According to a source close to the Charlotte Bobcats, the team will interview Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan for their vacant head coaching position on Friday.

Though the team hasn’t made its list of candidates public yet, the 70-year-old Sloan would likely be the biggest name on it. During an interview with SI.com on Thursday, Sloan did admit that he planned to meet with Bobcats officials.

Sloan spent 23 seasons as the head coach of the Utah Jazz before resigning in February of 2011 after an ongoing spat with star point guard Deron Williams. He hasn’t coached since.

Sloan coached the Chicago Bulls from 1979-82, putting together a record of 94-121 before being fired in the middle of his third season with the team.

He was eventually hired by the Jazz in 1989 and over the next 23 seasons he racked up 1,127 wins against 682 losses. That’s a winning percentage of 62.3. He also led the Jazz to two Western Conference titles, and the team went to the playoffs 19 times with Sloan in charge.

The 2009 Hall of Fame inductee becomes the ninth known candidate for the Charlotte job. Patrick Ewing, Nate McMillan, Dave Joerger, Mike Malone, Nate Tibbetts, Mike Dunlap and Stephen Silas are all in the mix, as is Indiana Pacers assistant Brian Shaw.

The Bobcats are coming off a season in which they posted the worst record in NBA history at 7-59. If anyone can turn around the franchise’s fortunes, it’s a hard-nosed, discipline-oriented guy like Sloan.

All systems are go at Roland Garros for the 2012 French Open. This year’s field of players is stacked on the men’s side, as always. Ah, the gift that is the Federer-Nadal era, also now known as the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era. For fans of men’s tennis, what a treat these last 7 or so years have been.

So who ships the title this year? The usual suspects – Nadal, Djokovic & Federer – are the justifiable head honchos once again.

Favorites:

Rafael Nadal – Having hoisted the trophy over his head at this event 6 of the past 7 years, Rafa is the de facto alpha male in this tournament. He’s a betting favorite against the entire field at -150 at most books, which is probably a sharp line despite how ridiculous that seems. As is the case in most years, betting on Nadal at the French presents no value to a wise bargain bettor. His success at Roland Garros is staggering, but it’s downright foolish to lay heavy juice on 1 player against an entire field of talented players.

Novak Djokovic – Along with Nadal, he should be in fine form and ready to dominate despite the disaster that was the Madrid Masters. His price to win is hovering around +200 at most books, so the world’s top-ranked player makes for a smart investment play this year. Not to mention a win at the French will equal a Career Grand Slam for Djokovic, so his motivation will be aplenty. He has also had Nadal’s number since 2011 and that certainly counts for something.

Roger Federer – The 2009 champion is in good form and should be able to make a deep run once again. He’s sitting at about +700 to win at most books. While there is some value at this price, there’s also a strong possibility he just doesn’t have the firepower to make it to the finals this year. There are a few other players who have as good of a chance of sneaking into the semifinals or finals as he does, and at much better odds. Speaking of which…

Value Plays:

Tomas Berdych – This guy is definitely a player to keep an eye on, and his odds to win the tournament are currently about +4000. I was fortunate enough to find him as high as +6000 at one book about a week ago and took him both to win and to make it to the finals at half the odds. So I’ve got Berdych to win at +6000 (60 to 1) and Berdych to place in the top 2 at +3000 (30 to 1). He is a well-rounded player whose clay game has been sharp of late. If he can just upset one of the big guns I believe he’ll make it to the finals. It’s easier said than done, but he has the tools to do it and appears ready to take the next step. He’s easily the best value play on the board.

The ”Pushers” – The funny thing about clay is that sometimes a pusher gets in the zone and turns every point into a nightmare 30-shot rally. These clay court specialists can do serious damage when in top form so they must be taken seriously. Guys like Juan Monaco, Nicolas Almagro, Fernando Verdasco, David Ferrer, Marcel Granollers, Juan Ignacio Chela, Carlos Berlocq, Pablo Andujar and Juan Carlos Ferrero all have the type of game to upset a better player on clay. Of that group, only Monaco, Ferrer and Verdasco have a little versatility to their games. Almagro, Granollers, Chela, Berlocq, Andujar and Ferrero are more or less true clay court specialists. Since none of these players will probably make it to the finals, they are all basically guys you bet on to win individual matchups along the way and possibly pull a huge upset that shakes up the bracket.

John Isner – It may be a surprise to see him on my Value Plays list since clay is his worst surface, but surprisingly the giant American has several quality wins on clay this year. So far in 2012 he has beaten the likes of Roger Federer, Gilles Simon, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Feliciano Lopez and Philipp Kohlschreiber. Not too shabby for his “worst surface.” Red clay does nullify a big-hitter’s most glaring advantage which is putting pace on the ball, but it also makes a kick serve bounce a little higher. Isner’s kick serve is the best in the business, and when it’s on point he is a formidable opponent for anyone on clay. Plus, he takes so many sets into tiebreakers that he’s always a danger to shock one of the favorites. If you recall, he almost upset Nadal at Roland Garros last year. Surely he won’t make it to the semifinals but the quarterfinals are not entirely out of the question.

Stay Away From:

Andy Murray: He’s just coming back from a back injury and is nowhere close to being in top form. He’s even thinking about withdrawing altogether according to some rumors. Don’t touch him with a 10-foot pole this year.

Americans Not Named John Isner: Mardy Fish has been pretty inconsistent thus far in 2012, and Andy Roddick and Sam Querrey have both taken huge steps back this year. Donald Young and Ryan Harrison are not serious threats to make much noise on clay. Outside of Isner, there isn’t much hope for a deep run by an American.

Gael Monfils: He has simply looked awful lately, often displaying a Kevin Na-esque inability to be aggressive and pull the trigger. He recently just lost to 216th-ranked and unheralded Brian Baker at the tournament in Nice, France; so much for defending your home soil. Stay far, far away.

To summarize, you simply cannot lay juice on Nadal against an amazing field of players. I like taking Djokovic to win if you can find him at +200 or better which means you can also take him to place in the top 2 at +100 or better. Both of those bets are solid. And Berdych presents a great value play because I honestly think he has the same chance of making it to the finals as Federer does, only the price on Berdych to win is about 5 times higher than it is for Federer. Why bet on Roger when betting on Tomas has significantly better value?

(Note: Those of you who are reading this after the French Open has started and think it’s too late to place a wager, fear not. The odds open back up upon completion of each round. Also, if you are confused by my use of American-style odds, here is an awesome odds converter that is easy as pie to use.)

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @konundrum8

According to ESPN’s Chris Broussard, Shaquille O’Neal will meet with the Orlando Magic next week to interview for the team’s vacancy at general manager.

Yeah, the guy from Kazaam.

It would not be unprecedented for an all-time great player to make the move to the front office. NBA logo Jerry West won seven championships running the Lakers. Larry Bird has rebuilt the Pacers into a contender.

And then there’s Michael Jordan, whose drafting of Kwame Brown will go down as one of his best decisions.

O’Neal did receive his doctorate in organizational learning and leadership earlier this month, so it’s feasible that he wouldn’t be completely unprepared to handle this position. You just can’t help but think even a year in some lesser organizational role would give him a better idea of the financial nuances of how to run a NBA organization, which is probably the most complex job in sports thanks to the league’s salary cap and strange  mid-level exceptions and amnesty clauses.

Shaq would also be a curious choice since he frequently seems to toss brickbats in the direction of Magic center Dwight Howard, particularly over his claim to the nickname “Superman.” (A brickbat is an insult, not a Shaquille O’Neal or Dwight Howard free-throw attempt).

Then again, perhaps Shaq would be the one orchestrating a deal between two of his former teams involving Andrew Bynum and Howard.

I don’t expect to see Shaquille O’Neal as the next GM of the Orlando Magic. But there is at least a chance such a silly-sounding move would work out better than any of us would think at first glance.

Former UCLA basketball player Reeves Nelson has filed a $10 million lawsuit against Sports Illustrated and writer George Dohrmann after a March article that alleged Nelson was cancer that tore the Bruins apart from the inside.

The article portrayed Nelson as a bully who intentionally injured teammates and was generally a distraction because of his lack of discipline on and off the court. Nelson’s attorney, Keith Fink, told the Los Angeles Times that the suit alleges defamation, false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The suit has reportedly been filed now because the NBA draft is coming up in June and Nelson wants to clear his name in hopes of playing professionally. According to TMZ, the suit includes statements from 18 UCLA players and ex-players who deny the allegations made against Nelson. Fink also claims he can prove that Dohrmann failed to fully investigate the article.

One of the more shocking claims in the article was that Nelson piled teammate Tyler Honeycutt’s clothes on his bed, then urinated on them. In the lawsuit Honeycutt claims no such thing occurred.

Nelson was booted off UCLA’s basketball team after numerous run-ins with head coach Ben Howland and the fact that he failed to meet a number of obligations. That much we know, the rest we learned from Dohrmann’s article.

While all the details of the report in Sports Illustrated might not be correct, Nelson’s reputation was likely not damaged a whole lot because of the article. In fact, his reputation was already in the toilet long before it was published.

I’m not sure if this suit will stand up in court, but obviously Nelson and the people around him believe it will.

The Los Angeles Kings pulled off an incredible feat on Tuesday night, eliminating the Phoenix Coyotes by winning yet another road game, 4-3 in overtime. The win gave the Kings a 4-1 series win and put them in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1993.

While Dustin Penner’s overtime goal won the game, Los Angeles wouldn’t have had a chance without goalie Jonathan Quick’s heroics. Quick was incredible on Tuesday night. I guess we should expect that at this point, since he has dominated for the entire season.

After the jump enjoy three videos of insane saves Quick made Tuesday night to help keep the Kings alive.

In this first video, Quick stacks his pads and absolutely robs Radim Vrbata with his toe as the winger tries to go high on him. The announcers initially thought it was just a miss by Vrbata, but Quick definitely got a piece of it with his skate.

In video No. 2 watch how Quick keeps his concentration as Mikkel Boedker jumps over him, and he robs Antoine Vermette.

And in this third one, Lauri Korpikoski has a great look at the net but rings a shot right off of Quick’s mask.

The Chicago Cubs are a long way from being a championship contender, but one position they appear to be set at is shortstop. Starlin Castro looks like a surefire star that the team could build around. But in the interest of building for the future, the Cubs’ front office might actually consider putting the 22-year-old on the block this summer.

Castro carries a career .306 batting average, but as Buster Olney points out, he is still incredibly raw at the plate. One-quarter of the way through the 2012 season, Castro is hitting .316, but has a .326 on-base percentage and just four walks. Yes, Castro could turn into a perennial All-Star, but his approach at the plate could end up turning him into a fringe starter if he doesn’t develop.

Those raw skills that make him intriguing to the Cubs could also make him a very attractive trade piece. Theoretically, the Chicago could net at least two high-level prospects in return for him, not only for his ability and youth, but also because he plays a premium position up the middle of the diamond.

The problem with Castro is that some don’t believe he can stay at shortstop much longer. He has 64 errors in his first 325 big league games. If he is moved to another position, his offense won’t be a bonus. If he were a corner outfielder or was playing third base (for example) he would actually be an offensive liability because of his lack of power.

If Castro went on the market virtually every franchise that sees him sticking at short would show some level of interest in him. Teams like the Oakland A’s, Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks could offer the most in terms of young talent, particularly when it comes to pitching.

But if Castro becomes available expect the big boys to come calling as well. The Detroit Tigers, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox would all certainly be on the phone to Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer and president Theo Epstein.

At this point in their rebuilding process it would be idiotic for the Cubs to decide anyone is untouchable. The team needs to get better from top to bottom and if one guy can net you several solid pieces in return, then you have to at least explore such a deal.

Expect guys like Brian LaHair, Matt Garza and Ryan Dempster to all be offered as trade bait as this season progresses. LaHair has been excellent this year so far, but he is blocking the younger Anthony Rizzo, who is raking in the minors.

At some point the Cubs need to dump the dead weight on their roster and hopefully by doing that they will be able to accelerate the rebuilding process. If moving Castro helps speed that along then it is something Chicago should certainly consider.

Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn has joined movie producer Thomas Tull’s attempt to buy the San Diego Padres. Gwynn claimed on Monday that he is not yet sure what his role will be other than offering advice to Tull and his fellow investors, but he has decided to back that particular group’s bid to buy the team.

Gwynn reportedly met with Tull in San Diego last week and has spoken to him several times since. Tull is the chairman and CEO of Legendary Entertainment and is one at at least five people interested in buying the Padres from current owner John Moores.

The 52-year-old Gwynn spent his entire 20-year career with the Padres and is currently the head baseball coach at San Diego State. He had the following to say about Tull:

“I’m throwing my hat in with Thomas. I think he’s the right guy. I’m the coach at San Diego State and plan on continuing that. But I really liked what he had to say. I’m excited. And believe me, it takes a lot to get me excited. He definitely has some ideas about what he wants to do and how he wants to do it. The biggest thing is, he wants to win. He ain’t getting this to say he has the club. He wants to win.”

Gwynn is a beloved figure in San Diego and his blessing is a big step for Tull. The 15-time All-Star finished his career with 3,141 hits and eight National League batting titles. His number has been retired by the Padres and the franchise erected a bronze statue of Gwynn just beyond Petco Park’s outfield in 2007.

Tull is already a minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers but has ties to San Diego. Legendary Entertainment has produced big-time box office winners like “The Dark Knight,” “Inception,” both “Hangover” movies and “300.”

The Padres are almost certain to be sold at some point this summer. Gwynn’s support could help Tull in his pursuit of the franchise.

Anyone who has visited Europe knows it’s a beautiful place. And if you haven’t? Well, then you better get there quick because the Chinese are about it to burn it to the ground.

Don’t believe me? Check out this Chinese television advertisement for its upcoming coverage of Euro2012.

Maybe they’re pissed about defaulted loans. All I know is, I’m glad America has xenophobes like Eric Cartman to make sure we’re wise to Chinese plots of world domination.

Stephen Strasburg had an eventful Sunday. He went two-for-two at the plate with his first career home run, while also pitching five innings, allowing just four hits, three runs (one earned) and striking out eight. He improved his record to 4-1 and lowered his ERA to 2.21 with a 9-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles. The big news, however, was how the 23-year-old exited the game.

After the fifth inning Strasburg reported tightness in the biceps of his throwing arm, and manager Davey Johnson immediately shut his prized right-hander down.

While all parties involved have sworn that there is no reason to panic, any time Strasburg has arm trouble there is reason to be worried.

This is the same guy with a terribly taxing delivery who had major shoulder problems before requiring Tommy John surgery. That all happened before he had even thrown 70 innings in the big leagues.

Strasburg has once-in-a-generation stuff, but as many before me have said, his throwing motion puts a ridiculous amount of strain on his arm. All of his arm. His shoulder, elbow and biceps all face serious tension throughout different stages of his delivery.

At the point when he lands his left foot his arm forms the dreaded “inverted W.” Instead of being even with his shoulder so he can get over and above his legs, his elbow is trailing far behind his throwing shoulder once he squares himself to the plate.

He relies too heavily on his arm’s muscles instead of using his far more powerful legs and torso. Some pitchers can get away with that kind of delivery if they don’t throw hard since they don’t use their arms at such a fast rate. But Strasburg whips his arm around so fast that he’s putting an incredible strain on the tendons in his elbow and shoulder.

Much like Mark Prior, Strasburg puts so much pressure on his arm that it is only a matter of time until he hurts himself again. The biceps soreness he suffered on Sunday is just a prelude to bigger problems that are sure to come if he doesn’t change his delivery.

The Los Angeles Lakers crawled themselves back into their series with the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 99-96 home win on Friday night. The victory in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals put the series at 2-1 with the Thunder still holding the advantage.

But the big story Friday came at the free throw line, where the Lakers hit an astonishing 41 of 42 shots from the charity stripe. In fact, both teams were outstanding from the line, as Oklahoma City hit 26 of 28 free throws as well.

But Los Angeles was simply incredible from the line and it got them the win.

Kobe Bryant led the way by hitting all 18 of his free throws, while Andrew Bynum hit 11 of 12 and Pau Gasol hit all four of his attempts. Metta World Peace, Steve Blake and Jordan Hill all chipped in by going two-for-two. Bryant’s 18-for-18 performance was not a record for the most free throws made without a miss. That mark is held by Dirk Nowitzki who hit all 24 of his attempts in a playoff game last season.

All-in-all the Lakers made a ridiculous 97.6 percent of their free throws.

Bryant led all scorers with 36 points, while adding seven rebounds, six assists and two steals, with just two turnovers. Pau Gasol had 12 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and two blocks, while Andrew Bynum added 15 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists and three blocks.

Meanwhile the Thunder were outstanding from the line as well. James Harden hit 11 of 12, Russell Westbrook hit seven of eight, Kevin Durant hit on all six of his attempts and Kendrick Perkins knocked in both of his charity shots.

The teams combined to make 67 of 70 free throws which was good for an astonishing 95.7 percent. And they say NBA players can’t hit free throws.

Game 4 is Saturday night at the Staples Center.