Jack Winter Articles - Page 77

Freddie Kitchens is no longer the Cleveland Browns’ offensive coordinator. Due to the struggles of his replacement, though, the Browns’ rookie head coach is apparently taking a hands-on approach with implementing the offense during the offseason. Whether that’s a departure from expectations is apparently a matter of debate. According to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, Kitchens […]

Miami Heat point guard Goran Dragic has picked up his $19.2 million player option for next season, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic has picked up his $19.2M player option for the 2019-20 season, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 13, 2019 The veteran point guard […]

It was simple to move on for Ime Udoka. Just because he’s no longer coaching with the San Antonio Spurs, though, hardly means the Philadelphia 76ers’ new lead assistant coach will be leaving what he learned from franchise legends in the Alamo City. Udoka, who played for the Spurs for two seasons in the late […]

Freddie Kitchens is probably as if not more familiar with the Cleveland Browns’ offense than anyone else on his coaching staff. The rookie head coach, after all, ascended to the role after leading Cleveland on an exhilarating second-half surge as offensive coordinator following his promotion from running backs coach as a result of Todd Haley […]

Sky-high hopes for the Cleveland Browns in 2019 lie on the shoulders of Baker Mayfield more than anyone else in the locker room. Just because his level of talent and status as the team’s franchise quarterback lends him leadership credence, though, doesn’t mean teammates won’t call Mayfield out when they see fit. According to Michael […]

All signs point to the Memphis Grizzlies selecting Ja Morant with the No. 2 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Just in case Memphis changes course and decides to go a different direction, though, the Murray State point guard is doing everything he can to ensure he wouldn’t be waiting in the green for long. […]

Nick Nurse is clearly unfazed by widespread criticism of his decision to call back-to-back timeouts late in the fourth quarter of his team’s 106-105 loss to the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Still, that hardly means the Toronto Raptors’ coach doesn’t believe in the concept of momentum. “Momentum is definitely […]

Mo Bamba’s NBA debut was quietly disappointing, but the Orlando Magic don’t have to worry about his desire to come back much-improved next season. Why? Barely more than a month after his team was eliminated from the playoffs, the impossibly long-limbed big man is already back in the lab with workout guru Drew Hanlen. Perhaps […]

The nature of Kevin Durant’s injury, unfortunate as it was to grasp, seemed perfectly clear. After the Golden State Warriors superstar was forced to the locker room by another injury to his lower-right leg following just 12 minutes of court time in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, general manager Bob Myers, fighting back tears, […]

Klay Thompson isn’t surprised that league followers across the globe questioned Kevin Durant’s heart before the Golden State Warriors superstar suffered a devastating injury during his return to action in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Why? As Thompson tells it, the “nature” of sports inherently lends itself to those on the outside questioning the […]

The Minnesota Timberwolves might be making a play for D’Angelo Russell. After rumors first surfaced last week about the team’s interest in the Brooklyn Nets star, The Athletic’s John Krawczynski reports that Minnesota general manager Gersson Rosas and vice president of basketball Sachin Gupta have taken an “aggressive” approach to finding means of acquiring him. […]

The Anthony Davis saga has just begun anew, and the Los Angeles Lakers are apparently already putting one of their most attractive trade offers on the table. According to Marc Stein of The New York Times, the Lakers have made Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and the No. 4 overall pick in the draft available in […]

Kevin Durant confirmed on Wednesday that he ruptured his Achilles tendon. The Golden State Warriors superstar posted a photo of himself on Instagram in a hospital bed, confirming the worst fears about his injury but also announcing he’s already undergone corrective surgery. The severity of Durant’s latest setback comes as no surprise to anyone following […]

It’s no surprise Klay Thompson’s historic play in the NBA Finals is being overlooked. His place in the Golden State Warriors’ individual hierarchy, both from the very beginning of their ongoing dynasty and certainly once Kevin Durant came aboard three years ago, has never been more than secondary, and oftentimes lesser. He doesn’t break defenses […]

Shaquem Griffin, who had his left hand amputated at age four, instantly became one of the NFL’s most heartwarming stories when he was selected in the fifth round of last year’s NFL Draft. Even so, the Seattle Seahawks linebacker wasn’t satisfied after a rookie season in which he barely played on defense, seeing most of […]

Ziggy Ansah still isn’t healthy enough to take the field, and it’s unclear exactly when he will be fully recovered from offseason shoulder surgery. The Seattle Seahawks, though, already have a plan in place to ensure the veteran pass-rusher will be ready to play come the regular season – even if it means missing a […]

It’s still unclear whether or not Emmanuel Sanders will be ready for training camp. Even so, the Denver Broncos’ wide receiver remains extremely confident of his place in both the locker room and the league’s individual hierarchy with the 2019 season fast approaching. On Tuesday, Sanders told Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic that though he’s […]

Kevin Durant suffered what an Achilles injury in his return to the floor during Game 5 of the NBA Finals after a month spent on the sidelines. Here are three reasons how the Golden State Warriors superstar’s latest setback is poised to affect the NBA landscape both now and going forward. 3. The Raptors Are […]

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost a pair of superstar playmakers this offseason. Franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, though, doesn’t seem too concerned by the departures of Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown, and not just because he grew crossways with both players last season. Asked to single out a player who was impressing at OTAs, Roethlisberger initially hesitated […]

The Golden State Warriors staved off elimination and the effective end of their dynasty by beating the Toronto Raptors 106-105 at Scotiabank Arena on Monday night. If that context isn’t enough to convey just how significant and difficult to come by their victory in Game 5 of the NBA Finals really was, consider that Kevin […]

DeSean Jackson rose to stardom as a punt-returner. Now back with the Philadelphia Eagles, the veteran wide receiver is in line to remind the football world why he was once considered one of the most dangerous return men in league history. According to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Jackson is “the guy in focus” […]

Robbie Gould still hasn’t backed off from the trade demand he made last month. As a result, it should come as no surprise that the San Francisco 49ers’ veteran kicker is holding out of his team’s mandatory minicamp, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 49ers’ kicker Robbie Gould still has not signed his franchise tag, thus […]

Two years ago, Kyle Kuzma was relatively anonymous in the basketball world despite a standout three-year career at the University of Utah. Now, the Los Angeles Lakers forward has been invited to Team USA’s training camp for the 2019 FIBA World Cup, evidence of just how much his game has evolved in such a short […]

The league landscape will be drastically altered this summer by where Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard decide to continue their careers. As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tells it, the chance to win additional championships may not be the factor that most contributes to the free agency destination of either superstar. WOJ on KD/Leonard's future. pic.twitter.com/RmcMnPhWSB — […]

The Jacksonville Jaguars, already without their starting middle linebacker for the foreseeable future, are currently absent one of the league’s best pass-rushers, too. Star defensive end Yannick Ngakoue announced on Monday that he will not attend Jacksonville’s mandatory minicamp as he and the team continue negotiating a contract extension. “I will not be attending minicamp […]

NFC opponents beware. After an offseason marked by the addition of multiple new playmakers and a contract extension for franchise quarterback Carson Wentz, the Philadelphia Eagles could be poised to receive another boost offensively in the form of dramatic improvement from an incumbent receiver. According to Mike Kaye of NJ.com, second-year tight end Dallas Goedert […]

The NBA, the old adage goes, is a copycat league. As a result of the Toronto Raptors’ success after acquiring Kawhi Leonard, then, don’t be surprised if a certain subset of teams feel more comfortable engaging in the Anthony Davis trade sweepstakes. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Monday that teams not on Davis’ preferred list […]

Let the Anthony Davis trade speculation begin anew. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowki, New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin has begun informing suitors of the trade package he’s seeking in any potential deal for the six-time All-Star. Griffin is pursuing a combination of assets that include an All-Star player, a […]

Despite reports to the contrary, the Houston Texans haven’t already zeroed in on a replacement for ousted general manager Brian Gaine. In fact, the team has already been in the process of conducting interviews with potential hires. On Saturday, for instance, the Texans met with former Cleveland Browns general manager Ray Farmer, according to NFL […]

Kobe Bryant’s final season in the NBA was literally all about celebrating his legendary career, even at the expense of the Los Angeles Lakers’ overall development. Dwyane Wade’s “One Last Dance” wasn’t met with quite that level of hysteria, but was nevertheless a story at every stop the Miami Heat made in 2018-19. Even Dirk […]

The impact of Marc Gasol can be easily overlooked. It should come as no surprise that another veteran big man whose two-way contributions are often more subtle than flashy believes the Toronto Raptors center has been the “difference” against the Golden State Warriors. Boston Celtics star Al Horford told Alex Madrid of EuroHoops that Gasol, […]

The Toronto Raptors are carving up the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. The Eastern Conference champions have a 115.1 offensive rating through the first four games of this series, a hair better than Golden State’s league-leading mark from the regular season. The Warriors simply haven’t had an answer for Kawhi Leonard individually, averaging […]

Kawhi Leonard has worked himself into becoming one of the league’s most deadly shooters from all over the floor, whether off the dribble or on the catch. Though he no longer consistently defends at the level that made him a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, he’s still occasionally dominant enough on that end to […]

It’s not impossible for the trailing team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals. The Golden State Warriors, of course, understand that reality better than anyone with the exception of LeBron James and the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers. For the two-time defending champions to flip the script and climb out of their […]

Kawhi Leonard, as he’s been so many times throughout this epic ongoing playoff run, was the catalyst behind the Toronto Raptors’ victory on Friday night. Despite likely being just one more win over the Golden State Warriors away from earning his second NBA Finals MVP award, though, Leonard insists he’s always trying to lead his […]

The Golden State Warriors still weren’t at full-strength on Friday night. Just imagine how much more poorly Game 4 might have gone, then, if Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney didn’t return so soon from injuries that would normally warrant weeks of rest and rehabilitation. After the Toronto Raptors beat his team 105-92 on Friday in […]

The NBA reacted swiftly in disciplining Golden State Warriors part-owner Mark Stevens for shoving Toronto Raptors star Kyle Lowry during Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Even so, some within the league were displeased with the relatively tepid measure of punishment assessed to Stevens. Hall of Famer and TNT analyst Charles Barkley, though, isn’t among […]

Patrick Patterson came into his own in the NBA as a member of the Toronto Raptors. As a result, it should come as no surprise that the veteran big man is unapologetic about rooting against the two-time defending champions in the Finals. In an interview with Brady Trantham of The Franchise, Patterson, now with the […]

If the Toronto Raptors win Game 4 of the NBA Finals, there’s a chance the Golden State Warriors will have played their last game at Oracle Arena on Friday night. It’s only fitting, then, that the man who led the Warriors to their first championship after moving to the Bay Area was in attendance. Franchise […]