Monday, July 31, 2006

An Oliver Twist

There is a reason the Pittsburgh Pirates have been a bad team for a long time. Many people have a hunch about the reason. I think that reason is abundantly clear after hearing about the deadline deal involving the team. The Pirates sent Roberto Henrnadez, along with one other player, to the New York Mets for outfielder Xavier Nady. On the surface, this deal looks fairly even if you assume the "other player" is basically a throw-in, a player to match salaries or a low level prospect. The "other player", however, is Oliver Perez. His inclusion in the deal makes this a ridiculous trade for the Pirates.

Yes, Perez has been awful this season. Beyond awful. Two years ago, though, he had a 2.98 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 239 strikeouts in 196 innings...at the age of 23. Now 25, his numbers have taken a sharp decline, but the potential is still there. He is also a very hard throwing left-handed pitcher, which is still a commodity around baseball. Nady is three years older, has never had success even remotely close to Perez's, and at this point in his career does not appear to have much upside. A Nady for Perez trade would not have made sense, yet the Mets also got a pitcher in Hernandez who, while he is not having a great season, should have cost them a young player or two. Instead, they were able to pay the small price of an adequate player. The Pirates...this trade is just a setback in the development of a young team.

Where have you gone, Bobby Abreu?

The New York Yankees made the biggest non-waiver deadline trade thus far, acquiring Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle from the Philadelphia Phillies for four minor leaguers. How does this deal improve the Yankees?

Abreu has been and still is an on-base machine; however, his power has suffered a significant decline since last year's Home Run Derby, which he won in record setting fashion. Because of his on-base skills, Abreu would probably be best as number two or three hitter in a lineup. The Yankees already have those spots taken by Derek Jeter and Jason Giambi. With the leadoff spot, another possibility, taken by Johnny Damon, Abreu will likely start off hitting fifth in the lineup behind Alex Rodriguez. His addition makes the lineup more potent on paper, but unless he is able to take advantage the short right field porch, his addition may only have a subtle impact. Pitchers will wear out quicker now that the most patient hitter in baseball (4.47 pitches seen per plate appearance) has joined an already patient team, but it will be up to the lower half of the lineup to drive him home when he reaches. If Jorge Posada, Melky Cabrera and company are not up to the task, it will be hard to see the benefits of the trade.

That being said, the addition of Lidle, should also help. Lidle is having solid but not spectacular season, but is an improvement over both Jaret Wright and Sidney Ponson. The Yankees obvioulsy are hoping for a significant contribution from Abreu, but Lidle could end up being just as important, despite not being as highly touted.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Summary of the Day: July 25, 2006

Indy Car officials took a collective sigh of relief Tuesday night when their most marketable driver decided to stay with their sport. Danica Patrick passed on the opportunity to join NASCAR and instead signed on with the biggest name in Indy Car. Danica is leaving Rahal Letterman racing and joining up with Mario Andretti and his team. Andretti Green will be welcoming the racing star to start the 2007 season. It looks like the only one who did not come out smiling in this deal is Rahal Letterman...maybe if they actually reinvested some of their profits in the team things would have turned out differently for them.

Roger Clemens once again received zero runs of support from the Houston Astros. This is the 11th time in 38 starts snce the start of the 2005 season that the Astros have failed to score a run during a Clemens start. These 11 shutouts in a season and a half matches the number of times his teams were shut out during the seven seasons Roger pitched for the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays. You have to wonder if Clemens wishes he had rejoined the Boston Red Sox instead of the Astros. Personally, I am enjoying every minute of his struggles.

Oregon high school basketball star Kevin Love verbally committed to joining UCLA for the 2007-2008 season, a major win for Ben Howland and the Bruins. Love is the nephew of Beach Boys lead singer Mike Love and also the son of a former NBA player. With the combination of his signing along with O. J. Mayo and his commitment to cross-town rival USC, it looks like Los Angeles college basketball is going to be a major force in the Pac-10 beginning in 2007.

ESPN baseball analyst Harold Reynolds has abruptly left the company. Reynolds had been with ESPN since 1996 and was widely regarded as the top former player turned broadcaster in the industry. I am sure we will be hearing more about this story in the coming weeks.

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Summary of the Day: July 24, 2006

Shawn Marion has pulled out of the competition for the U.S. National Team yesterday, with the final roster to be revealed today. According to ESPN’s Andy Katz, it looks like the final fifteen has pretty much been decided upon. The last two cuts should be Charlotte Bobcats forward Adam Morrison and Seattle Supersonics point guard Luke Ridnour. This roster, to be later trimmed to twelve, will be the team that travels to Asia to represent the United States in the FIBA World Championships Aug. 19-Sept. 3 in Saitama, Japan.

It looks like the World Champion Chicago White Sox are the leading candidate to acquire Washington Nationals Leftfielder/Second Baseman Alfonso Soriano. This trade would further bolster a lineup that already leads the majors in runs scored and home runs. Apparently, the Sox feel that with no quality pitching available, they might as well get more bashers, because ultimately the team that has scored the most runs in a game wins, and if you can not find new ways to keep your opponent from scoring then you might as well just score more yourself.

Pro Bowl Cornerback Ty Law has decided to follow his coach from last year to the Kansas City Chiefs. Herm Edwards departed the New York Jets earlier this off season to take over the head coaching job with the Chiefs and Law has followed suit. While Edwards departed due to the struggles of a terrible Jets team, Law has always been about money and the Chiefs offered him the most cash. Rumors were that it was between the New England Patriots and Kansas City for his services. The Pats bring the better chance for another Championship while the Chiefs offered the greater financial reward. This just shows you where Law’s loyalties lie.

Monday, July 24, 2006

Summary of the Weekend: July 21 - 23, 2006

Tiger Woods claimed the Claret Jug yesterday for his second consecutive and third overall British Open win and his 11th win in a major tournament. After missing the cut in the Masters, the first major after his father passed away, Tiger showed why he is the number one golfer today and maybe of all-time. Tiger's statistical dominance in golf may not have reached the level of Babe Ruth, Wilt Chamberlain, or Wayne Gretzky at this point (his career resume is still fairly similar to Jack Nicklaus at similar points in their careers), but watching Tiger, you know you are seeing greatness.

Jered Weaver won his seventh game in as many major league starts on Sunday, something that has not happened since Fernando Valenzuela won eight to start his career. Weaver, when drafted, was considered the top college pitcher and comparisons were made to Mark Prior, who is considered by some as the greatest college pitcher of all-time. It seems like Weaver might have the upper hand in the comparison at this point, as Prior just cannot seem to stay healthy. Many will compare the career of Weaver to older brother Jeff, or maybe even Fernando. For me, Mark Prior is the measuring stick.

Ricky Williams broke his arm in a Canadian Football League game and will miss at least a month. Nothing is ever easy with him.

Somewhat under the radar, Floyd Landis won the Tour de France. He did not do it with the dominance that Lance Armstrong exhibited, but it was nonetheless spectacular. Landis will soon undergo hip replacement surgery, necessary because he can barely walk, yet he still managed not only to finish the race, but win it. While wearing the yellow jersey, he stumbled in one stage to fall more than eight minutes behind and was considered virtually out of contention. Still, he managed to make up most of the time he lost on the next stage. I would guess very few riders have ever overcome what he did. Congratulations to Landis on a truly remarkable achievement.

Friday, July 21, 2006

Summary of the Day: July 20, 2006

Tiger Woods has one eagle in each of the first two rounds of the British Open, contributing to his leading score of -12 through two rounds. Welcome back Tiger. As great of a story as Phil Mickelson is now that he has won a major (and more), Tiger is professional golf.

The Red Sox win again behind Curt Schilling while the Yankees lose when Mariano Rivera gives up a home run to Vernon Wells in the 11th inning. Only four weeks until a big five-game series at Fenway Park.

The Tigers beat the White Sox for the second game in a row. With a 5.5 game lead in the division now, Detroit has the momentum. Maybe I was being too conservative in saying that their goals should be to split the remaining games. No, I don't think so. Two games are still only two games, but it is always better to have won them.

The Braves made a trade for Indians closer Bob Wickman. Can they make the playoffs? They think they can. I am not sold yet, but it feels much better that they are in the discussion.

The new owners of the Seattle SuperSonics restated their "desire" to keep the team in Seattle. This is going to be ugly until there is resolution, with both the Sonics and Hornets in a constant state of limbo.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Summary of the Day: July 19, 2006

One down...eleven to go. The Tigers, behind the arm of Jeremy Bonderman and the bat of Craig Monroe, beat the White Sox 5-2 yesterday. I said in yesterday's summary that Detroit's goal should be a split of the remaining 12 games. This game will hopefully give them some momentum to take the rubber match this afternoon. Today Kenny Rogers takes on Jose Contreras. That should be a great game.

The Red Sox won their second 1-0 game in a row, with Josh Beckett nearly matching Jon Lester's performance from Tuesday. It was also announced that Beckett agreed to a three-year, $30 million extension. This is the prime example of why the Red Sox are favored over the Yankees for the rest of this season and maybe beyond. When the Yankees wanted to add an ace, they traded for an over-40 Randy Johnson, who, while coming off a great season, was a sizable risk. The Red Sox, looking for a future ace to take the reigns from Curt Schilling, went after the 25 (now 26) year old Beckett. Which one would those teams rather have now?

Steve Nash now has a buzz cut, having trimmed off his extremely long hair. Thank God, he no longer looks like a little girl.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Summary of the Day: July 18, 2006

Three cities, two teams. That is the problem faced by the NBA today with the announcement that the Seattle SuperSonics have been sold by Starbucks magnate Howard Schultz to an Oklahoma City-based group. Immediately, speculation began that the Sonics were not long for Seattle and would move to Oklahoma City once it is reluctantly vacated by the New Orleans Hornets. I am sure that in an ideal world, the NBA would like the Sonics to remain in Seattle and the Hornets to take up permanent residency in Oklahoma City. However, the NBA also wants to be supportive of New Orleans' recovery from Hurricane Katrina and also recognizes that the government in Seattle has not been supportive of its team. What's the solution? I may be the only one that thinks this, but maybe the time is right for expansion. Why? Seattle has too much history with the NBA to move the team, and New Orleans is not quite ready to have a team. How? The NBA should take this new leverage and use it to negotiate a feasible situation in Seattle. The next step would be to promise New Orleans a new team for the 2007-08 season in exchange for allowing the Hornets to leave. Then, add two new teams starting in 2007, one in New Orleans and one in St. Louis, for instance.

The Chicago White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers last night to move within 3.5 games of first place. The Tigers are now 1-6 against the defending champions this season. Though almost assured of making the playoffs barring a complete meltdown, I am sure Detroit would like to show they can beat their division rivals. With 12 games left against each other, the Tigers' goal should be a split of the remaining games.

Buck O'Neil, former Negro League player and baseball pioneer, batted twice in the Northern League's All-Star Game at age 94. He walked twice, taking only one swing and arguing one call (a ball). Though this was obviously a gimmick worthy of praise by Bill Veeck, it hopefully will help familiarize today's fans with a very important baseball figure from the past.

O'Neil had a better night than another novelty All-Star. Jose Canseco, pitching in the Golden Baseball League All-Star Game, gave up four runs while getting only one out. He did, however, win the pre-game Home Run Derby. Did he really need to participate in the game to figure out that the idea of him pitching is laughable?

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Summary of the Day: July 17, 2006

Today has the potential to be a memorable day in Major League Baseball...and not necessarily because of what is going to take place on the field.

Controversial San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds is rumored to have perjury and tax evasion charges brought against him as early as today. This whole ordeal with Bonds has been nothing but a black eye on the game and sports as a whole. The fact that a player with all the records and numbers that Bonds has produced would be so hated throughout the game is absolutely a shame. The best thing for everyone in baseball would be for Barry to walk away and never be seen or heard from again.

Alex Rodriguez, the reigning American League MVP and the highest paid player in the majors, is taking an incredible amount of heat from his own hometown fans. The constant booing along with non-stop criticism of his performance in the clutch is getting brutal. Last night, after making three errors in the field, New York Yankees fans booed Rodriguez so unmercifully that Joe Torre removed him from a close ball game. While the official word was that he was removed because of a sore toe as a result of an earlier foul tip, I find that extremely hard to believe. You really have to wonder how much longer this marriage between the Yankees and A-Rod will last.

Tonight in Minneapolis, two of the best young lefty hurlers to hit baseball in the last decade face off. Hard-throwing 22 year old All-Stars battle in a match up of Minnesota Twin Francisco Liriano and Tampa Bay Devil Ray Scott Kazmir. This normally meaningless game has a chance to be one for the ages; too bad with the pathetic attendance numbers in Minnesota, it is doubtful anyone will be there to see it.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Summary of the Weekend Plus: July 7 - 11, 2006

The last five days in sports has brought many exciting games and some surprising decisions.

In the men’s Wimbledon singles finals, Roger Federer won his fourth consecutive title. In what was expected to be a great match up of the top two men’s players, Federer stepped up his play against Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who had beaten him in the French Open, to take an easy 3 sets to 1 win. The only disappointment for Federer was seeing his win streak end at forty consecutive sets after losing the third set 6-7.

In the World Cup final, Italy beat France with a 5 goal to 3 penalty kick win after laying to a tie through regulation and extra time. The highly anticipated match up between European Soccer Super powers lived up to its expectations. The match was tied at one going into the penalty kick stage, where Italy came out on top. The only blemish on the final was the actions of French captain Zinédine Zidane, who was ejected from the final after a blatant head butt into the chest of Italy’s Marco Materazzi. You have to wonder if game would have had a different conclusion with out the actions of Zidane.

Lebron James and Dwayne Wade may be be setting a new trend when it comes to signing maximum extensions after the initial rookie contract. Both players are expected to sign three year contracts with a player option for the fourth season. The usual contract is for five year of maximum salaries. The logic behind this move, one where the players are agreeing to less guaranteed money than they could receive, is that both players will be in position to sign a new extension at a time when the Collective Bargaining Agreement has expired and a new, possibly more favorable, one will be in place. John Hollinger of ESPN.com has written a piece that brings the strengths and risks of these deals to the forefront.

In the Major League Baseball All-Star Game last night, the American League continued a decade of dominance with a 3-2 come from behind victory in the ninth inning. Texas Rangers shortstop Michael Young hit a 2 out, 2-run triple off of San Diego Padres closer Trevor Hoffman for the game-winning hit. Yankee ace closer Mariano Rivera came in to shut the door in the ninth for his third career All-Star Game save. Young’s game winning hit entitled the American League World Series participant to home field advantage in the 2006 Fall Classic. It may end up being irrelevant, since five of the top six teams in baseball come from the American League, but it is still ludicrous that one exhibition game determines which league representative gets an advantage in the World Series.

Friday, July 07, 2006

Summary of the Day: July 6, 2006

Nomar Garciaparra and A.J. Pierzynski won the balloting for the final All-Stars in each league. Well, at least the fans got one of them right. Both Travis Hafner and Francisco Liriano would have been better selections for the American League. Hopefully, both will be added due to injuries.

The Tour de France has completed five stages. I am just not sure the United States cares since Lance Armstrong is not participating.

The Boston Red Sox managed to win one gmae of their four game series with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. It is only early July, we have not even reached the All-Star break, but Tampa Bay is already making their presence felt in the division race. It should still only be a couple of years before they are a participant rather than a spoiler.

The NBA Summer Leagues kicked off yesterday, starting with the Vegas Summer League. Click here to check on your favorite teams and/or players.

A judge has ruled that the Atlanta Spirit, the group that owns the Atlanta Hawks and Thrashers, can only sign players to contracts of one year (previously negotiated and agreed upon deals are not included). Atlanta Spirit is in the process of appealing a ruling that gives their former partner, Steve Belkin, the right to buy out his former partners after they violated terms of the ownership agreement in removing him. I do not know much about the Thrashers, but I know the Hawks do not need any more issues. With the right ownership in place, they are on the brink of being a serious player in the Eastern Conference.

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Summary of the Day: July 5, 2006

O.J. Mayo, considered the top high school basketball player in the class of 2007, apparently will verbally commit to the University of Southern California. Due to the NBA's age restriction, Mayo and other high school hoopsters must wait a year after they graduate from high school before they can declare for the draft. Despite the news of his intentions, there is guaranteed to be rumors of other post-graduation playing options (Europe, other U.S. professional leagues). As it is, it appears USC is his choice because of its location (Los Angeles, one of the largest media markets) and the exposure that comes with it (the same engine which trumpeted the USC football team over the last two seasons). These are not your father's, or even your older brother's, college basketball recruits. They are superstars before they hit puberty. Read here for another extreme example.

The Chicago Bulls continued their attempt to move into the upper echelon of Eastern Conference teams by trading Tyson Chandler for P.J. Brown and J.R. Smith. Chandler is a much more athletic post player, but Brown is more polished on offense and brings needed veteran leadership. Brown is also a free agent after this next season, while Chandler still has five years left. In Smith, Chicago gets some bench scoring from a player I think has the potential to be one of the better scorers in the league. However, it is hard to see Smith receiving much playing time on that team. Despite his problems at the end of last season, he is still a tremendous talent. The Bulls should find a way to utilize him.

The Indiana Pacers traded Austin Croshere to the Dallas Mavericks for Marquis Daniels. This is a great trade for Indiana. Daniels could really break out given starters minutes. It is time to start the "When will Jamaal Tinsley be traded?" office pool.

Renaldo Balkman signed his rookie contract with the New York Knicks. I am surprised it took this long. You mean he did not bring a pen with him to the draft, hoping to sign the contract before Isiah changed his mind?

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Summary of the Day: July 4, 2006

Manny Ramirez has already announced that he will skip the All-Star Game to rest his sore knee. I know he probably needs the rest, but if the game is as important as the commissioner wants it to be, why would players skip out? This is just another example of how the All-Star Game has lost its meaning.

Jose Contreras won his 17th straight decision yesterday. I am a believer that streaks, while they can be impressive, are sometimes overrated. Yes, he has started the season 9-0, but if you look deeper into the numbers, you begin to realize he has been far from a perfect pitcher. In the month of June, he made six starts totaling 37 2/3 innings. In those innings, he had an earned run average of 6.21 and a gave up 1.67 walk and hits per inning. More than two thirds of the earned runs he has allowed this year came in June. Yet, he went 3-0 in those six starts. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good, and this is a streak where that is the case.

The Yankees got clobbered by the Indians 19-1 on George Steinbrenner's 76th birthday. It coudl not have happened to a better man. However, I will say this. The crew of Baseball Tonight discussed who they consider the best owner in sports. Mark Cuban is the winner in my mind, but Steinbrenner has to be in the conversation. One thing an owner must have to be considered is passion and commitment towards winning. Steinbrenner definitely has both.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Summary of the Day: July 3, 2006

Steve Yzerman retired from the Detroit Red Wings and National Hockey League. He spent his whole career in Detroit, and served as the team's captain for all but three of those 22 seasons. Very few athletes in the past couple of decades have been so closely defined with one team, but Stevie Y was one of them. The Red Wings went where he took them. His presence made them a good team, his sacrifices made them a champion. He finishes his career as the sixth leading scorer in NHL history and a three-time champion, but those that know his career know he could have ranked higher on the scoring list but it would have come at the expense of winning. I know Detroit fans wish him well, but they also mourn a great career that has come to an end.

More bad news for Detroit. Ben Wallace has agreed to sign with division rival Chicago, leaving for a reported 4-year, $60 million contract. This signing bumps Chicago into the upper echelon of teams in the Eastern Conference and leaves Detroit grasping for straws. After making trades over the course of last season to have the room under the luxury tax threshold to sign Wallace, they now have to focus on a different future. It may, however, be a blessing in disguise. Big Ben seemed to be slowing down over the course of the season and playoffs. Joe Dumars had a number in mind that he was willing to pay for Wallace's services, and Ben knew that, so he took the better offer. Expect Detroit to bounce back with a sound acquisition of their own.

Roger Clemens finally won his first game of the season. You have to wonder if he has a gentleman's agreement to be traded if the Astros fall out of contention. At least they finally showed they can score runs for him.

Not much else to report today, so Happy Fourth of July.

Monday, July 03, 2006

MLB Mid-Season Recap

With the Major League Baseball All-Star Game coming up next week and most teams reaching the midway point of their season, I figured I would do a mid-season recap. As always there have been some surprise teams as well as some extremely disappointing performances.

Biggest Surprise - American League

This is an easy choice. The Detroit Tigers with their Major League-leading record of 56 wins and 26 defeats have shocked the baseball world. With the addition of manager Jim Leyland, I expected the Tigers to merely continue their growth from last year; however the results of this season have been extraordinary.

Biggest Surprise - National League

There are a couple of options here. The young Marlins are playing above and beyond expectations and the Cincinnati Reds are holding strong in the Central. However the biggest surprise to me is the Colorado Rockies. The boys from Coors Field are a half game out of first in the very competitive Western Division and this is without their star Todd Helton producing much in the way of power.

Biggest Disappointment - American League

The Cleveland Indians, who were coming off a season in which they missed the playoffs by one game, were expected to compete with the World Champion Chicago White Sox for the Division title. However, this young team is floundering along at 6 games below .500.

Biggest Disappointment - National League

The Atlanta Braves have to take the prize for this category. The 14-time division champions are now 13.5 games behind the New York Mets. It looks as if Bobby Cox may have lost that magic touch...or Leo Mazzone might have been a much bigger factor in the Braves success then we expected.

Most Valuable Player - American League

This is an extremely competitive award at the moment; we have seen some great first halves from Jim Thome, Vernon Wells, Troy Glaus and Manny Ramirez. However the MVP goes to Boston Red Sox Designated Hitter David Ortiz. Big Papi has continued his clutch hitting and now has 26 Home runs and 75 RBI’s, which are both leading or near the top of their respective category.

Most Valuable Player - National League

The NL MVP goes to Albert Pujols, narrowly beating out New York Mets teammates Carlos Beltran and David Wright. Despite missing a few weeks with a injury, Albert is still second in home runs and first in RBIs in the National League. The St. Louis Cardinals also posted a 7-10 record in his absence, further proof of his value.

CyYoung Award - American League

This award once again goes to Minnesota Twins ace Johan Santana. Santana has lead the once struggling Twins to an incredible turn around in the first half. He is once again dominating batters while compiling a 9-4 record, with a 2.59 era, 0.96 whip and an American League leading 124 strikeouts in 118.1 innings pitched.

Cy Young Award - National League

In a narrow win, I would give this award to former Red Sox fifth starter Bronson Arroyo. Bronson faces some stiff competition from the suddenly born again Tom Glavine. I give Arroyo the win due to his 9-4 record and National League leading 2.58 Era, all the while pitching in a bandbox ballpark.

Playoff Predictions

American League:

Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Oakland A’s, Detroit Tigers (wild card).

National League:

New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros (wild card).

World Series Prediction

The Boston Red Sox will face the New York Mets in a rematch of the 1986 World Series, only this time, the Sox get their revenge.

Summary of the Weekend: June 30 - July 2, 2006

Major League Baseball released the All-Star rosters last night. This exhibition game has become more of a fallacy every year. Yes, they have tried to make the game important by attaching home field advantage in the World Series to a win in the All-Star Game. However, now you have created even more problems, because now teams are being constructed with game situations in mind, even if that means selecting a lesser player. Not to mention the travesty of Mark Redman making the team over Many other worthy candidates. "Mark Redman" is the new "Renaldo Balkman", the name that just makes you say "HUH?!?!"

The American League won an overwhelming percentage of interleague games this year, prompting many to claim the American League is far and away the better league. The reason I have heard that makes the most sense is the presence of the Yankees and Red Sox. Their free-spending ways have prompted the rest of the AL to spend to keep up, and that has tipped the edge in free agency to the Junior Curcuit. How do you fix this? Off the top of my head, it is tough to say. Other than a salary cap, any other solution would take some thought. Of course, they could try to get Mark Cuban to buy a National League team (Pittsburgh, Florida).

The Toronto Raptors kept busy, trading Charlie Villanueva to Milwaukee for T.J. That is a great trade for both teams. Toronto gets their floor general (an upgrade over incumbent Mike James) and clears time for their Number 1 overall draft pick. Milwaukee replaces Ford with Maurice Williams, who has more than adequately filled in at point guard in the past, and puts Villanueva next to center Andrew Bogut to create a very talented front line.

What is LeBron waiting for? What does he have to gain by waiting to agree to his contract extension (even if he is unable to sign it yet)? Carmelo Anthony already agreed. LeBron should follow suit.