New Look Nets

The NBA Free Agency period is well under way, and there is no question which team is the most active. With the Nets moving the franchise from Jersey to Brooklyn and the team moving into the Barclays Center, Brooklyn had to make some moves to get their fans excited about the team.

On Monday, the Brooklyn Nets agreed to acquire 6-time All-Star Joe Johnson from the Hawks. Johnson, who is owed $90 million over the next four seasons, was brought in to help the Nets in their quest to lure Deron Williams back to Brooklyn.

In exchange for Johnson, the Nets gave up a number of players with expiring contracts as well as a future 1st round pick from the Houston Rockets. The Nets are trying to build a contender, and Joe Johnson is the first step in that process.

The Nets also agreed with free agent Gerald Wallace on a 4 year, $40 million deal. Even though the deal is a little rich for Wallace's play at this point in his career, it shows that the Nets are all in and ready to build a contender.

All of these moves are leading up to one big thing, the NBA's top free agent taking his talents to Brooklyn. Deron Williams is the apple of Brooklyn's eye, and he is expected to announce his decision on where he will sign later today.

The Nets are considered the favorite to land the 3-time All-Star, but the Mavericks are also in the mix. So the Nets have Deron Williams (maybe), Gerald Wallace, and Joe Johnson; What else do they need? Well, Brooklyn isn't done just yet.

The Nets are involved in trade talks with the Magic about disgruntled C Dwight Howard who has repeatedly said he wants to be dealt to Brooklyn. The reported deal on the table is Dwight Howard to Brooklyn in exchange for Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries (sign-and-trade), MarShon Brooks, and multiple 1st round picks.

It remains to be seen whether the new look Nets can land Williams and Howard, but obviously there is a new culture with the Nets -- a winning culture.

The King is Finally Crowned

It took 9 seasons, 3 MVPs and more criticism than any other athlete in the last twenty years, but the most polarizing figure in sports, LeBron James is now an NBA Champion. LeBron led the Heat through the postseason, sometimes single handedly keeping the team alive.

Once Chris Bosh went down with injury, LeBron James more than made up for it. Facing the possibility of being down 3-1, James had an all-time great playoff performance, recording 40 points, 18 rebounds, and 9 assists against Indiana.

LeBron then went out and dispelled the notion that he was not clutch. Facing elimination in the Conference Finals, James scored 45 points on 19-26 shooting, along with 15 rebounds and 5 assists. Miami went on the beat the Celtics en route to the NBA Finals, and the rest, is history.

LeBron James did not have an all-time great performance in the NBA Finals, as he did in the Conference Semis and Conference Finals. However, LeBron ended the debate about whether he was the league's best player, besting Kevin Durant, the NBA MVP runner-up.

In Game 4, LeBron nearly came up with a triple-double with 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 12 assists. James overcame leg cramps late in the game and nailed critical three pointer to break a 94-94 tie. LeBron sat out the final minute of the game, but did just enough to outduel Russell Westbrook and his 43 points to take a commanding 3-1 lead.

Dwyane Wade was also crucial in Miami reaching the Finals, despite dealing with a lagging injury for the majority of the playoffs. Facing a 1-0 deficit D-Wade began to look like his old self, driving to the rim and hitting jumpers, giving Miami another threat along with James.

And finally, we can't talk about the Heat, without talking about every member of the Big 3. Chris Bosh missed a lot of time this postseason, missing the majority of the Pacers and the Celtics series. But once Bosh got back to full strength and was put back in the starting lineup, he became a factor. Chris Bosh consistently put up double-doubles in every Finals game, accumulating a ton of offensive rebounds.

The Heat closed out OKC in Game 5 with a blowout, but the best player in Game 5 was not James, not Wade, not even Bosh. The best player in Game 5 was Mike Miller. Miller, who had suffered through various injuries all season, came off the bench and drained three balls like he was Reggie Miller. Miller scored 23 points on 7-10 shooting, all 7 makes coming from beyond the three point line where he was 7-8.

LeBron James won his first title in impressive fashion. Recording a triple-double in the series clinching Game 5 en route to his first Finals MVP. No, not NBA MVP. No, not All-Star MVP. The Finals MVP, LeBron James finally got it.

There are so many things you can talk about when the Miami Heat come into the conversation, as seen by the previous paragraphs. But the biggest thing, in my mind, is LeBron James overcoming all of the pressure and criticism after The Decision to finally win his first NBA Title.

"In this fall...this is very tough...in this fall I'm going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat." - LeBron James. This quote sealed James's fate, this quote would bring about more criticism than any of us could possibly imagine.

That quote coupled with James announcing his decision to leave the Cavaliers for the Heat on national television, easily made LeBron the NBA's most hated player. Most NBA fans could have got over the fact that LeBron chose to leave Cleveland to play with multiple All-Stars in Miami. Well, you know, except all of those Cavaliers fans who burned their LeBron James jerseys and cried themselves to sleep on the night of The Decision.

But the fact that James went on national television and got his own ESPN special to announce his decision did not sit well with the media and other players. Although the criticism of LeBron James will never stop, we can now begin the debate about whether LeBron James is an all-time great NBA player.
According to LeBron James, the Heat can win "not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven" but even more championships, so it shouldn't be surprising to see Miami back in this position next season. Miami will keep its main core in tact with James, Wade, and Bosh still under contract. Miami will also likely attract multiple free agents, so this team could be even better.

What also works into Miami's favor is that there are not many other teams in the East that can compete with Miami. This year's #1 seed, Chicago, will be off to a slow start with Derrick Rose likely out for the majority of the season. Boston's window for competing is, if not closed, as close to being closed without actually being closed. Orlando is under new management, plus Dwight Howard may be shipped out soon.

On paper, the Heat could be in the Finals for the next decade because of how weak the Eastern Conference is. But hey, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves and just live in the moment. LeBron James is finally an NBA champion. You can say goodbye to all of those funny memes on Facebook about LeBron. King James is a champion, something no one can ever take away from him.

Reddick, Lynn among Breakout Stars

Major League Baseball has been full of story lines this season. This year we've had 3 no-hitters and 2 perfect games, making the 2012 season on pace to be the greatest pitching season in MLB history.

We've also seen many of baseball's former stars enjoy a resurgence. Carlos Beltran and Paul Konerko are both having MVP-like seasons. Beltran leads the NL with 19 HRs, while Konerko leads the AL with a .364 batting average.

However, this season has been headlined by an abundance of breakout stars, no name players having incredible seasons. Here are just a few of the many breakout players for this season.

Josh Reddick: OF Oakland A's

Josh Reddick spent the majority of his career with the Boston Red Sox as a bench player, not receiving much attention. Reddick was acquired in a trade from Boston and the A's could not have gotten a better deal. In only 62 games this season, Reddick has already set career highs in HRs and RBIs, with 15 and 31 respectively.

There have been very few positives to hang back on for the A's this season. But Reddick, an almost certain All-Star, is one of those positives. Reddick's 15 HRs are good enough for T-7th in the AL. Reddick has also added an element of speed to the A's roster, tied for the 4th most triples in the AL this season.

Reddick's .274 batting average and 31 RBIs may not be MVP numbers, but Josh Reddick has provided Oakland with a reliable player that they have not had in a very long time. When your looking for a player who went from "no name" to All-Star, there is no better example than Josh Reddick.

Lance Lynn: SP St. Louis Cardinals

At the beginning of the season, many people considered the Cardinals to have perhaps the deepest rotation in the majors. With Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright both placing among the best pitchers in the game today, and Kyle Lohse and Jaime Garcia adding solid depth behind them, it appeared that St. Louis's rotation was the best.

However, nobody mentioned former relief pitcher Lance Lynn. After Chris Carpenter's injury, that changed. Lynn is tied for the Major League lead with 10 wins, boasting a record of 10-2 in 13 starts. Besides wins, Lynn also ranks in the Top 10 of all the major categories for pitchers, including ERA, strikeouts, and WHIP.

At this point in the year, Lynn would have to be considered the NL Cy Young favorite, along with fellow 10-game winner, R.A. Dickey. At this point last year, at least half of Major League Baseball fans did not know who Lance Lynn was. Make no mistake, everyone knows who Lance Lynn is now, especially opposing hitters.

Melky Cabrera: OF San Francisco Giants

Melky Cabrera isn't exactly a no name player, but he has never played at the level he has exhibited this season. Last season in Kansas City, Cabrera had a career high .305 batting average, but did not receive a ton of attention because of the team he played for.

This season could not be more different for Cabrera. Melky Cabrera is 2nd in the majors this season with a .363 batting average, and 5th in the NL with a .402 OBP. Cabrera's power numbers have never been his claim to fame, and the same has been true this season, with 5 HRs and 31 RBIs.

However, when you lead the majors in hits, power numbers aren't a necessity. Besides Buster Posey, Melky Cabrera has basically been the only productive hitter for the Giants. If you only have two guys producing, one of them better be having an MVP season, that guy is Melky Cabrera.

Chris Sale: SP Chicago White Sox

Chris Sale was famously called up to the White Sox after only pitching 10.1 innings of minor league ball. It turns out the White Sox knew what they were doing, as Sale has proved that he was more than ready for the majors.

Sale may be the front runner for the AL Cy Young award at this point, leading the AL in two of the three major pitching categories this season. Sale is tied for the lead with 8 wins, and leads the American League with a 2.05 ERA. There is another stat that Chris Sale has to separate himself from the other 8 game winners in the AL.

The other four pitchers have allowed 28, 34, 38, and 40 runs respectively this season. Chris Sale has allowed a mere 17 runs this season, fewest in the majors. Sale may be young, but even with minimal experience, he is already among the best in the game today.