Chris Dodson Articles - Page 7

Saying the season has not gone to plan for the New Orleans Pelicans would be an understatement. EVP David Griffin and coach Willie Green’s game plan for this year had a deep roster prepared for the usual setbacks that strike throughout an 82-game schedule. Zion Williamson (12), Dejounte Murray (17), CJ McCollum (13), Herb Jones […]

The Memphis Grizzlies welcomed Ja Morant back into the starting lineup before a win over the Portland Trail Blazers in the FexEd Forum. It was to be the All-Star’s first game since a November 6 matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. There would be something new for Morant to adjust to, however, as there would […]

The New Orleans Pelicans have a hometown hero providing some silver linings to an otherwise bleak season. Thankfully, Willie Green’s rotations are getting two big boosts before Thanksgiving Day. Elfrid Payton will understand the wait to get a handful of minutes now that CJ McCollum (abductor) and Dejounte Murray (hand) are returning from injury. Zion […]

The Memphis Grizzlies and Ja Morant are taking things personally in the games leading up to Thanksgiving dinner. The Portland Trail Blazers found out the hard way, getting smoked in a 123-98 Memphis win in the FexEx Forum. Six Grizzlies scored in double figures but Morant’s jaw-dropping double-double stat line stole the show in returning […]

The New Orleans Pelicans have been bombarded with bad news all season but Willie Green has kept injecting fight into the shorthanded rotations. Amid fan rumblings about losing streaks and ridiculously long injury reports, tenured veterans Brandon Ingram (Excel) and Zion Williamson (CAA) wanted blank slates that went beyond the Big Easy’s borders. However, it […]

The New Orleans Pelicans showed a positive, fighting spirit in a recent four-point NBA Cup loss to the Golden State Warriors (November 22). It was Stephen Curry’s crew that last saw the Pelicans at anywhere near full strength. CJ McCollum (right adductor strain) took a knock requiring almost a month of recovery treatment and Dejounte […]

The Memphis Grizzlies have been grooving lately even without All-Star guard Ja Morant. Scotty Pippen Jr. is just one of several key reserves who have stepped up in a big way as Morant, Desmond Bane, and Zach Edey worked back from various injuries. Jaylen Wells has looked like a young Jimmy Butler at times, giving […]

The turnover-prone Memphis Grizzlies are still waiting on Ja Morant but the offense has been in good hands with Scotty Pippen Jr. The most recent example is a wire-to-wire win over the Chicago Bulls that required some late-game heroics from Pippen Jr. and Jaren Jackson Jr. Those two ran the show in the final two […]

The Golden State Warriors are entirely focused on Stephen Curry’s championship pursuit. However, the front office decided on a committee approach to replacing Klay Thompson. Curry could not be the only shooter on the court while Draymond Green roamed the restricted area. Steve Kerr has warmed up to Buddy Hield lately, and that trust led […]

The College Football Playoffs is stirring up controversy with every snap of the ball. Will a garbage-time touchdown by Indiana be enough to convince the committee the Hoosiers deserve to remain in the top 12 bracket? How will Tulane and Boise State’s battles against negative narratives shake out? Even fights on what should happen on […]

It may come as a shock to short-attention-span fans but the biggest disappointment for the New Orleans Pelicans this season is not Zion Williamson. For those looking at the long-term health of the franchise, a lack of developmental plans for Yves Missi, Karlo Matkovic, Jordan Hawkins, and Antonio Reeves is far more worrisome. Willie Green […]

The injury-riddled New Orleans Pelicans needed some good news going into Thanksgiving. Brandon Ingram is busted up but Willie Green must be happy to hear Trey Murphy III is finding the ‘flow of things’ easier after another rehab stint. Having Murphy III and Jordan Hawkins firing on all cylinders when Dejounte Murray (hand) and CJ […]

The New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson are in good spirits going into the holiday season. Although the former All-Star is out for another few weeks, the locker room is giving Willie Green a maximum effort. The other Pelicans All-Star, Brandon Ingram, has been leading the charge despite some lower leg injuries that were noticeably […]

The cost of NCAA college athletics keeps rising and it is leading to programs being squeezed by the biggest brands. For example, Nike is reportedly considering a move to pull out of a multi-million dollar deal with Hawaii after the abrupt firing of AD Craig Angelos according to Mountain West insider Mike Wittmann. “Following the […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers have already moved past their World Series win. Those rings will be delivered on Opening Day and the parade where fans partied like it was 1988 has run out of steam. One championship with Shohei Ohtani is nice, but waiting another 36 years to celebrate would be unforgivable. No, the front […]

The patchwork New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson have been guided through tough times by Willie Green’s spirit practically every season since the Detroit Mercy alum took a job no one else seemed to want. When others turned down a challenge, Green jumped at an opportunity to coach Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Trey Murphy III, and […]

The New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson have every reason to feel cursed amid another injury-ravaged season. Willie Green’s best-laid plans have gone awry with over half the roster watching from the sidelines on most nights. Williamson, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, and Herb Jones have been unavailable for long stretches […]

The New Orleans Pelicans are working with a skeleton crew as Thanksgiving Day plans are being squared away. Opponents have been feasting on Willie Green’s shorthanded squad which has lacked shooting around Brandon Ingram. The defense has suffered as well but getting buckets is the entire point of basketball. Thankfully, the Pelicans will get Ingram […]

The MLB’s winter stove can flame up or cool off on a whim. An All-Star’s change of plans can mean the opening up of an owner’s wallet or the closing of a front office’s championship window. The Atlanta Braves heard one possible Hall of Famer fighting back against Father Time and decided to go all-in […]

Investing in women’s sports is all the rage these days, and some of the industry’s biggest stars are starting to shine a light on other female athletes. In fact, some are aiming to expand the platform for women beyond the current opportunities. Caitlin Clark is now among that investor-class crowd as MLS side FC Cincinnati […]

Things are not going great down on the South Louisiana bayous that bleed purple and gold. Even the SEC commissioner is throwing haymakers out of frustration. Tulane fans are in a frenzy amid another American Athletic Conference championship run while LSU’s football team is languishing in the SEC’s middle-class muck. The fall to earth following […]

The College Football Playoffs conversation is starting to turn toxic under the 12-team system. Much like the recruiting trail, the SEC is dominating the conversation. More fuel went on the fire when SEC commissioner Greg Sankey issued some veiled shots at rival NCAA football conferences, sparking up a new NCAA College Football Playoff (CFP) controversy. […]

The Memphis Grizzlies are going with a committee approach when asking players to take charge of the offense. Zach Edey (ankle) and Ja Morant (hip) are out for at least one more week, removing a low-block bail-out option and the team’s franchise cornerstone from Taylor Jenkins’ rotations. Jaren Jackson Jr. is giving the Grizzlies an […]

The Memphis Grizzlies have a unique set of rookies expected to make significant contributions this season. Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells have been incorporated into the rotations over the first month of the season but Cam Spencer had to wait until mid-November to make his NBA debut. Taylor Jenkins was not worried about throwing Spencer […]

Player comparisons are usually the currency of the offseason. Draftniks and front offices spend hours trying to guess how a prospect might pan out. Coaches are more worried about how they will shape that rookie clay throughout a season and career. The Memphis Grizzlies are patiently waiting on Zach Edey (ankle) to heal up, but […]

The Memphis Grizzlies are getting healthy, one key contributor at a time. Vince Williams Jr. and John Konchar recently returned as bench options for new all-time wins record holder Taylor Jenkins. Zach Edey (ankle) and Ja Morant (hip) are now listed as week-to-week on the Grizzlies’ injury report. However, the ability to put Desmond Bane […]

The Memphis Grizzlies are “moving and grooving” even while Ja Morant and Zach Edey watch from the sidelines thanks to some humble leadership from head coach Taylor Jenkins. Desmond Bane was boasting about the best coach in franchise history after an emotional, down-to-the-wire victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Jenkins took over the top spot in […]

The New Orleans Pelicans need bright spots and good news wherever they can be found. There are few silver linings to be celebrated going into the holiday season considering the injuries to Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, and Brandon Ingram. Willie Green’s squad is mostly sitting on the sidelines, waiting to be cleared for […]

The shorthanded New Orleans Pelicans (4-12) were always going to have problems corralling the Cleveland Cavaliers. Every team in the NBA except the Boston Celtics has been overwhelmed by the new-look, league-leading Cavaliers (16-1), so it was no surprise that the Cavs dismantled the shorthanded Pelicans 128-100. Willie Green’s Pelicans were going on the road […]

The injury-ravaged Memphis Grizzlies and Taylor Jenkins have not had a smooth start to the 2024-25 NBA season. Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, GG Jackson, and Zach Edey are all on the injury report. Jaylen Wells is working out well enough for a rookie. Santi Aldama has been sensational in spurts, but the team’s results have […]

The Memphis Grizzlies are going with a next-man-up mentality as Thanksgiving Day dinner plans become more set in stone. Much like parents and children fighting over a refusal to eat certain vegetables, Ja Morant and the Grizzlies have had little choice in the matter. Taylor Jenkins has had to mix and match the lineups as […]

The Memphis Grizzlies are still waiting on Ja Morant’s latest imaging results but Taylor Jenkins has the patchwork rotations roaring along in top gear. Jaren Jackson Jr. has played a huge part in keeping the Grizzlies competitive in the unforgiving Western Conference playoff race. However, the 25-year-old former NBA Defensive Player of the Year is […]

Winning games while working with shorthanded rotations is an art and much of a science when applied to the NBA’s 82-game slog. The Memphis Grizzlies might be without Ja Morant (hip) until Thanksgiving Day but the rest of the squad is celebrating shared success amid a hit-and-miss start to the season. Scotty Pippen Jr. and […]

It’s early when it comes to judging the 2024 NBA Draft class but Ja Morant’s injury-riddled Memphis Grizzlies might have the best rookies on any roster. Zach Edey is converting new believers down on Beale Street while Taylor Jenkins has invested time in unearthing a gem of a second-rounder. Jaylen Wells has not yet been […]

The Denver Nuggets were missing Nikola Jokic (personal reasons) for the second consecutive game and again came up short in a 105-90 loss versus the Memphis Grizzlies. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone might have to mix things up a bit in the rematch on November 19, which also has NBA Cup implications. Thankfully, there is […]

The Memphis Grizzlies are getting more than expected from Zach Edey but Taylor Jenkins is stuck in a holding pattern with Ja Morant. The rookie big man has been a key component for a Grizzlies team trying to tread water in the Western Conference. Memphis’ All-Star will be on the sidelines for at least another […]

The Memphis Grizzlies could not shake off Draymond Green in an NBA Cup loss to the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry gave the Grizzlies an assist of sorts but Green was being accused of a near-assault on Zach Edey’s ankle midway through the third quarter. The future Hall of Famer was eventually ejected from the […]

The Memphis Grizzlies will be missing Ja Morant for a few more weeks but key reserve Vince Williams Jr. was able to make his season debut in the team’s NBA Cup opener. Williams Jr. and the Grizzlies got aggravated by Draymond Green’s Golden State Warriors but the reserve making a return to action got an assist […]

The Memphis Grizzlies got tripped up by Draymond Green and Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors to start the NBA Cup segment of the schedule. Ja Morant watched from the sidelines as Zach Edey suffered through one of the league’s most frustrating experiences, a dirty play that goes unpunished. Still, the Grizzlies are very encouraged by […]