Reporting Articles - Page 103

Fans of the New Orleans Pelicans will notice some substantial changes in the Smoothie King Center this season beyond Dejounte Murray running the point. The arena’s HUB Club area is getting some upgrades, many of which will be ready for Opening Night versus Lonzo Ball’s Chicago Bulls. Finishing touches will be on full display in […]

The Philadelphia 76ers will continue their slate of preseason games against the Minnesota Timberwolves in a matchup at the Wells Fargo Arena in Iowa on Friday night. Paul George will make his first appearance with the Sixers but Joel Embiid is not slated to play, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Pompey noted […]

The 2024-25 NBA preseason general manager survey is out, and surprisingly, a certain Cleveland Cavaliers superstar was missing. In the 50-question poll, the NBA executives addressed numerous topics, including the best teams, players, coaches, and offseason moves. NBA general managers were prohibited from voting for their team or personnel. One of the topics, the best […]

Things were thrown for a loop early in preseason action for the Cleveland Cavaliers. In the second quarter forward Max Strus exited the Cavs’ first preseason game with a hip injury and did not return. That forced Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson to shake things up, altering his game plan on the fly during the […]

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Max Strus exited the Cavs’ first preseason game with a hip injury and did not return. The next day, Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson somewhat cleared the air on Strus’ injury status. While Strus did not participate in the team’s practice on Wednesday, Atkinson wouldn’t firmly say if Strus would suit up […]

Last season, there was no discussion as to who would win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award. As good of seasons as Chet Holmgren and Brandon Miller were, Victor Wembanyama was the resounding favorite all year. Now, on the verge of the 2024-25 NBA season beginning, the narrative surrounding the Rookie of the Year […]

NEW YORK — Four championships, 10 All-Star Game appearances, 10 All-NBA selections, the only unanimous MVP in NBA history, a gold medal at this summer’s Olympics, and so many other illustrious accomplishments tell the story of Stephen Curry’s legendary basketball career. With the way Curry continues to play for the Golden State Warriors, even more […]

The Memphis Grizzlies got a Ja Morant injury scare in the very first game of the 2024-25 NBA season. Consider that one hurdle that had to be cleared this year at some point. At least it is over with and was relatively minor considering the worst-case scenario. Still, a cautious coach Taylor Jenkins will be […]

The Chicago Bulls got their preseason play started on Tuesday night, and they got off to a good start as they took down the Cleveland Cavaliers 116-112. The Bulls were on the road in this one, and they erased a 16-point deficit to get the win. It’s hard to get too excited as it’s just […]

Russell Westbrook has only been in Denver for a few months, but his new teammates already feel his impact. During the offseason, Westbrook signed with the Denver Nuggets on a veteran minimum deal. Westbrook joins a young Nuggets team, with some players being young enough to remember watching him play growing up. “I grew up […]

Gleaning what seem like meaningful takeaways from preseason basketball is always foolish, and the Golden State Warriors didn’t exactly conduct Saturday’s exhibition opener like they would a playoff game. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green were done by halftime in Honolulu, while coach Steve Kerr went a full 19-deep into his bench before a red-hot Lindy […]

LaMelo Ball’s former teammate, Terry Rozier, was always a beloved member of the Charlotte Hornets. Despite being traded last season from the Hornets to the Miami Heat, the veteran guard still holds a soft spot for his former team. Ball learned a lot from Rozier, who gave the All-Star guard and his former team props […]

The Drake Maye era has officially arrived in Foxborough, with Jerod Mayo confirming that the rookie will replace Jacoby Brissett as the team’s starting quarterback. Mayo gave some standard coachspeak when he explained the decision to reporters on Wednesday, saying the team made the move that gave them the best opportunity to win games. “Going […]

Out of all of the awards given out at the end of the NBA season, the Defensive Player of the Year award is always the most debatable race because everyone has a different definition of what makes a player the best defender in the league. Blocked shots obviously go a long way, but the intangibles […]

The Brooklyn Nets kicked off their rebuilding era Tuesday with a 115-106 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in their preseason opener. Jordi Fernandez made his head-coaching debut in front of owner Joe Tsai at Frontwave Arena in San Diego. The Nets were without starting center Nic Claxton and reserves Day’Ron Sharpe and Trendon Watford, […]

The Detroit Pistons suffered their first 2024 preseason loss after the 105-97 finish against the Phoenix Suns. Tuesday night’s matchup at the Breslin Center featured another night of promising effort on both ends. One of the Pistons’ brightest spots was another standout game for third-year guard Jaden Ivey. The starting shooting guard’s night concluded after […]

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Hawks suited up for the first preseason game of the year against the Indiana Pacers, and there were many things to be excited about. The talk leading up to the season has been about how the Hawks’ new additions would fit with the team, and though it was only one game, […]

There’s been hype surrounding head coach Kenny Atkinson’s new offense during the offseason and training camp. Under Atkinson, the Cavs are expected to utilize a motion-based offense that wants to play with pace and get up three-pointers. There’s also an emphasis on moving the ball and empowering his players to make the right reads. The […]

No matter the team, the No.1 goal for the NBA preseason is to be 100% healthy and ready for the regular season. Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be the case for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Before Cleveland hosted the Chicago Bulls for their first preseason matchup, the Cavs lost Emoni Bates to meniscus surgery. However, sharpshooter […]

The Atlanta Hawks will be coming into the season looking for a player that will complement Trae Young. The past two seasons, Dejounte Murray was that player, but it didn’t produce the results that the Hawks wanted, which warranted a trade. This season, the Hawks will be looking internally for the player Young’s co-star, and […]

Months after Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker called his shot in the Summer Olympics, NBA general managers shared their honest thoughts about the top shooting guard in the league. 33% of the total votes went to Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards, with Booker getting only 23% of the vote. This comes as a surprise, […]

Just when you think you’ve heard it all regarding the Connor Stalions sign-stealing saga, more bizarre information comes out on the Michigan football signal decoder. Netflix recently dropped a documentary on Stalions, and we got a glimpse of what he was willing to do to help the Michigan football team. Sleep in his car, rent […]

The Zion Williamson-led New Orleans Pelicans wasted no time in sending a message to their fans that this squad is ready for a fast start to the regular season. An in-shape Williamson dished out three assists on the first three possessions, then hit a couple of floaters for good measure. Then Dejounte Murray moved into […]

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Hawks will be starting their preseason play almost fully healthy, as Onyeka Okongwu is still working back from his toe injury. Head coach Quin Synder was asked before their game against the Indiana Pacers if Okongwu would be available. “We talk to our health performance people all the time. O’s progress […]

The NBA’s lead decision-makers, shocker, believe Stephen Curry is the best pure shooter in basketball. General managers across the league also voted the Golden State Warriors superstar as the best player at moving without the ball, best leader and the player they’d most want taking a shot with the game on the line. Just as […]

DALLAS — Dereck Lively II displayed signs of stardom during the 2023-24 season. His future is bright without question. Lively already established a reputation as a reliable rim-protector and electric dunker. The Mavs center is developing a three-point shot, though. “Great,” Lively said after practice on Tuesday in reference to his three-point shooting development. “I […]

Robert Saleh is the NFL’s first coach fired in 2024, but he certainly won’t be the last. It may be a bit of a surprise that Saleh was dismissed by the Jets shortly after they lost to the undefeated Minnesota Vikings in London and that he didn’t get a chance to take the team to […]

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks waived guard AJ Lawson on Tuesday. A number of players are competing for the team’s final roster spot and Lawson was ultimately waived as the NBA preseason continues. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd addressed the move following practice on Tuesday. “AJ has been great for us, unfortunately they waived him […]

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers pushed the pace in their first preseason game. Even though Joel Embiid and Paul George were inactive and Tyrese Maxey played just the first quarter, it was a glimpse into what this Sixers roster will look like. One of their season-long projects will be to put their opponents on […]

The start of a new NBA season is not only a time for teams to prove that they have what it takes to contend for a championship, but it is also a fresh start for many players around the league. Superstars like Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Stephen Curry are always going to be in […]

The New York Knicks looked good in their first pre-season outing. They defeated the Charlotte Hornets 111-109 behind Jalen Brunson and new addition Karl-Anthony Towns, as well as strong bench play that was spearheaded by Miles McBride. McBride played 25 minutes and looked sharp in the team’s pre-season debut. And while it was Josh Hart […]

Winning back-to-back titles used to be commonplace in the NBA, but times have changed. No team has repeated in six years and no franchise has even made consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals in five years. In this era of unpredictability, the Boston Celtics strive for continued dominance, and general managers across the league think […]

In an annual survey of NBA general managers conducted by John Schuhmann of the league website, the Philadelphia 76ers’  offseason — namely the signing of All-Star forward Paul George — was widely praised. The Sixers made one of the biggest free-agency splashes in recent memory by signing George to a max contract, luring him away […]

Nikola Jokic has claimed three of the last four NBA MVP awards. If it wasn’t for Joel Embiid during the 2022-23 season, Jokic would have four straight MVP awards. The Denver Nuggets superstar has undoubtedly been the best player in the league, but the 2023-24 season proved that there are other superstars on the verge […]

The Brooklyn Nets open preseason action Tuesday in San Diego against the Los Angeles Clippers. After trading Mikal Bridges and pivoting to a rebuild, the team enters the 2024-25 campaign on a new timeline. While several rotation pieces are returning, the Nets welcomed first-time head coach Jordi Fernandez and numerous offseason acquisitions. Here are three […]

NBA Draft picks have far different runway lengths when joining the pros. Some teenagers enter into lottery-bound locker rooms while four-year NCAA veterans are expected to be regular-season contributors on playoff squads. Willie Green’s New Orleans Pelicans are expecting a lot from Jordan Hawkins this year. The now 22-year-old was off to a historic start […]

Preseason games are hardly a platform for making a statement. However, it did not take long to notice Zion Williamson was dominating to lead the New Orleans Pelicans in a preseason-opening win. The Orlando Magic took an offseason of anticipation on the chin from Williamson, who had a hand in the first 11 points to […]

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks were defeated by the Memphis Grizzlies in their preseason opener 121-116. The Mavs played without a number of their stars but still managed to compete at a respectable level. Two Mavs players’ performances stole the show in the defeat. Jaden Hardy led the team with 21 points and nine assists. […]

The Michigan football team is now 4-2 overall on the year and 2-1 in conference play after a bad loss on the road against Washington on Saturday. This was a rematch of last year’s national championship game, and the Huskies got a little bit of revenge as Michigan got the win back in January. It […]