|
TSNs Jack Armstrong offers his thoughts on the impact of Russell Westbrooks injury, the upside of Andre Drummond, the dynamic duo of Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, the bright future of Canadian Andrew Nicholson and the value of Paul Millsap. Cheap Jerseys From China . 1. Russell Westbrook (OKC): Will be out for the early portion of the season and thats a blow to the Thunder. The positive is Id rather him miss now and be back for the main stretch and the playoffs where his impact will be most felt. Hes far from a traditional point guard but he can really play and his dynamic style gives his team both a major emotional boost and more importantly a high-end impact player. Hard to replace guys like this. 2. Andre Drummond (Pistons): Had a solid rookie season last year, averaging close to eight ppg and rpg as well as getting close to two blocks per game. Hes got a chance to be a real game-changer as a defensive/rebounding force in the lane. Free throw shooting percentage was a huge issue at .370 and that must improve. Yet when I watch this young man, I see someone that, once he figures it all out, can be a load to deal with inside. Hes not a tremendously skilled performer right now but when I think of where he could go in this game over a good period of time with hard work and development, Im truly fascinated. Only time will tell. 3. Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio (TWolves): With all due respect intended toward Chase Budinger, who is out indefinitely with a knee injury but the real keys in Minneapolis are these two guys. If theyre healthy and right, whos to say that this club isnt a playoff team. Love is a skilled guy, both inside and out, and is an absolute beast as well as a rebounder. Rubio was in a position where he was going to take another step in his development and he missed time last season. Its always nice to have guys that are still reaching their potential and when I look at the TWolves, they can be a sleeper playoff pick this year if Love and Rubio are able to produce and play. If so, theyll be loads of fun to watch. 4. Andrew Nicholson (Magic): The experience of playing for Canada this past summer is going to benefit him immensely in his second pro season. I saw a guy who plays with an edge that, if given ample playing time, will be more than capable of taking the next step in his career. When youre put in a spot to produce and are counted on to be a primary guy, lots of times that force-feeds the process for the next season. It gives you confidence that you can perform on the bigger stage and, even though hes a bit of a tweener, hes ready to get consistent minutes in the rotation. Hes a hungry competitor and has no back-down in his game. Hard to keep guys like that off the floor. 5. Paul Millsap (Hawks): One of the more underrated pickups of the summer. With the loss of Josh Smith via free agency to the Pistons, GM Danny Ferry needed some help in the front court and you could have done a lot worse than picking up this guy. Ive always been a fan of his when he played in Utah and teaming with Al Horford in the Atlanta front court will give the Hawks some steady and consistent paint productivity. He plays bigger than his size with intelligence and purpose. Hes a fundamentally sound player who will do the dirty work. If guard Lou Williams is able to return effectively from injury, the Hawks will be in the hunt for a playoff spot in the East again. No Joe Johnson and now Josh Smith but theyre not done yet as a winning team. Cheap NFL Jerseys . The 32-year-old native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., said on his Twitter account that his knee was bothering him. Guay underwent knee surgery over the summer, then returned for the start of the World Cup season after an intensive rehab program. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . The 25-year-old rookie forward scored the winner on his first career shootout attempt as the Philadelphia Flyers overcame an early deficit to earn a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.Scott Flory isnt looking to break the bank. The new president of the CFL Players Association said Tuesday all the union wants is a fair deal with the league. The two sides are scheduled to resume talks next week on a new collective bargaining agreement. The present deal is set to expire May 30. "All we want is a fair agreement," Flory said in a telephone interview. "We understand the league . . . players just want a fair share." These are indeed heady times for the CFL. The league has a new contract extension with athletic apparel giant Reebok. One of its teams (Winnipeg) moved into a new stadium last season and another (Hamilton) is scheduled to do so this year, the same time expansion Ottawa returns and plays at a refurbished facility. Attendance continues to rise and corporate sponsorships remain strong. And then theres the CFLs lucrative television agreement with TSN reportedly worth $43 million annually thats scheduled to kick in this year. CFL commissioner Mark Cohon has repeatedly stated he never discusses CBA negotiations in public. But on Monday he said in a statement the league is committed to "working towards a fair and reasonable agreement with our players. We want to be fair to them and keep our league on the path to being strong as well as stable." Money will undoubtedly be a hot-button topic when talks resume. The new TV deal alone is more than 2 1/2 times the previous agreement, which was worth $15 million annually. Subsequently, CFL teams can expect more money from the leagues head office. Negotiations between the league and its players have traditionally been amicable. However, theres a persistent belief this time around players will dig in their heels in order to get what they believe is a fair piece of the financial pie. Theres been one strike since the formation of the CFLPA in 1965. It came in 74 and lasted three weeks during training camp before a three-year agreement was signed with no regular-season games lost. Flory reiterated Tuesday that CFL players wont play under terms of the existing CBA. While Flory didnt say so specifically, that suggests training camps wont open in June without a new deal in place. "Theres a lot more things than the financial," Flory said. "Theres player safety, transitioning and pension items that we want to look at as well. "This is an all-encompassing negotiation but there is a lot of growth going on in the league." And, Flory said, much of that growth is due to the quality of the on-field product. "The players lay it all on the line week in and week out, game in and game out for not very much," he said. "They are the most accessible members in the community, they are at charity events and speaking events, guys are everywhere and they deserve a fair share of whats gone on in the success of the league. "There is more people in the stadiums to watch the games. Theres more people watching on TV to watch the players play and I think thats important." Also worth noting is both sides have a lot riding on these negotiations. If a new agreement cant be reached and a work stoppage ensues, the lleague wouldnt receive any television money. Cheap Jerseys. Conversely, the players wouldnt be paid either. "I cant and will not speak to that," Flory said when asked about a work stoppage. "We are always willing to meet with the league . . . we want to continue talks and we want to work towards a new collective agreement, there is no doubt about that." Calgary Stampeders fullback Rob Cote echoed those sentiments. "Every single one of us loves football and wants to play in June," said the product of Cochrane, Alta. "That is first and foremost. "Its a negotiation. Negotiations start slow and they usually speed up when you (have) a deadline. People tend to procrastinate when theyre negotiating, as Im sure everybody here is aware of. We all want to get a good, fair deal done and were looking forward to playing." For Stampeders president Gord Norrie, its business as usual. "Were just plodding along like were going to play football and keeping very optimistic," he said. The six-foot-four, 300-pound Flory replaces former CFL player Mike Morreale as union president. Florys election certainly raised questions about why the union membership would change its leadership heading into a new round of talks with the league. "I am not going to get into conspiracy theories or innuendo," Flory said politely. "This is a natural course of business that weve done as a players association for the last 40 years . . . I was very fortunate and humbled to be elected president and thats it." Flory, 37, is well versed in CFLPA business. The Regina native served as an Alouettes player rep for eight years and spent the last four seasons on the unions executive. "I became involved early as a player rep because I wanted to learn the business of the sport," he said. "We play under the rules on the field and I think its as important, or more important, to know the rules surrounding the game off the field. "I see it (being voted president) as a natural evolution. Its something I wanted to do to serve the players as best I could." Flory couldnt provide an answer when asked what kind of negotiator he is. His mandate at the bargaining table, though, is crystal clear. "At the end of the day, how I see my role is Im enacting the will of the people," he said. "Every player in this league who pays dues is my boss and I will do my best to represent them. "They are going to give us our marching orders and were going to execute it. The players are the game . . . Im passionate about the cause of the players," However, the question remains whether Flory, a three-time Grey Cup champion and nine-time league all-star, can continue to play while being CFLPA president. The last three union presidents — Dan Ferrone, Stu Laird and Morreale — all assumed the job following their playing careers. "Thats a good question," said Flory, twice named the CFLs outstanding lineman. "Ive already talked to (Alouettes GM) Jim Popp as to my role moving forward and hope to have an announcement by the end of next week." cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
