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#pounditThursday, March 28, 2024

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Derrius Guice could have domestic violence charges dropped

Derrius Guice

Derrius Guice might actually get the charges dropped in his domestic violence case.

Guice was released by Washington in August over the domestic violence charges he faced. The 23-year-old was originally facing five charges, including a felony strangulation charge. The felony charge was dropped by the county’s attorney in January. The other four charges include: three counts of assault and battery, and one count of destruction of property.

However, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday that Guice and the victim reached an agreement in the case. The settlement, which typically includes a monetary amount, could result in the misdemeanor charges being dropped. A judge would have to approve the settlement and agree to have the charges dropped.

The victim accused Guice of strangling her to the point of unconsciousness. She also accused him of pushing her and smashing her phone.

Guice, 23, entered the league as a second-round draft pick in 2018, but only appeared in five games for Washington. He suffered a torn ACL in his first preseason game, costing him the entire 2018 season. His 2019 was shortened by both the MCL sprain and a torn meniscus that cost him most of the first half of the year.

Guice tallied 245 yards and two touchdowns on 42 rushing attempts last season.

Jacob deGrom had 1 big surprise during start vs. Diamondbacks

Jacob deGrom

Jacob deGrom on Monday night put together his latest strong start in the 2021 MLB season.

deGrom went six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out eight in the New York Mets’ 6-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has lowered his ERA to an unbelievable 0.71 mark this season.

What’s wild is that deGrom has pitched as well as he has … without throwing curveballs!

In the sixth inning of his start against Arizona, deGrom dropped in a perfect curveball against Ketel Marte, which Marte took looking for a strike.

That was deGrom’s first curveball of the season.

The Mets ace actually has a very good curveball, he just rarely uses it because he doesn’t need to.

deGrom is mostly a fastball/slider pitcher, with a changeup sprinkled in. He has decreased his curveball usage over the past three seasons and focused on his slider usage, yielding excellent results. But it’s nice to remind everyone that he has the curve in his arsenal whenever he needs it.

Tom Brady working without knee brace in latest workout video

Tom Brady Bucs

Tom Brady seems to be coming along in his recovery from offseason knee surgery.

Brady published a video on Instagram Tuesday promoting his apparel brand partner. In the video, Brady is running and throwing without wearing a knee brace.

It’s unclear exactly when this video was recorded, but it’s a good sign either way.

Brady underwent knee surgery in February, not long after winning the Super Bowl. He acknowledged in a recent radio interview that the injury was more serious than many may have realized. If he’s already working without a brace, that is a positive sign about his status for the season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians is not expecting Brady to do a ton of work though in the team’s minicamp next week.

Report: Jimmy Butler expected to seek max extension from Heat

Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Buckets is apparently looking to become Jimmy Buckets of Money.

Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported on Tuesday that Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler is expected to seek a max extension for four years and $181 million. He will be eligible for such an extension this offseason.

The argument for Butler to get that max extension cuts both ways. He has definitely earned it based on his emergence as an elite leader for the Heat who brought them to the NBA Finals just last season. But this season was drastically less successful as Miami just got swept out of the first round of the playoffs. Butler is also about to turn 32, and the max extension would reportedly pay him over $50 million in its final season, when Butler is 36.

The Heat have other decisions to make this offseason as well. They have restricted free agents Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn, plus unrestricted free agent Victor Oladipo. They are also eyeing some free agent upgrades on top of that. That means Miami will have to get creative if they do end up giving Butler his desired max extension.

Ex-LSU TE Arik Gilbert transferring to Georgia

Georgia Bulldogs

The Georgia Bulldogs have picked up a big transfer.

Arik Gilbert is heading to play for the Bulldogs after playing at LSU as a freshman last season.

Gilbert had 35 catches for 368 yards and two touchdowns at LSU last year.

The Marietta, Ga. native looks like he may be switching to wide receiver at Georgia.

LSU was coming off a national championship when Gilbert chose to attend the school. They struggled last season and had some weak quarterback play. Georgia, meanwhile, has been highly successful the last four seasons. Their offense also looked explosive once JT Daniels took over at quarterback. Between him and Gilbert, they should have a strong passing attack in the fall.

Magic Johnson roasted for his latest hard-hitting Twitter analysis

Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson has become one of the most popular NBA personalities on Twitter because of his matter-of-fact takes and often shockingly obviously statements, and the Los Angeles Lakers legend lived up to his reputation on Tuesday.

Johnson tweeted last week that Game 3 and Game 5 are the most important games of a seven-game NBA playoff series. Some people disagreed and noted that any game can be the most important depending on which team has home advantage and what happens in the series to that point. However, with two playoff series tied at 2-2 heading into Game 5 on Tuesday night, Magic feels his point has been validated.

You’ve got us there, Magic. It would be tough for anyone to argue that Game 5 of a series that is tied 2-2 is the most important game.

Some of the responses to Johnson’s tweet were hilarious:

Johnson is one of the best players in NBA history, but where he really shines is with his painfully obvious analysis. He’s also been known to (unintentionally?) burn people on Twitter. He truly is a must-follow.

Richard Jefferson calls out Kevin Garnett for hypocrisy with Kyrie Irving criticism

Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett was one of multiple former Boston Celtics players who criticized Kyrie Irving for stepping on the team’s midcourt logo following the Brooklyn Nets’ win in Game 4 on Sunday night. Simply put, Richard Jefferson does not think K.G. should talk.

Jefferson sent a tweet on Tuesday saying he has seen Garnett do things on the court that are “FAR more disrespectful” than Irving dragging his foot across the Celtics’ logo. The former swingman did not, however, provide any specific examples.

Garnett said stepping on an opponent’s logo is not cool. The Hall of Famer implied that the act from Irving (video here) was not getting enough attention because a fan was arrested for throwing a water bottle at Irving after the same game.

So what was Jefferson referring to? We can only speculate, but Garnett was known for being a ruthless trash talker during his career. There were times where he was rumored to have crossed the line, like with what he supposedly said about Carmelo Anthony’s wife years ago.

Is there a difference between unfiltered trash talk and dragging your foot across another team’s logo? Another former Celtics player agreed with Garnett and even appeared to threaten Irving over it. Jefferson feels K.G. is showcasing some hypocrisy.

Knicks players have savage response to Clint Capela’s trash talk

Derrick Rose

The New York Knicks really could not care less about what Clint Capela has to say.

The Atlanta Hawks big man Capela had some trash talk for his first-round opponents this week.

“They try to play tough, push our guys around, talk s—, but we can do that, too,” said Capela, per Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “We show them as soon as they come back here. We can push guys around, talk s— and get the win, too.

“What [are] you going to do about it? We can be physical, but we can win games as well, and now we’re coming to your home to win this game again,” Capela added. “And send you on vacation.”

When asked about Capela’s comments on Tuesday, Knicks guard Derrick Rose had an absolutely savage response.

“I’m 32 years old. I never talked s— in my life,” said Rose, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “I’m not going to start now that Clint Capela said something.”

Knicks forward Julius Randle also had a similarly brutal comeback for Capela.

“Why would I give a hell what Clint Capela has to say?” Randle said, per Tommy Beer of Forbes.

The series between the two teams, which the Hawks currently lead 3-1, has been ripe with plenty of smack talk. There have also been some accusations of dirty play by both sides.

Game 5, a potential closeout game for Atlanta, is set for Wednesday in New York. But it is clear that the Knicks are way more focused on the game than they are on some comments from someone they clearly see as a nobody.

Falcons holding firm on Julio Jones asking price?

Julio Jones

The Atlanta Falcons have discussed a potential Julio Jones trade with multiple teams, but there have been reports that their asking price has been viewed as unrealistic. That doesn’t necessarily mean they are going to lower it.

The Falcons told at least one team that they want a first-round pick plus players for Jones, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. That report is consistent with what an NFL source told ESPN’s Josina Anderson on Tuesday.

In addition to the compensation issues, teams may also be struggling with the reality that Jones could soon want a new contract. While he’s an All-Pro receiver, it’s hard to justify giving up a first-round pick and then giving a player a raise, especially one who is 32.

Trade talks involving Jones should heat up this week, as the Falcons can save more than $15 million against the salary cap if they trade him on Wednesday or beyond. There seems to be some consensus that one team is the favorite, though there are several still involved.

Photo: Lisa Ferdinando/U.S. Secretary of Defense via CC-BY 2.0

Venus Williams weighs in on Naomi Osaka refusing to speak with media

Venus Williams

Naomi Osaka made the decision to withdraw from the French Open on Monday in the wake of her refusal to fulfill her media obligations. Several other tennis stars have shared their thoughts on the situation, and Venus Williams was one of the latest.

Williams, who is now 40 and one of the most experienced players on the tour, was asked if she can relate to Osaka’s feelings on meeting with reporters after matches. The elder Williams sister agreed that it is “definitely not easy to do press I think for any person.” She then explained how she has been able to cope with it throughout her career.

“For me personally how I deal with it was that I know every single person asking me a question can’t play as well as I can and never will, so no matter what you say or what you write, you’ll never light a candle to me,” Williams said, via Jon Wertheim. “So that’s how I deal with it. But each person deals with it differently.”

Plenty of athletes have a hard time dealing with the media, but it is part of the job. It’s no different from someone in another profession not enjoying an aspect of their job but having to do it anyway.

Osaka said in a statement on Monday that dealing with the media gives her anxiety. She said she withdrew from the French Open because she felt her situation had become a distraction. Her older sister later explained in a Reddit post that Naomi is having a tough time answering questions about her struggles on clay courts.

What is going on with Osaka sounds very similar to what we saw with Ronda Rousey after she experienced defeat for the first time in the UFC.