Sam DiGiovanni Articles - Page 46

NBA free agency is almost about to (officially) begin, which means that the Philadelphia 76ers’ offseason is really about to heat up. James Harden’s decision remains the biggest Sixers storyline but one of the subplots will be what happens with Tobias Harris, who has been in countless trade rumors and is on a contract set […]

Victor Wembanyama is expected to be one of the greatest players of his era. The San Antonio Spurs rookie has a style of play that has never been seen before. But if the Martians had the death beam pointed at the earth, would he be someone that people would want in their basketball lineup? Probably […]

The Houston Astros’ loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers featured a first for relief pitcher Ryne Stanek, though he wishes that that wasn’t the case. He was called for the first balk of his career, allowing the go-ahead run in an 8-7 defeat at Dodger Stadium. It was a brutal way for the Astros to […]

The Phoenix Suns have already made their 2023 offseason a huge one by trading for Bradley Beal. But they’re not done yet. They have their eyes on another pricey veteran: Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris. Interestingly, it might be similarly hard to pry the 30-year-old forward out of Philly as it was to land Beal. […]

The Denver Broncos basically have no choice but to try to win with Russell Wilson. The veteran quarterback had such a disastrous 2022 season that his contract is essentially unmovable. One of his former Broncos teammates, running back Melvin Gordon, isn’t ready to say that his career is cooked. Gordon believes Wilson can still be […]

The Detroit Pistons came out of yet another NBA Draft with an impressive group of players. G League Ignite forward Ausar Thompson and Houston guard Marcus Sasser are joining Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart in the Motor City as they try to build toward the postseason. The Pistons chose Thompson, one […]

Marcus Smart’s nine-year stint with the Boston Celtics is over. In a three-team trade that netted Kristaps Porzingis and draft picks, the Celtics traded their longest-tenured player and their emotional leader to the Memphis Grizzlies. After the trade was made official, Smart issued a long goodbye to the Celtics and stated his excitement to get […]

Marcus Smart is a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. It’s going to take some time to get used to that. The Boston Celtics parted ways with their heart-and-soul player in a trade that brought in Kristaps Porzingis and draft picks. Memphis is beyond happy to get Smart, a Defensive Player of the Year with tons […]

The Philadelphia 76ers came into the 2023 NBA Draft with no selections. Over the course of a few wild hours and with trades zipping around every which way, that did not change. The Sixers prepared to take the easy road by buying a late draft pick, as evidenced by a leaked picture of their draft […]

The Sacramento Kings are in the midst of their first offseason following a playoff berth in a very long time. They are looking to capitalize on their status as the new kids on the block, as evidenced by their cap-space-clearing trade during the 2023 NBA Draft, which cost them a first-round pick. So, who will […]

Kyler Murray isn’t on the field with the Arizona Cardinals in the 2023 offseason. But he’s not completely absent, either. As the star quarterback works his way back from an ACL tear, he is in attendance at the team’s OTAs and providing vocal leadership. New head coach Jonathan Gannon is a massive fan of what […]

BROOKLYN, NY — Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson are bringing a new blend of double trouble to the NBA. The Thompson twins, a pair of 6-foot-7, uber-athletic wings from Oakland, were respectively drafted fourth overall by the Houston Rockets and fifth overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2023 NBA Draft. The Thompsons became the […]

BROOKLYN, NY — Scoot Henderson has trained for years to make it to the NBA. Now, the 6-foot-2 guard and G League Ignite product will be teaming up with one of the league’s best stars, Damian Lillard, on the Portland Trail Blazers after being selected third overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. As a testament […]

The 2023 NBA Draft is here, but the Philadelphia 76ers are coming to the party empty-handed. As one of three teams with no picks in the draft (currently), the Sixers will have to work their way back into the shindig in order to add any young, cost-controlled players to their roster. While the Sixers will […]

The Dallas Mavericks need to start putting a team around Luka Doncic that can be a winner for years to come. A nightmare season that was not saved by a midseason acquisition of Kyrie Irving has to be an anomaly and not the new norm if the Mavs want to keep Doncic for the long […]

Alex Verdugo’s contributions to the Boston Red Sox will always be weighed against Mookie Betts. While it wasn’t his call to be traded along with other players in exchange for the superstar, it gave him big shoes to fill. Although he isn’t as good as Betts, he has done an admirable job since then. In […]

Spencer Strider is dealing for the Atlanta Braves. After two rough starts, Strider is starting to get back on track and remains one of the best strikeout machines among starting pitchers. Strider’s most recent start against the Philadelphia Phillies was very good. His performance in the 4-2 road win was extra helpful because it came […]

Victor Wembanyama is ready to take the NBA by storm. Just about certain to join the San Antonio Spurs as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the 7-foot-4 teenager out of Le Chesnay, France faces massive expectations to succeed at the next level. If there’s one thing that basketball fans worry […]

The Philadelphia 76ers are in the midst of a huge offseason. They have a lot of moves to make in order to maximize this window of opportunity with Joel Embiid. They now have another roster spot open as Montrezl Harrell, after one season with the Sixers, is deciding to go elsewhere. Harrell is declining his […]

Patrick Surtain II has been one of the Denver Broncos’ best players since being drafted ninth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. As he enters his third season, he is becoming known as one of the team’s best leaders. Surtain was named to the Pro Bowl and to the First Team All-Pro squad with 60 combined […]

Bradley Beal’s days with the Washington Wizards are officially over as he joins the Phoenix Suns to form a new superteam with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. While the Suns look to fill out their own roster, the Philadelphia 76ers can take a stroll throughout the remainder of Washington’s roster. The Sixers, a team in […]

Justin Herbert has developed a reputation as an unbelievable quarterback over just a few seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. The 25-year-old star got the team into the playoffs last season but the expectations for him will continue to grow. By many accounts, he is one of the most individually talented guys in his position. […]

While the 2023 NBA Draft is soon to be underway, the 2024 draft process has been going on in the background as some of the top talents choose where they will spend next season. Ron Holland, one of the projected top prospects for next year’s draft, has announced that he has committed to G League […]

Speed is the new name of the game for the New York Giants. It’s the biggest trait they are trying to put into their offense to take a step forward in 2023 with Daniel Jones still leading the way. Last season, the Giants found success with Jones by making him a more slow-and-steady, dink-and-dunk passer […]

The Toronto Raptors have a lot to deal with in the 2023 NBA offseason. The roster for new head coach Darko Rajakovic may not be super different but it will need a lot of work in order to be playoff-caliber again. While Fred VanVleet’s free agency looms large over the team, there is also that […]

Luis Arraez’s chase for history has captivated baseball fans everywhere. The Miami Marlins second baseman is hitting .400 through 73 games as he tries to accomplish a feat not seen since 1941 Ted Williams. He just reached that mark again after a gnarly skid. Arraez got MVP chants during the Marlins’ 11-0 win over the […]

Max Scherzer just did something he has never done before with the New York Mets: pitch through the first eight innings of a game. In an 11-1 rout on the road against the Houston Astros, coming off of one of his worst performances of a disappointing season, the 38-year-old dominated. The Mets were enthused with […]

The Las Vegas Raiders embarrassed themselves last season en route to earning the seventh overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. They can turn that rough season into a positive by developing Tyree Wilson, the pass rusher out of Texas Tech that the team used that draft pick on. He will be added to a […]

The New Orleans Pelicans have a Zion Williamson conundrum. The All-Star forward’s talent cannot be doubted but the same can be said about his inability to stay out of headlines. Whether it’s his myriad of injuries (which is mostly out of his control) or his recently unveiled off-court affairs (which he can control), the 22-year-old […]

The San Francisco 49ers’ defense has a very good case for being one of the best in the whole NFL. Although they lost defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans in the head coaching cycle, their on-field level of talent is fantastic. Javon Hargrave is one of the newest pieces to one of football’s most intimidating squads. The […]

T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers are ready to return to the playoffs in 2023. They have been treading water for a few years but are eager to make it back to playing football deep into January. If they do make that improvement, Watt and the Pittsburgh defense will likely be the reason why. Watt […]

Bradley Beal has finally been traded. After years of wondering will they or won’t they, the Washington Wizards traded their franchise cornerstone to the Phoenix Suns, commencing a rebuild while a new big three forms. While the details of the deal are not yet final, the crux of it is that Beal and Jordan Goodwin […]

With another strike against Ja Morant that led to a long suspension, the Memphis Grizzlies have to make tangible upgrades this offseason. The front office has to get the team into a higher echelon. Tyus Jones seems to have a sizeable role while Morant is out. However, with Morant sidelined for the first 25 games […]

The Chicago Bulls have a busy offseason ahead of them as they look to figure out a way to get out of NBA purgatory. One key decision regards Nikola Vucevic and what to do with the free-agent center. He has been a productive player for them but they now have to agree to a new […]

Fred VanVleet is about to hit the open market in the 2023 NBA offseason. The Toronto Raptors’ star point guard had a pretty rough 2022-23 season for his standards but remains one of the best free agents this summer. Many teams are already reportedly showing interest in the two-way star. VanVleet is being linked to […]

The Chicago White Sox are straight-up not having a good time. Once seen as an up-and-coming squad littered with young stars, they are now a mediocre, injury-riddled team with some of the worst vibes in all of baseball. This team should be one of the best in baseball but instead is in third place in […]

For 17 years, Lou Williams dazzled NBA fans. An Atlanta native and one of the last NBA players to have been drafted straight out of high school, the 6-foot-1 guard became a beloved hooper and had a long career in professional basketball. After a year away from the NBA, he is officially retiring. Williams dropped […]

The Chicago Bears secured the worst record in the 2022 NFL season despite an impressive campaign from Justin Fields. While the second-year quarterback experienced many struggles, he also showed off the ability to be the league’s best rushing quarterback at any given notice. As he enters his third season, he is showing more than just […]

Jaden Springer left the 2022-23 season as a champion. While the Philadelphia 76ers were gearing up for a playoff run that ultimately ended in the second round once again, Springer helped lead the Delaware Blue Coats to the G League championship. The Sixers’ 2021 first-round draft pick won the G League Finals MVP award after […]