With NBA free agency winding down, we asked our experts:Who were the big heroes and villains of the offseason?Which players and executives are being praised for their dazzling moves? And which ones are getting the most criticism -- fairly or unfairly? Heroes of the offseason came off looking like winners, but villains seemingly lost the offseason. And surely the salary cap and parity played a part in how teams and players fared.As Kevin Durant said during his introductory press conference with the Golden State Warriors, We live in a comic book world where either youre a villian or a superhero if youre in this position.5-on-5 also welcomes two guest panelists -- Zhang Weiping, former player for and head coach of the Chinese mens national basketball team and current NBA commentator for Tencent, and Marc Spears, senior NBA writer of The Undefeated.1.?Who is your top hero of the offseason?Ethan Sherwood Strauss, ESPN.com: Tim Duncan, whose quiet exit helps the Spurs move forward while allowing a platform for us to praise all that he has been. Its not necessarily morally superior for a player to take team-friendly contracts in his waning years (one could argue that making as much money as possible can reflect loyalty to family), but for Spurs fans, its an act of heroism. Duncan played well forever, and he left at the right time. People in San Antonio should be thankful for that.Mike Mazzeo, ESPN.com : Jerry West, Bob Myers, Steve Kerr and the Warriors, who?emerged from the Hamptons with Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. Thank you so much, added national TV money. The pressure on these guys is going to be immense, but theyre certainly going to be a marvel to watch.Justin Verrier ESPN.com: Kevin Durant, for making a reasonable decision. Its hard to fault KD when the Warriors positives column is replete with all the ingredients for entertaining basketball: a large passionate crowd; a free-flowing, exciting style of play; and teammates who also do amazing things. And all talk of inevitability to next season ignores the 73-win team that just blew a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals.Zhang Weiping, Tencent: The Golden State Warriors. They just had 73 wins in the regular season, and now Durant is on board. Now the Warriors can provide more options on the offensive end, allowing them to better distribute the firepower. This will tremendously help them in the championship run next year. As a Warrior, Durant can reduce his chance of getting injured by playing fewer minutes, which will benefit his career in the long run.Marc Spears, The Undefeated: The Utah Jazz. Theyve made some very surprising moves in the offseason. Theyve constantly been beaten up for being a small-market team that cant get any free agents, but they convinced Joe Johnson to sign and traded for Boris Diaw and George Hill. To me, the only thing that kept Utah from making the playoffs last year was a lack of talented veterans, especially at point guard. Hill allows Dante Exum to grow. I really feel the Jazz have solidified themselves as a playoff contender.2. Who is your top villain of the offseason?Strauss: I suppose its the Warriors, for -- as David Stern once coined the term --basketball reasons. Adding Durant to this mix just comes off as decadent, and many will choose to root against Goliath. Ironically, Goliath lacks a hulking rim protector, but thats another matter for another day.Mazzeo: Parity. The Warriors are going to be compelling and people will watch, but how many fan bases have realistic hopes of a championship? Not that this is any different from past years or anything, but arguably, two of the top three players in the entire league now play on the same team. Meh.Verrier: Pat Riley, and not just because his trademark slick, manicured look evokes Al Pacinos character in The Devils Advocate. The Heat have been the subject of league-wide grousing over the years for rumored handshake agreements and transactions that exploit gray areas in the collective bargaining agreement, but the departure of?Dwyane Wade?--?the franchises native son -- amid reports of?initial lowball offers felt a whole lot like comeuppance.Zhang: The Oklahoma City Thunder. Are the Thunder true villains? Perhaps not. But they definitely lost. The departures of Durant and Serge Ibaka?have triggered a series of issues. They were a championship-level team just a few months ago, but now they face lots of uncertainties. Without Durant, Russell Westbrook now has to carry the entire team by himself, and he only has one year left before becoming a free agent next summer. Now the Thunder really feel the urgency to deal with Westbrooks contract situation and consider whether he will be part of the teams future.Spears: Kevin Durant. Look, I have no problem with his decision, but I think a lot of people see Kevin Durant as a villain by going to the Warriors after having a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals and losing it. I understand why Thunder fans will be upset. But he has earned his right to be a free agent; its his right to do whatever he wants. I dont see this villain as a true villain. Regardless of what I think, however, he and the Warriors will be vilified going into the season.3. Who could be a potential hero in the remainder of this offseason?Strauss: Can Cavs general David Griffin bring back?J.R. Smith? Those of us who enjoy being entertained?are waiting on that one with bated breath. Theres just something about the J.R. experience in a championship-contending situation thats wonderfully whimsical.Mazzeo:?The Sixers. They could go into the 2016-17 season with?Dario Saric, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid all healthy (hopefully). The team might have struggled during summer league, but they are going to get better as the season approaches. Thats so exciting. Trust the process, indeed.Verrier: Kyrie Irving. The Cavaliers are certainly having a moment, one in which shirts are optional, and Team USA is the last big event on the NBA calendar. The rosters trio of Warriors -- Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson -- figures to dominate storylines, but Irving was at his bucket-getting peak in the NBA Finals. And he has surged past other elite-level teammates on this stage before.Zhang: The Cleveland Cavaliers. The reason is simple: the two best free agents still available --?LeBron James and J.R. Smith -- are almost certain to stay in Cleveland for another season. Any movement of the remaining free agents wont shake up the power landscape of the league. By retaining both, the Cavaliers will be nearly guaranteed to return to the Finals next year.Spears:?Kris Dunn?could end up being a hero. Im probably a little biased, but he has got such a great story. His life has been amazing -- and sad. So I think there are a lot of people rooting for him, and hes in a situation where he very well could be rookie of the year. Dunn is the rookie most ready to make a significant impact immediately, and I expect him to do so.4. Who could be a potential villain in the remainder of this offseason?Strauss: Pat Riley, if he makes the mistake of taking shots at Dwyane Wade. I doubt he will, as the Miami Heat organization tends to keep a tight lid after these separations, but theres the potential for an even messier divorce.Mazzeo: Restricted free agency. In the case of the Nets, things got pretty crazy when the Nets made calculated risks in offering Allen Crabbe and Tyler Johnson a combined $125 million in offer sheets. Restricted free agent?Dion Waiters is still available. Will he get a similar massive offer sheet from a team? And will it be worth it? Maybe the Heat and Blazers got Nets got off the hook, but those two teams had to spend a lot of extra money to keep players they might have let go otherwise.Verrier: LeBron? Not only because people enjoy being angry at him for various (often silly) reasons, but James, despite publicly declaring that hell re-up with the Cavs next season, hasnt yet made it official. It seems like a formality at this point, but Passive-Aggressive LeBron has raised blood levels before.Zhang: The Cavaliers, but only if they lose LeBron James and J.R. Smith to other teams. This scenario exists only in theory, though.Spears:?Pat Riley. There are a lot of people in Miami who could get mad at the start of the season, especially if this team doesnt do well. This is a franchise that has been spoiled -- they had LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade for so long, and Alonzo Mourning before that. Theres been a Hall of Fame-type face of the franchise for years. And now, they dont have one anymore. So I think Riley could get a lot of, uh, heat.5. Was the salary cap a villain or hero this offseason?Strauss: The salary cap keeps raising its game and making dudes richer than ever before. Though its been villainous in the past, its now more committed than ever to getting guys paid. Hero.Mazzeo: For the players, a hero. For the teams who signed them, well have to wait and see. There had to be some overpays, right?Verrier: Good for NBA players and their agents, with the likes of Kent Bazemore banking nearly $18 million on average, but bad for teams cap sheets to shell out such a premium for league-average quality. Solomon Hill, for instance, will make nearly $1 million for every minute of play he averaged last season (14.7), and that deal seems like a prudent expenditure in this market.Zhang: Both. The increased salary cap is a double-edged sword. Teams are spending more, big contracts get signed and exciting trades occur. So its a hero for players and NBA fans. However, since the new salary cap allows some players to be overpaid while others remain underpaid, this can potentially cause problems for the league. If wealth keeps getting unevenly distributed, we could see another lockout. By then, everybody will be a villain.Spears: I think it was a hero. Not only was it great for the players, but it was great for the owners and the health of the game. If theyre getting this much money, that means the NBA is correspondingly that healthy. Its got a bright future for a long, long time. I daresay besides the NFL, its the second most popular sport in the U.S., and besides soccer, its the second most popular sport worldwide. I think the money is a good thing, because it shows the league is so healthy. Cheap Air Jordan Retro . Only three players drafted by NHL clubs were included on the Czech selection camp roster on Wednesday. Those players were Dallas Stars 2012 first-rounder Radek Faksa, Winnipeg Jets 2013 fourth-rounder Jan Kostalek and Phoenix Coyotes 2012 seventh-rounder Marek Langhamer. Cheap Air Jordan 2 Retro . Ashley Youngs cross was inadvertently headed by Chester into his own net in the 66th minute, allowing United to claim a third straight league win. "We had to dig deep with our fighting spirit and weve done that," United striker Wayne Rooney said. http://www.airjordancheap.com/cheap-air-jordan-19-retro/ ., for the next three years with the signings on Monday of Daryl Townsend and Michael Carter. Cheap Air Jordan 5 Retro . The team said Saturday that Lopez was hurt during its 121-120 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Friday. The Nets said they would issue another update next week after consultation with their doctors. Cheap Air Jordan 14 Retro . There are some early surprises in the race for the Hart Trophy, but two of the contenders are the leagues biggest stars over the past decade. There are many more players in contention for the awards than just the three that Ive named, and a good or bad week can easily alter the landscape, but through the first 20 or so games of the NHL season, this is how the awards races look to me. Just a month ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers were floundering amid a three-game losing streak, head coach Mike Tomlins job was in jeopardy and there was serious talk about missing the playoffs.But then the Steelers rediscovered LeVeon Bell and the running game, and now Pittsburgh (7-5) is knocking on the postseason door. And all is well with everyone in the Steel City who waves the Terrible Towel.Thats bad news for the Cincinnati Bengals, who need a lot of things to go right if they are going to make the playoffs for the sixth straight season.After going winless in November, Cincinnati (5-7-1) has reeled off two straight victories to have just a minuscule chance at the playoffs.Now the road gets tougher for Cincinnati with Sundays home game against Bell and the Steelers. AFC North rival Baltimore comes to town before the Bengals close out the regular season with a road game at Houston.There are three big weeks left and it will be a challenge, tackle Andrew Whitworth said. Its three really good teams, and so well have an opportunity to really put our will forward. We have a great opportunity with Pittsburgh coming to our place and what should be a big battle.After running roughshod over the Buffalo Bills last week, the Steelers control their own destiny as they took over sole possession of first place in the North.Pittsburgh turned its season around when the coaching staff committed to Bell taking pressure off quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and shouldering the offensive load.Against Buffalo, Bell set a franchise record with 236 rushing yards with an additional 62 receiving yards. He scored three touchdowns.In the past four games that coincided with the Steelers becoming a serious contender again, Bell has averaged nearly 30 carries and 115 rushing yards. Theres nothing more valuable than a workhorse running back in wintry conditions.Its December football, Bell said. We understand everybody is fighting for position. We just want to get the job done. Thats all there is to it.The Steelers control their own fate with games left against AFC North rivals Cincinnati, Baltimore and Cleveland.We are in a good situation right now, but we obviously have to win this game and (get) better, Bell said.During the Steelers four-game losing skid that preceded the winning streak, Bell was the forgotten man. In each of those games, he was held to 81 yards or fewer; in three of those four losses he was held to 60 yards or fewer.I cant say enough about the run game, and when I talk about the run game, its not just LeVeon Bell -- our guys out front did a heck of a job, Tomlin said. Fullback Rosie Nix and our big personnel packages did a really good job of blocking a myriad of fronts because as the game wore on, they threw a lot at us.The Bills challenged Roethlisberger, who struggled in the snow and wind at Orchard Park as he completed just 17 of 31 pass attempts for 220 yards and three interceptions. Roethlissberger will need to be more efficient this week against a Bengals defense that is all too familiar with the Steelers signal-caller.ddddddddddddThe past couple of times the two teams have met, there have been accusations of dirty play as players on both sides have been injured.I hope its not dirty, Roethlisberger said. We expect a physical game. Thats what we want it to be. We expect them to be the same way. We are not going to be a dirty team. We are going to go out and play football and play hard and physical, not retaliate. Just play this game the way its supposed to be played. If there are a lot of nasty things going on, I guess we will know why.Against Cleveland last week, Andy Dalton wasnt at his best -- but he didnt have to be as Cincinnati ran for 213 yards and averaged 5.6 yards per carry. Jeremy Hill ran for 111 yards and a touchdown as the Bengals earned a second consecutive win for the first time this season.And they won both those games without All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Green, who was out with a hamstring injury. Green could return against the Steelers but was listed as doubtful on Fridays injury report. On Wednesday, he took part in practice for the first time in 24 days.Cornerback Adam Jones (ankle) did not take part in Wednesdays practice, but will play Sunday.Dalton has 17 touchdown passes this season. He knows if the Bengals are to stay in the race until the end, he has to be at his best in the last three games. But Dalton is looking ahead -- not behind.We wasted some opportunities early in the year, he said. We cant worry about that. For us, its all about finishing strong.Both defenses are coming off solid performances.Running against the Steelers is going to be a challenge for Hill, despite the Steelers missing Cameron Heyward, their best defensive lineman.During their four-game winning streak, they havent allowed a team to rush for 100 yards. Buffalo was the top rushing team heading into Sunday, but the Bills were held to just 67 yards. Running back LeSean McCoy was held to 27 yards on 12 carries.The Steelers also recorded five sacks and an interception.Cincinnati held the Browns to 10 points and was led by defensive tackle Geno Atkins, who was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after recording two sacks and five tackles.The Cincinnati defense has held its last four opponents to under 15 points per game.Neither Vontaze Burfict nor Bell played in Week 2 when the two teams tangled in Pittsburgh, a 24-16 Steelers win. The Bengals also were without tight end Tyler Eifert.One Bengal who did play, kicker Mike Nugent, was released on Tuesday. Cincinnati claimed veteran Randy Bullock on waivers, oddly enough from the Steelers.Safety Shamarko Thomas (concussion) and wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey (foot) will both not play Sunday. Cheap Jerseys 2018 Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale Jerseys 2019 NFL Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Jerseys From China ' ' '