Dec 27, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) dribbles the ball in the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
The Atlanta Hawks have a lot riding on this week’s play-in tournament, including perhaps the future of star player Trae Young.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reported Monday that the Hawks’ front office has the green light from ownership to do whatever it wants with the team’s roster. That even includes considering trade opportunities involving their multi-time All-Star guard Young, O’Connor adds.
The Hawks finished 41-41 this season and will need to survive the play-in stage to qualify for the Eastern Conference playoffs. That is a step down from last year where they went 43-39 and lost in the first round of the playoffs (though after also having fallen into the play-in tournament).
As for Young, he has banked some goodwill in the organization after leading the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021. But at the same time, he has a reputation as a coach-killer — Atlanta fired coach Nate McMillan in February after an apparent in-season falling-out with Young. Questions also exist about Young’s feasibility as a long-term franchise centerpiece since he is a low-efficiency, ball-dominating guard who stinks on defense and relies heavily on foul-baiting in order to be successful.
Young’s trade value is still immense though since he is just 24 and is signed for a minimum of three more guaranteed seasons. But with the Hawks stuck in mediocrity right now and signs emerging that Young is wearing out his welcome in Atlanta, the front office just might be ready to blow it up.
Jan 22, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; LA Clippers guard Paul George (13) brings the ball up court against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Paul George is sounding like Persistent P as he continues to recover from his knee sprain.
The LA Clippers star gave an update on his injury recovery during the latest episode of his show “Podcast P.” George has been out since spraining his knee during a game against Oklahoma City on March 21 (video here).
“The leg is good, man,” said George. “I’m making progress. [First,] it was two crutches. Then I went to one crutch. Now, no crutches. I’m crutchless.
“I don’t know how soon [I’ll be back],” the eight-time All-Star continued. “I’ve been feeling better. I been working my butt off. I’ve been grinding, like, literally every day, six days out of the week, I’m training. I’m doing rehab. I’ma give it every chance I got, man. It’s coming down to the wire.”
"I been working my butt off. 6 days out of the week I'm training, I'm doing rehab."
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) April 10, 2023
George’s update matches up with one that was shared by Shams Charania of The Athletic earlier in the day on Monday. Charania reports that George is expected to be sidelined “to begin” the Clippers’ first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns but is making “tangible progress” in his rehab.
Sources: Clippers star Paul George is expected to be sidelined to begin the first-round playoff series against the Suns, but is making some tangible progress from his March 21 knee injury.
The Clippers-Suns series begins on Apr. 16, which would mark nearly four weeks since George’s injury. That means that around Apr. 20 would be when the series shifts back to Los Angeles (the Suns have homecourt advantage).
Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook have done well to carry the load in George’s absence, and veteran sharpshooter Eric Gordon has also performed decently as George’s replacement in the starting five. Though previous reporting on George’s injury was a bit less optimistic, it sounds like the Clippers have a good chance of getting George back at some point in the series if they can steal a win or two from the Suns without him.
Feb 19, 2023; Glendale, AZ, USA; Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Joe Kelly (17) warms up during spring training camp at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
The bench-clearing incident between the Chicago White Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday has sent a White Sox player to the injured list.
The White Sox placed reliever Joe Kelly on the IL Monday with a groin injury. Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times confirmed that Kelly suffered the injury while running in from the bullpen to join the incident.
Joe Kelly tweaked his groin while running onto the field in yesterday’s bench clearer in Pittsburgh.
Not exactly the best way to suffer an injury, but definitely a fairly amusing one. Kelly might as well wear it. The 34-year-old had appeared in three games on the season, allowing three earned runs in 2.2 innings of relief work.
It is not tough to find a set of rankings that have four wide receivers in the top 30 of the 2023 NFL Draft class. Those public rankings, however, may significantly differ from how NFL teams themselves see things.
Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy suggested Monday that many NFL teams only have one wide receiver with a first-round grade, even though mock drafts have as many as four or five being selected in the first round. According to Nagy, Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the clear standout, with teams harboring lower opinions of the others.
One thing has become clear on calls around league past couple weeks: NFL isn’t nearly as high on this year’s WR class as media.
Frequently seeing 4-5 wideouts in mocks. Have spoken to numerous teams that have only one first round grade at the position. That guy is JSN.
This is a bit of a surprise, as you will often see TCU’s Quentin Johnston or Boston College’s Zay Flowers rated rather highly in positional rankings. NFL teams do not agree, though it does not mean they will necessarily slip to the second round.
As for Smith-Njigba, the former Ohio State star missed most of the 2022 season, but certainly seems to have impressed NFL teams anyway. He has hinted at wanting one team in particular to make him their pick.
Jan 17, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) looks on against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal endured another disappointing season from a team perspective. While that does not mean he’s trying to force himself out of town, he did make clear that he wants to see some things change.
Beal admitted he had low patience with the Wizards coming off a 35-47 season and was not happy with where the team is at, but does not see any point in showing his agitation publicly.
Bradley Beal: "I'm at peace with how the year went, but I'm not at peace where we are as a team."
On patience level: "It's low. I have a low patience level, it's not like I'm not angry."
“I’m at peace with how the year went, but I’m not at peace where we are as a team,” Beal said. “I have a low patience level. It’s not like I’m not angry. I’m definitely disappointed, but I’m not going to sit up here and show that. I’m frustrated. I’m angry. But I expressed that to the necessary voices and people who need to hear it.”
Beal falls on the list of star players who have championship aspirations, but are playing on teams that simply are not close to contending. Though he signed a five-year extension prior to the season, he has also made it clear that there is a limit to his patience. The Wizards do not appear to have hit it yet, but this definitely looks like a warning.
Beal is not the only star in this situation. It may be that Beal gives the Wizards one more season to show themselves as being on the right track.
Sep 11, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance (5) drops back to pass against the Chicago Bears during the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
Trey Lance is trying to revive his career, and he seems to have turned to a pretty good quarterback in order to do it.
UCLA quarterback Dante Moore shared a picture of himself working out with Lance and Patrick Mahomes. Akash Anavarathan of Niners Nation noted that Lance has also been spending time in Dallas, where Mahomes is known to spend his offseasons.
Trey Lance, Patrick Mahomes and UCLA quarterback Dante Moore all working together.
Lance has been spending time in Dallas, where Mahomes spends his off-seasons too. pic.twitter.com/M6isUh2wMo
Lance was the No. 3 pick just two years ago, but is facing an uphill battle to take the starting job away from Brock Purdy. Turning to Mahomes probably isn’t the worst thing he could do to improve, and there are indications he has already made some big changes as he works to get himself back on track.
Lance got two starts before suffering a season-ending injury last season. He’ll have a lot of attention on him in training camp, and if he looks sharp, he might have Mahomes to thank, at least in part.
Apr 8, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Adam Duvall (18) receives congratulations from teammates after he hits a three run home run in the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Red Sox got some very bad injury news on a player who has been a big part of their early success this season.
Adam Duvall suffered a broken wrist in Sunday’s game against the Detroit Tigers, according to manager Alex Cora. The outfielder has already been placed on the injured list. Duvall has no timetable for a return and may still require surgery.
Adam Duvall’s wrist is broken, per Alex Cora. Distal radius fracture. No timetable yet. Unclear if surgery is needed.
Duvall suffered the injury late in a 4-1 win, when he hurt his surgically-repaired wrist while diving for a fly ball.
This is a big blow for the Red Sox, as Duvall had been on a tear to start the season. In his first eight games, he hit four home runs and five doubles while driving in 14 runs. Admittedly, one of those homers came in rather fortuitous circumstances, but there is no taking away his dominance. The Red Sox will miss him.
Jul 10, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Former basketball player Paul Pierce arrives on the red carpet at Microsoft Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Those waiting for Paul Pierce to apologize … are just going to have to keep on waiting.
Speaking this week on the “I AM ATHLETE” podcast, the retired Basketball Hall of Famer Pierce made blunt comments about his firing from ESPN. Pierce was let go in 2021 after filming himself on an Instagram Live video participating in a poker game while drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, and being surrounded by women in bikinis. You can see that video here.
“I got fired by having some entertainment,” said Pierce. “I’m playing cards. It’s my boy’s birthday. It’s girls dancing and we blowing some tree. What did I do wrong? … It wasn’t my house.”
Here is the full clip of Pierce’s comments (but beware of the bad language).
Paul Pierce recounts being fired from ESPN on his day off:
“I got fired for having some entertainment. What did I do wrong?” 🤷🏾♂️
Pierce, now 45, worked at ESPN as an NBA analyst after retiring as a player in 2017. He was a memorable on-air personality for the network … but not always for good reasons since plenty of his opinions sparked criticism.
As for Pierce’s firing, it probably wasn’t so much what he did but rather that he filmed himself doing so. ESPN, owned by Disney, is essentially a family company, and the optics of keeping Pierce around after those on-camera shenanigans would have been pretty terrible.
Despite no longer having a platform at ESPN, Pierce has been far from quiet since being canned. He has even taken other big shots at the network before.
A look at the Pacific Ocean from inside the living room of Chris Chelios’ home in Malibu. Photo Courtesy of Mike Helfrich via TopTenRealEstateDeals.com
Hockey Hall of Fame member Chris Chelios is selling his Malibu mansion for big-time money.
Chelios is listing his Paradise Cove beach home in Malibu for $75 million. The house overlooks the Pacific Ocean from the beach in Malibu. The main home features five bedrooms, while there is a guest home below that has a bedroom and kitchen.
The property includes multiple decks for outdoor living and enjoying the views. There is a pool and spa, workout area, and putting green. The entire lot spans 1.7 acres.
Former NHL defenseman and three-time Stanley Cup champion Chris Chelios has listed his Malibu beach home for sale at a staggering price of $75 million. Chelios and his wife, Tracee Chelios, originally purchased the property for $6 million back in 2003.https://t.co/pdb3lcYxnFpic.twitter.com/nkUYoL5K9O
Chelios and his wife originally purchased the property for $6 million in 2003. The two are hoping to move closer to their grandchildren. They would like to buy a similar-type home on Lake Michigan if possible.
Chelios, 61, was a three-time Stanley Cup champion. The 11-time All-Star defenseman played for the Canadiens, Blackhawks, Red Wings and Thrashers. He also represented the U.S. in international play, winning a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Mar 13, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) warms up prior to the game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels punched a wall in frustration during Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, and the stunt likely cost him the remainder of the season.
The Timberwolves announced on Monday that McDaniels suffered fractures of his third and fourth metacarpals in his right hand. McDaniels’ hand has been placed in a cast and he will be out indefinitely.
McDaniels was frustrated after he picked up his second foul in the first quarter of Minnesota’s win over the Pelicans. He walked off the floor after being subbed out and punched a wall in the tunnel on his way to the locker room (video here).
McDaniels, a first-round pick back in 2020, broke out this season on the strength of his defensive play. He emerged as one of the top wing defenders in the league and locked down numerous opposing scorers with his nearly seven-foot wingspan and relentless ball pursuit. He also scored 12.2 points a game on 51.7 percent shooting from the floor and 39.9 percent from 3-point range, which were all career highs.
Between McDaniels’ unfortunate injury and Rudy Gobert’s suspension for punching a teammate, the Timberwolves are not in the position they had hoped heading into Tuesday’s play-in tournament game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
