How LeBron James, Lakers Can Convince Anthony Davis to Stay in LA Long-Term

Some may scoff at the notion of Anthony Davis playing anywhere other than Los Angeles in 2020-21, but he can and will turn down his $28.8 million player option, exercise his right to meet with other organizational leaders in free agency and weigh each pro and con next summer. nfl cheap nike jerseys

“When that time comes around next year, you can ask me that question, we can revisit it,” Davis said when asked about a long-term commitment at his introductory press conference with the Los Angeles Lakers. “Right now, I’m focused on this year and how I can help this team and help the organization become a championship team.”
His agent, Rich Paul, has already addressed the question. As he told Sports Illustrated’s S.L. Price before the trade that moved Davis off the New Orleans Pelicans:new nike nfl jerseys for sale cheaphi-res-31c46aebfb0461f120df711940edd97c_crop_north

“Where he’s going to land? I have no idea. And it don’t matter. We’re going into free agency. Why does it matter to me where he goes? Earth: We’re going into cheap wholesale nike nfl jerseys free agency. He has a year; he has to play. But after that, I can’t say it no bigger: WE ARE GOING INTO FREE AGENCY. 2020: ANTHONY DAVIS WILL BE IN FREE AGENCY.”cheap nfl nike jerseys free shipping

The Lakers paid a steep price this offseason to acquire the best player in the NBA (at least by his standards), giving up Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram and multiple first-round picks. Regardless of his ranking among the NBA’s elite, Davis is in his prime at 26 years old and is one season removed from a top-three finish in the races for both Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year.cheap nike jerseys nfl

But what if he walks away for nothing?

The Lakers can and should do everything within their power to retain Davis and keep him happy. But that requires five key steps.

LeBron, the ambassador of the Lakers organization both on and off the court, will be critical in securing Davis long-term.cheap nfl jerseys from china nike

Before injuring his groin on Christmas, coincidentally just three nights after meeting with Davis for dinner in L.A., James had never missed more than 13 games in any previous season of his 16-year career. That would change in 2018-19, a year in which he sat out of 27 games. The Lakers lost 18 of those contests and were 8.3 points per 100 possessions worse with him off the floor.

That 33.3 win percentage would make Los Angeles a 27-win team over the course of a full season.cheap new nike nfl jerseys

LeBron’s teams haven’t been perfect without their King in the more distant past, either. The Cleveland Cavaliers went just 4-23 in contests James missed during his most recent four-year stint, which put them on pace for 12 victories over an 82-game season.cheap nfl jerseys nike china

Even in brief stints without his team’s other superstar, nike jersey nfl cheap Davis is unlikely to change that. He probably can’t be blamed for the Pelicans’ 3-12 record without Jrue Holiday on the floor in 2018-19, as he played in only five of those games. But the Pelicans did go 3-15 with Davis playing and Holiday out during the three prior campaigns, which prorates to just 14 wins in a full season.

If the Lakers are to retain Davis, James’ health with be paramount.cheap youth nfl jerseys

They cannot afford to lose either superstar for extended periods with a supporting cast unlikely to parade them through a ruthless onslaught of opponents in the Western Conference, but James has proved he can do more with less. Should the Lakers lose youth nfl jerseys cheap Davis for more than 15 games (his average over seven seasons), James would need to shoulder the burden in his stead. If he cannot, the Lakers risk missing the playoffs, which would be a costly blow in their quest to win over their new star.

Anthony Davis Never Had the Squad Zion Williamson Already Has in NOLA

Five months ago, the New Orleans Pelicans were in disarray.

Franchise cornerstone Anthony Davis had requested a trade. The Pelicans refused to comply ahead of the trade deadline, which created an awkward situation for the final few months of the regular season.china nfl nike jerseys

That’s all in the past now. Davis is headed to the Los Angeles Lakers, while No. 1 pick overall Zion Williamson will take his place as the Pelicans’ new cornerstone.buy nfl jerseys wholesale

After struggling to build around Davis during his seven seasons in New Orleans, can the Pelicans get it right this time with Zion?nike official nfl jerseys

If the past few months are any indication, it seems as though they’ve learned some valuable lessons.sale nfl jerseyshi-res-d26e2d862754b1ea38cd823c2ccf3caa_crop_north

In mid-February, the Pelicans fired longtime general manager Dell Demps. Two months later, they hired David Griffin to take personalized nfl jersey over as their executive vice president of basketball operations, which began a cascade of organizational changes.

Griffin urged team owner Gayle Benson to invest millions in the team’s practice facility, according to Andrew Lopez of the Times-Picayune. The Pelicans brought in Phoenix Suns longtime athletic trainer Aaron Nelson, hired Brooklyn Nets assistant general manager Trajan Langdon as their GM and brought in Swin Cash as their vice president of basketball operations/team development.

And then they won the 2019 NBA draft lottery, giving them the rights to Williamson.cheapest nfl jerseys online

They’ll now have to avoid the same mistakes they made around Davis over the past half-decade.nfl authentic jerseys wholesale

The Pelicans had plenty of opportunities to build around Davis, but they were undone by injuries, overpays (Omer Asik, Alexis Ajinca, Solomon Hill) and a failure to establish a winning and sustainable culture. nfl jerseys store

During Davis’ tenure, the Pelicans traded away most of their draft picks. The only two who saw the floor were Austin Rivers (No. 10, 2012) and Buddy Hield (No. 6, 2016), who combined to start a paltry 70 games in New Orleans. china cheap nfl jerseys

Demps gave Davis plenty of high-upside teammates such as Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday, Al-Farouq Aminu, Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson, but he too often surrounded them with mediocre role players like Brian Roberts, Lou Amundson, Luke Babbit, Norris Cole, Roger Mason and Anthony Morrow.

Griffin won’t make that mistake, as he emphasized after selecting Williamson.cheap nfl womens jerseys

“So again, I want to keep reiterating the human part of this is at least as big as the on-court part. And all of you have very high on-court expectations. Look, this is not somebody who’s supposed to be the savior of this franchise. That’s not what this is. This is a 19-year-old kid who’s going to spend this year learning how to play winning NBA basketball.” where to buy official nfl jerseys

Kawhi Leonard, Raptors Take 2-1 Series Lead over Magic with 98-93 Game 3 Win

The Toronto Raptors grabbed a 2-1 series lead over the Orlando Magic with a 98-93 victory in Game 3 on Friday in Orlando.jerseys nfl wholesale

Pascal Siakam led the way for the Raptors with 30 points and 11 rebounds, and Kawhi Leonard contributed 16 points and 10 boards.cheap womens nfl jerseys china

Nikola Vucevic had 22 points and 14 rebounds in a losing effort for the Magic.nfl women jersey

Siakam Much More Than NBA’s Most Improved Player hi-res-5923fad3d0af51c21e408358cf09fb83_crop_north

Third-year forward Pascal Siakam appears to be the favorite for the 2018-19 Most Improved Player award following a breakout regular season. Now that the postseason has arrived, he is showing his true value.

Siakam entered 2018-19 with career averages of 6.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He took a big step forward by establishing new career highs in scoring (16.9), rebounds (6.9) and assists (3.1).nike nfl jerseys differences

John Schuhmann of NBA.com noted that Siakam had the third-biggest increase in points plus rebounds plus assists per game this season at 13.1.

Even those numbers don’t show how valuable he is to the Raptors. Game 3 did, though.cheap women nfl jerseys

Siakam has been one of Toronto’s most consistent players this postseason, entering play Friday averaging 21.5 points and 9.5 rebounds. As Leonard struggled with his shot most of the night, Siakam guided the Raptors to victory.

The 6’9″, 230-pound big man made 13 of 20 shots (3-of-4 from beyond the arc) in recording a game-high 30 points in 42 minutes. He scored 12 in the opening quarter.

When the Raptors needed a big play late, Siakam helped to hold off an Orlando rally on both ends of the court. His floater with 93 seconds to play ended a 4-0 Magic spurt and pushed the lead back up to six.

He also played a part in forcing a turnover on the ensuing Orlando possession, which helped close out the victory.nfl china jerseys nike

Before Game 3, first-year Toronto coach Nick Nurse made it clear to reporters that he viewed Siakam as the team’s second option, not third. Thus far, the Magic have had no answer for him.nfl jersey factory

FiveThirtyEight’s Jared Dubin wrote this week that Siakam—who is making $1.5 million this season—has provided the NBA’s best bang for buck, giving the Raptors a surplus value in excess of $35.8 million.nfl jersey wholesale authentic

Will the New York Giants Finally Draft Eli Manning’s Successor?

Find someone who loves you as much as New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman apparently loves quarterback Eli Manning. best cheap nfl jerseys

“I really believe there has been a false narrative out there that Eli is finished, he’s done,” Gettleman said, per the New York Post’s Peter Botte. “He had a heck of a year. We scored a lot of points late. But, at the end of the day, jerseys nfl cheap Eli can still make all of the NFL throws. He can still play.”179c90c7af8e61c54f2a43e8072931ff_crop_exact

No statistical evidence can be provided to back up the general manager’s claims. Manning finished bottom half of the league in completion percentage, touchdowns and quarterback rating.

The veteran signal-caller did rank fifth in turnover-worthy plays last season, according to Pro Football Focus’ Steve Palazzolo. Manning didn’t even play well down the stretch as Gettleman stated. He graded as the NFL’s 32nd-best quarterback from Week 8 on, per PFF’s Pat Thorman. Obviously, former Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. didn’t agree with the idea the aging quarterback can still “make all of the NFL throws.” nfl jersey nike

Fortunately, Gettleman does realize Manning’s age (38) is a negative and the organization must find an eventual successor. cheap nfl jerseys for sale

“Anyhow, the bottom line is, yes, we have to address it,” the general manager said, per Botte. “It’s reality. So when the time is right we will.”

Timing is everything here.women nfl jerseys cheap  The Giants own a pair of first-round picks this year thanks to the Beckham trade. New York must invest one of those selections in the game’s most important position. Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins is the logical option with the sixth overall pick, while Duke’s Daniel Jones may be in play with the 17th.

Manning can be the starter for now as long as a contingency plan is in place. nfl nike jerseys china

Offseason Predictions for NBA Superstars Most Likely to Change Teams

There are several different approaches to team building in the NBA, but every one of them boils down to acquiring superstar talent. Whether through the draft, authentic nfl jerseys china free agency or trade, organizations that plan to compete for a championship  nfl jersey sale know they need to get ahold of premium players.

Several will be on the move this summer, nfl official jersey and that means the league-wide power structure is about to endure a significant shakeup.

The transactional side of the NBA is now as newsworthy as the games themselves. The players on this list have all been the subject of rumors since before the 2018-19 season tipped off, so their presence here is no surprise. The only unexpected result would be if one or two of them actually stayed put.5eb4d0efd6015ef7b8acd436b2f91c29_crop_exact

Based on team situation, reporting throughout the year and a little gut instinct, these are the superstars most likely to be sporting different jerseys come October 2019.

The easiest way to explain Anthony Davis’ inclusion here would be to say: “Please refer to anything that happened after Jan. 28, 2019, which is when ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported AD’s trade request.”where to get nfl jerseys cheap

In light of the back-and-forth leaks from the Lakers and Pelicans between the request and the trade deadline and the charade of New Orleans playing Davis sporadically ever since, the greatest obstacle to getting AD out of town may be the lack of exit routes. He’s already torched every bridge, which, if you’re going to do that, you should at least wait until you’ve crossed them.china nfl jerseys cheap

Buffalo Bills: CB Levi Wallace

It’s a close call between Clemson product Ryan Carter and Levi Wallace, but the edge goes to the bigger cornerback who broke out in 2017 under Alabama head coach Nick Saban.

Wallace (6’0″, 179 lbs) recorded two sacks, three interceptions and led the Crimson Tide in pass breakups with 15 once he seized the starting role. As many know, Alabama loads its defense with highly recruited prospects every year. cheap nfl jerseys for sale The Arizona native simply had to wait his turn.

The Buffalo Bills acquired veteran defensive backs Vontae Davis and Phillip Gaines, but they’re both on one-year deals. The former took a step back in an injury-plagued season with the Indianapolis Colts in 2017. The latter never established himself with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Wallace has an opportunity to claim a roster spot and take some early snaps in a reserve role. His persistence in sticking with the Alabama program as a reserve for three years highlights his patience and willingness to work his way up the ladder at the professional level.women nfl jerseys cheap

Linebacker Chris Frey joins one of the best units in the league. He could absorb some tricks of the trade from Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis. In the meantime, the Carolina Panthers could use the rookie’s quickness and downhill play style to bolster pocket pressure.

At 6’0″, 225 pounds, Frey doesn’t have the size to bang bodies with interior offensive linemen, but he can circumvent the pile and clean up tackles on the weak side. Defensive coordinator Eric Washington can also use him as a late blitzer. nfl nike jerseys china

As an added bonus, Frey brings leadership qualities to the locker room. He served as a team captain during the 2017 campaign at Michigan State. There’s passion in his play that may catch on with his teammates sharing the field.

The former Spartan will need to flash on special teams, best cheap nfl jerseys but his natural talent could help him develop into a playmaker.

Arizona Cardinals: Sam Bradford/Josh Rosen

There are a couple of things we know about the quarterback situation in Arizona after the retirement of Carson Palmer.

As NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling reported, Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks indicated that veteran Sam Bradford will open the season as the team’s starter under center over rookie first-rounder Josh Rosen.

“We’re pushing everybody to start,” Wilks explained. “I’ve stated this several times: Sam Bradford is our starter. We gotta go out there with 11 guys, and Sam’s going to be the first guy out there. But everybody’s fighting for a position, so I’m not going to hold [Rosen] back at all.”

However, we also know Bradford’s bum knee has already cost him all of the 2014 season and most of last year. Bradford has missed a staggering 48 games in seven years—three full seasons.

Even if Bradford holds off Rosen in training camp, discount nike nfl jerseys it’s only a matter of time until Rosen gets a chance to show what he can do.

And once he gets that chance, odds are the job will be his for good.

Projected Passing Stats (Bradford): 225 attempts, 145 completions, 1,465 yards, 8 touchdowns, 3 interceptions

Projected Passing Stats (Rosen): 358 attempts, 224 completions, 2,431 yards, 14 touchdowns, 7 interceptions

To say that Matt Ryan’s numbers were discount nfl gear down in 2017 is both accurate and a touch misleading.

Yes, relative to Ryan’s MVP campaign in 2016, the 33-year-old’s production was lower across the board. His passing yardage was down almost 1,000 yards, Ryan’s touchdowns free-fell from 38 to 20, and he threw five more interceptions in 2017 than the year before.discount nfl jerseys nike

However, it’s not like Ryan had a bad year under first-year offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. He passed for almost 4,100 yards, posted a passer rating of 91.4 and led the Falcons back to the playoffs.cheap nfl jerseys discount

Ryan may never get all the way back to his Kyle Shanahan heyday statistically, but he has no shortage of passing-game weaponry at his disposal, from superstar wideout Julio Jones to rookie Calvin Ridley and tailbacks Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman.

With a year in Sarkisian’s offense under his belt, Ryan’s numbers should be better in 2018 than a year ago, even if he doesn’t reach the heights of the season that came before.

Projected Passing Stats: 552 attempts, 353 completions, 4,410 yards, 27 touchdowns, 11 interceptions discount nfl jerseys online

Kansas City Chiefs: Cornerback

In Marcus Peters, the Kansas City Chiefs had the NFL’s preeminent ball hawk at the cornerback position. Since he entered the NFL in 2015, no player has more interceptions than Peters’ 19.

But Peters isn’t in Kansas City anymore. He was traded to the Los Angeles Rams after the Chiefs tired of his antics between interceptions.nike nfl cheap jerseys

It was a surprising move—one that leaves Kansas City’s secondary very much in flux.

The trade that sent Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins gave the Chiefs Kendall Fuller, who is one of the league’s better young slot corners.

But without Peters, the outside might be a problem. In five years, free-agent addition David Amerson has less than half the interceptions that Peters piled up in just three seasons. Steven Nelson, like Peters, entered the pros in 2015.nfl nike jerseys for cheap

His next NFL interception will be his first.

The Chiefs added some corner help on Day 3 of the draft and afterward in rookie free agency, but anything the team gets from that group is going to be found money.

Kansas City’s pass defense was already a mess. The Chiefs allowed 247 yards a game through the air last year. Only three teams gave up more.

Don’t expect that to improve in 2018.nike nfl jerseys wholesale cheap

The Los Angeles Chargers have the makings of a sneaky-good contender in 2018. The team rebounded from an awful start last season to narrowly miss the playoffs, and problem areas like the offensive line and interior defense were bolstered in free agency and/or the NFL draft.

Third-round defensive tackle Justin Jones was brought in in the hopes of fortifying a run defense that was terrible last year, surrendering 131.1 yards per game on the ground—most in the AFC.

There’s still an issue in the middle of the defense, however.nike cheap nfl jerseys

The Chargers drafted a potential starter on the outside of Gus Bradley’s 4-3 in USC’s Uchenna Nwosu, but the “Mike” linebacker spot is still up in the air.

That’s the middle, in case your vernacular needs work.

Jatavis Brown, who logged 76 stops for a second straight year in 2017, was in and out of the lineup last season. That was partly due to nagging injuries, but he also appeared to lose favor with the coaching staff.

When on the field, Denzel Perryman’s been a more consistent performer than Brown. But there’s a big caveat—Perryman has missed 15 games in three years (including over half of last season).

It’s not hard to imagine another carousel where Perryman gets hurt, Brown bounces in and out of the starting lineup, and Hayes Pullard plays like the seventh-round pick he is.

In other words, an unwanted repeat of last season.

Indianapolis Colts: Edge-Rusher

Prior to the NFL draft, there was essentially a tie for the Indianapolis Colts’ biggest problem area in 2018.

Both the offensive and defensive lines needed work—quite a lot of it.

The former got a big boost on April 26 with the selection of Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson, whom some pundits considered the top overall prospect in this year’s class.

The defensive line, on the other hand, didn’t get a ton of assistance. The Colts added some help in the form of second-round pick Tyquan Lewis, but the former Ohio State star was a rotational player with the Buckeyes who will probably need time to get his sea legs in the NFL.

That leaves Jabaal Sheard and Denico Autry as the front-runners to start on Indy’s new four-man front. Sheard’s the more proven of the two. Twice he’s notched at least eight sacks in a season, but he’s never hit double digits. Autry had five sacks for the Oakland Raiders a year ago, but that’s the high-water mark of his career.

If you can’t pressure the quarterback in today’s NFL, you’re going to get carved up.

Right now, it doesn’t look like a Colts team that was last in the AFC in sacks last year is going to make a leap forward in that regard.

Prior to the NFL draft, there was essentially a tie for the Indianapolis Colts’ biggest problem area in 2018.

Both the offensive and defensive lines needed work—quite a lot of it.

The former got a big boost on April 26 with the selection of Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson, whom some pundits considered the top overall prospect in this year’s class.

The defensive line, on the other hand, didn’t get a ton of assistance. The Colts added some help in the form of second-round pick Tyquan Lewis, but the former Ohio State star was a rotational player with the Buckeyes who will probably need time to get his sea legs in the NFL.

That leaves Jabaal Sheard and Denico Autry as the front-runners to start on Indy’s new four-man front. Sheard’s the more proven of the two. Twice he’s notched at least eight sacks in a season, but he’s never hit double digits. china nike nfl jerseys cheap Autry had five sacks for the Oakland Raiders a year ago, but that’s the high-water mark of his career.

If you can’t pressure the quarterback in today’s NFL, you’re going to get carved up.

Right now, it doesn’t look like a Colts team that was last in the AFC in sacks last year is going to make a leap forward in that regard.

Oh yeah. I went there.cheap nfl nike jerseys from china

As the Jacksonville Jaguars showed in advancing to the AFC Championship Game, this is a team that is equipped to challenge for a berth in Super Bowl LIII.

The Jaguars possess a punishing ground game and one of the best defenses in football—maybe the best. That defense added even more pieces in this year’s draft in interior lineman Taven Bryan and safety Ronnie Harrison.

There’s just one problem. One sticking point. One issue looming over the squad.

Robby Blake Bortles.

Bortles isn’t necessarily a terrible quarterback. But among legitimate Super Bowl contenders, it’s hard to argue Jacksonville doesn’t have the worst player at football’s most important position—with very little behind him.cheap nike nfl jerseys free shipping

If Andrew Luck’s healthy this year, Bortles is probably the worst starting quarterback in the AFC South.

It’s somewhat understandable that the Jags committed to Bortles moving forward. He did, after all, lead the team to the cusp of its first Super Bowl. The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t and all that jazz.nfl cheap jerseys nike

But Bortles’ shortcomings as a quarterback are very real. And they may well come back to bite the Jaguars in 2018.

Case Keenum, QB, Denver Broncos

Case Keenum signed a two-year contract this offseason, which promised him a shot at a starting job but with no guarantee of taking the role full time. For example, if the Denver Broncos find a trade partner for Keenum next season,nike nfl jerseys wholesale cheap  he would only count $3 million against the cap, saving them $18 million.

Denver held the fifth pick in a draft where many projected five quarterbacks to come off the board in the first round, so Keenum’s job status was not completely entrenched until the team selected North Carolina State pass-rusher Bradley Chubb with the fifth pick.nike cheap nfl jerseys  On top of keeping the Keenum-Paxton Lynch-Chad Kelly depth chart intact, John Elway drafted some toys for his new quarterback.

After releasing former running back C.J. Anderson, the team drafted Oregon running back Royce Freeman with the 71st overall pick to be the new top tailback. SMU wide receiver Courtland Sutton was also added in the second round, and Penn State receiver DaeSean Hamilton was selected in the fourth round. Sutton and Hamilton will compete for playing time with 2017 third-round pick Carlos Henderson and 2017 fifth-round pick Isaiah McKenzie behind established receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. The latter duo can be released for cap purposes in 2019, but until then Keenum should have plenty to work with.nike nfl cheap jerseys

Job security? Check. Running game help? Check. Passing game help? Check.