Jack Winter Articles - Page 90

In December 2016, in the midst of Russell Westbrook capturing the imagination of basketball fans everywhere en route to his first season averaging a triple-double, the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar downplayed the significance of his ongoing statistical achievement. “Honestly, man, people and this triple-double thing is kind of getting on my nerves, really,” he told […]

The Orlando Magic entered Friday’s action clinging to eighth place in the Eastern Conference, a half game ahead of the Miami Heat and two and-a-half games in front of the Charlotte Hornets. Needless to say, Steve Clifford’s team needs every win it can get over the final week of the regular season to claim the […]

Kevin Durant’s tenure with the Golden State Warriors has made it easy to forget just how smooth he can be with the ball in his hands. There’s an argument to be made, of course, that Durant, playing more off the ball for the Warriors than he ever did with the Oklahoma City Thunder, has reached […]

The Dallas Cowboys didn’t completely bungle negotiations with their most consequential free agent after all. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, DeMarcus Lawrence will sign a five-year, $105 million deal to remain with the Cowboys. The #Cowboys and DeMarcus Lawrence broke through their stalemate and are going to have a 5-year year […]

Jason Witten isn’t Tony Romo. In the wake of the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback becoming an overnight sensation in his debut season as an NFL announcer, though, “Monday Night Football” attempted to capitalize on Romo’s success by hiring Witten, in his first year of retirement, to replace Jon Gruden as the color analyst for football’s […]

If his most recent coach has his way, Johnny Manziel will get another opportunity to prove he’s worthy of a roster spot in the NFL. David Lee, former offensive coordinator for the Memphis Express of the now defunct American Alliance of Football, told John Kryk of the Toronto Sun that the former first-round pick showed a new […]

Seth Roberts’ time as a free agent didn’t last long. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the veteran wide receiver will sign a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens. Terms of the contract have yet to be disclosed. Ravens are signing former Raiders' WR Seth Roberts to a one-year deal, per source. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) […]

Steve Kerr was concerned Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors might be “sleepy” for their matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. Any worries about that possibility coming to fruition vanished after the game’s first few minutes, though, as the two-time defending champions, in full-on playoff mode, jumped out to a 34-8 lead […]

It remains to be seen whether LeBron James will have another chance to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Given that jarring uncertainty, the likelihood of him ever meeting the Golden State Warriors again with a championship on the line is almost slim to none. The two-time defending champions are in a more stable position than […]

Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo will define matchups between the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks for years to come. And unlike many superstars, each is equipped with enough defensive ability to occasionally guard the other. As such, the basketball world will be treated to countless moments going forward of Embiid and Antetokounmpo going truly mano […]

So much for a meaningful late-season preview of a potential Eastern Conference Finals matchup. Blame Joel Embiid and Eric Bledsoe. Less than three minutes into Thursday’s highly-anticipated game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers, Bledsoe and Embiid got into it while jostling for rebounding positioning on a made three-point by Giannis Antetokounmpo. After the […]

The Toronto Raptors are rounding into form at the perfect time. After an unequivocally successful regular season nevertheless beset by injuries to key players, random absences of Kawhi Leonard, and integration of multiple new rotation pieces, Nick Nurse’s team has won five games in a row by an average of 15.8 points, and is suddenly […]

Colin Cowherd can see the future. Well, probably not. But the FOX Sports personality suggested as much on Thursday’s edition of The Herd, insisting that LeBron James’ time competing for championships is over due to the widespread of dysfunction of the Los Angeles Lakers. “The title runs for LeBron are over,” Cowherd said. “I don’t see […]

Anthony Davis’ frustration got the best of him on Wednesday night, and he’s now paying the price. The NBA announced on Thursday that the New Orleans Pelicans superstar has been fined $15,000 for directing an obscene gesture towards a fan after his team’s 115-109 loss to the Charlotte Hornets at Smoothie King Center. Per the […]

Jaylen Brown was hopeful that he could play in his team’s biggest game of the season despite suffering from significant pain. One day before the Boston Celtics’ crucial matchup with the Indiana Pacers, though, the third-year wing was listed as doubtful on the injury report, which should come as no surprise given the extent of […]

Zion Williamson isn’t LeBron James. When it comes to the bidding war among shoe companies for the consensus top prospect in the 2019 NBA draft, though, Williamson’s is expected to rival that of the four-time MVP’s when he first entered the league back in 2003. The internet sports book BetOnline.ag currently sets the over-under on […]

Another likely lottery pick has made his intentions known. Indiana freshman wing Romeo Langford told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony on Thursday he will enter the 2019 NBA draft. “I plan on officially declaring for the draft next week,” he said. Langford, a consensus top-five recruit in the high school class of 2018, had a strong freshman […]

Jeannie Buss has already decried the supposed role “fake news” played in her team’s labors throughout 2018-19. As the Los Angeles Lakers are about to embark on another long offseason, then, it’s hardly surprising she’s at least somewhat pushing back on countless recent reports that coach Luke Walton is on the verge of being dismissed. […]

Jaylen Brown’s back injury isn’t getting much better, but the Boston Celtics wing seems intent on trying to help his team down the stretch of the regular season regardless. Despite not playing in Wednesday’s game against the Miami Heat, Brown is hopeful he’ll be able to take the floor for Friday’s crucial matchup with the […]

The Los Angeles Lakers were fourth place in the Western Conference when LeBron James strained his groin in a Christmas victory over the Golden State Warriors. By the time he returned over a month later, the Lakers had fallen out of playoff position altogether, going just 6-11 when he was sidelined. Now, two weeks after […]

Dwyane Wade isn’t the only Miami Heat icon retiring. Veteran big man Udonis Haslem, who’s played his entire 16-year career with the Heat, is also hanging it up once Miami’s season ends. In a sprawling essay on his career and the people that helped shape it published at The Undefeated, Haslem explained why he’ll be […]

It’s become increasingly convenient to forget Michael Jordan’s two-season stint with the Washington Wizards. The sustained struggles to re-capture the magic that earned him the distinction of greatest player ever even before coming out of retirement again in 2001, though, should nevertheless count as a chink in Jordan’s armor when assessing whether a given player […]

Details continue emerging on the fallout of Kristaps Porzingis being accused of sexual assault during his time with the New York Knicks. According to Marc Stein and Kevin Draper of The New York Times, the league office would have blocked the trade that sent the Latvian star to the Dallas Mavericks in February if it believed […]

Greg Monroe is signing with another Eastern Conference contender. After previously suiting up for the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics this season, the veteran big man is on the verge of signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, per ESPN’s Jordan Schultz. To make room for Monroe, the team will reportedly waive reserve big man Justin Patton, […]

Jimmy Butler doesn’t care what you think – in some form, at least. If you must have an opinion on the Philadelphia 76ers superstar, though, he apparently prefers it to be a negative one. In a sprawling, thoughtful, expletive-laden interview with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks, the notoriously combative Butler opened about living in the spotlight, […]

The NBA was a different league in 2007. Over 10 years later, no draft prospect with the statistical resumé and mouth-watering physical traits of Kevin Durant would be taken behind a seven-footer with limited skill and a checkered injury history. But hindsight makes it easy to forget that Greg Oden was the consensus top player […]

Almost two full seasons later, it’s fair to say both teams involved in the blockbuster trade that sent Chris Paul from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Houston Rockets ended up winning it. As he and teammate Montrezl Harrell fight for Sixth Man of the Year, though, Lou Williams seems to believe the Clippers got […]

Skip Bayless continues going out of his way to criticize Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell. The FOX Sports personality, co-host of Undisputed, recently named embattled Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as his early favorite for MVP next season, evidently using the offseason departures of both superstar playmakers as chief justification for his pick. “I’m gonna make [Roethlisberger] my […]

The Baltimore Ravens aren’t finished adding to the league’s most dangerous running attack. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, former University of Alabama running backs Damien Harris and Josh Jacobs are both visiting the Ravens this week ahead of the NFL draft on April 25th. The #Ravens are taking a hard look at some top […]

Malcolm Jenkins is already leading the charge among his fellow players to overhaul the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement. With the current CBA set to expire after the 2020 season, the Philadelphia Eagles cornerback has begun setting the tenor of future negotiations between the NFL Players’ Association and league owners, publicly suggesting the talks will be […]

The San Francisco 49ers are bringing in another elite pass-rusher as the NFL draft quickly approaches. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, University of Kentucky edge defender Josh Allen will arrive in San Francisco Tuesday night to begin his pre-draft visit with the 49ers. Kentucky edge Josh Allen arrives tonight for his #49ers visit. […]

The Houston Texans poached one of the New England Patriots’ most anonymous and unsung heroes. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Texans have hired longtime Patriots Character Coach and Team Development Director Jack Easterby as their Executive Vice President of Team Development. Texans have hired Jack Easterby, the former Team Development Director/Character Coach for the […]

Oklahoma offensive lineman Cody Ford is in Minneapolis on Tuesday, visiting with the Minnesota Vikings ahead of the April 25th NFL draft, according to Darren Wolfson of KSTP. My fault on the hashtag typo in last tweet. To clarify: #Vikings have Oklahoma OL Cody Ford in today for a pre-draft visit. Boston College WR Jeff […]

JuJu Smith-Schuster clearly wasn’t interest in talking to TMZ while recently making way through the airport. When a cameraman for celebrity gossip site asked him about his relationship with former teammate Antonio Brown, though, the Pittsburgh Steelers star nevertheless felt compelled to set the record straight. “That’s my guy,” Smith-Schuster said when asked if he’s […]

Patrick Mahomes came up just short in his debut season. If he heeds the advice of Tom Brady he received shortly after the Kansas City Chiefs’ season-ending loss to the New England Patriots, though, it seems only a matter of time until he takes the torch from football’s greatest winner. During an appearance on The […]

It seems only a matter of time until America’s newest professional football league is no more. According to Pro Football Talk, The Alliance of American Football will be suspending operations on Tuesday as it teeters on the edge of existence. All @TheAAF football operations will be suspended in the next few hours, per source with […]

James Harden continues etching his name in the NBA record books. The Houston Rockets superstar went off again on Saturday, dropping 50 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in his team’s 119-111 victory over the Sacramento Kings. The performance marked the fifth 50-point triple-double of Harden’s career, more than any other player in league history. […]

The New York Knicks lived up to expectations as one of the league’s worst teams this season, currently owning the NBA’s bottom-ranked win-loss tally at a lowly 14-61. Still, coach David Fizdale isn’t done ensuring he takes advantage of every last moment in the 2018-19 season. How will he do it over the regular season’s […]

The injury bug picked a bad time to bite Josh Richardson. As the Miami Heat fight tooth and nail with four other teams for three spots at the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff standings, Richardson is in a walking boot, with no timetable for his return to the floor from a bruised left heel. […]