Elated Wednesday, every person!
Let’s procure real to it.
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Factual morning to every person nonetheless especially to…
usatsi
I love the Memphis Grizzlies. They’re on the 2d third in the Western Convention and 8-1 for the explanation that calendar flipped to 2022 — tied with the Mavericks for easiest in the NBA.
Memphis became as soon as one in all staunch three teams to compose an A+ in our NBA experts’ midseason grades. Jack Maloney has the breakdown:
- Maloney: “After sneaking into the playoffs thru the play-in match final season, the Grizzlies dangle formally taken the soar. Ja Morant is taking half in at an All-NBA stage, they’ve the deepest roster in the league (bawl-out John Konchar) and are top 10 in every offensive and defensive rating.”
Nonetheless that is no longer why I love the Grizzlies. Maloney covers it in the 2d section of his grade:
- Maloney: “They play extraordinarily exhausting, is no longer going to assist down to somebody and their 14-8 file in opposition to opponents which might perchance be .500 and above (2d handiest to the Suns) makes it decided that is in no device a fluke. The Grizzlies are for genuine.”
That’s what I love most about the Grizzlies.
It be a trait exemplified in a two-game stretch as soon as they beat the Suns on Dec. 27 and the Lakers on Dec. 29 — a trait they procure from their important particular person, Ja Morant. He hit the game-winner in opposition to Phoenix after which posted 41 parts in opposition to Los Angeles, the latter of which Memphis trailed by as mighty as 14 in. I firmly imagine teams’ attitudes are formed by their stars’ attitudes, and I love Morant’s: paunchy of joy and competitiveness.
There’s so mighty extra to Memphis, although. There’s Jaren Jackson Jr., an absurdly athletic and expert substantial man who’s even youthful than Morant. There’s Desmond Bane, a two-device stud who garnered masses of “Most Improved Participant” votes in our midseason awards. I might perchance well well additionally bolt on and on. Any player can dangle a gigantic impact any evening.
All I’m in a position to recount is that the Grizzlies are so mighty fun, breaking thru the slog that the routine season generally becomes. They play exhausting. They play an thrilling designate of basketball. They’re legit. I’m angry to investigate cross-take a look at what they attain over the 2d half. The A+ for the main half is so no doubt-earned.
Honorable uncover
- Florida Inform and No. 6 Duke handled us to a game-of-the-year contender with the Seminoles pulling out a 79-78 beyond regular time build. FSU has now gained 13 straight beyond regular time games, the longest lumber in Division I history.
And no longer this sort of staunch morning for…
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THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Even when things ought to nonetheless be staunch in Laker Land, they’re no longer. Let me reward. On Monday evening, the Lakers beat the Jazz 101-95, overcoming a 10-level deficit and snapping a 3-game shedding lumber.
As an alternate of waking as a lot as headlines about their easiest build of the season, the Lakers acquired a mighty diversified fable: Constant with a document from The Athletic, head coach Frank Vogel “narrowly shunned” being fired after a blowout loss Saturday to Denver, and he’s being evaluated on a game-by-game basis.
Hear, the Lakers were imperfect this season, and Vogel is a section of that. Nonetheless there is a bunch of accidents (including to LeBron James and Anthony Davis), the persevered struggles of Russell Westbrook (who has by no device been a staunch fit) and a heart-broken supporting forged to blame, too. Vogel is rarely all the time to blame for any of those three areas. GM Steal Pelinka and senior basketball handbook Kurt Rambis are.
And if Vogel goes, they ought to nonetheless bolt, too, writes our NBA professional Sam Quinn:
- Quinn: “It be no longer as although he traded for Westbrook. Blame for that falls on the executives who saw an opportunity to reshape a championship roster, nonetheless handiest ended up dismantling it. Shooters were replaced with redundant, excessive-usage ball-handlers. Defenders were swapped out for turnstiles. Even the character suits were generally disastrous. … It be made the failings of this year’s roster feel a tad predictable.”
I very mighty accept as true with this, especially the feeling of predictability. Westbrook has been dreadful: 31 gamers dangle taken no no longer as a lot as 600 shots this season and handiest one — Reggie Jackson — has a worse appropriate shooting share than Westbrook. On the other cease, the Lakers also lost key defenders Alex Caruso and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, among others. The Lakers accomplished first in defensive effectivity final year. They’re 18th this year.
Assuredly, the Lakers front location of industrial took the entire staunch parts of ultimate year’s team and gave it away for Westbrook and gamers who don’t appear to be as staunch because the guys who filled their roles final year. That’s a recipe for precisely the set the Lakers are basically: struggling despite one other principal year from James, without many choices, and unable to celebrate event-worthy wins.
Predicting who will obtain the NFL’s head coaching openings 🔮
There are eight head coaching vacancies to acquire this offseason: the Bears, Broncos, Dolphins, Giants, Jaguars, Raiders, Texans and Vikings.
Our NFL guru Jeff Kerr performed matchmaker and predicted who would obtain every of the eight openings. One candidate to stare is Brian Flores, the historic Dolphins coach who is attracting a vogue of attention. Kerr has him heading to … the Giants.
- Kerr: “Flores is arguably the excellent title in the marketplace and Giants owner John Mara reportedly has ‘immense admire’ for the historic Dolphins coach. The Giants dangle yet to interview Flores (they’re nonetheless hunting for a routine supervisor), nonetheless Recent York wishes a major culture replace in the locker room.”
As for Flores’ replace in Miami, Kerr has the Dolphins turning their seek to the offensive aspect of the ball with most up-to-date Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy:
- Kerr: “Coming from the Andy Reid tree, Bieniemy knows learn the technique to draw a workers and might perchance well well perhaps work neatly with a front location of industrial. He looks to be the real fit for Miami, even supposing the Dolphins have not sought him out in the early stages of their head coaching search. If the Dolphins are committed to Tagovailoa, Bieniemy looks love the coach to procure the most out of him.”
Which that you might perchance well rob up with the entire most up-to-date coaching developments right here.
Mountainous adjustments coming to Mountainous 12 soon 😲
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The Mountainous 12 as we tag it — or no no longer as a lot as dangle known it impartial currently — will investigate cross-take a look at very diversified in a pair of years. The convention is planning to ruin up into two divisions in football initiating in 2023 because the league’s realignment takes location.
In July, Texas and Oklahoma were extended invitations to enroll in the SEC in 2025, and every faculties well-liked. In September, the Mountainous 12 added BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and BYU. They’re anticipated to enroll in in the 2023-24 academic year.
Meaning the Mountainous 12 will immediate lengthen from 10 teams to 14 in 2023-24 and 2024-25 sooner than afflicted to 12 initiating in 2025-26. That also device that two divisions are coming, reports our college football insider Dennis Dodd.
- Dodd: “NCAA tips impart that any league with extra than 12 teams must ruin up into divisions for football in step with Mountainous 12 senior affiliate commissioner Ed Stewart. … Stewart talked about a decision has no longer been made whether to separate the divisions competitively or geographically. Mountainous 12 North and South divisions existed from 1996 to 2010. In 2017, the Mountainous 12 decided to compare its two top in all probability-ranked teams a league title game to make the next likelihood of going in the College Football Playoff.”
Dodd has already proposed a skill solution. I bolt to leave you with it below:
HYPOTHETICAL BIG 12 NORTH
- BYU
- Cincinnati
- Iowa Inform
- Kansas
- Kansas Inform
- Oklahoma
- Oklahoma Inform
HYPOTHETICAL BIG 12 SOUTH
- Baylor
- Houston
- TCU
- Texas
- Texas Tech
- UCF
- West Virginia
Most modern NHL Vitality Rankings has new No. 1 🏒
CBS Sports
Irregular as it might perchance in all probability well additionally appear, the NHL on the 2d runs thru the impart of Florida. Definite, the Lightning are reduction-to-reduction defending Stanley Cup champions, nonetheless this season they’ve been joined by the other Sunshine Inform team.
The Florida Panthers are No. 1 in our NHL professional Austin Nivison’s most up-to-date Vitality Rankings:
- Nivison: “Since Dec. 29, the Panthers are averaging six goals per game, and they also’ve scored 9 goals twice in that stretch. Some shooting luck has absolutely contributed to that, nonetheless the Panthers are simply outplaying opposing teams. Their 55.91% anticipated goals fragment at 5-on-5 is evidence of that.”
What we’re staring at Wednesday 📺
🏀 No. 13 LSU at Alabama, 7 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 Marquette at No. 11 Villanova, 8 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
🏀 Clippers at Nuggets, 10 p.m. on ESPN
