FIVE QUICK NBA THOUGHTS 1. KYLE LOWRY (Raptors): This is great news for Raps fans. He was in a nice spot with demand from other teams and he cashed in quite well. Bottom line, market value sets the price point and its the cost of doing business. Hes the heart and soul of their team and was an important guy to keep, mission accomplished. This is an important point to consider - the fact that he makes more money doesnt mean hes going to be an even better player than he was last year. Its a tough thing for players who sign big deals; they feel they need to live up to the money and contract. Realistically, if he can provide them what he did last season on a consistent basis and stay healthy the next three to four years - where do I sign up? Good get even if the money is a tad bit high but again its all about right place and right time for Lowry and for the Raptors. Its a deal that makes both good basketball and organizational sense. I love the addition of Patrick Patterson as a restricted free agent to the mix as well. Hes a good young player whose best days lie ahead for him. His perimeter shooting, defence, rebounding and overall toughness are a good piece for this group. Obviously, he ended up being for the Raps what Andrea Bargnani was supposed to be yet at a much more reasonable price. Good deal. Hopefully Greivis Vasquez gets done soon as well. Fingers crossed. Off to a nice start though. Masai Ujiris surely has planned his work and is working his plan. 2. BEN GORDON (Magic): What a Country! I cant believe he got a two-year deal, even if whole money amount isnt guaranteed. Im sure if former Detroit Pistons president, Joe Dumars is walking on a beach this summer thinking about the moves that cost him his job; this guy and Charlie Villaneuvas deals are right at the top of the list. He gets another chance to resuscitate his career with Magic but Im skeptical of this one. 3. SHAUN LIVINGSTON (Warriors): Im happy for him. Hes battled back from major injury in his career and hes not the player he once was in his early Clippers days, but he has reinvented himself and thats a testament to his work ethic and character. Hes a dependable pro and plays the game hard and right. Hell be a nice mature addition to Coach Steve Kerrs locker room. 4 LeBRON JAMES (Heat): Pat Rileys has to be sweating a bit here. So far no luck attracting the other pieces to compliment the King and hes evaluating his options as he should. He is legitimate by the contract he and the heat negotiated in good faith. Who knows how it will all work out with him and even a guy like Carmelo Anthony. Bottom line, guys want to get paid at the highest level as well as the mid and lower tier players. Your sales pitch as a team beyond winning is still how much cap space do you have and what percentage of it am I getting? 5. NO STATE INCOME TAX: You hear this all the time about states like Texas and Florida, that their free agent pitches have a built in competitive advantage. Heres my question; in cap-centric leagues like the NBA, NHL and NFL, I wonder why this loophole wouldnt be closed. In my opinion, the cap is set up to level the playing field and teams in states that have a distinct advantage with the net income equation have the upper hand. Not sure if this has ever been considered but my thought is based upon this advantage - why dont the leagues set the cap based upon what the money means on the back end in net income per team, so its equal. In 98 per cent of the cases youre dealing with players that are in the highest taxable tax bracket in their state or Country, so why not do the research and base the cap number (which is equal) to the after tax value in each market and even the cap that way. Again, Im not sure if its ever been discussed or if it even makes any sense, Im just thinking out loud. Its probably too complicated an issue to work on but for the life of me I cant tell you why those teams in tax friendly states gain a major advantage. Its an issue for minds much greater than mine (not saying much there!) to figure out. Probably a wasted thought but thats what Im here for! Have a GREAT weekend! Stefano Sturaro Jersey . After not scoring 40 points in the opening quarter in the last five seasons, the Rockets have done it five times this season and twice in the last three games. Paulo Dybala Juventus Jersey . - In about six minutes, the Memphis Grizzlies had allowed their 23-point lead to be cut to seven. http://www.juventusfcshop.com/Women-Clau...ntus-Fc-Jersey/. Called on from the college ranks to replace Andy Reid, Kelly implemented a whole new atmosphere in the City of Brotherly Love and now has the Eagles in the playoffs for the first time since 2010. Medhi Benatia Juventus Jersey . Joakim Nordstrom and Garret Ross also scored for Chicago and Corey Crawford made 30 saves. Tomas Tatar scored twice for Red Wings (2-3-0), Jonathan Ericsson added a goal and Gustav Nyquist had three assists. Miralem Pjanic Juventus Jersey . - John Elways philosophy is to address immediate needs in free agency, even though some of his own veterans may prove too pricey to keep around. NEW YORK -- Deron Williams felt so good, he even dunked for the first time this season. Or, maybe he didnt. "Were trying to debate if that was a dunk," Brooklyn coach Jason Kidd said. It wasnt pretty, but it went in, just like nearly every other shot Williams took in one of his best games of the season. Williams scored 28 points, leading the Nets to a 108-95 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Monday night that extended their home winning streak to nine. Williams shot 11 of 13 from the field and looks all the way back after ankle problems wrecked his first half of the season. He was two points off his season high and rose above the rim to throw down a dunk that finished off a fourth-quarter fast break started by Andrei Kirilenkos steal. The dunk wasnt exactly a no-doubter, but far better than what Williams was capable of a couple of months ago. "Im going to give it to him," rookie Mason Plumlee said. "Hes gone up about three times now with great courage. If at first you dont succeed, keep trying. This one, I mean it rattled in, so he didnt get the flush, but he got a dunk. Theres a difference." Williams joked that his coach was supposed to have his back, adding that Kidd "was never a dunker in his day, either." But theres no debating that the two-time Olympian looks better, and so do the Nets when he plays like this. "Im definitely feeling better," Williams said after shooting 80 per cent in a game for the first time in his career. "Still not jumping that high, as you can tell, but definitely feeling better and more confident every day." Joe Johnson added 19 points for the Nets, on their longest home winning streak since winning nine straight from March 15-April 6, 2006. Playing without Kevin Garnett because of back spasms for the ninth straight game, the Nets continued to thrive playing small ball, making 67.5 per cent of their shots in the first half and leading by as much as 23 in the game. Garnett hasnt played this month and will miss at least two more games before he is re-evaluated Saturday before the Nets leave for a three-game trip. But Mason Plumlee had another strong game in his absence, ffinishing with 14 points and 11 rebounds in outplaying his brother, Miles.dddddddddddd Markieff Morris scored 18 points and Gerald Green 17 for the Suns, who were seeking a perfect three-game trip against Atlantic Division teams after winning at Boston and Toronto. But they never led and fell 1 1/2 games behind Memphis for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. "We cant have these semi-efforts on nights. We had terrible effort tonight," Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. "This team has a bunch of All-Stars on it. This should have been a big game to get hyped up. Maybe we were worn out with four games in five nights. I dont know." Kidd talked before the game about how potent the Suns, who scored 121 points at Toronto, could be. But it was the Nets who were quicker up and down the floor in their 16th victory in their last 18 home games. The Nets made eight of their first 11 shots, hit 70 per cent in the first quarter, and led by as much as 14 in the period before taking a 30-20 lead to the second. With a couple of huge dunks by Green to answer some by Shaun Livingston, Phoenix was able to match Brooklyn in first-half highlights but not in baskets. Williams made all three of his shots in the second quarter, including a layup that gave the Nets a 62-49 lead at the break. "They were better than us today," Suns guard Goran Dragic said. "We tried to battle but we didnt find energy, and when you play hard you get all the calls. They were just better in all aspects of the game." Phoenix cut it to 76-67 on Morris three-point play, but Johnson and Paul Pierce hit consecutive 3-pointers to start a 14-0 burst and gave the Nets a 90-67 lead with 1:20 remaining in the third quarter. NOTES: Livingston, who suffered a devastating knee injury early in his career, surpassed his previous bests for minutes played and points scored in a season Monday. ... Brooklyns Jorge Gutierrez played 7 scoreless minutes on the day he signed a second 10-day contract. He played in only one game during the first deal. ... The game featured two sets of brothers, with the Suns Morris twins, Markieff and Marcus, and the Plumlees. Cheap Jerseys Free ShippingNFL Jerseys From ChinaChina JerseysJerseys WholesaleWholesale Jerseys From ChinaChina NFL GearWholesale Jerseys Free Shipping ' ' '