Bring 'Sheed to Boston; who's really gotten better?

By Brendan Hall
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Here's what I love about the level of transparency in this Golden Age of information: yesterday we learned that Celtics management flew out to Detroit to meet with free agent Rasheed Wallace and offer him the mid-level exception.

But as the story develops, we learn that it wasn't just Sheed, Wyc Grousbeck, Danny Ainge, and a couple cups of coffee. They brought the frig'n posse. Reportedly in attendance to woo Sheed were Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Nick Naylor, Cousin Skeeter and Don Vito Corleone.

Kidding aside, this is a deal that should have happened six years ago, when then-general manager Chris Wallace had the opportunity to trade Antoine Walker to the Trail Blazers in exchance for Sheed. But like most incompetent GMs in this league (and that's 75 percent of the league), he sat on his hands.

Love him or hate him, Sheed is a proven winner at every stop, dating all the way back to his days as a high schooler in Philadelphia. His arrival in Portland keyed a run to the 2000 Western Conference Finals, and his mid-season arrival in Detroit spawned an unheralded championship.

Sheed's polarizing personality and defensive mean streak fit like a glove in Boston. And not only that, he'd be an instant fan favorite in a city that patronizes guys with a mean streak. And, as an added bonus, he's one of the few guys in the league whose cuss-bombs actually bear some weight, in that sort of social commentary way. Brandon Jennings should take notes.

If and when Sheed makes his decision, I'll have more to say. But for now, let's look at the other happenings around the league in what has become an unexpectedly busy offseason. Who got better, who's taking a gamble, and who's staying the same?

Detroit Pistons: Better
Joe Dumars is by no means in hot water, but you have to admit you were taken aback by his mystifying draft picks (you knew what you were getting with Rodney Stuckey -- the jury's still out on Darren Daye's kid). By getting rid of his buddy Michael Curry (not a day too soon) and signing Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva to long-term deals worth a combined $90 million, he quickly settled any and all doubters.

But really, did the Pistons get that much better? Sure, the Iverson debacle led to a misleading record -- I thought they were the fourth-best team in the Eastern Conference -- but does Detroit leap-frog anybody? I'd say Orlando, and that's about it.

Dumars shored up the frontcourt -- it's looking like Jason Maxiell at the five, Villanueva at the four, and Tayshaun Prince at the three, with two very underrated Walter's (Herrmann and Sharpe) off the bench. Will Bynum figures to be a backup guard, in the one or two spot. But here's the problem: you've committed $55 million to a guy, so there's no way you put him on the bench. But Rodney Stuckey is the proven point guard, and Rip Hamilton can't play the three. Do you really want Ben Gordon coming off the bench? Better yet, after his explosive playoff series, does Ben Gordon want to go back to being a sixth man?

Come to think of it, that's not exactly a bad conflict to have.

Orlando Magic: Jury's out
The Magic traded their sixth-best guy (Courtney Lee) to New Jersey for their best guy (Vince Carter), and have made a firm statement that they're going all in after their NBA Finals dud last month. But in the long-term, the Nets might have gotten the better end of this deal. This is not the Vince Carter of the early 2000's, dunking over 7-foot-2 Frenchmen and faking an injury so he could dance on stage at a Nelly concert. And after all these years, Carter still has a reputation as a malcontent. This is a big roll of the dice.

Still, I can't wait for the infinite "Vince comes home to Florida" angles that ESPN will put out of their sleeves the next three months.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Better
The Cavs signed a 38-year-old Shaquille O'Neal -- again, another statement move. The media is calling this a statement on GM Danny Ferry's behalf -- "we're committed to you, and to prove it, we're giving you Shaq" -- but I'm not sure I agree all the way. Shaq is still effective in his old age, as evidenced by his surprisingly great season this year with the Suns, but how many more miles does this guy have left? His arrival in Phoenix was supposed to kick-start a complacent franchise; but even with him, Amare Stoudemire, Steve Nash and Raja Bell, the Suns made an early exit in 2008 and didn't even make the playoffs this year. LeBron is other-worldly, but you have to take that into consideration.

Los Angeles Lakers: Showtime v2.1
The signing of Ron Artest makes them the odds-on favorite to win the Finals in 2010. Artest gives them everything they had in Trevor Ariza and then some. He's always been known as a defensive beast, but also showed some flair for the highlight reel during the Rockets' surprising postseason run (well, not surprising to me -- I had them in the Finals losing to the Celtics, before the season). And not to mention, he's gotten a semi-grip on himself. No more applying for jobs at Circuit City, no more requesting time off to promote rap albums, no more dumb quotes like the "my favorite saying is 'I will s*** on you'" controversy in DIME, and best of all, no more inciting riots. He's always been good about quotes, and smiles. Now, he's molded his personality that blends in with Hollywood.

Houston Rockets: Busting out the duct tape
With Yao's career in jeopardy and Tracy McGrady entering the final year of his contract, the Rockets are bracing themselves for impact (no pun intended). They lost their best defensive player in Artest, so they picked up the Laker that killed them the most (Trevor Ariza). Not a bad move, but also a move out of necessity. If Yao really does have to call it a career, that changes the team's dynamic on so many levels.

Fantasy Baseball: Frozen Ropes

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

It's Friday, so you know what that means on Fan Fanatic Sports. Yes, it's the Friday Fantasy column!

The Good:

1. Albert Pujols - .474, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R, 1 SB

Big Al is a monster beast. He hit another 4 homers this past week to give him a total 30 with a good week and a half before the All Star break. If he can keep the average up, he's currently hitting .335, he has an amazing chance for the Triple Crown. I've always wanted to see someone do it in my lifetime, so I'll be rooting hard for Pujols.

2. Hanley Ramirez - .500, 2, 11, 4, 1

Han the Man has been on fire this past month, not just this week. He has the most RBI in the majors, 33, over the past month as well. The only person close to him is Albert Pujols. As I mentioned last week, he's done exactly what the Marlins wanted him to do when they put him 3rd in the order. He's driving in runs.

3. BJ Upton - .316, 2, 7, 7, 3

It's about time the older Upton brother hits this list. His average is still only .246, but he does have 29 stolen bases on the year. Over the past month he's hit .308 which would indicate he's finally turned his season around. Look for him to continue his pace, increase his power numbers and put together a fine season.

4. Ichiro Suzuki - .385, 0, 2, 7, 5

Ichiro has played so far under the radar this season. Just because he doesn't hit home runs and doesn't drive in a ton of runs, many fantasy players may forget about him. What they don't realize is that his .370 average leads the majors. They also don't realize that his 6 home runs this season is nearly on pace to eclipse his career high of 15 in 2005. His stolen base numbers are down a bit, but he still has 17.

5. Bobby Abreu - .308, 2, 8, 8, 1
Rounding out the top 5 this week is Bobby Abreu. He's really been the steal of the 09' free agents. For only $5 million, the Angels got a guy who's hitting .299, 6, 48, 39, 17. Yes, that last number is the total of stolen bases this season. He's doesn't hit a lot of homers anymore, but he's a complete player. He still plays a very good Right Field and has that great throwing arm.

The Bad:

1. Shane Victorino - .217, 0, 1, 4, 1

The Flyin' Hawaiian has been anything but lately. He's only driven in 7 RBI in his last 92 at bats. Not good, but he has been either 1 0r 2 in the lineup, so they're not really asking him to drive in runs. That's what Utley, Howard and Ibanez are for.

2. Ian Stewart - .190, 1, 1, 2, 1

Is Stewart back in his slump? I doubt it. He won't hit for a high average, but has been knocking the ball out of the park and driving in runs, so the low average doesn't bother me too much. Of course he's losing a bit of playing time as the Rockies showcase Garrett Atkins for a trade.

3. Mark Teixeira - .208, 0, 3, 4, 0

Big Tex has hit a bit of a slump lately, but it hasn't hurt the surging Yankees. If he and Arod can ever hit their stride at the same time, than the rest of the AL better watch out. Don't worry too much, he'll be back to his old self in no time.

4. Cody Ross - .158, 1, 3, 2, 0

Normally I wouldn't include Ross in this part of the article, but he's having a pretty darn good season so far. .274, 14, 48, 40, 3 is nothing to scoff at. So, why did I include him here? For one he's having a bad week, and two I just traded for him. He's a very streaky player, but has been pretty consistent this season. Of course he hits the skids as soon as I get him.

5. Casey Blake - .150, 1, 1, 3, 0

Let's talk about another player I just traded for. Blake has been terrible since he entered my lineup. Am I worried? Heck no! Why? As much as I can't stand it, Manny Ramirez makes his "triumphant" return to the lineup tonight, so it's about time for Blake to see some better pitches. Also watch our for Andre Eithier to take off with Manny's return as well.

Under the Radar:

In case you didn't realize it, Adam Laroche has started his yearly second half surge a bit early. Over the past month he's hit .323, 5, 16 & is only owned in 36% of leagues. Now's the time to pick him up, or make a low end trade. I've mentioned Casey McGehee (god I love that name, it just makes me giggle) before and it's about time you start looking at him for fantasy baseball. He's eligible at 2B & 3B, and over the past month has put up a .355 average with 5 home runs and 17 RBI. He's only owned in 19% of leagues. Get him now! Some might think this is a stretch, but keep an eye on Lasting Milledge. He's in a new city, and is going to get the opportunity to play full time. He has all the tools, but just needs to mature. Maybe the low lights of Steel City will allow him the opportunity to blossom. If you pay attention to baseball, you should know the name Nolan Reimold. He's the young left fielder for the Orioles. He's also been playing pretty well too. He's hitting .287 on the year and has 9 home runs in only 143 at bats. He's also driven in 20 RBI already.

(Stay tuned for Part 3, AL West, of the Trade Season review on Saturday)