I'll admit, I had the Dirty Birds pegged as pretenders.  They'd beaten two terrifically bad teams (Detroit and KC) and looked awfully pedestrian against real competition.  Atlanta had the hallmarks of a mediocre young team.  They played infinitely better at home than on the road.  They committed turnovers.  They were inconsistent.

That all changed on Sunday.

Suddenly, we have to actually consider the possibility that Atlanta is for real.  They went into Lambeau, survived 300 yards and 3 TDs from Aaron Rodgers, and came out on top.  They won the game the same way they've won other games: strong running, efficient QB play, and timely D.

Michael Turner continues to be the year's best free agent pick-up.  He finally had a good road game (after less than 100 yards combined in his first two roadies), and Atlanta's ability to pound the Pack set up Matt Ryan for success.  Turner is averaging 5.3 ypc.  Backup Jerious Norwood gets 6.6.

Two TD passes gave Ryan more TDs than INTs on the year, an impressive feat for a rookie QB (just ask Joe Flacco).  The Falcons were reportedly split on what to do with the 3rd overall pick in April's draft, but they seem to have made the right choice in Ryan, who has that "it" factor you want in a young passer.  He doesn't always make the right play, but he looks calm, and his teammates respond to him.

The Atlanta D has quietly been solid as well.  A late INT of Rodgers sealed the win in Green Bay, and as the Falcons continue to get used to new head coach Mike Smith's defensive system, they should only improve.

At 3-2, Atlanta is coming into the tough part of the schedule.  Chicago is up next followed by the bye week.  Then it's Philly, Oakland, New Orleans and Denver...not exactly an easy string.  Then again, the win at Lambeau should have shown the Falcons that they can win against anyone, anywhere.  If they can beat Oakland and pull off an upset in one of the aforementioned games, they could easily be sitting at .500 through Week 11, giving them an outside shot at postseason play down the stretch.

Mike Smith clearly has them playing hard in Hotlanta, and here's hoping the franchise can find some salvation after the Mike Vick/Bobby Petrino disasters.

Like it?  Visit NFL Bonanza for more opinions, stats, and fantasy info.

Don't look now, but the AFC has gone crazy.  Just plain nuts.  The Pats, Colts, and Chargers have a combined .500 record.  The Steelers are beaten up.  The Browns have blacked out.

While last year's power players have struggled through the season's first quarter, other teams have risen.  The Bills and Titans stand as the AFC's two undefeated teams.  Who had that script written before the season started?  Put down your hand, you liar.

When I look at these two franchises, I see the hallmarks of teams that find postseason success.  Both teams are getting it done with great defense, strong running games, and quarterbacks that don't make a lot of mistakes.  That's a recipe for championships, even in this modern age of pass-happy spread formations.  Just ask the G-Men.

Four weeks ago, I wouldn't have even thought about typing this sentence, but at this point I have to say that the Tennessee Titans are the AFC favorites.  Yes, I was born in Knoxville, but don't call me biased.  I don't really like the Titans.  I respect Jeff Fisher and his NASCAR mustache in the same way that I respect the plumber who comes to fix my sink.  It's not pretty to watch, but he gets the job done.

Why the Titans, you ask?  For starters, they are playing lights-out D.  That will win you a lot of games (unless you're the Vikings).  Albert Haynesworth (a former UT Vol) has replaced his bad rep with bad-#### play.  You can say he's playing great because he's in a contract year, and that may be.  But it doesn't change the fact that through the season's opening act, he's been the league's best defender.  With consummate veteran Keith Bulluck, high-motor sack man Kyle Vandenbosch, and unheralded Courtland Finnegan (on his way to the Pro Bowl), this is a D that no one wants to play right now.

Next, there's the Thunder-and-Lightning tandem of Lendale White and Chris Johnson.  The latter is a rookie that mainstream media are already comparing to a young Marshall Faulk.  The Titans' ability to soften up opponents with White's between-the-tackles, dump-truck style before turning the speedy Johnson loose is causing major problems for defensive coordinators.  Throw in an offensive line that has both talent and continuity, and Tennessee has what it needs to succeed in those bad weather January games.

Finally, there's Kerry Collins.  I know, I know.  I can't believe it either.  But at this point, I'm actually glad Vincanity had to sit down.  Collins gives the Titans two things that Young never did: a consistent passing option and a veteran in the huddle.  Don't get me wrong, players respond well to Vince.  But Collins has been to two Super Bowls, and that goes a long way in a locker room.

Maybe the Colts get healthy.  Maybe the Broncs and Bolts start playing defense.  Maybe the Bills are for real.  But for now, the band in Nashville is playing the AFC's sweetest tune.

 Like it?  Check out NFL Bonanza for opinions, stats, fantasy, and more!

Yes, they've gotten off to a combined 2-6 start.  Oh ye of little faith!  A check of the schedules reveals that these three are poised for big-time bouncebacks that will have them in playoff contention by mid-season.

The case for...

The New York J-E-T-S: They play a winnable game vs. Arizona this week and follow that up with a bye.  Then four of their next five are against Cincy, Oakland, KC, and STL.  My high school team could go 2-2 against that motley crew, so I figure the Jets to win all four, lose to the Bills, and possibly be looking at a 6-3 record after nine weeks depending on the outcome of Sunday's mathcup with the Cards.

The Houstan Texans: Nature gave them an unexpected Week 2 bye, leaving them with not only an unenviable slate of 15 straight games, but also forcing them to open the year with three straight roadies against Pittsburgh, Tennessee, and Jacksonville.  They'll probably be 0-3 after this week, but then they get Indy, Miami, Detroit, and Cincy in their next  four games.  If they win three of those, they'll be 3-4 heading into a Week 9 matchup with Minny that could get the Cattle back to .500.

The New Orleans Saints: So far, the Saints seem to be what they were last year...a great offense, a lousy defense, and therefore likely to finish around .500.  But the fact is that these guys have beaten a tough Bucs team, should have beaten a tough Broncos team (Gramaticaaaaaa!!), and could have beaten the 'Skins.  Now, of their next seven games, four are against SF, Oakland, Atlanta, and KC.  That should equate to four wins, meaning that if they can pull an upset against the likes of the Vikes, Panthers, or Chargers, they could very well be 6-3 through 9 weeks. 

You heard it here first.

Check out NFL Bonanza at http://nflbonanza.bravehost.com/ for more!

WEEK 4 PROJECTIONS

Stud of the Week: Kurt Warner, Cardinals
After watching the J-E-T-S get dismantled last week by Phillip Rivers and the Bolts, I like Kurt "Jesus is My Offensive Coordinator" Warner to light up the skies in NY.  With Fitzy and Boldin playing lights out so far, I see Warner going toe-to-toe with Favre and winning the matchup in a landslide.

Projections: 329 yards and 3 TDs

Slump of the Week: Chris Johnson and Lendale White, Titans
The Tennessee rook is averaging 92 yards per game and 5.5 ypc so far this season.  He's been the talk of the town in Nashville and has fantasy owners excited around the country.  White gets the goalline carries and is averaging a TD per week.  That ends now.  At least for one game.  The Vikings come to town with a run D that held Carolina's supposedly-revitalized ground game to a paltry 47 yards last week.  The Panthers duo of Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart is very much like the Titans thunder-and-lightning combo.  If Minny shut down Carolina, it can shut down the Titans.

Projections: 76 combined rushing yards, 0 TDs

Breakout of the Week: Derek Anderson, Browns
I'm going out on a limb this week and picking Anderson for a breakout game.  Two reasons.  First, his job's on the line.  If he's been lacking motivation through three weeks, that ends now with the public calling for the Brady Quinn era to get started early.  Second, he's playing the Bengals.  That defense tends to act as a cure for struggling QBs.

Projections: 298 yards and 3 TDs

Sleeper of the Week: Trent Edwards, Bills
Through three games, the Rams are on pace to allow over 7,000 yards.  Just consider that number for a moment.  The STL defense is, to this point, historically bad.  Enter Buffalo, where Trent Edwards is averaging 7.4 yards per attempt.  If he gets that up to 8 ypa and gets 30 throws in, we're looking at 240 yards...and I'll wager three TDs.

Projections: 254 yards and 3 TDs

Like it?  Add me to your favs or visit NFL Bonanza at http://nflbonanza.bravehost.com/

Three weeks in, the NFC East has become the clear-cut division of choice in the NFL.  It's early, but the prevailing feeling seems to be that the eventual NFC champ will come out of the East.  The question is, who is the team to beat?

Dallas Cowboys (The Celebrities): In one corner, we have America's Team.  They're 3-0.  They have Romo, TO, Marion the Barbarian, Not Pacman, etc.  They have Demarcus Ware.  Zach Thomas.  A 1st-round draft choice averaging over 8 ypc at RB (Felix Jones).  A good head coach and an offensive coordinator that could be a head coach if he wanted.  In short, they seem to have it all.

What they don't have is a single postseason win since 1996.  Read that sentence one more time for effect.  It's hard to believe, but it's true.  And for all of Romo's regular-season brilliance, he has yet to come through when it really counts.

Until this team wins a meaningful game in January, they can't be considered the full-on favorite no matter how good they've looked so far.

New York Giants (The Champs): Next up, we have the defending champs.  It must be strange to win the Super Bowl and still not be favored by most experts to win your own division.  The G-Men have taken the same Us Against the World mentality that worked for them last year, and so far it's working to the tune of 3-0.

Eli looks better his year.  Plaxico is now suspended for a game, but he's been solid.  Shockey's trade has been addition by subtraction, and the D that lost so many supposedly-crucial parts is still getting after it.

Until the Cowboys can knock them off when it counts, I have to stick with the Giants as the favorites in the East.  They have that championship swagger that I'm not sure Dallas possesses just yet.  Can't wait for the first game between the 'Boys and the Giants.

Philadelphia Eagles (The Cursed): Every time this team seems ready to get back to a championship level, they suffer major injuries and take a step back.  They're 2-1 with the lone loss being a classic MNF duel with Dallas, but now they've got Westbrook ####ed up.  McNabb had to leave the Steelers game for a couple of series.  Don't you get the feeling that the injury curse that always seems to run them over is just getting revved up?

The Dallas game showed that, when healthy, these guys can go toe-to-toe with anyone.  But that healthy bit can never be assumed in Philly, and it's for that reason that they cannot be the East favs.

Washington Redskins (The Dark Horse): After their poor showing in Week 1 against the Giants, I thought the 'Skins might be in for a long year.  But they've bounced back to beat two solid teams in AZ and NO, and Jason Campbell is on the verge of making me believe.  If Zorn and co. can get that defense playing better, these guys might just make the playoffs.  At this point though, they have to rate as the Least of the East.

Like it?  Add me to your favs or visit NFL Bonanza at http://nflbonanza.bravehost.com/!

Welcome to the new, topsy-turvy  world of the NFL...where Brian Griese is a god.

Griese's 67 pass attempts were the 5th-most in league history!  For a day, Griese looked like Dan Marino, as the pillars of NFL sanity shook.  407 yards with Antonio Bryant and Ike Hilliard as your best WRs?  The end is nigh.

In other news, the Rams have allowed 78 points over their last two games, losing both by wide margins.  The Broncos have allowed 70 over two weeks, and are 2-0.

The Cleveland Browns, one of last year's most prolific offenses, are scoring 8.7 points per game.  They have 2 offensive TDs in 33 series.  Damn.

Carson Palmer and Derek Anderson are a combined 0-6 as starters this year.  Rookies Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan are 4-1.

Dallas rookie RB Felix Jones has scored a TD in each of his first 3 NFL games.  Jones has only 18 carries this year, but is averaging 8.2 ypc.

The Colts are allowing a whopping 199.7 RUSHING yards per game.  They are on pace to allow 3195 rushing yards this season!

Like it?  Add me to your Favs or check out NFL Bonanza at http://nflbonanza.bravehost.com/ for more!

1. The Pats Are DONE!  FINISHED!  CAPUT!  And the People Rejoiced...
Let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet.  A win at SF next week gets Belicheats(no, I won't let it go) to 3-1 heading into their bye.  That's not exactly a dire position to be in.  If the D can get back on track, this team will be OK.  Are you really going to place a bet that these guys don't make it back to the playoffs?  Didn't think so.

2. The Falcons are for REAL!  Matt Ryan is the next Big Ben.  Super Bowl for Hot-lanta!
Keep one thing in mind before annointing the Dirty Birds contenders in NFC South.  The Falcons two wins are against the Chiefs and Lions.  'Nough said.

3. The Broncos are the AFC's best team.
Come on...they are 3-0.  They have the league's best offense.  The Pats, Colts, and Chargers are down.  The Broncos must be the best, right?  Not so fast.  They gave up 38 to SD (w/o LT for most of the game) and allowed over 500 yards against NO.  Until Denver shows they can stop someone, they will not be the favorites of anything.

4. The Rams will be OK once Scott Linehan is gone.
Assuming that things work out in a logical way, with Linehan out and D-coordinator and former Saints headman Jim Haslett in, will anything really change in St. Louis?  The offensive system will remain.  That offensive line will remain (horrible).  That defense that's giving up around 40 ppg will now have their leader as the leader of the whole team.  I think you can see where we're going here.  With the scheme/personel problems facing the Rams, Vince Lombardi himself couldn't get this team to .500.

5. We were wrong about Aaron Rodgers.  The loss to the 'Boys shows that the Pack was better off with Brett.
Huh?  What?  Let's not forget that GB also lost to Dallas last year, looking fairly overmatched.  All they did was eventually get within an overtime score of the Super Bowl.  This loss shows us that the Pack has some areas to work on, but it by no means suggests that they are no longer a contender or that Rodgers can't get it done.  They'll still win 10-12 games and be around near the end.

Like it?  Add me to your Favs or check out NFL Bonanza at http://nflbonanza.bravehost.com/ for more!

We've got a great private fantasy football league going on CBS Sportsline (www.sportsline.com), but we need 3 more people to fill out the league.  The current members are all friendly and active, and it should make for some quality competition.  It's totally free!

If you'd like to join, just visit sportsline.com.  Create a free team and then it will ask you to choose a league.  Search private leagues with live drafts for "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."  The password is "gentlemen".  Draft date is this Sunday at 11:30 am EST.  Please sign up so we our league can run!  Thanks.

We've got a great private fantasy football league going on CBS Sportsline (www.sportsline.com), but we need 3 more people to fill out the league.  The current members are all friendly and active, and it should make for some quality competition.  It's totally free!

If you'd like to join, just visit sportsline.com.  Create a free team and then it will ask you to choose a league.  Search private leagues with live drafts for "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."  The password is "gentlemen".  Draft date is this Sunday at 11:30 am EST.  Please sign up so we our league can run!  Thanks.

The NBA offseason is in full swing with a bevy of surprises on the trade market.  Here's a look at the major deals to date.  Turning Camby into Cash never looked so good!

Denver Deals Marcus Camby to LAC for the Right to Exchange 2nd-Round Picks (Wow!)

Huh?!  What?!  This trade initially looks like the kind of deal that would cause an NBA fantasy league to implode.  Camby is just a year removed from being the NBA's Defensive POY...and now he's getting dealt for what amounts to a bag of leg hair.  But when I sit down and examine what the hell Denver was thinking, I start to see the logic.  Does anyone think the Nuggets (who still have the worst team name of all time) were going to contend for a title with Camby?  Didn't think so.  So why not deal him, get a $10 million trade exception, and start giving yourself flexibility for the future?

As for the Clips, they had money to burn and needed a defensive stopper.  Done and done.  Davis, Gordon, Mobley, and Thornton can do the scoring.  Camby will be asked to simply do what he does best, and the move puts the Clips back on the map as playoff contenders out west.

NJ Sends Richard Jefferson to the Bucks for Chairman Yi and Bobby Simmons' Corpse

Another head scratcher on paper, this one is all about the Benjamins for the Nets.  I don't care what they said to the press...this deal is about 2010 and that's that.  If they get LeBron or a similar monster talent with their cap room, then this deal will eventually make sense.  If they're a 30-win team who can't attract a megastar in '10, then the Bucks won this deal by a landslide.

Indiana Unloads Jermaine O'Neal on the Raptors for TJ Ford, a Ubiquitous 7-foot Stiff, and Roy Hibbert

This deal works for both sides.  Toronto took a gamble, and their side of the deal clearly depends on O'Neal's ability to stay upright.  If he's healthy and happy, they're a darkhorse contender in the East.  If he doesn't pan out, they'll have a giant expiring deal to play with down the road.

For Indiana, they get rid of Jermaine's insane contract and get a point gaurd to end Jamaal Tinsely's reign of terror.  It gives them a little more financial flexibility (if only they could "disappear" Troy Murphy), and Ford is a quality player when healthy.  I don't expect much return from either Nesterovic or Hibbert, but Indy should be applauded for finding someone to take O'Neal's deal.

Finally, Love for Mayo (Insert Joke Here)...Featuring Mike Miller!

So Memphis sends K-Love and his sweet chin-strap beard to Minny for OJ Mayo and his Lake Michigan-sized ego.  Financially, the deal is basically a wash, so what tips the scales slightly in the Wolves' favor is the addition of sharp shooter Mike Miller.  Does this make Minny a playoff contender?  Ha ha ha ha...NO!  But it does give them tiny shards of hope.  The winner of this deal will be determined by who ends up with the better prospect.  If Mayo becomes a coach-killing, ball-hogging nightmare, then Memphis loses.  If Love follows the path of Great White College Kids like Laettner, Morrison, etc., then Minny loses.  Then again, this is Minnesota and Memphis (yes, still being run by McHale and Wallace, respectively), so they'll probably both lose.

72 responses later...I'll make my final argument.

First, for those who didn't read the opening of my post or my first response, this was a list meant to only include players who are considered superstars but don't play as such due to age or lack of certain skills. Therefore, players such as Darius Miles, Larry Hughes, Mike Bibby, etc. don't qualify b/c no one has ever mistaken them for superstars (Someone should do an all-overpaid column so folks can say their two cents about these type of players).

Second, my defense of Pau's addition to my list...everyone talks about how awesome he's been in the playoffs. In the SA series, he scored more than 15 points exactly once. He had double-digit rebounds twice in five games. Meanwhile, he allowed TD to go for 22 points and, get ready...17.4 REBOUNDS per game! As I originally wrote , Gasol is a good offensive player w/o much D and avg. rebounding (although I must give it to him for coming out of nowhere for 19 boards in game 5). People say they'd rather have Gasol than Dirk...WHY? Dirk is a former league MVP, has taken his own team to a championship series w/o the help of Kobe, and routinely avgerages 25 and 10 a season. Gasol has Dirk's defensive and rebounding skills w/o the scoring prowess or proven team-carrying ability (Dirk went to the Finals with Josh Howard as his second option...ha!). I urge everyone to not be blinded by the fact that Gasol plays next to Kobe in LA. Think back to Gasol in Memphis...he had the same game then that he does now...and ask yourself if you would have taken Memphis-version Gasol over the PFs I listed in my post.

Finally, Yao.  Again, I urge folks to actually read what I originally wrote about him.  He's a great offensive player, the best scoring C in the league.  But he's a defensive liability, and superstars should NEVER be liabilities to their teams.  A lot of responses to the original list said that Zach Randolph should have been included.  For those of you who defended Yao, Randolph is the PF version.  He's good for 22-10 a night but plays no D and his teams never win anything important.  If you want to defend Yao, I want to hear a defense of Zeke as well.

OK, case rested.  Bring on the PAIN!

With the playoffs winding down, it's time for a look at the league's over-hyped, the well-paid, fawned-over, semi-stars who tend to get lumped in with actual superstars.

The 2008 All-Overrated First Team

PG Jason Kidd  SG Ray Allen  SF Rashard Lewis  PF Pao Gasol  C Yao Ming

Analysis: Kidd has gotten slow.  Quick PGs kill him these days, as he's joined Steve Nash as a revolving-door defender, allowing opponents to penetrate at will.  He's also not much of an offensive threat anymore, and one of the reasons the Mavs struggled after acquiring him is that opponents didn't really have to account for him as a jump shooter, allowing them to clog the lanes.  

Ray Allen is completely one-dimensional, and even that one dimension (jump shooting) has vanished in the playoffs.  The Celtics are much closer to being a "Big Two" than a "Big Three". 

As for Lewis, he's not that bad of a player.  But when you're getting paid $130 million, you'd better be the best SF on your own team.  Sadly, Lewis can't even claim that honor. 

Gasol is a guy who puts up stats that suggest a better player.  But anyone who's watched him try to go head-to-head with Duncan in their current series knows that Pao is head and shoulders below a superstar.  Duncan has brought Gasol's weaknesses to the surface, namely his half-hearted defense and average rebounding skills (for an athletic 7-footer, he's a mediocre boards man).  Most of his scoring seems to come off of nice passes from teammates and the occasional put back, and he hasn't shown that he can consistnently get quality shots for himself when matched up on a quality post player.

Finally, we come to Yao.  Don't get me wrong...the guy is a fabulous offensive player.  He's also learned how to use to his height to do the job on the boards.  But what keeps him from being a superstar is his defense.  When Yao went down and was replaced by Mt. Mutumbo inside, the Rockets' D became something special.  Yao lacks the lateral quickness to be a quality help defender and his high center of gravity and marginal footwork make him average as a one-on-one stopper down low.  He's a quality #2 option on offense, but the other areas of his game make him overrated.

Sound off!

Forget guessing what teams WILL do.  Here's what the league's bottom feeders SHOULD do in June's NBA draft.

1. Chicago: Michael Beasley PF

Why: The Bulls have pieces in place to contend, including a PG who, until this year, was considered rock solid.  What they don't have is a low-post scoring threat, which is exactly what Beasley is, even if he doesn't always give 100%.  With Beasley putting up 20-10 down low, Deng as the slasher, Gordon as the shooter, and Heinrich as the quarterback with little pressure to score himself, the Bulls will be back in the playoffs at worst.  Rose is good, but just b/c he's from ChiTown and hangs out with Jordan's kid doesn't mean the Bulls should ignore their glaring post need.

2. Miami: Derrick Rose PG

Why: A back court of Wade and Rose would be scary, and with Marion and Haslem in the front court, Miami doesn't need Beasley as much as they need a floor general who can get their other scorers involved.

3. Minnesota: Brook Lopez C

The Wolves need to move Big Al back to PF, so taking Lopez actually improves two positions.  Will Lopez be a consistent All-Star?  No.  But he can give them an Andrew Bogut-type to score down low and prevent opponents from doubling Jefferson.  With Foye/McCants/Brewer in place, they don't need Mayo.

4. Seattle: OJ Mayo

A scoring duo of Durant and OJ would give opponents fits.  Mayo is a cut above Jerrod Bayless, and he can help the Sonics get better right away.  Seattle would also do well to deal this pick for a proven veteran post player (with Ridnour/Wilkins for Marcus Camby/Denver's #1?).

5. Memphis: Kevin Love

Love's not athletic enough, you say?  I'll take heart/fundamentals/hoops IQ over the clueless athleticism of a DeAndre Jordan or Anthony Randolph any day.  Bayless is a top-5 pick in many mocks, but the Grizz are stacked with young PGs, and with ####/Miller on the wing, they need a post man, pure and simple.  Love can facilitate as well as any big man in years, which would open up options for the shooters on the floor.  He will also bring a winning pedigree to a losing franchise.

Sound off!

Could Miami deal the 2nd pick for a package?  Will 'Melo join Jay-Z and the Nets?  Can the Cavs get LeBron some help?  Here are some trade possiblities that just might go down this summer:

Miami Heat

The Heat could go several ways.  They could stand pat at #2, take Beasley or Rose, and never look back.  But...do they want to wait for youth to develop?  Would they rather get their rookie head coach some immediate help in the form of a proven vet?  If so, they might have several options open.

1. Trade the #2 pick, Marcus Banks, and Alexander Johnson to Seattle for Earl Watson (a capable starting PG) and picks 4 and 24.

This gets the Heat a solid PG to put next to Wade and would allow them to go after a Brook Lopez or OJ Mayo at 4.

2. Trade the #2 pick, Mark Blount, and Marcus Banks to Utah for Carlos Boozer.  In the scenario, the Heat get a proven All-Star PF to team with Marion and Wade.  This trade makes them an immediate title contender in the East and gets rid of two lousy players.  Utah would only do this if Beasley was available at 2.

3. Trade #2 pick and Mark Blount to Milwaukee for Mo Williams and the 8th pick.  This gives the Heat the PG they wanted last summer plus another high pick to get a DeAndre Jordan/Kevin Love-type for their front court.  Wade, Marion, Williams, and a top-8 pick is a solid foundation.  Milwaukee gets to draft Beasley/Rose to go with Bogut and Redd...not tok shabby.

Denver Nuggets

Rumors are swirling after Denver's unimpressive end to the season.  Word on the street has 'Melo and Camby heading to Jersey for R-Jeff, Marcus Williams, Van Horn's expiring deal, and two 1st rounders.  The Nets get to send out a lineup of Harris, Vincanity, Melo, Camby, and Krstic...which would make them an immediate contender.  The Nuggets get financial flexibility, a quality SF to replace Anthony, a young PG (a desperate need), plus future picks.  If Denver does this, they should consider dealing A.I. as well and just starting over.

Cleveland Cavaliers

I think the Cavs should go get Michael Redd, the guy they should have chosen over Larry Hughes to begin with.  They could send Wally World's deal (which will expire next year), Varejao, and the 19th pick and next year's #1 to the Bucks for Redd and Charlie Bell.  Milwaukee's going no where with its current roster, so why not get Wally Z as a one-year rental to replace Redd's outside game, Varejao to provide toughness and D inside, plus future picks?  A year from now when Wally's deal expires, the Bucks could be in good position to get a big FA to go with Bogut, Mo Williams, and whoever goes at 8 (Eric Gordon?).

Sound off!