Top 10 Rookies

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1. Greg Oden, Trail Blazers Oden has played just OK in the preseason, which is to be expected due to his long layoff and the type of knee surgery he's coming back from. But if the NBA's Most Improved Player award was based on in-season play as opposed to play from one season to the next, I think Oden would be the favorite. When his mind and body catch up to the speed of the game, he should be a monster every night. 2. Michael Beasley, Heat Scoring has always been easy for Beasley, and I suspect it always will be. He has the best combination of feel, skills and body in this rookie class. As his effort and awareness on defense grow, so, too, will his minutes. He's the favorite for Rookie of the Year, without a doubt. 3. Marc Gasol, Grizzlies A stat stuffer, Gasol should get as many starts as any rookie playing in the frontcourt. He can score inside and rebound. He has quick hands and an active mind. I also love his passing ability and craftiness on defense. His experience playing high-level basketball in Spain is an advantage, too. 4. O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies Of all the rookies who are expected to play a lot of minutes this season, I think Mayo will experience the biggest roller-coaster ride. He is a dynamic player on both sides of the court, but because he relies so much on his jumper on offense, he will surely endure some very low points totals to go along with some huge scoring nights. If he learns to change speeds better and earns more trips to the free-throw line, he'll jump a level from very good to great. 5. Kevin Love, Timberwolves Love was acquired by the Wolves based more on talent and less on fit, so it's going to take time to create a good situation for him in Minnesota, which is loaded with beefy inside players. His strong hands will enable him to grab rebounds and score effectively inside. However, he has not been much of an enforcer, defensively. Still, I like his upside on D, where he can learn to use his excellent feel -- and, hopefully, a soon-to-be-leaner body -- to cover ground more quickly. 6. Derrick Rose, Bulls The logjam at the guard position in Chicago suggests that, in the short term, Rose might not see huge minutes. But he has shown improvement at handling ball screens (on offense), and his body control on at-the-rim finishes is already at a high level. He looks to score more than I expected, but should be very effective in that role. He can really be a punishing point guard due to his size and strength. 7. Rudy Fernandez, Trail Blazers In just his second NBA preseason game, Fernandez tallied 15 points, five rebounds, seven assists, six steals and six turnovers. Assuming he comes off the bench this season, that's the definition of an energy guy. And with Martell Webster out for an extended period of time, Fernandez has the chance to play a lot more, and maybe even start. He is a do-it-all type of pro that will be a difference-maker on offense and defense. 8. Russell Westbrook, Thunder Westbrook figures to get serious playing time right away, despite a far-from-ready offensive game. He was drafted because of his defensive talents and his ability to complement Kevin Durant and Jeff Green. And because he's a winner. Although he will suffer through some real struggles, especially as a shooter, the Thunder want him to develop into a future starter, so playing time is mandatory. 9. Eric Gordon, Clippers The Clippers will utilize this scoring dynamo off the bench. He looks similar to Ben Gordon, not just in size and position but in how he can impact games. While he often looks to shoot -- he is far from knowledgeable about the term "good shot" -- it is his slashing talent that could earn him a future Sixth Man Award. He is tough to stay in front of, and has the strength to finish at the rim amid contact. 10. Brook Lopez, Nets Lopez has the game to make an impact on several fronts. He has shown he can rebound in this league, and has always been a scorer. He has also made some plays on defense in the preseason. With New Jersey's questionable frontcourt (due to injuries and such), Lopez may earn solid time off the bench

All jabs aside, Shane Mosley vs. Ricardo Mayorga should be a slugfest...Who's your pick for this Saturday's fight?

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The fight will be LIVE on HBO-Saturday, September 27, 2008- 10:30PM ET/ 7:30PM PT.....

Beasley fined $50,000 for involvement in Rookie Transition Program incident

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NEW YORK -- Miami Heat rookie Michael Beasley was fined $50,000 by the NBA on Thursday after acknowledging that he was involved in an incident involving teammate Mario Chalmers and Memphis' Darrell Arthur at the Rookie Transition Program this month. The NBA said Beasley, the No. 2 overall pick, originally failed to cooperate with the league investigation of the matter. The Heat said Beasley eventually chose to reveal that he was part of the incident.

NFL Power Rankings: 2008 Week 3

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2008-2009 NBA Expert Picks

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Clippers reach terms with free-agent guard Williams

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The Los Angeles Clippers made arrangements Thursday to bring in yet another new player by reaching terms with free-agent point guard Jason Williams. Williams Williams' agent, Bob Myers, told ESPN.com that the 32-year-old -- who spent the past three seasons with the Miami Heat and who started at point guard for Miami's title-winning team in 2006 -- has signed with the Clippers. Financial terms were not immediately available, but NBA front-office sources said Williams is receiving a one-year contract. "We are excited to add Jason to our squad," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said in a statement. "He brings added veteran leadership and playoff experience to our backcourt." In 679 regular-season games, Williams has averaged 11.4 points, 6.3 assists and 2.4 rebounds while playing for three different teams. He has appeared in 53 playoff games, averaging 9.8 points, 3.7 assists and 2.2 rebounds. Clippers general manager Elgin Baylor called Williams "a terrific ball handler with great passing ability and court vision." Williams ranked eighth in the league last season with a 3.37 assists-per-turnover ratio, and 12th with a 0.91 steals-per-turnover ratio. He was drafted by Sacramento in 1998 following his junior year at the University of Florida and was named to the 1999 NBA All-Rookie Team after he averaged 12.8 points and 6.0 assists. He has averaged scoring in double figures and at least five assists a game in eight of his 10 years in the league. Williams moved to Memphis before the 2001-02 season and over the following four years became the Grizzlies' career leader in assists and 3-point attempts. He joined the Heat before the 2005-06 season. Williams will thus become the 10th new player acquired by the Clippers in the wake of a disastrous 23-59 season, which was followed by Elton Brand's free-agent defection to the Philadelphia 76ers. Los Angeles native Baron Davis headlines the group of newcomers, which also includes center Marcus Camby, Williams' former Miami teammate Ricky Davis, first-round draft pick Eric Gordon, veteran forward Brian Skinner and sharpshooter Steve Novak, whom L.A. landed Wednesday in a trade with the Houston Rockets. Williams is the third point guard to join the Clippers this summer, along with Davis and Jason Hart, who was acquired from the Utah Jazz in a July 23 trade for Brevin Knight. The addition of Williams -- who recently attracted serious interest from Israeli giant Maccabi Tel-Aviv before Maccabi signed Orlando Magic free agent Carlos Arroyo -- all but ensures that the Clippers will not re-sign point guard Shaun Livingston. L.A. renounced its free-agent rights to the injury-plagued Livingston on July 9 to help create the requisite salary-cap space to officially sign Davis to his five-year, $65 million contract, but the Clippers did have the option of trying to re-sign him.

Schedule highlights: Season opens with champs versus King James

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The NBA's 2008-09 schedule is out ... and you know what that means. An equally anticipated document has to go with it: ESPN.com's first rundown of must-see games for the coming season to immediately input into your electronic calendar of choice. Oct. 28: Opening Night An earlier-than-usual launch to the season starts with a tasty TNT doubleheader, leading off with the new champs from Boston hosting LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers on ring night and capped by Greg Oden's long-awaited NBA debut in Blazers at Lakers. Oct. 29: Opening Night (continued) Elton Brand makes his 76ers debut in the same game that Jermaine O'Neal makes his official Raptors debut: Toronto at Philadelphia. Furtherm ore:Michael Beasley makes his pro debut at Madison Square Garden (along with Dwyane Wade's official return from injury) in Heat at Knicks, Ron Artest makes his Rockets debut in Memphis at Houston, and Oklahoma City makes its debut as a full-time NBA city with a visit from the Milwaukee Bucks. And ... ESPN dishes its own doubleheader doozy: Phoenix at San Antonio to renew year after year of recent playoff pleasantries, followed by Lakers at Clippers in a fitting bow for the Clips' new Angeleno point guard: Baron Davis. Oct. 30: Houston at Dallas (TNT) The Mavericks are one of two teams (along with Charlotte) that must wait until Thursday for their opening game, giving Mavs fans more time to fret that the Rockets' acquisition of Ron Artest reduces Dallas to the third-best team in Texas. Oct. 31: San Antonio at Portland (ESPN) The best of the Halloween fare, at least in NBA terms, is unquestionably Oden matching up with Tim Duncan. Nov. 1: Washington at Detroit (NBA TV) The league is still sorting out its full 96-game NBA TV schedule, but Wizards-Pistons has been confirmed as the opener of NBA TV's maiden doubleheader, which concludes with a Portland-at-Phoenix nightcap. [+] EnlargeJesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images If Yao can stay healthy, this could be a preview of the 2009 Finals. Nov. 4: Boston at Houston You don't have to wait long for a look at the NBA's reigning threesome of doom (Garnett, Pierce and Allen) throwing down against the new trio on the block (McGrady, Yao and Artest). P.S. How much playing time will the twins get in Phoenix at New Jersey ... also known as Robin Lopez at Brook Lopez? Nov. 5: Charlotte at New York Larry Brown returns to Madison Square Garden with his (latest) new team. We'll spare you the dates on Larry's returns to Denver, New Jersey, San Antonio, Los Angeles, Indiana, Philly and Detroit. Nov. 6: Houston at Portland (TNT) Yao Ming and Oden go toe-to-toe for the first time. Health permitting, of course. Nov. 9: Houston at L.A. Lakers The denizens of Lakerland who so badly wanted to see Artest in purple and gold will get their first dose of torture early. In L.A.'s first Sunday home game of the season, actually. Nov. 10: Portland at Orlando Oden will have lined up against Shaquille O'Neal (Nov. 1), Yao and Dwight Howard in a span of 10 days by the time he gets through this one. Health permitting, of course. Nov. 12: Atlanta at Boston Are the Hawks and Celtics rivals now because of what happened in the first round of the playoffs? Better question: Shouldn't Olympiacos be required to swing through Atlanta as part of the usual October spree of exhibition games against top European clubs? Nov. 13: Dallas at Chicago (TNT) Mavs owner Mark Cuban could know by this point whether he has won the race to buy the Cubs, which would make this somewhat of a home game for him and certainly spice up his relationship with Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, since Reinsdorf owns the White Sox. Nov. 14: Detroit at L.A. Lakers (ESPN) What sort of reception awaits Kwame Brown at Staples Center? Just a hunch: If history is any guide, Kwame needn't expect (or want) any mention of a cake. On the undercard: Kareem Rush's Philadelphia 76ers visit brother Brandon Rush's Indiana Pacers. Nov. 18: Cleveland at New Jersey LeBron and Jay-Z! In the same building! Exactly one week before LeBron goes to MSG to hang with Spike Lee and the Knicks! Cavs fans will want to avoid online consumption of the New York tabloids for a good few days before Thanksgiving. Nov. 20: L.A. Lakers at Phoenix (TNT) Kobe, tell me how many times do you think you and Shaq will be asked about recent rapping exploits? Detroit at Boston, incidentally, isn't exactly a bland appetizer for TNT. Nov. 21: Boston at Minnesota A hamstring strain prevented KG from playing in his first visit to 'Sota as an ex-Wolf last February. Hard to see him missing two in row, though. In Philadelphia, meanwhile, Baron and Elton will be in the same building for the first time since they did not end up on the same team as so many of us expected. And over in Oklahoma City, New Orleans is in town to play the OKC TBAs for the first time, which makes

Team USA: D-Wade the embodiment of Redeem Team

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SHANGHAI, China -- If the Redeem Team moniker is going to stick, we'll have to anoint Dwyane Wade the embodiment of that nickname. Two years and two months ago, he was the young phenom the NBA couldn't embrace enough. Six months ago, he was the broken-down, human-turnover machine whose best work was being done in television commercials. But as we move into August -- the month in which we'll all learn whether Wade and the rest of Team USA will end America's eight-year gold-medal drought -- we're seeing a Wade 2.0 who's finally back to looking like the Wade who led the Miami Heat to the 2006 NBA championship. "Last year was not a fair indication of the player he is," Kobe Bryant said Saturday. "He's healthy, he's strong, he's ready to go. The other night he caught a lob and windmilled it, so he's back all the way." Wade has been the second-leading scorer for Team USA through its first three exhibition games, averaging 17.4 points on 71 percent shooting (80 percent on 3-pointers) as the Americans have rolled past Canada, Turkey and Lithuania. Wade scored 15 of his team-high 19 points in just seven second-half minutes Friday as the Americans defeated Lithuania by 36 points, pulling away after a 19-point lead had dwindled to nine early in the second half. Wade was the offensive catalyst in the decisive surge, earning player of the game honors as the Americans finished off their five-day trip to Macau with a performance that boosted both their individual and their collective self-confidence. Wade's teammates lauded him for his three-game body of work, but also for the work he's been putting in behind the scenes, working overtime to add the catch-and-shoot jumper to a repertoire best known for his ability to get to the hoop. "Well, first of all, any compliment you get from your peers or your teammates means more than compliments that come from outside," Wade said. "So I appreciate LeBron [James] and the guys for saying that and really being behind me the whole time. Like I've been preaching and I've been saying, I've worked my tail off to get healthy. I haven't been healthy in two years after going through that long season, winning the championship, coming right back to compete in the FIBA World Championship. "I didn't have time to rest my body, so it wore down over the next year, and that's when I had two surgeries. I'm healthy again, I'm as healthy as I've been in two years, and I'm excited not only about this opportunity, but I'm excited about the rest of my career because now I know what it takes, and that weight room has become my best friend." Like his teammates, Wade bounded off the team bus with a little extra zip in his step late Saturday as the team arrived at its new hotel in Shanghai and immediately made a beeline to an adjacent California Pizza Kitchen, outfoxing the few fans who had received advance notice of their impending arrival and were staking out the front entrance. [+] EnlargeMN Chan/Getty Images Wade says he's 100 percent healthy and is showing it with explosive moves to the hoop. Bryant, Jason Kidd and Dwight Howard represented the team at an early evening news conference, whispering and passing inside jokes to one another as they sat through English and Mandarin translations of every question and answer. (The only time they all knocked off the goofiness and snapped to attention was when a question was posed regarding Argentina's comeback from a 19-point deficit against Australia the previous night -- a game in which Luis Scola scored 28 of his 32 points in the second half as the defending Olympic champion squad showed itself to be starting to hit its stride at last after two exhibition losses to Spain and a closer-than-expected victory over Iran.) The Americans' next match comes Sunday at 3 p.m. local time (3 a.m. ET, ESPN2) against defending European champion Russia (there won't be another afternoon game until the final day of the Olympics, Aug. 24), and coach Mike Krzyzewski already has told them they can have Monday off before playing their final pre-Olympic tune-up Tuesday against Australia. Chief American scout Tony Ronzone sat outside a Starbucks and greeted the American players as they disembarked from their bus after a two and a half hour commercial flight from Macau to Shanghai. He dispensed nuggets of information gleaned from his trip to Nanjing, China, to scout the FIBA DiamondBall Tournament -- and wondered aloud why Lithuania had used two of its best players, Ramunas Siskauskas and Linas Kleiza, so sparingly Friday, and why the Lithuanians had not given any playing time to one of their more versatile big men, Darius Lavrinovic? As impressed as he was with the accounts he had read and heard about the victory, Ronzone seemed to believe the Lithuanians were playing possum to a certain degree, showing the Americans very little of their repertoire in the hopes that Team USA would be lu

Rockets Add Ron Artest in Trade with Kings: Where are the Rockets ranked now in the Western Conference?

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Barry signs with Houston, is third family member to play for Rockets

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HOUSTON -- The Houston Rockets signed free agent Brent Barry to a two-year contract on Thursday, making him the third member of the family to join the franchise. Barry The 6-foot-7 Barry played 31 games with San Antonio last season and shot 43 percent (48-for-112) from 3-point range. A 13-year veteran, Barry will play for his sixth NBA team after stints with the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Seattle SuperSonics and the Spurs. Barry's father, Rick, spent two seasons with the Rockets (1978-80) and his older brother, Jon, played for the team from 2004-06. Barry, 36, was a member of San Antonio's championship teams, in the 2004-05 and 2006-07 seasons. Among active players, Barry ranks eighth in career 3-point field goal percentage (.407) and sixth in career 3-pointers made (1,346). Barry won the NBA slam dunk contest in 1996. He was the league's most accurate 3-point shooter in 2000-01, making 48 percent (109-of-229).

More than a pocketful for Posey in this lucrative deal

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You knew this was coming -- the inevitable overreaction to a role player on a championship team in free agency. Every year there's one guy whom teams can't stop fawning over, and this year it was James Posey. Sure, he was an integral part of championship teams for both Miami and Boston, but as with a lot of players who win rings it can be hard for us to look at him rationally. That' swhy role players on title winners tend to get unusually generous contracts, and Posey appears to be the latest example. The same guy who inked a two-year deal (the second was a player option) for just a portion of the midlevel exception last summer to join the Celtics suddenly finds himself enriched with a four-year, $25 million deal by the Hornets. If that seems excessive for a 31-year-old who hasn't averaged more than 8.1 points per game in any of the past four seasons, it's because it is. It's true that Posey brings three things to the table: defense, rebounding and 3-point shooting. He's not an all-defense guy, but he's an above-average defender who can play multiple positions, and that's certainly helpful. So are the 3s -- in his past three campaigns he's hit 40.3 percent, 37.5 percent and 38.0 percent from downtown. And he's an underrated defensive rebounder who had the third-best defensive rebound rate among small forwards last season. But those strengths need to be seen in the context of the bigger picture. The guy has all but abandoned shooting anything besides a 3 -- two-thirds of his shots were triples, the fourth-highest rate in the league and the highest among nonguards -- so despite the 3s, he's a fairly inert offensive player. And, as I mentioned, he's a 31-year-old who will be handsomely paid 'til age 35. Nobody wanted to pay him this kind of dough when he was 30, and his production wasn't any different last year -- just the result in June. And since this is so hard for people to remember, I'll say it again: The Hornets aren't paying for what Posey gave the Celtics last year, or what he gave the Heat in 2006, but for what he can potentially give the Hornets from 2008 to 2012. And that production is likely to diminish substantially from its already modest levels. Comb through the books and try to find perimeter players who played well until 35 -- it's tough. Now try to find some who played well 'til that age after scoring single figures in their 20s. Good luck. For better insight into Posey's future, let's take a look at what happened to some similar players -- those who rated as statistically similar based on their performance at the same age, played primarily on the wing and were in his league as a defender. The top names on that list are Bryon Russell, Dan Majerle, Jaren Jackson, Rick Fox and Raja Bell. • Bell is only a year older and declined noticeably last season. • Majerle declined sharply starting at 30 and had his last useful season at 32. • Jackson had a quality season at 32 but played 25 games the rest of his career. • Russell lost it at 31 and never got it back, though he managed to hang around for four more years. • Fox played reasonably well until 33 and then lost it, hard, and was out of the league by 35. Swim deeper in the similarity pool and you'll find similar stories from Walter McCarty, Shandon Anderson, Lucious Harris, Doug Christie, Eddie Jones and Aaron McKie. Yes, you'll find a couple exceptions if you look hard enough, most notably Mario Elie and Bruce Bowen. But the big-picture takeaway is that most players decline sharply between ages 31 and 35, and if Posey wasn't that good at 31 he's likely to be unplayable by the time he's 35. That's why nobody else wanted to give him four guaranteed years. I have two other problems with this signing from the Hornets' perspective. First, it doesn't address their main weaknesses. New Orleans badly needs additional frontcourt depth and it seemed only reasonable that it would use the midlevel exception to address that need. If not a frontcourt player, one presumed the Hornets would at least use the midlevel to target a shooting guard, where Morris Peterson was up and down this past season. Perhaps they think Posey can play the 2 full time, but that seems a major stretch for a guy who has played almost exclusively the 3 and 4 with Miami and Boston. Second, Posey creates a playing-time problem because he's a natural 3 who can swing to the 4 in small-ball lineups -- just like their 2007 first-round pick, Julian Wright. Presumably Wright will now be buried on the bench -- even though he was immensely productive in his limited minutes last season and figures to be better in his second season. As for Boston, losing Posey certainly was a blow, but it was correct not to match the Hornets' overreaction.

With new acquisitions such as Beasley, Brand and J O'Neal what will the playoff picture look like in the east?

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Beasley takes Round 1 with fellow top draft pick Rose

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ORLANDO, Fla. -- Michael Beasley stood in the doorway to the gym an hour before gametime, iPod in his left hand, head bobbing slightly as he chatted with new Miami Heat teammate Mario Chalmers. He was the picture of cool. And on the court, his demeanor didn't change much. If Beasley was the tiniest bit anxious about his first pro outing -- one that came against the Chicago Bulls and Derrick Rose, the only player selected before him in last month's NBA draft -- he hid the nerves perfectly. Beasley scored 28 points in 23 minutes, lifting Miami past Chicago 94-70 on Monday in the Orlando summer league opener for both teams. It was the ninth-highest scoring performance in Orlando summer league history, and true to his form, Beasley wasn't the least bit impressed. "Could have played better," he said. "Could have got a couple more assists, made a couple extra passes, got a couple more rebounds, could have got a couple stops early on." He was 9-for-21 from the field, with nine rebounds and 19 points in the second half -- matching the total that Bulls forwards Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas managed in the entire game. The Bulls started with Thomas guarding Beasley, switched to put Noah on him midway through the first quarter, and neither had much of an answer. "He's a great player on the pick-and-roll and he's going to be someone who'll be very tough to guard," Noah said. "I mean, I was very impressed. He was very comfortable in everything that he wanted to do and he did a great job." Meanwhile, Rose had some moments, but simply never took over the game offensively the way Beasley did. The guard who spearheaded Memphis' run to the NCAA title game this past season finished with 10 points on 3-for-8 shooting, with four assists and five turnovers -- mostly while being guarded by Chalmers, who hit the big shot as Kansas beat Rose's Tigers in overtime in that national championship game. [+] EnlargeFernando Medina/NBAE/Getty Images Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley got their first tastes of the NBA in the Heat's and Bulls' summer league opener. "We didn't win," Rose said, "so I think I played horrible. But tomorrow's a new day." Kasib Powell had 15 points and Chalmers added 11 points and six assists for Miami. Demetris Nichols and Keith Langford both had 13 points for Chicago. Each team plays five games in the six-team, weeklong summer league, which also features entries from Indiana, Orlando, New Jersey and Oklahoma City. Summer league games are really glorified scrimmages, each team dressed in practice gear, with no fans in the bleachers. But Beasley vs. Rose garnered plenty of attention, which Beasley tried to ignore. "You can put the Jolly Green Giant out there," Beasley said. "I'm going to still play, man." Many players from the first game, Indiana-Oklahoma City, stuck around to watch the top two draft picks. A slew of NBA coaches and executives made sure to get good seats around the court before tipoff. Heat forward Dorell Wright, who had just flown home from California, decided to make the 3½-hour drive north to watch the former Kansas State forward he hopes to be teammates with next season. "I like to see the young guys," Wright said. "And he's going to be good." He didn't disappoint. Beasley's first shot was blocked by Thomas -- "I caught a flat, man," Beasley said -- but that was a rare lowlight. He split defenders off the dribble for layups. He rebounded his own missed 3-pointer, turned toward the basket and laid it back in. He switched at the perfect time on some pick-and-rolls, denying Rose the chance to penetrate. "He's a great player," Rose said. "He's a force." Beasley wasn't perfect. He forced some shots, especially early. He picked up three fouls in the opening minutes, and even though players can't foul out in summer league, Heat coach Keith Askins decided to teach the rookie a lesson and sat him for the second quarter. "I'm going to let him play as long as he wants," Askins said, "as long as he stays out of trouble." This much is already clear: With Beasley alongside Dwyane Wade, the Heat expect to be far removed from the 15-win wreck of a season they endured last year. The Bulls couldn't stop him from scoring, and couldn't even stop him from singing during stoppages of play, either. (Yes, they did ask.) "I didn't want to," Beasley said. "I was happy, singing a happy song." After his first pro outing, so were the Heat. "Well, he's a hell of a basketball player," Askins said. "But we already knew that

Beasley elbowed in chest during first Heat practice

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Brand to opt out, hopes to work out deal with Clippers

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Top 50 Players in NFL

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1. Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots: Can he do any more than he did last season? The scary thing for the rest of the league is, yes he can. 2. Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis Colts: Even Manning's down seasons are sensational. If Marvin Harrison is back this year, watch out. 3. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, San Diego Chargers: His failure to play in the AFC Championship Game hurts his rep some, but he's still the best runner in the game. 4. Randy Moss, WR, New England Patriots: Talk about resurrecting a reputation. He wasn't on many top 50 lists a year ago. Now he's a top 10 player. There is nobody better at cover corner than Champ Bailey. (Getty Images) 5. Champ Bailey, CB, Denver Broncos: It's chic to pick his game apart. That's foolish. Bailey is still the best cover corner in the game. 6. Mario Williams, DE, Houston Texans: Williams is making the Texans proud for passing on Reggie Bush and Vince Young to take this pass rusher. He might have been the league's best defensive player in the final eight weeks of 2007. 7. Bob Sanders, S, Indianapolis Colts: The only thing holding him back is the injury issues. When he's on the field, the Colts have a different defense. 8. Carson Palmer, QB, Cincinnati Bengals: After Brady and Manning he's the third-best quarterback. The Bengals need to run it a little better to take the heat off him. 9. DeMarcus Ware, OLB, Dallas Cowboys: He was given more freedom in Wade Phillips' version of the 3-4 and played better in 2007. Ware is a speed rusher who has his best football still in front of him. 10. Kevin Williams, DT, Minnesota Vikings: He is a powerful inside player who teams with Pat Williams to form the best tackle tandem in the league. He is good against the run, yet quick enough to get pass-rush penetration. 11. Shawne Merriman, LB, San Diego Chargers: Merriman is a pass-rush force off the edge. His quickness and power are the perfect combination for the Chargers' 3-4 system. You have to account for him on every pass play. 12. Jared Allen, DE, Minnesota Vikings: He led the league in sacks last season with the Chiefs. The Vikings added him to give them the best defensive line in the league. Allen plays hard all the time. 13. Terrell Owens, WR, Dallas Cowboys: Forget all the theatrics. He's a star player. He bounced back from his off 2006 season to be one of the best last season. I'd take him on my team any day. 14. Albert Haynesworth, DT, Tennessee Titans: Before he got hurt midway through last season, he was on his way to a potential Defensive Player of the Year award. When motivated, he is as good as anybody inside. 15. Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings: Peterson was special as a rookie and should be even better this time around. He is a big, strong and fast and can rip off the big runs with an Eric Dickerson-like ease. 16. Walter Jones, T, Seattle Seahawks: Jones is a rock on the left side of the Seattle line. He is a great pass protector who has improved as a run blocker. 17. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers: At 26, he's entering his prime. Roethlisberger has developed into a quality passer. Playing behind a bad line last year, he hung in tough and led the Steelers to a division title. 18. Charles Woodson, CB, Green Bay Packers: Ask Packers insiders who was better last season, Woodson or Pro Bowl player Al Harris. The answer is Woodson. After Bailey, I'd take him over all other corners. 19. Steve Hutchinson, G, Minnesota Vikings: He wasn't his usual self in his first season with the Vikings in 2006, but bounced back to his dominating form last year. 20. Brian Westbrook, RB, Philadelphia Eagles: It's scary to think what the Eagles offense would be like without him. He's a better runner inside the tackles than many expected and he's good in the passing game. He's a versatile weapon. 21. Steve Smith, WR, Carolina Panthers: He was hurt last season when Jake Delhomme went down. It doesn't help that Smith has little help on the other side. Defenses all double him. 22. Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis Colts: When Marvin Harrison was out last season, Wayne emerged as the team's go-to receiver. The guess here is that is that it stays that way. He's a true star now. 23. Ed Reed, S, Baltimore Ravens: He is the prototype modern safety: rangy and can still tackle. He is what safeties like Roy Williams wish they could be. Antonio Gates is so dangerous that double coverage can't stop him. (Getty Images) 24. Antonio Gates, TE, San Diego Chargers: When the Chargers need a first down through the air, Gates is that guy. And he does it facing constant double-coverage. 25. Dwight Freeney, DE, Indianapolis Colts: He's coming off a serious foot injury, which is a concern. It's why his ranking is down. When he's truly healthy, he's a top 15 player. 26. Andre Johnson, WR, Houston Texans: Injuries limited him last season, but John

The Best Available Free Agents

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Iguodala 1. Andre Iguodala, Sixers: Iguodala's decision to turn down a $57 million deal last summer is tough to justify. At the time, the Sixers appeared to be the only team with significant cap room; I'm not sure where he thought his next paycheck would come from. He had a great regular season, but a woeful postseason has put his stock back in check. He's coveted by the Grizzlies, but the chances of them prying him away from Philly look very slim. 2. Josh Smith, Hawks: On talent and potential, Smith should be on top of this list. He's a freakish athlete who can score, rebound and block shots. What holds him back is a questionable attitude. Nonetheless it appears the Hawks have to re-sign him. Given the Hawks' ownership woes, Smith is one of the few restricted free agents a team with cap space may try to pluck away -- the same way the Hawks did with Joe Johnson a few years ago. I could see the Sixers making a run at him. Okafor 3. Emeka Okafor, Bobcats: Okafor turned down $13 million per season to hit free agency this summer. He's not the best player on this list, but he's the best young center on the market. Still, there's no guarantee he'll get more money from another team. I'm sure the Grizzlies will be interested, but they know the Bobcats will match. I don't see him going anywhere, but a sign-and-trade isn't out of the question here if the negotiations go on too long. 4. Jose Calderon, Raptors: Calderon played at an All-Star level this past season. When T.J. Ford went down with injuries, he became the leader of the Raptors and proved to be the best true point guard on the free-agent market. The Raptors say they'll match any offer for Calderon and I believe them -- especially now that they've agreed to a trade with the Pacers that will ship T.J. Ford to Indiana. As it stands now, he's their only point guard. Still, don't be shocked if the Sixers make a big offer to him. They need a long-term replacement for Andre Miller and I hear Sixers GM Ed Stefanski is a big fan. Deng 5. Luol Deng, Bulls: Everyone loves Deng's talent, but so do the Bulls. At least they used to. Injuries and a poor season have hurt his value around the league. Still, it's hard to see the Bulls not matching any offer Deng gets next summer. He declined a $57.5 million extension in October, so if he makes more than that he'll come out ahead. It will be interesting to see if the budget-conscious Bulls will take advantage of the market conditions and offer him much less. 6. Andris Biedrins, Warriors: Biedrins didn't get the lucrative contract offer that several others did. He was looking for something in the five-year, $50 million range and got an offer that was reportedly substantially lower. Biedrins falls a little bit into the Anderson Varejao category -- energetic big man whose stats don't tell the whole story in terms of on-court contributions. Given that he continues to improve and he's only 21 years old, it's hard to believe the Warriors wouldn't match an offer. Ellis 7. Monta Ellis, Warriors: He's young and he can score. But his restricted status is going to hurt him. No team has the money to offer him more than the midlevel, and he probably feels as though he's worth considerably more than that. He's a player who may be better off taking the one-year tender from the Warriors so that he can be an unrestricted free agent in 2009. 8. Josh Childress, Hawks: Childress doesn't get nearly the respect or hype of many of his teammates in Atlanta, but he's been a devastatingly effective sixth man and who might still be expendable given all of Atlanta's wing talent. He probably can't get more than a midlevel deal on this market, but he'd be a bargain at that price. Gordon 9. Ben Gordon, Bulls: Of all the players who turned down lucrative contract extensions last summer, Gordon made the most mind-boggling decision. He turned down a five-year, $50 million deal that seemed above market value on a down season. For him to recoup that money this summer seems almost impossible … and now that the Bulls have added Larry Hughes to the mix, it's no longer clear where Gordon fits into the picture. There isn't a huge market for undersized 2-guards with streaky jump shots. Gordon is most likely to be the top restricted free agent not to have his offer matched, but he's going to struggle to get a huge offer from anyone. Gordon may be better off taking the Bulls' one-year tender offer. 10. Nenad Krstic, Nets: Before his knee injury last season, Krstic looked like he'd be locked up by the Nets. Now the uncertainty over his health could hurt his value. Philadelphia is one team to watch for. Sixers GM Ed Stefanski was a fan while he was back in New Jersey. A sign-and-trade is another possibility for the Nets.

Gay runs wind-aided 9.68 to qualify for U.S. Olympic team

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After scare in first heat, Gay breaks U.S. record in 100

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EUGENE, Ore. -- Tyson Gay got quite a fright in his first race Saturday. He set a record in his second. Gay broke Maurice Greene's American mark in the 100 meters by running 9.77 seconds in his quarterfinal at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials. "It tells me I'm in pretty good shape," Gay said. "We've got two more rounds left." Tyson Gay set a new U.S. record in the 100, 9.77 seconds. The U.S. contingent for the women's 100 was determined Saturday, and the biggest surprises might have been who did not make the team: Allyson Felix, whose specialty is the 200 but announced her intention to compete in four events in China, and Marshevet Hooker, who had the fastest time in each of the previous three rounds. But Hooker was fourth and Felix was only fifth in the final. Instead, the three roster spots in that event went to Muna Lee in 10.85, and Torri Edwards and Lauryn Williams, two past world champions who both finished in 10.90. "I'm definitely disappointed," Felix said. "The whole reason for running the 100 is to make the team. But I can't get too down. I still have the 200 to go." Gay tied the fourth-fastest time in the history of the men's dash, despite clearly easing up a tad over his final few strides. Still, that was nothing compared what he did in his opening heat earlier in the day, when Gay came awfully close to a monumental blunder. After building a big lead, the reigning world champion eased up a lot with about 30 meters left -- so much that the rest of the field began to catch him. Gay was forced to accelerate again and he lunged across the finish line in fourth place, good enough to advance. "The first round I was scared. I almost started crying. I didn't know if I made it," Gay said after bettering the record Greene set in 1999. "This round I felt good." As well he should. The performance had to be a big boost of confidence for Gay, who was a distant second -- a spectator, really -- in New York on May 31, when Jamaica's Usain Bolt broke the world record by clocking 9.72. Gay had to answer plenty of questions about how much of a challenge he'll present at the Beijing Olympics to Bolt and another Jamaican, previous world record-holder Asafa Powell. Could Gay challenge Bolt's mark in Sunday's semifinal or final? "Anything's possible," said Wallace Spearmon, who sneaked into the semifinals by running 10.07. "Tyson's fast." So is the track at Hayward Field, which already has produced two U.S. records in running events and is serving up the sort of dry, hot weather -- the temperature hit 95 degrees Saturday -- conducive to quick sprinting. The runner-up in Gay's quarterfinal was Jeffery Demps of Okahumpka, Fla., who got out of the blocks a bit ahead of the favorite and wound up setting a national high school record at 10.01. In other words, this was a very fast race. Olympic berths were finalized in two later events. As expected, world champion Reese Hoffa, Christian Cantwell and two-time Olympic silver medalist Adam Nelson led the way in the men's shot put. Hoffa won with a top effort of 72 feet, 6 1/4 inches. And in the heptathlon, Hyleas Fountain, Jacquelyn Johnson and Diana Pickler qualified to go to Beijing.

Da Truth Speaks: PJ Breaks down the NBA 09 season!

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