Jackson announces return to Lakers bench
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07/03/2009 -
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil
Jackson, fresh off a record 10th NBA Championship as a coach, announced on
Friday he will return to the bench next year for a 10th season in LA and 19th
as an NBA head coach.
There was some speculation that Jackson would either decide to retire or coach
an abbrevaited schedule based on health concerns. Jackson discussed those
scenarios late last month in an ESPN radio interview but later came to a
decision along with general manager Mitch Kupchak to be all in or step away.
"After consulting with Lakers team internist Dr. John Moe, I feel confident
that I can gainfully pursue an NBA season with another long playoff
postseason. All things point to go!," Jackson said through a team release on
Friday.
Jackson, who turns 64 in September, had cited health concerns as the sole
reason behind any decision that would have had the Hall of Fame coach unable
to fulfill the final year of his current contract. He agreed on a two-year
extension in November, 2007 but since has felt the rigors of the road
following a pair of hip replacement surgeries. The "Zen Master"
specifically has addressed continued discomfort in his lower legs and cited
longtime assistant Tex Winter's stroke last year as another reason to give
pause to what will be a 19th year of coaching.
For Jackson, his 10th championship surpassed the legendary Red Auerbach for
the most in history. Coaching his 300th career playoff game, Jackson also
passed Bill Russell (11) for most titles won by a player/coach as LA finished
off Orlando in Game 5 of the Finals last month. It was his fourth
championship in Los Angeles, having previously guided Michael Jordan and the
Chicago Bulls to six titles in the 1990s.
The announcement comes less than 24 hours after free agent forward Ron
Artest reached a verbal agreement to join the Lakers next season. Artest
announced on ESPN's SportsCenter in Los Angeles late Thursday that he is
leaving the Rockets for LA and would play for the mid-level exception. The Los
Angeles Times has reported the pact is for three years at close to $18
million.
No deal can be officially announced until July 8, per league rules.
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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.
Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.
Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.
So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.
In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.
The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.
The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.
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