#please he missed his while rookie year for an ACL

[ceedeelamb]

What if I cry ❤️

[packernet]

New Post has been published on https://www.packernet.com/blog/2023/02/12/crossroads/

Crossroads

The Green Bay Packers and a certain QB are, very much, at a crossroads. Since there’s plenty of media chatter about that, this may be a good time to consider other Packers, yes, there are more than 50 who don’t wear #12, who also face a critical crossroads in 2023.

Rashan Gary- Prior to blowing his knee at mid-season in Detroit, Gary was on an All-Pro “break-the-bank” pace. To that point in the season he was one of the most disruptive edge rushers in the league. Heading into the final year of his rookie deal Gary faces the added pressure of having to try and show the form he demonstrated in the first half of ’22, while recovering from a major knee injury. Both Gary and the Packers hope his ACL recovery looks nothing like David Bakhtiari’s up and down return. In the best case scenario, Gary returns in late September, but more likely October. The mega payday that was awaiting him may have to wait depending on his performance in 2023.

Josh Myers- Myers has been “ok.” His performance would seem better if the Chief’s All-Pro Center, Creed Humphrey, wasn’t taken one pick after Myers. Still, Myers shows less consistency than you’d expect from a 2nd round pick out of Ohio State. It’s possible he’d be better suited to push Jon Runyan Jr. at guard. Depending on David Bakhtiari’s return, the Packers also need to find a way to get Zach Tom into the starting offensive line. Training camp might tell us if they’d try Tom at center, or have him challenge for the right tackle job. No matter, Myers needs to recover from an underwhelming sophomore season.

Jon Runyan Jr.- Right guard Jon Runyan Jr. is as steady and reliable in pass blocking as you could hope for from a 5th round pick. His run blocking is well below average. To truly compete for a Super Bowl the Packers need more power, dominance and consistency from their entire offensive line. As with Josh Myers, the Packers need to push JRJ with competition.

Eric Stokes- Stokes was very good in his rookie year using his stunning speed to close gaps in coverage. The rap on him coming out of college was great speed and solid coverage skills, but no instincts when the ball is in the air. Although he was good as a rookie, he did show the “lack of ball skills.” Stokes regressed in 2022. Then, a somewhat mysterious knee/ankle injury ended his season. In year-3 Stokes has a lot to prove, while also recovering from the knee/ankle injury. The starting corner spot he reclaimed in 2022 is more likely to be Rasul Douglas’s to lose. Stokes has some proving to do, with a 5th year option decision on the horizon.

De‘Vondre Campbell- Will the real De”Vondre Campbell please stand up? Are you the sure-tackling, “savvy in coverage,” “always-in-the-right-place” turnover creating-first team All Pro seen in 2021? Or, are you the “step slow,” missing tackles, getting beaten in coverage version from 2022? Campbell’s contract and pedigree means he’ll be back. The Packers need something closer to his 2021 performance.

AJ Dillon- With nicknames as cool as “Quadzilla” and the “Quad Father,” you need to be a rugged, brute of running back that no one wants to tackle. That’s who we thought AJ Dillon was after his impressive second season in 2021. Visions of a 2022 version of Dillon complimenting Aaron Jones and demoralizing defenses late in the game appeared only rarely, if at all. His average per carry and total rushing yards dropped. Dropped passes went up. His TD’s went up but not enough to inspire. He’s been a productive, durable player, but his third year did not deliver on the expected potential of a 2nd round pick. Can he change that narrative in 2023?

Jordan Love- Through no fault of his own, Love is already a lightning rod of controversy in 2023. He could be the starting QB. He could be the back-up QB. He could be traded to a new team, where you’d expect him to be the favorite to be their starting QB. Since his controversial selection by Green Bay, Love has mostly looked over his head, and not ready to be an NFL starting QB. Last year, both in pre-season, and a quarter-plus against Philadelphia, he showed significant growth, impressive arm strength and command of the offense. Heading into his fourth season, his 2022 performance was enough to make us wonder—doesn’t he need to get his real chance now?

Except for Love, none of these players crossroads seasons hang on the decision from Aaron Rodgers. Which direction they go from here will impact the Packers fortunes in ’23 and beyond.

[tkmedia]

Ravens Rookie Ben Cleveland Begins Competition At LG On NFI List, Likely Due To Failed Conditioning Test

The Baltimore Ravens are known for being among the strictest physical evaluators in the NFL. I don’t have the numbers, but I’m sure you can put up their record of failing players on their physicals against anybody else in the league. Ask almost-Ravens wide receiver Ryan Grant. Another obstacle that is notoriously difficult to pass is the Ravens’ opening training camp conditioning test. That’s something rookie lineman Ben Cleveland just found out, as he failed the conditioning test yesterday, and now finds himself starting out his rookie training camp on the Non-Football Injury List. The third-round pick was joined by rookie free agent tight end Jake Breeland on the Non-Football Injury List. Unlike Cleveland, however, Breeland is still recovering from an ACL and meniscus tear that he suffered in October. While the reason was not announced, it is extremely likely, as history shows, that Cleveland was placed on the list because he failed the conditioning test, and it’s actually somewhat remarkable as an indicator that he is the only one to have done so. Usually, the Ravens have at least two or three who fail their first try. As for the unfortunately-named lineman, he is vying for a starting job this Summer, with an opening at left guard after the Ravens moved Bradley Bozeman, their primary starter there for the past couple of years, to the center position. But he is just one of numerous Bens who are also in the mix. There is also Ben Powers, a 2019 fourth-round pick who grew up a Steelers fan. Ben Bredeson is yet another, who was drafted in the fourth round last year. Tyre Phillips is the only likely candidate not named Ben. Phillips, a third-round pick last year, started eight games, and missed four due to injury. One edge that Cleveland has over all of them is simply…mass. He is 6’6”, but he is also listed at 257 pounds according to the Ravens’ website. That is certainly a wide load that would fit their run-first offensive attack plan. Baltimore had had to make a lot of adjustments to their offensive line, much like the Steelers. It’s possible that Ronnie Stanley, assuming he is healthy enough to open the season, will be the only starter in the same position from last season. There is Bozeman, of course, moving from left guard to center, and we’ve already discussed the open competition at left guard. Kevin Zeitler was signed to play right guard. After trading Orlando Brown Jr., they signed Alejandro Villanueva, of course from the Steelers, to play right tackle.

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[junker-town]

Somehow, the NFL is running out of quarterbacks

Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

Quarterbacks are dropping like flies (not Tom Brady and Russell Wilson, though!) while Adam Vinatieri and the Broncos’ pass rush look decidedly not like themselves.

If you’re an NFL fan in 2019, there’s approximately a 1 in 5 chance your quarterback situation is in complete and utter turmoil.

Sam Darnold is out indefinitely for the Jets while he battles mononucleosis. His backup, Trevor Siemian, is out for the year with an ankle injury. Drew Brees will miss six to eight weeks with a torn thumb ligament. Ben Roethlisberger saw those situations and raised them by opting for surgery to repair a torn UCL that will force him to miss the final 14 games of the season.

That’s not all!

Cam Newton hasn’t looked himself all season and missed practice this week with a foot issue. Eli Manning played so poorly through two weeks he gave the Giants no choice but to push rookie Daniel Jones into the starting lineup, ready or not. The Dolphins are sticking with Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 3, but might still go with Josh Rosen should things implode (they will). It won’t make much difference either way.

That’s just THIS week too. Nick Foles had surgery after Week 1, and in August, Andrew Luck decided he’d rather retire than slog through another round of rehab after dealing with injuries throughout the offseason.

The league’s ripe for a changing of the guard, but if your team is suddenly stuck starting a guy who’d been slated for clipboard duty in 2019 you may not feel so confident. Alas, if only there were a free agent available who could step right into the starting lineup ...

So yeah, this season is already exhausting. Is it all worth stressing out about, though?

Crap, what if Tom Brady and Russell Wilson have a point with their pseudoscience?

The early part of this season is taking out starting quarterbacks one by one, as if the football gods had a John Wick marathon over Labor Day weekend and got inspired. Heading into Week 3, only four starting quarterbacks who’ve won a Super Bowl are set to take snaps: Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Joe Flacco.

It’s a strange coincidence several others were either injured or benched within days of each other, especially when you consider how consistent those quarterbacks have been in their long careers. Brees had only missed one start with the Saints due to injury. Manning has started 232 of 234 games he’s played in with the Giants. Roethlisberger’s entire injury history can be best summed up by this Terrell Suggs quote from 2016:

“He’s gonna act like ‘aw, I’m not playing. ... But then he’ll walk his big ass on out there and [I’ll be like] ‘how you doin’ Benjamin.’”

Rodgers (collarbone) and Flacco (hip, ACL) and have both dealt with serious injuries in recent years, too. Not Brady or Wilson, though.

It’s been more than a decade since the 42-year-old Brady has missed a game because of an injury. That’s never happened to the 30-year-old Wilson, who has started every game for the Seahawks since they drafted him in 2012 despite having a dismal OL for most of his career. Both players have also publicly lent their support to snake oil-type miracle cures like the TB12 Method and nanobubbles.

And while their peers are dropping like flies, Brady and Wilson are putting up MVP-like numbers:

Brady, for the 2-0 Patriots: 68.8% completion, 605 passing yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs, 124.8 passer rating Wilson, for the 2-0 Seahawks: 78.2% completion, 495 passing yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs, 134.5 passer rating

They’re clearly doing something right. Was it the, gulp, TB12 supplements and Recovery Water all along?

Panic index: Brady and Wilson take amazing care of themselves and have also been extremely lucky when it comes to injuries. Hopefully that continues because we don’t want to lose any more starting quarterbacks this year — someone please, bubblewrap Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson immediately. But as Gronk reminded us recently, NFL players are not doctors (Laurent Duvernay-Tardif excluded), so please don’t take medical advice from them.

Cam Newton was used like a running back; now he’s falling apart like one

Newton broke the career rushing touchdowns record for a quarterback three years ago and has added another 14 since. His rushing numbers aren’t just impressive among quarterbacks; two more touchdowns and he’ll be top 50 among running backs.

He’s at 934 career rushing attempts — another NFL record for a quarterback — but now all that wear and tear appears to be catching up with him.

Newton may miss the Panthers’ Week 3 game against the Cardinals due to a foot injury. It’s yet another setback for a player who was once pretty damn invincible. He missed just three games in his first seven years — including the time he only sat out one game after BREAKING HIS BACK in a car crash in 2014.

He’s not as bulletproof anymore. Newton missed the last two games of 2018 with a shoulder injury that required surgery, and now he’s dealing with his foot issue.

When he’s on the field, Newton doesn’t look the same. He’s still capable of making most of the throws, but when his feet aren’t underneath him, he struggles to get any velocity on the ball.

That’s not an easy throw to make, but it’s one that Newton of yesteryear completes, no problem. It was especially telling when Christian McCaffrey was stuffed trying to get 2 yards for a game-winning touchdown against the Buccaneers. That’s a situation that has been an automatic rushing touchdown for Newton for almost his entire career.

Running backs break down faster than any position in the NFL and often retire around 30. Did the Panthers put Newton — who is now 30 — on that career track by using him like a running back?

Panic index: A few minor injuries for Newton doesn’t mean his career is about to end. It’s possible, though, that his days running through defenses are behind him. If that means he has to transition into being a pocket passer and nothing more, that’s a problem. He’s never been much more than average at that.

The Broncos’ once-fearsome pass rush doesn’t have a sack in 2019

Von Miller and Bradley Chubb combined for 26.5 sacks last season. Through two games this fall, they’ve combined for zero. The rest of the Broncos’ defense has ... zero.

This is a problem. John Elway’s plan in 2019, as it was in 2018, is to hope a caretaker veteran quarterback could provide just enough support to push Denver to the postseason. That didn’t work with Case Keenum at the helm, and it’s not working with Joe Flacco. The former Raven is the engine behind an offense that’s scored only 30 points so far this year.

Flacco is 34 years old and has been only of the league’s least efficient passers since his Super Bowl 47 triumph. He’s not going to be much better than he has been. That leaves the heavy lifting of Denver’s playoff hopes on a once-triumphant defense that has seen its sack rate go from seventh-best in the league to dead last. The Broncos only have three QB hits on the season. All have come from Chubb, and one was wiped away by the especially ticky-tack roughing the passer call that helped the Bears win in Week 2:

Opponents have been able to make Vic Fangio’s pass rush obsolete by focusing on the Denver dynamic duo and daring the rest of the defense to make plays. They’ve been wholly unable to so far — per SIS, that pair only has two QB pressures between them — even against the underwhelming early-season combo of Derek Carr and Mitchell Trubisky. Unless someone else can step up and make opposing QBs uncomfortable, the Broncos may be relying on Flacco to gunsling his way to wins.

Panic index: Relying on late-stage Flacco is not a good sign. If Denver wants to pivot away from that, it’ll need big contributions from defensive linemen like Adam Gotsis and Derek Wolfe. At least Josey Jewell’s looked good so far!

Adam Vinatieri isn’t retiring, but he’s dealing with “demons”

Adam Vinatieri is the oldest player in the NFL and one of the last people anybody expected to be worried about going into this season. The 46-year-old is arguably the greatest kicker in NFL history, but he’s now missed kicks in each of his past three games, dating back to the Divisional Round of the playoffs last season.

In that game, Vinatieri missed a 23-yard field goal and an extra point. In Week 1 this season, he went 1-for-3 on extra point attempts. In Week 2, he was 1-of-3 on field goal attempts and 1-of-2 on extra points. That’s seven missed kicks in three games for the NFL’s all-time field goal leader.

After Sunday’s game against Tennessee, Vinatieri gave a cryptic message that led many to believe he was going to announce his retirement. That didn’t happen and he later said he’s just battling some “demons” right now and needs to get past them.

Of course, there were also reports that the Colts were attempting to persuade Vinatieri to stick around, and worked out six kickers, which they wouldn’t need to do if he wasn’t considering retirement — or if they weren’t considering moving on.

Panic index: It would be a shame for the Colts to lose both Andrew Luck AND Vinatieri in one season. That said, kickers are making more and more headlines in recent seasons and if the pressure is getting to him right now, that pressure is probably only going to increase. The Colts, at least, are sticking by Vinatieri for the time being. Hopefully a legend like Vinatieri gets to go out on his own terms, whenever that is.

The Chargers are slipping back into bad habits

Every year, we expect big things out of the Chargers. Philip Rivers is a great quarterback and they have a roster loaded with talent elsewhere. But they constantly underperform, and get by ravaged by injuries and kicking issues.

This season, it looks like not much has changed. Last weekend, Rivers couldn’t throw a touchdown against the Lions, punter Ty Long (filling in for injured kicker Michael Badgley) missed field goal attempts, the Chargers shot themselves in the foot with penalties, and then lost a low-scoring affair, 13-10. That came after a narrow 30-24 overtime win over the Colts in Week 1.

Not helping matters is tight end Hunter Henry is injured again, and the team just placed safety Adrian Phillips, who was filling in for Derwin James, on IR.

Meanwhile, running back Melvin Gordon is still holding out. Even though Austin Ekeler has looked decent, he hasn’t eclipsed 70 yards in either of the two games thus far this season and also had a costly fumble at the goal line against the Lions.

All in all, the Chargers look disorganized and uncertain ... again.

Panic index: The Chargers are pretty used to being here. Since 2015, they’ve started every season at 0-3 or 1-2, and in some of those cases (including last year) they turned things around. After starting 1-2 last season, the Chargers finished with a 12-4 record and made the playoffs. It’s not time to panic yet, but one has to wonder why they’re so sluggish to start so often.

[grazianosportsreviewgroup]

Final Non-Fiction Essay

Ron Graziano

Nonfiction Expository Essay

2/12/19

Damaged Petals

As I got out of my dad’s Jeep, and stepped into the frigid Chicago weather in the middle of December, I started on the all too familiar two block walk from the parking lot to the entrance of the United Center.  Tonight at the U.C. the Bulls would be hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves.  Halfway into my walk I stopped to notice my surroundings; to my left, and only a few miles away, the magnificent Chicago Skyline gleams in the darkness.  A city that was once burnt to the ground and since built up bigger and better than ever. The skyline is something more than simply pleasing to look at, to a true Chicagoan it carries with it a message of hard work, possibility, and success.  Even with living in or near the city my entire life, every time I see the skyline it still gives me goosebumps.  Then I turned to my right and looked down the opposite direction on Madison street.  What I see is the beginning of a much darker more sinister side of the great city, only a few blocks down, start the gang infested projects of Chicago.

It’s no secret that Chicago’s west and south sides are home to some of the most dangerous street gangs in America.  According to Forbes, “Since 2001, Chicago has experienced 7,916 murders (as of September 06, 2016). The number of Americans killed in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq was 2,384 and 4,504 respectively since 2001.”(McCarthy Niall).  Due to this extreme violence in the city, Chicago is referred to by many as Chiraq.  As you can imagine growing up on these streets, simply surviving day to day can be difficult, let alone trying to better yourself and family with these disastrous circumstances.  However, again right smack in between these two drastically different sides of the city sits the United Center.  Acting as a secret portal for a very select few of lucky individuals to move from one side of the city to the other; from poverty and violence to success and fame.  How do you access this secret portal, it's quite simple, be one of the best basketball players in the world.

Tonight one of Chiraq’s own, Derrick Rose, would be returning to the United Center with vengeance and in hopes to prove he still deserves access to the secret portal and the success and recognition that is awarded on the other side.  As unlike many, as quick as Derrick was able to use his freakish athletic ability and talent to reach the portal, it closed on him due to numerous devastating injuries that left him no longer able to perform at the same level.  Derrick’s return ladies and gentleman is why myself and a fair amount of die hard Bulls fans decided to come out to the United Center on this cold December night.  

Let’s first rewind 10 years and go back to the 2008 NBA draft, and when the portal first opened for Rose: “With the 1st pick in the 2008 NBA draft the Chicago Bulls select Derrick Rose from the University of Memphis.” (David Stern).  It was the perfect story, almost too good to be true, at a less than a 1% chance the kid from streets of Englewood Chicago and best player in the 2008 NBA draft class would be coming home to save the struggling Bulls.  Ever since the end of the Michael Jordan era the Bulls couldn't seem to get over the hump of mediocracy, now there was a newfound sense of hope in the organization and the city of Chicago.  This hope soon turned into a strong sense of belief after Rose lived up to all of the hype and then some, seemingly unguardable off the dribble due to his elusiveness and freakish athletic ability he easily claimed rookie of the year his first season and then at the age of 22 became the youngest MVP in NBA history, while carrying the bulls to the conference championship series for the first time since MJ.  Arguably quicker than anyone before his time, Derrick gained tremendous fame, recognition, and financial benefits.  However as quick as the game of basketball brought all this Success Derrick’s way it was all taken away equally as fast.

Fast forward to the playoffs of the 2011/2012 season, and we see the beginning of the closing of the portal for Derrick.  In round 1, game 1 against the 76ers with 2 minutes left, and the Bulls up 12 points, Derick jumped up on a routine drive to the basket, coming down awkward on his knee and then hitting the ground: "Rose came down bad on his left foot, holding on to his knee, holding on to his knee and down!” (Broadcaster).  The days following the injury the entire city of Chicago held its collective breath hoping the injury would be diagnosed as mere sprain. However, the devastating news would arise that the reigning MVP had torn his ACL.  The heartbreaking fact is that Rose had absolutely no control over the injury; a torn ACL is a freak injury that can happen to anyone at any time.  Rose would miss the entire next season, however he remained strong throughout the recovery process and pledged to come back bigger and better than ever; the portal would remain open for Derrick upon his return.

My family and I entered the stadium and found our seats, right before the player introductions.  The Minnesota Timberwolves being the visiting team were announced first.  Rose’s name is announced and a fair amount of fans paid their respect and clapped for their former MVP; nothing compared to the support during his MVP caliber years.  The game starts and Rose wastes little time, quickly impressing on his once home court.  After dishing out a few pretty dimes, Rose then scored his first point of the game attacking the hoop getting knocked off guard by the defender and somehow getting a fade away floater to fall from what seemed like behind the backboard.  An amazing finish from one of the leagues once best finishers.

After Rose sat out an entire year due to rehab for his torn ACL, Rose would return back to game action in the 2013/2014 season; Unfortunately this return wouldn’t last as long as he’d hope.  Only a few months into the season Rose would suffer another devastating torn ligament in his knee; this time tearing the meniscus in his right knee.  While not as bad of an injury as the ACL, Rose would still be put in the I/R and not return for the remainder of the 2013/2014 season.  Now, with two torn major ligaments in less than two years suffered by a player who predominantly relies on his freakish athletic ability and quickness, many were wondering if the league's youngest MVP would be able to return to the same level of play.  Knowing these devastating injuries may inhibit Derrick’s future ability to successfully perform, the question now becomes, how much longer should/can management and Bulls fans afford to leave the portal open for Rose.

Later in the first quarter Rose continued his dominant play by sifting through the entire Bulls defense and going up and over Chicago big man Lauri Markedden.  Already,  Rose had penetrated the paint and scored 3 times, and it started to feel as if someone had turned back the clocks to the old D-Rose Bulls fans used to watch on a nightly basis at the U.C.  

Now in the 2014/2015 season Rose and the Bulls would be in must-win mode after having 3 lost seasons due to injury.  However, mid way through the season the unthinkable happened: Rose suffered a slight tear in the same meniscus he tore last season.  He would return later in the season, however Chicago would only make it past 1 round of the playoffs.  After a mediocre following season where Bulls missed the playoffs for the first time in 8 years,  the Bulls would proceed to trade Rose to the Knicks; giving up on their once hometown hero, and believed to be next coming of Jordan.  In New York, Rose would now have to attempt to access an even more inpenentral portal called the Madison Square Garden.

Still in the first quarter and Rose is absolutely showing out.  Rose off the dribble during transition pulls up for a mid range jumper and banks it in off the glass; a shot he didn't have before the injuries and that he was able to develop during his time spent in rehab.  Then Rose absolutely blew by Kris Dunn, point guard on the bulls, for an easy teardrop layup, giving him 8 first quarter points.  With Rose leading the Wolves to an 11 point lead after the first quarter many fans in the stadium seemed to increasingly care less about the state of their struggling Bulls, because of the amazing show their former MVP was putting on.

Now playing for the Knicks, Rose struggles out of the gate only showing flashes of his old self, however considering the change of scenery and injuries he’s had to deal with this was expected.  Finally, against all odds, in the second half of the season Rose began to adjust and started playing at a high level again, averaging 18 points a game.   In April however, Rose would tear the meniscus in his other (left) knee.  Again knocking him out for the remainder of the season, and not only striking doubt in his athletic ability upon return but whether or not he could/should even continue playing the game considering the beating his knees had taken in such a short amount of time.

In the second half Rose picked up right where he left off.  After posting 14 first half points Rose started off the 3rd quarter knocking down a contested three; the 3 point shot being another newly developed aspect in Rose’s game.  After hitting this shot you got the sense that Rose wasn’t just playing to get the win for the Wolves but he wanted to put on a show for his old city and prove to everyone who doubted him, everyone that counted him out, he still has it.  Could Rose do the impossible and potentially re-open the portal after it had been seemingly closed for good by the Bulls organization and their fans?

Now in the 2017/2018 season, the portal in New York closes and Rose is forced to search for another organization to give him a chance.  Rose ended up reaching a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, however one that would significantly decrease the benefits on the other side of the portal.   The former MVP of the league from only 5 seasons ago, would just make 2.1 million on a comical 1 year deal, where a starting role wouldn’t be guaranteed.  Rose’s stint with the Cavaliers would end up being a complete trainwreck; Rose would reach rock bottom of his basketball career in Cleveland.  He hardly played for the team due to more injuries, and even ended up stepping away from the team for an extended period of time to consider retirement.  Later in the season he ends up returning to be traded to the jazz and then immediately dropped.  At this point the story of Rose’s career is perceived to be all but written; a player with once one of the greatest potentials and raw talents in NBA history whose career would be unfortunately cut short due to a plethora of horrible knee injuries.  The portal is now closed by all NBA organizations as rose is now regarded as a washed up player with no value/ability.  However, near the end of the season Rose is given a 10 day contract by the Timberwolves.

Now in the 4th quarter with the Timberwolves up 17 points on the Bulls, Rose scored his final bucket of the game and boy was it a memorable one.  Rose put a nasty spin move on Kris Dunn allowing him to get to the rim, where he somehow managed to make the layup while being hacked by a help defender, displaying his famous ability to take a hit and contort his body in mid air all while having the strength, focus, and soft touch to finish the layup.   As Bulls broadcaster Stacy King used to describe him in his MVP days: ‘Too big, too strong, too fast, too good!’.

At the line something truly amazing happened, some Bulls fans began giving rose the M.V.P. chant, and before you knew it every fan still in attendance, joined in and was yelling M.V.P. M.V.P. M.V.P… Rose, gave a quick smile to his once hometown crowd and drained the free throw.  Rose now realizing that the portal that he once used almost on a nightly basis to bring all his success and fortune was successfully reopened for one more night.  

Whether or not Rose can consistently play at this level, and like the player he once was before the injuries is anyone's guess.  However what we do know is in an effort to regain recognition,  Derrick will never give up and stop striving to be the best basketball player in the world, as this very dream is what awarded him his success.  While as rewarding and lucrative this dream is for Rose and anyone who has the ability to utilize the sports portal to gain success, it is important to remember that if one does not possess the increasingly difficult abilities they will never be granted access in the first place, and arguably worse, like in Rose’s case it can easily close due to uncontrollable/external factors.  In the words of Tupac Shakur: “We wouldn't ask why a rose that grew from the concrete (had) damaged petals, in turn, we would all celebrate its tenacity, we would all love its will to reach the sun, well, we are the roses, this is the concrete and these are my damaged petals, don’t ask me why, thank god, and ask me how.” (Tupac Shakur) Due to the unpredictability and lack of security in the current available options for the ‘how’, maybe it’s time we start asking why.

Citations

McCarthy, Niall. “Homicides In Chicago Eclipse U.S. Death Toll In Afghanistan And Iraq.”

Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 8 Sept. 2016.

[bmiremodeling]

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The post Jacksonville durant could replace free agent roach and perhaps appeared first on BMI Group Inc.

[itsasif007-blog]

489 batters and struck out torn ACL Oakland's

New Post has been published on https://www.highasduck.com/489-batters-and-struck-out-torn-acl-oaklands/

489 batters and struck out torn ACL Oakland's

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[shervonfakhimi]

The 2018 Trade Deadline Extravaganza

That was fun. The 2018 trade deadline was an absolute roller coaster. Trades and trades galore. So, what to make of all of it? Here’s what I think of what went down. 

Cavs Retool: So, what the hell just happened? Koby Altman just got rid of more staff workers than Ari Gold merging with TMA. Through the prism of the Kyrie Irving trade of the summer, the Cavs still are not the team they could be with him. But man did they do their best of a bad situation. Cleveland needed a major overhaul and made one. Isaiah Thomas is a ball dominant guard that Brad Stevens, along with the work Isaiah put in, managed to help him thrive all the way to finishing 5th in MVP voting, but that could not happen in Cleveland coming off his hip injury and taking the ball out of LeBron’s hands. Continuing to air out Cleveland’s dirty laundry in the media only made things worse. Getting a secondary scorer in Clarkson who can play off the ball some should help the Cavs more than Isaiah Thomas would. George Hill and Rodney Hood are both players who can play off the ball and create off the dribble too, and bring a defensive presence Cleveland could only dream Isaiah, Rose, Wade and Shumpert, could bring. Larry Nance Jr. will bring an energy and defensive edge the Cavs are not getting right now from Tristan Thompson. The Cavs brought in a renowned energy and versatility to their team all while ridding themselves of the clutter of specialist players like Wade, Rose, Crowder and Shumpert, while simultaneously preserving that coveted Nets pick. Will this trade catapult them over the Warriors. No, likely not. But this helps them become more competitive to keep their crown of the Eastern Conference. It will take time for this team to gel, especially with Love injured until April. It isn’t a lock they make the Finals again, but they definitely got better and increased their odds of doing so, sending a message to LeBron that they want to maximize their window with him. And even if LeBron walks, the Cavs have stashed their roster with more young players in Clarkson, Nance and Hood (though will have to fork up big money to Hood this offseason) along with whoever they select with that Nets pick. Give Koby Altman a lot of credit.

Lakers cap room: Hey did you guys know the Lakers wanted to create money for 2 max contracts this summer? Well, it looked like the Lakers ‘recalibration’ for 2019 was a trap (read that in your best Admiral Akbar voice)! Trading Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance and the $14 million they were owed in 2018 (and 2019) was one of the last steps the Lakers needed to get to that threshold. Now, does that mean the Lakers are going to get one or two of the likes of LeBron James, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler, etc? No, but it does get the Lakers firmly in the game, without sacrificing their main core that includes Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Josh (Barkley) Hart and Julius Randle. Not only do they keep those guys, but they get an extra first round pick in the process. The Lakers scouting department has found some great finds in those late 1st round picks and 2nd round picks. Just think of what they just traded: Jordan Clarkson, a 2nd round pick they bought from the Wizards in 2014, and Larry Nance Jr., a 1st round pick they essentially bought from the Rockets for eating Jeremy Lin’s expiring contract. Kyle Kuzma was drafted at 27, Josh Hart was drafted at 30 and both have made big strides in the Lakers rotation this season. The Lakers are still rebuilding and gathering as many assets as they can. Not only did they manage to nab one in the Cavaliers’ 1st round pick this season, but also have the capability to chase not one, but 2 free agents they need to get to contention. They’ve been trying to trade Clarkson (and Randle and Nance) all year long, and executed the exact trade they sought to make. Rob Pelinka did his job. You’re up, Magic (just do it without tampering, please).

No East Moves? So the Cavs blew up 40% of their team, but no meaningful moves were made by the other Eastern contenders outside of the Celtics signing C Greg Monroe. Perhaps Malachi Richardson becomes a factor in Toronto, but I’m not counting on that yet. With Tyreke Evans and DeAndre Jordan being floated as possibilities for multiple teams in the East along with other ancillary role players who can help, Boston, Toronto nor Washington made a deal. Did they let an opportunity slip? Maybe not. Boston did add another scoring punch in Monroe and held onto Marcus Smart. Toronto already can go about 10 deep and not lose a step, critical in the playoffs. Washington will get John Wall back and are in the midst of a surge, winning 5 of their last 6. Toronto and Boston are still better than the Cavs in the meantime, and Washington and Miami could’ve work their way into the mix with a deal. Will that change in April and May when the Cavs learn the tendencies of their new teammates? We’ll see.

Buy Low Point Guards (Isaiah/Hill/Mudiay/Elf): Maybe it’s just me, but Isaiah Thomas is still a good player. It doesn’t help he’s still shaking off the kinks of a major knee injury. Nonetheless, Thomas fit in in Cleveland about as well as a crocodile in an alligator rally. He’s only shooting roughly 47% from less than 5 feet, and 29.3% on catch and shoot 3s per NBA.com. If he isn’t scoring efficiently, he’s not worth playing with his defensive capabilities, or lack thereof. More possessions with Isaiah shooting misses is less possessions for LeBron to create, and he didn’t bring the requisite spacing needed to play with LeBron. That compounded the locker room issues he brought, where he, to quote on Kanye West, was talking to the media like it’s you and me. Now in Los Angeles, Lonzo Ball will still start, but does not need the ball as much as LeBron does and can defend the quicker point guards Isaiah will face night-to-night. It will be tricky with Brandon Ingram playing well as the de-facto point guard in this winning surge the Lakers are on right now, but Isaiah should be able to fit in better with this younger, more athletic Laker team that can play to his strengths and shield his weaknesses a little better than Cleveland could.

George Hill is not Kyrie Irving. He is not the Isaiah Thomas of last season. But, he is about as well a replacement Cleveland could realistically get. He has the length and athleticism to not just guard, but put pressure on opposing guards and wings to go with plenty of playoff experience. The fit should be cleaner too. He currently leads the league, the entirely league, in 3 point percentage at 45.3%, and is shooting 47.1% on catch-and-shoot 3s, per NBA.com. Hill also fits in as a more than serviceable secondary ball hander and playmaker. The chemistry he and Rodney Hood had in Utah should surely translate over onto Cleveland. While his defense has not been as staunch this season (90th in ESPN’s RPM, 1 spot above Isaiah Thomas), that speaks more to a lackluster effort playing on a rebuilding that doesn’t understand all the little nuances of NBA defense. Playing on a championship contender should rejuvenate Hill and bring out the player from San Antonio, Indiana and Utah.

Perhaps the most intriguing non-Cleveland trade made today was the New York Knicks acquiring Emmanuel Mudiay from Denver in a 3 team trade, giving up Doug McDermott for him. While benefiting financially, getting a season and a half of Mudiay on a rookie scale contract for McDermott’s expiring contract, it is a great buy-low opportunity. Mudiay’s seen an increase in field goal and 3 point field goal percentage and his scoring per 36 minutes is a career high 17.2, per Basketball-Reference. He has generally played with a bit more of a feel at a slower pace, critical for young point guards. Denver is in win now mode and Devin Harris should help in that regard, especially defense. But, it takes time for point guards to grow in the NBA, much like young quarterbacks in the NFL. It varies for when it ‘clicks’ for each player, and it didn’t seem like Denver was the place it would click for Mudiay with Jamal Murray’s emergence. After Kristaps Porzingis’ horrific ACL injury this week, it doesn’t hurt the Knicks to find out what they could have in Mudiay and give him and Frank Ntilikina the keys to the car this season to grow during the 2nd half of the season. Keep an eye on Emmanuel Mudiay in New York.

Plenty of players have moved on from the wasteland that is Orlando to see success everywhere (Victor Oladipo and Shabazz Napier, to name a couple). Could the same be said for Elfrid ‘The Weeknd’ Payton? Perhaps. Spacing could be jammed with Josh Jackson another ballhandler and playmaker on the floor. At the very least, Payton is capable of defending opposing teams’ best perimeter playmaker and ease that responsibility off of Devin Booker. After trading Eric Bledsoe, the Suns did not have another starting-caliber Point Guard on the roster. Tyler Ulis is a more than capable backup, but overmatched as a starter. Is Elfrid Payton the future Point Guard for the Suns? I don’t think even they know the answer to that. But with 3 2nd Round Picks this upcoming draft, giving one up for a player who fills a role and will be re-attainable this summer as a restricted free agent is a nice bet for the Suns to take.

Wade back home: The Cleveland Cavaliers essentially gave the Heat back their greatest player in franchise history, Dwyane Wade. All that needs to be said is this is the right thing to do for both Wade and the Heat. Welcome back to Wade County.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuNpeCAsePM

Woj vs Shams: The best rivalry in the NBA. Not Warriors-Cavs. Not Warriors-Thunder. Not Joel Embiid vs anybody. The 2 squared off today: master Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN vs his apprentice, Shams Charania of the Vertical. Woj dominated the trade deadline, breaking the biggest trades today involving the Cavs, amongst others. Gotta get him next time, Shams.

[buddyrabrahams]

10 key questions surrounding the 2017 NBA Draft

Seemingly as soon as the Finals ended, the NBA dove right into silly season, with rumors, breaking news, and questions popping up all over the basketball landscape. With the draft quickly approaching, the entire league feels in flux, grasping at ways to compete with the Warriors or make a leap for the future.

Big names like Jimmy Butler and Paul George are rumored to be available, the Cavaliers mutually agreed to part ways with general manager David Griffin, and the Celtics already traded away the top pick in Thursday’s draft.

With still tons of time for moves, schemes, and unexpected changes, this could be one of the wildest draft nights in recent memory. Here are some key questions surrounding the draft.

1. Are the Celtics done dealing?

Boston reaped another major score from the highway-robbery trade that sent Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and others to Brooklyn, and a host of draft assets to the Celtics. After winning the top seed in the East and reaching the conference finals, the Celtics won the lottery and sat atop the draft, on the clock with their pick of the litter.

For most evaluators, the choice was pretty simple: Markelle Fultz is the consensus top prospect and would certainly be able to find a place in Boston’s lineup.

Danny Ainge saw things differently, choosing to send the top pick to Philadelphia for an extra first round pick (either in 2018 or 2019, depending on protections). Logically, the reward doesn’t seem like enough to pass on the chance to take Fultz. In essence, it feels like the Celtics traded a quarter for two dimes.

Perhaps the best reason to have made the trade is in an effort to stockpile pieces to swing another trade. The Celtics may be interested in building a package for George, Butler, or another star. More assets might look better on paper, but Fultz would have been a more attractive trade chip than the two picks Boston swapped for him. If the Celtics do try to make a trade, they might be interested in hanging on to one of the pieces they received from the Sixers to build their ever-evolving roster.

2. Is “The Process” over in Philly?

The Sixers will take Markelle Fultz with the first pick on Thursday and add their third generational talent under the age of 23. After surviving four seasons near the bottom of the league, Philadelphia is poised to grow into one of the most exciting young cores the NBA has seen in recent years.

Amazingly, the Sixers were able to move up to take Fultz without sacrificing any of the foundational pieces of their roster. Trading two marginal European stashed prospects (likely never to play in the NBA) for Nik Stauskas, some dead money, and tons of draft capital lesd the Sixers to swap the 5th pick for the 3rd pick in this year’s draft. The pick they’ll send to Boston in the future came to Philly either via that trade (from Sacramento) or in exchange for lowly Michael Carter-Williams (from the Lakers via Phoenix).

The wheeling and dealing of former GM Sam Hinkie gave the current front office the tools to acquire the perfect guard to fit with their budding young stars in the frontcourt.

3. What direction are the Lakers going?

Philadelphia will certainly take Fultz first, after the Washington guard visited team headquarters to meet the team and run through some physical and medical tests. After that, the Lakers are on the clock and could drastically change the course of the rest of the draft.

The most likely scenario probably ends up with local product Lonzo Ball staying close to home – convenient given the amount of baggage that will accompany Ball to his pro career. The Lakers didn’t need a point guard, until they shipped D’Angelo Russell in a trade to Brooklyn.

Now Ball’s path to his hometown team seemed perfectly paved for his arrival. TNT’s David Aldridge, however, reported that the Lakers discussed trading the second pick to the Kings for both of Sacramento’s top ten picks.

Lakers, per sources, engaged Sacramento in talks that would have sent the 2nd pick to the Kings for Sac’s two 1st-rounders (5 and 10) (1/2)

— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) June 21, 2017

That would certainly contradict the idea that Los Angeles is in love with Lonzo Ball. Of course, this is all part of the Lakers’ efforts to acquire Paul George, who has expressed interest playing near his childhood home, without a contending team swooping in with a better offer for Indiana. It’s really enough to make anyone’s head spin, let alone a newly constructed front office that includes first time executives Rob Palinka and Magic Johnson.

4. Who will linger in the green room?

Even after the Lakers make their selection, there are no obvious player and team fits throughout the top 10. There is a consensus that the top eight or nine prospects are a ways ahead of the next tier, but the margin between each of those players is seen as microscopic. Each team could have a radically different draft board, causing chaos with each name read by Adam Silver.

This could leave one player believed to be a top five talent sliding into the back of the lottery. Two years ago, Justise Winslow received interest as high as the third pick before finally coming off the board as the tenth pick.

If the Lakers and Suns pass on Lonzo Ball, he could still be available as late as the Knicks’ pick at number 8. With teams nitpicking Malik Monk’s size and defensive potential, the Kentucky guard could slide into the double-digit selections. Dennis Smith Jr. has a super high ceiling and a relatively low floor, meaning we could see him taken by Phoenix fourth or not until Miami with the 14th pick.

5. Are the injury prone players worth the risk?

Recent seasons have been flooded by top draft picks unable to play due to injury. Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Jabari Parker, and Dante Exum have all missed entire seasons in their young careers. Some of these players suffered freak injuries, while others had obvious medical issues when they were selected on draft night.

This year’s draft has three players that stand out as possible rolls-of-the-dice medically.

Harry Giles was the top recruit in the nation coming of high school, but after three knee surgeries, he failed to show any explosiveness in his one year at Duke. His game was predicated on his athletic ability and freakish tendencies, though he looked decidedly human at Duke. He may never bounce back from the wear and tear on his knees.

OG Anunoby also suffered a knee injury at Indiana, namely a torn ACL. He’s likely to be ready for opening night, yet he could be severely hampered as he rehabs back into his former self. Anunoby made his living in Bloomington as a blur on the court, streaking around for blocks, dunks, steals, and highlight package plays. If he can only perform at 80 percent of his former athletic capacity, his game would really suffer until he can develop his jump shot and some other fundamental skills.

Lastly, Dennis Smith Jr. showed a lot of promise at North Carolina State last year in the first year after an ACL tear. Generally, players take two full years to return fully from that injury. If Smith has another gear from what he showed as a freshman, he could be a gamechanger as a pro. If his athletic ability has peaked, he could slide down the draft or prove to be a bust.

6. Which veterans could move on draft night?

The draft usually revolves around the young rookies hearing their names called by their new franchises, but occasionally veterans crash the party and a trade is the big story of the day. With every front office on high alert and making constant phone calls, there will be tons of rumors bouncing around this week.

Draft picks lose value once a player is actually selected (and that player’s value plummets once he takes the court as a rookie). Picks derive their value from the hope and promise of the unknown. Teams looking to unload veterans could be enticed to move on in favor of picks and packages of young talent.

Jimmy Butler and Paul George will dominate the conversation, as they did at the trade deadline, though we’ll also hear plenty about Kevin Love, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Eric Bledsoe, Jordan Clarkson, Jahlil Okafor, and even Kristaps Porzingis. Dwight Howard, D’Angelo Russell, and Brook Lopez are already on the move and won’t be alone.

7. Will Phil Jackson make Knicks fans happy?

New York crowds are notoriously tough to please, and Phil Jackson has not quite endeared himself to the fans in the Big Apple in his time at the helm. Porzingis is disgruntled, Carmelo Anthony has always been difficult, and the rest of the roster is full of holes and question marks.

The Knicks should be positioned to land a strong player with the 8th pick, particularly a guard to pair with Porzingis. Reports out of New York’s recent draft workouts have centered around prospects learning or being tested on the triangle offense, causing serious concerns about the team’s motivations. Even scarier, reports say the Knicks are at least listening to trade offers for Porzingis. Nothing at Madison Square Garden seems out of the realm of possibility.

Thursday night Phil Jackson could shake-up the entire league with a trade or simply pick the best player available when on the clock. We won’t know until the commissioner reads the 8th pick, but all eyes will be glued to that selection.

8. Can Sacramento successfully move past the DeMarcus Cousins era?

The Kings are still suffering from years of incompetence in the front office, though Sacramento has a real chance to make noise this week. The Kings own two top ten selections, thanks to the DeMarcus Cousins trade during the season.

Those picks will be crucial for the Kings, without a first round pick in 2019 due to the Stauskas trade with Philadelphia. A core built around Buddy Hield, Skal Labissiere, Willie Cauley-Stein, and these two picks doesn’t seem like the beginnings of a contender, yet it is at least a plan and a path to a better situation than the team has been stuck in for the last decade.

This draft is the first major moment in the post-Cousins era for Sacramento, with a chance to really re-direct the franchise.

9. How much will we see from the Ball family?

As much as dedicated NBA fans want to shake off the effects of Lavar Ball as a sideshow, the Ball family will be front and center Thursday night. We could see Lonzo Ball selected as the second pick to his hometown team and the next chapter in a bizarre storybook unfolds. The Lakers are still wheeling and dealing, with Paul George, not Lonzo Ball, seemingly as their main target. There’s a healthy chance the pick is moved or taken for another team, leaving Ball’s future uncertain.

Teams near the top could be scared off by Ball’s strange jump shot, non-existent defense, and the circus that comes along with Lonzo’s skills. If Ball somehow passes by Phoenix at the fourth pick and Sacramento at fifth, we could be treated to the Knicks on the clock in New York City with Lonzo Ball available at number eight.

That’s the dream for NBA Twitter diehards, but no matter where Ball is selected, everyone is expecting quite the show.

10. Will a college senior be drafted in the first round?

In a bit of a quirk, this year’s first 30 picks may all be underclassmen or international prospects. Each of the last 10 drafts have included a senior chosen in the first round. The latest we’ve seen the first senior off the board in the last 10 years was Trevor Booker as the 23rd pick in 2009.

This year either Villanova’s Josh Hart or Colorado’s Derrick White will likely be the first senior taken, and both are considered fringe first rounders. It is completely conceivable that neither player, or any other four year collegian, is taken before Adam Silver passes over pick announcing to Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum for the second round.

Shane McNichol covers college basketball and the NBA for Larry Brown Sports. He also blogs about basketball at Palestra Back and has contributed to Rush The Court, ESPN.com, and USA Today Sports Weekly. Follow him on Twitter @OnTheShaneTrain.

from Larry Brown Sports http://ift.tt/2sRwqDG

[junker-town]

Pete Carroll’s stubborn run-first attitude cost the Seahawks in Week 9

The Seahawks can’t run the dang ball anymore, but they keep trying anyway.

The Seattle Seahawks started off the season 5-2, but it’s not because of their running game. Thanks to a bad offensive line, multiple injuries, and the tired legs of Eddie Lacy, the Seahawks have one of the NFL’s worst ground games this season. It’s a far cry from the glory days of Marshawn Lynch trucking fools. Even Thomas Rawls’ 2015 breakout feels like a distant memory.

Meanwhile, Russell Wilson keeps making lemonade out of lemons, putting in an MVP effort in last week’s thrilling win over the Houston Texans. He threw for 452 yards and four touchdowns, including the game-winner, while carrying the offense on his back. The running game was a total non-factor, with Lacy and Rawls combining for 12 carries and negative 1 yard. That’s not a typo, look it up.

So how do the Seahawks respond to that game? By doubling down on ground-and-pound, apparently.

Darrell Bevell says Seahawks will start Eddie Lacy this week and "let him go a little bit and see where it goes from there.''

— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) November 1, 2017

Yes, Pete Carroll and Darrell Bevell will just keep trying to party like it’s 2013. Granted, the addition of Duane Brown is a huge boost to the line, but going back to the run-first game plan was suspicious, even in a home game against an injury-ravaged Washington team. It turned out to be disastrous in practice.

Pretty much everything went wrong during the Seahawks’ shocking loss to Washington in Week 9. Blair Walsh missed three field goals, the defense dropped two interceptions, and Seattle committed 16 penalties for 138 yards. But one of the biggest issues was the Seahawks’ insistence on establishing the run, even as the offense stagnated throughout the first half.

Lacy just doesn’t have it anymore, showing little burst or power and constantly setting up negative game script. Wilson faced multiple second- or third-and-longs thanks to the failed runs, putting even more pressure on his shoulders. Lacy ended up with six carries for just 20 yards before leaving with a groin injury in the second quarter. Rawls came in and at least showed some juice between the tackles, but the damage had been done. After three quarters, the Seahawks’ only points came on a safety as they trailed, 10-2.

Wilson pulled off some old tricks and gave Seattle the lead with under two minutes left, but the Seahawks left too much time for Kirk Cousins and the defensive dam broke at the worst time. Washington escaped CenturyLink Field with the 17-14 win, and once again the Seahawks are left with more questions than answers.

The Seahawks have played 8 games. Chris Carson is their leading rusher at RB with 208 yards. He hasn’t played in over a month.

— Dave Softy Mahler (@Softykjr) November 6, 2017

This is what a team with an identity crisis looks like. Carroll and Co. won a Super Bowl by beating down opponents with the ground game, so they keep going back to that well even when it’s not working. We all love Beast Mode, but the past is the past. Lynch ain’t walking through that door, and neither is prime Rawls, who hasn’t been the same since breaking his ankle two years ago.

In the long run, the Seahawks will probably be fine. They almost always are, priding themselves on being a second-half team. Wilson is one of the best quarterbacks in football and he can at least pick up some yards on the ground. The Legion of Boom is still balling. However, Carroll’s dogmatic reliance on a broken run game led to them dropping a winnable game and falling out of first place in the NFC West. This is not a sustainable game plan, and the sooner they figure it out, the better.

So the Seahawks’ coaching staff had the biggest mistakes of Week 9, but there were plenty others across the NFL, starting with an old friend in this column.

Bill O’Brien misuses the clock again

Tom Savage really stunk up the joint, to the surprise of literally nobody. Yet despite his ineptitude, the Texans were in position to beat the Indianapolis Colts at the end, having the ball at the 7-yard line with 18 seconds left and a 20-14 deficit. This would be the perfect time to use some timeouts and draw up the right play, except O’Brien blew two of those in the third quarter. Savage threw three incomplete passes and got strip-sacked to end the game.

When asked about it, O’Brien said, via the Houston Chronicle: “I don't want to hear any BS about clock management this week.” Well, if you say so, Bill.

In other news, the Texans dropped to 3-5 and are now two games behind the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars, both 5-3. Good thing they didn’t already blow two games with their brilliant rookie quarterback before he went down with a torn ACL. That would’ve really hurt their playoff chances.

Vance Joseph might’ve already lost his new-coach smell

The Denver Broncos are in a full-blown crisis, losing five of their last six games and playing noted failed state Brock Osweiler at quarterback. You’d think he’s just keeping the seat warm until Paxton Lynch is cleared from a shoulder injury, but the Broncos already confirmed that he will start against the New England Patriots next week. Tom Brady vs. Osweiler on Sunday Night Football: Good seats still available!

Anyway, the Broncos got boatraced by the Philadelphia Eagles in their latest indignity, and there wasn’t much Joseph could do here. But he raised a few eyebrows by calling two timeouts with less than two minutes left, even when the Eagles had the ball and the game was well in hand.

“That was my decision,'' said Joseph, via 9 News. "We’re just finishing playing the game, that’s my personality. I want to see who is going to finish the game tonight.”

Fair enough, but at that point most people just want the game to be over with. The bigger problem is a busted offense, and it’s looking more and more like the Broncos’ 2018 quarterback isn’t on the 2017 roster.

Jason Garrett, please don’t do this

The Dallas Cowboys ultimately got a comfortable 28-17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, but y’all know how much I hate coaches punting from enemy territory, so Garrett isn’t off the hook. On the Cowboys’ opening possession, Garrett punted on fourth-and-1 from the Chiefs’ 47-yard line.

When you have Ezekiel Elliott and don’t run him on fourth-and-1, I’m going to side-eye the hell out of you. Good win by Dallas, but still. Side eye.

Ben McAdoo ... (stares into space, contemplates the futility of existence)

If he doesn’t have any words, then neither do I.

[junker-town]

NFL Dad, Week 4: More chili and fewer Disney princesses, please

One dad, two toddlers, and six hours of the RedZone Channel: The story

I missed the national anthem because I was making chili.

I did not mean it as a slight to the flag, or to myself as a veteran. I honor and respect my own service. I merely wanted to make sure that the chili came to a boil before I turned it down to simmer for the next several hours.

It’s the first weekend of football where the weather feels like fall, and that means chili. Like certain other internet football writers, I love making chili. But I do not have a spicy chili take for you. My chili take is the same as my guacamole take: the bar is extremely low to be very delicious. Everyone has their magical secret that they claim is the KEY to the tastiest chili on the planet, and they should embrace the truth that gives them the best chili experience. But I think the greater truth is that chili is the ‘94 Cowboys, and we’re all just Barry Switzer.

Hey, don’t feel bad. Switzer won a Super Bowl! He’s like if Mike McCarthy had swag.

EARLY GAMES, FIRST HALF

— Jaguars-Jets, man. We really gonna do this?

And yet: Blake Bortles actually converts a third-and-nine with a real pass, and a few plays later he finds Leonard Fournette on a swing pass for a touchdown. 7-0 Jags in MetLife.

Next drive: Bilal Powell falls to the ground after lunging through the line, then gets up and sprints through the Jacksonville D for a 75-yard touchdown, the longest run in Jets history.

This is gonna be the best game today, huh?

— My son is about to go down for his nap, so I read him The House in the Night, which sounds like a horror movie but I swear is a very good bedtime book for young children. As I read, he glances up at Rams-Cowboys, so I hold the book directly in front of his face. How am I supposed to explain to my kids that the Rams have a good offense?

The kids go down within three minutes of each other. Naptime songs: a Spanish lullaby called “Los Pollitos” for my daughter and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” for my son. I sing or hear “Twinkle Twinkle” probably 10 times a day. It’s the only song my daughter ever requests, and my son has now started humming it throughout the day. You know who sings a great version of it? Lisa Loeb. I long for the day when my kids are hooked on Moana. Moana bangs.

— In one of my fantasy leagues, I’m facing Ezekiel Elliott AND Todd Gurley, making every click to Rams-Cowboys fraught with anxiety. Naturally, Zeke is already scoring on a simple swing pass to the left. Alec Ogletree tried to tackle Elliott by the shoulders instead of pushing him out of bounds. The result: Ogletree is the one who goes flying out of bounds.

— With the exception of Moana and maybe Frozen, the rest of the Disney princesses are a scourge on parenthood. The Disney Princess Industrial Complex essentially operates like the anti-vaccine movement. No matter how many parents want to raise their daughters to be action-oriented, independent problem solvers, there’s always a nanny or a grandmother who’s pushing Sleeping Beauty or Snow White (which are the SAME DAMN STORY), and that shit spreads like the plague.

And regardless of your feelings on feminism, the message isn’t a great one to send your kids. “Got a problem? Just go to sleep and someone will take care of it.” That only works if your dad owns an NFL team.

— Will Fuller catches a 16-yard touchdown from Deshaun Watson, and the Texans are up on the Titans 21-0 early in the 2nd quarter. Wow, isn’t it crazy that the rookie quarterback most prepared for the pros was the guy who was the best player on the field in consecutive national title games against Alabama? Who could have foreseen that? The guy just flew under the radar.

Good job by the Bears to trade up to get the guy who started for NC State for a year, though.

— My daughter is infected with that princess virus, by the way. After spending the last week obsessed with Ariel and The Little Mermaid, the new game we played outside today is “I’m Cinderella!” She pretends to put on a dress, rides in a coach to the ball (the other side of the courtyard), dances, then leaves the ball. Then we play again. And again. And again.

You ever throw a tennis ball for a tireless Labrador retriever? It’s like that. Early on, I make all the horsey sounds on the way to the ball, and I pick her up and waltz in circles while humming “The Blue Danube” (FULL DISCLOSURE: this moment is magical, and by itself justifies having children). By the fifth time, though, it’s like, “OK, sweetie, have fun at the ball,” while I sit on the pavement.

I have never given my daughter a fairy tale book or Disney media of any kind, by the way. Kids just end up with the knowledge and matériel through their toddler network of spies and informants.

— Alfred Morris breaks off a 70-yard run, and I’m enthralled by the prospect of a Cowboys touchdown being scored by someone other than Elliott. But of COURSE Morris gets tackled a few yards short of the goal line.

Zeke, of course, punches it in from two yards out. But wait! It gets overturned on review; the officials rule he was short of the end zone. So, Zeke immediately gets the ball again and scores easily. The lesson? Never play fantasy football.

— I’m seeing it more on Twitter than on RedZone, but Antonio Brown went wild on the Steelers sideline, flipping a Gatorade cooler and yelling at coaches after not getting the ball deep on third down despite being open. Look at this topspin! Rafael Nadal would be jealous.

If you’re inclined to chastise Brown for the angry display, please keep in mind that he has to interact with Todd Haley six days a week. That would push anyone the edge.

— Gio Bernard takes a screen pass and goes 61 yards completely untouched to put the Bengals up 21-0 over the Browns, and I think that’s all I need to write about this game today. The Battle of Ohio: There Couldn’t Possibly Be Less at Stake™.

— Dalvin Cook scores a short TD to put Vikings up 7-3 over the Lions just before halftime. This game has been punt-filled death slog, but Cook justifies its existence. Like Deshaun Watson at quarterback, Cook was the running back who, if you watched what he did in college, you naturally assumed he would be good in the pros*. It’s why I drafted him on three of my four fantasy teams. Love that guy.

*statement applies only to sane people who aren’t NFL scouts

— Juju Smith-Schuster scores and has an INCREDIBLY good TD celebration.

HADOUKEN http://pic.twitter.com/gdHBwEOlmW

— Mike Tunison (@xmasape) October 1, 2017

After the game, Smith-Schuster will insist that this is the kamehameha from Dragon Ball Z, but that’s only because he never had the pleasure of playing Street Fighter.

— Stephen Gostkowski doinks in a 50-yard field goal as the first half ends. The Pats trail 17-16 at home to the Panthers. QUELLE INTRIGUE!

— Facing fourth-and-21 on their own 47 with 22 seconds left in the half, the Jets run a fake punt ... and convert it! Incredible. The MOST Jetsy thing the Jets could have done is hilariously mess that up, but the second-most Jetsy thing is convert it by having one Jet collide into the Jet ballcarrier, inadvertently redirecting him away from tacklers.

... Annnnnnd they missed the ensuing field goal. (*jazz hands*) The Aristo-Jets!

EARLY GAMES, SECOND HALF

— At halftime of the early games, I get to see highlights from this morning’s Dolphins-Saints game in London. Oh my Lord, the Dolphins got shut out by the Saints. THE SAINTS!!! And just a week after Miami managed just six points against the Jets. The Dolphins should be contracted immediately.

I can only assume this was a Cutlerian performance for the ages. (*performs quick Google search*)

Cutler really selling his role in the Wildcat at the bottom of the screen http://pic.twitter.com/WgHxXvxlHL

— Mike Tunison (@xmasape) October 1, 2017

Ohhhh yeah, that’s the stuff! He’s still my favorite NFL player who doesn’t want to be in the NFL.

— The Bills score a defensive TD on a scoop-and-score to take the lead in Atlanta. It’s a questionable call: it could or maybe even should have been ruled a forward pass, but there hasn’t been much about this game that suggests the Falcons should be winning anyway.

— Will Fuller scores on 10-yard fade, his second TD. hey, welcome back, Will Fuller! I remember being excited about Fuller’s career after he opened it with back-to-back 100-yard games. And then: BROCKED. He spent the rest of 2016 in the same barren wilds as DeAndre Hopkins, running fruitless routes as Osweiler checked down to C.J. Fiedorowicz and Ryan Griffin underneath. I hope Fuller and Hopkins score 20 touchdowns apiece this season. They deserve it.

P.S. Deshaun Watson was the top-ranked quarterback in the draft according to ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Focus, and (of course) SB Nation. He was the third selected. The two quarterbacks taken ahead of him have thrown a combined zero passes this season. Try to remember this when the Lamar Jackson smear campaign starts next spring.

— Dalvin Cook grabs his left knee mid-play and fumbles. NOOOOOOO my dear sweet Dalvin! That’s an ACL tear. No need to wait for the reports, that’s as obvious as can be. The Vikings have a 7-6 lead, 25 minutes to play, and Case Keenum at quarterback. I am etching VIKINGS LOSE in my stone tablet.

Elsewhere, Marcus Mariota is out with a hamstring injury, and Julio Jones is out with a hip injury (the Falcons have also lost Mohamed Sanu). No one can have any fun things.

— The Bills appear to be leaning on the run:

11-minute field goal drive by Buffalo. I didn't enjoy it, but it was beautiful

— jason (@JasonKirkSBN) October 1, 2017

— On first-and-goal in Foxborough, Cam Newton keeps a read-option and barrels into the end zone. The Panthers are up two touchdowns in New England with 13 minutes to play, and the Pats defense looks like butt.

The Patriots have allowed the opposing QB to throw for 300+ pass yards in all 4 games this season. They had 3 such games all of last season

— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) October 1, 2017

CORRECTION: The Pats defense IS butt.

— Our dog is giving my wife and I the nervous look that tells us she has to pee. My wife volunteers to take her for a walk, but says, “I’m wearing short-shorts.” Our son is sleeping in our room, so she has no access to warmer pants.

“I cannot help you,” I say, assuming she can be cold for a minute.

“You can give me your pants,” she says. I weigh nearly one-and-half times what she does; my canvas pants seem unlikely to fit.

But I know which battles to fight in marriage, and this hand is an easy fold. Off go my pants. She puts them on. “Do I look like a man?” she asks.

“The important thing is that you’ll be warm,” is the thing I should have said.

— Todd Gurley splits out wide and catches a slant, then looks like Sammy Watkins as he races past the defense. The touchdown gives the Rams the lead, 26-24.

— (*spins Wheel of Misfortune*) C’monnn, Jets! Show me Jets! (*wheel lands on JETS*)

.@MYLESJACK. WOW. 82-yard fumble return TD! #JAXvsNYJ http://pic.twitter.com/MBo9v9P0T8

— NFL (@NFL) October 1, 2017

— Watch out, world! Matt Cassel is here to bring the Titans back! ... down to Earth. Or perhaps a little lower than that. His second interception in seven throws is a pick-six. It’s 54-14, Texans.

Is it still political to suggest that perhaps an NFL team should employ Colin Kaepernick?

— The endings of the early games happen in a flurry just as my children wake up, and it’s goddamn pandemonium in my home. This is merely a summary:

The Falcons choke twice and lose.

The Vikings pretend to have a chance, but they never did.

The Cowboys can’t keep up with the Rams’ furious field goal kicking. Greg Zuerlein finishes with seven FGs and the Cowboys fall, 35-30.

Tom Brady leads the Pats on a comeback to tie the game, but the Panthers kick a game-winning field goal as time expires. The Bills lead the AFC East. The Pats are tied with the Jets. MWAHAHAHAHAHA.

LATE GAMES, FIRST HALF

— This week in Marshawn Lynch:

Raiders RB Marshawn Lynch wearing an "Everybody vs Trump" T-shirt: http://pic.twitter.com/7aiCUbjLUD

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 1, 2017

This Marshawn Lynch and Kevin Durant mural in Oakland is amazing ( : jc.ro / Instagram) http://pic.twitter.com/VIcPdIPqdq

— SB Nation (@SBNation) October 1, 2017

— The chaos of the post-nap toddler rodeo is tamped down by breadsticks and hummus. When in doubt, feed the children.

— All of the early games are over except Jaguars-Jets:

We have OVERTIME! #JAXvsNYJ

— NFL (@NFL) October 1, 2017

I assume the NFL is trying to convey excitement, but it makes more sense if you read that as an urgent public warning. “EVERYBODY! Calmly and quickly move to the exits. This game is going to OVERTIME!”

— Mike Evans scores a touchdown to post the Bucs to an early 7-0 over the Giants in Tampa, where it is 92 degrees and raining on the first day of October. NEVER TAMPA.

— Chili time! It’s only a little after 4:00 — nowhere close to dinner time — but I didn’t eat lunch. Come to think of it, did I even eat breakfast? I take stock of the food I’ve eaten today, and 100% of my food intake is scraps that my children didn’t finish. No wonder I’m running on empty. I fill a ramekin with chili (a full bowl would ruin dinner!) and top it with cheese.

— The Jets win. Whoop-dee-doo. I maintain that we should have sent both teams home with a tie and spared everyone the thrill of extra Josh McCown.

— Some Bronco named Derby makes a spectacular one-handed catch on the sideline for a touchdown.

Easily the best play of the day so far, and it was made by someone I’ve never heard of until today. It’s been a while since Peyton Manning made fantasy owners know every tight end on the Bronco depth chart.

— I put my daughter’s hair in a ponytail, then secure the stray hair that falls into her face with a bow. I couldn’t do this a month ago. I’ve had short hair all my life; making a ponytail was an entirely new life skill.

And before you laugh: yes, I technically knew how to make one. But knowing how and actually doing it are two very different things. Like, I know how to make that one-handed catch that Derby made, but I couldn’t attempt it without falling on my face and/or suffering several pulled muscles. Same thing with giving a toddler a ponytail: pull one little hair, and you’ve got tears, screaming, and no second chance.

— It’s 4:51 and MAYBE I’m having a second ramekin of chili. ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE ME.

— Tyrell Williams scores on a 75-yard bomb from Philip Rivers. I love to joke about Rivers’ floaty passes, but that was a perfect bomb.

— 5:12 p.m.: The second ramekin of chili was a mistake. I can barely keep my eyes open.

The kids don’t get chili, by the way. This is partly because neither is potty-trained, and I don’t want to deal with the diapers. But it’s also because my daughter says, “Too spicy!” even though I didn’t add the habanero that gives the chili the heat I like it to have SPECIFICALLY so she could try it. Parenting: Enjoy everything you love just a little less.™

— Eli Manning scrambles for a touchdown from 14 yards out, his first rushing TD since 2014. He now leads the Giants in rushing scores. He had -9 rushing yards all last season.

The Giants are down 13-10 now, but whatever the final score ends up being, the Bucs lose.

— After two near-turnovers on one drive, Carson Palmer is sacked on third down, forcing a punt. He looks terrible. Cards trail 6-3 late in the first half. The less I say about this game, the better. (The only other note I have from this half is “Hoyer armpunt.”)

— SO SLEEPY.

LATE GAMES, SECOND HALF

— Halftime of the late games coincides nicely with my kids’ bath time, so I chase my daughter around the apartment while she yells “NAKED KID IN THE HOUSE” before I can finally get her in the tub. And for once, my kids actually deign to (A) sit down in the tub and (B) bathe together without fighting. My daughter puts bubbles on her little brother (“I’m giving him a bubble tank top!”), then wraps a plastic T-Rex in a wash cloth to keep him warm. Reptiles ARE cold-blooded, you know.

— I’m relieved there’s no Seahawks game until tonight. I don’t know how it usually reads in the column, but trying to watch your dumb stupid moron team protect its excellent quarterback by diving onto the ground while you try to guide your children through dinner, baths, and a calm period before bedtime is goddamn RUINOUS for my nerves. Banish the Seahawks to Monday Night Football every week, I say.

Unfortunately, the Niners lead the Cards 9-6 and this game looks EXTREMELY like the usual Seahawks bullshit. Yes, technically, this is NFC West bullshit, but we know who patient zero is.

— Every announcer calls Eli Manning “Eli.” So annoying. Did he send you a Christmas card? No? Then call him “Manning” like a professional. He’s not your best friend. He’s not your little brother. He’s a paste-eating 36-year-old who’s got one wish left from the genie.

Related: the Bucs are losing 17-16 at the end of the third quarter. How can you lose to this Giants team? Oh right, make Eli Manning look like Marcus Mariota.

— I read my son Boats Go while Denver kicks a field goal to go up 13-7. It’s a great board book for young toddlers: it’s just a bunch of different kinds of boats that you make the sounds for. My son, who typically jumps out of my lap to go crash through a wall three pages into any book, laughs and claps throughout.

There are other books in the series — Trains Go, Planes Go, Cars Go, etc — but the boats are where it’s at. Every train sounds the same, don’t try to sell me lies.

— My RedZone picture keeps freezing, sometimes for minutes at a time. From what I can tell, Khalil Mack is the only Raider on defense.

— My daughter is finally out of the bath after 30 minutes. “My hands are wrink-a-dee,” she says, and I don’t want to correct her. Kids saying things wrong is one of my favorite little things about being a parent. She calls triangles “tri-ang-guh-rulls,” and the extra syllable reminds me of Homer Simpson saying “saxomophone.”

— The backlash to Tony Romo has already begun, and it’s too much for even a cynical and weary internet traveler like myself.

Listening to Tony Romo is like getting puppies thrown at you with ever-increasing velocity

— Jay Busbee (@jaybusbee) October 1, 2017

He’s still great! I’m amazed that people can love a guy in Week 1 and turn on him by Week 4. Y’all are never gonna have a successful marriage.

— I click to CBS for Romo’s call of OAK-DEN because my RedZone has been frozen for too long, then back and forth between the two network games (the other is TB-NYG), like some kind of prole. Ugh.

— Mike Evans with a drop on first-and-10 at the slightest bit of contact. Now, I love Evans. He has no good comparison in the NFL: He’s totally unique in his size and ability in the red zone, but man, his floor is Kenny Britt.

Ben McAdoo challenges the play (he thinks it’s a fumble), but of course he loses the challenge and a timeout. McAdoo’s entire vibe is “gym teacher going through a divorce,” but he’d still win a custody hearing before a coach’s challenge.

That drop leads to the Bucs going for it on fourth-and-two, and the pass to Cameron Brate falls incomplete.

The best 4th down throw the Bucs have is a slant to a TE who isn't OJ Howard?? I'm selling my Bucs stock.

— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) October 1, 2017

— Derek Carr out with a back injury, and Oakland is down 16-7 in Denver. Enter E.J. Manuel. This game is over.

— The ticker says 49ers-Cardinals is 12-12. Iowa-ass game.

— While I was putting the kids to bed, the Giants took the lead in Tampa. But I’m back for Nick Folk’s game-winning field goal from 34 yards out. Bucs win! Giants cover!

— OF COURSE the 49ers and Cardinals are going to overtime. Each team has scored one field goal per quarter so far, let’s kick some more field goals and call it a tie.

I am dead serious: I reject the entire notion of regular-season overtime. Y’all played 60 minutes of skullsmash and ended up with the same amount of points? Congratulations, that’s a tie, we’ll see you again next week.

Like, we have super-computers that can figure ties into playoff seeding and draft position; why do people get so mad about ties? “DURRRR it’s like kissing your sister!” No it’s not. Two teams finishing a game with the same number of points is nothing like incestuous foreplay. Let them play overtime in the playoffs, when the games NEED to have a winner.

Anyway, with the Niners leading 15-12, Larry Fitzgerald scores a last-minute touchdown for the Cardinals to win the game. Some people will use this to celebrate overtime’s existence, but I don’t think the ends justify the means. Overtime still blows.

I’m having another bowl of chili.

[junker-town]

The Astros are standing out in a mediocre AL West

Thursday’s Say Hey, Baseball looks at the success of the Astros, 10 things you should know about James Hoyt, and trying to explain Metsiness.

Listen, we know it’s tough to catch up on everything happening in the baseball world each morning. There are all kinds of stories, rumors, game coverage, and Vines of dudes getting hit in the beans every day. Trying to find all of it while on your way to work or sitting at your desk just isn’t easy. It’s OK, though. We’re going to do the heavy lifting for you each morning and find the things you need to see from within the SB Nation baseball network, as well as from elsewhere. Please hold your applause until the end, or at least until after you subscribe to the newsletter.

* * *

The Astros weren't bad in 2016, they just weren't very good. They won 84 games and finished in third place, 11 games out, and also missed out on a wild card spot after a tough finish to the season. They entered 2017 with a lineup that was about as guaranteed to mash as any in baseball, but questions up and down their entire rotation.

While all five starters aren't performing to the levels they need to yet -- looking at you, Mike Fiers and Joe Musgrove -- the top of the rotation has managed to turn things around. And it has the Astros in first place in an otherwise mediocre AL West.

Dallas Keuchel is looking a lot more like the ace that won the Cy Young in 2015 than the pitcher who authored the disappointing followup campaign. It's to be seen how long that all lasts, but he seems healthy and effective, and that wasn't always the case last summer. Behind him, Lance McCullers and Charlie Morton have produced above-average work to this point, and thanks to a bullpen that's succeeded in spite of a pretty nondescript Ken Giles season thus far, as a whole, the staff ranks ninth in ERA+ in spite of the litany of offseason questions.

Ninth might not sound that impressive, but combined with the league-leaders in OPS+, it's more than enough. Throw in that their closest competition is the Mariners, who spent April embarrassing themselves by blowing games and now have four of five starters on the DL, and everything looks better. Don't worry, we can roast the rest of the division, too. The Angels have Mike Trout, but as always, is there enough pitching? The Rangers have already lost seven one-run games after losing all of 11 in 2016, which, weird how you could see that coming. The A's are rebuilding and aren't in last, but they've also been outscored by 37 runs, so unless the Rangers get full karmic retribution for 2016's luck, that probably won't last for Oakland.

The short of it? This is all good news for the Astros, who might not even need the help if Keuchel keeps dealing and the lineup keeps mashing.

One of the reasons the Astros' bullpen has been productive is James Hoyt, a 30-year-old rookie with a backstory you should read about.

MLB is investigating the Dodgers for alleged discrimination in the termination of military veteran Nick Francona. Now, this needs some minor explaining: Francona isn't insiting he was discriminated against for his service, but for his treatment for PTSD.

Francona has twice refused settlements from the Dodgers, as he believes the conversation is too important to have to wave it away with cash.

As David Roth writes, to understand what's going on with Matt Harvey and the Mets, you need to understand the Mets.

The Phillies' bullpen could use some help, be it strategic or personnel. The Good Phight has some sure-to-work ideas on the former.

Won't someone on the Yankees help Aaron Judge move out of the hotel he currently lives in?

10 years ago this week, the Royals nearly destroyed an interest in baseball for an entire generation of Kansas City children.

John Mozeliak tends to go with half-measures for the Cardinals, and Viva El Birdos tries to figure out if that's a problem.

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn admitted there's a potential fit for his team and Cuban free agent Luis Robert.

The Jonathan Lucroy trade isn't looking great for the Rangers given their current standing and how well the kids they traded to the Brewers are doing.

Luckily, the sad state of the Rangers hasn't hampered the enthusiam of this young, souvenir-snagging fan.

Andrew Toles will undergo surgery to repair a torn ACL, so the Dodgers' outfield will likely continue to have a lot of Cody Bellinger in it.

[junker-town]

NBA mock draft 2017: The Knicks get lucky and land the No. 1 pick

Markelle Fultz goes to the Knicks in our latest mock draft.

Phil Jackson wants a fresh start for the Knicks. If the ping-pong balls in the NBA draft lottery bounce like they did for this mock draft, he’ll get his wish.

We’re using ESPN’s lottery machine to randomize the draft order for every mock leading up the lottery on May 16. Last week, the Lakers landed the No. 1 spot. This time, the Knicks cash in a 5.4 percent chance at the top pick.

This exercise shows just how much a little lottery luck can change the future of a franchise. The Lakers fell to No. 6 on the lottery machine this time, which means their pick conveyed to the Philadelphia 76ers. In this mock, the Sixers now have two top-six selections, while the Lakers lose this year’s pick plus another first rounder in 2019.

For more on the 2017 NBA Draft, check out our running list of who’s in, who’s out and who’s still on the fence. We miss you, Miles Bridges and Robert Williams. Let’s mock!

1. New York Knicks - Markelle Fultz, PG, Washington

Landing in New York would be a major change of pace for Fultz. He’s been flying under the radar about as much as a future No. 1 overall pick can over the last few years.

Fultz was a late riser as a recruit who couldn’t even make varsity as a sophomore at D.C. powerhouse DeMatha Catholic. Once he ascended to five-star status as a junior, he picked the Washington Huskies over all of the blue bloods. Washington finished 9-22, missed the NCAA tournament and played most of their games while the rest of the country was asleep.

It’s a safe bet that Fultz will be able to make the adjustment. He’s the total package as a point guard and should be a future superstar. Pairing him with Kristaps Porzingis would be trouble for the rest of the league. The Knicks deserve to catch a break once every three decades.

2. Orlando Magic - Lonzo Ball, PG, UCLA

The Magic have been joyless and terrible since trading Dwight Howard in 2012. Can one player really change that? If anyone is up to it, it’s Lonzo Ball.

Throw Evan Fournier and Mario Hezonja on the wings, Aaron Gordon at the four and Bismack Biyombo at the five, and suddenly Orlando looks like a team that could push the tempo and put shooting around the perimeter. That’s how Ball played at UCLA. It worked wonders for the Bruins.

3. Philadelphia 76ers - Josh Jackson, SF, Kansas

The Sixers have needed a two-way wing for years. Jackson is the best one in the draft. He does his best work defensively, but he should also thrive getting out in transition next to Ben Simmons. Basketball-wise, the big question will be his jump shot. It doesn’t look pretty, but Jackson hit a hot streak at the end of the year that boosted his three-point percentage up to a respectable 37.8.

NBA teams will have to investigate a troubling episode where he allegedly attacked a teammate’s ex-girlfriend’s car.

4. Boston Celtics - Jonathan Isaac, SF, Florida State

Falling to No. 4 would be the worst case scenario for Boston. If it happens, swinging for the fences with Isaac would be an interesting move.

The 6’10 wing from Florida State looks like the highest upside player on the board. He projects as a great, versatile defender with a burgeoning offensive skill set. If his jumper is for real, the Celtics will have a perfect power forward for the modern NBA.

5. Phoenix Suns - Jayson Tatum, SF, Duke

The popular sentiment is that Ball is the most polarizing talent in the draft, but Tatum is a close second. He was considered a top-2 recruit from the moment his class started being evaluated, but he showed some holes in his skill set even during a productive freshman year at Duke. Namely: who does he defend and how deep is his shooting range?

Still: there’s never been a better time to be a versatile 6’8 wing in the league. It’s easy to think Tatum has a high floor even if his ceiling isn’t as high as others in this range.

6. Philadelphia 76ers - Malik Monk, SG, Kentucky

The Sixers need shooters around Ben Simmons and Monk is possibly the best shooter in the class. If Philly ends up with two picks in this range, he’s an easy selection alongside a player with a more complete skill set like Jackson.

7. Minnesota Timberwolves - Lauri Markkanen, PF, Arizona

The Wolves would be in a tough spot if the board broke this way. They don’t need a point guard with Kris Dunn and Ricky Rubio on the roster, so De’Aaron Fox and Dennis Smith Jr. don’t fit. Miles Bridges might have worked here as an explosive wing, but he opted to go back to school. Same goes for Texas A&M power forward Robert Williams.

Markkanen comes with major question marks about his defense, but he’s an incredible shooter at 7-feet tall. He and Karl-Anthony Towns would form a unique front line in Minnesota.

8. Sacramento Kings - De’Aaron Fox, PG, Kentucky

Fox turned in the signature performance of the season when he dropped 39 points on Lonzo Ball in Kentucky’s Sweet 16 victory over UCLA. His game is defined by speed: from the moment he enters the NBA, Fox will be one of the fastest players in the league. He’s aggressive on both ends of the floor and a thrill to watch when he’s cooking. The only question is his jump shot.

9. Dallas Mavericks - Dennis Smith, PG, NC State

Smith is talented enough to go in the top five. If he falls to No. 9, the Mavs will have a steal.

The NC State freshman is an ultra athletic lead guard who has drawn comparisons to Eric Bledsoe. Please watch him drop 32 points in a win over Duke in January.

10. Sacramento Kings - OG Anunoby, SF, Indiana

The Kings have already invested a lot of first round picks in the front court with Willie Cauley-Stein, Skal Labissiere and Georgios Papagiannis. Buddy Hield — big like Klay and shoots like Steph! — will be entrenched at off-guard. After taking a point guard in Fox with their first pick, the Kings need a wing.

Picking Anunoby requires a leap of faith. He tore his ACL in January, and didn’t have the breakout offensive season many expected before that. Still, he projects as the best and most versatile defender in this class if he’s healthy. His defensive upside and athleticism is worth the risk.

11. Charlotte Hornets - Frank Ntilikina, PG, France

We had Miles Bridges pegged at this pick last week. So much for that. Ntilikina — still only 18 years old — works for Charlotte too because he has the length to defend either backcourt spot and shoot from three.

12. Detroit Pistons - Zach Collins, C, Gonzaga

Two years ago, Collins was the third string center at Las Vegas’ Bishop Gorman High School behind Chase Jeter and Stephen Zimmerman. Now he’s a certified lottery pick after breaking out in the Final Four for Gonzaga. Stan Van Gundy loves a versatile big man and Collins fits that profile.

13. Denver Nuggets - Justin Jackson, SF, North Carolina

It seems like there’s a fringe first rounder who decides to go back to school and turns himself into a lottery pick every year. Last season, it was Buddy Hield. This year, it’s Justin Jackson. Both players led their teams to the Final Four, but Jackson’s North Carolina Tar Heels finished the job by winning the national title.

Jackson was always a three-point shot away from turning into a first rounder. He found it as a junior and it changed everything for his NBA hopes.

14. Miami Heat - Jarrett Allen, C, Texas

Allen has quick feet and long arms. He might not be an instant impact rookie, but the Heat are in a position to draft a player with the best long-term potential. Allen fits the billing.

15. Chicago Bulls - Donovan Mitchell, SG, Louisville

Mitchell has the most interesting stay-or-go decision in the draft. If he goes back to Louisville for his junior season, the Cards will be a top-five team in the preseason polls and a trendy pick to make the Final Four. This spot would be on the optimistic side of his draft projection, but the Bulls could use an athlete and defender of his caliber.

16. Portland Trail Blazers - Isaiah Hartenstein, PF, Germany

The Blazers got a chance to see what Hartenstein looked like on the Moda Center floor at the Nike Hoop Summit, where he scored 10 points for the World team. He’s a big body and fluid athlete with a nice face-up game.

17. Indiana Pacers - T.J. Leaf, PF, UCLA

The Pacers have been looking for a shooter at the four for two years now. Pairing Leaf with a young center in Myles Turner would give the Pacers great front court spacing for years to come.

18. Milwaukee Bucks - D.J. Wilson, PF/C, Michigan

Wilson is projected at No. 34 on DraftExpress right now, but I’m sticking with my wildest first round prediction. Here’s what I wrote last week:

No one has Wilson rated this highly, but that didn’t stop the Bucks from drafting Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thon Maker. At 6’10, 240 pounds, Wilson hit 41 threes (at 37.5 percent) and blocked 51 shots for Michigan as a junior. If Milwaukee is looking for an insurance policy for Jabari Parker, Wilson might be worth a shot.

19. Portland Trail Blazers - Terrance Ferguson, SG, Adelaide (NBL)

Ferguson hit six threes at the Moda Center last year in the Nike Hoop Summit. Portland could use a bigger wing and more shooting. Ferguson would be a steal if he falls this far.

20. Atlanta Hawks - Justin Patton, C, Creighton

The Hawks are in prime position to groom a young center behind Dwight Howard. Patton projects as a two-way big man with good speed and a soft touch around the rim. He exploded on the college scene this season after being hit with a redshirt last year as a true freshman at Creighton.

21. Oklahoma City Thunder - Luke Kennard, SG, Duke

Kennard is a ruthless scorer who ascended from a role player to No. 1 option as a sophomore at Duke this year. He’d add some much added shooting to OKC’s perimeter.

22. Brooklyn Nets - Harry Giles, PF, Duke

Giles is the hardest player to project in this class. The former No. 1 overall recruit has an unfortunate history of knee injuries and it slowed him down this year at Duke. Drafting him is essentially a medical decision at this point.

23. Utah Jazz - Rodions Kurucs, SG, Barcelona II

Kurucs is a draft-and-stash option at a premium position who combines size (6’8) and shooting. He could go higher than this.

24. Toronto Raptors - Ivan Rabb, PF, Cal

Rabb hurt his draft stock by deciding to go back to Cal for his sophomore season. He still projects as a quality role player in the front court with a soft touch around the basket.

25. Orlando Magic - Tyler Lydon, PF, Syracuse

The Magic have needed shooting in the front court for years. Lydon didn’t get a ton of attention as a sophomore for a Syracuse team that missed the NCAA tournament, but he has first round talent.

26. Portland Trail Blazers - Devin Robinson, SF, Florida

Robinson is an elite athlete with a high defensive ceiling. His NBA success will likely come down to his jump shot. He made major strides as a junior at Florida this past season, hitting 39.1 percent of his shots from deep.

27. Nets - Jawun Evans, PG, Oklahoma State

Evans led the country’s most efficient offense as a sophomore at Oklahoma State. He’s short (6-foot) but can shoot, pass and dribble while providing pesky perimeter defense.

28. Lakers - John Collins, PF, Wake Forest

Collins put up 19.2 points and 9.8 rebounds this season on 62.2 percent shooting from the floor as a sophomore at Wake Forest. The man can score the ball. His defense is a question mark. He could go 10 spots higher than this.

29. Spurs - Jonathan Jeanne, C, France

Jeanne is a long big man who projects as a rim protector. When in doubt, give the Spurs an international player.

30. Jazz - Wesley Iwundu, SF, Kansas State

A big wing defender with a good feel for the game, Iwundu’s NBA chances depend on his jump shot.