than a #3 caliber receiver. Bringing him to Philly to have him be "the guy" is not a scenario I find promising. In sports, we have all seen what happens when you put a greater burden on an athlete in which their talent level can handle. I also think Stills will get paid significantly more money than a lot of people expect. In comparison, Marvin Jones last season received a 5 year, 40 million dollar contract from the Detroit Lions, with 20 million guaranteed. Marvin Jones is much like Kenny Stills, not in terms of their skill sets, but the general receiver tier they fall in. Jones is a secondary receiver on a good team, and still received a large contract. Stills, with NFL inflation, will likely get an even larger contract on the open market.
Maybe it's just me, but I refuse to overpay for "above average" when addressing needs. That's how you get yourself into trouble. If the Eagles sign Kenny Stills, to say, a 5 year, 42 million dollar contract with 25 million in guarantees, he will be "the man" in Philadelphia. And he is a secondary receiver who will not, under any circumstances, solve their receiver woes, and will most likely barely even make them respectable. So, fast-forward a year to January 2018. Howie Roseman and Joe Douglas are sitting there still having a major need at the position after having given Stills all of that money. So, you essentially compound your financial woes by having to invest even more resources at the position because Stills wasn't good enough on his own.
It's actually smarter, and more cost-effective, to target Alshon Jeffery. Yes, he has some minor injury concerns, and has a PED violation hanging over his head, but he's exactly what the Eagles and Carson Wentz needs. He is one of the best in the NFL at not dropping the football, for a group of WRs who are plagued with the issue. He is a big target for a QB who has issues sailing footballs. He is a WR who doesn't have blazing speed, but consistently gets open, and would provide Wentz that "go-to" receiver and reliable target he so desperately needs to further develop into the QB the Eagles hope he can be. Also, Joe Douglas knows him personally from his time in Chicago, and recently-hired Eagles WRs coach Mike Groh coached him in Chicago.
Jeffery is going to cost a significant sum of money, but with Roseman working his Cap Magic, the Eagles will be able to find a way to afford it. He is apparently asking for Dez Bryant type money, if you believe the reports, but I don't think he will quite reach Dez Bryant money. He is coming off a down season, and a PED suspension. That should drive his price down just a tiny bit to put him in that "sweet spot" where Roseman can land the prized receiver at an amount that doesn't destroy his cap. Then, at only 27 years old(when free agency begins), you can watch the Wentz and Jeffery tandem grow together for the next 5 years, and get this "Wide Receiver Disease" into major remission.
Having blown multiple high-round draft picks on receivers in the last few years, I don't think the NFL Draft is the way to go to address the position. Carson Wentz is the future of the organization. They need him to develop and excel to progress to that Superbowl level. He needs immediate help. You saw this past season when Lane Johnson was suspended that his confidence took a major hit. His accuracy and mechanics suffered, and he didn't trust the offense like he did in the first 4 games of the season. However, aside from losing Lane Johnson, I believe the ineptitude of the receivers around him also hurt his confidence. Wentz is only human, and you'd have to think that after dealing with drop after drop, and the inability to find guys open time and time again, the poor group of receivers also played a role in Wentz's confidence level taking a hit.
So, looking at free agency there are a handful of names to take a look at. Those names are Terrelle Pryor, Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, Kenny Stills, and Robert Woods. Pryor is likely to be retained by the Browns, as they already re-upped Jamie Collins, and now are free to use their franchise tag on Pryor. Plus, I wouldn't be in favor of pursuing him anyway. He's immensely talented, no question, but he still has very little experience playing the position, and I worry about shelling out substantial money to such an unproven commodity.
Kenny Stills seems to be the hot name among Eagles fans and media types, but I'm not in the camp. I think Kenny Stills is a terrible idea for the Eagles. Sure, he provides a much-needed vertical threat, but Kenny Stills has been a #2 receiver at best for his entire career, and many of that time, has been no better than a #3 caliber receiver. Bringing him to Philly to have him be "the guy" is not a scenario I find promising. In sports, we have all seen what happens when you put a greater burden on an athlete in which their talent level can handle. I also think Stills will get paid significantly more money than a lot of people expect. In comparison, Marvin Jones last season received a 5 year, 40 million dollar contract from the Detroit Lions, with 20 million guaranteed. Marvin Jones is much like Kenny Stills, not in terms of their skill sets, but the general receiver tier they fall in. Jones is a secondary receiver on a good team, and still received a large contract. Stills, with NFL inflation, will likely get an even larger contract on the open market.
Maybe it's just me, but I refuse to overpay for "above average" when addressing needs. That's how you get yourself into trouble. If the Eagles sign Kenny Stills, to say, a 5 year, 42 million dollar contract with 25 million in guarantees, he will be "the man" in Philadelphia. And he is a secondary receiver who will not, under any circumstances, solve their receiver woes, and will most likely barely even make them respectable. So, fast-forward a year to January 2018. Howie Roseman and Joe Douglas are sitting there still having a major need at the position after having given Stills all of that money. So, you essentially compound your financial woes by having to invest even more resources at the position because Stills wasn't good enough on his own.
It's actually smarter, and more cost-effective, to target Alshon Jeffery. Yes, he has some minor injury concerns, and has a PED violation hanging over his head, but he's exactly what the Eagles and Carson Wentz needs. He is one of the best in the NFL at not dropping the football, for a group of WRs who are plagued with the issue. He is a big target for a QB who has issues sailing footballs. He is a WR who doesn't have blazing speed, but consistently gets open, and would provide Wentz that "go-to" receiver and reliable target he so desperately needs to further develop into the QB the Eagles hope he can be. Also, Joe Douglas knows him personally from his time in Chicago, and recently-hired Eagles WRs coach Mike Groh coached him in Chicago.
Jeffery is going to cost a significant sum of money, but with Roseman working his Cap Magic, the Eagles will be able to find a way to afford it. He is apparently asking for Dez Bryant type money, if you believe the reports, but I don't think he will quite reach Dez Bryant money. He is coming off a down season, and a PED suspension. That should drive his price down just a tiny bit to put him in that "sweet spot" where Roseman can land the prized receiver at an amount that doesn't destroy his cap. Then, at only 27 years old(when free agency begins), you can watch the Wentz and Jeffery tandem grow together for the next 5 years, and get this "Wide Receiver Disease" into major remission.
Monday, January 23, 2017
Skip Bayless is the Anti-Hero The Sports World Needs
People today have come to take sports waaaaaaaay too seriously. You see it everyday in the news every time you read about a fan beating up another fan simply because he supports another team, or may have experienced it yourself with any type of harassment you endured just because of the team you root for. You see it every time you view a threat to a professional athlete, or fan, made on Twitter or Facebook. This is nothing new, it has been going on since the origin of sports in America, but what makes it more in abundance now is the use of social media. Now, people from all over the globe can pounce on one target in an instant. It's part of why my love of sports isn't quite what it used to be. The fact that people are ridiculed for leaving games early or taking a couple months off from watching their teams because they are boring. People are labeled frontrunners, bandwagoners, are belittled and meant to feel inferior to "hardcore fans" simply because they don't dedicate 100% of their day-to-day lives and enthusiasm to their teams.
Sports are entertainment. That's all sports are. Sports are no different from movies, television, or video games. As people, we take up hobbies to inject fun and enjoyment into our lives to get through the daily grind of life. The whole "sports is a religion" culture is something I personally loathe. It creates an unnecessary divide among fan bases, when there doesn't need to be one. It's because of this, Skip Bayless is a necessary anti-hero in today's era of sports.
Skip Bayless exposes and brings to light the hypersensitivity of our current sports culture. Is he annoying? Yes. Is he ridiculous? Yes. Do his opinions suck? Of course. However, if you break it down, all he really does is pick the most glorified athlete in each sport, and call them overrated for attention. He is never vulgar, and does not take things to an offensive and hateful or racially insensitive level like a Don Imus or Rush Limbaugh. He uses his podium to merely be a contrarian and create controversial talking points for the networks he is employed by. Yet, he garners an incredible amount of hatred. For saying professional athletes are overrated. Not for wishing cancer on LeBron James, or wishing a car crash on Aaron Rodgers. He gets hatred for saying things like "LeBron nailed a clutch 3 there, but couldn't hit the last one when it truly mattered!" And because of it, you have floods of hateful messages directed toward the guy, death threats among them. There is even a respected media reporter who is so annoyed and offended by his opinions, that he now uses his Twitter account to show how poor the ratings are of Bayless' Fox Sports 1 show every time Skip Bayless tweets something of a contrarian nature. Many people who are known to be put off by his sports opinions are grown men who have worked in the industry for quite some time.
Skip Bayless is a harmless, albeit annoying, individual, but I can respect that the guy makes several million dollars per year essentially being a professional troll, and not having to be hateful doing so. I'd take that job 100 times out of 100 if I could. So would many other people. Most importantly, I appreciate how simply by trolling and throwing out a handful of controversial opinions per week, he exposes the worst of today's hateful sports fans for all to see, and proves that people simply take sports much too seriously.
Sports are entertainment. That's all sports are. Sports are no different from movies, television, or video games. As people, we take up hobbies to inject fun and enjoyment into our lives to get through the daily grind of life. The whole "sports is a religion" culture is something I personally loathe. It creates an unnecessary divide among fan bases, when there doesn't need to be one. It's because of this, Skip Bayless is a necessary anti-hero in today's era of sports.
Skip Bayless exposes and brings to light the hypersensitivity of our current sports culture. Is he annoying? Yes. Is he ridiculous? Yes. Do his opinions suck? Of course. However, if you break it down, all he really does is pick the most glorified athlete in each sport, and call them overrated for attention. He is never vulgar, and does not take things to an offensive and hateful or racially insensitive level like a Don Imus or Rush Limbaugh. He uses his podium to merely be a contrarian and create controversial talking points for the networks he is employed by. Yet, he garners an incredible amount of hatred. For saying professional athletes are overrated. Not for wishing cancer on LeBron James, or wishing a car crash on Aaron Rodgers. He gets hatred for saying things like "LeBron nailed a clutch 3 there, but couldn't hit the last one when it truly mattered!" And because of it, you have floods of hateful messages directed toward the guy, death threats among them. There is even a respected media reporter who is so annoyed and offended by his opinions, that he now uses his Twitter account to show how poor the ratings are of Bayless' Fox Sports 1 show every time Skip Bayless tweets something of a contrarian nature. Many people who are known to be put off by his sports opinions are grown men who have worked in the industry for quite some time.
Skip Bayless is a harmless, albeit annoying, individual, but I can respect that the guy makes several million dollars per year essentially being a professional troll, and not having to be hateful doing so. I'd take that job 100 times out of 100 if I could. So would many other people. Most importantly, I appreciate how simply by trolling and throwing out a handful of controversial opinions per week, he exposes the worst of today's hateful sports fans for all to see, and proves that people simply take sports much too seriously.
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