Tag Archives: Chris Bosh

2014 NBA FREE AGENCY WINNERS AND LOSERS

WINNERS:

Cleveland Cavaliers –  With LeBron James returning home, the Cavs are by far the biggest winners this off- season. James is the best player in the world and he fills a major void at the small forward spot that’s been vacant since well, when he left four years ago. Forget that he signed a 1 year and an option year contract. James did that so he can cash in on the next TV contract by increasing his max contract dollars. He’s not going anywhere, considering how much money he can make, a young talented roster and he and his family are back home. First year G.M. David Griffin also locked up 2-time All-Star Kyrie Irving to a 5-year max contract and thus has his Batman and Robin for years to come.

LeBron Powder Toss Photo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

San Antonio Spurs – After Tim Duncan exercised his player option for $10.3 million to return for at least one more season with the World Champs, the Spurs then went and resigned two of their own free agents in Boris Diaw and Patty Mills to team friendly contracts thanks to Duncan taking less than market value. Plus San Antonio announced that head coach Gregg Popovich agreed to a multi-year contract extension. All four moves are big wins for the Spurs.

Los Angeles Clippers – Doc Rivers added two players that will help the team’s depth and offense and he did so without overpaying for either one. Getting Spencer Hawes, a stretch-5 for less than $6 million per season for four years and point guard Jordan Farmar to replace Darren Collison who left for the Kings at about $2 million per year are very good gets.

 

LOSERS:

Miami Heat – Like the Cavs did in 2010, Pat Riley and the Heat felt LeBron’s return was a slam dunk only to be rejected and left shaking their heads. Again no matter what you do, as the Cavaliers found out, there’s no replacing LeBron James. The Heat overpaid Chris Bosh to stay instead of going to Houston. They’re going to overpay an aging Dwyane Wade and two of their other free agent signees are injuries waiting to happen in Danny Granger and Luol Deng.

Los Angeles Lakers – G.M. Mitch Kupchick was shooting for LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. When LeBron went to Cleveland he was hoping to team up Carmelo with Kobe and Pau Gasol. Then Carmelo agreed to stay with the Knicks and Gasol left for the Bulls. Plus the “Lake Show” lost Jodi Meeks to OKC. This off-season has been one of the worst in Lakers history.

Houston Rockets – While they’ll still be a good team, the Rockets were trying to bolster their roster so they would become an elite team. They targeted Carmelo Anthony first and lost out. Then they set their sights on Chris Bosh and lost him too. Adding insult to injury, one of their fine young players, Chandler Parsons accepted an offer sheet from Dallas and Houston decided not to match it. So the high flying, long distance shooter is now a Mav. They replaced Parsons with Trevor Ariza which isn’t terrible and are said to be interested now in trying to land Kevin Love in a trade, but so far this off season Houston has had a problem getting the players they wanted.

 

WHO’S ROSTER WOULD BE BETTER, THE CAVS OR THE HEAT?

LET’S PUT LEBRON JAMES ON BOTH TEAMS AND THEN COMPARE THE CURRENT ROSTERS.  WHO GIVES THE KING A BETTER CHANCE FOR MORE RINGS NEXT YEAR AND BEYOND?

Cavaliers                                                                             Heat

 

Kyrie Irving –6’3–193-22 (20.8p-6.1a-3.6r)       PG      Mario Chalmers –6’2–190-28 (9.8p-4.9a-2.9R)

 

Andrew Wiggins –6’8-200-19 (17.1p-1.5a-5.9r)    SG      Dwyane Wade –6’4–220–32 (19p-4.7a-4.5r)

 

LeBron James –6’8-250-29 (27.1p-6.9r-6.4a)         SF      LeBron James -6’8-250-29 (27.1p-6.9r-6.4a)

 

Tristan Thompson -6’9-238-23 (11.7p-9.2r-1a)   PF   Josh McRoberts – 6’10-240-27 (8.5p-4.8r-4.3a)

 

Anderson Varejao – 6’11-267-31 (8.4p-9.7r-2.2a)  C    Chris Bosh – 6’11-235-30 (16.2p-6.6r-1.1a)

LeBron Powder Toss Photo

Cavs Bench – Dion Waiters, Anthony Bennett, Tyler Zeller, Brendan Haywood, Sergey Karasev, Matthew Dellavedova, Jarrett Jack, Joe Harris and Carrick Felix.

 

 

 

 

LeBron Disgusted Photo 6-14-14

 

Heat Bench – Norris Cole, Shabazz Napier, Greg Oden, Udonis Haslem, Ray Allen, Chris Anderson, Michael Beasley, Danny Granger and James Jones.

PODCAST – SAM AMICO AND I BREAK DOWN THE CAVS DRAFT AND LOOK AHEAD TO THE SUMMER OF LEBRON 2

FoxSportsOhio.com NBA Writer Sam Amico joined me today to analyze the Cavs 2014 NBA Draft as well as look ahead to free agency and where LeBron James might end up.

Sam Amico Photo

WILL TONIGHT BE THE LAST TIME YOU SEE LEBRON JAMES IN A MIAMI HEAT UNIFORM?

If LeBron and the Heat lose the NBA Championship tonight in San Antonio, it very well could be the last time James wears a Maimi uniform, and it could begin what will be another free agent frenzy for the “King’s” services.

LeBron James Pre-Game Photo

INSTANT ANALYSIS: GAME #3 NBA FINALS- SPURS 111 HEAT 92

A budding superstar “Kawhi Was The Guy”, Kawhi Leonard came up big for San Antonio to give the Spurs a 2 games to 1 lead in the NBA Finals! Listen to my recap of the game here:

NBA Basketball Close Up

RODA REPORT – NBA FINALS GAME #2 RECAP – HEAT 98 SPURS 96

LeBron played all four quarters in Game #2 and he was the difference as the Heat evened the 2014 NBA Finals at one game a piece. Here’s my instant analysis:

NBA Basketball Close Up

RODA REPORT – NBA FINALS GAME #1 RECAP – SPURS 110 HEAT 95

No LeBron no chance for the Heat and that’s what happened in the 4th quarter of Game #1 of the NBA Finals in San Antonio. Here’s my “Roda Report Recap” –

NBA Basketball Close Up
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THE 2014 NBA DRAFT LOTTERY HAD AN OLYMPIC FEEL TO IT

When you participate in the Olympic Games, to medal is something special. If you win, or finish first, you go home with the gold. If you happen to be the runner-up, your silver medal helps ease the pain a little. Even if you end up third, it still means you’re one of three best in the entire world and wearing that bronze medal allows you to hold you head high.

The 2014 NBA Draft Lottery was somewhat like the Olympics. Fourteen participants had a chance, some better than others, to finish first, second or third and walk away with a prize. But instead of medals of a different color and worth, the top three teams would be rewarded with the opportunity of drafting a potential franchise changing player. Possibly Joel Embiid, or Andrew Wiggins or maybe Jabari Parker. Which one is truly the gold? That is up for debate right now, but one thing that is not, if you finished first, second or third on Tuesday night, you were walking away a big winner and down the road maybe the biggest winner.

2014 NBA Draft Lottery Order

So congratulations, for the third time in the last four years to the NBA’s Draft Lottery gold medal winner, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Facing their greatest odds in the lottery, G.M. David Griffin and his team defied those odds, a  mere 1.7 percent chance of finishing first, and with the ping pong balls bouncing the right way again, the Cavs for the second straight year made it to the apex of the NBA Draft Lottery. They would have been happy with the silver or the bronze considering their odds, but finishing first is always better.

David Griffin 2014 NBA Draft Lottery Photo

This year’s top honor for one of the worst teams in the Association has people conjuring up memories of the 2003 draft that produced LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Three of those four have won multiple NBA championships. Granted James and Bosh had to join Wade to do so, but a championship is still a championship and Cleveland fans would take one any way they could get one.

Therefor supporters of the “Wine and Gold” are hoping that one of the top three  players in this draft, be it Wiggins, Embiid or Parker could ultimately lead the Cavaliers to a victory in the last game played during an NBA season, instead of winning an off-season lottery. Should that happen, which would mean finishing first when it really mattered, the city of Cleveland would be celebrating the ultimate gold medal, the Larry O’Brien trophy and their first NBA Championship!