Dwight Howard: Nobody Should be Surprised D12 won't Return to Los Angeles Lakers

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist
Follow Michael on Twitter: @michaelmoraitis

Dwight Howard's future with the Los Angeles Lakers has been shaky at best for quite some time now, but it looks like he may be on his way out of Hollywood during free agency this offseason.

According to Chris Broussard of ESPN, Howard doesn't appear to have any interest in returning to the Lakers next season after a tumultous 2012-13 campaign that led to a Lakers first-round exit from the playoffs.

Sources: Dwight Howard unlikely to re-sign with the Lakers. Dallas and Houston the favorites. Main issue w/Lakers is Mike D'Antoni's system
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) June 27, 2013

If you're surprised at this bit of news, I'm not sure why.

Howard has already proven time and time and time and time again that he can be indecisive and makes bad decisions that often leave him in a negative light. We saw when he was with the Orlando Magic and we should have come to expect this now as a member of the Lakers.

Another problem L.A. is facing in keeping its best young player is that the environment on the team isn't comfortable enough in a D12 sense.

Sensitivity is a big part of Howard's makeup mentally and if he isn't comfortable someplace he isn't likely to stay there. Since the day he arrived, I'd put my money on it that Howard hasn't felt comfortable and still to this day doesn't feel anywhere close to how he did in, let's say Orlando.

The hiring of Mike D'Antoni was one of the first signs of trouble for the Laker-Howard relationship.

D'Antoni is a coach whose system doesn't fit the needs of Howard and the All-Star big man is well aware of that. Instead of Howard being able to post up as the focal point of this offense, D'Antoni would prefer to run the ball and pass it around looking for the easiest shot.

Howard has even made it clear during this past season that he wasn't getting the looks he desired as apart of the offense. As long as this continues--and it will now that it looks like D'Antoni is returning--there's no prayer Howard will subject himself to these player-coach clashes.

If the Lakers were more aware of their surroundings, D'Antoni would be out the door today and they would confide in Howard as to who he may want his coach to be. Sounds like a lot of responsibility to give Howard, but if the Lakers are serious about their billboard campaign to keep D12, it isn't out of the question to give him such power.

As for D'Antoni: firing him would mean the Lakers are paying three coaches at one time. Along with the fired Mike Brown, L.A. would have to pay a fired D'Antoni and whoever is his successor.

It isn't clear how much that weighs on Los Angeles in their decision-making process about D'Antoni, but it really shouldn't matter if the Lakers want the best chance to win. Not to mention, the Lakers have deep enough pockets to eat all that money as a franchise.

After all, Howard has been to an NBA Finals while D'Antoni hasn't. If I had to choose between the two, it would be Howard without a second thought and I think most would agree with me. So, why isn't it that easy for the Lakers?

(Photo via @Lakers)

The next issue, which in my opinion is the more difficult to deal with of the two, is Kobe Bryant.

It's no secret Bryant tried to push Howard to his limits when the Hall of Famer saw Howard faltering in any way, but Kobe's sometimes abrasive personality as a teammate didn't seem to please Howard none. Again, another instance where Howard looked uncomfortable and in turn it is another driving force for D12 to leave L.A.

There isn't much the Lakers can do about that as Bryant has been the face of the organization for so many years now that it's impossible for D12 and the Lakers to escape face if Bryant was to be let go in favor of the younger star.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, if Howard is to be kept, Bryant, D'Antoni and Howard must have a kumbaya moment in order to stay together for the foreseeable future if getting rid of Bryant and D'Antoni is out of the question.

Good luck with that.

Without that possibility, Dwight Howard will be suiting up for a different team when the 2013-14 season starts.

Doc Rivers to Los Angeles Clippers is End of an Era for Boston Celtics

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist

Doc Rivers' departure to Los Angeles to coach the Clippers is officially the end of an era for the Boston Celtics.

According to Jackie MacMullan of ESPN.com, Rivers will become the new head coach of the Clippers and will sign a three-year, $21 million deal after Los Angeles and Boston spent several days trying to work a deal out.

In exchange, the Celtics will get a first-round draft pick in 2015 as compensation and the Celts will release Rivers out of his current contract so he can join the Clippers.

With the deal done, the Celtics will now officially begin the rebuilding process with their newly acquired draft pick and it's just a matter of time before Kevin Garnett and/or Paul Pierce are shipped out of town also in some way, shape or form. 

Both KG and Pierce will have no interest in staying in Boston for the rebuilding process--especially since their favorite coach has gone elsewhere. On top of that, the director of basketball operations, Danny Ainge, will have no interest in keeping either of those big contracts around which in turn would slow down the Celtics' rebuild.


It's been rumored that Garnett could be headed to Los Angeles to join Rivers, but of course nothing is certain as of yet and it now looks like the league will block any such deal, per Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.

The NBA will not approve any subsequent exchange of players between the Clippers and Celtics this summer, and the teams understand that.
— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) June 23, 2013

As for Pierce, there has been no details about his future although news broke on Monday that the Cleveland Cavaliers may have an interest, per Kurt Helin of ProBasketballTalk.com.

No matter where they go to play next, both Garnett and Pierce would be fine additions to teams in need of a veteran presence with a winning pedigree. The most important thing for both Hall of Famers will be to join a team with a chance to win a title next season.

As for the era of the "Big Three" in Boston--Garnett, Pierce and Ray Allen--it's all over as Allen himself even moved on last season to join the now NBA champion Miami Heat. That was the start of the breakup and it's safe to say Rivers leaving will seal the deal that Boston is moving on.

In whole, it was a success for the "Big Three" as the Celtics made it to two NBA Finals and won one of those series. Granted, the Celtics are used to more greatness in their history than that, but it was a welcome relief for an organization that was dead in the dirt for several years before they pulled the trigger on the deals that brought Allen and Garnett to Beantown.

Their arrival revived Boston's basketball team and made the Celtics a dominant force in the NBA each and every year.

Sure, the Celtics may have waited a bit too long to break up their roster, but they were at least competitive in the latter years of the era and even took the Heat to a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2012 and lost just one game short of another Finals appearance.

But those days are now over and there's only the future to talk about in Boston at this point.

Ainge will look to move Garnett and Pierce this offseason, but he also may look to deal Rajon Rondo as he's tried in the past and could very well land himself plenty of draft picks and/or young players that should set Boston up with a nice future for years to come.

The pain may be rough to deal with for now, but as the Big Three proved not so many years back, rebuilding can happen quickly if done right and it can pay immense dividends to have patience in the process.

Aaron Hernandez: Diving Into the Mind of Troubled Patriots Star and Others Like Him

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist
Follow Michael on Twitter: @michaelmoraitis

It's no secret that the National Football League has a problem with players getting into trouble with the law. As a matter of fact, it seems like every month a player is involved in some kind of illegal activity much like Aaron Hernandez of the New England Patriots is potentially involved in at the moment.

For the rest of us mortals, it is impossible to fathom just how these multi-millionaire athletes can get themselves into these issues that are obviously self-inflicted after finding such a great deal of success both professionally and financially.

The common thought is: "If I had that money, I would stay out of trouble and just enjoy my life."

That is the common sense response when hearing about a story like Hernandez's, but unfortunately common sense isn't so common when it comes to the law and NFL players abiding by it. Granted, the vast majority do stay out of trouble, but far too many can't follow suit in this day and age.

Aside from the corruption that money, fame and ultimately power can bring, one of the biggest issues in the lives of these troubled athletes is their past. Often times, many of the stars you see today come from broken homes and/or a tough background filled with bad people and bad decisions.

What's puzzling is that while some can overcome that past and make it all the way to the top of the sport, others simply can't do it. That's because these types of players, for whatever reason, have never been able to leave their past "friends" behind them--thus bringing trouble with them for the rest of their lives.

And when you bring bad people along for the ride, bad decisions are bound to come much like they did in said player's history. It isn't a matter of if, but rather when these problems will arise.

According to Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today Sports, Hernandez has a troubled past that dates back to his high school days in Connecticut. The loss of his father was a devastating thing for Hernandez to deal with and he quickly got involved with the wrong people shortly thereafter.

Even in college, Hernandez got into a bar fight that ended up getting him in trouble and was even questioned about a shooting that took place after the fight in which two men were injured. Not surprisingly, according to the same USA Today Sports report, Hernandez's buddies from Connecticut were there with him when the fight occurred.

His run-ins with the law sparked questions about his character when it came time for him to be drafted out of the University of Florida and it seems those character concerns are finally being realized.

Not only is he being investigated by police in the shooting death of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd, but he was also reportedly involved in another shooting down in Florida back in February of this year. It just seems that no matter where Hernandez goes, he simply can't avoid trouble.

Now, this isn't all to say that Hernandez's problems are not his fault, because clearly they are. At the end of the day, the Pats' tight-end makes his own decisions, but it's safe to say hanging out with a bad crowd won't help steer him in any better direction.

Sadly for the league itself, players will continue to make bad decisions and harm the NFL's reputation, leading many to believe the sport is filled with thugs and what not. While that isn't the entire story for the vast majority of the league, the loudest voices are the ones broadcasting the countless legal mistakes by these athletes.

The NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell have done their best to make harsh penalties for players who break the law in the hopes of possibly avoiding these legal woes, but it appears that isn't helping all that much.

While these problems aren't going away anytime soon, let's just hope that players who enter the league in the future can learn from these dreadful mistakes current players are making and change their lives around when they get to the NFL before it's too late.

NBA Free Agency 2013: Denver Nuggets Should Let Andre Iguodala Walk

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist
Follow Michael on Twitter: @michaelmoraitis

The Denver Nuggets not only have to worry about making a decision about who their next head coach will be, but the organization also has to decide if it will re-sign Andre Iguodala or let him walk.

Iguodala is set to make around $16 million next season, or at least he was before he opted-out of the final year of his deal in Denver, per Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Now, Iguodala will test the free agency waters in July.

The question is: should the Nuggets fork over the money and the years necessary to bring back their forward?

During the 2012-13 season, Iguodala's numbers were pretty pedestrian for a guy who was once thought to have the skill set to be a star in the NBA and for the price tag that he comes with.

Iguodala averaged just 13 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game in 80 starts. Granted, those are solid all-around numbers and his defense is also a plus, but is he really worthy of a contract worth $16 million per season?

I would say no, which also leaves me puzzled as to why Iguodala is opting out after a less than stellar regular season. Does he honestly believe he can get more money and years on the open market for his services with stats like those?

Chances are there may be a team desperate enough to sign him for what he was set to make next season before he ended his contract early, but the Nuggets shouldn't be one of those teams.

Quite frankly, Denver can bring in another player or two for the money Iguodala will be looking for and in turn match the production they lose from their swingman.

Let's face it: Iguodala has never panned out the way experts thought he might and he's become an average player in this league--no more, no less. In fact, Iguodala's scoring average hasn't been higher than 14 points per game since the 2009-10 season and it's probable those numbers won't improve as he gets older.

Besides, the Nuggets style of play is about more than just one player, so why would Denver tie itself up in a big, long-term deal for a player who can be replaced sooner rather than later?

If its more money and years Iguodala is looking for, the Nuggets would be better off passing up the chance to bring him back.

PEDS, Tigers and A-Rod; Oh My!

By: Matthew Orso 
Follow Matt on Twitter: @SportsTalk2345

 This is starting to become ridiculous. As reported by ESPN today, reports have surfaced about Tony Boesch (the steroid producer being questioned in Major League Baseball's Florida PED investigation) visited Alex Rodriguez during the 2012 ALCS when the Yankees played the Tigers.

Boesch is considered by many to be the ring leader who allegedly gave PEDs to Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Braun, Francisco Cervelli (among others).

I will be honest; baseball fans have had enough of the PED (performance enhancing drugs) issue. At this point people need to make up their minds about what to do with the steroid users in the game. I know Major League Baseball continues to maintain they have the toughest drug testing program around. Well that's still not enough. Players continue to cheat the system and show complete arrogance and neglect for the rules of baseball.

Which now brings me back to Alex Rodriguez. If Alex Rodriguez did take PEDs during the 2012 ALCS then the Yankees need to severe all ties with the man. (And I use the term loosely). Alex Rodriguez did everything in the 2012 playoffs; ask women for their phone numbers, get benched, strikeout and take PEDs. The only thing he didn't do was hit the baseball.

Alex Rodriguez is the anti-Tim Tebow for the Yankees. He draws the media towards him like mustard on a hot dog. However each bit of publicity defining Alex Rodriguez over the last five years has been negative. The only positive contribution Alex made for the Yankees was their 2009 World Series run. Yet with the allegations of PED use in the 2012 ALCS (and some reports indicate he took PEDs during the 2009 season) his few accomplishments as a Yankee have down the toilet and into the New York City gutters.

Alex is coming off surgery and has yet to play for the Yankees this season. His sheer presence in on the back page of any newspaper is the only trace of Alex Rodriguez that fans have seen in 2013. I understand the Yankees owe Rodriguez plenty of money. At this point, that shouldn't matter. Alex proved last season that he's lost his power. (He had 18 home runs in 2012.)

He also earned the title Mr. Single in the 2013 playoffs. And no, I'm not referring to his probable failed attempts at obtaining two female fans' phone numbers at a playoff game in Yankee Stadium. Alex Rodriguez had three hits in twenty-five at bats during the 2012 postseason. The fact is he hasn't hasn't has an extra base hit in the playoffs since the 2010 ALCS! I'm sorry but has the $275 million dollar man earned any cent of his contract? I think not.

Alex Rodriguez is a distraction and a coward for the New York Yankees. He doesn't represent the pinstripes; but instead his own selfish ego. He lives in a fantasy world where there are no consequences for his actions and everyone adores him. Well someone should show where this world is so I can move there! Alex Rodriguez is a coward; he cannot face his fear and be honest with the public. What's worse Alex Rodriguez can't be honest with himself. If he took the PEDs then he needs to stand up for the first time and be honest. The truth will set him free and hopefully the Yankees will send Alex Rodriguez free!

Carlos Gonzalez: Triple Crown is in Sight for Colorado Rockies Slugger

 

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist
Follow Michael on Twitter: @michaelmoraitis

Carlos Gonzalez's National League-leading 20th home run on Father's Day not only helped propel the Colorado Rockies to victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, but it also furthered his quest to become the second Triple Crown winner in two seasons.

The last, of course, was  Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers in 2012.

Gonzalez is having a monster start to the 2013 campaign with 20 homers, 56 RBI and a .316 average.

In regard to his Triple Crown hopes, Gonzalez leads the NL in homers and he's second in RBIs by a margin of three behind the leader, Paul Goldschmidt of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The biggest hurdle Gonzalez faces is in the average department.

Granted, his .316 average is impressive to say the least for someone with Gonzalez's power, but it pales in comparison to NL leader Yadier Molina's .352 mark. Also ahead of Gonzalez is teammate Troy Tulowitzki (.347) and five other players who are hitting between .317 and .332.

It might look like a tall order for Gonzalez to get ahead in the average category but he did hit .336 in 2010, so finishing with such a high mark isn't out of the question. On top of that, both Molina and Tulowitzki have never hit higher than .315 in any season of their respective careers so there's a great chance both of their incredible averages will come down before season's end.

And as long as Gonzalez can continue to improve his mark, he should find himself smack dab in the middle of a batting title race at season's end barring a fantastic finish by any of the players currently above him. The same goes for both the home run and RBI races.

Besides just raw talent and a great ability to hit the baseball, Gonzalez plays in a ballpark that hitters can only dream about playing in. Coors Field is one of the best places to hit in Major League Baseball and that's an advantage Gonzalez can use to help his record-chasing cause.

Becoming a Triple Crown winner is one of the most difficult things to do in sports, but keep an eye on Gonzalez this season because he's formulating the kind of numbers to make it happen.

If he can accomplish that feat, Gonzalez would be the first National League player since 1937 to do so (per Baseball-Reference.com).

Problems in Patriot Town?

 By: Matthew Orso

         
   As much as I’d like to say the Patriots signing Tim Tebow (I better not type his name three times in this article or he might appear on the screen!) will cause the team to be cursed; I can’t.  No I believe the Jets will be the only team to suffer under the wrath of Tim Tebow-Mania. (That’s two times!) 

            However I do believe there is cause to be concerned in New England.  Many bad things have happened during this offseason in terms of the Patriots offense.  First off all how could the Patriots let Wes Welker go to the Broncos?  Yes I know Wes Welker had a perfect fit in New England and isn’t as great as his statistics show, but he was the key to the Patriots’ offense. 

            Wes Welker and Tom Brady are perfect QB-WR combination.  One of them always knows what the other is thinking on the football field.  He was Tom Brady’s go to guy in key situations over the last few season.  I know the Patriots policy on players (other than Tom Brady) is replace and reproduce.  However will anyone be able to put up the number Wes Welker had in his Patriots’ career.  (He had more than 7400 yards and exactly 30 touchdowns with the Patriots in six seasons.)

            Welker signed with the Broncos, who like the Patriots have a future Hall of Fame Quarterback leading the charge.  Peyton Manning will surely find Wes Welker and integrate him as a part of the offensive system.  I could see Welker putting up the same stats for the Broncos in 2013 that he put up with the Patriots in 2012.  Now instead of resigning Wes Welker the Patriots felt they could replace him with another receiver.  Wait, is that what Tim Tebow was brought in for?  (Darn three times!)

            And the offense loses even more with Rob Gronkowski undergoing his sixth surgery since February 2012.  He will be undergoing back surgery on Tuesday and should be out of action for 12 weeks.  There is the potential for Tom Brady to be without Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski week 1 against the Bills. 

            According to the New England Patriots website; the team’s top three WR are listed Danny Amendola, Julian Edelman and Michael Jenkins.  In 2013 they combined for 1350 yards and eight touchdowns.  Wes Welker had 1354 receiving yards and six touchdowns by himself last season!  The Patriots’ offense is in trouble for the 2013 season.  I mean they could go sign Terrell Owens or Chad Ochocinco after his prison sentence.  They couldn’t be any worse than Tim Tebow (fourth time) was for the Jets in 2012. 

            As of right now the Patriots have a depleted receiving core and a 36 year old QB.  No non-kicker has yet to defeat father time in the NFL.  This might be the year football fans see Tom Brady decline.  Do the Patriots have what it takes to win in 2013?  Offensively, I’m not too sure……..