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#pounditThursday, March 28, 2024

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Warriors plotting major lineup change for closeout game against Nuggets

Steve Kerr looks on from the sideline

Jan 18, 2020; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr stands on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

After failing to sweep the Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr appears to be ready to play the ace up his sleeve.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Wednesday that the Warriors are leaning towards starting their modern-day “Death Lineup” against Denver in Game 5 of their first-round series. That lineup consists of Steph Curry, Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green.

To this point, the Warriors had been bringing Curry, who was coming off a foot injury, off the bench and starting Kevon Looney at center. Their Curry-Poole-Thompson-Wiggins-Green lineup has been an absolutely destructive force however, outscoring the Nuggets by 34.4 points per 100 possessions this series (per NBA.com).

The Warriors were definitely angered by Sunday’s Game 4 defeat to Denver. Going small, quick, and potent (a Kerr specialty) to start Wednesday’s game may be their way of saying that enough is enough.

Doc Rivers defends himself over infamous 3-1 series collapses

Doc Rivers in a suit

Photo Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA Today Sports

Doc Rivers’ history of blowing 3-1 leads in the playoffs is a sensitive subject for him.

Rivers got testy on Wednesday when asked at a media session about his record blowing 3-1 leads in the playoffs. As a head coach, Rivers has blown 3-1 series leads on three occasions.

2003 First Round: Rivers’ Orlando Magic blew 3-1 lead on Detroit Pistons
2015 Second Round: Rivers’ LA Clippers blew a 3-1 lead on the Houston Rockets
2020 Second Round: Rivers’ LA Clippers blew a 3-1 lead on the Denver Nuggets (in the bubble)

Rivers defended himself in the face of questioning about his pattern. He argued why each situation was different and not as bad as it sounds collectively.

The questions about Rivers are popping up again due to Philly’s current situation.

The 76ers took a 3-0 lead in their first-round playoff series with the Toronto Raptors. They have since lost two in a row and now lead 3-2.

Rivers can help quiet some of the questions if his team closes out the series in Game 6 on Thursday night. If they don’t, he’ll be facing much more ridicule.

Russell Westbrook scrubs his Instagram profile

Russell Westbrook dribbling

Dec 28, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook (0) in action during the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Is Russell Westbrook aiming for a fresh start? That’s what some are wondering.

Westbrook scrubbed his entire Instagram profile over the last 24 hours. His profile currently shows no photos and no posts.

Westbrook’s profile does contain an avatar showing a picture of a Russell Westbrook Lakers bobblehead doll. So that’s still a decent sign about his relationship with the Lakers.

We have seen this sort of social media behavior become a trend for athletes prior to some sort of announcement, usually regarding their future. People usually don’t start scrubbing their profiles unless they’re unhappy with their current standing.

Westbrook was recruited to the Lakers by LeBron James. Then the season became a total flop, with the Lakers not even making the postseason. Westbrook deserved a lot of blame for his poor play and defiant attitude, and he became a scapegoat for many.

Westbrook is not expected to return to the Lakers next season. An interesting question is what team would actually want him on their roster next season, especially considering his $47 million salary.

Police investigating claim that college baseball team tried to poison opponent

Kansas Wesleyan water cooler poison

Police have opened an official investigation after a college baseball team claimed their opponent attempted to poison them during a game last week.

According to police records obtained by TMZ, Kansas Wesleyan University filed an incident report with the Lindsborg Police Department in Kansas in which multiple unnamed people are listed as victims. The report stems from an allegation that someone with Bethany College tried to poison Kansas Wesleyan’s team water cooler in order to get their players sick.

The alleged incident occurred on April 24, which is when KWU played the third of a three-game series against Bethany College. KWU won the game in an insane 33-2 blowout. After the game, a Twitter account called KWU Barstool shared a photo of what allegedly showed paint thinner in Kansas Wesleyan’s water cooler.

The Twitter account is not affiliated with KWU or Barstool Sports, according to TMZ. The allegation, however, is being taken seriously.

“Kansas Wesleyan is aware of the primary tweet — made by an account not affiliated with the university — regarding this situation,” KWU said in a statement. “We take this extremely seriously. Therefore, we immediately began a thorough, in-depth review, with the priority of putting the health and safety of our student-athletes first.”

The offenses listed in the incident report include criminal threat, contaminated food/water sources, battery, knowing/recklessly causing bodily harm and criminal damage to property.

Laremy Tunsil selling infamous gas mask video as NFT

Laremy Tunsil at the Pro Bowl

Jan 22, 2020; Kissimmiee, Florida, USA; Baltimore Ravens tackle Laremy Tunsil (78) during AFC practice at ESPN Wide World of Sports. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It has been six years since Laremy Tunsil infamously fell down the NFL Draft board after his Twitter account was hacked, but the Pro Bowl offensive lineman is not trying to hide from the unfortunate incident. Instead, he is using it to raise some money.

Tunsil was projected to go as high as No. 1 in the 2016 NFL Draft before a video surfaced that showed him smoking weed using a gas mask bong. The clip was posted on Tunsil’s Twitter account just minutes before the draft began. He then slipped to the Miami Dolphins at No. 13. One the eve of the 2022 NFL Draft, Tunsil announced that he is selling his gas mask video as an NFT.

As he mentioned, Tunsil plans to donate a portion of the profits to an organization that supports people who are incarcerated for cannabis-related offenses.

Tunsil had several other red flags leading up to the draft six years ago, but there is no question the bong video hurt his stock the most. He turned into a steal at 13th overall and has been one of the best linemen in the NFL.

The Dolphins traded Tunsil to the Texans in 2019 for a massive package of draft picks. The former Ole Miss star has made two Pro Bowls in three seasons with Houston.

Report: Ben Simmons has ‘mental block’ that contributes to back issues

Ben Simmons in a tank top

May 13, 2021; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) warms up prior to the game against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Ben Simmons did not play at all for the Brooklyn Nets after they acquired him in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers in February. He was expected to make his debut for the franchise at some point during the opening round of the playoffs, but so-called physical and mental hurdles prevented him from doing that. Apparently the two are correlated.

Simmons was targeting a Game 4 return in Brooklyn’s series against the Boston Celtics. He woke up the day before with back soreness and was ruled out. The Nets were then swept. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Simmons and Simmons’ agent Rich Paul met with the Nets on Monday to discuss how the two sides can address the “physical and mental hurdles” that have prevented the star point guard from playing.

So which one is it? Did Simmons miss the entire 2021-22 season due to a back issue, or was he not mentally ready to play? Simmons says it was both, and one can cause the other. Sources told Shams Charania of The Athletic that Simmons explained to Nets officials in Monday’s meeting that “a mental block exists for him, dating in part to last summer’s postseason, which is creating stress that could serve as a trigger point for his back issues.”

Sources also told Charania that Simmons was pain-free for the majority of the past month. He began to complain of soreness again recently, which resulted in a scheduled scrimmage being pushed back. Simmons then took part in two scrimmages last week and another workout on Saturday. He did not express concerns immediately after Saturday’s workout but told the team on Sunday that his back was sore.

Nets players were surprised at what they perceived as a lack of effort by Simmons to push through his issues to help them in the postseason, according to Charania.

The Nets are obviously concerned, and you can understand why. One report claimed people close to the situation have already had enough of Simmons.

Simmons is signed through the 2024-25 season. Even if the Nets wanted to trade him this offseason, he has virtually no trade value. They will likely have to ride it out and hope for the best.

AFC team to make ‘Godfather’ offer for Deebo Samuel?

Deebo Samuel warms up

Aug 29, 2021; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel (19) before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco 49ers have maintained that they do not want to part ways with Deebo Samuel, but there is one team in particular that could potentially persuade them with a massive trade offer.

Niners general manager John Lynch said on Monday that he cannot envision trading Samuel. He did, however, admit that the team at least listens to offers for any player. During an appearance on Trey Wingo’s “Draft Insiders” podcast this week, Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network said there is a belief around the NFL that the New York Jets will make a “Godfather” offer for Samuel. That is, an offer San Francisco cannot refuse.

“The feeling inside the league is the Niners are listening to offers for Deebo Samuel and the Jets are gonna put together such a massive package that the Niners are not gonna be able to turn it away,” Pauline said. “Everyone says that Kyle Shanahan would like to keep Deebo Samuel. But again, the feeling is, as they said in “The Godfather,” the Jets are going to make the Niners an offer they can’t refuse. That is the word in league circles.”

Pauline said one team executive told him he believes the 49ers will have the 10th overall pick in Thursday night’s draft — not the Jets. If New York does swing a trade for Samuel, that pick would almost certainly be part of the package.

The Jets tried to trade for Tyreek Hill, but the Kansas City Chiefs gave the dynamic receiver his choice of New York or the Miami Dolphins. Hill chose the latter. There were also numerous reports that the Jets wanted to pry DK Metcalf away from the Seattle Seahawks, but it does not sound like that is going to happen.

Samuel has not exactly been shy in expressing that he wants out of San Francisco. If the Niners cannot change his mind, the Jets sound more than prepared to make a deal worth their while.

Look: Giannis Antetokounmpo takes his love of Oreos to the next level

Giannis Antetokounmpo warming up

Oct 23, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) warms up before the game against the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

Giannis Antetokounmpo is focused on trying to help the Milwaukee Bucks close out the Chicago Bulls, but the two-time MVP still has plenty of time for his favorite snack.

Giannis loves Oreos. He has been open about this on more than one occasion. On Tuesday night, Antetokounmpo’s wife Mariah Riddlesprigger started recording an Instagram live video when her husband was meticulously loading several packages of Oreos into two enormous glass jars. She jokingly asked Giannis if he learned the move from “Keeping up with the Kardashians.”

If you are familiar with Antetokounmpo’s obsession with Oreos, the move probably does not surprise you.

Giannis has always loved Oreos, but it wasn’t until last year that he learned about dunking them in milk. He said that was a total game-changer for him and went into hilarious detail about how much he loves it.

The Bucks will just have to trust that Giannis knows his Oreo tolerance. The last thing they need is an Oreo overdose the night before a potential series-clinching playoff game.

Former Alabama star’s camp responds to ‘fake news’ ahead of draft

Evan Neal at the Scouting Combine

Mar 3, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman Evan Neal during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

A report this week claimed that several NFL teams have concerns about an undisclosed medical condition for offensive lineman Evan Neal leading up to the draft, and the former Alabama star is pushing back.

Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com was told by sources that some teams have medically flunked Neal and removed him from their draft boards. Campbell said the exact nature of the medical issue was shared with him, but he did not pass it on to protect Neal’s privacy.

Neal’s personal coach, Duke Manyweather, says the information in the report is completely inaccurate. He said Neal is in perfect health and has not missed a workout since the College Football Playoff National Championship in January.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also cast doubt on the report from WalterFootball.com. Florio was told that Neal was not asked to return to the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis for a medical re-check. That typically means there are no concerns from teams.

As we mentioned previously, the weeks leading up to the NFL Draft are rife with bad information. Teams often leak reports in an attempt to get players to fall down the board. That could be the case with Neal, who is projected by many to go in the first five picks.

There was one other top offensive lineman who was said to have been dropped from certain teams’ draft boards due to injury red flags.

Report: Some NFL teams have removed 2 OL from their draft boards

Evan Neal at the Scouting Combine

Mar 3, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman Evan Neal during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

There are several offensive linemen in the 2022 NFL Draft that are considered first-round talents, but two of them may be falling down the board as the event approaches.

Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com reports that two of the top offensive linemen in the draft — former Alabama tackle Evan Neal and former Central Michigan tackle Bernhard Raimann — were flunked medically by some teams following late medical reports. Campbell did not share the exact nature of the medical concerns out of respect for the players’ privacy.

Neal was considered a lock to be taken in the top 10 and possibly even top 5. Some teams still gave him a passing medical grade, so it would be a surprise if he slipped too far.

Raimann has been projected to go somewhere between the late-first and early-second rounds. There is more of a chance of his stock falling if the medical concerns are legitimate.

Of course, the days leading up to the draft are littered with misinformation. Teams are constantly trying to leak information in an attempt to manipulate the board. Unless there is some sort of serious issue with Neal, we would not expect him to fall very far. Raimann is a bit more of a wild card.