SB Nation Boston: All Posts by Jordan Sams

MLBTR: A's Asked For Lowrie; Astros Asked For Chris Carter In Return

2013-01-25T02:42:42Z

Check out this recent post from MLB Trade Rumors:

The Athletics talked to the Astros about a possible trade involving Jed Lowrie earlier this winter, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The A's weren't prepared to meet Houston's asking price of both Chris Carter and a young pitcher in exchange for Lowrie, who has drawn interestfrom several teams this winter.

Interesting. It's unclear if the Astros asked about Chris Carter before Carlos Pena and/or before Singleton's suspension. It's also unclear what type of pitching prospect the Astros were interested in.

Although Carter swings-and-misses a lot, he gets on base at a decent clip, and would've provided the Astros with much-needed power. Also, more controllable years than Lowrie. However; Lowrie plays a premium position and I think Luhnow can get more value during the season, when teams are desperate to add a piece.

Still, it's nice to know what type of haul Lowrie would net.

Check out this recent post from MLB Trade Rumors:

The Athletics talked to the Astros about a possible trade involving Jed Lowrie earlier this winter, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The A's weren't prepared to meet Houston's asking price of both Chris Carter and a young pitcher in exchange for Lowrie, who has drawn interestfrom several teams this winter.

Still, it's nice to know what type of haul Lowrie would net.

Because You Can Never Have Enough Nikola Vucevic

2013-01-20T17:30:01Z

Many words have been written about the freethrophobic rebounding machine that is Nikola Vucevic, ever since his historic game against the Miami Heat. You may remember the unathletic specimen's days in Philadelphia, from his time in Doug Collins Doghouse, or by the less than rave reviews he received on Draft Night, but now he may be remembered as the best player in the Dwight Howard trade, and the single reason Sixers and Magic fans fight like the girls from The Bachelor.

Grantland published an article titled, 'Why Nikola Vucevic Could Be the Next Marc Gasol', Justin F so eloquently stated that the only difference between 240 pounds of fecal matter and Nikola Vucevic is one can rebound, and Orlando Pinstriped Post wrote a thousand word rebuttal, in 'U MAD BRO' font.

Now it's my turn. Because in a world filled with fake girlfriends and fake deaths, and Reggie Miller color commentary, you can never have enough Nikola Vucevic.

The Trade

First thing's first.

For years, and years, and years, and years, the Sixers were the model of NBA mediocrity. The only way out was a superstar – they either had to draft a one (unlikely) or trade for one (nearly impossible).

The night they traded for Andrew Bynum, the Sixers damn-near pulled off the impossible – they traded for a 24-year-old center, with the potential to be a 10-15 NBA player – a superstar to build around – a ticket out of mediocrity. Because of what Andrew Bynum represented, and still represents, the Sixers will not, and should not, ever regret the trade. Even if Vucevic became a top 30 NBA Player (no chance), he'll never provide the Sixers with the same potential as Andrew Bynum, and keeping him, in turn, would've cemented the Sixers in the NBA Friend Zone for-possibly-ever.

Vucevic's Production

Vucevic has his deficiencies – he's dead last amongst qualified centers in Free Throw Rate and plays below average defense, but what he lacks in defense and free throws, he makes up for by being an elite rebounder, and slightly above average in efficiency and interior passing. Peep this table:

	Age	TS%	PER	eFG%	TRB%	BLK%	USG	WS/48	On/Off
Player A	22	.506	21.4	.437	18.9	1.6	29.0	.107	+1.3
Player B	21	.517	17.0	.459	16.5	5.4	20.7	.110	-3.0
Player C	22	.520	18.6	.474	16.1	1.4	25.1	.102	-6.5
Player D	22	.529	17.0	.514	20.1	2.4	18.2	.120	-2.9

Player A is DeMarcus Cousins

Player B is Derrick Favors

Player C is Greg Monroe

Player D is Nikola Vucevic

Vuce's talents aren't as highly-regarded as Boogie, Favors or Monroe, but he certainly produces in a similar fashion. He also ranks in the top half of qualified big men, in relevant categories, drafted in the last five years. Of the 60 Forwards/Centers drafted since 2008, here's where Vuce ranks in 2012-13:

PER: T-19st

TS%: 31st

TRB%: 4th

WS: T-16th

WS/48: 25th

It's far from outrageous to claim Vucevic is one of the better 25-and-under big men in the NBA, with more improvement forthcoming.

Ceiling

Here's what I wrote on draft night:

There's virtually zero chance Nikola Vucevic ever turns out to be an All-Star caliber player, or come even remotely close. Draft Express has his ceiling as Mehmet Okur. Mehmet was a really nice NBA player in his prime - and I know he made an All-Star team - but if he's your absolute best case scenario, that's a relatively low ceiling ... Vucevic probably tops out as a 7th or 8th man on a championship caliber team.

I stand by everything I said, but I'd like to add: Vuce's ceiling is the 7th/8th best player on a championship team, the 6th/7th best player on a contender, the 5th/6th best player on a borderline contender, the 4th/5th best player on a Playoff team, the 3rd/4th best guy on a .500 team, the 2nd/3rd best guy on a lottery team, and the best player on the 2012 Charlotte Bobcats.

Will the Sixers rue the day they traded Nikola Vucevic? Like hell they won't. Is Nikola Vucevic going to be a productive NBA player for a like time? Like hell he is.

My Astros Top 20 Prospects, 2013

2013-01-16T20:49:27Z

My Astros Top 20 Prospects, 2013

Feedback?

Analysis of Jeff Luhnow's Trades

2013-01-13T18:44:47Z

Jeff Luhnow has been the Astros General Manager for a little over 13 months now, and he's been a busy man. Besides earning rave reviews for his mastery of the 2012 MLB Draft, he's already completed a whopping 10 trades.

Luhnow trades were accompanied by mixed reviews. Die-hard Astros fans, who believe in the re-building process, lauded Luhnow's trades, as did prospect enthusiasts across the internet. Contrarily, casual Astros fans, old-school beat writers, and anonymous executives ripped the trades, claiming Luhnow was 'going overboard'.

I, for one, loved the trades. The Astros weren't, and aren't contending, anytime soon, so why not unload as many tradable assets as possible, acquiring cheap young talent in the process? Will any of the prospects Luhnow acquired become above average Major Leaguers? It's not likely. But Luhnow was able to build an insane amount of farm system depth (from a bottom 5 system, to top 10), losing very little long-term value.

Below is a cumulative snapshot of Luhnow's trades:

Players traded - 14

Average age of players traded - 31

2012 WAR of players traded - 11.0

Who - Mark Melancon, Humberto Quintero, Jason Bourgeois, Justin Ruggiano, Carlos Lee, David Carpenter, JA Happ, Brandon Lyon, Brett Myers, Wandy Rodriguez, Chris Johnson, Wilton Lopez, Ben Francisco*, Rob Rasmussen*

2012 BA Top 10 Prospects (team-specific) traded - 1

Players traded FOR - 26

Average age of players traded FOR - 23

2012 WAR of players traded FOR - 2.3

Who - Alex White, John Ely, Alex Gillingham, Francisco Cordero, Matt Dominguez, Kyle Weiland, Jed Lowrie, Mark Krauss, Brian Borchering, Rudy Owens, Robbie Grossman, Colton Cain, Matt Heidenreich, Blair Walters, Chris Devenski, Adrian Wojciechowski, Carlos Perez, David Rollins, Kevin Comer, Joe Musgrove, Jobduan Morales, Kevin Chapman, DeAndre Toney, Theron Geith, Ben Francisco*, Rob Rasmussen*

2012 BA Top 10 Prospects (team-specific) traded FOR - 4

2012 BA Top 20 Prospects (team-specific) traded FOR - 7

2012 BA Top 30 Prospects (team-specific) traded FOR - 1

2012 BA Unranked Prospects (team-specific) traded FOR - 6

Best trade - Mark Melancon for Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland

Worst trade - Justin Ruggiano for Jobduan Morales

In Luhnow's first 10 trades he was able to accomplish a couple things. First, he added much-needed depth to the Astros farm system, which is a big reason why they've become a top 10 system. Second, he turned 14 players into 26 - another plus for a re-building franchise. He also shed a ton of salary, age, and locked up the first overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft (maybe 2014, as well).

Overall, I couldn't be happier with the trades Luhnow has made since he became the Astros GM. The only potential long-term piece he parted with was Chris Johnson (Ruggiano is 30 and won't have a BABIP over .400 ever again), while adding potentially-productive major leaguers like Dominguez and Lowrie, and prospects with relatively high ceilings, like Grossman, Musgrove and Comer.

Did I mention he traded 300-pound Carlos Lee, and elbow-less Wilton Lopez, not once, but twice? In Luhnow We Trust.

Below is a cumulative snapshot of Luhnow's trades:

Players traded - 14

Average age of players traded - 31

2012 WAR of players traded - 11.0

2012 BA Top 10 Prospects (team-specific) traded - 1

Players traded FOR - 26

Average age of players traded FOR - 23

2012 WAR of players traded FOR - 2.3

2012 BA Top 10 Prospects (team-specific) traded FOR - 4

2012 BA Top 20 Prospects (team-specific) traded FOR - 7

2012 BA Top 30 Prospects (team-specific) traded FOR - 1

2012 BA Unranked Prospects (team-specific) traded FOR - 6

Best trade - Mark Melancon for Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland

Worst trade - Justin Ruggiano for Jobduan Morales

Did I mention he traded 300-pound Carlos Lee, and elbow-less Wilton Lopez, not once, but twice? In Luhnow We Trust.

Rob Ryan to Green Bay?

2013-01-13T06:05:07Z

Rob Ryan to Green Bay?

Sounds bizarre, with all the Rams stuff, but that's what a Vegas Wise Guy is saying. We'll see if it comes to fruition.

Two Intriguing 'Tampa 2' Free Agents For The Cowboys

2013-01-12T08:51:00Z

The Monte Kiffin hire is beginning to sink in, and the mood has gone from "holy hell jerry jones is an idiot monte kiffin is 300 years old we have no players to run the tampa 2" to "maybe this hiring wasn't so bad after all the defense is simple and lee and carter are great fits and monte kiffin won a super bowl!"

Earlier today Rabble eloquently broke down the way in which Dallas's current personnel fits the Tampa 2 scheme, and vice versa. The conclusion: the fit is good, but there are some holes.

We can safely assume that the Cowboys scouting department is working ferveriously on a list of 4-3 draft prospects, and the team will look to fill many of their defensive needs in April's draft. It's also almost a forgone conclusion, now, that Anthony Spencer will depart, via free agency.

Six draft picks isn't going to be enough to fill the holes, necessary for a seamless transition to the Tampa 2, a scheme many Cowboys defenders haven't played before. The Cowboys don't have the cap maneuverability to land a guy like Henry Melton, or Jarius Byrd, in free agency. Instead, Dallas will have to look for potential Tampa 2 bargains, in Free Agency 2013. Here are two intriguing names:

Ronde Barber

I've read numerous places, that free safety, is the quarterback of the Tampa 2. As it stands, Dallas's opening day starter is either going to be Gerald Sensabaugh, Barry Church, Matt Johnson, or a rookie. Are you confident in any of those guys "quarterbacking" year one of the Tampa 2 in Dallas?

Enter: Ronde Barber

The veteran corner-turned safety will be 38 years old on opening night, so signing him is nothing more than A) a quick fix B) an extended coach, to help Dallas transition to the Tampa 2.

Don't you think Ronde, who played the 7th best Free Safety in football, according to PFF, would want to re-unite with Kiffin, for one last Super Bowl run? Who better to "quarterback" the defense than a guy who has been virtually playing in it his entire career, mostly with Kiffin as his coach.

Because of his relationship Kiffin, knowledge of the scheme, and oppurtunity to be on a contending team, Ronde could easily be lured to Dallas on a discount.

This almost makes too much sense not to happen.

Daryl Smith

Mike and Will are locked up with Lee and Carter, but Sam? As of right now, the two guys competing for the Sam linebacker spot in Kiffin's defense are Alex Albright and Kyle Wilber. Much like Matt Johnson and Barry Church, there's upside to be had with both Albright and Wilber, but are either ready to take on a full-time role? That remains to be seen.

In the meantime, a 30-year-old Daryl Smith is set to become a free agent, one year removed from rated as the second best 4-3 OLB in the NFL, according to PFF.

Unfortunately, Smith is coming off a season where he only appeared in two games, late in the season, for the lowly Jaguars. He was hampered by a groin injury all season, which probably cost him a lot of money, in what is likely to be his last big contract year.

Smith is another vet the Cowboys may be able to snatch up for cheap, on a one-year deal, as Smith tries to re-build his value after a lost season. Even if only as a one-year rental, Smith would be a stopgap for Albright and Wilber, giving them an extra year to learn the system.

Now we're talking about a starting 11 of:

Hatcher, Lissemore, Ratliff, Ware, Cartr, Lee, Smith, Carr, Claiborne, Barber and Church.

Earlier today Rabble eloquently broke down the way in which Dallas's current personnel fits the Tampa 2 scheme, and vice versa. The conclusion: the fit is good, but there are some holes.

Ronde Barber

Enter: Ronde Barber

The veteran corner-turned safety will be 38 years old on opening night, so signing him is nothing more than A) a quick fix B) an extended coach, to help Dallas transition to the Tampa 2.

Because of his relationship Kiffin, knowledge of the scheme, and oppurtunity to be on a contending team, Ronde could easily be lured to Dallas on a discount.

This almost makes too much sense not to happen.

Daryl Smith

In the meantime, a 30-year-old Daryl Smith is set to become a free agent, one year removed from rated as the second best 4-3 OLB in the NFL, according to PFF.

Now we're talking about a starting 11 of:

Hatcher, Lissemore, Ratliff, Ware, Cartr, Lee, Smith, Carr, Claiborne, Barber and Church.

Larry Lacewell calls Kiffin "best hire since Jimmy Johnson"

2013-01-11T17:24:00Z

Larry Lacewell calls Kiffin "best hire since Jimmy Johnson"

Awesome!

... who the hell is Larry Lacewell?

Announcing My Retirement From Liberty Ballers

2012-09-18T13:31:33Z

This has been one of the most difficult decisions I've ever had to make, but after four years, I have decided to retire as the Managing Editor of Liberty Ballers.

When I started my own blog in 2008, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was just a 19-year-old kid, writing about the Sixers, in my mom's basement, in my underwear (not my mom's underwear, though). Now, I'm a 23-year-old kid, still writing about the Sixers, in my mom's basement, in my underwear. So, that hasn't changed.

However; four years, and a couple pairs of underwear later, I've realized how blessed I am to do the things I did – things that would've made 10-year-old Jordan poop his pants and eat his Snack Pack with a fork.

Those things include: appearances on radio shows, interviews with General Managers, shared text messages with players, articles linked to on ESPN.com, and my name published in multiple books. I did all of this while getting paid to write about my favorite basketball team. I often tell people that I'm "livin' the dream", and that's exactly what I was doing for the past four years.

At first glance, my decision to hang up the keyboard comes at a curious time. The Sixers just traded for Andrew Bynum, SB Nation is evolving into a media powerhouse, and I love the people I work with. That said, there are other goals I want to accomplish in my life, and writing about sports was always meant to be a hobby – nothing more. Lately, it's become a job. I always promised myself, the day this became "a job", is the day I would call it quits. That day is today.

Believe me, it's beyond difficult to "walk away" from SB Nation – a phenomenal company, run by a phenomenal group of people, headed toward phenomenal accomplishments. Same goes for Liberty Ballers – in my biased opinion, you won't find a more well-rounded, entertaining, high-quality basketball blog on the internet. Now that the Sixers actually have an interesting team, I'm convinced that 2012-13 is the year Liberty Ballers officially arrives – and that will happen with, or without me.

Speaking of Liberty Ballers, I'm leaving the blog in great hands. Mike, Tanner, Derek and Dave are people I hand-picked for their positions on the site, and couldn't be any more thrilled with the blog's direction.

I want to thank everyone at SB Nation, for all of their hard work, and more importantly, the opportunity they blessed me with four years ago. Specifically, I must thank Tyler Bleszinski, Seth Pollack and Matt Bernhardt, for everything they've done for me. I also want to extend a thanks to anyone who has ever linked to an article of mine, or re-tweeted me. I've had everyone, from Playboy Bunnies, to Bowling For Soup, re-tweet my Sixers articles, and it blows my mind. A special thanks goes out to Michael Preston, head of the Sixers PR department, who went out of his way for bloggers, like myself.

Last, but not least, the biggest thanks of all goes to the readers of the site. I cannot express to you how flattered and grateful I am for all of you – whether you intentionally visited the site, or mistakenly stumbled upon an article by Google'ing "Best WWF Tag-Teams". Same goes for anyone who has commented on the site, purchased a t-shirt, followed me on Twitter, or e-mailed me. None of this would have been possible without any of you, and for that, I cannot thank you enough.

So, what's next? I'm still going to live-tweet Sixers games, re-tweet Sixers articles, and vehemently debate other bloggers on why Andre Iguodala is more valuable than Carmelo Anthony. In other words, you better believe I'll have 140 characters ready for the first Bynum Smash of the season.

I still want to write occasionally, but on my own terms, and I don't want to be limited to just basketball. I may also casually contribute to my favorite Cowboys and Astros blogs. I may pursue writing on my mom's natural health blog. I may write a book on The Friend Zone. Lately, I've been writing humorous previews and recaps for my fantasy football league – everything is in play.

Once again, I cannot thank you all enough. Not only do I leave with this incredible experience, but a handful of lifelong friendships, to boot. Find me on Facebook. Hit me up on Twitter. E-mail me. This isn't good-bye – it's I'll see ya around. I love and cherish you all.