TRIPLE THREAT CLE: Oklahoma City Thunder

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Tuesday, October 17, 2017

2017-18 NBA Predictions

Randy Groce, Cleveland Cavaliers & NBA Writer (@Brownsareaweful)
Eastern Conference Finals: Cavs v Wizards
Western Conference Finals: Warriors v Rockets
NBA Finals: Cavs v Warriors, Winner: Cavs
MVP: Kawhi Leonard, changed to LeBron James
Most Improved Player: Joel Embiid
Rookie Of The Year: De'Aaron Fox
Cavs Wins: 57

Cliff Gulley, NBA Writer (@CLG2282)
Eastern Conference Finals: Cavs v Wizards
Western Conference Finals: Warriors v Thunder
NBA Finals: Cavs v Warriors, Winner: Cavs
MVP: LeBron James
Most Improved Player: Dante Exum, changed to Jaylen Brown
Rookie Of The Year: Ben Simmons
Cavs Wins: 62

Pat Luhta, MLB Writer & NCAA Football Writer (@PLuhta)
Eastern Conference Finals: Cavs v Celtics
Western Conference Finals: Warriors v Thunder
NBA Finals: Cavs v Warriors, Winner: Warriors
MVP: John Wall
Most Improved Player: Rodney Hood
Rookie Of The Year: Josh Jackson
Cavs Wins: 58

Jason Disantis, Ohio State Writer, UFC Writer (@JasonInCLE)
Eastern Conference Finals: Cavs v Wizards
Western Conference Finals: Warriors v Thunder
NBA Finals: Cavs v Warriors, Winner: Warriors
MVP: LeBron James
Most Improved Player: Kristaps Porzingis
Rookie Of The Year: Lonzo Ball
Cavs Wins: 57

Pat Tregoning, NCAA Basketball Writer (@PatNShaker)
Eastern Conference Finals: Cavs v Wizards
Western Conference Finals: Warriors v Rockets
NBA Finals: Cavs v Warriors, Winner: Cavs
MVP: James Harden
Most Improved Player: Myles Turner
Rookie Of The Year: Ben Simmons
Cavs Wins: 57

Katelin Marshall, Cleveland Browns & NFL Writer (@KatelinKnowsCLE)
Eastern Conference Finals: Cavs v Celtics
Western Conference Finals: Warriors v Thunder
NBA Finals: Cavs v Warriors, Winner: Cavs
MVP: LeBron James
Most Improved Player: Myles Turner
Rookie Of The Year: Lonzo Ball
Cavs Wins: 55

Jaison Roberts, Pittsburgh Steelers Writer (@Kratoslives)
Eastern Conference Finals: Cavs v Wizards
Western Conference Finals: Warriors v Spurs
NBA Finals: Cavs v Warriors, Winner: Cavs
MVP: LeBron James
Most Improved Player: Derrick Rose
Rookie Of The Year: Jayson Tatum
Cavs Wins: 70

Brandon Albright, Wrestling Writer (@B_Rock1978)
Eastern Conference Finals: Cavs v Celtics
Western Conference Finals: Warriors v Spurs
NBA Finals: Cavs v Spurs, Winner: Spurs
MVP: Russell Westbrook
Most Improved Player: Brandon Ingram
Rookie Of The Year: Lonzo Ball
Cavs Wins: 57

Raven Williams, Editor, Entertainment Writer, Host (@nevaRWilliams)
Eastern Conference Finals: Cavs v Wizards
Western Conference Finals: Warriors v Thunder
NBA Finals: Cavs v Warriors, Winner: Cavs
MVP: Kawhi Leonard
Most Improved Player: Devin Booker
Rookie Of The Year: Dennis Smith Jr.
Cavs Wins: 61

Full Court Press: 2017-18 NBA Preview

By Randall Groce, @Brownsareaweful

A lot has changed since the season ended last June. Six all stars from last year are now on different teams. Paul George went to the OKC Thunder. Paul Millsap went to Denver. Jimmy Butler is in Minnesota. Gordon Hayward moved on to Boston. Kyrie Irving joined him about a month later, which caused Isaiah Thomas to go to Cleveland. Did you get all of that?

After the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers to claim their second title in three years, many wondered what impact that might have on the direction teams would go about in building teams this past offseason with so many big name free agents available. In the East, the question is do you build to win immediately to try and take down the Cavaliers, or slowly put together a roster that will be ready to win once LeBron finally retires. A team that seems to have done both are the Boston Celtics.

In August, the Celtics acquired Kyrie Irving in a trade with the Cavaliers in exchange for fellow all-star Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and one of Boston's 2018 first round picks, by way of Brooklyn. The Cavs also added Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Jeff Green, and Jose Calderon. Good luck trying to dethrone them.

Three teams that seem to be waiting on LeBron to move on are the Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors, and Milwaukee Bucks. They basically stood pat this offseason. The Philadelphia 76ers are hoping for good health. Everyone else in the East got worse. I'm not using hyperbole. Literally every team other than the six listed above got worse. Charlotte picked up Dwight Howard, so yea...they got worse too.

Now the Western conference is a completely different story. The fall of the Warriors empire doesn't seem likely to fall anytime soon, so waiting them out would not seem like the smart move. Instead, most of the teams in the West made moves this off season that will make the Warriors' path to the Finals a lot more difficult than it has been the last three seasons.

Carmelo Anthony and Paul George are now teammates with reigning MVP Russell Westbrook in OKC. On paper they pose the greatest threat to the Warriors. Again, on paper. Chris Paul was traded to the Rockets, which will allow the runner up in last year's MVP race, James Harden to go back to his natural position of shooting guard. The Spurs didn't gain a new all-star, but they have Kawhi Leonard and Greg Popovich. They'll be around when it matters.

Denver, Minnesota, Utah, and Portland will probably round out the rest of the playoff teams in the West but Sacramento, Phoenix, and the Lakers have pieces that'll be fun to watch while Dallas, New Orleans, and the Clippers try to sneak into the final playoff spot.

I must admit, when the 2017 Finals ended I was convinced there was really no reason to even pay attention to the upcoming season. What's the point? Cavs-Warriors part 4 was basically written in stone. While I still think that will be the match up next June, fans will on a nightly basis have exciting games to pay attention to. If you don't follow any team in particular the crop of young guys that just came in this season will be fun to watch as well. Dennis Smith Jr. in Dallas will probably win the Slam Dunk competition next February. De'Aaron Fox running the show in Sacramento on a team that features vets Vince Carter and Zach Randolph. Lonzo Ball dealing with the hype and pressure of playing in LA. Jayson Tatum will try to fit in with Kyrie and Gordon Hayward, and Josh Jackson will be the all-around player Phoenix is missing.

This season is going to be FUN. This is going to be a eight month journey. All that I am asking is that the regular season and the playoffs are just as entertaining as the off season was.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Podcast 9/26/17: On the Browns & NFL Week 3, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade & More

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Radio Show 12.14.16: Browns, Jeff Fisher, NFL, Great Teams That Flopped, Sports Pet Peeves & More

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Full Court Press: 2016-17 NBA Season Preview

By Randy Groce, @ImissWiggins

This upcoming NBA season comes with a lot more intrigue than the last few. Superstars have left. Sidekicks turned superstars are now asked to lead. A third year rookie finally making his debut. A Miami legend going to Chicago, and a hometown Chicago kid going to New York. Hell, the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers, who return every single important piece to their championship team, aren't even the favorites going in the season. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Joel Embiid, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, and the possibility of Cavs-Warriors III are just a handful of players and storylines that will make the 2016/17 season one of the most interesting in a long time.

I like to break down NBA teams the same way I do NFL quarterbacks, by tiers: Elite, Championship contenders, Playoff hopefuls, and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Cavaliers, Warriors, and Spurs are who I would consider elite. The Raptors, Clippers, and Celtics would fall into championship contenders. The Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz would fall into the category of playoff hopefuls. The Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets, and Philadelphia 76ers fall into the dreaded Los Angeles Lakers category. More teams fall into each category, but I chose to give you the most obvious.

It seemed as though we were going to get our first look at seeing if the process that the Philadelphia 76ers told us to trust was going to work, but a broken foot by Ben Simmons will force us to wait until January at the earliest. Joel Embiid has looked good during the preseason, but the biggest question concerning him will be health. Between Embiid, Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor I expect Philly to only have one of them on their roster when the season ends. This young teams has pieces, but they'll need a little more luck before fans start believing.

The statement of "do or die season" was meant for this year's Los Angeles Clippers team. They are loaded with veterans. They have two of the top 20 players in the world on their roster. They have an excellent coach, and a high payroll. Too bad they can't make it to the Conference Finals. With Chris Paul and Blake Griffin approaching free agency, I tend to believe this could be their final run together unless they somehow make a trip to the NBA Finals.

I'm a Laker fan and I plan on closely watching the relationship between new head coach Luke Walton and the young core of Deangelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Larry Nance Jr., and Jordan Clarkson. Can Walton convince these guys to run a real half court offense and play defense? Will he help a young guy like Nance Jr. reach his potential? I think I'll be equally interested in seeing the new duo of Anthony Davis and Buddy Hield. A couple of years ago it was suggested that Davis would be the "face of the NBA" by now, but injuries have yet to allow that to happen. Every big man needs a good perimeter guy. Hield might finally serve that role for Davis.

The team that a lot of people have their eyes on is the Minnesota Timberwolves. Some have suggested that Karl Anthony Towns is the best big man in the game. Add in Andrew Wiggins, rookie Kris Dunn, Ricky Rubio, and new head coach Tom Thibodeau and you would have to wonder how this team doesn't make the playoffs.

Earlier I mentioned the Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, and the New York Knicks. Honorable mention is all they deserve. ESPN, FS1, and every other outlet will drool over these non-factors all season for absolutely no reason. I'll pass.

The departure of Kevin Durant to the Golden State Warriors and the retirement of Tim Duncan has caused the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs to drop off a bit. Both teams will still make the playoffs, but how far they go depends on how well they are led by their stars, Russell Westbrook and Kawhi Leonard. Westbrook undoubtedly has the talent and teammates to at least make it to the Conference Finals, the question is does he trust his teammates and coaching staff enough to try not to do it all on his own. Leonard has LaMarcus Aldridge and coach Popovich, their issue is how much does Tony Parker have left in the tank?

You ever watch a romantic comedy and the guy tries to get the girl for the entire movie? A lot of different things happen good and bad, but when the movie is over and the credits roll they have ended up together? That is how this season is going to play out. Some teams will surprise you and some will disappoint, but when the first week of June rolls around we'll get the ending we felt we'd get as soon as training camp started...

Cavaliers vs. Warriors in the 2017 NBA Finals.

Enjoy the show!

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Radio Show 8.10.16: On Browns, Hall of Fame/PEDs, Olympics, Suicide Squad

Friday, June 24, 2016

The Raven Report 6.24.16: The NBA Draft & Old Faces In New Places

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

Times.... they are changing.

Teams are retooling and rebuilding. Players are sharpening their skills. GM's are starting to reshape their teams and in turn, reshape the league. And of course...

THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS ARE NBA WORLD CHAMPIONS!

But what happens when a new champion is crowned? The twenty-nine other teams try to get better to attempt to compete with, and dethrone the king of the league. It all began Wednesday with two of the biggest markets in the NBA, the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks.

The Bulls traded star point guard Derrick Rose, Justin Holiday and a 2017 2nd-rounder to the Knicks for Robin Lopez, Jerian Grant and Jose Calderon. Rose, 27, should be able to offer a boost to the 'always' struggling Knicks backcourt, while also providing some offensive punch to help support the Knicks star forward, Carmelo Anthony. After not playing at all in the 2012-13 season, Rose played in only 10 games in 2013-14, but he bounced back in 2014-15 playing 51 games and 66 games in 2015-16.

Another good thing for the Knicks, they reduced salary in dumping Lopez ($13.2M), Jose Calderon ($7.7M) and Jerian Grant ($1.6M) to pick up Rose's contract for 2016-17 at $21.3M.

The good thing? Rose will be a free agent at the end of this upcoming season. So if things do not fit well, the Knicks will not be handcuffed and can once again make a play for a major piece to build around Carmelo Anthony.

In a smaller deal that also went down Wednesday afternoon, the Atlanta Hawks finally parted ways with point guard Jeff Teague, sending him to the Indiana Pacers in a three-way trade. Like Rose, Teague will also be a free agent in 2017, but this season in Indiana could help himself and star Pacers forward Paul George get better and create a solid team-up for the Pacers.

As part of the three-way deal, the Pacers sent guard George Hill to the Utah Jazz, while the Jazz sent the 12th overall pick of the 2016 draft to Atlanta.

And that brings us to Draft Night, where things got CRAZY!

First things first, the draft. As most know, LSU forward Ben Simmons and Duke guard/forward Brandon Ingram went to the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers at 1 and 2, respectively. After that, the Boston Celtics were on the clock for the first of what turned out to be their EIGHT draft picks, selecting small forward Jaylen Brown from California.

Earlier Thursday, it was rumored that the Celtics were very actively trying to shop the 3rd pick to many teams to attempt to bring in a veteran scorer to pair with point guard Isaiah Thomas. By the end of the night, the Celtics didn't pull off any miracle deals, or blockbuster trades. While they did draft some quality talent in Brown, Providence forward Ben Bentil among others, the majority of Celtic fans came away unhappy with GM Danny Ainge's haul for the night, considering all of the assets the team had at its disposal.

Where the Celtics failed to make a splash, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic did not. Just when you thought the core of the Thunder would return to take another shot at advancing to the NBA Finals, OKC GM Sam Presti had different ideas.

The Thunder traded 6 year veteran forward Serge Ibaka to Orlando for guard Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and the draft rights to Domantas Sabonis, who was selected 11th overall. Ibaka, 26, averaged 12.6 points and 6.8 rebounds last season for the Thunder, and should be able to create a much needed inside presence for the Magic once new Magic coach Frank Vogel gets him in practice. As for the Thunder and Oladipo, this is an obvious upgrade over last season's starting shooting guards, namely Dion Waiters and Andre Roberson, as the OKC shooting guards averaged 6 points and 0.8 assists per game, compared to Oladipo's 16 points and 3.9 assists in 33 minutes of play. This deal should see the end of Waiters time in OKC, as he is a free agent, and could entice superstar forward Kevin Durant to stick around for one more season, if not longer.

Or Durant could disagree with ridding the team of Ibaka who showed his value in the Western Conference Finals with his defending all areas of the court and outside shooting. We shall see when free agency begins next week.

Ibaka will be an unrestricted free agent in 2017. It's said that the Toronto Raptors were also interested in Ibaka.

In other draft night deals, the Brooklyn Nets traded Thaddeus Young to the Pacers for the 20th pick, which turned out to be Michigan guard Caris Levert. Young re-signed with the Nets last season on a four year, $50M deal. The Pacers now project to have a starting five of Jeff Teague, Monta Ellis, Paul George, Myles Turner and Young.

Not to be excluded from the draft night fun, the WORLD CHAMPION Cleveland Cavaliers (still feels great to say) made an acquisition. Entering the night without a draft pick, the Cavs bought the 54th overall pick from the Atlanta Hawks for $2.4M, selecting Oakland University point guard Kay Felder. Felder, 5'9", 177 lbs., led all of college basketball with 9.3 assists per game and was fourth in scoring with 24.4 points. That made Felder the only player in the past season to be in the top 5 of both points and assists. The 21 year old Felder was also 2016 Horizon League Player of the Year and was All-Horizon League First Team the past two seasons. Despite being just 5'9", Felder had the second highest max vertical at the NBA Draft Combine with 44 inches. Cavaliers scout and LeBron James friend, Brandon Weems, was an assistant coach at Oakland for two seasons, where he worked with Felder. Personally, I think Felder could make the team if backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova decides to go elsewhere in free agency. He's a good defender who plays well in the pick-and-roll, and has a good jump shot.

In case you'd like to see Kay Felder in action, look below:

ICYMI: Here's a look at Kay Felder's 'Best Dunk Compilation' from this past season #NBACombine #Bounce #OUrstory pic.twitter.com/UKN2vjej3Q
— Drew Dennison (@drue_denni) May 13, 2016

There were other deals like the Hornets acquiring Marco Belinelli from the Sacramento Kings for the draft rights to Syracuse shooting guard Malachi Richardson.

The Kings weren't done though. They sent Washington's Marquese Chriss, whom they selected with the 8th pick, to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for the 13th overall (Greek center Georgics Papagiannis) and 28th overall (Kentucky center Skal Labissiere), a second-round pick in 2020 and the draft rights to Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Labissiere joins star big man DeMarcus Cousins and second year center Willie Cauley-Stein on Sacramento's roster who also went to the University of Kentucky. Labissiere was a potential top 10 pick, but fell due to his 6.6 points and 3.1 rebounds as a freshman for the Wildcats.

In other deals:

- The draft rights to Cheick Diallo was acquired by the New Orleans Pelicans from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to David Michineau and the draft rights to Diamond Stone.
- The draft rights to Daniel Hamilton was acquired by the Oklahoma City Thunder from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for cash.
- The draft rights to Isaiah Whitehead was acquired by the Brooklyn Nets from the Utah Jazz in exchange for the draft rights to Marcus Paige and cash.

Here are the full draft results for Thursday's 2016 NBA Draft:

Round 1

1) Philadelphia: Ben Simmons, F (LSU)
2) LA Lakers: Brandon Ingram, F (Duke)
3) Boston: Jaylen Brown, F (California)
4) Phoenix: Dragan Bender, F (Croatia)
5) Minnesota: Kris Dunn, PG (Providence)
6) New Orleans: Buddy Hield, SG (Oklahoma)
7) Denver: Jamal Murray, G (Kentucky)
8) Phoenix: Marquese Chriss, F (Washington)
9) Toronto: Jakob Poeltl, C (Utah)
10) Milwaukee: Thon Maker, PF (Canada)
11) Oklahoma City: Domantas Sabonis, C (Gonzaga)
12) Atlanta: Taurean Prince, SF (Baylor)
13) Sacramento: Georgios Papagiannis, C (Greece)

14) Chicago: Denzel Valentine, SG (Michigan State)
15) Denver: Juan Hernangomez, F (Spain)
16) Boston: Guerschon Yabusele, PF (France)
17) Memphis: Wade Baldwin, G (Vanderbilt)
18) Detroit: Henry Ellenson, PF (Marquette)
19) Denver: Malik Beasley, SG (Florida State)
20) Brooklyn: Caris LeVert, G (Michigan)
21) Atlanta: DeAndre Bembry, F (St. Joseph's)
22) Sacramento: Malachi Richardson, SG (Syracuse)
23) Boston: Ante Zizic, C (Croatia)
24) Philadelphia: Timothé Luwawu, SG (France)
25) LA Clippers: Brice Johnson, F (North Carolina)
26) Philadelphia: Furkan Korkmaz, F (Turkey)
27) Toronto: Pascal Siakam, PF (New Mexico State)
28) Sacramento: Skal Labissiere, PF (Kentucky)
29) San Antonio: Dejounte Murray, PG (Washington)
30) Golden State: Damian Jones, C (Vanderbilt)

Round 2

31) Memphis: Deyonta Davis, C (Michigan State)
32) LA Lakers: Ivica Zubac, C (Croatia)
33) New Orleans: Cheick Diallo, PF (Kansas)
34) Phoenix: Tyler Ulis, PG (Kentucky)
35) Memphis: Rade Zagorac, (Serbia)
36) Milwaukee: Malcolm Brogdon, SG (Virginia)
37) Houston: Chinanu Onuaku, C (Louisville)
38) Golden State: Patrick McCaw, SG (UNLV)
39) LA Clippers: David Michineau, PG (France)
40) LA Clippers: Diamond Stone, C (Maryland)
41) Orlando: Stephen Zimmerman, PF (UNLV)
42) Brooklyn: Isaiah Whitehead, SG (Seton Hall)
43) Houston: Zhou Qi, C (China)
44) Atlanta: Isaia Cordinier, SG (France)
45) Boston: Demetrius Jackson, PG (Notre Dame)
46) Dallas: A.J. Hammons, C (Purdue)
47) Portland: Jake Layman, SF (Maryland)
48) Chicago: Paul Zipser, SF (Germany)
49) Detroit: Michael Gbinije, SF (Syracuse)

50) Indiana: Georges Niang, PF (Iowa State)
51) Boston: Ben Bentil, PF (Providence)
52) Utah: Joel Bolomboy, PF (Weber State)
53) Denver: Petr Cornelie, PF (France)
54) Atlanta: Kay Felder, PG (Oakland)
55) Utah: Marcus Paige, PG (North Carolina)
56) Denver: Daniel Hamilton, SF (Connecticut)
57) Memphis: Wang Shelin, C (China)
58) Boston: Abdel Nader, PF (Iowa State)
59) Sacramento: Isaiah Cousins, SG (Oklahoma)
60) Utah: Tyrone Wallace, PG (California)

Lastly, check us out every Wednesday night, 7pm EST, on NoStaticRadio.com or the Tune-In Radio app on your mobile devices.

Simply search "No Static Radio" or "Triple Threat CLE"

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Leadoff with Lee 4.23.15 #GregHardy #ScottBrooks #Hawks #Rondo

By @cleeverizon

- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has suspended Cowboys DE Greg Hardy without pay for violation of the Personal Conduct Policy. The Investigation concluded that Hardy violated the code by using physical force against his then girlfriend Nicole Holder in at least 4 instances.

According to the NFL reports, he used force which caused her to land in a bathtub, threw her on a futon covered with rifles and put his hands on her throat, leaving a visible mark and threw her against a wall. Hardy has three days to appeal. He has reached a civil settlement and NFL says Holder did not participate in the investigation. Hardy has $2M coming from base salary and workout bonus. He gets $578K for each game he is active, and sack bonuses that start at 8 sacks. Greg Hardy and the NFLPA will appeal the suspension. His suspension begins September 5th and he can participate in the Cowboys offseason program, OTAs, mini and training camp, as well as preseason games.

Here is the statement released by Roger Goodell and the NFL.

- Judge Anita Brody has approved the settlement against the NFL and players who have suffered damages from concussions during their playing years. The $765M will be used for players who need financial assistance to help deal with the head injuries and medical costs from concussions that came during their playing years. But as always when a lawsuit happens like this the NFL is set to appeal.

- Wide receiver Greg Jennings will be trading places with Mike Wallace as Jennings signs a 2 year $8M contract with the Miami Dolphins. He is a great fit for a team who was in search of a veteran wide receiver after Brian Hartline signed with Cleveland, and Mike Wallace was traded to the Vikings.

- The Oklahoma City Thunder fired coach Scott Brooks Wednesday after 7 seasons with the team. During that time, Brooks had a 338-207 (.620) regular season and 39-34 (.534) playoff record as coach. He reached the NBA Finals in 2012 and was the 2009-2010 Coach Of the Year. Upon his firing, he instantly became the top candidate in Orlando and in Chicago if/when Tom Thibodeau gets fired. University of Connecticut head coach Kevin Ollie and University of Florida's Billy Donovan are the front runners to replace Brooks.

- Looks like the Atlanta Hawks are on the verge of being sold for nearly $900 to a ownership group that includes Jesse Itzler, co-founder of Marquis Jet whose wife, Sara Blakely, is the founder of Spanx. Former NBA star Grant Hill will also be an investor in the group. Current team owner Bruce Levenson is being forced to sell the team after a racially sensitive memo surfaced last year. The NBA Board of Governors will need to approve the new ownership group before the sale can be final.

- The Mavericks have ruled Rajon Rondo out indefinitely Wednesday due to a back injury. Ever since being traded to Dallas, Rondo and coach Rick Carlisle haven't been the best of friends. Reports early yesterday indicated the Mavs had to choose between bringing back Rondo or Carlisle next year. And if this is true, it looks like the team will choose the coach over the disgruntled player.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Leadoff with Lee 10.15.14

By @cleeverizon

- This past Sunday, the Cleveland Browns took two hits on the offense and defense. First they lost Pro Bowl Center Alex Mack with a broken fibula. Best case scenario, he is out 8 to 10 weeks. Worst case scenario is out for the entire season. On the defensive side of the ball, Armonty Bryant is out for the season with a torn right ACL and MCL. According to the newest Browns depth chart, John Greco moves to starting center, and John Hughes is now starting at defensive end.

Now let me clear up this Brian Hoyer contract situation. I do expect the Browns to sign Brian Hoyer to a new 2-year guaranteed contract, with a third-year player and or club option. I believe this deal will be worth anywhere between $6 and $8 million per season. I do not however, believe the Browns will franchise Hoyer for the $18 million that he will be guaranteed. Brian Hoyer will give the Browns a hometown discount and will accept the $6 to $8 million per year contract with the player option and Johnny Manziel will be waiting in the wings ready to go after the contract is all over. Manziel will still sell jerseys and do commercials. He is always just a play away. Gotta keep that in mind.

- Yesterday, the Cincinnati Bengals worked out former Heisman Trophy winner from Ohio State, Terrelle Pryor. The Bengals also signed former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Greg Little. Since Little is back in Ohio, I hope he doesn't meet up with Josh Gordon and we all know what happened with that story.

- Oklahoma City Thunder star forward Kevin Durant has a Jones fracture, which is a broken bone below the small toe off his foot. A simple surgery may only keep him out for 6 to 8 weeks. This all depends on his rehab schedule and how fast he heals. The Thunder want to get him active and into the flow ASAP, but not rush anything.

- Last week, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was fined $10,000 for wearing Beats By Dre headphones during warm-ups. During Kaepernick's most recent interview, he wore the headphones but used athletic tape to cover up the logo. Therefore he found a way to where the headphones without receiving a fine from the NFL. The reason for Kaepernick's latest fine is because the NFL has a contract with Bose as the official headphones of the NFL. The NFL has similar contracts with Under Armor and Nike as the official cleats of the NFL. Athletes may wear other footwear, but if not sponsored by the NFL, they must be covered up by tape or they may face a fine. It's all about the mighty dollar.

- NBA jerseys may become more like soccer jerseys. According to the new NBA TV contract, jersey advertising will be added in the 2015-2016 NBA seasons. According to the deal the NBA logo will be moved to the back of the jersey, above the name and you will see a 2 x 6 advertisement by either Samsung and or Coca-Cola. The details on how much the league will make has not been disclosed as of yet, but the deal is going to be lucrative to the NBA, the NBA teams and the local markets.

- Lastly, before I leave I will like to say happy birthday to my youngest son Nathaniel Christian who turned 10 years old on October 12. I love you buddy I want to learn all about www.triplethreatcle.com and contribute to what I do at some point in time in life.

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Leadoff with Lee 5.31.14

-The man who is dubbed "Flash", Josh Gordon, received a speeding ticket over Memorial Day weekend. No big deal right? As the officer got to the car, he stated he smelled marijuana. The passenger of the car that was with Gordon took the blame for possession of marijuana less than 200 grams. This isn't good for Gordon as he is appealing a possible suspension for either failing a drug test or missing a drug test. The question now becomes, what should the Browns do with Gordon? Release him or trade him. The Browns will let the appeals process take place and will be faced with that decision after that process is complete. The rise and fall of Gordon is a sad story and the story won't end here.

-The Indians snapped their four game losing streak and defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-2. Corey Kluber struck out 12 batters in his 7 1/3 innings pitched, while only giving up 2 runs on 5 hits. Michael Bourn and Lonnie Chisenhall each had 2 hits for the Tribe. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera hit his fourth homerun of the season in the bottom of the 5th inning. Corey Kluber improves to 6-3 on the season and finishes the month of May with 60 strikeouts.

-The Miami Heat will return to the NBA finals for the fourth straight year with their 117-92 win over the Indiana Pacers. Lebron James and Chris Bosh scored 25 points each for the Heat. At one point, Miami was up 37 points in the game. The big men dominated for the Heat, out scoring the Pacers 50-32 in points in the paint. Paul George had a game high of 29 points but that wasn't enough to keep the Pacers in the game. Lebron James did not play in the 4th quarter but still had a solid overall game. The Heat will face either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA finals which will start on Thursday.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Leadoff with Lee 5.20.14

Indians OF Michael Brantley, Spurs F Tim Duncan, ex-Brown Josh Cooper, new Browns Jourdan Brooks & Anthony Armstong

-The San Antonio Spurs opened up the Western Conference Finals with a big time 122-105 over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Spurs were clicking all over, with Tim Duncan leading the charge with 27 points. Tony Parker added 14 points and 12 assists. Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green chipped in 16, apiece. Manu Ginobili had 18 of the Spurs 43 bench points. For the Thunder, Kevin Durant had 28 points in 41 minutes, while Westbrook scored 25. Three Thunder starters had a total of 5 points. FIVE POINTS! That is not going to get it done against a team like San Antonio. Game 2 will be Wednesday at 9 PM.

-No one had seen the Indians' closer-by-committee since May 11. Maybe that was a blessing in disguise. The committee resurfaced Monday night long enough for Cody Allen to blow a save in the ninth inning as he gave up a pinch-hit homer to J.D. Martinez. Undaunted, the Indians bounced back to beat the Tigers, 5-4, on Michael Brantley's two-out homer in the 10th off Al Alburquerque's 3-2 pitch. Brantley's homer, a shot into the Tiger bullpen in right field, was his ninth of the season and broke a four-game losing streak for the Tribe. The loss ended Detroit's six-game winning streak and 11-game winning streak on the road. The Indians were two outs from victory when Allen gave up a game-tying pinch-hit homer to J.D. Martinez with one out in the ninth to tie the score, 4-4 and ruin a strong start by Corey Kluber. Ian Kinsler followed with a two-out double, but Allen struck out Torii Hunter to end the inning. The Tribe will battle the Motor City Kitties again tonight at 7 PM.

-Browns WR Josh Gordon Will participate In OTAs/Minicamp while awaiting word on his possible suspension.

-The Browns made personal moves yesterday. A month after signing fullback Chris Pressley, the Browns released him on Monday as a part a raft of minor moves. The club signed seven players who participated in last weekend's rookie minicamp as tryouts and released eight other players. The biggest-name cuts were receiver Josh Cooper and Pressley. Cooper's release isn't a surprise given the recent signings of Andrew Hawkins, Nate Burleson, Miles Austin and Earl Bennett. But the decision to waive Pressley is curious.

New offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan prefers having a traditional fullback – the Browns went without one last season – and the club thought enough of Pressley to arrange a conference call after his signing. The Browns did sign Southern Illinois fullback Ray Agnew (5-foot-10, 247 pounds) as an undrafted free agent, but it's unclear why they chose to jettison Pressley two months prior to training camp. They still have converted fullback Chris Ogbonnaya on the roster.

Pressley, who debuted with Tampa Bay in 2009 as an unrestricted free agent, didn't play last season as he recovered from a knee injury. He suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 13, 2012 and opened last year on the club's physically unable to perform list. He returned to practice in November, but was waived Dec. 10, 2013.

Cooper caught 17 passes for 166 yards over two seasons with the Browns. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2012 after playing with Brandon Weeden at Oklahoma State. In addition, the team waived receiver Tori Gurley, running back Jamaine Cook, offensive linemen Anthony Dima and Michael Philipp, defensive lineman Elhadji Ndiaye and tight end Andre Smith.

The Browns signed seven players as well:

-WR Anthony Armstrong is 5-10, 185 pounds and officially entering his fourth NFL season out of West Texas A & M. Originally signed by Miami as an undrafted free agent in 2008, Armstrong has appeared in 35 games with 13 starts. He has totaled 54 receptions for 986 yards with five touchdowns. In 2010, he appeared in 15 games with Washington and recorded 44 receptions for 871 yards with three touchdowns. In college, he registered 145 receptions for 1,768 yards and nine touchdowns. A native of Carrollton, Texas, he graduated from Newman Smith High School.

-RB Jourdan Brooks is 6-0, 237 pounds and officially in his first NFL season out of Morgan State. Originally signed by Cincinnati as an undrafted free agent, Brooks spent 10 weeks on the Bengals practice squad in 2012. He spent two years at Rutgers and transferred to Morgan State, where his father was an all-conference linebacker for MSU's 1979 MEAC championship team. A native of Germantown, Md., Brooks graduated from Seneca Valley High School.

-WR Taylor Gabriel is a 5-8, 167-pound rookie out of Abilene Christian. He finished second in ACU history in career receptions (215), yards (3,027) and touchdown receptions (27). Gabriel ranked fourth in school history in total yards with 3,880, trailing Browns running backs coach Wilbert Montgomery, who is second with 4,569. Gabriel is a graduate of John Horn High School in Mesquite, Texas.

-OL Randall Harris is a 6-3, 296-pound rookie out of Towson. He started at both guard and tackle and earned all-conference honors, while blocking for Browns third-round pick Terrance West. Harris helped the Tigers advance to the 2014 FCS national championship game. A native of Lanham, Md., Harris graduated from DuVal High School.

-DL Jacobbi McDaniel is a 6-0, 293-pound rookie out of Florida State. He appeared in all 14 games last season and recorded one-half sack during the Seminoles' victory in the BCS championship game. McDaniel also starred in baseball in high school and was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers during the 2009 MLB draft. A native of Greenville, Fla., McDaniel graduated from Madison County High School.

-DB Robert Nelson is a 5-9, 175-pound rookie out of Arizona State. Last season, he led the Sun Devils with six interceptions and earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors. He began his collegiate career at Louisiana-Monroe before transferring to ASU. A native of Lakeland, Fla., Nelson graduated from North Gwinnet High School.

-TE James Oboh is a 6-4, 250-pound rookie out of Towson. He appeared in 38 games and caught 50 passes for 811 yards with 10 touchdowns. He helped the Tigers advance to the 2014 FCS national championship game. A native of Olney, Md., Oboh graduated from Sherwood High School.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Leadoff with Lee 5.7.14

-Kevin Durant was named NBA MVP yesterday. He received 119 of 125 first place votes. The other 6 votes went to Miami Heat star Lebron James. Durant averaged 32 PPG 7 REB and 5.5 AST this season. Kevin Durant also won the scoring title. He is the first player since Allen Iverson to win MVP and the scoring title in the same season. Iverson accomplished his feat in the 2000-2001 season.

-The Golden State Warriors fired head coach Mark Jackson after finishing 51-31 and losing to the LA Clippers in 7 games in the NBA playoffs. Jackson led the Warriors to back to back playoff appearances for the first time in over 20 seasons. Honestly I don't see how a talent like this can be fired after a great season and taking the potential Western Conference Champions to 7 games. I'm not sure if there was conflict in the front office or management wanted to go in another direction. One thing for sure Jackson has two things working for him. Hopefully, find another coaching job or just go back to the television booth where the Clippers hired him from.

-The Cavs, Browns and Indians sin tax won! Voters came out to the polls Tuesday and voted yes on Issue 7, to pass the 20 year extension of the tax that would help towards the improvements of Downtown Cleveland's stadiums, arena and surrounding areas. Naysayers have said the tax should not have been renewed. But the tax payers didn't have to pay any additional money. Opponent's arguments were asking why should they renew the tax, when the leases are over before the tax. Cleveland loves their teams and they won't be going anywhere with the improvements that are sure to come. #goodkarma

- Cleveland starting pitcher Josh Tomlin made his season debut and picked up his first win, in the 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Tomlin went 6.2 innings with 4 strikeouts and only 1 walk. Nick Swisher may have found his bat again, going 2 for 4 from the dish with 1 RBI and a run scored. Bryan Shaw earned his first save of the year.

-The Miami Heat knocked off any rust they might have had immediately in their 107-86 blowout over the Brooklyn Nets in Game 1. LeBron James led the way with 22 points on 10-15 shooting from the field. Ray Allen added 19 points off the bench for the Heat. After a long 7 game series with Toronto, the Nets came out looking sluggish and were not in the game at all. Game 2 will be Thursday at 7 PM.

-The San Antonio Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers 116-92 in Game 1 of their series. Tony Parker led the Spurs with 33 points, while LaMarcus Aldridge had 32 for the Blazers. This game also wasn't a contest. San Antonio clearly out matched the Blazers all game. Game 2 will be Thursday in San Antonio at 9:30.

Friday, April 25, 2014

Leadoff with Lee 4.25.14

-Former Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Bradley Roby was arrested early Sunday morning and charged with OVI. Roby was reportedly found passed out in a parking lot behind the wheel in Columbus. It was has not been disclosed if the keys were in the ignition. When approached and questioned by Columbus police, Roby was cooperative and submitted to a field sobriety test. His BAC was recorded at .008 which is considered to be intoxicated in the state of Ohio. After being booked by Columbus Police, Roby was released on a personal bond. He is due in court today and most likely will plead not guilty, until his lawyer can get additional facts concerning his arrest. Bradley Roby is expected to be a first round draft pick in this years NFL draft. So the bigger question should be will his stock go down after this latest incident? Please note Roby was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assult in Indiana last July. Urban Meyer suspended Roby for one game last season. Those assault charges were later reduced in a plea bargain to disorderly conduct.

-Call him "Complete" Corey Kluber! Kluber improves his record to 2-2 and led the Indians to a 5-1 win over the Kansas City Royals yesterday afternoon. Kluber had a complete game while recording 11 strikeouts, 0 walks, while only throwing 101 pitches. Carlos Santana got his bat going in the 5th inning, hitting a double. Michael Brantley followed up with with a single, scoring Santana. Royals pitcher Bruce Chen walked Ryan Raburn, then Yan Gomes singled to load the bases. David Murphy comes up and hit a single of his own scoring Brantley and Raburn. Asdrubal Cabrera smacked a double to left. The Tribe won the series against Kansas City winning 3 out of 4. And return to .500 evening their record to 11-11. They will travel to San Francisco to open against the Giants. The series starts today with game time being 10:05pm.

-The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Indiana Pacers 98-85. Jeff Teague led all scorers with 22 points. Kyle Korver added 21 points for the Hawks. Lance Stephenson led Indiana in scoring with 21 points. Atlanta holds off the top seeded Pacers to seize a 2-1 advantage in the series. Game 4 will be Saturday at 2 PM in Atlanta.

-The Oklahoma City Thunder fell to the Memphis Grizzlies, to take a 2-1 series lead. Despite Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook's efforts (both had 30 point games), it just wasn't enough. Game 4 will be Saturday at 9:30 PM in Memphis.

-The LA Clippers held on to win against the Golden State Warriors 98-96, after a controversial no foul call in the final possession for the Warriors. Blake Griffin had 32 points, while his teammate DeAndre Jordan had 14 points and 22 rebounds. High scorer for the Warriors was Klay Thompson with 26, while Steph Curry poured in 16 points and 15 assists.