Editorials Articles - Page 1364

The Indianapolis Colts are looking to be huge contenders in 2019. The Colts have made huge strides in a short period of time. After finishing with a 4-12 record in 2017, the Colts finished last season 10-6, earning themselves a Wild Card playoff berth. Indianapolis defeated their division rivals, the Houston Texans, in the opening […]

It seems as though every year there is a “generational talent” at running back in the NFL Draft. In 2018, it was Saquon Barkley. In 2017, Leonard Fournette. In 2016, Zeke Elliott, and so on. While the term “generational” has pretty much lost its meaning, there is no denying that there have been some elite […]

With the constant stream of money being funneled to players recently in the MLB, big-time contracts are being handed out to any players who have been on the level of what a superstar is. Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Nolan Arenado, Mike Trout, Blake Snell, and Paul Goldschmidt have all been forced into a new tax […]

The Green Bay Packers must find a way to get not only their team back to winning football but Aaron Rodgers as well. Last season, the Packers finished the year 6-9-1, while missing the playoffs for the second straight season. If this was any other team besides the New England Patriots, then this could be […]

Karl Anthony-Towns strode past the lumbering Steven Adams, dribbled once, and gathered from outside the painted area. He vaulted into the air. When Jerami Grant finally rotated to helpside, Towns was already climbing the last imaginary step. Grant was too late; no one was stopping Towns. On his descent, KAT hammered-down the ball and yanked […]

The Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers were such a great rivalry in the early 2000s that to this day their fans still don’t like each other. What exactly happened that created such animosity though? Darius Soriano of Bleacher Report threw out some reasons back in 2012 and I’m here to expand on them. The […]

CLUTCH Summary: The New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers once nearly made a trade that would have sent shock waves through the entire NBA, as well as the souls of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. The player involved in this “what if” trade scenario was Carmelo Anthony, who is now on the outside of […]

The NBA’s basement is an all-too-familiar dwelling place for the Minnesota Timberwolves. They’ve had just one winning season in the past 14 years. Many have argued they wasted away the All-Star talents of Kevin Love before trading him to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014. And they’re currently in danger of doing the same with the […]

The Toronto Raptors knew what they were getting into when they acquired Kawhi Leonard in a blockbuster trade with the San Antonio Spurs over the summer. Yes, they were getting a superstar. Yes, they were getting a former Finals MVP. Yes, they were improving their team. But they were also getting a player who had […]

Ja Morant is basketball’s latest household name. The Murray State sophomore introduced himself to a national audience in historic fashion on Thursday, showing out in his underdog team’s win over Marquette by scoring 17 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing 16 assists – just the eighth triple-double in NCAA Tournament history. Zion Williamson has the […]

There are many NBA fans who have no memories of NBA playoffs without LeBron James, but those fans will experience that this year. James’ first season with the Lakers will go down as a franchise-record sixth consecutive trip to the draft lottery, not the postseason, after losing to D’Angelo Russell and the Brooklyn Nets on […]

The benefit of 20/20 hindsight makes it easy to forget that decisions by NBA front offices are never made in a vacuum. There are always circumstances beyond a player’s presence or absence that help decide his future with an incumbent team, an important portion of which executives rarely make privy to the public. However, much […]

Led by second-year quarterback Deshaun Watson, the Houston Texans made considerable strides in 2018. After tearing his ACL midway through the 2017 season, Watson led the Texans to an 11-5 record and an AFC South division title this past season. Even though they lost convincingly to the Indianapolis Colts in the Wild Card round, it […]

The 2018 NFL Draft was heralded as the best quarterback class in recent memory, and so far it has lived up to the hype, producing four or five franchise QBs in the first round alone. While the 2019 NFL Draft does’t appear to be nearly as a loaded, there are still some solid prospects. Here […]

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Derrick Rose enjoyed one of the better comeback seasons we have seen in quite some time this year, going from a complete afterthought to a legitimate Sixth Man of the Year candidate. However, as par for the course for Rose, the veteran was recently shut down by the Timberwolves due to an […]

So much for a quiet MLB offseason. While the first few months of the winter felt fairly quiet, the signings of Manny Machado and Bryce Harper appear to have created a butterfly effect on the rest of the league. The Los Angeles Angels–feeling the pressure of retaining the best player in baseball–awarded Mike Trout with […]

He was just a kid from Compton. While some NBA players were born with a silver spoon in their mouths, James Harden was not. Raised by his mother and her single income, James turned to basketball to keep himself busy and stay out of trouble. As a pure shooter in high school, James drew interest […]

CLUTCH Summary: A pioneer in baseball, Ichiro Suzuki was not only one of the best Seattle Mariners players ever, but is a sure fire Hall of Fame talent. So popular internationally, Ichiro was known on a first name basis as if he were Oprah.  There will unlikely ever be another player as talented, with as […]

In a 162-game season MLB, there is always room for shock and awe in Major League Baseball. And then there are teams like the Baltimore Orioles, who will field one of the most anonymous teams in baseball history this season. Yet even on non-contenders, compelling players and storylines are sure to emerge. Prospects like Vladimir […]

The baseball community was certainly surprised that the free agency period dragged on so long for both Manny Machado. But perhaps more shocking was that the San Diego Padres–a team that has not made the playoffs in over a decade–were the team to sign Machado to a franchise-altering mega deal. Machado not only makes the […]

The Los Angeles Lakers’ season is all but over except for the final few games left to be played before the postseason begins. For the first time in nine years, there will be no LeBron James in the NBA Finals. What’s worse for the 16-year veteran is that this is the first time in the […]

It’s one of the ultimate what-ifs in NBA history. The Los Angeles Clippers could have drafted Kyrie Irving in 2011 had they protected that draft pick after trading Baron Davis to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The fallout would have been crazy from a historical perspective, as LeBron James maybe never returns to the Cavaliers due to […]

Heading into their Christmas Day showdown with the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers had righted a wayward ship. After a 2-5 start marked most by James’ jarring lack of engagement defensively, the Lakers bounced back to win 17 of their next 26 games, buoyed by an ever-improving […]

CLUTCH Summary: Mostly known for his stint with the Seattle Mariners, Ichiro Suzuki will head to Cooperstown to be in the Hall of Fame without a doubt. Arguably the greatest hitter in the history of MLB, no one rivaled his ability to get infield hits.  In era dominated by steroids and home runs, Ichiro Suzuki […]

Making selections in the NFL Draft is all about finding value with your pick; balancing a player’s possible ceiling and floor with his position and impact on your team. Every now and then a prospect, like Myles Garrett, will come along with both a high floor and ceiling, making him as close to a can’t-miss […]

It’s been a whirlwind of an offseason thus far in 2019, with plenty of big names in the free agency market either finding new homes or getting huge contract extensions from their current teams. If this year’s offseason of rampant activity is any indication, 2020 should be no different. As such, let’s take a look […]

Kyrie Irving appears to have turned the corner on understanding how to lead his Boston Celtics. The former 2011 No. 1 NBA Draft selection talent was always evident. He’s equipped with natural born scoring ability and has some of the fanciest dribbles in the league. However, he’s never been in the position as de facto […]

Earlier this week, Doc Rivers shot down rumors that he had interest of leaving the Los Angeles Clippers for the Lakers this offseason. Quashing the idea of him bolting to the Lakers, Rivers revealed the secret extension he agreed to with Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. Rivers said he had an opportunity to opt out of his […]

In a time that members of a starting rotation do not necessarily toe the rubber first in a game, the MLB is facing an identity crisis of sorts… but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Historically, pitchers have been known for their durability, as starters used to throw 200 pitches in a game and […]

Expectations are always hard to follow through on, especially in professional sports. Injuries, flashes in the pan, players not developing on expected timelines, all of these aspects ring true in some shape during a typical MLB season. In 2019, the league has seen offense overtake and dominant the gameplay, as players are using advanced stats […]

In a win against the Minnesota Timberwolves Tuesday night, Steph Curry scored 36 points on 12-21 shooting and going 8-14 from three. When you compute the numbers, that’s 57% from the floor and the same from three-point land. Over the years Curry blended these type of nights-volume and efficiency to help curate a new type […]

Spring Training is the time of year that all MLB fans look forward to as the unofficial official start to spring. While teams must travel to warm areas of the country to avoid the cold weather taking over the vast majority of the states, the scent of spring and the sound of bats cracking can […]

There’s no way to mention the history of the Los Angeles Lakers and exclude the great Magic Johnson. He’s arguably one of the two best Lakers to ever don the Purple & Gold. While his accomplishments on the court have earned him the distinction as possibly the greatest PG to ever play the games, his […]

Before their victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night, Doc Rivers shot down rumors that his Los Angeles Clippers head coaching tenure was coming to an end. When asked by reporters whether or not he’d be interested in taking over the Los Angeles Lakers job after coach Luke Walton is presumably discarded in the […]

CLUTCH Summary: Golden State Warriors absurd shot maker Stephen Curry is maybe the best shooter of all-time. He’s obviously a lot more than just a shooter, but history will remember him as the dude who regularly made absurd shot after absurd shot in the NBA. Of the five we picked out, few players in the […]

While the NBA regular season is a long slog of up’s and down’s, the playoffs are a different animal. In the chase for a championship, a team would have to overcome four potentially-long series against tough opponents. And while upsets happen, there is one attribute that has been a revealing factor in which teams find […]

Many experts have weighed in on the Denver Broncos’ moves in this year’s free agency, and the results have been somewhat polarizing. Last season, the Broncos finished with a losing record for the second consecutive year. This hasn’t happened to the decorated franchise since 1971-72. General Manager John Elway is still finding it hard for […]

The 2019 NCAA Tournament is loaded with the next group of players to hit the NBA Draft. From Duke to Washington, there are many teams with future NBA stars. Here are the five best NBA prospects in each region, starting with the South. South 1. DeAndre Hunter – Virginia All aboard the DeAndre Hunter train. […]

CLUTCH Summary: While in his peak, former Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Byrant was often compared to Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan.  Bryant mimicked much of his game after Jordan’s, but the league was becoming different in a post-Jordan world.  A fun theoretical, while nearly impossible to know for sure, is to wonder how Michael […]