Cleveland

Alright so now with Nerlens in fold (yeah I'm already assuming it, get at me, bro), the Cavs now have one glaring hole in the roster: Small Forward. I'll break down what we've got and who's available. Current Roster Currently the only real SF on the roster is Alonzo Gee. While Gee is a good defender, he leaves a lot to be desired on the offensive end. His only real strength is dunking and he usually drops the ball or kicks it out of bounds before he even gets the opportunity to show off his one offensive skill. CJ Miles I think could also be effective backup SF. He has good size and personally, I'd prefer him as the backup SF over Gee. Free Agency The easiest group to name is the crop of free agents. I'll have two groups of guys here that I'll be looking at. The first is the expensive guys: Josh Smith, Andre Iguodala, Andrei Kirilenko Out of this group, I'd be fine with either Andre/i. Josh Smith would make us so dynamic defensively but I just can't justify giving him near max with his offensive game. Smith took 1182 shots last year. 522 (44%) were from three or 16-23 feet. Almost half his shots are long twos or threes. He shot 31.6% on these shots. If that isn't the model of offensive inefficiency I don't know what is. Now if you could convince him to lay off all these terrible shots, then sure sign me up but otherwise, no thanks. The Andre/i's provide similar skill sets, imo. Both are good defenders, not great shooters, but effective offensively. Both would probably require 3-4 year deals at 9-12 million a year with Iggy being slightly more expensive than Kirilenko. I think both would be excellent bridges until we find our young SF in the draft in upcoming years. The other group is the cheaper guys. Here you've got veterans Matt Barnes, DeMarre Carroll, Corey Brewer, Kyle Korver, and Dorrell Wright and young sleeper Al-Farouq Aminu. All the veteran guys would be upgrades and pretty good fits while not breaking the bank financially. Aminu is intriguing physically, but is still raw offensively. Ultimately, I think he's be worth the gamble. Trades There are a couple obvious trade candidates and others that I think are more of a long shot. The first guy I'll mention is Nic Batum. IMO, he'd be a great fit on this team and I'd love to have him. I don't really think he's available, but he could probably be had for a pretty decent price. I'd think an offer would have to start with Andy, Gee, and picks and even that probably isn't enough. Ultimately the price is probably too high, but its still worth exploring. Next are guys that are veterans on expiring deals. Danny Granger, Shawn Marion, Caron Butler, and to a lesser extent Luol Deng. The first three mentioned I think are very available. Deng would cost more as I don't really think the Bulls want to give him up. All would be good fits. My preference would be Deng, Granger, Marion, Butler. Draft This is the least intriguing option in my opinion. I want someone who's going to help win now and rookies aren't usually that guy. People like Reggie Bullock, but while he can shoot he probably won't be able to do much else right away. If you could trade up to get Otto Porter, then do it but I don't think that's possible. Shabazz Muhammad is another possibility if you want to trade up, but I am personally not a fan. If you are going to take a SF in the draft, I'd rather see a stash player combined with a trade/signing of a veteran. My personal favorite is Giannis Adetokunbo. Other possibilities are Sergey Karasev and Dario Saric. Possible second round guys include Glen Rice Jr, Tony Snell, and 3/4 tweener CJ Leslie. All would most likely have minimal impact with Leslie being the most intriguing. My Preference So to wrap this up I'll say what my preference would be. Included with all my options is drafting Adetokunbo. My first option would be trading for Batum. That's unlikely though, so I'd attempt to sign AK47 or Iggy. If you can't s

The Dallas Mavericks want Dwight Howard. This isn't a secret. They would also like to get Chris Paul, but that one seems a little bit less likely. When you look at their cap situation, they'll have to do some fancy maneuvering in order to create the salary cap space that they want to have. This has led to some rumors about the Mavericks possibly trading the 13th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. Reports out of Dallas indicate that the Mavs want to get rid of the $1.6 cap hold that the 13th pick carries, according to ESPN.com. "Multiple sources have told ESPN.com's Chad Ford the Mavs are likely to shop the pick in hopes of creating the cap space necessary to make a run at Dwight Howard in free agency." Now, I have no idea what it would take to get the 13th pick in the draft. But Chris Grant has been known to want to stockpile draft picks and there have been some indications that he would like another lottery pick in this draft. I'm not exactly sure why he wants another first round pick, but it seems like he does. If the Mavs are serious about trading the 13th pick without taking on more salary, the Cavs could probably be a logical trade partner. The Cavaliers can offer the 31st and 33rd picks in the draft and since those are right at the beginning of the 2nd round, they carry no cap hold or guaranteed contract. That could be appealing for the Mavs trying to clear all the cap space that they can. Similarly, the Mavericks currently have Shawn Marion on the books for about $9.3 million next season. We know that Dallas thinks very highly of Marion, but if they want to get rid of his contract, that is something that the Cavaliers could handle as well. He'd fill a void at small forward and provide some much needed defense. Again, I have absolutely no idea if the Mavs actually want to trade Marion and suspect they might want a future first round pick in exchange for him if they do. Furthermore, since Marion is an expiring contract and still provides some worthwhile basketball contributions, there's likely to be several teams willing to take him off the Mavs' hands. So try not to go overboard with the Marion fantasies, but the 13th pick is certainly in play. If the two 2nd rounders aren't enough, would you trade the future Sacramento Kings' pick for the 13th pick in what is considered a fairly weak draft? I'm not so sure but every indication points to the Mavs moving this pick at some point before the June 27th draft.

After getting blown out on Thursday night 12-3 on Terry Francona’s return to Fenway as Indians manager, the Red Sox had a tougher test on Friday night with former Red Sox pitcher Justin Masterson on the mound for the Cleveland Indians. But, the Sox came out strong winning 8-1 with John Lackey having a great night on the hill. Lackey pitched seven innings giving up only two hits, one run and striking out eight batters. The Red Sox bats notched 9 hits including 2 hits from Dustin Pedroia and a three run home run for Mike Carp. Hearing the terrible news of Will Middlebrooks and Shane Victorino heading to the 15 day DL, the Red Sox are hoping the bats can sustain nights like Friday night. Red Sox ace Jon Lester is on the mound on Saturday looking for his 7th win of the season. © Tim Felix for Sports of Boston, 2013. | Permalink | No comment Filed under: Featured, Red Sox, Top Story.

I'm just sitting up at the top. No big deal. The namesake to Chiz in the Hall isn't fairing so hot this season, he's down in Triple-A after a rough start to his season. But Chiz in the Hall? Who's going to stop the machine? It's rolling. Granted, we're only less than two months into this MLB season, so there's plenty of time to go, but I'm building a lead that I'm aiming for no one to touch. So with that, if you are out there in places 2nd through 10th, I'm asking you to find a groove and try and challenge me. Because I'll run away with this if you let me. As a little bit of a different twist, I'll give my quick thought on each team and rate how much I'm scared of them with the Fear Factor. - 1st Place: Chiz in the Hall Nino Colla - @TheTribeDaily MVP So Far: Miguel Cabrera (14 HR, 57 RBI) HEY! There's not an offensive category that I don't rule at. Your leader in runs, home runs, RBI, and average and second in steals. Home run leaders Mark Reynolds, Miguel Cabrera, Paul Goldschmidt, and J.P. Arencibia, is there any doubt this offense is the best? I've had Goldy, Beltre, Reynolds, Cabrera, and also Michael Morse on the team since the beginning and they all have 10 or more homers. Every position is firing on all cylinders and has been all season. Even with injuries to Austin Jackson and Ian Kinsler, I don't have to skip a beat. With an offense like that, middle of the road pitching is good enough. I'm the Rangers!!! - 2nd Place: Terry's Franconafurters Brian Burch MVP So Far: Clay Buchholz (7 W, 1.74 ERA, 73 K) Fear Factor: 5/10 This team has undergone significant changes, which is a credit to Brian in seeing what wasn't working, making decisions, and flying back up the standings. The Fighting Franconas, as I like to call them, have no big superstar performances, but he's getting his points by being average across the board. Still, that's why I'm not as fearful for him to make that push. Carlos Gonzalez, Evan Longoria, and Asdrubal Cabrera is a great core, but what happens when Josh Donaldson, Startling Marte, Nate McLouth, and Kelly Johnson hit a rough patch? What worries me is the pitching, because he's got some young studs having good years in Buchholz, Shelby Miller, and Matt Moore. If those guys continue to rise, that may be where the Franconafurters make up the gap. That does not petrify me though. NEXT. - 3rd Place: Not That Carlos Santana Wess Kroll - @wfkroll MVP So Far: Chris Davis (16 HR, 45 RBI) Fear Factor: 9/10 When I sent out a bragging tweet earlier in the day, Wess responded with simply, "On my way." I have to fear last year's winner, he has a championship to back it up. It's like the upstart Grizzlies facing the Spurs in the playoffs. There's that aura about him. Oh and he's in third place. Before anyone could realize that Jason Kipnis was out of his slump, Wess made the move to scoop him off the free agent pile and is now being fueled by a red-hot Tribe team. With Kipnis, Nick Swisher, Michael Brantley and Justin Masterson, the Tribe's success is Wess'. Not to mention Bryce Harper, the incredible Chris Davis, and young studs in the pitching staff like Matt Harvey, Stephen Strasburg, and Tommy Hunter. Because I believe in the Indians, I believe in this team with some of the other dangerous guys he's sporting (Matt Kemp, has yet to arrive). I want no part of the other Carlos Santana. - 4th Place: O For Stubbs Michael Collins - @collinmj MVP So Far: Yu Darvish (7 W, 2.84 ERA, 91 K) Fear Factor: 7/10 O For Stubbs is my biggest competition in terms of the power numbers of home runs and RBI. But the thing is, I feel like I have a strangle hold on those numbers the way the offense is going. Michael's team has some players and now a healthy Brian McCann. And he has plenty of room to go up in a lot of other categories that he isn't already high up on. Then you factor in the pitchers he has, which was a problem from the st

By Joe Lucia, Awful AnnouncingSay what you want about Hawk Harrelson's homerism with the White Sox, but in some cases, his bluntness is completely justified. That was the case on Friday night in Chicago, when first base umpire Angel Hernandez blew yet another call. This one wasn't nearly as dreadful as his ignorance of the replay rule in Cleveland a couple of weeks ago, but it was pretty awful.More...

Anytime umpire Angel Hernandez and Chicago White Sox broadcast Ken "Hawk" Harrelson are in the same building, there's a chance for fireworks. We certainly got those on Friday night as the struggling umpire (to put it lightly) blew yet another game-altering call that would have given the Chicago White Sox a victory one inning earlier than they would officially earn it. The call came in the bottom of the tenth inning. Alex Rios hit a tailor made 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. However, things became complicated for the Miami Marlins when shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria double-clutched just slightly getting the ball out of his glove. This slowed down the relay process just enough that Rios was able to beat the throw at first by a step, which in turn means the winning run should have scored from third. However, Hernandez ruled Rios out, and then Hawk went off the deep end. What you heard here was just Hawk's immediate reaction. That alone would not top some of his famous outbursts and rants against umpires from the past, but his comments after the commercial where he tells Hernandez to start flipping a coin on his calls gave it an extra point or two. Classic Hawk, which we enjoy. Unfortunately, it was also classic Angel Hernandez, which is turning into a big problem for Major League Baseball. Between the botched home run review in Cleveland, the questionable review in Colorado, and just the all around aura he gives off, I don't know how his act can be seen as anything other than negative for the sport. But maybe I'm thinking along the wrong track. Maybe the attention he garners is worth it to them. Maybe that explains how we see him in the postseason. Or maybe it's just not a real issue for them either way. I don't know for sure, I just know he's on our minds at least once a week and sometimes much more, and that's something that should never happen with an umpire. Looking for more baseball chatter? Follow @bigleaguestew, @Townie813, @AnswerDave and @MikeOz on Twitter Also, check out the BLS Facebook Page

We first introduced you to songstress Lorine Chia in March as one of our Artists to Watch. The Cameroon native by way of the Cleveland suburb of Willoughby, Ohio is offering us a new visual for her single “Fly High”, which she premiered online last month. Directed by Young Wonder, the video captures a spring drive through Lorine’s hometown of Cleveland. Hanging in a drop-top with the wind through her hair, she sings a song of the grind neceesary to attain success, and new beginnings. Her raspy, jazzy toned voice floats above the bass-heavy, whimsical-trap track. Press play to check out the video from this Mid-West girl on the rise.

Third-year wide receiver Greg Little has taken the time to learn from veteran wideout Davone Bess during the team’s organized team activity practices and meetings.

Chuck Klosterman’s Grantland expose was just the tip of the iceberg. For years, perhaps shrouded by arrogance and pomp, the Cleveland Browns – yes, that awful football team – have nearly been just as awful at media relations. For one, maybe it wasn’t the true fault of Neal Gulkis. I want to give any person the benefit of the doubt. And I certainly never enjoy cheering for any person losing their job. But with the Browns announcing on Friday that they’re letting go of Gulkis, maybe, just maybe, this new era, this new front office and this new team can truly begin their regional makeover. In order to get a sense for how the Browns have goofed in the eyes of media relations for years, one can also devour what Pat McManamon wrote over at Fox Sports Ohio two weeks ago. After appearing on the WFNY podcast with Craig, the former Akron Beacon Journal and AOL Fanhouse writer intricately detailed multiple instances where the Browns media team just wasn’t helpful at all. The simplest information on injuries is hidden. A statement like “Joe sprained his ankle and we’re gonna try to get him back as soon as we can but this usually takes 2-4 weeks” is apparently akin to revealing the owner’s ATM code. Rookies who have done nothing but be drafted high are coddled, as if being available to answer a question more than once a week might cause them to grow bunions on their ears. And though the team constantly is involved in community activities, it also held a press conference to celebrate a contract extension the same day of the horrific shootings in Chardon. It couldn’t wait a few days? While that’s only one person’s perspective, and again, this all could have just snowballed over the last few weeks, it appears corroborated that there certainly was a pattern of poor behavior and poor expectations. And this snowballing effect of late all began with what Klosterman wrote at Grantland. As we all know by now, the esteemed author was assigned by the Bill Simmons-brainchild site to get an inside look at Cleveland’s draft day operations. He thought he was going to get unparalleled access to the inner works of Joe Banner, Michael Lombardi, et al. It all would have made for an exciting story, much like what Sports Illustrated’s Peter King was able to write about the St. Louis Rams. That King story came out just days after the draft in the print edition of the magazine and it was a fantastic read. Even though I don’t care much about the Rams, it was a fascinating PR job by the organization to set that up. Instead, in Cleveland, Klosterman just had a multiple-hour date with his cell phone, albeit while waiting and waiting and waiting in the Browns headquarters. His article certainly was sensationalized and he can be blamed for writing about the media relations negatives, instead of still just writing about the draft. But here’s the snippet that has caught eyes around the Internet: In so many ways, this denial represents the grand irony of the Browns organization (and, I would assume, every other organization in the NFL). The Browns live in a state of perpetual war, endlessly convincing themselves that every scrap of information they possess is some kind of game-changing superweapon that will alter lives and transmogrify the culture. They behave like members of a corporate cult. Yet what do these cultists watch on the day of the draft? They watch ESPN. They log on to the Internet and scan ProFootballTalk. The comments they make about college prospects are roughly identical to whatever your smarter friends might glean from the Plain Dealer. I’ve never witnessed this level of institutional paranoia within a universe so devoid of actual secrets. I don’t even know what they don’t want me to know. Now, to be transparent, WaitingForNextYear has never been credentialed by the Cleveland Browns. On the other hand, the other two teams in town that actually have had on-field success and maybe haven’t had to necessarily work a

March 25, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors vice chairman Vivek Ranadive (left) and daughter Anjali Ranadive (right) watch during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Lakers 109-103. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports I know, I know, the report comes from none other than everybody’s FAVORITE NBA scribe, Ric Bucher. But, given Bucher does have connections within the Warriors, it could be something to keep an eye on. According to Ric, new Kings owner Vivek Ranadive has put Golden State Warriors assistant coach Mike Malone on his short list to replace Keith Smart, who is not expected to be retained. …Kings primary owner, apparently is doing the same, beginning with putting Warriors assistant coach Mike Malone on his list of candidates to be the Kings’ next head coach, a source said Malone is a highly respected coach throughout the league, spending time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks and New Orleans Pelicans before his stop in Golden State. Best known for his ability to transform defenses, Malone has taken bottom dwelling team defenses and flipped their pages, ranking them in the upper echelon of the league. Golden State Warriors advisor Jerry West has been a driving force behind Malone getting an NBA head coaching job, which has put Malone atop the wishlist of a handful of teams currently void of a coach, like the Philadelphia 76ers. If the report has merit, it would be a great addition assuming the Kings could bring him aboard – but they’re certainly going to have some competition.