MVN: Most Valuable Network

November 21, 2008

BREAKING NEWS: Knicks trade Zach Randolph to the Clippers

In a matter of 24 hours, Knick GM and President Donnie Walsh traded the Knicks top two scorers. First, Jamal Crawford was dealt to the Warriors for Al Harrington. Now, Zach Randolph was dealt with guard Mardy Collins to the Clippers for Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas.

This is Thomas's second stint with the Knicks. He spent part of the 2003-04 season with the Knicks after being traded from the Bucks for Keith Van Horn. With the Knicks that season, Thomas averaged a career-high 15.8 points per game in 24 games. Thomas spent the entire 2004-'05 season with New York, averaging 12 points a game in 71 contests. Through 10 games this season, he's averaging 9.5 points per game. As a Clipper, Thomas never really found the shooting stroke that carried him in his time with the Knicks and later on, the Suns.

Cuttino Mobley coming to New York answers the question to the earlier trade of dealing Jamal Crawford to Golden State. Crawford's departure left a huge void at shooting guard, where he's been the most consistent Knick over the past two seasons. While that might not be saying much, Crawford's scoring ability fit well in Mike D'Antoni's uptempo system. It fits even better in Don Nelson's system with the team in need of a playmaker on the perimeter to take some heat off of Stephen Jackson.

While Mobley might not be the long-term answer for the Knicks, he's still a serviceable option. Cat was averaging 13.7 points per game through the first 10 for the Clippers. His departure from the Clippers opens up more minutes for Clippers rookie, Eric Gordon.

The Clippers addition of Zach Randolph gives them the offensive presence at power forward that they lacked since Elton Brand opted out. Ironically, the Clippers are in Philadelphia to face the Sixers tonight. Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy claims he still has the text messages on his phone from Elton saying that he was planning to return. Now, with the addition of Randolph, the Clippers can move on from the loss of Brand.

Stay tuned to NBA Outsider for the players of the week for November 14th-20th. Send feedback to jburkett@mvn.com. Thank you.

November 21, 2008

News and notes from around the NFL

November 21, 2008

Fantasy football: Week 12 position rankings

1. Peyton Manning at San Diego Chargers - The Bolts are last in the NFL in passing defense, having relinquished a whopping 17 passing touchdowns and 267 yards per game. Peyton has not been his normal self this year, but this matchup is just too favorable.
2. Tony Romo vs. San Francisco 49ers - The Cowboys know that they are under the gun and Romo pulled the finger splint off this week. I just have a feeling that the 'Boys are gonna charge into the playoffs.
3. Jay Cutler vs. Oakland Raiders - Cutler scorched the Raiders in week one for 300 yards and two touchdown passes, but the Raiders do have the 12th-ranked pass defense in the league.
4. Aaron Rodgers at New Orleans Saints - It has been awhile since Rodgers posted some really big numbers, but the Saints atrocious passing D should provide an opportunity to do so. Look for 300 yards and at least two TDs.
5. Drew Brees vs. Green Bay Packers - Considering the elite quality of the Packers pass defense (third in the NFL), the only reason Brees makes this list is because of his record-breaking pace so far this year. It also does not hurt that Kurt Warner is facing the Giants this week.


1. Adrian Peterson at Jacksonville Jaguars - The leading rusher in the NFL gets to face the league's 20th-ranked rushing defense. However, it just so happens that the only thing the Jags D does well is prevent rushing touchdowns. Not this week though.
2. Marshawn Lynch at Kansas City Chiefs - In ten games the Chiefs have given up over 165 rushing yards per game and 16 rushing touchdowns. I think Lynch is going to finish the season strong and matchups like this help.
3. Matt Forte at St. Louis Rams - There is not a single team in the league this year that has given up more total points or allowed more rushing touchdowns than the Rams. The Bears will get back on track after two tough losses in a row.
4. Marion Barber vs. San Francisco 49ers - The Washington Redskins knew that Marion the Barbarian was coming at them in the fourth quarter last week and they still could not stop him. The only reason I do not have Barber ranked more highly is my belief that the Cowboys passing attack will take charge this week.
5. LaDainian Tomlinson vs. Indianapolis Colts - The Colts have the 25th-ranked rushing defense in the league and he is still a stud when he wants to be. It should not be held against LT that the Steelers put him in check last week.


1. Reggie Wayne at San Diego Chargers - This matchup could not be more favorable as only two teams have given up more passing touchdowns than the Chargers.
2. Terrell Owens vs. San Francisco 49ers - I am going out on a limb with this pick, but I really feel that the Cowboys are going to get back on track this week. At least 100 yards and one touchdown.
3. Greg Jennings at New Orleans Saints - Take a terrible Saints defense and add a dash of Aaron Rodgers and you get a potentially big day for Jennings.
4. Andre Johnson at Cleveland Browns - After a HUGE October, Johnson has fallen off big time in November. The Browns 19th-ranked pass defense is a recipe for a resurgence.
5. Anquan Boldin vs. New York Giants - The Six-Million Dollar Man tries his luck against the league's second-ranked passing defense. This pick makes me nervous, but Boldin is a mutant who has evolved past the rest of us bottom feeders.


1. Antonio Gates vs. Indianapolis Colts - He had a tough game against the Steelers last week, but who doesn't? The Colts have the ninth-ranked passing defense, but they are not the Steelers.
2. Tony Gonzalez vs. Buffalo Bills - After a slow start to the season and a phenomenal four-game stretch from weeks seven to ten, Gonzalez did nothing against the Saints last Sunday. Still, he remains one of the best in the business.
3. Dallas Clark vs. San Diego Chargers - Take everything I have already written about Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne and apply it to Clark. Thank you.
4. Jason Witten vs. San Francisco 49ers - Witten is still bothered by a rib injury, but he is one of Romo's favorite targets and arguably the best pure TE talent in this bunch.
5. Chris Cooley at Seattle Seahawks - The Redskins passing game has looked anemic lately, probably because Jason Campbell has been drunk, but Cooley remains a must-start.


1. Neil Rackers vs. New York Giants - Weather is obviously not a problem in Arizona and the Cardinals offense will get stopped enough in field goal range to make this a good play.
2. Mason Crosby at New Orleans Saints - The Packers are going to score points in bunches and the game is indoors at the Superdome.
3. Nick Folk vs. San Francisco 49ers - Dallas has not been boarding a lot of points lately, but that is going to change this week.
4. Adam Vinatieri at San Diego Chargers - I like the Colts to score a fair number of points this week and Vinatieri will get some chances. The weather is always lovely in San Diego.
5. Rian Lindell at Kansas City Chiefs - Decided to go with a wild card here. He will get two to four field goals this week.


1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions - Times are good for pirates these days (especially those of the Somalian variety) and this matchup is one that will allow for ample pillage and plunder.
2. Tennessee Titans vs. New York Jets - The Titans let me down a little bit last week and now they get to face the 12th-ranked offense in the league. The good news is that they are at home and they have the best fantasy defense in the game.
3. Baltimore Ravens vs. Philadelphia Eagles - The Eagles are reeling lately and word out of Philly is that many on this team are already packing it in. Nevermore.
4. Chicago Bears at St. Louis Rams - They were torched by the Packers last week, but the Bears defense gets to line up against a Steven Jackson-less Rams offense.
5. Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers - The 'Niners have the 21st-ranked offense in the league and they get to face a Cowboys defense that looked reinvigorated last week.

November 21, 2008

Pac 10 playmakers: Who will step up this weekend?

There are only three games on the docket this week in the Pac 10, but all three have significant implications.  Well, kind of.  Cal hosts Stanford in an important game for each team.  The Bears needs as many wins as possible in the home stretch to improve their bowl positioning.  Stanford just needs a win to become bowl eligible. 

Arizona will try to upset Oregon State's Rose Bowl quest in Tucson.  The Wildcats have already met their goal for the season now that they're bowl eligible, but that doesn't mean they won't be up for the challenge of ruining the Beavers' season. 

And of course the Apple Cup.  This game is significant if only because it pits perhaps the two worst teams in the history of the Pac 10 against one another.  Washington is favored by a touchdown because I guess they've lost less horribly over the past month.  How do you feel if you're the Cougars though, being a touchdown underdog to the only winless BCS eligible team?

So who will emerge out of these games as the week's biggest playmakers?  What players will have the biggest days?  Here's a few to look out for:

Lyle Moevao/Sean Canfield:  Whoever plays quarterback for the Beavers this weekend will have to have an great game against the Wildcats.  The pressure is all on Oregon State with a trip to Rose Bowl firmly on the line.  Arizona has the advantage of playing with nothing to lose, which makes them rather dangerous. 

Pressure in big games is usually felt most by the quarterbacks.  They're the guys who will win it or lose it for their teams.  In this case, Moevao/Canfield will need to have a steady hand in guiding the Beavers through this challenging road matchup.  A lot of the offense will be funneled through the running game, but good quarterback play is crucial for the Beavers' success. 

Which leads me to my next playmaker:

Jacquizz Rodgers:  Rodgers has already had a spectacular freshman season and should receive strong consideration for Pac 10 offensive player of the year when all is said and done.  But this game might be his most important test to date--only because of the mounting pressure. 

All of his 100 yard games and impressive performances this season won't mean as much if the Beavers can't fulfill their ultimate goal of reaching the Rose Bowl.  They've got two games left and Rodgers has got to be on point in both of them.  Its starts this week in Tucson. 

Rob Gronkowski:  The Arizona tight end has been everything he was expected to be this season.  He's got eight touchdowns on the year as one of quarterback Willie Tuitama's favorite targets. 

Gronkowski is a huge reason why Arizona's passing attack has been so potent this season.  He spreads the field with his athleticism and opens passing lanes for other receivers to get into.  I expect him to continue his big game play this week against Oregon State.

Kevin Riley:  He's firmly entrenched himself as the starter in Golden Bear land this season, however, the sophomore still needs to prove he's the guy Cal can lean on for the future.

Stanford brings a porous secondary to the table this weekend in the battle for the axe.  If there was ever a time for Riley to cement himself as the future of Cal football, he's got to do it against up and coming Stanford.  I expect him to have a big day and quite whatever few remaining critics there may still be.       

November 21, 2008

Weekend Conference Previews: TTU/OU, PSU/MSU highlight big weekend

We're starting to get down to the last week or two of football in most of the major conferences.  There's still a lot to be decided, however, and this weekend includes some of the biggest games of the year.  Here's a look at the best games in every conference this weekend:

ACC
Georgia Tech threw another monkey wrench into the already complex ACC Title picture by blowing out Miami Thursday night.  With that game already in the books, the next biggest game is Florida State (7-3, 4-3) visiting Maryland (7-3, 4-2).  The Terps lead the Seminoles by a half game in the ACC Atlantic standings, making this game just as important as the Georgia Tech/Miami game was for the Coastal division.  An interesting note about this game is that Florida State safety Myron Rolle will have to miss a part of this game, as he is a potential Rhodes Scholar and has an interview to attend in Alabama on Saturday afternoon.  Considering all the bad press Florida State gets for its problems off the field, it's nice to see Rolle set a positive example both in the classroom and on the field.

Big XII
Well, there's only two games in the Big XII this weekend, and I'm not picking Iowa State at Kansas State.  If you haven't been living under a rock, you probably know that Texas Tech (10-0, 6-0) will be playing at Oklahoma (9-1, 5-1) with their trip to Miami on the line.  A win will give the Red Raiders their first ever Big XII South title, and would mean they survived the seemingly impossible gauntlet of #19 Kansas, #1 Texas, #8 Oklahoma State, and #5 Oklahoma in consecutive games.  There would certainly be no doubt that the Red Raiders would deserve a shot at the national title, assuming they could get past Baylor and the Big XII Championship game to finish the year.  The Graham Harrell/Sam Bradford showdown should be especially fun to watch.

Big East
The Big East's only two ranked teams face off this weekend, when Pittsburgh (7-2, 3-1) visits Cincinnati (8-2, 4-1).  A win for the Bearcats would likely mean a Big East championship and a BCS appearance -- they finish up their Big East schedule at home against Syracuse next week before closing their season at Hawaii.  Pittsburgh, meanwhile, would still have to fend off West Virginia and Connecticut in their last two games -- not exactly a cakewalk to the Orange Bowl.  While it's easy to make jokes about the Big East, this game should at least be closely contested and entertaining.  Pittsburgh has never lost to Cincinnati in football.

Big Ten
Ohio State can clinch a share of the Big Ten title with a win over hapless Michigan, and really, that's not much of a surprise.  It is a surprise, however, that Michigan State (9-2, 6-1) and Penn State (10-1, 6-1) will be playing for the other half of the Big Ten title this weekend.  Penn State is probably still kicking themselves for losing to Iowa and blowing their national title chances, but a win over the Spartans would get them a Rose Bowl berth -- not a bad consolation prize, especially considering that the Nittany Lions haven't played in the Granddaddy Of Them All since 1995.  Michigan State hasn't gone to Pasadena since 1988, but they'll need extra help to get there -- due to their loss to Ohio State earlier this year, they need Michigan to knock off the Buckeyes to win the tiebreaker.

Pac-10
Washington!  Washington State!  No ties in this one, Donovan McNabb -- someone has to win a conference game this year!  Just kidding...the best game in the Pac-10 this weekend is Oregon State (7-3, 6-1) continuing their improbable run to the top of the conference when they travel to Arizona (6-4, 4-3).  Speaking of long Rose Bowl lay offs, the Beavers haven't gone since 1965, but if they can win out they'll win the Pac-10 by virtue of their early-season upset of USC.  Don't take the Wildcats lightly, though -- they're 4-1 at home this season, with the only blemish being a 17-10 loss to USC.  

SEC
There's not much going on in the SEC this weekend, and both spots in the conference championship game have already been locked up.  That doesn't mean there aren't any interesting games on the schedule for this weekend, though -- Mississippi (6-4, 3-3), owners of Florida's sole defeat, travels to Baton Rouge to take on 18th-ranked LSU (7-3, 3-3).  The winner of this game will take over 2nd place in the SEC West and may end up with a January bowl game invite.  You don't expect the Tigers to lose at home, but they did barely escape a home date against Troy last week, 40-31, and they needed 30 points in the 4th quarter to do it.  Ole Miss has won three straight since losing back-to-back games to South Carolina and Alabama.

Small Conference Special
#14 Brigham Young (10-1, 6-1) faces off against #7 Utah (11-0, 7-0) in a de facto Mountain West Conference championship game.  Not only is the conference title on the line, but a possible BCS appearance for the Utes is also at risk -- a loss would likely mean no BCS party crashers this year.  Unfortunately, most people won't be able to see this game unless they get the Mountain West Network, but it's definitely a game worth following online through one of the various gametrackers.

November 21, 2008

Al Harrington a Knick?

According to the New York Post, a trade reuniting Al Harrington with Donnie Walsh in New York is imminent and will be completed at a conference call today.