Alex House Articles - Page 45

The San Diego Padres (27-26) still have their share of flaws, but one area they excel in is compiling infield depth. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller prides himself on being able to acquire a versatile position player who can pack some pop at the plate. The philosophy has not always translated to wins, but […]

On the surface, the Los Angeles Kings appear to be content with the status quo. After being eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third year in a row, ownership is retaining general manager Rob Blake and promoting interim head coach Jim Hiller for the 2024-25 season. LA is also […]

Aside from trading John Collins to the Utah Jazz last offseason, the Atlanta Hawks have delayed major roster reconstruction over the last two years. Instead, they trusted that their talent and head coach Quin Snyder could smooth out the bumps and lead the franchise back towards a promising trajectory. Porous defense, injuries and a lack […]

Bronny James’ NBA Draft stock continues to be a hotly debated topic among the league and fans. There are those who passionately believe his defense and instincts can quickly translate to the next level, while many others think he is a second-round pick at best. Even if the latter does end up holding true, however, […]

It goes without saying that a massive underdog has to capitalize on its opportunities. David only had so many chances to slay Goliath with his slingshot before the giant would have likely pulverized him, but he came through. The Indiana Pacers inexplicably misfired at close range in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, allowing […]

Because dynasties are more prevalent in basketball than in most other major sports, it is easy to take for granted how difficult it is to sustain excellence in the NBA. The Denver Nuggets showed signs of vulnerability throughout the 2023-24 season and even in the first round of the playoffs, but they were still understandably […]

The San Diego Padres have a tendency of not living up to the immense hype they generate for themselves in the offseason. A momentous National League Division series victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022 stands out as one of the lone bright spots in what has been an overall dark, or at least […]

Guy Fieri might have been in attendance at TD Garden for the Boston Celtics’ showdown with the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but he still managed to take an exhilarating detour to Flavortown on Tuesday night. And it came courtesy of Jaylen Brown. The three-time All-Star saved his team from […]

LeBron James is revered for his basketball IQ, with some believing he should be the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Since the Purple and Gold have been eliminated from the NBA Playoffs for weeks now, he has had plenty of time to share his thoughts and dissect every key in-game decision. The […]

The Chicago Cubs (26-22) made a few significant moves this past offseason, most of which have produced fruitful early returns, but the team is still chasing the young Milwaukee Brewers. This organization signed manager Craig Counsell to a record-breaking contract for the purpose of vaulting it back to the top of the National League Central. […]

Barry Bonds is still waiting for his bust to be constructed and immortalized in Cooperstown at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. That day may never come, as a once fierce ethical debate gradually fades into the background with each passing year. His fate, along with that of a few other alleged steroid […]

Scottie Scheffler has experienced more in the last five weeks than many people do in a lifetime. The world No. 1 golfer won his second Masters title, welcomed the birth of his first child shortly after and was arrested this past Friday for what he calls “a big misunderstanding.” Lost in the shuffle of all […]

Whether the public likes it or not, Caitlin Clark is the most prominent topic in women’s basketball today. She has instantly been tapped as the face and savior of the WNBA, who can elevate the product to levels of popularity and financial growth it has never been able to realistically visualize. But she is not […]

The NBA hierarchy continues to undergo drastic change from year to year in what has been a surreal age of parity for the sport. Though, Denver Nuggets fans are not interested in considering the effect that their postseason exit has on the product as a whole. It will take them a while to recover from […]

Madison Square Garden might as well be operating as a time machine these days. The New York Knicks are squeaking out victories over the Indiana Pacers, and the New York Rangers are looking like the team to beat in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This city has been transported back to spring of 1994, also known […]

“They’ll figure it out, just give them some time.” These words are invariably proclaimed whenever a great team has a slow start to its season. Talent and a proven track record of success typically serve as justification for such steadfast belief. People are still  expressing this same sentiment towards the scuffling Houston Astros, but their […]

History was made following the reveal of the 2023-24 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, as Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert became just the third individual to claim the award for a fourth time in his career. The celebratory occasion was not met with universal agreement, however, with plenty of fans objecting on behalf of […]

Assuming he stays healthy, there is little doubt that San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama will have a full trophy case or two when he ends his supremely promising NBA career. He is already on his way after unanimously winning Rookie of the Year on Monday. The 20-year-old will have to wait at least one […]

The Minnesota Timberwolves overcame plenty of adversity during the regular season, and now they might be forced to do the same in Game 2 of their 2024 NBA Playoffs series versus the Denver Nuggets. Rudy Gobert is missing Monday’s matchup. The favorite to win his fourth Defensive Player of the Year Award was initially listed […]

Oftentimes, history has a way of amplifying the present. There are many instances in sports where the past is used to add drama and context to an otherwise stale contest. We need a hook, and a good narrative is a tried and true method the media uses to inject some flavor into the proceedings. There […]

For the Orlando Magic, a victory in Game 7 of the NBA Playoffs over the Cleveland Cavaliers would have served as a fulfilling peak to their 2023-24 season. Neither their words nor actions would have suggested this, of course, but a young squad winning on the road in a do-or-die clash to advance into the […]

The Los Angeles Lakers can cross off one name from their list of potential head coaching candidates. Jason Kidd is not going anywhere. He is signing a multi-year contract extension with the Dallas Mavericks, per Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report. A second-round meeting with the No. 1-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA […]

On the surface, the upcoming offseason should be a critical one for the Chicago Bulls. The problem is, though, many fans said the exact same thing last year, and the organization had a different idea in mind. Instead of parting ways with some of the team’s crippling contracts, it kept the core intact and even […]

Toronto Blue Jays fans have unfortunately become accustomed to suffering crushing losses in the playoffs, but they at least expect the club to resemble a quality product during the regular season. That has not been the case in the early portion of the 2024 campaign. The 15-18 Jays are reeling right now after dropping three-straight […]

Every NBA hopeful dreams to someday enter the same company of Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player of all-time and one of the biggest icons the sports world has ever known. Even if it is for just one day, the feeling of hearing one’s name in the same breath as the six-time champion is […]

The NBA Draft is one of the few instances when the wall between player and fan can crumble a bit, as people witness the raw reactions of these young athletes when their names are called and their lives instantly change. Emotions could be particularly high this year, with more opportunities for prospects to unexpectedly jump […]

The Los Angeles Lakers are not interested in merely hiring a new head coach to replace Darvin Ham. They are overhauling the entire staff, including respected assistant Phil Handy, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. Handy had worked under both Ham and Frank Vogel, winning a championship with LA in 2020. Sentimentality is being thrown out […]

Patrick Beverley opted to put decency on the back burner during and after the Milwaukee Bucks’ Game 6 loss to the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Playoffs on Thursday night. After hitting multiple fans with a basketball in a concerning fit of rage, the polarizing guard behaved irrationally and disrespectfully in the postgame media scrum. […]

When the Miami Marlins reached the postseason in a 162-game campaign for the first time since the George W. Bush Administration (first term), many fans hoped a new age of Fish baseball was officially underway. The constant injury troubles and days of wallowing in the National League East dungeon would finally end, or at least […]

After seeing the rest of the AFC East make key offensive additions in both free agency and the NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins are on the verge of completing an intriguing move of their own. They are expected to sign wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to a one-year contract worth $8.25 million, per NFL Network’s […]

In many ways, the Philadelphia 76ers’ Game 6 loss to the New York Knicks is a microcosm of the Joel Embiid era. They flashed glimpses of being a legitimate championship contender that can dig down deep in the face of intense adversity. Ultimately, though, the franchise is being sent to the golf course well before […]

It is not wise for organizations to multitask during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the Carolina Hurricanes are desperate to preserve a promising future for themselves. Re-signing head coach Rod Brind’Amour is an important aspect of that plan. Fans expected a couple days of relaxation before a taxing second-round series with the New York Rangers […]

After displaying an admirable combination of heart and grit in Game 5 of their NBA Playoffs matchup against the Indiana Pacers, the Milwaukee Bucks were thoroughly outclassed in Thursday’s series-clinching Game 6. It was a brutal way to end an injury- ravaged and tumultuous postseason campaign. But the 120-98 outcome was sadly not the biggest […]

The New York Mets (16-15) wrapped up an eventful, hard-fought, sometimes controversial and historic four-game series with the Chicago Cubs (19-13) on Thursday, and did so with a bang. The slumping and ill Francisco Lindor became an unlikely hero in a thrilling 7-6 comeback victory over the visiting Cubbies. The 30-year-old shortstop left Wednesday’s contentious […]

There is no witty one-liner that can derail the Philadelphia 76ers right now. A New York Knicks fan base brimming with confidence and enthusiasm for Game 5 of their NBA postseason series left Madison Square Garden in complete disbelief Tuesday, courtesy of Tyrese Maxey. The star guard lifted the Sixers from certain elimination, sensationally earning […]

Fireworks erupted in American Family Field on Tuesday night, as the Milwaukee Brewers’ 8-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays was overshadowed by a dugout-clearing brawl. Lingering tension evolved into chaos, with ejections following and suspensions surely to come. After stepping on first base to retire Siri in the eighth inning, Brewers pitcher Abner Uribe […]

Not again. Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout, who has been plagued by injuries throughout his illustrious career, requires surgery for a torn meniscus, according to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez and Jeff Passan. This is utterly devastating news for him and Halos fans, as an unpromising campaign reaches new lows. There is a glimmer of hope, […]

If any team figures to make NBA history by overcoming a 3-0 deficit, perhaps it can be the one that has held a halftime lead in every contest of the series so far. The Los Angeles Lakers finally solved their own personal Rubik’s Cube, the Denver Nuggets, after snapping an 11-game losing streak against them […]

More often than not, Draymond Green is going to get the last word in. So, when the Phoenix Suns were officially eliminated from the NBA Playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night, everyone should have expected him to have a fiery retort for his adversary, Jusuf Nurkic. After Green and the Golden State Warriors […]