Per NBA.com...

Hughley had coached at LeFlore High School in Mobile, Ala. for seven years (2004-2010), guiding the Rattlers to six straight regional appearances and a 6A state title in 2007. While at LeFlore, he coached current Kings center Demarcus Cousins. Before coaching at LeFlore, Hughley was an assistant coach at several universities, including Wright State, Liberty and Southern. Hughley’s experience also includes coaching for the league's NBA China program and working over 10 years at Pete Newell's "Big Man Camp."

This a low downside move. The Kings are just trying to do everything they can to create an environment for DeMarcus Cousins to succeed. If that means bringing in his high school coach to mentor him, then so be it.

Cousins has the ability to be an All-NBA big man, so it's worth the investment.

All 2010 Fantasy Football Articles | 2010 Position Rankings

Are wideouts the new running backs? Not quite, but they continue to gain importance as more and more leagues make rules changes that enhance the value of the position. How do you know if you're in one of these leagues? If your rules only require one starting RB spot and has a flex position, or if it awards one point per reception, you can start thinking about drafting a WR in the middle of the first round.

As I noted in the RB preview, there is a pretty sizable drop off after the first five or six running backs this season, so as soon as Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew and Ray Rice are off the board, it's time to consider going with a wideout. Frank Gore and Steven Jackson are justifiable picks at #5 or #6, but Andre Johnson is also worth consideration. And I'd rather have Larry Fizgerald than any of the RBs in the next tier (Michael Turner, Rashard Mendenhall, DeAngelo Williams, etc.).

If you're in a league that does NOT require two starting RBs, and you're drafting in the back half of round one, it makes a lot of sense to zag when everyone else is zigging, by grabbing a stud WR. You could even draft a second wideout early in the 2nd and wait to nab your first RB late in the third, when guys like Pierre Thomas, Chris Wells and Joseph Addai are still likely to be available. You could end up with Fitzgerald, Reggie Wayne and Thomas as your core, and that's a group that is projected (by Footballguys) to outscore a Turner/Mendenhall/S. Rice core by almost 100 fantasy points over the course of the season (assuming a high-performance, PPR league).

If you're drafting in the first half of the first round and want to grab a stud RB early, don't be afraid to go WR with your next pick, as there will be plenty of RB talent available early in the third round, and given the relative depth in rounds 2 and 3, you won't be losing many points by letting Ryan Grant, Jamaal Charles or Knowshon Moreno go. Somebody comparable will be there in the 3rd.

Even if you load up on WR talent early, it's always nice to be able to pluck a good WR out of the pack in the middle rounds. Here are a few players that are going in the 6th-10th rounds that should outperform their current average draft positions. (Note: All ADP data is from Antsports.)

Hines Ward (6.01)
It's almost August, so that must mean I'm writing about Hines Ward as a value fantasy wideout. Sure, he's 34, but over the last two seasons he has averaged 88-1105-6.5. He was WR14 last season and WR15 the year before, so why is he being drafted WR23? It's not just his age -- he's going to be without Ben Roethlisberger for the first six games. But Byron Leftwich can hold down the fort, right? If he stays healthy, Ward should have another top 20 fantasy season.

Percy Harvin (6.03)
While Sidney Rice stole many of the headlines last season, Harvin put together a terrific rookie year en route to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Most wideouts take two or three years to get acclimated to the NFL, but Harvin had no issues, other than the occasional migrane. He finished with 60-790-6, and also gained 135 yards in the running game. He should be able to build on those numbers assuming #4 is back under center.

Santana Moss (7.02)
Even in what was rightfully considered a down year, Moss finished as WR28 with 70-902-3. He's being drafted WR27, even though his QB situation has improved from Jason Campbell to Donovan McNabb, who is far more likely to throw the ball downfield with accuracy. Moss is 31, so age is a concern, but it's not like he's over the hill. Moss has a great shot to shoot back into the Top 20 in 2010.

Donald Driver (7.04)
The Packers are worried about Driver's off-season knee scopes, but he said in mid-June that he feels so good that he wishes he had done it years ago. Driver is 35, so it's important to keep perspective, but these are the kinds of middle round singles and doubles that can seal a fantasy playoff berth. Driver was WR21 last season and WR23 the year before, yet he's going W28 in mock drafts. I figure he'll finish in the low 20's again with very little downside.

Mike Wallace (8.02)
I'd feel even better about this pick if Roethlisberger weren't suspended for the first six games, but them's the breaks. Wallace posted 39-756-3 as a rookie last season and gave the Steelers enough confidence to let Santonio Holmes go. He may not start for your fantasy team right away, but draft him as your third or fourth WR and you'll probably be using him by midseason.

Malcom Floyd (10.05)
Floyd is 28, so he isn't going to sneak up on anyone. But he did post 9-140 against the Redskins in Week 17 last year when Vincent Jackson sat out, and with V-Jax preparing for a long holdout, Floyd could emerge as the Chargers' top WR option. He has a career average of 16.5 ypc, which is promising.

Derrick Mason (10.06)
Like Ward and Driver, Mason is a tried and true fantasy WR. He finished WR17 last season and WR20 the year before, but is being drafted WR41 for some unknown reason. Sure, he's old (36), but he has three straight 1000+ yard seasons and hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. Anquan Boldin's arrival may cut into his targets, but his catches per target should rise with the attention Boldin is going to get. It also doesn't hurt that Joe Flacco has another year on his belt. If your WR corps is looking shaky in the 9th round, Mason can quickly stabilize it.

Devin Aromashodu (10.03)
Don't worry too much about Aromashodu's current position on the Bears' depth chart (WR3). Jay Cutler likes him and Mike Martz runs a lot of three-receiver sets. He posted 22-282-4 over the last four games of the season. By the way, I also like Devin Hester, who is currently going in the 11th round.

Here are our official WR rankings, by tier:

1. Andre Johnson
2. Larry Fitzgerald

3. Miles Austin
4. Reggie Wayne
5. Randy Moss
6. Roddy White

7. Greg Jennings
8. Calvin Johnson
9. Marques Colston
10. Sidney Rice
11. DeSean Jackson
12. Steve Smith 2.0
13. Brandon Marshall
14. Steve Smith 1.0
15. Chad Ochocinco

16. Hines Ward
17. Percy Harvin
18. Anquan Boldin
19. Michael Crabtree
21. Wes Welker
22. Hakeem Nicks
23. Mike Sims-Walker
24. Dwyane Bowe
25. Santana Moss

26. Donald Driver
27. Mike Wallace
28. Jeremy Maclin
29. Derrick Mason
30. Malcom Floyd
31. Devin Hester
32. T.J. Houshmandzadeh
33. Devin Aromashodu
34. Steve Breaston
35. Jerricho Cotchery
36. Santonio Holmes

37. Jabar Gaffney
38. Robert Meachem
39. Terrell Owens
40. Kenny Britt
41. Mohamed Massoquoi
42. Dez Bryant

43. Laurent Robinson
44. Nate Burleson
45. Chris Chambers
46. Vincent Jackson
47. Jacoby Jones
48. Pierre Garcon
49. Donnie Avery
50. Eddie Royal
50. Chaz Schilens

While an official announcement isn’t expected to come until Saturday afternoon, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes that the Yankees are on the verge of acquiring first baseman Lance Berkman from the Astros. (Joel Sherman of the New York Post posted the same report on his Twitter page.)

With Mark Teixeira entrenched at first base, Berkman would become the Yankees’ new DH for the stretch run. He would still have 24 hours to cancel any deal because he has a full no-trade clause in his contract, but one would assume that he would waive it in order to join a contender for the final two months of the season.

It’s unclear at this point what the Yankees would have to give up in a deal for Berkman, although prospects David Adams and Ivan Nova have each been mentioned in other trade scenarios. (Adams’ name was mentioned in the Cliff Lee deal before talks with the Mariners broke down.)

One interesting thing to note is that Alyson Footer, who is the Astros’ Sr. Director of Social Media, writes via Twitter that Berkman does not want the new team to pick up his $15 million option for 2011. It would appear as though he wants to return to the Astros next season.

Update: Sherman now says the deal is completed - Berkman is a Yankee.

Far be it for me to write about another man’s intentions, but it sure looks to me that Mike Shanahan’s conditioning test for Albert Haynesworth is less about cardio and more about respect.

According to several media outlets, Haynesworth has failed two conditioning tests over the past two days. He passed the first leg of Shanahan’s test (which consisted of two 300-yard shuttle runs) on Thursday, only to fail the second because he needed to take a bathroom break. (No word yet on if it was a No. 1 or a No. 2 for Haynesworth.)

When Shanahan asked Haynesworth to run a third leg of the test, the massive defensive tackle told his head coach that he has never had to run three such sprints during even his best of seasons (including the years he went to the Pro Bowl). Considering defensive linemen never have to run further than 5-10 yards on a given play, it would seem a little absurd that Shanahan would make Haynesworth run this much (especially while the DT is reportedly in great shape as it is).

But that’s not the point now is it? The point is that Haynesworth spent virtually the entire offseason complaining about this situation in Washington and Shanahan wasn’t going to allow the defender to waltz into camp on Day 1 and act like everything is just gravy. Shanahan has been around long enough to know how to handle these types of situations and he has decided to test Haynesworth’s resolve right off the bat. Again, I can’t speak for Shanahan’s intentions, but it appears as though he’s making a point that one player doesn’t come above the team. And if you want to be a part of this team, you’re going to have to bust your hump. If you don’t, well, then there’s the door.

If these are indeed Shanahan’s intentions when it comes to Haynesworth’s conditioning tests, then how could you not appreciate this if you’re a Redskins fan? Coming off of Jim Zorn, this has to be a welcoming sight in D.C.

Jay Glazer of FOX Sports writes that the Jets have rewarded head coach Rex Ryan with a two-year contract extension.

The new arrangement transforms his deal to last through the 2014 season, something the team also announced Friday that they did for general manager Mike Tannenbaum last month with a new five-year deal.

It’s unclear how much new money Ryan received, but clearly the Jets believe they have their answer at head coach for the foreseeable future. It’s certainly odd that an NFL head coach would get a new deal after just one season. But it shows just how much faith that owner Woody Johnson has in his current head coach.

I was shocked it took until last year before Ryan got his first chance to become a head coach in the NFL. His brashness may have rubbed some front office types the wrong way in interviews, but the Jets obviously love him, as do their players. While he only has one year under his belt, he has already made believers out of everyone who follows the Jets.

Germantown police are reviewing the way a 911 call from a former NBA star's cell phone was handled on the day he was killed.

Police chief Richard Hall said he did not learn of the call until Tuesday -- eight days after it occurred.

As a result, it was not reported to investigators in nearby Collierville investigating Lorenzen Wright's disappearance.

Sources have told The Commercial Appeal that as many as a dozen gunshots can be heard on a recording of the call, which was placed in the early morning hours of July 19.

The handling of the call may not have affected the result of the shooting, but who knows, maybe there was some clue on the tape of the call that could have helped the Collierville investigators find whoever shot him.

Apparently, three men showed up at the home of Wright's ex-wife a few weeks before the shooting:

Sherra Robinson Wright opened her front door one day in recent weeks to find three men she had never seen before, each with guns tucked in their waistbands.

They looked serious and wanted to know if her ex-husband, former NBA star Lorenzen Wright, 34, happened to be inside the Whisperwood Drive home visiting his six children.

No, she assured them, and they drove away.

The frightened Collierville mom rushed to tell her divorce attorney, Gail Mathes, about the scary ordeal and her fears for herself, her children and the ex-husband she still loved, Mathes said.

A few weeks later, the athlete made an impromptu visit from his Atlanta-area home to Memphis. A day after his flight arrived, he was gunned down.

Roger Goodell is apparently getting soft in his old(er) age.

Like Titans’ quarterback Vince Young, it appears as though Cedric Benson will escape punishment stemming from an incident that occurred at an Austin bar late last month in which witnesses claim he punched an employee. According to Adam Schefter via his Twitter page, Goodell will not suspend the Bengals’ running back.

It’ll be interesting to see whether or not the Bengals sign Benson to a contract extension now that he’s in the clear. He was angling for a new deal before the news about his bar altercation broke, so maybe the team will feel more confident giving him an extension. That said, nobody could blame Cincy if it wanted to waited until Benson stayed out of trouble the rest of the year.

As expected, Young wasn’t suspended either after he punched a man in the face at a strip club last month. It was the first time Young had gotten into any off-field trouble, so it was expected that Goodell would go easy on him being a first-time offender. The reports out of Tennessee have been mostly positive about VY this summer, so it appears as though the strip club incident was only a small roadblock for the 27-year-old QB.

After LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh decided once and for all that they were going to team up in Miami, Ric Bucher was one of the ones (along with Jon Barry, let's not forget him) that questioned what kind of supporting cast the Heat would be able to put around their three stars.

Now that the roster is complete with the signing of sharpshooter Eddie House, Bucher chimes in on Twitter:

Count me unconvinced the Heat are the L's next champ. But as far as supporting casts built on very limited $, they did incredibly well.

Looking at the Heat's roster -- the key signings were Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem, which Miami got at a discount. Miller should thrive in open catch and shoot situations, while Haslem was convinced by his loyalty to the organization and to the team. Haslem is an undersized center, but right there, the Heat have the league's strongest starting five, at least on paper.

The Heat knew they needed more shooters, so they re-signed James Jones and signed House, who are both career 39%+ from 3PT. Mario Chalmers is not on their level, but he's a threat from deep and has played in pressure situations before (at Kansas, where he hit an amazing shot to send the title game against Memphis into overtime). Carlos Arroyo is still there as well, and hopefully he's locked in a gym somewhere working on this outside touch.

Miami also added several bigs to shore up the front line around Bosh and Haslem. They signed veterans Juwan Howard and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who are obviously at the ends of their respective careers, but they should still be able to give a few productive minutes off the bench. Jamaal Magloire is another big body who could contend with Dwight Howard in a possible matchup with Orlando.

They have some young bigs as well. Joel Anthony is a promising defensive center and the Heat drafted Jarvis Varnado, Da'Sean Butler and Dexter Pittman to round out the front line.

All in all, the roster came together very well, starting with the Miller and Haslem signings. Once those two were locked up, the rest was just gravy. Pat Riley did a wonderful job this summer.

Now they have to play the games.

It wasn’t three days ago that I wrote about the potential concerns that the Ravens had in their secondary heading into the 2010 season. Now it appears that yet another one of their starting corners has suffered an ACL injury.

Domonique Foxworth, whom the Ravens signed to a $27.2 million contract last season, is out for the year after tearing his ACL during Thursday’s practice. The news is devastating considering that both Fabian Washington and Lardarius Webb are trying to recover from the same injuries. Neither corner is expected to be 100% by the start of the season.

After signing his lucrative deal in the offseason, Foxworth became a constant target of fans and critics. Truth be told, if you watch the film he wasn’t as bad as people made him out to be, but it’s also true that he never came close to living up to the contract he signed. Furthermore, he seemed to save his worst performances against top opponents like the Colts (twice), Patriots and Bengals.

Assuming they make full recoveries, the Ravens should be able to get by with Webb and Washington as their starters. But given the uncertainty of their injuries and the depth behind them (i.e. Chris Carr, Walt Harris, Travis Fisher, etc.), it’s fair to question why GM Ozzie Newsome didn’t focus on the cornerback position more this offseason.

Anthony Stalter will be on with Rex Snider of WNST Sports Radio in Baltimore today at 3:40PM ET talking about the Ravens’ upcoming season. You can listen live at WNST’s website.

Listen live here.

Shaq is a 38-year-old center without a home and he's holding out for a sign-and-trade hoping to get a deal that starts above the mid-level exception, which starts at around $5.8 million per season. But get this -- he only wants to play for a legitimate contender.

That's a short list of teams.

What follows is an open letter to Mr. O'Neal.

Shaq, you are one of the most dominating players the league has ever seen, and the NBA has been good to you. According to Basketball-Reference, you have made more than $290 million in your career. And that doesn't even count the money you've made from sponsorships.

Don't embarrass yourself by trying to orchestrate a sign-and-trade. If you want to keep playing, just sign for the veteran minimum and join the best fit of the short list of teams that are after your services. Everyone knows you are not the player that you once were, and haven't been for the last few years, (when you were making $20+ million a season), so take the pay cut with a smile and put yourself in a position of relevancy to finish off your illustrious career.

Who knows, maybe you'll be the difference in a playoff series for the Celtics or the Hawks, and people will look back on your final games and say -- man, the guy could still play, even at 38-years-old.

Chris Bosh responded to claims made by embattled Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo that he 'checked out' at the end of the season.

Here's exactly what Colangelo said, via the Toronto Sun:

“Despite limited swelling and any excessive damage on an MRI, he felt like he needed to sit for six more games ... I’m not even questioning Chris’ injury. I’m telling you he was cleared to play subject to tolerance on his part, and the tolerance just apparently wasn’t there and he chose not to play,” Colangelo said.

“The fact that our season was spiralling downward and we were hoping he’d come back sooner and we were also dealing with a few other things at that point ... we were really struggling there.”

“Whether he was mentally checked out or just wasn’t quite into it down the stretch, he wasn’t the same guy. I think everybody saw that, but no one wanted to acknowledge it.”

Colangelo is acting like a jilted lover and is trying to cover his own ass. He could have traded Bosh last summer or at the February deadline and gotten something in return, whether it be someone like Joakim Noah from the Bulls or maybe David Lee from the Knicks. His defenders say that no team would have traded for Bosh not knowing if he'd re-sign, but I think both Chicago and New York (or L.A., Oklahoma City or Houston, or any number of teams) would have rolled the dice to get the opportunity to re-sign him to a max deal, since that was reportedly what he was after. (Before you Raptor fans start slamming me for speculating, do you really think the Lakers would have turned down a Bosh-for-Bynum deal in the middle of last season? Really? Go and look at yourself in the mirror -- do you really believe that?)

Granted, the Raptors were fighting for a playoff spot at the time, so had Colangelo made the trade, his fan base might have revolted. But that's only because they didn't see the writing on the wall.

Bosh (sort of) responded to Colangelo's allegations in an interview with Sportsnet.ca:

"No, at any time, did I ever give up," Bosh told Sportsnet. "You know, I take that very seriously. I work hard every time I step on the court -- practice, games, shoot-around, whatever you want to say -- I take this job seriously and I take my effort on the court seriously.

"I play this game as hard as I can every time I step on the court. On the back of my jersey, it says Bosh," the 26-year-old forward continued. "The Boshs are hard workers. We have a lot of pride in what we do in our jobs and in life. There was no time, at any time, that I ever stepped on the court -- in my NBA career, in my life -- and stop playing hard or give up."

Bosh is talking about his on-court effort while Colangelo accused him of packing it up early when he was injured. Those are two different things. I'd like to hear Bosh answer questions about his injury.

He also asked Toronto fans not to boo him when he comes back to play.

Yeah, right.

Merry training camp season, everyone. It’s been a long offseason, but football is finally gearing up again and to celebrate I’m rolling out a new series on TSR entitled “2010 NFL Question Marks,” where I discuss one or two of the biggest concerns that teams have heading into the new season. Granted, some teams have more issues than others, but I’ll primarily be focusing on the biggest problem areas. Today I’ll be discussing the Bills, who, as you may imagine, have a couple of issues on their plate.

Ugh. I think I had the Bills in mind when I first thought about doing this series, as there’s no limit to the number of issues going on right now in Buffalo.

Actually, that’s not fair because the Bills are moving in the right direction and the hiring of GM Buddy Nix is proof of that. Nix has 14 years of NFL experience and previously spent 26 years coaching in the college ranks. The guy knows how to scout and for a team that desperately needs to re-stock their roster with talent, that’s huge.

Whether or not Chan Gailey was the best choice for head coach is debatable, but at least a) he has experience and b) isn’t Dick Jauron. For the time being, let’s give Gailey a chance and take solace in the fact that the Bills actually have people in their front office who don’t base their decisions on simulations in “Madden.” (“Madden says that the Cowboys would be willing to take Marshawn Lynch, a fourth, and a seventh for Tony Romo, so get Jerry Jones on the phone and let’s see if we can wrap something up by lunchtime.”)

That said, things still look bleak for this team, especially compared to the rest of the AFC East. Defensively, the secondary is deep and the team devoted a lot of time this offseason re-tooling the line for new coordinator George Edwards, who will implement the 3-4. It’s going to take time for the new scheme to take shape, which is why I’ll leave the defense alone for now.

The offense, however, is another story.

Outside of running back (where the team is loaded after selecting C.J. Spiller in the first round of April’s draft), the Bills have concerns at every position. Aside from Lee Evans, the wideout position is chockfull of unproven talent (James Hardy, Chad Jackson, Steve Johnson, Marcus Easley) and players that just haven’t been productive (Roscoe Parrish). But compared to quarterback and offensive line, receiver is the least of Buffalo’s concerns.

After passing on Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen not once, but twice in April, the Bills are still left without a franchise quarterback on their roster (not unlike last year). Trent Edwards will enter training camp as the No. 1, but a lot can change leading up to the season and it wouldn’t be surprising if either Ryan Fitzpatrick or Brian Brohm eventually took over as the starter. Edwards is the ideal choice because of his youth, size, skill level and intelligence, but it’s been some time since he’s played with any kind of confidence. He buckles in the face of a pass-rush and too many times he’ll look to dump the ball off instead of going through all his reads.

Of course, Edwards isn’t helped by the fact that his offensive line is so inexperienced. Second-year guards Eric Wood and Andy Levitre showed promise as rookies, but they suffered plenty of growing pains and center Geoff Hangartner really struggled in pass protection. The tackle position is also a mess, as Demetrius Bell and free agent addition Cornell Green will be relied on as the starters. Given Bell’s issues in pass protection last year, it’s no wonder why Edwards looks to check down every opportunity he gets.

If the young line gels early and Edwards plays with more confidence, then maybe things will start to come together for the offense under Gailey. But would anyone be surprised if the O-line struggles again and Edwards is eventually replaced as the starter? It’s going to take time for Nix to build the team he wants in Buffalo and chances are, the Bills will struggle to win four or five games again this year.

Much has been written about how LeBron James will fit in an offense alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Many pundits are skeptical about the possibility of it working, but I'm not. The trio may not be perfectly designed to play together, but their skill sets aren't as incohesive as some are saying.

Tom Haberstroh writes about a yet-developed statistic that would be able to determine LeBron's impact on the game.

What is WPA? Starting with the beginning of a play, what is the probability of winning the game, given the situation? After the conclusion of that play, recalculate and debit/credit the player for the change in win probability. That's WPA. This is the essence of sport: each play contributes to a team's chances of reaching its collective goal of beating the other team.

James would have to pass up the shot that he loved to take in Cleveland because probabilistically it may be the better play with his new Super Friends. But as any coach will attest, player ego often gets in the way of a team's goals. If James swallows his pride and makes the pass to an open Wade for a game-winning shot, it wont signal that Wade is The Man, even if that's what the media would decide. In reality, it means James has fully recognized his role as the facilitator of victory, whether that's taking the big shots or creating better ones for his teammates.

All three Super Friends are willing passers, so sharing the ball shouldn't be a problem. I don't think LeBron is heading to Miami thinking he's going to be taking most of the shots up against the shot clock. That will largely be Wade's job. LeBron will likely handle the ball a lot on the break and early in the shot clock, when he can use his considerable ball handling and passing skills to create open shots for his teammates.

Since he has thus far been unwilling to develop a post game or much of a midrange jumper, LeBron will generally do one of two things when he gets the ball: 1) attack the basket for a layup, or 2) attack the basket and create a shot for a teammate.

If the trio has one weakness, it's consistent shooting from outside (though Bosh is pretty steady). That's why the Heat signed Mike Miller, Eddie House and James Jones, who are all 39%+ shooters from long range.

This is an old video of MJ getting beat by a CEO of an investment firm at his own camp. Pretty funny...