What a Month

March was the month of the sports gods. The heart of the NBA season, baseballs spring training, the MLS adding two new teams, and a sprinkling of the NFL helps make March one of the best months for sports fans.

The NFL created a frenzy of free agency by moving the NFL scouting combine up to late February, and moving the NFL draft up to late April kick starting trades and signings almost every hour.

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/

Jacksonville started spending money by signing former Broncos Tight End Julius Thomas and Defensive Tackle Jared Odrick for a total of $46 million in guaranteed money.

And then Miami stepped in to outspend their instate rival Jaguars by signing star free agent Ndamukong Suh to a six year - $114 million dollar contract where he will make $26.5 million of it in 2015.

The Jets brought back Cornerbacks Antonio Cromartie and Darelle Revis for big money. Philly made waves by letting star free agent receiver Jeremy Maclin go to Kansas City to reunite with head coach Andy Reid, signing star cornerback Byron Maxwell to a $63 million deal, and trading quarterback Nick Foles to the Rams for the ACL-less Sam Bradford.

That strange trade started an uproar questioning whether Eagles coach Chip Kelly actually knows what he's doing.

Then running back DeMarco Murray signed with the Eagles partially thanks to the recruiting of Bradford to come join him in the city of brotherly love, to much of the Eagles fans confusion.

And let's not forget, Kelly traded star running back LeSean McCoy to the Bills for young linebacker Kiko Alonso.

The MLS's two new teams, New York City FC and Orlando SC kicked off their first seasons to a 1-1 draw in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. New York City FC followed up the draw with a 2-1 win against the New England Revolution on their new home turf, Yankee Stadium.

MLB spring training is in full swing (pun intended), with all teams getting ready for opening day in mid April. Mike Trout, Bryce Harper and Yasiel Puig all planning to take their teams to the playoffs again.

And finally the NBA is heating up with LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and the Cavs making a late push for the top seed in the east making top 10 plays nearly every game, along with the Golden State Warriors likely coasting into the top spot in the west.

Follow me @BSzabo24 and Matt at @Coochigross on Twitter. And check back regularly for more coverage of all the hottest in sports.

Winners and Losers: The Rajon Rondo Trade

There can be endless debate about who the best point guard in the NBA is, but it cannot be argued that Rajon Rondo is one of the best in the game. Since 2012, the ex-Boston Celtic point guard has averaged 11.7 points, 10.6 assists, 6 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. In that span he has only played in 91 games, but he’s managed to record 9 triple-doubles. The 28-year-old veteran point guard may be an injury risk, but the Dallas Mavericks took the leap of faith.

It’s been known for a while that the Celtics were shopping Rondo, and it was only a matter of time before a viable suitor showed up. The Mavericks proved to be just that, and last week the deal was etched into stone.

The Mavericks agreed to send three players to Boston: former first round pick Brandan Wright, fellow forward Jae Crowder and veteran point guard Jameer Nelson. In addition to that, the Celtics acquired a conditional first-round pick in 2015, a second rounder in 2016, and a $12.9 million trade exception.

In return, the Mavs scooped up Rondo and the 45^th pick in this year’s draft, forward Dwight Powell. This begs the question, who are the winners and losers of this trade?

Obviously, the Mavericks won. They got the star point guard and game manager that they’ve been looking for, and didn’t give up any integral pieces. Brandan Wright will be the biggest immediate loss, as he was a nice rim protector coming off the bench. The 6-year big man out of North Carolina was averaging almost 9 points and 4 boards in just 19 minutes a game, and was blocking 1.6 shots per contest. This leaves Tyson Chandler as the sole rim-protector in their defense, which could pose an issue when the second unit comes in.

But that doesn’t threaten the Mavs in the grand scheme of things. They have a loaded starting lineup now, with valuable bench players. Rondo will start alongsided Monta Ellis, Chandler Parsons, Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler. The Mavs have Devin Harris, J.J. Barea, Al-Farouq Aminu and Richard Jefferson coming off the bench. It’s not the strongest second unit, but it doesn’t need to be.

Rondo is adding championship experience to a team who still has 3 players from their 2011 Finals victory (Barea, Chandler, and Nowitzki). The chemistry will come quickly, and Rondo’s basketball IQ along with his vast skillset will make this team an instant contender.

I’ve heard some people saying the Celtics lost, but that couldn’t be less true. They did what they’ve been trying to accomplish: dump everyone from their championship roster, start fresh with young players and draft picks. Yes, Jameer Nelson is 32. But they will use him to teach Avery Bradley, Phil Pressey, and Marcus Smart how to run an offense.

The Celtics roster has an average age of 25.3, the fifth youngest in the NBA. This sets them up for the future, for which they already have a solid foundation.

This trade was nearly perfect in every way: it provided equal compensation for equal benefit to both sides.

But this trade doesn’t stop here… I haven’t touched upon the losers of this trade.

The entire Western conference lost in this deal (except Dallas of course). Now that Dallas poses this great of a threat, everyone in the West is at risk. Dirk doesn’t have to be the game manager in the fourth quarter anymore. With Rondo present, Dirk can spot up, post up, and play his game. Monta Ellis will still be able to create shots for himself, but he also has someone creating them for him now. Parsons is in the same boat as Ellis, and Chandler will work the pick and roll. For an offense that was already scoring the most in the NBA, they just got a whole lot more lethal.

But the biggest loser in this trade is the Oklahoma City Thunder. They had their chance to deal Westbrook for Rondo, which would have been the blockbuster deal of the century. It would have opened up so many doors for both sides. But if you ask me, the Thunder will never win a championship with Westbrook and KD sharing the scoring. They are simply following their stats, trying to keep up with them. Russ may be averaging 7.2 assists per game, but it doesn’t matter. In the big picture, the Thunder can’t get by the Spurs, Clippers, and now the Grizzlies, Warriors, and presumably the Mavericks. Missing out on the Rondo opportunity is what makes them the biggest losers of this deal.

Follow me on Twitter @Coochigross and my co-author @BSzabo24 to see regular updates on this blog.

http://picturingsports.blogspot.com/

A Gift from the Basketball Gods

Inbounds pass. Trot up the court. No hustle, no pace, just determination. Isolation. Right. Left. Right. Left. Left. Pull-Up three pointer. Bang. 

There's a babyfaced point guard on the Golden State Warriors. His name, Wardell Stephen Curry. And he will be the 2015 NBA MVP.

Kobe is on his way out. Derrick Rose is confusing. LeBron is getting older and likes to pass more often than shoot, Durant is slower because of his injury and, while still in his prime, starting to get boring. (Probably because he'll never win a title with Russell Westbrook on his team, but that's a rainy day topic)

Wardell, or Steph as he prefers (I've been told), is now in his sixth year and will soon be the NBA's poster child. He has officially established himself as the leagues premier shooter.

The Warriors are off to a 22-3 start under new head coach Steve Kerr. Who made the single best decision of his life to coach the Warriors instead of the woeful Knicks. He has simply patted heads, and pushed a bunch of young kids along to become the best team in the NBA this season. 

Klay Thompson seems to be worth every penny of the four-year extension he signed to start the season. The sharpshooter is averaging almost 22 points per game, three assists and three boards and is shooting a ridiculous 44% from the three-point line through the first 25 games. 

The second year man out of Michigan State, Draymond Green has been a spark for the team averaging 13 points and eight rebounds per game. Curry, Thompson, Green, Barnes, and Bogut have been the deadliest lineup for the Warriors with those five players scoring over 37 points per game for the team. 

And then when they're in need of a point, a spark, or a big play, Mr. Curry has yet to disappoint. 

Deadly Crossover?

Check.

No-Look-Behind-The-Back Pass to an open Klay Thompson?

Check. 

Around a ball-screen three pointer over Kenneth Faried?

That too.

Curry's 24 points per game is currently fifth among all scorers along with five boards and seven assists he has propelled the Warriors to the top of the Western Conference. Curry is first in three points makes, and top-ten in Assists, Steals, and Free-Throw percentage. This is the year. A year where Durant and Westbrook missed time. A year where Derrick Rose is still settling in. A year where LeBron is making friends instead of playing basketball. And one when everyone else is coasting along, Steph Curry is making his mark. 

Congrats Steph, just wait a few months before you hoist that trophy.

Follow me on Twitter @BSzabo24 and check this blog regularly for more of me and @Coochigross