Sam DiGiovanni Articles - Page 113

What upgrades could the Phoenix Suns use right now? At first glance, it does ‘t seem like they have any glaring weak spots. They have the NBA’s best record and solid options at every position. Adding more talent is still possible. With the trade deadline approaching, there are plenty of avenues to take. Dario Saric […]

As the Los Angeles Lakers looked to bounce back from a disappointing season by retooling the roster, LeBron James put his two cents in by asking for Russell Westbrook over the front office’s original target, Buddy Hield. The Lakers acquiesced and traded for Westbrook. Flash forward to midway through Westbrook’s first season with the team. […]

The Sacramento Kings’ acquisition of Domatas Sabonis came at a steep price. They had to surrender Tyrese Haliburton, who became a budding star for the Kings immediately, in order to pry Sabonis from the Indiana Pacers. Although Haliburton could blossom onto a bonafide star soon, Sabonis could have a big impact in Sacramento. In his […]

As the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers face off on the eve of the NBA trade deadline, both teams could be undermanned. While the Blazers will have to wait for their new players to arrive, the Lakers will be without two of their key players as they travel to the Moda Center. The […]

The NBA trade deadline is usually full of league-shattering deals. However, it is also filled with smaller moves that teams make around the margins of their roster. The Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed to such a trade. The Heat, in a rare move, announced the trade themselves rather than allow it to […]

As the NBA trade deadline approaches, the Memphis Grizzlies are one of the few teams that could reasonably take it easy. They are the third seed in the Western Conference with a terrific, young cast of players. There isn’t too much urgency for the Grizzlies to make a significant move right now. Still, Memphis has […]

The Portland Trail Blazers continue to reshape their roster ahead of the NBA trade deadline. After trading away CJ McCollum, they have agreed to a three-team deal with the Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Blazers are receiving Joe Ingles, Elijah Hughes and a second-round draft pick from Utah. […]

The Sacramento Kings kicked off the NBA trade deadline season with a massive trade for Indiana Pacers star Domantas Sabonis. Their willingness to part with Tyrese Haliburton shows that they are going all-in on making the playoffs as soon as possible. They aren’t done looking for reinforcements yet, either. Harrison Barnes has long been on […]

Although Luka Doncic has accomplished a lot in his first seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, he still has not checked off a playoff series win on his career checklist. This is no fault to the Mavs’ wunderkind, as he has shined during his two postseason experiences, both of which came against the LA Clippers. As […]

The Sacramento Kings finally made the blockbuster trade they had hoped they could make. The franchise was desperate to get back to the playoffs. Two days before the NBA trade deadline, they pulled off a huge trade with the Indiana Pacers to try to make it happen. The Kings sent budding star Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy […]

The New York Knicks headed into their Tuesday-night, road matchup with the Denver Nuggets after playing two away games in the previous three days. The workload was immense heading into one of the NBA’s toughest arenas. Barrett, who played over nearly 100 minutes in the Knicks’ prior two games, left the 132-115 loss to the […]

The NBA trade deadline is tomorrow, which means it’s do-or-die time for the Philadelphia 76ers. A Ben Simmons trade may finally happen, releasing basketball fans from the drama and likely netting the Sixers James Harden in return. Even if that deal doesn’t go down, the Sixers are in the playoff race with Joel Embiid playing […]

Joel Embiid and DeMar DeRozan went toe-to-toe in a battle between two Eastern Conference heavyweights. The Philadelphia 76ers took down the Chicago Bulls 119-108. Embiid led the Sixers with 40 points and 10 rebounds while DeRozan tallied 45 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Embiid praised DeRozan, his fellow All-Star starter, following the game. He […]

Kyle Pitts has been everything the Atlanta Falcons have hoped for, becoming a Pro Bowler in just his first NFL season. His 1,026 receiving yards and 68 receptions were among the very best ranks across rookies and tight ends around the league. He punctuated his stellar rookie campaign with a touchdown reception in the Pro Bowl. […]

The Miami Dolphins firing head coach Brian Flores set a huge chain of events into motion. Flores’ accusations of tanking against the team’s owner and first-hand experiences with the NFL’s hiring practices underscore why change is needed. After Flores helped lead the team to two straight winning seasons, the Dolphins had their work cut out […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers have made a big splash ahead of the trade deadline by landing one of their preferred targets, Caris LeVert of the Indiana Pacers. They will send Ricky Rubio, a 2022 first-round pick and two second-round draft picks to Indiana, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Full trade: Indiana sends Caris LeVert and a […]

Fred VanVleet’s amazing season for the Toronto Raptors has earned him his first-ever All-Star nomination. It is a well-deserved and historic accomplishment for the undrafted 27-year-old. For a Raptors squad surprisingly in playoff contention, VanVleet is averaging career-highs across the board: 21.6 points, 7.2 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 3.9 made triples per game. […]

As the New York Knicks look to shop their veteran players ahead of the trade deadline, they may receive calls on their young players. Mitchell Robinson, their defensive stalwart, may be among the more coveted New York youngsters. Robinson is averaging 8.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks while shooting 78.3 percent from the field. His […]

For the past few seasons, the playoffs have eluded the New York Giants like Barry Sanders. Dave Gettleman’s teams took flimsy dives trying to catch a playoff berth but to no avail. In most seasons, it wasn’t even close. Next season feels like another playoff-less campaign in MetLife Stadium. New general manager Joe Schoen and […]

In T.J. Watt, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a true defensive superstar. With other stars like Cameron Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick in place, the Steelers have the potential to be a strong unit. With long-time assistant coach Keith Butler retiring, the team has found his replacement with an in-house option. According to Gerry Dulac of the […]

Julius Randle’s future as the lead star of the New York Knicks is dwindling. He has enjoyed a mediocre season following his stellar 2020-21 season and lengthy, expensive contract extension. With the rest of the Knicks roster also disappointing this season, a shake-up at the trade deadline seems imminent. Randle is reportedly available for trade […]

Months after his tussle with Nikola Jokic, Markieff Morris is still sidelined. Jokic injured the Miami Heat forward’s neck in an act of retaliation following a hard foul all the way back in November. Both players were ejected but Morris got the harshest punishment of all when his head snapped back and he received a […]

The Los Angeles Rams are heading into Super Bowl LVI with a full head of steam. They have an experienced squad with stars at nearly every position and will be playing the big game at their own home stadium. Another huge bonus for the Rams is that they are extremely healthy. Although several of their […]

After Super Bowl LVI, Kevin O’Connell, is expected to leave his post as the Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator and take the head coaching gig with the Minnesota Vikings. O’Connell will get the chance to work with a litany of current ad former Pro Bowlers in Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen. Minnesota […]

The league is watching the Indiana Pacers as they decide who to move and who to retain ahead of the trade deadline. Myles Turner is perhaps the most coveted player that the Pacers could move on from, as his blend of shooting and defense is rare among centers. Turner is averaging 12.9 points, 7.1 rebounds […]

Jared Goff’s first season with the Detroit Lions was about as ugly and forgettable as everyone expected. He led a miserable team to a record of 3-10-1 in his 14 games this season. Not having Sean McVay or a talented supporting cast showed that he needs a good, if not great, situation around him in […]

The Chicago Bulls’ marquee acquisition this past offseason was certainly DeMar DeRozan. But one of their less-heralded moves, drafting Ayo Dosunmu in the second round of the draft, may pay off the most. The rookie point guard has become a key contributor for the Eastern Conference’s top seed. After a stellar career at the University […]

Although the Chicago Bulls have surpassed all their expectations this season, they need an insurance plan for Nikola Vucevic. The former All-Star has had a solid year but is the only reliable center the Bulls have at the moment. Chicago has its eyes set on a young member of the San Antonio Spurs to provide […]

The NBA trade deadline is less than a week away. The first big trade went down between the LA Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers. Although it didn’t involve any stars, it was a sizeable move for both teams that significantly shakes up their rosters. As it was reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Clippers traded Eric […]

Donovan Mitchell is returning to action at the moment the Utah Jazz need it the most. After a pitiful start to the new year and with veteran wing Joe Ingles tearing his ACL, Utah needs to build some momentum before the All-Star break. Mitchell, who was recently named an All-Star for the third consecutive year, has […]

DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine have propelled the Chicago Bulls back into the championship conversation. They have both been extraordinarily this season and each earned themselves a trip to the All-Star Game in Cleveland. The last time a Bulls All-Star discussed Cleveland, the feeling wasn’t so jovial. Joakim Noah, a former All-Star with Chicago, made […]

Things have not been going well with the Utah Jazz in the 2022 portion of this NBA season. They went 4-12 in January and lost veteran forward Joe Ingles to an ACL tear. Especially as they look to add reinforcements ahead of the trade deadline, they can ill afford to lose one of their contributors. […]

The 2022 NBA trade season should be a busy one for the New York Knicks. To say that they have disappointed this season is badly underselling it. They are on their way to missing even the play-in tournament after being the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference last year. Something has to change for them. […]

The Baltimore Ravens finished last in the AFC North. They crashed and burned big time while Lamar Jackson battled injuries, losing six straight games to finish their season. With the emergence of the Cincinnati Bengals in their division, they need to get it together this offseason Despite having a shaky season, Jackson earned a Pro […]

Fred VanVleet’s first All-Star selection was a momentous occasion. The Toronto Raptors’ point guard has emerged as a certified star and has earned the accolade to go along with it. Last season, VanVleet showed he could play at an All-Star level. This season, he has only improved his production. To go along with elite defense, […]

Just as Jim Harbaugh was about to punch his ticket to become the Minnesota Vikings head coach, he tossed it away. The Vikings didn’t offer him the job at the conclusion of the interview and he decided to remain the head coach of the University of Michigan. Harbaugh told Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free […]

The Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers went toe-to-toe on Thursday night as each club needed a huge win. Their determination was made obvious as the battle for Los Angeles went down to the wire. The Lakers and Clippers traded blows throughout the final minute of the game, each one looking like the final dagger. […]

With National Women and Girls in Sports Day occurring yesterday, ESPN and the NBA are teaming up to create a historic broadcast for an NBA game when the Golden State Warriors face the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Area next Monday. ESPN announced that it will produce the first nationally televised NBA game operated […]

Kevin Garnett started his NBA career when he was a teenager and ended it when he was just a shade under 40 years of age. To play for that long is extremely impressive. Still, Garnett’s career could have been elongated even more. Load management is a common practice in the NBA today but was not […]