Nuggets' McGee could be out for the season

JaVale McGee could miss the rest of the NBA season for the Denver Nuggets as he recovers from a stress fracture in his left leg.

Yahoo! Sports reports the 26-year-old center is now seeking further medical consultation for the injury that has sidelined him since early in the season but has yet to properly heal. The website adds a final decision on his status is expected within the next several days. In all, McGee has played in just five games this season.

If the Nuggets rule McGee out for the rest of the season, he would be the team's third player to be ruled out for the year based on injury. Guard Nate Robinson and forward Danilo Gallinari both recently had season-ending surgeries to repair torn ACL ligaments. This would be another blow to the Nuggets if McGee can't comeback this season.

McGee had averaged 9.1 points and nearly five rebounds a game for Denver in the 2012-13 season. The Nuggets have filled McGee's void in the lineup with J.J Hickson, Timofey Mozgov and Anthony Randolph.

The Nuggets can't afford anymore injuries and need to acquire depth at the trade deadline if they are to make a move for the playoffs.

Iowa State's Rhoads calls out schools trying to get prized recruit to flip

Iowa State doesn't get too many blue chip football recruits, so when they get a commitment from one they have to fight hard to keep it.

Hours after grabbing the national letter of intent from one of the most sought-after high school football players in the state, Iowa State football coach Paul Rhoads tossed jabs at a pair of teams that tried steering him away.

Rhoads talked up the future Cyclone and ripped schools trying to take him away.

“That’s Allen Lazard’s National Letter of Intent,” Rhoads said of his four-star crown jewel recruit. “Let me talk about Allen Lazard a little bit.”

“He’s not going to a school in northern Indiana,” Rhoads said of Lazard, a high school all-American. “Boy, they wasted a lot of time and money. He’s not going to another school in this state, who feverishly tried to call him about a half a dozen times in the last week.”

Rhoads isn't referring to Valparaiso and Northern Iowa. Those were shots directed at Notre Dame and Iowa for trying to steer Lazard away from Ames, Iowa.

“Much to the dismay of people in this room who wasted a lot of space and time challenging his words of commitment, he’s going right here to Iowa State University,” Rhoads added. 

Lazard is considered the crown jewel of Rhoads’ class and has been the subject of constant questions regarding his commitment to Iowa State. Lazard continued to visit Notre Dame after he first committed to Iowa State more than a year ago.

I can understand Rhoads' apparent frustration but he should know that recruit poaching goes on all the time. It's all a part of college football and if a school like Iowa State gets a player of Lazard's ilk, Rhoads can expect the big boys to keep coming after them.

Falcons release Asante Samuel

When the Atlanta Falcons acquired cornerback Asante Samuel from the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012, they were bringing in a defensive back who had made the Pro Bowl in four of his past five seasons. Pairing him with Brent Grimes and Dunta Robinson, the Falcons appeared to have crafted one of the league's premier cornerback trios. At the start of the 2013 season, however, Samuel was the only member of the trio who remained on the roster. As of Wednesday afternoon, the entire trio is out of Atlanta, as the Falcons have released Samuel.

With declining skills at the age of 33, Samuel was relegated to a bench role in 2013 and would have returned to the same role next season. Due a $3.5 million base salary with a $1.675 roster bonus this season, he was simply no longer worth the money. Having allowed a 113.7 passer rating on throws into his coverage this year, Samuel graded out as Pro Football Focus' 57th ranked cornerback among 110 qualifiers.

Dumping Samuel will allow the Falcons to give more valuable reps to their promising young cornerback duo of Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford, who were both rookies in 2013. Trufant was phenomenal, grading out as PFF's No. 7 cornerback in his rookie campaign. Alford struggled quite a bit throughout the season, but the Falcons still feel that he has tremendous upside.

As for Samuel, he'll hit the open market with his best days behind him, but he can still contribute as a role player for an NFL defense, particularly one that employs a zone-heavy scheme. The Chicago Bears could let Charles Tillman walk as a free agent this offseason, so they could be a potential landing spot for Samuel.

Samuel was at his best 2007-10, when he made four consecutive Pro Bowls to go with a first-team All-Pro selection. He has 51 career interceptions and has led the league twice in that category (2006 and 2009).

"It Girl" of the week: Kitty Kennedy

The Just Sports & Just Us "It Girl" of the week is Kitty Kennedy.

Warren Sapp criticizes Nick Fairley's physique

Last month Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew was a bit critical of how Nick Fairley's weight was distributed within his body.

"I wouldn't say his weight is too high," Mayhew said. "He could probably re-position some of that weight."

Mayhew also stated that it's time for Fairley to mature and be more consistent since Fairley is known to disappear for  long stretches.

Hall of Famer Warren Sapp has jumped on board the Fairley physique bashing train. 

Sapp seems to have a dislike for the Detroit Lions defensive duo of Ndamukong Suh and Fairley. He has been critical of Suh since he's been in the league. Now he's made Fairley a target of his vocal rage.

"Little legs," Sapp said when asked about Fairley's game during Super Bowl festivities last week in New York. And he would go on to say "little legs" seven more times in his 12 sentences on the topic.

"You asked me a question and I told you: Little legs. Nick Fairley, little legs," he said, when asked if he thought Fairley was getting better. "I don't even know what he weighs. That would be so those little legs could carry it. He's got little legs. I've never seen a defensive tackle with little legs like that stay that long.

"It's a pounding, and you play the game inside with your legs. That's the only thing I see in him. I just laugh. He's got little legs. There's nothing he can do about it -- he's just genetically built a little different than most defensive tackles. He's just got little legs."

It's true that Sapp was one of the best in the game when he played and I actually have respect for the guy but he should stop trying to be the authority on all defensive lineman. He's had his time now it's time to let someone else shine. Do your job and be an analyst and be objective about it.

I agree that Fairley's weight is an issue just don't turn it into a personal attack.

Charles Tillman thinking of joining Lovie Smith in Tampa

Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman has admitted that a move to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would appeal to him.

The Bears are poised to allow the 32-year-old to test the market, and Tillman has been mooted with a possible link up with his former head coach Lovie Smith at the Buccaneers.

"Obviously, it makes the deal probably a little sweeter just because it's a former head coach," Tillman told the Chicago Sun-Times. "You do know the system, you know the scheme.

"I think it helps it from a standpoint that it's a former coach, a guy that you liked, a guy that you'd been with for 10 years. It's cool. But it's free agency. I'm open to whoever."

Tillman had 41 tackles, three interceptions and three forced fumbles in the 2013 season.

Tillman has stated that he'd like to retire as a Bear, but it's a business and he also said that he has interest in all 32 teams.

“I’m just trying to make the best decision, and hopefully the Bears do, too,” he said. “If I get to free agency, so be it. If I don’t, so be it. It’s nothing personal. It’s a business. It’s a process.”

"(I hope) that a team picks me up and I still have a job. Any team," he said. "All 32."

Tillman made nearly $8 million last season and knows a big payday isn't coming at the age of 33. He can still help a team out but whether it's in a starting or complementary role remains to be seen.

New Orleans Pelicans reach deal to bring in Luke Babbitt

Former Wolf Pack star Luke Babbitt has signed a two-year deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, according to CSNNW.com.

Babbitt has been playing in the Russian Professional Basketball League for BC Nizhny Novgorod this year, after spending three seasons in the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers after being drafted with the 16th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. The two sides reached a buyout yesterday and Babbitt is expected to report to New Orleans on Tuesday.

Babbitt managed 13.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game for BC Nizhny Novgorod including a 57 percent rate from the shorter international three-point distance. Babbitt will be expected to play minutes at the stretch four in the absence of Ryan Anderson.