ray Page 28 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
The big man is dead in basketball until further notice
I have a question for both college and NBA basketball fans: When was the last time a team won anything with a low-post big man as their No. 1 option? Purdue’s Zach Edey is going to take home a treasure trove of hardware, and lucky for him, he’ll be at his place of residence to make sure no one poach...
I called Saint Peter’s and Furman, now Auburn is going to take down No. 1 Houston
Now that my undefeated record of picking No. 13 seeds or lower in the NCAA Tournament publicly is still intact after Furman’s victory over Virginia on Thursday, I’m deciding to not rest on my laurels and tell you all about another prediction I made earlier this week. For fans of Deadspin’s Agree to ...
These NBA playoff performers have the most to prove
Every year a group of players enters the NBA playoffs with the weight of their legacy on their shoulders. And every year, all but one player exits bearing even more weight than they went in with. This season is no different, despite the unprecedented parity in the league. So we’ve pinpointed the pla...
Draymond Green drops big facts on Steph Curry vs. Chris Paul debate
Draymond Green is the NBA’s antagonist. He’s always involved in some altercation on the court or spouting off in the media and, more recently, on his own podcast. You can always count on Green speaking his mind and rarely biting his tongue. The latest example came on “The Draymond Green Show” podcas...
Turns out the Nikola Jokić kicks a LOT of balls
Nikola Jokić possesses the most versatile skill set in the entire league. Assists — he’ll dish him. Points — he’ll score ‘em. Rebounds — he’ll grab ‘em in droves. His defensive impact is questionable, despite what metrics might imply, but there’s one area where his game-changing skill has translated...
Lamar Jackson calls cap on NFL insiders working as Ravens' mouthpieces
Lamar Jackson represents himself in his contract negotiations, and he is now speaking for himself while the insiders release whatever morsels of information they have about the marathon discussions between him and the Baltimore Ravens about an extension. Some new information has come from Adam Schef...
The top 18 NBA Draft prospects to watch in the NCAA tournament
We’re less than a week away from the start of the NCAA Tournament and several of the stars that will shine during March Madness will end their college careers during the showcase. While the lose-o-rama for Victor Wembanyama, the projected No. 1 overall pick, has been underway for several months now,...
Ranking all 64 NCAA Tournament teams
No more bubbles. No more first four in or out. No more teams wondering if they made the most exclusive group in college basketball. Only 68 teams of the 350+ Division-I squads have a chance to become national champions now. Before the First Four begins on Tuesday, we’ve ranked every team that hopes ...
Steph Curry is why the Warriors get graded on a curve
Steph Curry lighting it up on a Saturday night in primetime while Mike Breen delivers an emphatic “Bang!” as the background chorus is a familiar scene. Curry is only four games into his latest comeback from his second major injury of the season, but the Milwaukee Bucks presented a litmus test for th...
When keepin’ it real goes wrong: Dillon Brooks awoke a sleeping Draymond
Dillon Brooks must not have seen or fully absorbed peak Chappelle’s Show-era “When Keepin’ It Real Goes Wrong” sketches. This week, Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks tried being his authentic, obnoxious self in an ESPN profile that featured quotes that drew the ire of equally cranky Golden Sta...
Light the beam: The Sacramento Kings on pace for historic offensive output
It’s well past time for a media mea culpa on the Sacramento Kings. That means myself included. Prior to the season, The Athletic’s John Hollinger had the Kings finishing 10th in the West, FiveThirtyEight’s Jared Dubin predicted they’d finish 16 games under .500 and in 12th. DraftKings, Vegas sportsb...
Baltimore Ravens could've avoided the Lamar Jackson contract drama 2 years ago
In August 2021, the Buffalo Bills guaranteed Josh Allen $150 million. He played at a draft-bust level as a rookie, slightly improved in his second season, and after the Bills signed Stefon Diggs, Allen took off in season three. Lamar Jackson was selected in that same draft and in his first full seas...
Jalen Williams is becoming the jewel of this NBA rookie class
For much of the past year, Jalen Williams has been an underground jewel for NBA mole people. He won’t be discussed on First Take because he came from a mid-major and got jammed into one of the NBA’s smallest media markets. ...
Mark Adams almost went full-Greg McDermott — white coaches get away with saying anything
People who claim to know/read the Bible often do things that prove that they don’t actually know/read the Bible — like Mark Adams. If the Texas Tech’s men’s basketball head coach was the theologian he claims to be, he wouldn’t be currently suspended for using language that was marinated with slavery...
Michael Jordan, the best shooting guard in college basketball history? This can’t become canon, it's David Thompson
What do Michael Jordan, JJ Redick, Jerry West, David Thompson, and Ray Allen have in common? College basketball analyst and Lord of Listicles John Whitaker released his top shooting guards in men’s college basketball history last week, and whittled his top five to that group. Unfortunately, his top ...
As expected, Bryce Young measures in at under 6 feet tall at NFL Combine
The question of the combine, draft, decade, football writ large is if smaller quarterbacks can make it in the NFL. Bryce Young’s literal judgment day arrived Saturday and came in at 5-foot-10 ⅛ inch, 204 pounds. Shorter QBs like Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, and Kyler Murray have all performed at MVP ...
Please let the NFL and its owners be dumb enough not to settle with Brian Flores
Less than a month after Brian Flores’ class-action lawsuit against the league and multiple teams for their alleged racist hiring practices wasn’t mentioned at NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s annual press conference at the Super Bowl — where he was pressed again about the lack of diversity in the NF...
The NBA old heads have spoken — and they think LeBron is currently the Association's best player
It’s official, the old heads of the NBA heads have welcomed LeBron James as one of their own. The Athletic recently polled 101 former NBA players, asking which current player is the best player in the Association. In a league that has an abundance of under-30-year-old talent that it is bursting out ...
These are the top 10 young cores in the NBA right now
The “middle class” of the NBA is slowly eroding. Surprisingly, it’s not totally a bad thing. Almost every team has a talented young core with potential, raising parity within the NBA. Even the teams at the bottom of the standings have enough young players to have something to look forward to in two ...
Lamar Jackson’s asking price isn’t the issue in Baltimore — Deshaun Watson’s contract in Cleveland is
In a time in which more people are realizing the importance of self-care and self-worth, one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL is in a situation with his employer that highlights the struggle that oftentimes comes with achieving self-sufficiency. The Baltimore Ravens don’t want to pay Lamar Jackso...