Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jump shot with 4.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a six-game road trip by holding on to beat the Raptors 94-92 on Sunday, their eighth victory in nine meetings with Toronto
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Golf's dream pairing - Woods and Mickelson - is on the course in the final round at Pebble Beach. Jason Sobel has hole-by-hole reports.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
Getty ImagesIndiana Pacers
Last season: 36-46, 4th in Central Division.
Coach: Jim O'Brien (3rd season)
Needs: Someone to step up as a secondary star to Danny Granger, who's awfully good, but not good enough to carry a team on his own.
Additions: Forward Tyler Hansbrough (draft), guard Luther Head (free agent), forward Dahntay Jones (free agent), forward Solomon Jones (free agent), guard A.J. Price (draft), guard Earl Watson (free agent).
Subtractions: Forward Maceo Baston (signed with Pistons), swingman Marquis Daniels (signed with Celtics), forward Stephen Graham (signed with Bobcats), guard Jarrett Jack (signed with Raptors), center Rasho Nesterovic (signed with Raptors), guard Jamaal Tinsley (free agent).
Remaining from last season: Guards Travis Diener, T.J. Ford, Brandon Rush; forwards Mike Dunleavy, Danny Granger, Josh McRoberts, Troy Murphy; centers Jeff Foster, Roy Hibbert.
Outlook: Unless Danny Granger, who has gotten better in each of his seasons, can make yet another leap, there simply doesn't appear to be enough here to contend for a playoff spot, even in the suspect East. Beyond Granger, hope again rests with a pair of former Warriors, in Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy, players who tend to accomplish far more in the stats column than the standings. At center, there is the mediocrity of Jeff Foster and Roy Hibbert. At point guard, there is the mediocrity of T.J. Ford and Earl Watson. Essentially, what this is is a roster of supporting players, with the latest such additions including Watson and Dahntay Jones. There just isn't much to support. Jim O'Brien has a way of getting the most out of his players, with his diversified offense and paint-swarming defense. But unless the East has multiple teams with losing records advancing to the postseason, the Pacers figure to be playoff spectators.
Los Angeles Clippers
Last season: 19-63, 4th in Pacific Division.
Coach: Mike Dunleavy (7th season)
Needs: A thinning out of the power rotation so the learning curve can be maximized for Blake Griffin.
Additions: Forward Rasual Butler (trade from Hornets), forward Blake Griffin (draft), forward Craig Smith (trade from Timberwolves), guard Sebastian Telfair (trade from Timberwolves).
Subtractions: Guard Quentin Richardson (traded to Timberwolves), forward Zach Randolph (traded to Grizzlies), guard Alex Acker (signed to play in Italy), guard Fred Jones (signed to play in Italy), forward Mark Madsen (free agent), guard Mike Taylor (signed with Grizzlies), guard Jason Williams (signed with Magic).
Remaining from last season: Centers Marcus Camby, DeAndre Jordan, Chris Kaman; guards Mardy Collins, Baron Davis, Eric Gordon; forwards Ricky Davis, Steve Novak, Brian Skinner, Al Thornton.
Outlook: There is talent here, plenty of talent. But hasn't that always been the case with the Clippers? Now it's a matter of coach Mike Dunleavy getting it right. Baron Davis has vowed to avenge last season's lackluster performance. Second-year guard Eric Gordon is turning into the real thing. Chris Kaman remains more than a serviceable post presence. And Rasual Butler can help. But what it's really all about is Blake Griffin, and cultivating the first-round pick into the face of the franchise. Whether that can be done with Kaman and Marcus Camby still on the roster is debatable. It has to be made clear that Griffin is the focus. And that has to be made particularly clear to Davis. To their credit, the Clippers were able to find a way to get rid of Zach Randolph. But what exactly is Ricky Davis still doing here? The playoffs nonetheless remain a possibility.
Los Angeles Lakers
Last season: 65-17, 1st in Pacific Division.
Coach: Phil Jackson (10th season)
Needs: Ron Artest to fit in instead of trying to stand out. A better support system behind aging Derek Fisher also would help.
Additions: Forward Ron Artest (free agent).
Subtractions: Forward Trevor Ariza (signed with Rockets), guard Sun Yue (signed with Knicks).
Remaining from last season: Guards Shannon Brown, Kobe Bryant, Jordan Farmar, Derek Fisher, Sasha Vujacic; centers Andrew Bynum, DJ Mbenga; forwards Pau Gasol, Adam Morrison, Lamar Odom, Josh Powell, Luke Walton.
Outlook: The Lakers were positioned to keep their championship roster intact. Instead, money that would have been well-spent on retaining Trevor Ariza went to Ron Artest. Ariza played his role perfectly last season, deferring to Kobe Bryant and stepping aside at small forward when Lamar Odom came off the bench. Is Artest a better talent? From the neck on down there doesn't seem to be much debate. But Artest also has a bent for having to get his way. That will make his relationship with Phil Jackson particularly intriguing. Elsewhere on the roster, the question becomes whether the likes of Odom and Pau Gasol become satisfied with one championship, or whether Bryant can instill in his teammates the meaning of multiple and consecutive championships. The Lakers remain the favorites in the West and an odds-on choice to repeat. That, of course, is unless the "bad" Ron Artest rears his head. In that case, all bets are off.
Memphis Grizzlies
Last season: 24-58, 5th in Southwest Division.
Coach: Lionel Hollins (4th season)
Needs: A team psychiatrist on speed-dial.
Additions: Forward DeMarre Carroll (draft), guard Allen Iverson (free agent), center Steven Hunter (trade from Nuggets), forward Zach Randolph (trade from Clippers), center Hasheem Thabeet (draft), guard Marcus Williams (free agent), forward Sam Young (draft).
Subtractions: Guard Greg Buckner (traded to Mavericks), guard Quentin Richardson (traded to Clippers), forward Darko Milicic (traded to Knicks), center Chris Mihm, (free agent), forward Darius Miles (free agent), Juan Carlos Navarro (free agent), forward Quinton Ross (signed with Mavericks), guard Jerry Stackhouse (free agent), forward Hakim Warrick (signed with Bucks), guard Mike Wilks (free agent).
Remaining from last season: Forwards Darrell Arthur, Rudy Gay; guards Mike Conley, Marko Jaric, O.J. Mayo; centers Marc Gasol, Hamed Haddadi.
Outlook: Chris Wallace certainly has assembled an eclectic collection of talent. You could do far worse on your fantasy team than a unit of Allen Iverson, Zach Randolph, Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo. Now, if you happen to be looking to win NBA games? Well, that's a different issue. Perhaps a coach with a resume a bit more solid than Lionel Hollins' might inspire more confidence. But who shy of a Pat Riley, Phil Jackson or, perhaps, Jerry Sloan could possibly be asked to get this motley collection on the same page? Is there quality young talent in place? No doubt. But why the heck would anyone want to mix Iverson and Randolph into this daycare? Oh yeah, to sell tickets. Enjoy the circus? Then check out the Grizzlies. But check them out before the middle of April, when their season most certainly will be complete.
Miami Heat
Last season: 43-39, 3rd in Southeast Division.
Coach: Erik Spoelstra (2nd season)
Needs: Despite a surplus of veteran free-agent point guards on the market this past offseason, the Heat opted to stick with Mario Chalmers and Chris Quinn. It is difficult to envision postseason success with such a raw pairing.
Additions: Guard Quentin Richardson (trade from Timberwolves), forward Shavlik Randolph (free agent), guard Carlos Arroyo (free agent).
Subtractions: Center Mark Blount (traded to Timberwolves), forward Jamario Moon (signed with Cavaliers), guard Luther Head (signed with Pacers).
Remaining from last season: Centers Jermaine O'Neal, Jamaal Magloire and Joel Anthony; forwards Michael Beasley, Udonis Haslem, James Jones, Yakhouba Diawara, Dorell Wright; guards Dwyane Wade, Daequan Cook, Mario Chalmers, Chris Quinn.
Outlook: It once again appears to be a case of best-of-Wade-or-bust, with the season essentially boiling down to whether the seventh-year guard is up to as much to as much heavy lifting as when he led the league in scoring last season. The hope is that Jermaine O'Neal and James Jones can make it all the way back from injury, and that erratic youth turns to tangible experience with Beasley, Chalmers and Cook. There is very little pretense that this is about little more than finding a way to bridge the team from last season's playoff berth to next summer's free-agency free-for-all. The Heat could go into the offseason with as few as two players under contract for 2010-11. Of course, there also has to be enough in the standings to make Wade confident enough to re-up in July. Otherwise, the 2006 championship success will become but a fleeting memory.
Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jump shot with 4.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a six-game road trip by holding on to beat the Raptors 94-92 on Sunday, their eighth victory in nine meetings with Toronto
Rajon Rondo recorded a triple-double with 32 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics to a 95-91 win Sunday over the Chicago Bulls, who were without star guard Derrick Rose.
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Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
After leading by 18 points in the first half, the Los Angeles Lakers were staring at a four-point deficit with less than two minutes to play.
Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.