Today I saw this voting debate on reddit http://www.squidoo.com/michael-jordan-vs-lebron-james , and I am wondering do you guys think that Lebron can surpass Air Jordan, and after his career is over be considered as the greatest of all time? I think he can, just look at MJ and Lebron stats till Lebron's current age, yes Lebron has 3 MVPs more.

I'm woefully fuzzy on the finer points of the new CBA and our specific cap situation, but I think this all fits.

Summary: Acquisitions are Omer Asik, Tyreke Evans, J.J. Redick, and Jermaine O'Neal.

Draft Day:

Trade Joel Freeland and #10 overall pick to Houston for Omer Asik.

This move fits the Rockets' m.o. to a 'T'. The #10 gives them another versatile asset to use in aggressive moves, and if nothing else Freeland gives them another big who can shoot. After this move they are much better positioned to acquire Dwight Howard (the writing is on the wall that Houston is his 1st choice if they can make it work) both in terms of cap space and S&T assets if necessary.

If I'm not mistaken, because of the unique offer Houston made to Asik last year, he counts as $8.4 million against them but only $5.2 million against us in 2013-14. Since Freeland's cap figure next year is $2.9 million, this frees up $5.5 million for Houston while only using up $2.3 million of our room.

Free Agency:

Offer 4 years, $48 million to RFA Tyreke Evans.

You have to overpay for RFAs. This is more than DeRozan and Curry got as extensions, though Curry's is obviously a ridiculous bargain in light of this season. We have to pay a premium for this kind of talent and hope that (a) Sacramento is too dysfunctional and cash-strapped to match, and (b) Evans has a similar emergence to Curry (though perhaps not quite to that level) making him worth this deal. On our team he would edge out Batum for our 2nd-highest salary. The first-year hit would be around $11 million, using up most of our remaining cap room.

Trade Wesley Matthews for J.J Redick (S&T: 4 years, $32 million).

This allows the Bucks to get something for an asset that's walking out the door. We could also include a freshly-chosen 2nd rounder or an overseas prospect as sweetener. I believe a $32 million deal would have a first-year cap hit very similar to Matthews's $6.9 million, so it should work whether it relies on matching or cap room.

Retain Eric Maynor for 3 years, $10 million.

This is where I'm most doubtful in my rudimentary CBA math. I hope there's room for him, or alternatively I hope there's enough wiggle room throughout this template to bring him back or land another competent backup PG (they are a dime a dozen).

Sign Jermaine O'Neal for minimum salary.

Depth Chart:

PG - Lillard, Maynor

SG - Evans, Redick, Barton

SF - Batum, Claver

PF - Aldridge, O'Neal

C - Asik, Leonard

Analysis:

Apologies to Redick and Evans, but I think the most dramatic improvement to our W/L record and our playoff aspirations and success comes from Asik here. Upgrading from an undersized C who was one of the worst in the NBA defensively to a mammoth C with elite defensive skills is worth multiple wins.

Evans is an even more exciting addition than Asik if he continues to improve at age 23. I think he is an elite young combo guard in the making and a perfect complement to Lillard. An elite young back court, a star PF, a defensive C, and jack-of-all-trades SF is a nice starting five to hitch our wagon to.

Redick is pretty self-explanatory. Dude is one of the best pure shooters in the league and brings underrated playmaking. He's a great 6th man and floor-spreader for this group.

"That's not enough to get past Miami or OKC" is a lame criticism. If every team had to blow it up because they didn't stack up to the Heat on paper, there'd be no teams left. You have to assemble a core with talent and upside and take your shot. But for the record, the things currently making Indiana and Memphis successful: defensive anchor Cs, scoring PFs, athletic defensive wings, scoring floor general guards. That's a rough description but you get the idea.

And we're not as far away as you think. Last year we had a playoff-caliber starting 5 and one of the worst benches in history. Batum and Aldridge have plateaued, but Lillard improves and this plan gives an enormous boost at SG (Evans), C (Asik), 6th man (Redick), and backup C (O'Neal plus improved Leonard).

For additional depth, this plan relies on some improvement of our current players to realize its full potential. I'm projecting Barton and Claver to develop into at least average bench players. I believe they will, Barton as a spark plug scorer and Claver as a tough defender and smallball 4. Both players improving their decent-looking-but-inconsistent 3-balls would obviously be huge for their productivity.

Today's the day!

Doesn't the league year reset sometime between the draft and free agency, so we don't have cap space for uneven trades during the draft?

Also, when looking at other teams' payrolls for potential draft-day moves, I should use their 2012-13 figures, right?

Military Bowl to move to Navy-Marine Corps
Memorial Stadium from RFK Stadium



The Military Bowl will be played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis this year, the D.C. Bowl Committee and Events DC announced Monday, moving from its previous home at RFK Stadium.

This year’s game — to be played Dec 27 at 2:30 p.m. and televised by ESPN — will match the No. 8 team from the ACC against an opponent from Conference USA.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports...b44_story.html

:cheers:

You're going to get so fat!

http://www.oregonlive.com/dining/ind...incart_best-of

Founding member of the Doors.

A South Florida man caught the largest Burmese python -- 18 feet, 8 inches long and 128 pounds -- ever found in Florida.

The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission said Jason Leon, of Hialeah, found the 18-foot, 8-inch beast while riding in a rural area in southeast Miami-Dade County on May 11. About 3 feet of the snake was spotted sticking out of some roadside brush.

Leon said he stopped his car, grabbed the snake from behind its head, and started dragging it out of the brush. When the snake tried to wrap itself around Leon's leg, he called to his friends for help and then killed it with a knife.

The female snake was not carrying any eggs, the University of Florida scientists said.

Read more http://www.local10.com/news/man-figh...5/-/index.html

A tiny device that can recharge cell phone batteries in as little as 30 seconds won 18-year-old Eesha Khare a major science award that will help fund her college education at Harvard University.

Khare traveled from her California home to Phoenix last week for the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, where her invention was honored as one of two winners of Young Scientist Awards.

"I'm in a daze. I can't believe this happened," Khare, a senior at Lynbrook High School in Saratoga, told CNN affiliate KPIX 5.

Khare's device, a black, rectangular type of supercapacitor just over an inch long, can charge a cell phone battery in 20 to 30 seconds, she said.

"I developed a new supercapacitor, which is basically an energy storage device which can hold a lot of energy in a small amount of volume," she told KPIX 5. The technology may also be able to speed up charging of automobile batteries, she said.

A videotape of the award ceremony showed an ecstatic Khare trotting up to the stage when her name was announced in Phoenix, then standing with other winners as the audience at the fair applauded and confetti fell on them.

The award includes a $50,000 prize that will come in handy when Khare heads to Harvard in the fall, she told KPIX 5. With a laugh, she predicted that "I will be setting the world on fire."

Read more http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/20/tech/whiz-kid/?hpt=hp_t3

Canada I assume would be a popular selection, perhaps Australia? Lichtenstein? Japan? you choose, one other nation.

I am feeling pretty good today, and look fabulous bald, so that's nice. Here is one of many off season plans I wouldn't mind seeing.

Assuming the cap will be at 60 million like many predict, we will start out with about 15.5 million including our lottery pick

Trade Matthews and Leonard for Gortat.

New cap room is about 17.0 million

Trade Batum and #1 to NOP for their pick (Oladipo) and Ryan Anderson

New cap room is about 19.0 million

Sign Josh Smith for 14.0 million. Is it a lot? Yes. is he worth it? Maybe. Is he as bad as some people including me think? Not even close. Smith would give us an elite forward that can create his own shot.

New cap room is about 6.0 miilion. I would like to see us use this to sign Tony Allen and Jermaine O'Neal

Then re-sign Maynor and Williams....I guess for whatever the hell exception we have. And bring over the Greek.

Lillard / Maynor
Allen / Oladipo/ Barton
Smith / Greek
Aldridge / Anderson / Claver
Gortat / O'Neal / Freeland

Is that any better than what we have? It gives us a semi big 3 and much better interior defense. Tear it apart peoples. No more responding for MM...doctors orders