If you want to dominate your home, friend’s or work’s fantasy football league then this article will teach you three strategies that will help you lock up the big bucks!  When I bring up a specific player it is more of an example than suggestion, because anything can happen on the field.  You control what happens off it though!

These general strategies will ensure you show up on draft day prepared to dominate.

1. Rules and Scoring: Learn the rules and scoring of your specific league. This is imperative. You should know the answers to all of these following questions:

• How many people do you draft?
• How many of each position do you start?
• Is it a Points-Per-Reception (PPR) league?
• Does return yardage count?
• How many points for a QB touchdown?
• How many point do I lose for an interception?
• Is it a keeper league?

You need to know these questions because all of the answers will effect how you do your research and rank your choices. In a PPR league, WR’s suddenly rise in value and so do pass catching running backs. Chris Johnson and Maurice Jones-Drew might be more valuable than, say, Adrian Peterson in a PPR league.

If your league is PPR and counts return yards, then a guy like Reggie Bush will probably go a round or two earlier than in a league without those rules. In many leagues QBs get 4pts a touchdown. In a standard set up where they get 6pts a TD, they are obviously more valuable.

Some leagues even start two QBs, so you will have to remember to grab an extra QB. In fact, you should know all your starting positions so you can ensure you get a quality starter at each position.

In keeper leagues sometimes youth and upside override production. Sure you might be able to draft Cedric Benson, but wouldn’t Ryan Matthews have way more upside for future years? These are the type of questions you have to ask yourself.

When you understand the rules of your league then you can start researching players. If you are in a PPR league instead of Googling “2010 Fantasy Football Rankings” try searching for “2010 Fantasy Football PPR rankings”. Also use common sense, if you are in a league that has an emphasis on a certain skill set/position, then players that bring that to the table will rise in value.

2. Research: Now that you know how to start researching – do it. Make your own cheat sheets. Don’t just use the Yahoo rankings. You can find free rankings in many places:

• http://games.espn.go.com/frontpage/football
• http://www.nfl.com/fantasy
• http://www.fftoolbox.com/
• http://fantasynews.cbssports.com/fantasyfootball
• http://www.walterfootball.com/fantasy.php
• http://bleacherreport.com/fantasy-football
• http://www.sportingnews.com/fantasy/football
• http://footballguys.com/

There are way more sites to look at but that gives you a good start. Go over as many of these rankings as possible and create your own list keeping in mind nothing but these above (or other) sites.

Then go through that list and rearrange based on your leagues rules. Use common sense and more specific rankings (like PPR rankings) to arrange your original list.

Once you have that list you can take it one step further by digging into your targets. Read up on coaching changes:

• Saints’ Defense came up big last year after changing defensive coordinators.
• Jets had a good fantasy D with the arrival of Rex Ryan.
• Could Matt Forte and Jay Cutler have bounce back years with Martz at the helm?

You should do this step as close to your draft as possible. That way you can make adjustments for pre season injuries, hold outs or depth chart changes.

3. Draft Day Checklist: You got your research done and you are heading to drat day, what do you bring?

• Your cheat Sheets: You just spent days creating them so use them. This includes bringing one big master list of all your ranked players.  Keep your head in the game by highlighting everyone that goes.
• Latest List of Team Depth Chart’s: Just in case you are scrambling in late rounds
• A list of handcuffs: These are players who will be thrust into fantasy prominence by an injury to a starter. If you have an injury prone player you might want to “handcuff” him to his replacement. If someone else drafted an injury prone player you might want to grab his handcuff just to stick it to him.
• A list of player bye weeks: You don’t want to have all our bye weeks all at once.
• A blank list of everyone else’s teams: This can be huge, I always bring a list that has everyone in the pool listed with the positions under their name. When they take a certain position I check it off. This can be huge because if you notice everyone already has a starting QB then you might be able to hold off on your QB and build depth elsewhere. If you do this step you will instantly be ahead of the general population.
• Drinks: Bring whatever your drink of choice is. Even if you are drinking alcohol, there is nothing wrong with bringing a bottle of water.  Having water on hand could mean you get to keep your comfy seat. I would refrain from using that bottle to also relieve yourself though.  That’s too far.
• Arrive Early: You want a good seat so arrive early. I know people that actually put lawn chairs in the trunk of their car just in case the home owner runs out of seats.
• Bring a clipboard – Good chance you won’t be at a table, so you better bring a clip board. You will get made fun of, but it will help.
• Different Colored Highlighters: These can be handy if you want to identify potential sleepers or value for an upcoming pick. Also good to use to highlight your master list. You don’t want to be scratching things out in a fantasy draft.
• Sense of Humor: You better bring your sense of humor because there will be little mess-ups along the way. There will also be people like me chirping about your picks. I am not above playing mind games. A little friendly badgering is always fun. You can also try to play mind games to make sure someone you want to choose isn’t drafted.
• Bring your brain: Make sure you bring your brain as well, that means you pick a defense second last and a kicker last.

4. Play The waiver wire wisely: Now that the draft is done use the waiver wire properly. You NEVER waste your waiver on a kicker or defense. Wait until the waiver wire is over (usually Wednesday) and then pick up a kicker or defense for the bye week or as a replacement. You only use your waiver wire on people who can really improve your team. The perfect time is when a starter gets injured and a quality back up is available.

These four strategies will place you heads and shoulders about the average fantasy player. If you are looking to dominate your work or home league then remember to know your rules, research, show up prepared on draft day and play the wire wavier like a violin.  Now that you have read this article, put it into practice and enjoy an exciting fantasy football season.

Although the Raptors are not steeped in rich history, they have had their share of stars come and go.  The franchise isn’t very old, especially relatively speaking, but I think we have had enough time to make a call on the best player ever. Considering the Raptors are now on the brink of another rebuild, it is the perfect time to look at the past.

I have already taken the step to narrow this down to two players.  I only paid attention to their time as a Raptor (eliminating guys like Olajuwon and McGrady).  I think it is obvious that this question comes down to Vince Carter and Chris Bosh.  I am sure most people will agree with these choices.  I’d love to put my favorites like Alvin Williams but we know who the real stars were.  Toronto has two real eras: Carter Era and Bosh Era.

Note: All of these stats and numbers are specific only to the years they played in Toronto.  I also didn’t count the strike shortened season or Vince’s last season where he only played 20 games for Raptors before being traded.

1. Let’s start with some basic numbers:

Carter: 23.2 PPG | 5.2 RPG | 3.81 APG
Bosh: 20.2 PPG | 9.4 RPG | 2.2 APG

It is hard to look at numbers and compare two different positions.  However, it is clear that Vince was the better scorer.  If you watched them both you could tell that easily.  Vince had a great inside outside game when he was in his prime with Raptors.  He wasn’t as great of a distributor as some other people at his position but he wasn’t exactly a slouch.

Bosh is more well rounded if you look at the numbers, he offsets his lower scoring with much higher rebounding. Of course that has something to do with his height and position .  Bosh put up some great numbers in Toronto especially his last two years and only looks to get better.  He does have a bit of a robotic aspect to his game, but he is still more fluid than most big men.

Advantage: TIE
I think Vince was easily a more dynamic scorer but Bosh was more well rounded. Hard to give either guy a clear advantage.

2. All Star Appearances

Carter: Five
Bosh: Five

Advantage: TIE
I didn’t count Carter’s final partial season in the stats, so I can’t use it here either.  Both of these guys ended their Toronto careers with five all star appearances.

3. Team Success

Carter: .466 Winning Ptcg | 3 Playoff Appearances | 9 Wins | One Series Win
Bosh: .442 Winning Ptcg | 2 Playoff Appearances | 3 Wins | No Series Win

Advantage: Carter
I know a team wins games not single players, but basketball is the sport in which a single player can make the most difference.  Bosh was here longer but won less playoff games and never won a series.  Carter led the Raptors to a better overall record and was one three pointer away from a deep playoff run.  The Raptors as a whole were most successful under Vince Carter.

4. Intangibles

Bosh worked harder than Vince period.  One of the biggest knocks against Vince was his drive.  He was a happy go lucky kid on the Raptors at first. Instead of morphing into hard nosed player as he aged he just seemed to lose interest in the Raptors.  He truly gave up on the team.  He had a string of  dubious injuries and once told the media he was done with dunking.  Eventually he forced a pretty lopsided trade to NJ.  On the other hand though, Vince transcended basketball – he was an international star.  He essentially built the Raptor organization, he most undoubtedly gave them credibility.  At one time Vince was the face of the league, not just the Raptors.

Bosh was a hard worker who get better every single year.  He gave his all on the court and was never a malcontent.  There were times he looked exasperated but this would usually be preceded by him doing everything he could only to watch teammates half ass it.  Bosh was a complete and utter professional in his time as a Raptor.  That said Bosh did carry himself as a bit of a primadonna this final off season.  He seemed to be toying with the Toronto fans emotions.  My opinion is he was a young guy enjoying the spotlight – it was a bit immature, but it wasn’t as outrageous as Carter’s antics.

Advantage: Bosh

FINAL ANSWER: Vince Carter

I love Bosh and you could argue he has become a more complete player than Carter ever was BUUUUUUUT I think team success is the big factor.  Carter was able to lead his team to more success.  He was also a way bigger star than Bosh.  Bosh got a lot of media attention during the free agent frenzy but besides that he was mostly left to do his work quietly.  Carter was an international superstar who was mentioned in the same breath as the Kobes and Pierces. At one time people even talked about him as the next Jordan. He isn’t my favorite Raptor and he probably isn’t yours.  He also never quite reached the status he should have, but in my opinion he is still the best player the Toronto Raptors have ever had.  I admit he quit on this team and went out like a punk, but you can’t argue that the team was better with Carter at 100%.

Just imagine Carter was as dedicated and hard working as Bosh was during his time here.  Had that been true, I believe that both the Raptors and himself would be talked about quite differently today.

Bryan Colangelo – The Chosen One!

He swept into Toronto with promise and a mystique as a recent Exec of The year award winner.  Finally after suffering through the Babcock era, the Raps gain legitimacy.  With Bosh as their center piece and Colangelo working his magic, the sky is the limit.

Four years later – 3 Playoff wins.  Three.  I repeat, three.

The “saviour” has lead the Raps to where they have always been – mediocrity.  Is it time to maybe pull the plug on this experiment?  Maybe we give him this last year of his contract and see how it goes.  The Raps can’t possibly be thinking of extending it right?  Has he given any reason why it should be?  Any indication that he is going to right the ship?

I don’t see it.

I had a conversation with a friend who admired that Colangelo would make mistakes, but he would admit them and try to fix it.  The problem is, more often than not, he makes another mistake.  he does have some good in there though, I like Jack and I think Weems and Johnson were a steal when they originally came here. In general though he is beginning to remind me of the man who killed baseball for me…JP Ricciardi.  Will Colangelo kill basketball?

Here is my problem with Colangelo.

1. Jermaine O’neal – It was a failure. J.O was injured (like everyone knew he would be) overpaid and didn’t produce. Didn’t work well with Bosh either.  Bright side – they got Marion for him, but as Marion gelled with team towards end of season, Colangelo let him walk and decided on Hedo.

2. Kapono - I can sum this signing up in one word: LOL

3. Calderon Extension – Hey guess what? Each year Calderon gets more ridiculously overpaid.  Horrible contract for what has turned out to be a back up caliber PG who is a big time defensive liability.

4. Hedo Contract – Epic fail that would have ended many other GMs jobs.  In his most impressive move as a GM he was able to navigate cap space after overpaying Hedo…big deal.  He still paid an aging Hedo Turkoglu a ridiculous contract.  Based on what exactly? ONE playoff series?  Hedo worked in Orlando’s system and that’s it – he has NEVER been a $10 million player besides one season there.  Look at his stats,  he was never really a close to 20 ppg scorer.  H was ONCE..but besides that perfect fit in Orlando he wasn’t even a 15 ppg guy.  He was a horrible fit for this team…which brings me to:

5. Lack of Addressing Raptors Needs – When Colangelo took over the Raptors they lacked a dynamic second scoring option, rebounding, defense and toughness.  Four years later they lack all the same things.  He completely missed the boat on addressing needs. Raptors will be a worse team next year than when he took over.

6. Won’t Wave the White Flag – It is time to give up.  It is time to rebuild.  Being the 7th-10th seed means that you aren’t close to winning anything, and not bad enough to get a good pick.  It is purgatory and it is the worst place for your team to be. I would even say it is impossible to build a team that way.  Look at Portland and OKC as examples of young teams, they rebuilt through the draft and now can plug in holes with free agents and veterans.   Colangelo seems to want to work the opposite way, the problem is if you never bottom out you don’t get the Durants and Roys of the world.  The best thing to Happen to Raptors in recent memory was getting the 4th pick and drafting Bosh.  Seems like it is clear what it is time to do.

This off season Colangelo has thrown 7 million a year at Amir Johnson.  Let Bosh walk for no assets (EDIT: apparently he did receive a trade exception and picks – I can’t complain about that) and has signed Kleiza to a deal.  I like Kleiza but I dunno if he is a rebuilding block.  It just looks like more of the same from Colangelo, lets get good enough to avoid the basement but not anywhere close to winning a championship.  If he has to overpay to get to the 10th seed, so be it.

The reality is Colangelo is more concerned about his own contract and job than he is in building a winner.  Instead of building a better boat he is plugging the holes with bubble gum.  The problem is, we are all going to sink with him.

YES!

It has happened – one of the greatest humans ever has reached the pinnacle of his sport.  The legendary Ron Artest won a title with the LA Lakers.  This guy hasn’t left LA since the Lakers ousted his Houston Rockets last year.  He promised Kobe he was gonna win a title with him…AFTER Lakers had beat them and WHILE Kobe was in the shower!  Yes, he actually walked into Kobe’s shower.

Here is Artest’s post championship interview. This is why I love the guy – pure honesty…no cliche bullshit robotic responses.  Dude loves playing basketball and he is genuinely moved by winning the championship.  There is no “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE” one moment like Garnett got paid to scream when he won the championship….but this was good ol fashion genuine elation.  Artest seems like a kid who just got a new XBox at Christmas.

LMAO @ him saying “I would go back to the gym right now, if there wasn’t a club open…”   Also his surprise at Kobe passing him the ball when he hit his three to tie the game late is funny.

So refreshing to see someone act human in a sports interview.

I don’t think I can embed it but Artest has a pretty funny run in with TMZ after winning the championship: HERE
I think it is pretty awesome dude stayed in full uniform to go to dinner with his family!  Just proves how genuinely excited he really is.  Also love his response when they asked him if he was going to Disneyland: “I’d rather go to Compton”

WOW!!

What did I just witness??

Did anyone catch Strasburg’s debut with the Washington Nationals?

We have seen a lot of hyped players in our days in a variety of sports.  Guys like Ryan Leaf and Alexander Daigle end up never coming close to their hype.  Guys like LeBron and Crosby go on to live up to all the hype and more.

What will happen with Strasburg?  Well if tonight is any indication – he has arrived and we are gonna see some insane things out of this kid!

Take a look at this line from his first game:

7.0IP, 4 Hits, 2 Earned Runs, NO WALKS & FOURTEEN STRIKEOUTS!

Welcome to the big leagues Steve.  It is gonna be real interesting watching your career.

Yes! Sacramento Fans woo LeBron with a song dedicated to him…a take on The Thong Song.

LeBron-Bron-Bron-Bron-Bron!

LeBron Thong Song

The NBA draft lottery was held last night and Washington won the John Wall sweepstakes.

The Toronto Raptors will be picking 13th.

First off – just imagine the season the Nets just had – only to finish 3rd in the NBA Draft Lottery.  Yikes.  I know they probably wanted Wall or Turner for sure – MAYBE Turner slips to them…but I doubt it.

What will the Raptors do though?  Who should they take?  Below I will add my three selections, but first I wanted to preface my choices by saying I am trying to be realistic. Obviously I would love Wall, Turner, Favors or Cousins to fall to the raptors but it won’t happen.

I am also assuming Bosh is leaving.  Although it makes me sad, it might be time to part ways.  I am not sure the Raptors will have much of a choice – it seems like Bosh is ready to leave whether Raps want it or not.

So that said here are my top three choices for raptors on draft night:

1. Hassan Whiteside – Marshall (Center, 6-11, 225lbs)

Alright this guy is definitely a shot in the dark.  He has personality issues and big men are always a bit of a project.  What is his upside?  Think if Marcus Camby was healthy all the time.

He is an insane shot blocking presence – averaged something like 5.7 a game in College and he can run the floor.  The problem is – it is a shot in the dark – he is one of the biggest high risk- high reward players in the draft. I think since Raptors are (most likely) losing their all star, and picking all the way in 13th, they might as well swing for the fences.

Fit on Raptors: I think he is a great fit if Bosh leaves. If he pans out you can move Bargnani to the 4 spot.  When you have big contracts tied to front court pieces like Bargs and Hedo – you need a big shot blocking presence at center.

2. Quincy Pondexter – Washington (SF, 6-7, 220lbs)

This is my reach.  Most drafts have Pondexter as a borderline 1st round pick – near the end, maybe the 2nd round even.  I think he is better than that actually.  I will admit, I saw him play more than others on this list so maybe I am biased.

He needs to work on his jump shot – but that is something I think can always get better with practice. In fact his shot has gotten better through his years in College. He is a great athlete – and the Raps could use an injection of athleticism.  You can make an argument he is the best senior in the draft (top 3 for sure) so that should mean he is ready to contribute.

Fit on Raptors: Well this might be tough since we are paying Hedo a ton of money to play the same position…Pondexter could play SG too but I am sure the Raps would like to find out what they have in DeRozan.

Position wise he isn’t an ideal fit for Toronto, but I think this might be good to send Hedo a message.  It was obvious Hedo didn’t care about basketball too much last year. If it means winning – then Hedo can  collect his money on the bench.

Some people would argue that having Pondexter and Weems as SF backups is redundant – but I think Pondexter could back up DeMar no problem as well.  He can definitely be fit into the rotation and are the Raptors without Bosh in any position to be picky on position? Ideally Colangelo could prove his worth by somehow performing a miracle and getting rid of Hedo altogether.

3. Avery Bradley – Texas (SG, 6-3, 180)

I didn’t know much about this guy until I saw ESPN had him listed as going to the Raptors in their mock draft.  I though it was weird drafting a SG with Derozan there, but it seems like Avery is actually projected as a PG in the NBA.

He is very athletic, has a great shot and most importantly he can get to the net and can create for himself – Raptors sometimes lack that.  He is also solid defensively.  The Raptors have to think about defense in this draft – it is such a glaring weakness.

Fit On Raptors: BUT ZOMG RAPS HAVE 2 GOOD PGS!  Ok yeah the Raptors hae an OK point guard situation.  The one thing they miss though is a PG (like Ford when he was a Raptor) that can really break down the defense.  They could also use someone that can create there own shot. Avery can address both of these issues.

More importantly though – I think the Raptors have a small window of opportunity to trade Calderon.  Yes his defense is horrible and his contract is pretty bad – but I don’t think he is completely devoid of value.  It would probably be a situation where Raps had to unload him for very little in return besides the salary relief.

If they drafted Avery, trading Calderon would be the smart move.  You start Jack who proved his worth last year, and you can have Avery back him up.  It is a talent drop off initially, but if Bosh leaves Raptors are rebuilding anyways.  Plus with Averys length alone you already have a better PG tandem from a defensive standpoint.

Those are my top three picks for the Raptors.  I know Pondexter is a reach at this point – but I really like his game.  Picking 13th is a pretty rough spot – especially if Rap lose their all star PF Bosh.

It could be a long rebuilding road for the Raptors so getting this pick right would be a nice start.

The Cleveland Indians baseball announcer LOSES it after the Indians give up a lead going into the 9th against the Toronto Blue Jays.  Good melt down.

Lets see what I think on first glance:

1. Picking Up The Pieces - Nice intro – that soulful kind of beat Scarface sounds great over…a la Guess Who’s Back and This Can’t Be Life.  Good to hear Scarface rapping – he is still sounding good.  One of the best voices in rap IMO.

2. Dopeman Music - Whoa this beat is cool – kind of out there.  Definitely jazzy but a little darker than you’d expect.  Crazy production, I dunno about Face’s cohorts on the song but they certainly don’t ruin the song.

3. Lyrical Assault – The start of the beat made me think Polow Da Don right away – those epic sounding opening chords.  Gotta say I am surprised about Malice being on the track – he was talking pretty greasy about Face.  Scarface and the gun talk I am not too old to enjoy it – I don’t care what anyone says.

4. Fasho Moneyskit - WHO CARES

5. Gwap - Always worried about songs called gwap.  This is pretty classic Scarface here – not my fav track so far but if you like Scarface (I do!) then you will like this.

6. Get Lost – Starting a bit too soft for my taste. this just isn’t my personal style.  Good track for what it is I guess.  Production has grown on me since I typed the start of this…this might grow on me.

7. The N Word – What is the N word anyways?  Nipple?  Just kidding don’t lose it  Not much of a song here – cool interlude I guess…better than a skit.

8. The Ghetto Report - This is my fav Scarface style – the “ghetto CNN” Scarface over the soulful beats.  A definite highlight IMO.

9. 2 The Beat – Scarface is form the south so he gotta have those lasers and hi hats.  Would sound awesome on a good system.

10. Wanted – A bit generic to me to start – got a cool guitar interlude – but just a bit “plodding” for me.

11. Hustle Game – Yeahhhhh this is good. Great production on this joint – I love it. Perfect kind of song for Face.

12. Rff Raff Skit – I was gonna say BOOOO SKIT…BUT…nice K-Rino and Z-Ro shout outs – those dudes are awesome.

13. In My Blood – Nice piano to start – more of a B James song I think.

14. Bad Man – I love reggae and rap combos – this not so much.  I see what he was trying – just not feeling the production.  Could grow on me – it has an OK hook.

All in all – great mixtape here.  Not every song is amazing – but there were enough good-great songs on this to make me anticipate his full length release.

Face is a legend – probably top ten of all time..or at least you can make an argument to put him there.

I hope this solid mixtape means that his album will be another in a long line of consistent releases

When you really think about it though – is there a silver lining to getting rid of Bosh?  Can letting your best player walk away be a good move?  There might be if you think about the good ol’:

Sign and Trade

Now, no team is going to give you a ton of value in this situation.  People know Bosh is leaving, and a sign and trade is just to ensure Bosh can get his desired contract.  There could be some value though, since this is the only way a team with no cap room could sign a guy like Bosh.  A first rounder isn’t out of the realm of possibilities, even a young player or two. There is some hidden value though.:

What if you could hook the horrible contract of Turkoglu to the deal?

Is that maybe even better for the Raptors than Bosh staying? Would any team even think about it?

I will answer the latter first.  I am not sure if a team would but I heard rumours today that Houston is very interested in Bosh and taking on Hedo is a subject that has been brought up.  It sounds a bit crazy, but not so crazy people aren’t discussing it.

Is that better than Bosh staying?  Maybe it is.  Here is the issue:  If Bosh signs with Toronto it will almost surely be a max deal.  That means…

Bosh @ MAX
Hedo @ 10
Bargs @ 8
Calderon @ 9
Jack and Banks @ 5/each

That doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room.  The biggest problem is up top.  I am not sold on Bosh being a max guy.  I know it may sound crazy but to me Carmelo, LeBron, and Wade are on another level than Bosh.  That is just my opinion though.

What isn’t arguable is that Calderon, Bargnani and Hedo are all getting starting money – and all three of them can not start at once.  Unless there are some serious improvements in defence…you are not going to be a threat with these three guys all starting.  Last season was a great illustration of that. Maybe LeBron James could win with those three guys but I don’t think Bosh can.

If Toronto could somehow land a all star SG, then maybe things are different.  That in itself is another problem – The Raptors with a maxxed out Bosh wouldn’t have a lot of cap space.  How do they get better?  Will there be enough progression within the team?  Can you get lucky in the draft?  Can you make a trade?  Are Bargnani or Hedo tradable with those back end loaded deals?

I think if you can get a team to take Hedo off your hands in a sign and trade for Bosh – you do it.  Losing Bosh hurts, but at least if he takes Hedo with him you have a lot more flexibility when you rebuild – and I think this is a team that has to.

I will admit that my plan gives up on any hope of immediate success in Toronto.  If you believe that keeping Bosh could lead to a deep playoff run in a year or two – then you will hate my plan.  I don’t believe the Raptors are that close.

I watched the New Orleans Saints win the SuperBowl this year after suffering through a lot of bad seasons.  One thing about bad seasons is that you get rewarded.  A couple high draft picks made some significant plays for the Saints (notably Will Smith, Tracy Porter and Reggie Bush).

Basketball is different than football – no doubt.  But in basketball sometimes it just takes ONE guy.  Look at the Thunder – I love Westbrook, Green, Harden and Ibaka…but what a difference that one high draft pick – Kevin Durant – makes on that team.

Not to mention – Harden, Westbrook and Green were all 1st round picks themselves…and from not that long ago.

If Bosh can take Hedo with him, maybe it is time to part ways.  It is gonna suck for awhile…but it sucked for the Thunder/Sonics for awhile too.  There are not many guarantees in the draft, but you pick high enough long enough and maybe you get the next Durant.  I could live with that.