A: Luc Mbah a Moute and Ron Artest
Kevin Durant is answering questions on his Twitter page and as a Bucks fan, it’s great to see Mbah a Moute get some props. He’s challenged offensively, but more than makes up for it on the defensive end. If he can get a decent jump shot, he’d be a great fit alongside 3-4 shooter/scorer types in a starting five.
TMZ is reporting (via “sources”) that the Washington Wizards have already informed Gilbert Arenas that they believe he is in violation of the morality clause that is in every NBA contract.
We’re told a team official was trading text messages with Arenas after the locker room incident. Sources tell TMZ … in one of the messages, the official told Arenas the team felt Agent Zero violated the clause in his contract prohibiting him from engaging in conduct detrimental to the team or the NBA … and they could have the contract voided as a result.
Most NBA contracts contain morality clauses — but it’s difficult to void an NBA contract on those grounds. The Indiana Pacers didn’t void Ron Artest’s contract after “The Malice at the Palace” in 2004.
What’s the point of having a morality clause in a contract if it can’t be exercised? If a player is brandishing a firearm in your locker room and threatening his co-workers, isn’t that immoral?
This will be an interesting story to watch. It is definitely in the best interests of the franchise to void his contract, which was bloated the day he signed it.
To alter a phrase from Denny Green: The Jets are who we think they are. They have the best defense in the NFL and can run the ball with Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene behind a solid offensive line.
That’s it. They play good defense and rely on their great running game to win. And as they get ready to take on the red-hot Chargers in San Diego this weekend, the Jets should remind themselves what their strengths are because their strengths match up very well with their Divisional Round opponent.
The Chargers can flat out throw the ball. They rank fifth in the NFL with 271.1 passing yards per game and have averaged 28.4 points per contest. Philip Rivers has played at a MVP-type level all season and he has a bevy of weapons at his disposal in Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson and Darren Sproles.
However, the Jets have the top pass defense in the league and have limited opponents to just 153.7 passing yards per game. Cornerback Darrelle Revis has emerged as a lockdown corner and will no doubt keep Jackson at bay in one-on-one coverage. Rex Ryan’s defense excels at being aggressive and taking away opponents’ best weapons so if there were any team that could limit what the Bolts’ passing attack can do, it would be Jets.
Another thing to consider is that behind Jones and Greene, the Jets have the best running game in the league. Meanwhile, the Chargers have allowed over 110 rushing yards per game this season and could struggle containing New York’s ground attack.
The Jets won despite of rookie Mark Sanchez – not because of him. So if they can control this game from the ground and limit how effective Rivers is in the passing game, then the Jets’ solid season will continue past this weekend.
Photo from fOTOGLIF
After helping the Packers reach the playoffs this season, cornerback Charles Woodson was voted the AP’s Defensive Player of the Year.
From FOXSports.com:
The versatile Woodson tied for the league lead with nine interceptions, returning three for touchdowns, and was a key to the Packers’ turnaround on defense. His role in Green Bay’s ranking second in overall defense, first in interceptions (30), takeaways (40) and turnover margin (plus-24) earned Woodson 28 votes Tuesday from a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL.
“It’s a great honor,” Woodson said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “I felt like I put a lot into the game, mentally and physically – your body’s always beat up – and it’s great to be recognized.”
It’s surprising that his votes doubled that of the Jets’ Darrelle Revis, who emerged this season as a true lockdown corner. That said, Woodson had to make the transition from being a press corner in a 4-3 to a zone player in Dom Capers’ new 3-4 defense. Considering he’s 33, had to learn a new scheme and still dominated speaks to his talent.
Talk about a player that has lived up to the hype. People forget he won a Heisman Trophy, which has often been the kiss of death for players in the NFL. But Woodson continues to be a top-notch defender and at a position, no less, that requires a player to keep up his speed, agility and burst. What Woodson has been able to accomplish in his career is impressive.
Photo from fOTOGLIF
Of all of the big-name players that will become free agents this summer, Chris Bosh’s situation seems to be the most delicate. The Raptors are playing pretty well — they’ve won eight of their last 11 and are currently the #6 seed in the East — but it’s not clear what his threshold is for staying in Toronto. A postseason berth? It’s probably going to take more than that. 50 wins and an appearance in the Eastern Conference Semis? Maybe.
But with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade basically untradeable, and with Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire playing well on winning teams, Bosh’s situation is the most fluid.
Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo told Peter Vescey of the New York Post the following via email:
“For the record, I am not actively seeking a deal or discussing Bosh with any team, much less the Lakers.
“I haven’t traded him yet and our position has been the same. We will not make a deal just to make a deal. Our intention is to keep him here long term.
“Additionally, I have not yet offered an extension as Dwyane Wade and LeBron James both received [from their respective teams]. So technically he has not said no.
“I honestly don’t think C.B. knows what the future holds, or what he wants to do, so I would say we’re still in the game as far as his pending free agency.”
Colangelo’s language is interesting: “I haven’t traded him yet.” Yet. That means he’s open to trading him, right? The Raptors are under the gun because they face the prospect of losing Bosh with zero compensation this summer. The deal that Vescey discusses in his article is a Andrew Bynum-for-Bosh swap with the Lakers. That deal would be feasible in the summer if the teams executed a sign-and-trade with Bosh. Otherwise, I don’t know that there’s a scenario where Bosh would agree to a sign-and-trade because he’d be effectively decimating his future team. The Lakers are the exception due to the presence of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. The deal makes some sense because the Raptors would get a true center with All-Star potential to play alongside Andrea Bargnani, who would be able to play his natural position — power forward. For the Lakers, the deal makes sense because while Bynum has played well in spurts, he and Pau Gasol don’t work all that well together when they’re both on the floor.
Chad Ford writes (via TrueHoop) that other teams around the league are reacting to the news that Bosh might be on the move:
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