https://ift.tt/3ZWMo7O
Sabado, Setyembre 30, 2023
[Wojnarowski] Cronin opened up his Moleskine journal and jotted notes… He resisted posting trade offers on elaborate whiteboards with magnets and nameplates in his practice-facility office or meeting rooms; too many prying eyes could steal a glance. Everything existed inside that Moleskine.
https://ift.tt/lXjVT17
[Clark] Mike D’Antoni returns to the New Orleans Pelicans as a coaching advisor.
https://ift.tt/9Kv6GUj
Since tweeting “Losing? Never heard of her. “ , Chase Claypool has gone 16-26, including being 0-10 since being traded to the Bears
For context, Chase Claypool posted this on 11/1/2020: https://x.com/chaseclaypool/status/1323016062984769544?s=46
Since that day Chase has gone 16-26 in his career. As a Chicago Bear, he has not knowing winning, only losing.
In the 42 games since this tweet, his stats are 273 targets, 148 catches, 1860 rec yards, and 8 TDs.
Biyernes, Setyembre 29, 2023
[Jackson] Deshaun Watson left practice after one throw. Have to guess DTR is getting prepped to play.
https://twitter.com/AkronJackson/status/1707784091905507451?s=20
Who do you think is the most demoralizing player to play against?
If I had to choose, it would be between Shaquille O’Neal & Stephen Curry.
The self-proclaimed MDE (Most Dominant Ever), Shaq is the most unstoppable inside scorer in NBA history. He used his massive frame, otherworldly strength, and great footwork to grind his defenders to dust. His defenders were often forced to foul him to avoid getting dunked on, although despite being a notoriously bad free throw shooter, sending Shaq to the line was actually pretty good offense for his time.
On the other hand, Steph is the most unstoppable shooter in NBA history. His unlimited range, non-stop off-ball movement, and incredible handles often left his defenders absolutely helpless. There have been countless times where Curry would rain 3-pointer after 3-pointer on the opposition, and these Curry flurries often completely destroy whatever momentum his opponents had.
Other strong candidates would be Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird, LeBron James, and Michael Jordan.
Matt Barnes: “I think James [Harden] has to be careful because the NBA doesn’t need him.” Kevin Garnett: “When you wiggle your way out, you only got one or two wiggles. You ain’t got infinite wiggles.”
Matt Barnes: “I think James [Harden] has to be careful because the NBA doesn’t need him.”
Kevin Garnett: “When you wiggle your way out, you only got one or two wiggles. You ain’t got infinite wiggles.” 👀
(via @shobasketball)
The NBA has a disgusting level of apathy toward sexual and domestic violence.
Miles Bridges beats the shit out of his girlfriend, 10 game suspension (I know it was listed as 30, but they used technicalities to reduce it to 10)
Joshua Primo flashes women on multiple occasions, 4 game suspension.
Anthony Lamb sexually assaulted a girl in college, never saw any punishment.
Lance Stephenson pushed his girlfriend down the stairs, no suspension.
Karl Malone raped a child and he still gets actively promoted by the NBA.
This is just off the top of my head, there are so, SO many more of these cases. This is absolutely abhorrent on behalf of the NBA.
Edit: I didn’t want to mention Kobe initially, because I didn’t want this to just be a Kobe debate thread since the issue is much broader than that, but honestly I think it’s too important not to. The team I’m a fan of, with full support from other organizations and the NBA, is building a statue of a rapist. The NBA themselves consistently promote him, and have never once acknowledged what he did. He never served a suspension, never had any repercussions from the league, he simply got away with rape full stop.
Huwebes, Setyembre 28, 2023
[Catalan] Damian Lillard will wear No. 0 for the Bucks. Number last worn by MarJon Beauchamp in 2023.
Source: https://twitter.com/etiennecatalan/status/1707423064688926984?s=46
Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) will wear No. 0 for the #Bucks. Number last worn by MarJon Beauchamp in 2023. #NBA
Follow up: https://twitter.com/etiennecatalan/status/1707424167916683707?s=46
MarJon Beauchamp (@Marjon32) will switch from No. 0 to No. 3 for the #Bucks. Number last worn by Meyers Leonard in 2023. #NBA
The latest QB ranking from The Ringer criticizes Brock Purdy for "holding the ball for an eternity." Just last week Brock had a 111.3 QBR and was blitzed 84% of the time (the highest ever).
https://nflrankings.theringer.com/qb-rankings
Brock's grade didn't change at all and we can see why. The people at the Ringer have no idea what they are talking about. They are just throwing stuff at the wall.
The Giants blitzed Brock Prudy on 33 of his 39 dropbacks (84.6%), the highest blitz rate in a game in the NGS era. Likewise, Purdy averaged the fastest time to throw of his career (2.34 seconds).4
How does his QBR of 111.3 square with that? If he held the ball for an eternity we would expect a horrendous game from his last week.
[Kyed] Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez won NFL defensive rookie of the month for September. Well deserved after holding up against A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Garrett Wilson. 16 total tackles, one sack, one interception and three passes defensed.
https://twitter.com/DougKyed/status/1707427053128090044?t=vGHlInr4BQU8ydbjgMejNA&s=19
[Tyler Herro] “Until next summer.. 😭✌🏼” responding to: “Congratulations to tyler herro for surviving the final boss of all trade rumors in damian lillard. bro’s beaten everything they’ve thrown out him.”
Tyler Herro:
Until next summer.. 😭✌🏼
In response to :
Congratulations to tyler herro for surviving the final boss of all trade rumors in damian lillard. bro’s beaten everything they’ve thrown out him.
[Scotto] Jerami Grant, who becomes trade-eligible on January 15, is expected to become available before the trade deadline, according to rival league NBA executives who spoke with HoopsHype following the Lillard trade.
“Grant could be the missing piece for a contending team the way Denver got Bruce Brown and Aaron Gordon,” an NBA scout told HoopsHype. “Maybe a team like Miami could take a swing if they’re still a player away.”
Grant is entering the first year of a 5/$160M contract.
Miyerkules, Setyembre 27, 2023
NBA GOAT 🐐 Calculator
I’m a college student (job hunting 🤧) and I made a website that lets you input your personal criteria for what it takes for a player to be the “Greatest of All-Time.” The site will then return a ranked list of 50 players based on your input. Try it out and share your results and thoughts:
Martes, Setyembre 26, 2023
That time right before the draft when Anthony Edwards said he “can’t watch basketball” and “isn’t “really into it”, said he would leave the NBA for the NFL if given the chance, and took a shot at Dame’s rapping skills
Ant had an interview with ESPN that was published just 3 days before the 2020 draft.
“To be honest," he says, "I can't watch basketball."
So when after that did he get into basketball?
”I’m still not really into it," he says. "I love basketball, yeah. It's what I do."
He's not entirely convincing. He says if he were drafted by the NFL tomorrow, he'd let basketball go. "Because you can do anything on the field," he explains. "You can spike the ball. You can dance. You can do all type of disrespectful stuff." In the NBA, he says, "you can't do any of that. You'll get fined."
He goes on to say that he's an aspiring rapper. He's already recorded a few tracks with his older brother Bubba. So, like Damian Lillard? "But I really can rap," he says. "Dame, talking about -- I don't know what he's talking about. I'm rapping like Lil Baby."
I remember this causing a big stir in the draft community and people saying he shouldn’t have went #1. Looks like it ended up working out tho. If ya’ll wanna read the comments on this sub from when this interview happened, here’s the link
[Neubeck] The Portland Trail Blazers have basically been telling the Miami Heat to "eat shit."
Source: https://i.imgur.com/nTSzOWz.jpg
Transcript of screenshot:
Lol I understand why you would feel this way!
Here's what I was actually communicating:
— People in Portland and Philly both agree on the fact that they've discussed Dame at multiple points this summer
— In Portland, as of this week, they are leaking that the Sixers are more involved than the team is letting on.
— The Sixers continue to forcefully deny they've had serious discussions. This part is subtext I am inferring and not reporting: any "real" offer for Dame likely requires Maxey, so they have all the incentive to downplay their involvement and keep him/Rich Paul happy after telling him they're not extending him this summer
— As others have said (including Woj in the middle of us recording the pod yesterday), the Blazers have basically been telling Miami to eat shit
If you're asking me what / believe, I think the Sixers would rather simply keep Harden/Maxey than trade both in a Dame deal, so I find it pretty unlikely they're going to trade for him. But this stuff out of Portland has been floating around this week, so just sharing that with you all!
NFL Power Rankings (Combined) Week 3
| Team | SI | SN | Y! | B/R | CBS | USA | NFL | ESPN | Avg | SD | CGPR | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 1 | |
| 2 | Miami | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 2 | |
| 3 | Philadelphia | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 3 | |
| 4 | Kansas City | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 7 | |
| 5 | Buffalo | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.8 | 0.5 | 4 | |
| 6 | Dallas | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 6.5 | 1.1 | 6 | |
| 7 | Detroit | 8 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7.8 | 1.6 | 8 | |
| 8 | Baltimore | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 8.5 | 0.9 | 10 | |
| 9 | Cleveland | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8.8 | 1.5 | 5 | |
| 10 | Seattle | 11 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 10.6 | 2.1 | 16 | |
| 11 | Green Bay | 14 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 15 | 10 | 12 | 11.5 | 2.5 | 9 | |
| 12 | Pittsburgh | 18 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 16 | 11 | 12.6 | 3.4 | 12 | |
| 13 | Cincinnati | 10 | 14 | 11 | 16 | 18 | 11 | 11 | 18 | 13.6 | 3.3 | 25 | |
| 14 | New Orleans | 16 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 14.6 | 1.2 | 14 | |
| 15 | Atlanta | 13 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 15.4 | 1.6 | 13 | |
| 16 | Tampa Bay | 20 | 12 | 20 | 11 | 16 | 23 | 20 | 13 | 16.9 | 4.5 | 15 | |
| 17 | Jacksonville | 12 | 16 | 21 | 17 | 20 | 18 | 13 | 19 | 17.0 | 3.2 | 23 | |
| 18 | LA Chargers | 15 | 21 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 15 | 14 | 18.4 | 3.3 | 22 | |
| 19 | Washington | 27 | 20 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 25 | 22 | 17 | 20.0 | 4.3 | 17 | |
| 20 | LA Rams | 17 | 18 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 12 | 24 | 22 | 20.1 | 4.1 | 18 | |
| 21 | New England | 22 | 23 | 17 | 19 | 24 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 20.1 | 2.7 | 19 | |
| 22 | Indianapolis | 19 | 24 | 19 | 20 | 14 | 19 | 28 | 20 | 20.4 | 4.1 | 11 | |
| 23 | NY Jets | 24 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 27 | 22 | 19 | 24 | 22.6 | 2.7 | 24 | |
| 24 | Tennessee | 21 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 29 | 23.4 | 3.1 | 26 | |
| 25 | NY Giants | 23 | 22 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 29 | 23 | 25.1 | 2.4 | 27 | |
| 26 | Houston | 25 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 19 | 28 | 23 | 28 | 25.9 | 3.4 | 21 | |
| 27 | Minnesota | 29 | 29 | 24 | 23 | 29 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 26.3 | 2.5 | 29 | |
| 28 | Arizona | 31 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 27.1 | 2.0 | 20 | |
| 29 | Las Vegas | 26 | 26 | 29 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 27.3 | 1.3 | 28 | |
| 30 | Carolina | 28 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30.0 | 0.9 | 30 | |
| 31 | Denver | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30.6 | 0.5 | 32 | |
| 32 | Chicago | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32.0 | 0.0 | 31 |
[Reddit] ( )
[Molina] Jabari Parker: "I just want to be a part of something legitimate. I want to be a part of ‘every game matters’. Sadly, the NBA is a business and there are 10-12 teams that try to win every game and the other half try to get a Draft pick...We are seeing the league getting watered down..."
https://ift.tt/Xah6E1s
Lunes, Setyembre 25, 2023
Firing a coach over a single game, or even over several consecutive games, usually, would seem like an extreme overreaction. When do you think that would’ve been completely warranted?
I fully believe Steve Nash should’ve been fired a few months into his tenure. It was so painfully obvious that he was in over his head and he’d never truly click with the Nets or the players. He was fired two years too late.
[Rapoport] Source: #Chargers WR Mike Williams has torn his ACL and is out for the season, the MRI confirmed.
https://twitter.com/rapsheet/status/1706339268862312875?s=46&t=PxkdKFxYGDdYIH3-WSlAHw
[OptaStats] Next week's Bears-Broncos game will be the first game in NFL history between two teams who combined to allow 110+ points and 1100+ yards the previous week.
https://twitter.com/OptaSTATS/status/1706162521709699572?t=f9sf2prGtGF8ccUQyd5UQA&s=19
[Highlight] Brian Branch whollops Bijan Robinson, gets a personal foul. Later says “Fu*k it. Show him that I’m not scared to tackle. I’ll take the flag, to be honest.”
https://twitter.com/DetroitOnLion/status/1706056775596716324?s=19
[Around the NFL] Raiders HC Josh McDaniels on the decision to kick a FG down 8 with 2:22 to go, “You’re going to need another possession anyways
https://twitter.com/aroundthenfl/status/1706182842202616017?s=21
Announcement: Revised Link and Twitter/X Submission Guidelines
In order to simplify the user experience and reduce title editorialization, we are instituting two new link submission guidelines.
Link + Twitter/X Posts as Self Posts
New Rule: Any links submitted (including those from Twitter/X) must be submitted as a link post. Links submitted as a self post will no longer be allowed.
Rationale: Links submitted as a self post required Redditors to make an additional click to get to the post. These links could also be edited retroactively, which sometimes led to lots and lots of porn.
Link Submissions with Body Text
New Rule: Recently, Reddit implemented a new feature that allows users to include text accompanying a link submission. This field should remain blank unless the user wishes to populate it with an objective summary of an article or include additional information relevant to the posted link. Posts that abuse this field to include editorialization, intellectual property/copyrighted material, memes or unrelated non-sequiturs will be removed.
Rationale: Once again, Reddit has forced a new feature upon us that no one wanted with no ability to turn it off. Via mobile/new, users submitting a link post now also have the ability to also include accompanying text. This field can be used for good (e.g. article summaries, additional context), or bad (e.g. editorialized non-sequiturs that derail a conversation before it begins). The former will be allowed, the latter will be removed.
These are simple edits to the rules that should make things a little easier.
Questions? Feedback? Comment Below.
[Hughes] The Jets unwavering commitment to Zach Wilson is sooner to end at unemployment line than playoffs. "We have to be better around him." No. Stop coddling. It's Year 3. Go get Wentz, Ryan, McCoy. Open the competition. Because this? It's wasting 2023
https://twitter.com/Connor_J_Hughes/status/1706098379975999618?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
Linggo, Setyembre 24, 2023
[Meirov] Veteran QBs Matt Ryan and Carson Wentz have both reached out to the #Jets expressing interest in joining the team, per @JayGlazer. The Jets, however, are looking to stick with Zach Wilson for now.
https://twitter.com/mysportsupdate/status/1705978282485633214?s=46&t=Y_KXHBgeHwLgY9UkD4KA1A
[Meirov] Chargers CB JC Jackson, who signed a 5-year, $82.5M contract, is a healthy inactive today vs. the Vikings.
https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1705968410931184031
[Kauffman] Malcolm Brogdon still very much could be traded. I have heard some whispers that the Celtics are still trying to trade him.
I have been saying for weeks, for months ever since the trade fell apart, do not be surprised if the fallout from this situation still leads to Malcolm Brogdon getting traded. I still believe Malcolm Brogdon is maybe not actively being dangled out there by the Celtics, but I think he is absolutely on the trade block. I firmly, firmly believe that.
[Rap] More from Matt Eberflus: "I said, 'Hey all those rumors and stuff going on right now, that crazy stuff, none of that is true. Alan is resigning,' and I said, 'We'll be keeping all the same responsibilities on defense and I'll be calling the plays on game day. Any questions?'"
https://twitter.com/rapsheet/status/1705944776107806738?s=46
[Schultz] Sources: The #Steelers are moving OC Matt Canada to a more prominent role working with QB Kenny Pickett. Canada will continue calling plays, but will also be working directly with Pickett on a daily basis.
https://twitter.com/Schultz_Report/status/1705955647055856113
[Greenberg] According to @AdamSchefter, the reason that Alan Williams resigned as the defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears was because of inappropriate activity and the Bears HR was involved.
https://twitter.com/ChiSportUpdates/status/1705963306186383522
Game Thread: RedZone/Game hub (Week 3)
- RedZone thread
| Status | Away | @ | Home | Game Thread | Post Game Thread | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:00 PM EDT | TEN | -- | @ | -- | CLE | Link | |
| 1:00 PM EDT | ATL | -- | @ | -- | DET | Link | |
| 1:00 PM EDT | NO | -- | @ | -- | GB | Link | |
| 1:00 PM EDT | DEN | -- | @ | -- | MIA | Link | |
| 1:00 PM EDT | LAC | -- | @ | -- | MIN | Link | |
| 1:00 PM EDT | NE | -- | @ | -- | NYJ | Link | |
| 1:00 PM EDT | BUF | -- | @ | -- | WSH | Link | |
| 1:00 PM EDT | HOU | -- | @ | -- | JAX | Link | |
| 1:00 PM EDT | IND | -- | @ | -- | BAL | Link | |
| 4:05 PM EDT | CAR | -- | @ | -- | SEA | ||
| 4:25 PM EDT | CHI | -- | @ | -- | KC | ||
| 4:25 PM EDT | DAL | -- | @ | -- | ARI | ||
| 8:20 PM EDT | PIT | -- | @ | -- | LV |
- Thread Notes
- Message The Moderators
| Discuss whatever you wish. You can trash talk, but keep it civil. |
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Last updated: 2023-09-24_12:05:06.375988-04:00
Sabado, Setyembre 23, 2023
[Rapoport] The Bengals are signing FA QB AJ McCarron to their practice squad, source said. Some starting experience on the roster in case Joe Burrow (calf) can't go.
https://twitter.com/rapsheet/status/1705624927624114283?s=46&t=33murbr-CKWSSFF8AaXw6g
Which MVP award was more debated: 2019 or 2023?
Giannis vs Harden (2019) Embiid vs Jokic (2023)
After what jokic did on the playoffs a lot of people said that he was robbed of the mvp, but during the regular season it was a real discussion.
[Ray] AJ McCarron is working out for the Bengals today.
https://twitter.com/OliviaRayTV/status/1705612367734751509?t=hdqjtdCjUqoJUr9KRPmmfQ&s=19
Five years ago today, the Bills beat the Vikings by 21 points after going into the game as 17-point underdogs. This was Josh Allen's second career NFL start.
I was recently thinking about this upset and realized that it was five years ago. It was also very early in Josh Allen's NFL career. And Kirk Cousins' first season in Minnesota. It is an interesting game to look back on.
Good article from 2018 about the upset
[Brad Biggs] The $100,000 in high-end mowers and John Deere Gators stolen this week from Soldier Field were NOT #Bears property. Chicago Police are investigating.
https://twitter.com/BradBiggs/status/1705581391113502834?t=WOOxrN0NMWV0nJno4K3jIg&s=19
[Rapoport] The #Colts are releasing RB Deon Jackson, source said, and bringing up RB Trey Sermon from the practice squad for the week. Jackson started Week 1 amid injuries.
https://twitter.com/rapsheet/status/1705594932696633803?s=46&t=U3cMdkI_C5XzlWnRYxxzMw
Biyernes, Setyembre 22, 2023
The Giants have been outscored 19-108 in their last 3 primetime games
38-7 loss to eagles divisional round
40-0 loss to Dallas week 1
30-12 loss to San Fran week 3
[Monson] Through 3 games, Daniel Jones has been under pressure 47% of the time. That's generally a number that produces completely non-viable QB play.
https://twitter.com/PFF_Sam/status/1705228915160060299?t=tE6Z9nPNbRifaSZ8YmAGqw&s=19
Minnesota is bringing back their original home jerseys this season
Naz Reid modeling their throwback jersey
Very clean throwback. Looking forward to seeing these throwbacks in action this season. What are some other throwbacks that also need to get dusted off ASAP?
[NFL]Panthers announce QB Bryce Young (ankle) is not expected to play on Sunday vs Seahawks.
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1704939747083182166
[Capt. Andrew Luck] Dearest mother — I hope my appearance on the magical, moving picture box filled you with joy. As you could see, my resolve has never been more robust. Squirrel oil and your peppered chipmunk feet have kept me sturdy. Life is splendid. Give the cows my best. I love you. —Andrew
https://twitter.com/captandrewluck/status/1705230999230288254?s=46&t=Y_KXHBgeHwLgY9UkD4KA1A
Huwebes, Setyembre 21, 2023
If they made Winning Time: The Golden State Warriors, and ended it just as prematurely as the Lakers one, what is the stupidest way to do it?
If it also had only 2 seasons, lets say the first season goes very deep and covers a lot about the team and players. It ends with the 2015 NBA Finals where they win it all and celebrate. What if the series finale at the end of season 2 ends with the Cavs winning, and there's a big montage of video clips of the parade in downtown Cleveland while subtitles tell about how many more the Warriors eventually win. The clips of the parade are all total gold. JR Smith waving to people with his shirt off, The Warriors had Kevin Durant join them the next season and won two more titles. That one Cavs fan who was probably drunk af and started eating literal horse shit, Steph Curry is to this day regarded as the greatest shooter of all time. LeBron and Kevin Love on stage looking pretty fly and talking to the crowd, The Warriors won again in 2022 and Draymond started a podcast and punched Jordan Poole. What if clips of the parade kept going on until the last of the credits rolled and there was more never before seen footage of the parade, people going absolutely nuts for the Cavs championship while the subtitles keep waxing poetic about how great the Warriors are and it just keeps confusing the viewer with more and more cognitive dissonance.
[McAfee] Yesterday was a bad day for the Chicago Bears.. Our sources have told us that an FBI raid did happen on Alan Williams' house #PMSLive
https://twitter.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status/1704893454453530809
Who are the most overrated playoff performers?
What players seems to have a reputation for being a good playoff performers when they really aren’t?
People only seem to talk about AI in 2001. Because in reality they never really watched AI play and just saw highlights of his 2001 season.
Won’t talk about how he only made it out of the second round once, in a very weak eastern conference early on.
He shoots the ball terribly in almost every playoff series and wasn’t a good defender.
The worst 3 point shooters on 2000 attempts are Charles Barkley, Westbrook, Jerry Stackhouse, Lamar Odom, and Allen Iverson.
His midrange stats aren’t good either.
Below average free throw shooter.
Wasn’t efficient when he had better offensive help with Carmelo.
Yet some of his fans will tell you he’s better then Harden or Steve Nash.
They act like it’s very offensive to compare him to Russell Westbrook because AI beat a single 50 win team to go to the finals one year shooting the ball poorly, and being outplayed by the opposing guards in each series. (Vince, Reggie, Allen, and Kobe).
Both players are poor shooters and mediocre defenders. Bad playoff performers.
They also ignore the fact in that run, how good defensively his team was and the good offensive production from some players because they only care about ppg.
Not assist from snow or the offensive rebounds from Mutombo.
Just to say AI carried them shooting 38.9 from the field.
Despite facts such Dikembe Mutombo being a monster on the boards and defense.
Because even if you’re playing good, your somehow being carried.
[Aaron J. Fentress]The Blazers are receiving unimpressive trade offers for Damian Lillard from teams other than Miami “I’m told that there’s not great traction in these areas, that they’re really not being wowed by anything that’s substantial.”
The Blazers are receiving unimpressive trade offers for Damian Lillard from teams other than Miami, per @AaronJFentress
“I’m told that there’s not great traction in these areas, that they’re really not being wowed by anything that’s substantial.”
[Meirov] #Bears GM Ryan Poles on Alan Williams: “I don’t have many details to add there. Halas Hall being raided is completely false. Don’t know where that came from. We’ve worked with Kevin (Warren) and George (McCaskey) and all our leadership to make sure we were handling it the right way, and eve
https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1704882929703309473?s=19
[Smith] Fun NBA roster nerd thing: The Clippers re-signed all four of their own free agents: Moussa Diabate - 1 year, two-way Xaiver Moon - 1 year, Exhibit 10 Mason Plumlee - 1 year, $5M Russell Westbrook - 2 years, $8M No other team has re-signed all of their own FAs this offseason.
https://twitter.com/KeithSmithNBA/status/1704619927146053754?t=kW3p6WUVqi8i5chKq58syg&s=19
Miyerkules, Setyembre 20, 2023
[Jackson] If Damian Lillard is traded to a team other than Miami, he is expected to immediately ask the new team to be redirected to the Heat.
Source: https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/barry-jackson/article278140147.html
A source said this week that Portland generally has continued to be reluctant to engage the Heat in serious talks and has acted disinterested in getting a deal done quickly with Miami, though that conceivably could change as the start of training camp approaches in early October.
If Lillard is traded to a team other than Miami, he is expected to ask to be traded to the Heat.
“I think there are teams that will trade for him,” Wojnarowski said. “But it’s a little bit of a negotiating crutch where you tell Portland, ‘Hey, I’m not offering you everything we might because we’re taking risk here.’
[Hodkiewicz] Jordan Love is the 4th QB in last 10 yrs to have 3+ pass TD and 0 INT in each of the first 2 games of a season The others? Patrick Mahomes (2018 & 19), Tom Brady (15) & Peyton Manning (14)
https://twitter.com/WesHod/status/1704502208559997027?t=-tvxnCRFEFNbAXz15nqGnQ&s=19
[MKC] Browns are close to signing RB Kareem Hunt to replace Nick Chubb, source tells me. Should be done by today
https://twitter.com/marykaycabot/status/1704497370786849134?s=46&t=PhzHJyC8WgcP0j5UW0OE9A
Martes, Setyembre 19, 2023
[Pelissero] From NFL on Deshaun Watson: Officials are called upon to maintain order on the field, and sometimes while performing those duties, there is inadvertent contact between players and officials. In this instance, in their judgment, the contact did not rise to the level of a foul.
https://twitter.com/tompelissero/status/1704167278835568685?s=46&t=KLIXve2CZruxYQor_wIB1A
[PFT] On the possibility of Deshaun Watson's two blatant face mask fouls and his shove of an official resulting in a suspension, source says this: "All plays will be evaluated and assessed today."
https://twitter.com/profootballtalk/status/1704124784177545435?s=46&t=8n2rqMPxeKoFXZaMonLg7w
Lunes, Setyembre 18, 2023
[Daniel Greenberg] Chicago Bears HC Matt Eberflus said on @ESPN1000 that the screen play in the 4th quarter that led to a pick 6 was a good play call but they just have to execute better. Matt also said Justin Fields is allowed to audible if he looks at a play and doesn’t like what he sees.
https://twitter.com/ChiSportUpdates/status/1703770968433238174?s=20
In 2003, the league 'encouraged' that Vince Carter, who had received the most All-Star votes, relinquish his starting position in the All-Star Game to Michael Jordan.
Vince Carter's on the league's involvement : https://streamable.com/9l42k9
2003 Article by David Aldridge:
Well, thank God we can get on with our lives.
Vince Carter gave up his starting spot in the All-Star Game. Does this mean he's a good guy now?
If only it were that simple, like pro wrestling, when a bad guy suddenly "turns" and becomes a good guy in the blink of an eye. Vince put Michael Jordan in a headlock on Sunday just before tipoff, and made Jordan go out there in his place, and he is suddenly not selfish, not boorish, not stupid.
Maybe he wasn't any of those things to begin with.
I understand we live in different times now, that part of the world of sports is the incessant talk culture, both on television and on radio. People are getting paid good money to just yak off the top of their heads about anything. I shouldn't take it personally. Vince shouldn't take it personally. But it's hard, I'm sure, to differentiate between earnest discussion and blowhards who only care about making it to the next commercial break before they're discovered to be the frauds they are.
It got tiresome hearing all the bleating from media types about what VC should do, that he didn't deserve to be on the squad because he has missed most of the season, that the "right" thing to do would be to step aside and let Jordan start. (Although, as my colleague Stephen A. Smith points out, you'd think one Tar Heel would do another Tar Heel a favor like that.) I don't care what Charles Barkley or anybody else says, getting voted to the starting lineup by the fans is an honor. Or at least, it should be. It has value. It means that you are one of the 10 people we most want to see on the floor if given a chance.
Fans aren't stupid. They know that Carter has played in 12 games. Anyone that can read or watch TV knows that this is Jordan's last season. They decided they would rather see Carter than Jordan. That didn't make them un-American. And Jordan, who has made three or four lifetimes worth of fortunes because of the fans, knew this better than anyone. That's why he wouldn't accept the charity of Allen Iverson or Tracy McGrady, who both offered to give up their starting spots to him ("It would have been an honor," AI told me last week), and why he shouldn't have accepted once Carter bowed to all the noise and changed his mind.
People are so hypocritical when it comes to Vince. We kill athletes all the time because they supposedly don't value education, that they're only in it for the money. But when Carter opted to attend his graduation in North Carolina on the morning of the deciding game of the Eastern semis two years ago -- missing nothing but a couple of hours of brooding in his hotel room -- he was roasted. We say players are mercenaries, and don't care about the cities in which they live. But Carter is vilified in some circles because he genuinely likes Toronto and would rather live there, quietly, than in New York or L.A. We say athletes care nothing about the fans, ignoring them at every turn. But Carter makes a decision because of the fans, and he's called selfish.
The only thing more stupid was hearing people, somehow, twist this into some kind of attack on Isiah Thomas. What the hell does Thomas have to do with this, other than knowing first-hand how much one is vilified when he has the temerity to be on the other side of the Jordan Phenomenon. And if he tried to convince Carter that it wouldn't do him much good in the long run to stand in the way of what everyone seemed to want -- everyone except Jordan, that is -- good for Thomas.
link to the article: http://www.espn.com/nba/columns/aldridge_david/1508327.html
Was it appropriate for the NBA to intervene in this situation? How would you react if Ant Edwards or any young star was 'encouraged' to relinquish his starting position to older legends like Lebron, Steph or KD?
Hakeem's 1995 title run saw the Rockets beat a slew of 50-wins teams. What is more amazing is every team had an elite big as well.
Round 1, Jazz - Karl Malone.
Round 2, Suns - Charles Barkley.
Round 3, Spurs - David Robinson + Dennis Rodman.
NBA Finals, Magic - Shaq.
[McKusick] Burrow had a 0.0 passer rating on passes thrown 15+ yards. 6 incompletions and an interception on 7 attempts.
https://twitter.com/filmstudyravens/status/1703770755006165315?s=46&t=u0ZZ3kreQGqAnvG_JSAhIA
Linggo, Setyembre 17, 2023
[Highlight] Anthony Richardson scores his second rushing TD of the first quarter
https://ift.tt/p9vXVTD
[Sylvander] The Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat have made some progress in the last 48-72 hours on a potential Damian Lillard trade.
Trade talks involving Miami Heat target Damian Lillard appear to be picking up again, with ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski saying he thinks the Portland Trail Blazers have “been in communication with a lot of teams” about facilitating a deal with the start of training camps approaching.
A multiteam deal has been thought of as the best way for the Heat to acquire Lillard from the Blazers, who do not seem to have much interest in any of the players Miami reportedly is offering, specifically Tyler Herro.
[Silverstein] David Bakhtiari is OUT today for the Packers
https://twitter.com/TomSilverstein/status/1703431724057719129?t=_tn1OXLdEEnUVXDrqv_Vaw&s=19
[Windhorst] The Los Angeles Clippers have ended James Harden trade talks with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Source: https://www.si.com/nba/clippers/news/nba-insider-reveals-clippers-shut-down-james-harden-trade-talks
During a recent episode of The Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said his understanding is that the LA Clippers shut down James Harden trade talks with the Philadelphia 76ers. It has been public for several weeks now that the Clippers and 76ers were no longer engaged on a Harden deal, but this had mostly been framed as the 76ers ending Harden trade talks in general - not just with the Clippers.
"[The Clippers] tried to trade for James Harden, and that deal didn't happen," Windhorst said. "And from what I understand, it was the Clippers who said, 'Okay, there's no deal here. We're gonna move on.' And while I assume that they could certainly make a deal midseason, I assume that this is what they're gonna go with."
[Schefter] Texans OT Laremy Tunsil, listed as questionable for Sunday’s game due to a knee injury, is not expected to play vs. the Colts, per source. If Tunsil doesn’t play, he would be the fourth regular offensive line starter that Houston would be without, including both starting tackles.
https://twitter.com/adamschefter/status/1703320192770605407?s=46&t=AIGEzamS8Gf9tBWL-UCVng
Game Thread: RedZone/Game hub (Week 2)
- RedZone thread
| Status | Away | @ | Home | Game Thread | Post Game Thread | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:00 PM EDT | GB | -- | @ | -- | ATL | ||
| 1:00 PM EDT | LV | -- | @ | -- | BUF | ||
| 1:00 PM EDT | BAL | -- | @ | -- | CIN | ||
| 1:00 PM EDT | SEA | -- | @ | -- | DET | ||
| 1:00 PM EDT | LAC | -- | @ | -- | TEN | ||
| 1:00 PM EDT | CHI | -- | @ | -- | TB | ||
| 1:00 PM EDT | KC | -- | @ | -- | JAX | ||
| 1:00 PM EDT | IND | -- | @ | -- | HOU | ||
| 4:05 PM EDT | SF | -- | @ | -- | LAR | ||
| 4:05 PM EDT | NYG | -- | @ | -- | ARI | ||
| 4:25 PM EDT | NYJ | -- | @ | -- | DAL | ||
| 4:25 PM EDT | WSH | -- | @ | -- | DEN | ||
| 8:20 PM EDT | MIA | -- | @ | -- | NE |
- Thread Notes
- Message The Moderators
| Discuss whatever you wish. You can trash talk, but keep it civil. |
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Last updated: 2023-09-17_11:47:58.625227-04:00
Sabado, Setyembre 16, 2023
[Bengals] A.J. Green has officially retired as a Bengal. WHO DEY!
https://twitter.com/Bengals/status/1703098305125745037?t=8kqewHKq9rW_t-7oxcnfww&s=19
[Highlight] Nasty cross chop and bend without losing speed from Josh Sweat. Also, watch Zach Cunningham read Cousins' eyes and smother the in-breaker so he can't go anywhere with the ball
https://twitter.com/ledyardnfldraft/status/1703000725012259251?s=46&t=lTmL_PCJ-kA0LtqR3agPuw
[Kareem Jackson] Dear @NFL can y’all please stop finning me for my pants. This shit makes zero sense smh. How about y’all focus on something that’s meaningful and that will truly help the game like the refs or these fields that guys continue to get hurt on.
https://twitter.com/reemboi25/status/1703059712365998338?s=46&t=Y_KXHBgeHwLgY9UkD4KA1A
According to "The Jordan Rules", MJ to his teammates in 1990: “Five more years and I’m out of here. I’m marking these days on a calendar, like I’m in jail. I’m tired of being used by this organization, by the league, by the writers, by everyone.”
As per Sam Smith’s 1991 book The Jordan Rules, Michael Jordan participated in the three-point shooting contest in 1990. However, despite the increase in his three-point shooting abilities, MJ achieved an all-time low score of five points during the competition. Sam Smith suggested that Jordan was quite fed up with various frustrating aspects of the league and expressed his desire to leave the NBA to his teammates.
He’d gone through a dance like this with the league in 1989. Jordan didn’t want to compete in the contest, so he told Thorn when he called—as a way to get him to stop bothering him—to raise the prize money to $20,000; it had been $12,500. Thorn called back a few days later and said, “Done.” Jordan was stunned. “I’ll think about it,” he said. Besides the possibility of a fall from his dunking throne, Jordan had always found himself weary after the All-Star weekend, and had not played well in the succeeding games. It was time to let some kids come out of the bullpen and have a start, Jordan felt. But the league announced that Jordan had agreed to participate. Jordan called the Bulls; he needed the team to say he was injured so he couldn’t compete. No problem. Within a few days of the All-Star game, Jordan turned up with a minor injury and the Bulls said they didn’t want to risk Jordan exacerbating the problem. The league compromised in 1990. Would Jordan come to the three-point-shooting contest? Sure, he’d try. He thought that might be fun, and certainly less pressure. He would find out differently. Jordan had been shooting more threes that season and hitting them, but he was nervous for the contest and posted an all-time low score of five points. He’d had it with All-Star-weekend contests. In many ways, Jordan had had it with basketball. “Five more years,” he eagerly told teammates early in January. “Five more years and I’m out of here. I’m marking these days on a calendar, like I’m in jail. I’m tired of being used by this organization, by the league, by the writers, by everyone.”
Other fun excerpts from the book:
"I hate being out there with those garbagemen. They don't get you the ball."
"They've got no idea what it's all about. The white guys [John Paxson and Ed Nealy], they work hard, but they don't have the talent. And the rest of them? Who knows what to expect? They're not good for much of anything."
"“Big, fat, fat guy,” Jordan went on. “One rebound in three games. Power forward. Maybe they should call it powerless forward.” - MJ on Stacey King
Jordan could be razor-sharp of tongue with an implicit, cutting message, like when he saw struggling rookie Stacey King walking into the locker room carrying a box: “I hope there’s a jump shot in there,” Jordan cracked. Or when then-reserve Charles Davis was sorting through tickets for friends and family when the team was playing a game in Atlanta: “They don’t need a ticket to watch you sitting on the bench. They can go to your house for that.”
“Screw you, M.J.,” Grant shot back. “All you care about is your points and everyone knows it. You don’t care about anything but yourself.” “You’re an idiot,” Jordan screamed at Grant. “You’ve screwed up every play we ever ran. You’re too stupid to even remember the plays. We ought to get rid of you.”
So he told Grant, Vincent, and Pippen—three players who were usually on the floor at the end of games with him—that they were not to pass Cartwright the ball in the last four minutes of a game. “If you do that,” Jordan said, “you’ll never get the ball from me."
It was a quiet trip home, filled with glassy eyes and glum looks. Jordan unfurled the stat sheet on the bus and offered: “Headache tonight, Scottie?”
Before the season, the Bulls traded Sanders to Miami, which later released him. He went to the CBA and got called up on a ten-day contract by the Charlotte Hornets; “It’s probably a twelve-day,” Jordan said when he heard about it. “He needs two days to wake up"
“They’re not interested in winning,” he would say. “They just want to sell tickets, which they can do because of me. They won’t make any deals to make us better. And this [Toni] Kukoc thing. I hate that. They’re spending all their time chasing this guy.” Jordan felt the media were demanding too much of his time and sniping at him. He felt his teammates were becoming too heavy a load to carry. And now he had two children at home. It all was becoming just too much. All he wanted to do was play golf.
Stopped by a reporter and asked about the Davis deal, Jordan took off after Krause again. “If I were general manager,” he said, “we’d be a better team.”
Jordan’s dislike for Perdue was palpable. He called him “Will Vanderbilt.” “He doesn’t deserve to be named after a Big Ten school,” Jordan would explain. Jordan rarely talked to the big center, whom general manager Jerry Krause had projected as the team’s pivot player of the 1990s.
But now, in 1990, Jackson was in charge. Jordan was dubious, but he liked Jackson and had come to respect his knowledge of the game and the way he handled the team. “He’s the coach,” Jordan would say after meeting with Jackson. “I’ll follow his scheme, but I don’t plan to change my style of play. I’m sure everything will be fine if we win, but if we start losing, I’m shooting.”
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/Jordan-Rules-Sam-Smith/dp/0671796666
Biyernes, Setyembre 15, 2023
[Yates] Aaron Rodgers will speak publicly for the first time since suffering his injury with Pat McAfee and the boys today at 2:10 PM ET
https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/1702681585814782382
Jermaine O’Neal on the Pacers not recognizing former players: “It is disappointing to watch teams every year recognize and celebrate the players who have been the franchise's very best players on and off the court but yet the Pacers don't. It's been confusing and disappointing to say the least!”
Former Pacers All-Star power forward, Jermaine O’Neal, had this to say about the Indiana Pacers organization not recognizing and celebrating former players:
Jermaine O’Neal:
I love Budd and the work that he puts in. My statement has nothing to do with him. It is disappointing to watch teams every year recognize and celebrate the players who have been the franchise's very best players on and off the court but yet the Pacers don't. It's been confusing and disappointing to say the least!
O’Neals comments were a response to an Instagram user’s comment that read:
The disrespect for @jermaineoneal is ridiculous. I made this same statement when Brogdon wore the number @pacers do better!
As a Pacer, Jermaine O’Neal’s awards and accomplishments:
- 6x All Star
- 3x All NBA (only Pacer to ever make All-NBA 2nd Team or better)
- 2002 Most Improved Player Award winner
- Pacers franchise record holder for most blocks in a game (10)
- Pacers franchise record holder for most blocks in a season (228)
- Pacers franchise record holder for most rebounds in a playoff game (22)
[Jon Machota] The Cowboys play on turf. Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb made it clear that they both prefer to play on grass. Micah Parsons said he'd play on concrete if he had to. Dak: "He's young."
https://twitter.com/jonmachota/status/1702403187267805406?s=20
[Wojnarowski] Free agent F Taj Gibson is returning to the Washington Wizards on a one-year, $3.2M contract, Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN. At 38, this will be Gibson’s 15th NBA season.
https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1702691990209511789
Huwebes, Setyembre 14, 2023
[Wagoner] Annual SoFi Stadium projection from @VividSeats for Sunday’s #49ers vs. #Rams game has a current forecast of 64% Niners fans vs. 36% Rams fans.
https://twitter.com/nwagoner/status/1702329858242818165
What injury completely derailed a franchise?
The first ones that come to mind are Chris Webber's 2003 meniscus injury for the Kings and Derrick Rose's 2012 ACL injury for the Bulls. Both teams, especially the Kings, looked poised to win it all.
If Jason Peters starts for the Seahawks, he will join Jackie Slater and Ray Brown as the only full-time O-lineman to reach 20 Seasons in the NFL. - Peters would also become the oldest full-time Offensive Tackle to ever play in the NFL.
Jason Peters has lowkey been a paragon of longevity. With both of Seattle's tackles stricken with injury (LT Charles Cross with a Turf Toe, RT Abe Lucas with a knee injury), they brought on Jason Peters to join the practice squad to reenforce the line.
With Abe Lucas going to IR, all signs are pointing to Peters being promoted to the active roster in the next few weeks, if not this Sunday.
A start for Seattle would give Peters 20 Seasons in the NFL, tied with Jackie Slater (who spent his entire career with the Rams from the mid-70s to the mid-90s) and Ray Brown (A guard for multiple teams from the mid-80s to mid-2000s ) for the most ever by a full-time offensive lineman
(Side Note - Lou "The Toe" Groza played 21 Seasons in the NFL but his last 7 were exclusively spent as a Placekicker)
Just a crazy level of consistency at one of the NFL's toughest positions. Dude missed the entire 2012 Season with two Achilles Tendon ruptures and went on to play 11 Seasons after the fact. Just nuts.
[Siciliano] Bills OC Ken Dorsey: "I don't think you get to this point in [Josh Allen's] career if this happened every single game.". "Some of the best quarterbacks of all time have had multiple-interception games."
https://twitter.com/AndrewSiciliano/status/1702348033533579313?t=Ign1LaahMSLqKVHc1bNLAg&s=19
[Meinke] Aaron Glenn just cut off a question about Brian Branch. "You want me to continue to say he's a good player? How many times do you want me to say that?"
https://twitter.com/kmeinke/status/1702328171058933912
[Robert Mays] Just how seismic is the Ravens' offensive shift under Todd Monken? On Sunday, Baltimore used 3 WRs on 40 plays Last year, they used 3 WRs on 152 snaps the entire SEASON
https://twitter.com/robertmays/status/1702310930359402812?s=19
Miyerkules, Setyembre 13, 2023
Kai Jones responds to an Instagram user claiming Mark Williams is better than him: "show me a video of mark pulling up going left and hitting it. Anywhere man in college some where show one"
Not sure we've ever seen a league player attempt to cook one of his own teammates. He also responded to someone claiming Nick Richards is better than him, saying he's a more assertive player than him.
Mark Williams responded via Instagram story.
Will Kai Jones be on the roster to start next season?
[Charania] NBA Board of Governors has approved new policy that a team is unable to rest two star players in the same game moving forward, multiple sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. A star is defined as someone who has made All-Star or All-NBA team in the past three seasons.
https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1701989091363995975?s=46&t=3MN91oJhL7tCeLgkvFUZ_g
[Highlight] Josh Allen initiating contact and flopping after
https://twitter.com/CYJpod/status/1701766916736475180
Toni Kukoc thinks Nikola Jokic's career isn't better than Drazen Petrovic, Arvydas Sabonis, or Vlade Divac Yet
Kukoc believes that Jokic is going to end up being the best European basketball player of all time. However, he isn't there yet
“He's great, I talked about him five or six years ago. I like his style, with his basketball knowledge and IQ, he makes up for the athleticism he lacks. He keeps the game in his rhythm, it is not noticed that it is so. His career is not even at 50 percent yet. Will he be statistically the best European? He probably will,” Toni Kukoc said while promoting the new documentary about him named 'The Magical Seven' via Index.hr.
“And is he the best? I think that Dražen, Dino, Divac, and Sabonis have done things that he hasn't touched yet, although I believe he will. But, realistically, if Sabonis was now in the NBA at the age of 24, or Dražen, or Dino, or me... My people, if we used to watch the NBA on TV, we would certainly be much better than then. But comparisons are unnecessary, in my opinion, especially of different generations. To conclude, Jokić's quality and size are not at all questionable,” Toni added.
Source- Basketball Network
D-Waade comment about the 14 year old FB post
His comment:
"I can't confirm nor deny but it's giving me... This is probably real 👋🏾"
Damn, my guy was only 14 years too late to answer his message.
Link to the post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxImF4esADG/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Martes, Setyembre 12, 2023
[Rapoport] Former NFL WR Mike William passed away this morning after a tough battle, according to his agent Hadley Engelhard of @EnterSportsMgmt. “He will be missed. He fought hard his whole life. Prayers to his family.” Williams was tragically injured while performing electrical work
https://ift.tt/5WnwYcq
[ESPN] Kevin Porter Jr.'s alleged attack on his girlfriend at a New York City hotel left the woman with a fractured neck vertebrae, prosecutors revealed at his arraignment Tuesday.
Source: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/38386284/girlfriend-rockets-kevin-porter-fractured-vertebrae
Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr.'s alleged attack on his girlfriend at a New York City hotel left the woman with a fractured neck vertebrae and a cut above her right eye, prosecutors revealed at his arraignment Tuesday.
Porter, 23, is charged with felony assault and strangulation in connection with the incident Monday at the Millennium Hilton near the United Nations in Manhattan. He was not required to enter a plea during his brief court appearance.
[Kuz] on Twitter “USA basketball better get some nba stars that know how to play a role. Anybody can be nice with the ball in their hands but can you be cool with defending and going to the corner for a few possessions?”
Who was Kyle Kuzma referring to with this post? Who do you think should join the US Olympic team that can fill the role Kuzma brought up?
[Fowler] Source: MRI revealed a torn Achilles for Aaron Rodgers. His season is done.
https://twitter.com/JFowlerESPN/status/1701611635948056741
Lunes, Setyembre 11, 2023
[Gutierrez] #Raiders WR Davante Adams on QB Jimmy Garoppolo apologizing to him for missing him on a pass: "That, to me, that's like you arguing with your girl and she says, 'I'm sorry.' Alright, let's watch a movie now. We good. ..."
https://twitter.com/PGutierrezESPN/status/1701033481256698327
Gilbert Arenas on 2024 Olympics: "Y'all see what y'all did" Y'all f[}ed up. Bron coming"
Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxDfgR7LiAA/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_video_watch_again
A pretty hilarious video. Gilbert seems confident that the gap between the world and the USA in basketball has not closed as much as our Euro-redditors have been claiming. Only time will tell.
Since trading for Brett Favre in 1992 and including playoffs, the Packers are 49-15 vs the Bears.
https://www.footballdb.com/teams/nfl/green-bay-packers/teamvsteam?opp=6
Prior to 1992, the Bears led the all-time series 57-80-6 against the Packers. The record is now 106-95-6 in favor of the Packers.
Bears’ Justin Fields Apologizes to Teammates, Fans After Humbling Loss to Packers
https://ift.tt/U5G0PB1
Linggo, Setyembre 10, 2023
Stop talking about USA having a third string team
Canada didn’t have 1. Jamal Murray 2. Andrew Wiggins 3. Shaedon Sharpe 4. Brandon Clarke 5. Mathurin
And a few more, but no one’s talking about that. Obviously USA has way more star players who didn’t play but subbing Jamal Murray for Alexander Walker makes a much bigger difference than subbing Tatum for Brandon Ingram.
[Taylor Lewan] I’m not retired. production team asked if they could use this clip. I told them yes as long as they keep me saying it’s a joke in the clip Obviously they didn’t listen and got what they wanted. Congrats on getting numbers I guess.
https://twitter.com/taylorlewan77/status/1700892181035102465?s=46&t=RTccKamcQ3dEnhULDg6Niw
[Fischer] Dennis Schroder went to EuroBasket last summer without an NBA contract. He played his way into a return with the Lakers, helped Los Angeles make the WCF, then just got named MVP of the World Cup after leading Germany to the gold medal with Franz Wagner. Quite a story.
https://twitter.com/JakeLFischer/status/1700885089914368459
[FIBA Basketball] Dennis Schröder is the TISSOT MVP of FIBA World Cup 2023.
https://twitter.com/fibawc/status/1700884566356214158?s=46&t=3MN91oJhL7tCeLgkvFUZ_g
Sabado, Setyembre 9, 2023
[Goldsmith] Tyler Boyd on Tee Higgins: “He got the short end of the stick. He’s worth a lot. They have to come up with some type of agreement. I hope they get something done over the next couple weeks.” “It relieves stress and has you more comfortable out there.”
https://twitter.com/CharlieG__/status/1700187116192338127?t=Ooz-uKI4ai49uBOrq1H7xQ&s=19
[Standig] Commanders DE Chase Young will not play in Sunday's regular season opener and is not expected back until at least Week 3 with a neck injury
https://twitter.com/BenStandig/status/1700523641576780027
[Dane Moore]Craig Kilborn story on Anthony Edwards: "A-Rod's getting a relationship with Ant...Ant got comfortable with him and he called over A-Rod and asks "How'd you screw up JLo?"
https://twitter.com/DaneMooreNBA/status/1700529511006146598?t=NAcSebxosb3a6ADSpG1ADA&s=19
Craig Kilborn story on Anthony Edwards: "A-Rod's getting a relationship with Ant...Ant got comfortable with him and he called over A-Rod and he says "I gotta ask you something...How'd you screw up JLo?"
This is from a recent live show of the Dane Moore Podcast in Minnesota
[Yates] The 49ers have restructured the contract of DL Arik Armstead, creating $11.78M in 2023 cap space, per source. Even after signing Nick Bosa to the largest non-QB contract ever, the 49ers now have $41.5M in cap space to begin the regular season, by far the most in the NFL 🧐
https://twitter.com/fieldyates/status/1700518364408418392?s=12&t=x5-NzdOmzxVdg9621hs9Tw
[Rapoport] The #Patriots are releasing QB Matt Corral as the corresponding move, source says.
https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1700509658547462170?s=20
Biyernes, Setyembre 8, 2023
[MileHighReport] Broncos players were asked why they hate the Raiders and Randy Gregory said it’s because of Mark Davis’ haircut: “I don’t like the owner’s haircut, I don’t like the bowl cut.. kinda pisses me off.”
https://twitter.com/milehighreport/status/1700211930906923083?s=12&t=x5-NzdOmzxVdg9621hs9Tw
[James Palmer] Jared Goff has not thrown an INT on his last 359 pass attempts. Third-longest streak in NFL history behind Brady (399) and Rodgers (402).
https://twitter.com/jamespalmertv/status/1700126605350408521?s=46&t=Y_KXHBgeHwLgY9UkD4KA1A
Huwebes, Setyembre 7, 2023
Kai Jones of the Charlotte Hornets goes viral on Twitter. It's a video of his IG Live in which people speculate that he's on drugs
here is the video: https://twitter.com/KiLBJJ/status/1699675585016983809
It shows Kai Jones speaking to his viewers on IG Live. It's just rumors and accusations, but he appears to be really energetic, slurring his words a bit, could just be him working out. And in the video, he appears to be denying that he's on drugs, and denying trade rumors about him.
[McMenamin] The Los Angeles Lakers made it clear to Anthony Davis this offseason that they would add depth at center so he wouldn't have to the play the position with as much regularity this offseason.
The Los Angeles Lakers made it clear to Anthony Davis this offseason that they would add depth at center so he wouldn't have to the play the position with as much regularity this offseason, sources tell ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
Davis played 99 percent of his minutes at center last season.
With the Lakers adding Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood, there are more lineup possibilities to allow Davis to play power forward.
Davis is going to need to find his 2020 shooting form again in order for him to effectively play PF on this Lakers team.
[Dugar] DK Metcalf on undrafted rookie WR Jake Bobo: “I pull up my [tablet], & I’m seeing this white kid getting open every play. I’m like, ‘who’s this?’. [Tyler Lockett] said, ‘Oh, that’s Bobo, man. He’s a tall receiver.’ You have to know where 19 is, that’s just what I’m going to say off the rip.”
https://twitter.com/mikedugar/status/1699582669112373364
Miyerkules, Setyembre 6, 2023
James Harden on Instagram regarding Ramona Shelburne's report: "Lies"
From @espn - "Harden was dismayed at the initial snub, sources told @ramonashelburne. It didn't help that his former teammates Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving had both been voted in as starters by the fans, media and players, while Harden was a distant fourth among Eastern Conference guards. (Link in bio for more)"
Harden responds in the comments: "Lies"
Initial Report:
The first hint that Harden's "sacrifice" wasn't being appreciated, much less rewarded in the way he hoped, came in late January when he wasn't voted to be an All-Star. Harden, who had made 10 consecutive All-Star games, was dismayed at the snub, sources said.
It didn't help that his former Nets teammates Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving had both been voted in as starters by the fans, media and players, while Harden was a distant fourth among Eastern Conference guards behind Irving, Donovan Mitchell and Jaylen Brown.
Still, NBA commissioner Adam Silver was prepared to name him as an injury replacement, sources said. Harden just had to give assurances that he would show up and play in the game. Days went by without Harden's answer. He was pouting. By the time Harden sent word that he would accept the invitation, Silver had moved on, naming Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam as the replacement for an injured Durant.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/38335993/inside-feud-james-harden-philadelphia-76ers
[McMurphy] USC QB Caleb Williams could return next year if Caleb doesn’t like NFL team w/No. 1 pick, his dad Carl told @GQMagazine. “The funky thing about the NFL draft process is, he’d almost be better off not being drafted than being drafted 1st,” Carl said. “The system is completely backwards.
https://twitter.com/Brett_McMurphy/status/1699459030966525992?s=20
[Chappell] Colts have renovated hallway outside locker room. Players see this every day:
https://twitter.com/mchappell51/status/1699426493888168029?s=46
Who are the biggest “Tricked Y’all” players? Players who were hyped up after a short spell of strong performances but then either had their weaknesses exposed or generally failed to live up to those expectations
My answer would be Christian Wood, the news of his signing with the Lakers reminded me of the way people talked about him when he first broke. The man behind Shaq’s famous “I apologise, I wasn’t familiar with your game” quote was like Covid the way he suddenly sprang up out of nowhere in early 2020, scoring the ball on all 3 levels and filling some of the gap Blake Griffin left in the team
Fast forward three years later to Dallas. Now he’s an inefficient shot chucker who can’t play defence, can’t grab rebounds, and can’t set a screen or do anything that would help the offense and got benched by a team starting Dwight Powell at the 5 and Reggie Bullock at the 4, all while reportedly being a locker room cancer. Now he’s taking the min to be a back up on the Lakers and fans are debating if even he’s good enough for that
In short, he tricked y’all (including me)
[Urbonas] Luka Doncic made a money sign gesture toward the VIP tribune where the FIBA executives were seated. This gesture followed a highly emotional reaction from the crowd and the Slovenia team due to a foul call on RJ Barrett.
Luka Doncic made a money sign gesture toward the VIP tribune where the FIBA executives were seated.
This gesture followed a highly emotional reaction from the crowd and the Slovenia team due to a foul call on RJ Barrett.
Luka was visibly unhappy with the officiating during todays World Cup quarterfinal game vs. Canada. He made the money gesture several times toward the VIP booth where the FIBA officials were seated. He has done this same gesture several times towards referees in the NBA as well.
For reference, Canada had 33 free throws compared to Slovenia's 19.
Martes, Setyembre 5, 2023
NFL Rule: Toes in doesn't necessarily mean it's a catch
I've made this thread the last couple seasons. Usually the top comments are people surprised this rule isn't common knowledge, but every season so far the rule has come into play and the comment sections are full of people calling the NFL rigged and refs making up rules on the spot. Here is the 2022 instance of it. Yes, I realize the heel may not actually be out, but this was the rule they applying. Also, Tee Higgins week 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_EbOCzPEeE
Scenario: A player is facing towards the LOS/QB and moving backwards to make the catch as the out of bounds line. They get their toes down, but their heel continues down and hits out of bounds. No, this is not a dragging the toes scenario.
Ruling: It's incomplete. It's not the same as "dragging" the toes. It would be ruled as finishing a step.
Good article explaining in more detail - https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/12/12/in-the-nfl-a-toe-is-a-foot-but-a-heel-isnt/
Rule book - https://nflcommunications.com/Documents/2021%20-%20Rule%20Book%20%20Case%20Book.pdf
>A.R. 15.104 Heel/toe
>Third-and-10 on A30. A2 controls a pass and gets his left foot down in bounds at the 50. As his right foot comes down, the heel
hits in bounds and in the normal motion of taking a step, his toes hit out of bounds. Officials rule complete.
Ruling: Reviewable. A’s ball fourth-and-10 on A30. Incomplete. Adjust clock if wound before review. **If any part of the foot hits out of bounds during the normal process of taking a step (no drag or delay), then the foot is out of bounds.**
https://twitter.com/footballzebras/status/676241785774034945
[Taylor] Andy Reid said Travis Kelce hyper-extended his knee during today's practice. Kelce's status, Reid said, is uncertain for Thursday's opener against the Lions.
https://twitter.com/ByNateTaylor/status/1699121274176344439?s=20
Why is it that despite having one of the most dominant primes ever, and a relatively long prime at that, that Shaq only won 1 MVP?
Shaq was basically a superstar from the onset. He was putting up 29/13 and was All NBA in his 2nd season and continued to dominate like that until the mid 2000s. The man was 14x All NBA so he had a ton of longevity. And we all know prime Shaq is considered arguably the most dominant prime ever. So how did he only come away with 1 MVP during that time?
[Machota] Jerry Jones said because he’s owner and GM he can make quick decisions like trading for Trey Lance. He said he already had all the information he needed, so he didn’t have to speak with anyone else before making the move. "I didn’t have to send it around. I can make that trade in 5 minutes
https://twitter.com/jonmachota/status/1699058755483361509?t=7zKfgvUoN-bzfNqB8yqBBw&s=19
The scratch marks and blood left by Bradon Ingram's fingernails on the face of Nicolò Melli after he tried to poster Melli, which resulted in unsportsmanlike conduct call on Ingram.
This is the poster dunk attempt
These are the images I took. Yes, it's not a screenshot, but it's still visible.
Melli didn't take the free throws and stayed on the bench.
I thought on Andre Drummond or Portis had these issues IIRC.
Ingram went full Wolverine with that one.
Nico will be fine (luckly, it didn't reach his eyes).
[B/R Gridiron] Chandler Jones going off on his IGS about not being able to get into the Raiders' gym
https://twitter.com/brgridiron/status/1699078773440913480?s=46&t=ePyT2WUNoRcPv60M77WcWQ
Lunes, Setyembre 4, 2023
[Clay] Brandin Cooks is entering his 10th NFL season. Brandin Cooks is 29 years old.
https://twitter.com/MikeClayNFL/status/1698707049834508678?s=20
[Meirov] #Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel said Mike White will be Tua Tagovailoa's backup quarterback. Skylar Thompson will be QB3 to start the year.
https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1698718992951660730?s=20
Help is On the Way: Who will be on the 2024 "Dream Team" roster?
This FIBA World Cup roster isn't the official "Dream Team" (if such a label exists anymore) and they shouldn't be considered the de facto roster for the 2024 Olympics either. Chances are, it'll be some mixed bag of this roster, the 2020 roster, and other American stars who deserve consideration.
We're going to scan through the potential candidates and make our best estimate for the roster, although you can obviously disagree and submit your own in the comments below.
Back in Action (from 2020)
If we're going to cobble together a potential roster, we really ought to start with the last Olympic team in 2020 (technically 2021) and go from there.
The 2020 team won the gold medal, although they weren't exactly steamrolling the competition. The French national team gave them everything they could handle. The U.S. lost their opening game to France, and then slipped by them by 5 points in the gold medal game. The French roster is going to be stronger next time around -- and they're going to have homecourt advantage in the Paris games.
The clear MVP of that year's Dream Team was Kevin Durant. He's a superstar who's a great fit for international competitions. If Coach Steve Kerr could bring any player to Paris, he may pick KD. That said, Durant may not be interested this time around. He's going to be 35 years old and he's already done this gold medal dance three times already (in 2012, 2016, 2020). For that reason, I don't think we should consider him a lock to suit up.
The young sharpshooters that I feel more confident in would be Devin Booker and Jayson Tatum, both of whom won with this 2020 team. Like Durant, their ability to score from the midrange (which is practically a "three" in international play) makes them well-equipped for these competitions. Booker and Tatum will also be squarely in their primes at age 27 and 26, respectively. They should become the bedrocks of Team USA for the next cycle or two.
The only other player I'd consider a lock to return from 2020 would be Bam Adebayo. He'll also be in his prime at age 27, and his defensive versatility (and solid offense) is the type of game that coaches appreciate. In terms of roster construction it should be noted that Adebayo's a lighter big man known for his switchability than raw power, so he'd have to be joined by a bigger true "big" somewhere.
I'm not booking tickets for any other members of the 2020 team right now. Coach Kerr may have a hard time keeping his player Draymond Green off the roster, but Green (who will be 34) may be past his Team USA days. Guards Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday may be ready to pass the torch as well. The other 2020 players (Zach LaVine, Jerami Grant, Khris Middleton, Keldon Johnson, and particularly JaVale McGee) aren't good enough to get grandfathered onto the roster automatically. Among them, LaVine may be the best bet.
Nailed the Audition
This 2023 FIBA team felt more like a group of understudies, trying their best to impress and get promoted.
Clearly, the star of the group has been Anthony Edwards. Time will tell whether he's going to parlay his Team USA work and jump up into All-NBA status in the league, but he's certainly endeared himself to the organization and franchise with his star turn here. The fact that Ant Man can get a shot when he wants -- and can hold his ground defensively one-on-one as well as any young wing -- serves him well.
Fellow World Cupper Mikal Bridges isn't as flashy, but he can do a little of everything on the court. I don't see a good reason to keep him off the roster. He can fit any team -- any lineup.
Shot blocker Jaren Jackson Jr. is more polarizing and does have some deficits -- primarily his foul troubles and his rebounding troubles -- but the pros still outweigh the cons. He's the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. He's going to be 24 years old. He can hit jumpers. All in all, he's still a valuable weapon to have when you go to war.
In regards to the other FIBA players, I'm going to put them into the "question mark" pile. Lead guards Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Halibuton may have stiffer competition depending on who RSVP's. Role players like Austin Reaves, Josh Hart, Cam Johnson, Walker Kessler, and Bobby Portis may be outclassed. Brandon Ingram seems like he should be a stud in international play (like a KD Lite) but it hasn't gone swimmingly so far. Perhaps Paolo Banchero is the best bet to return among this group; his skill set for his size and age is incredible. If he's not going in 2024, write him down for 2028.
Oldies but Goodies
Right now we have 6 players marked in, and 6 spots available.
If I'm Grant Hill or Steve Kerr, I aim high. In addition to Kevin Durant, I make calls to legends like Stephen Curry and LeBron James. Unfortunately, both will be older (Curry 36, James 39) and unlikely to sign up. Still, it never hurts to ask.
Age and injury concerns will probably keep out the Clippers' duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George as well. Hopefully the same doesn't apply to Anthony Davis, who will only be 31 at the time of the Olympics. In fact, Davis could be one of the most valuable members of the entire Team USA unit if he decides to play. I'd consider him more likely than the others given his relative youth, but it's hard to guarantee anything when it comes to AD.
There are some "old heads" at the guard position that I'd consider strongly as well. Among them: Kyrie Irving (who will be 32), Damian Lillard (who will be 34), and even James Harden (who will be 34 as well). Even at an advanced age, all three may be better for the Olympics than the current field general Jalen Brunson. I'm less bullish on other over-30 players like Jimmy Butler and Klay Thompson, personally.
Of course, politics can play a role in terms of roster construction, either in positive or negative ways. If Stephen Curry only signs up if Klay Thompson and Draymond Green come along, then you can consider them. And if Kevin Durant and Devin Booker (two of our ideal players) insist on it, we can make it a package deal and accept their new teammate Bradley Beal as well. Beal may or may not be one of the top 12 Americans in the world, but he's a solid fit for international play and someone we can make room for upon request.
Fresh Blood
The U.S.A. may have some concerns about the Olympics, but depth isn't one of them. They have enough talent to field 20 rosters. The bigger concern is making sure they find the right "fit" among them.
In terms of potential "flesh blood" that I haven't mentioned yet, we have some options at the guard spot. Trae Young was controversially held off the FIBA roster, but he does offer shooting and playmaking. You also have some younger and flashier guards like Ja Morant, De'Aaron Fox, LaMelo Ball, and Darius Garland as well. If Coach Kerr needs some role players, then you could consider defenders like Derrick White or even Alex Caruso. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham is someone who should be monitored heavily as well. He's a big guard with a high IQ, high character, and good shooting potential; if he has a big year this season, he could become a mainstay of the Team USA roster.
In terms of other guards and wings, Donovan Mitchell fits like a big enough star to get an offer. If the team feels like they need another shot creator, he'd be a good option. If the team would rather have a "catch and shoot" guy instead, then maybe you consider Desmond Bane.
The U.S. collection of "bigs" isn't loaded, but there are certainly some names to consider. Older bigs like Myles Turner or even Brook Lopez would offer some more sturdiness inside. Mitchell Robinson would add the rebounding we need. Rising bigs Evan Mobley and Chet Holmgren do NOT have that type of bulk, but they certainly have the length and shot blocking (and improving offensive skill set) to earn strong consideration. It would have been nice to see them with the FIBA team to get their feet wet, although they do have some experience in international tournaments prior.
Among all the fresh blood, the most exciting and most combustible name on the board is Zion Williamson. It'd be easy to see him dominating international play like Charles Barkley did back in 1992. Again, it's hard to count on Williamson for anything, but he could silence a lot of doubters if he has a strong season.
So Who Makes the Trip?
We had penciled in 6 players: 3 from the 2020 team (Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum, Bam Adebayo) and 3 from the FIBA crop (Anthony Edwards, Mikal Bridges, Jaren Jackson Jr.). That'd leave 6 spots remaining.
Obviously we'd love the old stars to come out an shine, but I'm pessimistic that they will. Not only are the old dogs focused on NBA titles and load management, but they have egos as well. They know the international competition is stiffer, and even the best U.S. team may only have an 80% chance of winning. That means a 20% chance of losing -- which would be cast as a huge embarrassing "failure". All in all, let's play it safe and project that the old guard sits this one out. I'm also going to put Anthony Davis and Zion Williamson off the board for injury concerns, although they'd both be great additions to the roster.
In their absence, we can promote several of our question marks onto the roster. Donovan Mitchell will be hard to ignore -- we're talking about a star guard who averaged 28 PPG last year. I'll also give out a ticket to Zach LaVine -- I thought he played well in 2020 in terms of his defensive effort and his ability to "fit in" offensively.
We're up to 8 now, and we're already strong in terms of the wings. Ideally, we'd need some pure point guards and a pure big to round out the roster.
If the older guards decline, I suspect Tyrese Haliburton can get a return ticket based on his shooting, passing, and all around good vibes. And, with some hesitation, I can see Team USA bringing back Jalen Brunson -- especially if this year's group wins gold. He's considered a leader for the squad. I can definitely see them debating his replacements though -- especially if this tournament run goes south. Trae Young probably deserves it, but I could see the team opting for easier personalities like Cade Cunningham, or Derrick White, or Darius Garland. Garland's size is an issue, but he has shooting and an appealing personality himself; he's someone who's always gotten along with his peers.
In terms of our bigs, there's a basketball argument for the bigger bodies like Mitchell Robinson and Walker Kessler. Still, I suspect that Team USA will want to keep Paolo Banchero in the program. Who's our last big? Chet Holmgren has the most long-term upside, but he's not exactly a bruiser himself. Let's just play it safe with a decent option like Myles Turner instead.
So overall, we ended up with:
Guards: Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton
Wings: Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, Mikal Bridges, Zach LaVine
Bigs: Bam Adebayo, Jaren Jackson Jr., Paolo Banchero, Myles Turner
Now, remember, this isn't my "Dream Team" of potential "Dream Team" members, but a conservative estimate on who may be likely to show up on the plane. In an ideal world, we'd get Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Anthony Davis among others (LeBron James, Paul George, etc). That said, those are all guys who have gotten gold medals already and may not be interested in adding more wear and tear to their bodies.
But how optimistic are you? Who are YOU picking to get plane tickets for?
[Siciliano] Mike McDaniel, finally asked about the Chargers schedule-release video showing him vaping: “Huh? I don’t know what you speak of. Oh, the schedule release? Lot of creative people doing creative things in 2023 which is pretty creative.”
https://twitter.com/andrewsiciliano/status/1698722286747201941?s=12&t=x5-NzdOmzxVdg9621hs9Tw
Evan Mobley's growth as an offensive talent determines the ceiling of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023/24.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming off a very successful regular season in the 2022/23 season after trading for Donovan Mitchell during the offseason and adding him to their young core that had pushed for the playoffs a year prior. Before injuries the Cavs were looking at being a top 4 seed in 2021/22; Cleveland's brass believed it was time to strike to add a high leverage talent such as Spida who was in the prime of his career and could grow alongside the rest of the Cavs squad with an eye on developing into a contender for years to come.
Unquestionably, the trade was a success. Mitchell had the best season of his career; the Cavs ended up with the second best net rating in the NBA and won over 50 games. It was their most successful non-LeBron season in decades. The Cavs ended the season as the top defense in the NBA off the backs of their Twin Towers duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen controlling the paint. Evan Mobley was healthy last season and played 79 games; in two seasons, he has already gained a reputation as a top 10 defender in the NBA. He has also grown as an offensive player over the course of these last two seasons...he has legitimate passing feel and talent and increased his assist rate while cutting down his turnovers. He made a big jump as a finisher in Year 2 and was an elite finisher in the restricted area last season. He's elite inside 8 feet in general and has an array of moves, is cerebral, and has excellent body control along with his terrific length, that enable him to find ways to score in traffic.
However, comfort outside of 8 feet has yet to materialize for Mobley. Anywhere outside of deep floater range and his efficiency takes a significant hit. He's still not much of a self-creator although he has shown flashes and he shot 21% from 3 during the regular season. His lack of self-creation and a 3 ball playing alongside Jarrett Allen ended up sticking out in the playoff, as the Cavs were eliminated in 5 games by the New York Knicks. The Cavs offense couldn't gain traction, as the Knicks were very physical and loaded their defense to make the life of Mitchell and Darius Garland much more difficult. Mobley averaged less than 10 point a game on mediocre efficiency during the Knicks series and the Mobley/Allen pairing didn't aid them as much as it had during the regular season.
I do think a lot of the reaction to the Knicks series regarding the Cavs and their outlook was overblown. Their top 4 players together on court still carried a positive net rating. Mobley/Allen net rating as a duo was OK. The rush to push Allen out the door by some fans didn't really line up with data and didn't make sense. The Cavs front office have been aggressive in seeking improvements but with the mentality of sustainable success and growth. There was no win now mandate last year in Cleveland. But the expectations this year will definitely be higher with the additions they have made during the offseason, including Max Strus and Georges Niang, and their success of the season prior.
For the Cavs to meet those expectations, Evan Mobley will need to take a jump offensively, or this team is never realistically going to win a title as currently constructed. He became more aggressive with the ball in his hands last year but needs to take that another step further this season. I'm expecting and he should be averaging 4+ to 5 FTAs a game. He needs to continue to look to take advantage of mismatches and be more comfortable being willing to take smaller players inside on the block. And at the very least, Mobley needs to be a 30% 3 point shooter.
He can't be a non-threat as a shooter. Because of the handling ability he does possess, teams don't totally leave him open from the outside but he can be seen passing up open 3's and often the Cavs offense isn't spread in the way most teams today are because both of their big men are inside the three point line. The Cavs played at the slowest pace in the NBA last season which is something I think will also have to change if they want to take a jump to title contention level.
The expectations in Cleveland are high, deservedly so. I think they're the fourth best team in the Eastern Conference right now and are closer to the top three (BOS/MIL/MIA) than people think. Miami had a very poor regular season last season and Butler is a year older and has missed substantial time every year recently. They had an exhausting playoff run and depth is questionable. Cleveland finishing with a top 2 seed would not be a surprise. But if they want to win a title in the next few seasons or at least be in the conversation, it is incumbent that Evan Mobley becomes the offensive player that he has the potential to. What do you all think? You think Mobley is have his Year 3 offensive leap this season? If he does, would you consider the Cavs a title contender?
[Seifert] The new 3rd QB rule requires the 3rd QB to be on the 53-man roster. Not necessarily for the No. 2 QB. Potential workaround here to have the No. 2 be a practice squad elevation (Zappe) and the No. 3 to be on the 53 (Corral). We'll see if that's how the Patriots play it.
https://twitter.com/seifertespn/status/1698674345101443457?s=46&t=GoyECePioWV7E_4aVFbDZA
Linggo, Setyembre 3, 2023
[Ian Rapoport] Coach Andy Reid: “I don't know when he's coming or not coming.''
https://twitter.com/rapsheet/status/1698381548897100147?s=46&t=Y_KXHBgeHwLgY9UkD4KA1A
[Pelissero] The running tab: Chris Jones racked up roughly $2 million in fines during his training camp holdout. He also gave up a $500,000 workout bonus. He would forfeit an additional $1,083,333 for each regular-season game missed.
https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1698360836362756560?t=xU3OX9wS_XYCW4fKSFzo9w&s=19
Sabado, Setyembre 2, 2023
[Fowler] Chiefs are bracing to be without Chris Jones for the early part of the season. 49ers would like to get Bosa deal done before week 1.
https://twitter.com/JFowlerESPN/status/1698030383445483594
The 9 of the last 10 Super Bowls involved at least 1 team that didn’t win a single playoff game the season prior
- 2022: Eagles
- 2021: Bengals*
- 2020: Buccaneers*
- 2019: 49ers*
- 2018: Rams
- 2017: Eagles*
- 2016: Falcons*
- 2015: Broncos
- 2014: None
- 2013: Broncos
*Missed the playoffs entirely
If you want to go a step further, 2012 was the last SB where both teams made the conference championship the year prior (49ers and Ravens both lost in 2011)
Notable teams that didn’t win a playoff game last season: Seahawks, Lions, Jets, Vikings, Broncos, Dolphins, Ravens, Steelers, and Chargers
What team could that be this season?
Biyernes, Setyembre 1, 2023
[Schefter] Pete Carroll ruled out safety Jamal Adams for week 1 vs. the Rams while speaking on @933KJR . Adams still is recovering from the quad injury he suffered last season, and the Seahawks won’t rush him back.
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1697630614743081436
6 players with a surprising skill (who would you add?)
Below, I’ve gathered an assortment of oddballs — guys who are better at something than they should be or have a skill or tendency that the general public doesn’t recognize enough. Before he joined the Celtics, Derrick White and blocked shots would have been a good example — he averaged almost a block per game for three straight seasons for San Antonio despite standing just 6’4!” But playing a key role on a contender tends to shine a spotlight on every quirk of the roster, and White clad in Boston green quickly became celebrated for that same prowess.
That’s the general idea, though. Disclaimer: I’m not saying that these players are the best at any one thing, or even particularly great at it. I’m simply highlighting unexpected skills that aren’t well-known outside their team’s following. With one exception presented right off the bat, this list won’t have many big names since those guys are generally well-understood.
[As I’ve done in the past, I’ve collected a whole bunch of illustrative GIFs that you can view in-context. There’s a link in the comments.]
Jimmy Butler, Heat — Foul avoidance
Let’s go with the starriest player first. Jimmy Butler is one of the best wing defenders in the league, but despite his physicality, he never fouls.
That’s not much of an exaggeration; he had the seventh-lowest foul rate in the entire league last season, and it’s safe to say he had much more difficult defensive assignments than Trae Young or Tyus Jones.
Here’s a wild stat: Butler has accrued more steals than fouls in each of the last seven seasons. That just doesn’t happen, particularly at the more physical forward positions. Last year, only four qualifying players made that list: Butler, Gary Trent Jr., Dejounte Murray, and Jones.
One more stat: Out of 177 players with at least 1,000 career steals, Jimmy is one of nine to have more career steals than fouls. He and Kawhi Leonard (who is about to fall off this list, based on recent trends) are the only ones who aren’t guards.
Butler understands what constitutes a foul and what doesn’t like no other player. It’s how he can get to the free-throw line so often without resorting to gimmickry, and it helps him avoid fouls on the other end, too. He rarely reaches, relying instead upon mongoose-quick hands and greedy anticipation to generate turnovers. In D&D terms), he’s Lawful Evil on the court (although certainly Chaotic Neutral off it!).
Butler’s aversion to fouls isn’t the most important part of his defense, but it’s definitely the most underappreciated.
Buddy Hield, Pacers — Defensive versatility
Let me say upfront: I’m not saying Hield is a great defender, or even a good one. But last year, he proved shockingly versatile, particularly given most people’s conception of Hield as an empty-stats shooter who doesn’t bring much else to the table.
Hield is legitimately one of the greatest three-point shooters in NBA history, with a long track record as being one of the league’s worst defenders. That’s changed. While the defense isn’t eye-popping, he somehow became Indiana’s alpha-stopper for large parts of the year.
The truth is in the numbers. His most common defensive matchups were, in order: RJ Barrett, Kristaps Porzingis, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Jerami Grant, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Max Strus, Brandon Ingram, Tyler Herro, and Donovan Mitchell.
That is an incredibly diverse list, from 71-point scorer Mitchell to 7’3” Kristaps Porzingis to all-time great Kevin Durant to ballhandling warlock Kyrie Irving.
And Hield generally held up okay! He was at or above the positional median in all of Bball-Index’s perimeter defensive metrics (pickpocket rating, passing lane defense, isolation defense, ball screen navigation, and off-ball chaser defense), in addition to receiving an “A+” in their defensive versatility metric. The Pacers gave up -2.6 points fewer per 100 possessions with him on the court (although that’s mostly thanks to being tied to Myles Turner’s playing time, to be fair).
Here, he holds up in isolation and puts in a great contest against Kevin Durant, who is at least six inches taller and routinely eats all-time defenders for an afternoon snack: [link in comments]
Coach Rick Carlisle creatively put Hield on great scorers partially to ameliorate his still-terrible off-ball defense, but it worked better than I would have ever expected. The defense in Indiana wasn’t good overall, but let’s put it this way: if Hield is one of your best on-ball defensive options, how bad were the other guys?
For a guy who gets a lot of scorn (some of it deserved), I wanted to make sure Hield’s defensive efforts from last season were noticed and appreciated.
Jose Alvarado, Pelicans — Screening
“Grand Theft Alvarado” is primarily known for two things: trash-talking and those delightfully sneaky backcourt steals.
But he brings a lot more to the table, including some of the meanest guard screens around. The Pelicans don’t use him as a screener often, but when they do, he has no problem throwing forearms into defenders and holding his ground. You don’t see him get skinny to minimize contact, as so many small players do. Alvarado is more liable to set a pick on two defenders at once, like a diminutive fullback clearing the way [link in comments].
For a little guy, he makes himself extremely difficult to get around. It’s particularly handy given the size of the Pelicans’ best players, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Because the smallest opposing player usually guards Alvarado, a successful screen usually ends up with a significant mismatch. Pity the poor guards caught like deer in Zion’s headlights as he rumbles downhill.
We don’t talk about guard screening too much, unless it’s people rightfully fawning over Steph Curry, Kyle Lowry, or the Jamal Murray/Nikola Jokic inverted pick-and-roll. Part of that is the lack of publicly available data around screens. But since we’re here, I may as well list a few other guards who are great at leveraging their bodies to get themselves or teammates open: Alex Caruso, Fred VanVleet, Isaiah Joe, Jalen Brunson, Monte Morris, Mike Conley, and Gabe Vincent.
Guard screening is on the rise, and with it, the opportunity for players to showcase a hidden talent.
Zach Collins/Sandro Mamukelashvili, Spurs — Passing
I love bigs who can sling the rock. It’s a personal bias, so whenever I see a big guy consistently making high-quality reads, I file it away.
Sandro Mamukelashvili tantalized in Milwaukee but never found a role in his year and a half there. Luckily, the Spurs saw something in the 6’11” Georgian (whose national team just advanced in the FIBA World Cup!).
Turns out, Mamu has a little bit of magic in his hands. While he struggles to finish on the inside, he’s unlocked offensive value by showcasing a surprising ability to squeeze the ball into tight spaces.
Collins is even better. He had the sixth-best assist rate of all centers (Mamu wasn’t too far behind) and has become a legitimate high-post playmaking hub. He picks out cutters with a deft touch and no hesitation:
The Spurs didn’t have particularly great playmakers on the wing, so these slick-passing centers kept the offense from stalling out like a stick-shift car helmed by a teenager.
Based on Summer League, the Spurs seem adamant about keeping uber-prospect Victor Wembanyama at power forward for now, which opens the door for some alley-oops between teammates measuring a combined 14 feet tall. I can’t wait.
Lu Dort, Thunder — Offensive rebounding
“The Dorture Chamber” is primarily known for his defense, which is legitimately fearsome, but he has another elite positional attribute that doesn’t get widely talked about: Dort is a beast on the offensive glass.
Dort was in the top 50 in offensive rebounds per game despite standing just 6’3!” He was the shortest member of that club by two inches. For context, he was one spot ahead of Joel Embiid and snagged more O-boards than Jaren Jackson Jr., Myles Turner, or P.J. Tucker.
That number was much higher than in previous seasons, thanks to coach Mark Daigneault tweaking Dort’s usual perimeter-oriented positioning. As Dort suffered through a down shooting year, Daigneault started putting him in the dunker spot (on the baseline a few feet from the hoop) more often, empowering him to hunt second chances. (Dort’s bricktastic finishing also gives him ample opportunity to retrieve his own misses.)
In a league where players, particularly shorter ones, are so often ordered to sprint back in transition defense and ignore offensive rebounding, it’s refreshing to see a little guy leaping amongst the trees and coming away with the prize more often than not.
Anyway, thanks for reading this far! That’s what I’ve got. Who are some other guys who are weirdly good at something that most people don’t know?
Analyzing 13 Years of the NFL Top 100 to Quantify the NFL's Most Respected Players since 2011.
Methodology
Every player's position in the NFL Top 100 was put into a spreadsheet. I then performed various sorting and calculations for your entertainment.
NFL Top 100
The rankings are based on an off-season poll organized by the NFL, where players vote on their top 20 peers based on their performance for the recent NFL season. Only players that are not retired in the next season are eligible for consideration.
Appearances
Which players have appeared in the NFL Top 100 (2011-2023) the most times? Aaron Rodgers is now the only player to have made the NFL Top 100 every year of its existence.
Players with the most NFL Top 100 Appearances
Always Appeared
Here are players who never missed when eligible (with 5+ years played). I did not count rookie seasons (unproven) or missing lists due to retirement announcements prior to player voting.
Players that appeared every eligible year of their career (5+ years)
Points
I continued the u/gds519 system by awarding the rank #1 player 100 points, #2 99 points, and so on. Here are the Top 50 players that have gathered the most points over 13 years (2011-2023).
Top 50 players with most accumulated points
Average Placement
Here is the average placement for players that appeared on NFL Top 100 for 5+ years. Note, if a player missed the list for a year, it was not counted against their average here.
Years Voted Best Player by Peers
Since 2011, only 9 players have been voted to be the top player by their league peers. And only two players have been voted to the top spot in multiple years.
Number of years voted the best player
Years Voted Top 5 Player by Peers
Since 2011, 32 players have made the top 5 spots in the NFL Top 100. However, only 13 players have made the top 5 spots in multiple years.
Number of years voted a top 5 player
Years Voted Top 10 Player by Peers
Since 2011, 64 players have made the top 10 spots in the NFL Top 100. However, only 25 players have made the top 10 spots in multiple years.
Number of years voted a top 10 player
Years Voted Top 20 Player by Peers
Since 2011, 116 players have made the top 20 spots in the NFL Top 100. While 57 players have made the top 20 spots in multiple years.
Number of years voted a top 20 player
Z-score Metric
The Z-score (so hot right now) is measured in terms of standard deviations from the mean. I found the average Z-score for every player across six categories: Years Top Player, Years Top 5 Player, Years Top 10 Player, Years Top 20 Player, Years Top 50 Player, and Years Top 100 Player. I aimed to strike a balance between rewarding players for ranking highly and for ranking often.
Top performers in a Z-score metric across 6 categories.
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed the content.
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