Jack Winter Articles - Page 80

Jordan Bell is starting at center for the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. It’s the second straight game the sophomore big man has started, going back to Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. The Warriors have rotated who starts at center throughout the playoffs as […]

Oakland Raiders running back Josh Jacobs might soon find himself famous for reasons have little to do with his play on the football field. The rookie posted on twitter Thursday that he’s received offers from “big-time producers” about selling the rights to his life story so it can be turned into a Hollywood movie. Been […]

Earl Thomas, believe it or not, is making quite a first impression on the Baltimore Ravens. On Thursday, Ravens coach John Harbaugh told reporters how his team’s new starting safety has acquitted himself during OTAs. “He’s had a great week,” he said of Thomas, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “Great anticipation and great ability to […]

It goes without saying that the New England Patriots are high on rookie N’Keal Harry. In April, the Arizona State product became the first wide receiver the Patriots selected in the first round since the 1990s. Tom Brady has turned a countless number of also-rans and afterthoughts into quality receiving options during his time in […]

One of the longest-serving and most prominent players on the Pittsburgh Steelers has had enough of the controversial rhetoric surrounding his team this offseason. Veteran center Maurkice Pouncey told reporters on Wednesday after OTAs that there’s “no point” in discussing questions about Ben Roethlisberger’s leadership because he’s already voiced his support for Pittsburgh’s franchise quarterback. […]

JaVale McGee quietly enjoyed arguably the best season of his career in 2018-19. Entrenched as a starter for the first time since 2011-12, McGee rewarded the Los Angeles Lakers’ confidence by averaging 12.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting a personal-best 64.9 percent from the field. On a per-minute basis, he […]

The Sacramento Kings, fresh off a surprisingly competitive 2018-19 season, are apparently hoping to make a splash in free agency. According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, the Kings have eyes for Orlando Magic big man Nikola Vucevic this summer, and are prepared to make incumbent starting center Willie Cauley-Stein available via trade if […]

Gerald McCoy left his first free agent meeting without putting pen to paper. Despite the veteran defensive tackle continuing to take visits with competing teams, though, the Cleveland Browns remain excited about the prospect of signing him. Almost a full week removed from McCoy’s visit with Cleveland, rookie coach Freddie Kitchens made it clear the […]

Patrick Mahomes’ generational arm talent makes it easy to believe most of his success last season is owed to raw ability. Indeed, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback made many throws the NFL had never seen before, some of which many deemed impossible on a professional football field. Mahomes proved to be capable of throwing off […]

The NBA is glad to have Drake as arguably its most ardent celebrity follower. Still, that doesn’t mean the Toronto Raptors super fan, who also holds the title of the team’s global ambassador, is allowed to cross lines other crowd members at NBA games can’t – and the league has now gone out of its […]

The Los Angeles Clippers will leave no stone unturned in their quest to convince Kawhi Leonard to sign with his “other” hometown team this summer. According to Marc Stein of The New York Times, the Clippers recently looked into acquiring rights to the now-defunct “Klaw” logo from Leonard’s time with Nike as a means of […]

Just a year removed from an injury that suddenly called his playing future into question, Kawhi Leonard has re-staked his claim as one of the league’s top players – and in the playoffs, made a convincing case as the best player in the world. While the performance of the Toronto Raptors superstar has surprised some […]

Don’t be surprised if, despite the stakes of the NBA Finals, the Toronto Raptors’ most famous super fan is a bit more subdued than he’s been throughout the playoffs. According to ESPN’s Michelle Steele, the league office spoke with the Raptors about Drake’s recent antics from his courtside seat at Scotiabank Arena. The NBA spoke […]

Drake’s allegiance will be truly tested in the NBA Finals. Everyone knows the rapper, crooner, and overall music mogul has an undying love for his hometown of Toronto, the city to which he commonly refers to as “The Six.” He’s been a frequent guest at Toronto Raptors games for years, and has even taken his […]

It was just two seasons ago that Jordan Howard staked his claim as the NFL’s best young running back. As a rookie in 2016, the former fifth-round pick rushed for 1,313 yards and six touchdowns on 252 rushes, good for a league-leading average of 5.2 yards per carry. He wasn’t quite as effective as a […]

The Houston Rockets’ championship window was supposed to be shoved wide open after Kevin Durant suffered a calf strain in the third quarter of Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals, an injury that’s left him sidelined ever since. Instead, the Golden State Warriors not only held on to win Game 5 without the two-time […]

Toronto Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri never stopped believing in Kyle Lowry. After years of playoff disappointments, team and individual, the Raptors held on to the veteran point guard for what could be one final postseason run, but this time replacing DeMar DeRozan, Lowry’s best friend, with Kawhi Leonard. That gamble paid off, obviously, as […]

Expectations are very, very high for the Cleveland Browns in 2019. After a wild offseason that included multiple splashy additions on both sides of the football, first-year coach Freddie Kitchens’ team isn’t just the odds-on favorite to win the AFC North, but many believe they will be legitimate contenders for the AFC crown. Improvement from […]

Tyreek Hill’s status for the 2019 season remains unknown in the wake of allegations of child abuse against he and his fiancée. Perhaps preparing for the likelihood that they will be without the All-Pro playmaker both this season and going forward, the Kansas City Chiefs selected another ultra-explosive receiver in the second round of the […]

The Golden State Warriors are favorites against the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals, and rightfully so, but there’s plenty of room for optimism for Canada’s team yet. Here are three reasons why the Raptors, in the franchise’s first ever Finals appearance, can dethrone the Warriors’ dynasty. 3. Defensive Versatility The Portland Trail Blazers were […]

Roberto Aguayo fully understands that NFL fans across the country have no confidence in his ability to make a comeback. But the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker is undeterred by both that stinging reality and the sudden struggles that prompted his precipitous downfall from touted kicking prospect to unsigned free agent. In a feature by […]

Nearly a decade after his retirement from the NFL, Donovan McNabb is still waiting to be inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The former Philadelphia Eagles superstar has been eligible for Canton in each of the last three seasons, and is more adamant than ever he deserves to be enshrined among other football […]

Richie Incognito is back in the NFL. The troubled offensive lineman officially signed a one-year contract with the Oakland Raiders on Tuesday after sitting out the duration of the 2018 season. We have signed free agent G Richie Incognito: https://t.co/TyDRUFsh1B pic.twitter.com/WsWOlCuJqY — Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) May 28, 2019 Incognito initially stated his intention to […]

The Denver Broncos are on the verge of locking up one of their most impactful defenders for the foreseeable future. According to Mike Klis of 9 News in Denver, star cornerback Chris Harris Jr. is “extremely close” to signing a new one-year deal with the Broncos. https://twitter.com/MikeKlis/status/1133401672724520961 Harris has been absent from the Broncos all […]

The New York Giants, at least according to some organizational higher-ups, will be better without Odell Beckham Jr. going forward. Everyone knows that his production indicates otherwise, and now come additional statistics suggesting the Giants will struggle even greater now that the superstar wide receiver plays for the Cleveland Browns. Pro Football Focus rated Beckham […]

The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t actually win the draft lottery. But the purple and gold certainly felt like winners on May 14th regardless, entering lottery night with just a 9.4 percent chance of earning a top-five pick, and leaving with the No. 4 overall selection. The Lakers thought they’d be choosing in the late lottery, and now […]

The Oakland Raiders traded third and fifth-round draft picks to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for Antonio Brown, a swap many across the NFL reacted to with shock given the cheapo price tag it took to acquire one of the most productive receivers in NFL history. Less than a month into the start of organized […]

Many assumed the Kansas City Chiefs’ historically explosive offense would suffer after the release of Kareem Hunt. And why not? The star running back followed up a standout debut campaign by further establishing himself as one of the NFL’s most dangerous running and receiving threats over the first 11 games of 2019. If Hunt wasn’t […]

The Detroit Lions were perfectly adequate defensively last season. While many expected the Lions to dominate on defense under the tutelage of rookie head coach Matt Patricia, former defensive coordinator of the New England Patriots, they instead were solidly average on that side of the ball. Detroit was 15th in overall yards allowed, and ranked […]

Anyone questioning the prudence of “load management” need look no further than the playoff performance of Kawhi Leonard. Limited to 60 games during the regular season due to scheduled rest after he missed most of last year with tendinopathy in his right quadriceps, Leonard has arguably been the league’s best player in the postseason, taking […]

Save Skip Bayless a seat on the Kevin Durant to the Los Angeles Clippers bandwagon. On Wednesday’s episode of Undisputed, the FOX Sports personality made the case for why believes Durant should sign in free agency with the team he and the Golden State Warriors eliminated from the first round of the playoffs. “The smartest choice […]

The Toronto Raptors won Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals with Kawhi Leonard laboring. Now, as this series shifts back to the Milwaukee Bucks’ home court for the first of a best-of-three, comes news that the Raptors’ second-best player is experiencing major discomfort, too. On Wednesday, Nick Nurse elaborated on the extent […]

The rise of Giannis Antetokounmpo to the top of the league’s individual hierarchy will always be the overarching narrative of the Milwaukee Bucks’ breakout season, and rightfully so. Antetokounmpo produced at historic levels on both ends of the floor in 2018-19, and his impact as a one-man battering ram with court vision on one end […]

Even as shifting Kawhi Leonard onto Giannis Antetokounmpo has made a huge difference in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Toronto Raptors would no doubt prefer if they had another viable defender of the league’s MVP frontrunner available. Unfortunately for Nick Nurse’s team, though, O.G. Anunoby likely won’t be healthy enough to return to the floor […]

Scotiabank Arena was absolutely rocking on Tuesday night. Fueled by lingering excitement of their team’s stunning double-overtime win 48 hours earlier, Toronto Raptors fans were loud from the opening tip to the final buzzer of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, another Toronto victory over the Milwaukee Bucks that evened this series at two […]

Kawhi Leonard clearly wasn’t himself in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Limited by an injury to his left leg suffered in Game 3, the Toronto Raptors superstar sorely lacked his normal burst and explosion on Tuesday night, forcing him to take more of a backseat offensively than he has for any other game […]

Cam Newton’s longtime most reliable target with the Carolina Panthers will be ready for kickoff of the 2019 season. Veteran tight end Greg Olsen said on Wednesday that he’s “been cleared for everything” following season-ending surgery on his right foot in December, according to Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer. Greg Olsen: I’ve been cleared […]

The Detroit Lions are out two of their most important defenders with organized team activities in full swing. Cornerback Darius Slay and defensive tackle Damon Harrison are staying away from the team for the time being in hopes of securing new contracts, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. On Tuesday, Lions coach […]

What a difference two games make. The Toronto Raptors trounced the Milwaukee 120-102 on Tuesday night, evening an Eastern Conference Finals that had just appeared lopsided at two games apiece. As this tightly-contested series shifts back to Fiserv Forum for Game 5, it becomes a best-of-three, with the winner moving on to get the chance […]