Four Takeaways From LeBron James’ Injury And How It Will Impact The Lakers

LeBron James Injury Lakers

Down goes the King. For the first time since April 12, 2017, LeBron James will miss a basketball game. After suffering an injury to his groin on Christmas Day against the Warriors, the Lakers’ star is listed as day-to-day and is expected to miss a few games, according to ESPN.

What does this mean for LeBron James and his future? More importantly, how will the Los Angeles Lakers handle the injury to their star player? Keep in mind that the Lakers are currently 5th in the Western Conference. Because the race is so tight, a few losses in a row could knock them back in the standings and possibly out of playoff contention.

Here are four takeaways from LeBron James’ injury and how it will impact the rest of the team.

1. The King is Mortal

Contrary to popular belief, LeBron James is a human being after all. One of the most underrated aspects of LeBron’s legacy is his ability to stay on the court. The best ability is availability and no one is more available for his team than LeBron. LeBron has played in 94% of possible games in his career and has never missed a playoff game. LeBron has suffered small injuries to his back and ankles, but this is the first time that he has injured his groin. Although the injury could have been much worse, it’s still a strain to his groin so the Lakers are expected to take his rehab very seriously. The worst thing that they could do is rush him back to the court and put his health in jeopardy.

2. It’s Time for the Kids to Grow Up

LeBron’s importance to the Lakers cannot be understated. In his 16h season at age 33, LeBron is averaging 27.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.1 assists. Those are MVP level numbers. There is no debate that LeBron is the leader and catalyst of the Lakers. However, James is set to miss a few games, so it’s time for the young guns to grow up and step up. The Lakers passed their first test on Christmas Day as the team not only held on to beat the Warriors without LeBron in the second half, but they blew out the defending champs in their own building. Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Rajon Rondo, and Lance Stephenson all scored in double digits to propel the Lakers to a 127-101 victory. Going forward, it’s now or never for Kuzma, Ingram, Hart, and Lonzo Ball. This is their chance to show the rest of the NBA that they can carry the load for Los Angeles while the King is out.

3. Playoff Position Could Take a Hit

Although listed as day-to-day, the Lakers are going to be cautious and patient with LeBron. There is no reason to rush him back since it’s only December and the season is 82 games long. That being said, the Western Conference playoff race is extremely tight. The difference in wins between the first place team and the fifteenth place team is five. The saying “every game matters” is as relevant as ever in the West. As of December 28, the Lakers are fifth in the Western Conference with a record of 20-15. The Lakers passed their first test by beating Golden State, but test two did not go so well as the Sacramento Kings knocked off the Lakers 117-116 on a buzzer beater from Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Despite the heartbreaking loss, the Lakers were one missed shot away from winning on the road against a tough Sacramento team. The trio of Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, and Lonzo Ball combined for 75 points. Things will not become any easier for the Lakers as their next three opponents – Clippers, Kings, and Thunder – are all in playoff contention. If the Lakers go 0-3, it’s very probable that the team will fall out of the top 8. There’s still a lot of games left, but winning without LeBron is of the utmost importance.

4. Time to Show Off the Lakers’ Assets

Imagine you own a car dealership, and you’re trying to sell one of your cars. What are you going to do? You’re going to vacuum it out and make the inside spotless. You’re going to wash and wax the car so that it’s super shiny. You want to show it off to the public, you put it in the front of your dealership for everyone to see. Now, imagine that car was the Lakers roster. It’s no secret that the Lakers want to acquire a superstar to pair with LeBron James. Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant are the first names that come to mind as they are both free agents this summer. However, just because the duo are free agents does not mean they will sign with LA. The player that is generating the most noise to LA is Anthony Davis.

The recruitment for the rights to Davis has begun as LeBron had dinner with AD after the Lakers faced the Pelicans game in Los Angeles last week. If you were to start a team today from scratch, Anthony Davis might be the number one pick. The 6-10 forward is averaging 28.1 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists this season. His ability to handle the ball and make plays for his size is so unique that he’s a matchup nightmare. Pair him with LeBron James and the Lakers are cooking with gas. However, Davis is under contract until 2020. Davis is going nowhere this season, but the dominos are ready to fall if Davis denies the supermax extension this summer. If that happens, trade talks for Davis will intensify, and the Lakers will be chomping at the bit to acquire the superstar.

Back to the car dealership. If a trade is the only way to bring Davis to Los Angeles, then the Lakers have to show off their cars aka their young talent. Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and Lonzo Ball are all young, rising players with star potential. Without LeBron James in the lineup, it’s time to showcase what these four players can do and see if they are capable of leading a franchise. Against the Kings, Kuzma, Ingram, and Ball combined for 75 of the Lakers 116 points, so they’re off to a solid start. If the Lakers can package 2 of those 4 players along with a few draft picks, then it might be enough for New Orleans to send Davis to Los Angeles. A good showing from this core, while LeBron is out, can go a long way when trade talks begin this summer.

Why Le’Veon Bell Should Not Step Foot On The Field This Year

Le'Veon Bell

For Le’Veon Bell, if you’ve gone this far, why stop now?

The Le’Veon Bell situation has been all over the place, but for the first time in a few weeks, we know the direction it’s headed.

Upside down.

First of all, bravo to Le’Veon Bell for these tweets. I still have no idea how to write tweets upside down. The fact that he sent out serious messages upside down, which then made people turn their phones upside down, is a what I like to call a power move. Plus, it’s hysterical, so I have to respect the troll job he just pulled.

Back to football. After weeks of holding out, Bell finally has to make a decision on whether to show up for the remainder of the season or sit out the rest of it. Bell must sign his franchise tender by this Tuesday, Nov. 13, to retain his eligibility for this season. Bell is back in Pittsburgh, and many believe that signifies his return to the Steelers this week. Contrary to popular belief, Bell will not make a living playing basketball on LA Fitness courts.

There is a Loophole

As Lee Corso would say, not so fast my friend. It turns out that there’s a contract loophole that his agents just discovered about how Bell could be tagged again next year, but at an even higher number. First of all, if you’re Bell’s agents, HOW did you just discover this now with days remaining before his decision? This should’ve been known on Day 1 of his holdout. Anyway, here is what NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported the other day.

“My understanding is the NFL management council and the NFL Players’ Association, the parties that negotiated the collective bargaining agreement, are on the same page that if Bell were tagged a third time, whether he shows up this season, whether he sits out the entire year, that tag would be at the higher quarterback number, not the lower number similar to what he would be due under the franchise tag this year,” Pelissero said on NFL Up To the Minute on Tuesday. “It would be extremely unlikely for the Steelers to put that higher third franchise tag on Le’Veon Bell. That would set up a scenario where they’d tag him a third time, the number is upwards of $25 million and Bell, if he wanted to, could walk in the day he’s tagged, sign it and be owed $25 million for one season.”

25 million for one year? Bell would sign that in a heartbeat! Will the Steelers put the tag on Bell next year? To quote Vince McMahon, “No chance in hell.” It’s clear that Bell is not in the plans for the future of the Steelers especially with how well James Conner has done as Bell’s replacement. (Conner is 2nd in the NFL in rushing yards.) If they could not figure out a long-term deal the previous two seasons, I don’t see how the Steelers would now have a change of heart and sign him to a long-term deal in the offseason. They are also not going to tag Bell again so they would let him walk into free agency, which is what Bell has wanted all along. However, the Steelers do want him to return this year. Why wouldn’t they? Bell makes the Steelers a better team, and when Bell is on the field, he’s a Top 3 running back in the NFL.

Should Le’Veon Bell play the rest of the season?

No. To reiterate what I said earlier, if you’ve gone this far, why stop now?

If this were about money, Bell would have signed his $14.5 million franchise tender back in the off-season. Right now, if Bell were to play, he’d make around half of that. Bell has already left $7 million on the table right now. I don’t think this is about money. This is about principle. Bell wants to be paid what he feels he’s worth, which is top running back money with a long-term deal. Bell has earned a big payday with his performance on the field the past five seasons, and for some, they will call Bell selfish because if he signed his franchise tender this year in the off-season, he would’ve made $29 million in two years. That’s more than life-changing money to the average person.

Make no mistake about it. If Bell becomes a free agent, he will get the deal he wants or at least something in the neighborhood. Todd Gurley reset the running back market with a 4 year, $60 million ($45 million guaranteed extension) a few months ago. Bell will want a contract similar to that and it’s hard to argue that he hasn’t earned it. I understand the crowd that argues you can find a stud running back in the later rounds of the draft. CC: Alvin Kamara, Kareem Hunt, etc. That being said, Bell is no slouch. Bell had 1,291 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns last season to go along with 85 receptions, 655 yards, and 2 TDs. Bell is a special talent that is still in the prime of his career. A team with cap room will sign him this offseason. The Jets, Texans, and Colts will all be knocking on Bell’s doorstep once the season ends and one of those teams should give Bell what he wants.

Because of this, why should Bell risk playing this year? He’s saved his body a lot of hits so far. Why not save yourself from hits even more? Football is so unpredictable. Any hit you take could be your last. Look at Earl Thomas in Seattle. He held out for most of the off-season in hopes of signing a long-term contract. Thomas didn’t get that but came back days before the season started. A couple of weeks later, Thomas broke his foot and is out for the rest of the season in a contract year. That’s the risk Bell will take if he comes back and plays. It’s not like teams will be taking a chance on a player that is coming off of a serious injury. Teams who sign Bell will be getting a player who is 100% healthy, fresh, and in the prime of his career. Essentially, he redshirted this season. Bell will get paid one way or another this offseason. Why risk his health when he will get paid anyway?

Sitting out the rest of the season is not personal. It’s just business, and for Le’Veon Bell, it’s a good decision.

Eric Reid: Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper May Change the NFL

Eric Reid

David Tepper is the key to making the NFL a progressive league.  On Thursday, David Tepper and the Carolina Panthers made a bold move to be on the right side of history when they signed free-agent safety Eric Reid.  David Tepper is the new owner of the Panthers, who took ownership in May of this year.  Eric Reid was Colin Kaepernick’s teammate on the San Francisco 49ers.  He was the first football player to join Kaepernick in kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality.  Once Reid’s rookie contract expired, he was not re-signed by the 49ers or any other team.  This left many to question why no team had picked him up.

Reid was a 2013 first round draft pick who lived up to the expectations and became a Pro-Bowl safety.  He dominated his position each season he played and was injury free. There was no football-related reason for Reid not be signed. Since there was no football-related reason, many believed that Reid’s continued free-agency was due to his activism.  Kaepernick had already been “blackballed” from the league for his protest.   It appeared that Reid was suffering the same consequence.  Reid, like Kaepernick, filed a grievance against the NFL for collusion.  The grievance alleged that the league and/or the team owners conspired to keep Reid out of the league.

All of this changed on Thursday when the Panther’s announced that they signed Eric Reid.  In the midst of his grievance against the NFL, Reid’s signing came as a shock to many.  Reid was overlooked the entire summer and preseason. This leaves one question.  What changed to lead to Reid’s signing on Thursday?

David Tepper is What Changed to lead to Eric Reid’s Signing

In just these short months since taking over the Panthers in May, David Tepper has already asserted himself as probably the most progressive NFL owner.  From the beginning, Tepper made small changes that he knew Panther’s fans had long awaited.  He removed the NFL shield at center-field and changed the logo to a panther.  Also under Tepper, the team unveiled a new uniform.  With these changes, Tepper alerted everyone to the fact that change was afoot in the Panthers organization.

While those changes were bold statements, Tepper took it a step further early in September when he stood up for players who participate in the national anthem protest in an interview on CNBC.  Tepper called the players patriotic and acknowledged that the protest was an effort to seek “justice for all.”

On Thursday, Tepper put those words into action when he signed Eric Reid to replace the recently injured Da’Norris Searcy.  Instead of overlooking a clearly qualified Eric Reid and attempting to make unfounded football-related excuses not to sign him, Tepper and the Panthers did the right and most sensible thing and hired the best man for the job.

Moves such as speaking out in support of the players right to protest and signing a player who was arguably being “blackballed” by the rest of the teams and the league are what makes Tepper the league’s most progressive owner.  Tepper may be just what the league needs to finally become a more progressive and inclusive entity.  He listened to the wants of the players and fans when he changed the center-field logo and unveiled new uniforms. Accordingly, Tepper showed the ability to put football first when he signed Eric Reid.

Was Reid Signed as a Defense to the Collusion Grievance?

Some may argue that Reid was signed to help the NFL battle their collusion grievance against him and Kaepernick. However, Reid being signed is not likely to help the NFL’s defense in the grievances. To be successful Reid only has to show “that there was an agreement or formal understanding between at least two teams or the NFL and one team not to sign him.”[i] Therefore, the Panthers signing him does not negate the possibility that other teams and/or the NFL may have agreed not to sign him.

The Future of Athlete Activism and the NFL

Tepper is just the kind of owner that the NFL needs moving forward.  In this new wave of athlete activism and athletes seeking to establish an identity separate from their athletic prowess, the NFL has to decide how to adjust to these trends while maintaining viewership (which should not be a huge problem if willing; the NBA has somehow figured it out).  With LeBron James‘ success with the I Promise School, and as a film producer and the reverence of NFL Players like Kenny Stills to continue to kneel in spite of what happened to Kaepernick, it seems that the “more than an athlete” movement is here to stay. Tepper’s actions so far have shown that he embraces these trends and is just what the NFL needs to become more progressive.

 

[i] Michael McCann, How Eric Reid Can Win His Collusion Grievance Against the NFL…and How the NFL Can Win, Sports Illustrated (May 2, 2018), https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/05/02/eric-reid-nfl-collusion-grievance.

Boston Or LA: Who will win the Kawhi Leonard Sweepstakes?

 

By Dan Girolamo

The NBA’s most famous rivalry on the court will now battle off the court for the prize that is Kawhi Leonard. According to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, Leonard wants to be traded out of San Antonio. The tension stems from how the organization handled Leonard’s quadriceps injury this past year and from the looks of it, the relationship cannot be fixed.

The Spurs are a model of consistency, having been to the playoffs every year since 1997 and winning five championships during that time frame. The Spurs also have arguably the best coaching and GM tandem in the NBA with Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford. Seeing turmoil between a player and management in the Spurs organization is like seeing Bigfoot. It’s unheard of and rare.

If the relationship cannot be mended between Leonard and the Spurs, every NBA team will pick up their phones and try to acquire the 26-year-old. When healthy, Leonard is a top five player as well as the best two-way player in the NBA today. Leonard is a two-time All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year who was the 2013-14 NBA Finals MVP. Superstars don’t grow on trees so if a team has a chance to sign or trade for one, they should do whatever it takes to make that happen.

That being said, San Antonio is not going to trade an All-NBA talent for a few scrubs and a bag of peanuts. The Spurs are going to command a combination of young, proven talent as well as draft picks in order to even discuss a trade for Leonard. In turn, Leonard can become a free agent after 2019 if he does not sign the supermax with the Spurs this summer. If a team does trade for Leonard, they will have to receive a verbal commitment from Leonard saying that he will resign with the team in order to make the deal.

Young talent, draft picks, and a place that Kawhi wants to go. What teams check all of those boxes? There are two, Boston and LA.

On paper, the Celtics and the Lakers have the necessary assets to make a deal for Leonard. Let’s start with the Celtics. Boston has taken young talent and developed them into potential superstars. The “kids,” lead by Jason Tatum, Jalen Brown, and Terry Rozier, brought the Celtics to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. Boston also has a plethora of draft picks, including multiple first round picks for 2019. Tatum is most likely untouchable, but a trade centered around Brown and Rozier with draft picks may be the best deal any team has to offer.

On the other coast lies the upstart Los Angles Lakers, who will be major players in free agency this summer. The Lakers have room for two max contracts and have already shown interest in signing Paul George and the King himself, Lebron James. If the Lakers land both George and James, trading for Leonard is still a high possibility especially if Leonard prefers the Lakers as his top team. The Lakers can package a deal around Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball, but they may have to bring in another team to make the deal that much sweeter.

When the smoke clears, I believe Kawhi Leonard will be on the Boston Celtics come opening night next season. The Celtics have the emerging talent and the draft picks to make a trade. Plus, trading Leonard to the Celtics, as opposed to the Lakers, keeps him out of the Western Conference. With Kawhi Leonard, the Boston Celtics would officially become the favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.

Let the offseason madness begin.