Kamis, 02 Mei 2019

Celtics President Danny Ainge suffers heart attack in Milwaukee during playoffs - WCVB Boston

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Celtics President Danny Ainge suffers heart attack in Milwaukee during playoffs  WCVB Boston

Boston Celtics general manager and president, Danny Ainge, is returning to Boston from Milwaukee after suffering a heart attack while there for the team's ...

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https://www.wcvb.com/article/celtics-gm-danny-ainge-suffered-heart-attack-in-milwaukee-during-playoffs/27344468

2019-05-02 16:12:53Z
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How philosophical differences define the Rockets-Warriors series - ESPN

11:32 AM ET

Only two-plus weeks ago, Stephen Curry coaxed Montrezl Harrell into the air on a mean pump-fake with the Golden State Warriors down by two in Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round series against the LA Clippers. For a fleeting moment, Curry, a 90 percent career free throw shooter, had an easy path to three free throws: leap into Harrell, airborne and helpless, for a shooting foul.

Curry demurred. He let Harrell fly by, pivoted to his left, and launched an open 3-pointer to give Golden State the lead. He missed. The Warriors lost.

Curry drew some criticism, including across ESPN television the next day, for not flinging his body into Harrell. A lot of those same people might also lament James Harden's occasional abandonment of normal basketball movement patterns in an effort to create contact -- including the jackknifing of his legs on step-back 3-pointers that have thrust "landing space" into the NBA vernacular and spawned a public officiating controversy. Those two acts -- a shooter in Curry's position leaping sideways into an airborne defender, Harden extending his legs -- aren't quite the same thing, but they are cousins.

It would have been interesting to have a candid discussion with Golden State's coaches after that Clippers game about Curry's decision. On some level, they probably wished he had taken the free throws.

For years, Golden State's coaches have tried to convince Curry and Klay Thompson to leverage the fear of their shooting ability -- and the connected power of their pump-fakes -- into easy points. Steve Kerr once froze the video during a film session to highlight a moment when Curry might have been able to draw contact using a pump-fake, Bruce Fraser, a Warriors assistant coach, told ESPN last season. "Teams run at [Curry] like they are scared to death of his shooting," Fraser said then.

Kerr even cued up tape of Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, master of many fakes, including an extended two-arms-over-head pump-fake that looks almost like a faster version of Chandler Parsons' exaggerated pump-fake today. (Perhaps Kerr has personal memories of Abdul-Rauf lighting up the Bulls for 32 points in a February 1996 Nuggets-Bulls game -- one of only 10 Chicago losses that season.)

Here's Nick Young executing it as the Warriors' bench, knowing the Abdul-Rauf history, goes bananas:

Even if Curry evaded contact, he could still pump-and-drive his way into the paint.

"Everyone is so afraid of him, I'm always trying to get him to pump-fake more," Kerr told ESPN in late 2017. Curry leaned into it for a bit:

Thompson could never bring himself to seek out collisions, Golden State coaches and executives say. He viewed it as gimmicky. Thompson had confidence in his shot. He didn't need free throws.

The Houston Rockets would probably nudge him harder. Part of what makes Golden State-Houston such an irresistible rivalry is that the teams stand as ideological opposites within the deepest recess of their basketball souls. Those philosophical differences are informing the ongoing officiating debate, which will fade -- along with this series -- if Houston does not win both Games 3 and 4 at home.

And it's not a good-versus-evil dichotomy either, though some will frame it that way. It's more old-school versus so-new-school-we-don't-know-quite-what-to-do-with-it. The Warriors are basketball purists almost at their own expense. Curry did not leap into Harrell, after all. Their motto is "strength in numbers." Even in some huge playoff games, Kerr stretches the rotation to its breaking point. He prefers an equal-ish opportunity offense in which everyone screens, cuts, passes and touches the ball.

"Kerrism," as Ethan Strauss has dubbed it at The Athletic, has practical strategic aims. It is not just basketball religion. An extended rotation keeps players fresh. Touching the ball on offense pushes everyone to play harder defense. Moving the ball from side to side forces every opposing defender to expend energy.

And yet: Sometimes it feels a little like dogma. Anderson Varejao plays in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals (never mind that he helped swing Game 7 of the conference finals). The Warriors open the second quarter of a big game with both Curry and Kevin Durant on the bench. Golden State refuses to just give the ball to Curry and Durant, or run endless pick-and-rolls between them, until they reach a crisis moment. Warriors Twitter cracks about "Kumbaya Kerr."

Even as Curry and Thompson revolutionized the entire idea of 3-point shooting, Kerr's Warriors held true to a style in keeping with how basketball has always looked.

The Rockets do not care how anything looks. They care about math. The math says Harden isolating is the most efficient thing they can do, so they do that over and over. The math says Harden isolating into a step-back 3-pointer is the most efficient version of that, so Harden now takes and makes more step-back 3s than anyone attempted in normal 3s until Curry.

They are also at a talent deficit against perhaps the greatest collection of prime star talent ever assembled. They are seeking any edge, and there just aren't many edges beyond Harden creating points in any way possible.

Harden and those "landing space" 3s are at the crux of what Houston alleges as officiating bias against them in head-to-head games against Golden State. As Rachel Nichols and I reported Monday, the Rockets have done extensive math and concluded that incorrect calls and non-calls cost them 18 points last year in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals.

The NBA told ESPN it disputes Houston's methodology. It is right to do so. It's quite Houston-friendly.

The league would not comment further, and it has not yet publicly disputed that total missed calls and non-calls in this matchup have favored Golden State over the past two postseasons.

Sources say such a discrepancy exists. While there have missed calls going both ways, the discrepancy has amounted to approximately three additional, definitive missed calls per game that have disadvantaged the Rockets. That does not include gray area uncalled "potential infractions" the NBA flags upon enhanced review and deems inconclusive.

(The NBA declined to share any such data, as it is confidential. Also: Such a discrepancy would inevitably exist, to some degree, in any head-to-head series between any two teams -- and could flip in the other direction at any time, given the small sample sizes.)

Here's a thing the NBA has found after years of parsing data about officiating: Even though they earn heaps of free throws, most ball-dominant superstars do not get close to every call they deserve under the letter of the law. Most have a sizable ratio between incorrect non-calls -- those they deserve but don't get -- and undeserved fouls drawn. (Cut to Shaq nodding.)

That is inherent to being a ball-dominant superstar. Some beloved teams -- Pat Riley's Heat, Jerry Sloan's Jazz -- famously defended with nonstop handsy physicality because they knew referees simply could not call every foul. If they did, games would last four hours. Ball-dominant superstars suffer from something like the corollary of that.

A few seasons ago, Harden's foul ratio was likely typical of a ball-dominant superstar -- or something in the upper bound. That ratio likely increased as Harden pushed the boundaries of individual usage and embraced the step-back 3 at such high volumes.

For better or worse, Golden State's egalitarian style mitigates this sort of extreme foul ratio issue with Durant and Curry. (For the record, Kerr has coached with more urgency in these playoffs. He started the Death Lineup from the jump against Houston, and has been more willing to let Curry and especially Durant cook.) Kerr is of course correct that referees miss calls on both in every game, especially on drives. It's just that neither has the ball as much as Harden.

If the Rockets are victims, they are at least somewhat victims of their own math-based modernity -- of their unique dependence on Harden, and his step-back 3.

By the way: Credit Harden for accepting that burden, even if he enjoys it. It is taxing. He is bigger and stronger than Curry, and stouter than Durant. He can absorb more blows.

The refs can't call everything. Some of the calls they miss against Harden -- including a couple in Game 1 of this series -- rob Houston of these newfangled three-shot fouls. A three-shot foul is more profitable than almost any other outcome of an offensive possession. As ESPN's Kirk Goldsberry put it on a podcast this week, a three-shot foul on Harden produces more points on average than an uncontested Giannis Antetokounmpo dunk.

Those potential fouls, at least the way Harden produces them, are more or less brand new to basketball. What even is a "landing space"? How far does it extend? How far can Harden jump forward? How far does any human need to jump forward -- to use his legs for extra power -- on step-back triples almost no one was even taking five years ago? How far forward does Harden's defender get to jump? One Western Conference team instructed its players not to jump forward at all against Harden's step-back, per sources with that team -- to stand still and raise their arms up.

Jay Williams on ESPN's Get Up! this week literally laid two strips of masking tape on the floor and hopped between them, like an overgrown bunny, to illustrate what was and was not an appropriate leap forward on jumpers.

If we are reduced to that sort of granular analysis -- in slow motion, in pristine studio environments -- what are referees supposed to do during live games?

Some calls are obvious. Thompson violently invaded Harden's landing space on two shots when Harden did not move forward much -- bad missed calls. Harden's leg kick in the direction of Draymond Green on his game-tying attempt in the final seconds of Game 1 was blatant and unnatural ref-bait.

The Warriors bend the rules, too. They just do it in ways that everyone has agreed upon as semi-acceptable parts of basketball culture. They sometimes set moving screens to free shooters. They grab and hold on defense when they can get away with it. And boy howdy, do they complain to referees.

The ways that Houston bends the rules are new and unfamiliar. The Rockets have argued the league's most experienced officials, the ones who comprise most playoff crews, are least likely to award Harden three-shot fouls. Tom Haberstroh of NBC Sports wrote Tuesday that Harden has earned fewer three-shot fouls per game in the playoffs than in the regular season.

Had Curry thrown himself sideways into Harrell, some commentators would have surely argued that he had earned that bit of contrivance with a real basketball play -- a pump-fake. Illegal screens -- a tactic every team uses, but one which the Warriors perhaps use more effectively and to aid much better shooters -- are seen as cooperative acts. They are one teammate helping another. We lionize physical defense.

The league is still grappling with whatever it is Harden is doing on these step-back 3s, let alone the jagged intricacies of his driving game. In contrasting the "pump-and-jump into a defender" play -- the one Curry did not make against Harrell -- with Harden's "landing space" attempts, several coaches and executives offered this distinction: Curry is tricking the opponent; Harden is tricking the referees. One is closer to real basketball.

Those two acts are different. Again: They are cousins, not immediate family. But illegal screens and under-the-radar grabbing and holding could be framed as tricking referees, too.

All of the Rockets' complaints really come down to Harden. They surely know he will get little sympathy. He has led the league in free throw attempts in six of the past seven seasons. He drives and winds up to shoot 3s in some instances more to draw contact than to try to direct the ball into the basket. He has a history of flopping.

The Rockets also missed 27 straight 3s with a chance to make the NBA Finals. Their lack of diversity in style hurt them in that game, hurt them in prior postseasons, and may be hurting them in some vague overarching mathematical way with officials. They may have a right to complain, but they can also adapt.

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http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/page/zachlowe26646342/how-philosophical-differences-define-rockets-warriors-series

2019-05-02 15:46:42Z
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Latest on free agent Craig Kimbrel: Mets and Kimbrel having 'continued dialogue' - SNY.tv

As the Mets' bullpen struggles, they have remained in touch with free agent reliever Craig Kimbrel. Here's the latest...

May 2, 9:27 AM:

The Mets are "having continued dialogue with Craig Kimbrel," SNY's Andy Martino said Wednesday. "This is a guy that a lot of people in the organization sees a fit more than Dallas Keuchel," Martino added. "Is it likely they sign him? I wouldn't say likely, but they're one of the teams talking to him."

While the Mets and other teams remain interested in Kimbrel, it could make sense for him and Keuchel to wait until after June 5 to sign.

April 20, 4:02 PM:

The Mets still remain among teams interested in signing Kimbrel. But, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the team is only willing to sign Kimbrel if he was open to pitch in any role. This is obviously due to Edwin Diaz solidified in the closer role for now. 

April 19, 6:36 PM:

While Kimbrel could have more motivated suitors than the Mets, the team has kept in touch with Kimbrel's camp and has not ruled out signing him, according to SNY's Andy Martino. 

April 18, 11:36 AM:

As his demands continue to drop, there's a belief Kimbrel would sign a "good" three-year deal, reports Jon Heyman of FanCred. 

April 16, 1:57 PM:

Kimbrel is moving "closer" to making a decision on where he will sign, reports Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, who adds that there is currently no clear favorite. 

Morosi adds that the seriousness of the Brewers' pursuit could be tied to the health and performance of reliever Jeremy Jeffress, who is rehabbing in Triple-A. 

April 14, 4:51 PM:

Asked specifically about the temptation of signing Kimbrel or Dallas Keuchel, Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen said the team will "always monitor ways to get better," but that he likes the team as currently constructed.

April 14, 10:36 AM:

Kimbrel's price tag -- which was said to be a ridiculous six-years and more than $100 million earlier this offseason-- has reportedly dropped considerably. 

The 31-year-old Kimbrel is now open to signing a deal similar to ones signed by Wade Davis ($52 million for three years) and Zack Britton ($39 million for three years), reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. 

April 5, 9:57 AM:

Dallas Keuchel isn't the only high-end free agent the Mets are still considering.

"By the way, they're keeping in touch with Craig Kimbrel too," SNY's Andy Martino said Thursday night on Baseball Night in New York on SNY.

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https://www.sny.tv/mets/news/latest-on-free-agent-craig-kimbrel-mets-and-kimbrel-having-continued-dialogue/306311226

2019-05-02 14:04:33Z
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2019 NFL Draft: Ranking all 40 trades, from Cardinals' poor return for Josh Rosen to the first-round deal at No. 1 - CBS Sports

When it comes to the 2019 NFL Draft, you've probably read about the winners and losers, and you've assuredly checked in with Pete Prisco to see what grade he gave your favorite team's class. Now it's time to look specifically at all the trades made over the course of the three-day draft to separate the master negotiators from the marks.

The process is completely, not-at-all scientific: I look at the value of each pick involved in a trade, based up on a draft value chart created by Rich Hill at Pats Pulpit that estimates the values of picks based upon trades that have actually happened in recent years (I used the 2018 study; apologies if I missed a more recent version). That provides a base score for whether a team over- or underpaid.

I then look at the asset they targeted in the deal -- and here it's important to note that we're grading the team that either moved up for a pick that was on the clock at the time, or that added a veteran in a deal that involved picks yet to come -- and use my subjective opinion on whether the acquiring team landed a prospect that wouldn't have been there at their previous pick, and whether the targeted prospect made sense as someone who could have an impact.

Confused? Probably. It boils down to this: I graded every team that felt the need to make a trade in the draft to go get someone. Then I ranked them from worst to best. Let's get started.

40. Josh Rosen finds a new home

Depending on how you want to score this, this is either the best (for the Dolphins) or worst (for the Cardinals) trade in the draft. The Cardinals landed a package worth about the 60th pick in this year's draft for a quarterback they took at 10th overall. Not only that, a year ago I ranked their move up for Rosen my best trade of the 2018 draft. What a difference a year makes.

There's zero downside for the Dolphins in this move, while the Cardinals opted to sell a potential franchise quarterback at pennies to a dollar a year after trading him. And there's no guarantee the guy they're going with instead (Kyler Murray) is any better than Rosen would have been. This one's an easy winner of the worst trade of the 2019 draft award.

39. Rams add Gurley insurance

  • Rams get No. 70 (RB Henderson)
  • Buccaneers get No. 94, 99

I'm not surprised the Rams would want to bring in a plan B at the running back position after Todd Gurley dealt with injuries at the end of last year. I'm just surprised how big a price they paid to do it. They lost the value of the No. 167 pick to make the move, and I'm not sure about overpaying that much to go get running backs in this era of the NFL. I like Darrell Henderson as a prospect, but after bringing back Malcolm Brown, I think the Rams would have been smarter just keeping their pair of late third-round picks and going a different route at running back.

38. Rams, Patriots make another deal

  • Rams get No. 97 (OT Evans), 162
  • Patriots get No. 101, 133

The Rams initially got No. 101 by moving down in the second round in a deal with the Patriots, then got impatient once the end of Round 3 drew near and traded it back to the Patriots to move up a few spots for tackle Bobby Evans. The problem isn't just the four-pick jump wasn't worth falling back 29 picks in the rest of the deal, but that the Patriots at No. 101 took a tackle that could very well be better than Evans in Yodny Cajuste. 

37. Colts pay big price for safety

  • Colts get No. 109 (S Willis)
  • Raiders get No. 129, 135

If the Colts wanted to make a move up in the fourth round for a safety, it should have been for Amani Hooker, who went a few picks later. I don't think Khari Willis was worth taking at No. 129 if they had stayed put, but if he was their guy, I wouldn't have minded taking him there. But I certainly wouldn't have sacrificed an additional pick to get him.

36. Panthers leap for O-line help

  • Panthers get No. 37 (OT Little)
  • Seahawks get No. 47, 77

This qualifies as one of the biggest overpays in the entire draft, with the Panthers losing the value of the 121st pick in the deal. And the guy that had to go get was Greg Little, a first-round talent to some but not someone I'm moving 10 spots to get with Cody Ford and Dalton Risner on the board. Even if the Panthers couldn't wait on Little specifically, they should have made a better deal -- no other trade in that part of the draft was anywhere near as lopsided against the team moving up.

35. Patriots move up for a ... punter?

  • Patriots get No. 163 (P Bailey)
  • Eagles get No. 167, 246

This isn't terrible value as far as pick swaps go, but what are you doing moving up four spots to get a punter, especially one in a pretty blah class for the position? I get that the Patriots have so many picks to burn that losing that seventh-rounder isn't that big of a deal, but I just don't see the need to move up for a specific punter in the first place.

34. Seahawks find a linebacker

  • Seahawks get No. 88 (LB Barton), 209
  • Vikings get No. 92, 159

The Seahawks spent the early portion of the draft trading down and amassing picks, but this is one deal they felt they had to make to move up and get their guy. But I'm not sure why -- Cody Barton is a bit of a reach in the third round, and I think you risk missing out on him by staying at No. 92 rather than trading 50 spots back with a later pick.

33. Bills move up for tight end

  • Bills get No. 96 (TE Knox)
  • Redskins get No. 112, 131

I like the player the Bills went up to get and he fills a need, but this was a big overpay, equivalent to a pick around No. 178. I would have liked to see Buffalo get a pick back in this deal, or give up a later pick than No. 141. Worst case, you don't land Dawson Knox but instead get a different tight end (like Foster Moreau) in Round 4 and still have another pick to use helping elsewhere on the roster.

32. Falcons make a move for corner help

  • Falcons get No. 111 (CB Sheffield)
  • Lions get No. 117, 186

The Falcons reached a bit on their first pick at No. 14 overall, then looked like they spent the rest of the draft trying to make up for it, moving up multiple times. This was my least favorite of their moves, as it wasn't good value and I don't think Kendall Sheffield was head and shoulders better than the other available options at the position (Amani Oruwariye, for instance, who went one round later).

31. Patriots hop up in Round 2

  • Patriots get No. 45 (CB J.Williams)
  • Rams get No. 56, 101

You can throw this in my face when Joejuan Williams is a star, but this was a rare overpay for the Patriots, as they shouldn't have had to give up a second Day 2 pick to make such a modest move up. Plus, it's arguable whether they got the top corner on the board -- many people's No. 1 corner in the class, Greedy Williams, went one pick later. If Greedy is great and Joejuan isn't, this move looks much worse.

30. Bengals make Day 3 trade for QB

  • Bengals get No. 104 (QB Finley)
  • 49ers get No. 110, 183

A little bit of an overpay here, and I'm not sure trading extra picks to go get the right backup QB is a wise move. Now, if new caoch Zac Taylor thinks Ryan Finley can be a starter in the offense he wants to run and he's right, this will end up being a great move. But if Finley maxes out as a QB2 like many believe he will, I don't like the trade.

29. Broncos add veteran linebacker

  • Broncos get LB Watson, No. 212
  • 49ers get No. 148

I like getting a solid player in Dekoda Watson to help the depth of the defense, but this was a massive trade back in order to land him. This values Watson, who has one year left on his deal at $1.55 million, worth the 160th pick. The fifth round was a good spot for linebackers this year, and I would have rather rolled the dice with one of them than make this trade for Watson.

28. Seattle swaps 2020 pick for WR

  • Seahawks get No. 236 (WR Ursua)
  • Jaguars get 2020 6th

I'm fine with this from a value perspective, but the reason the Seahawks made a bunch of trades down the board this year was because they started draft week with only four picks (and added an extra one in the Frank Clark deal). Now they're dealing from next year's capital for a guy that could have been a priority free agent for them? I'd rather just keep the 2020 pick.

27. Patriots target D-line help

  • Patriots get No. 159 (DL Cowart)
  • Vikings get No. 162, 239

Not great value for the Patriots in only moving up a couple spots here, but if Byron Cowart pays off then the price paid is negligible. There were plenty of players of similar value available and I didn't really see him as a standout, must-have guy where the Pats got him, which is why this one ranks so low.

26. Falcons land sleeper DE

  • Falcons get No. 135 (DE Cominsky)
  • Raiders get No. 137, 230

This is similar to the Patriots trade above, but I'm a little more bullish on John Cominsky and I give the small-schooler a better shot at making an impact on a barren depth chart in Atlanta. I could also see the Cowboys wanting him at No. 136 (they ended up trading out of the pick), so this was probably a smart move for Atlanta all in all.

25. Ravens target athletic receiver

  • Ravens get No. 93 (WR Boykin)
  • Vikings get No. 102, 191, 193

Don't love the value here, especially trading three picks to make this move and with a deep receiver class leaving guys like Hakeem Butler and Riley Ridley still on the board. But Miles Boykin blew the doors off his athletic testing and his upside is massive. I think the Ravens could have afforded to wait but I do like the prospect they got.

24. Jets climb one spot for Edoga

  • Jets get No. 92 (OT Edoga)
  • Vikings get No. 93, 217

The Vikings spent the third round trading back over and over again, and here they only had to move one spot back to get a solid pick late on Day 3. I don't think the value was there, but if they really thought the Vikings were taking Chuma Edoga, I like the move to go get him. He fills a clear need for the team and I can see him playing sooner rather than later for the Jets.

23. Broncos grab a receiver

  • Broncos get No. 187 (WR Winfree)
  • Panthers get No. 212, 237

I think this was a reach for the prospect, as I'm not sure Juwann Winfree is going to stick on the roster. But the reason this deal doesn't rank lower is that the Broncos got really good value in this trade, especially considering some of the others moves made a little before this pick.

22. Chiefs land Tyreek Hill insurance

  • Chiefs get No. 56 (WR Hardman)
  • Rams get No. 61, 167

Clearly this pick was made with the potential absence of Tyreek Hill due to off-field issues in mind, as Mecole Hardman can be a similar type of game-breaking weapon, albeit without Hill's ceiling. But I think it was a reach to take him in the second round. This trade would rank much lower, but I think the price paid was great value for the Chiefs so it's hard to knock it too much.

21. Raiders make a move for WR help

  • Raiders get No. 149 (WR Renfrow)
  • Cowboys get No. 158, 218

The Raiders have spent their offseason remaking the weapons Derek Carr will have at his disposal, and the Raiders decided Hunter Renfrow had to be their slot guy for the offense. I think a few better options were on the board (Kelvin Harmon isn't a traditional small slot guy but he went much later), which is why this doesn't rank higher despite being a relatively fair deal.

20. Vikings move up for guard

  • Vikings get No. 114 (G Samia)
  • Seahawks get No. 120, 204

Everything about this deal was solid for the Vikings. They paid just about fair value in the move up, they addressed a position of need with the pick, and they got a guy at good value in Dru Samia. I can see him emerging quickly as a starter for a Vikings team that has to do a better job with protection, and he should have been on the radar for multiple teams between No. 114 and 120.

19. Bengals like Mike in deal

  • Bengals get No. 136 (OL Jordan)
  • Cowboys get No. 149, 213

Just like the Vikings deal above, this was a solid move all round for the Bengals. Michael Jordan can fill a need on the interior of the line, and they actually got him for a better price in the move up the board. He might even be better than Dru Samia, who the Vikings landed, despite going at a later point in the draft.

18. Giants can't wait on corner

  • Giants get No. 30 (CB Baker)
  • Seahawks get No. 37, 132, 142

The Giants got trashed for how they handled Round 1, but I actually think this was a pretty solid move value wise. They didn't overpay at all, especially when you consider they'll get a fifth-year option on Deandre Baker with the move. I'm just not sure if he should have been the only corner selected in Round 1. Make this pick Byron Murphy or Greedy Williams and it looks even better.

17. Rams jump for D-line help

  • Rams get No. 134 (DT Gaines), 243
  • Patriots get No. 162, 167

Good value here for the Rams thanks to getting that extra pick back in the deal, and Greg Gaines is a solid prospect who can help offset the loss of Ndamukong Suh to free agency. After they missed out on the top D-line talent in Round 1 and decided to trade back, Gaines was a solid fall-back option who didn't come at a prohibitive price.

16. Lions jump as Vikings start falling back

  • Lions get No. 81 (S Harris)
  • Vikings get No. 88, 204

The great part of this deal for the Lions was the price, as they came out on top by the equivalent of about the No. 196 pick despite being the team to move up. I think Will Harris might have been a bit of a reach, but let's talk instead about the Vikings, who made this the first of four trades down in the third round, going from No. 81 to 88 to 92 to 93 to 102. Just make a pick already.

15. Steelers go get Devin Bush

  • Steelers get No. 10 (LB Bush)
  • Broncos get No. 20, 52, 2020 3rd

I wanted to put this deal higher, because I love the Steelers getting aggressive to go get one of the two impact linebackers in this draft. But the simple fact is that they overpaid to make the move, losing out on an early fourth-round pick in value. The Broncos clearly had them over a barrel and made a great deal here, but you can only knock the Steelers so much when Devin Bush is the prize.

14. Eagles land veteran D-lineman

  • Eagles get DT Ridgeway
  • Colts get No. 246

There were surprisingly few trades for veteran players during the three-day draft, and while I think the Broncos overpaid to get their guy, the Eagles gave up virtually nothing to land a solid rotational defensive tackle in Hassan Ridgeway. In fact, No. 246 was the pick they got from the Patriots, who had to have that punter, and the Eagles still got value in Clayton Thorson after they moved back. And the extra draft pick from the deal also gets them Ridgeway. That's how you do it.

13. Bears can't wait on running back

  • Bears get No. 73 (RB Montgomery), 205
  • Patriots get No. 87, 162, 2020 4th

The Bears were clearly looking to upgrade the running back position, doing plenty of work on those prospects in the run up to the draft. Some feel David Montgomery was the second-best back in the class, so it made sense to the Bears to make the move as there was a run on the position in the third round. And they didn't even have to overpay to get him. Nice job on this deal.

12. Seahawks stop Metcalf's slide

  • Seahawks get No. 64 (WR Metcalf)
  • Patriots get No. 77, 118

This wasn't good value at all in terms of the draft capital Seattle gave up, losing about the value of the 195th pick here. But D.K. Metcalf had no business being on the board at the end of Round 2, so in that sense it was well worth the overpay to get up and snag him at No. 64. The top receiver on many people's boards, Metcalf was the ninth player selected at his position. That matters, and I can't ding the Seahawks too much on what they gave up.

11. Browns get Greedy

  • Browns get No. 46 (CB G.Williams)
  • Colts get No. 49, 144

Like the Seahawks trade above, the Browns overpaid to move up for the prospect they wanted. And like the trade above, I don't really care that they did. Greedy Williams was the top corner on plenty of draft boards and someone I'm sure most felt would be a first-round pick. When he got within three picks of the Browns, they couldn't wait any longer, and it's easy to understand why. I would have paid a little extra to make the move as well.

10. Bills stop Ford's fall

  • Bills get No. 38 (OT Ford)
  • Raiders get No. 40, 158

This overpay wasn't nearly as bad as the ones for D.K. Metcalf and Greedy Williams, and considering the Cody Ford fills a big need for the Bills on the offensive line and that he should have also been a first-round pick, it's worth paying a little more than they should have to go get him. If you want to rank any of the last three trades higher despite the pick value not being there, I wouldn't mind at all.

9. Falcons trade back into first

  • Falcons get No. 31 (OT McGary), 203
  • Rams get No. 45, 79

While Kaleb McGary wasn't as big of a steal as the three players we just mentioned, the Falcons got him for a steal rather than overpaying in the deal, and that's before you factor in landing the fifth-year option. It would have been better if an impact defensive lineman had been there to grab, but the Falcons deserve credit for the value of this trade anyway.

8. Titans leap for safety

  • Ttans get No. 116 (S Hooker), 168
  • Jets get No. 121, 157

The Titans made this move at a good price, as it only cost them a small move back later in the draft to jump five spots for a safety in Amani Hooker who could have gone a round earlier. He could have easily been taken in that five-pick wait until No. 121 -- the Browns in fact nabbed a safety of their own during that stretch. The Titans got a player that shouldn't have been available at a price that was fair to tilted in their favor. That's what makes a great deal.

7. Saints can't wait any longer to pick

  • Saints get No. 48 (OL McCoy), 116
  • Dolphins get No. 62, 202, 2020 2nd

The Saints benefited here from the Dolphins wanting to give the Cardinals a lower second-round pick for Josh Rosen for some reason. Sacrificing their second-round pick is tough, but between the move up and the fourth-rounder they also landed, they actually came out well in the black when it comes to pick value. And Erik McCoy was a sleeper to go in Round 1, so the prospect they moved up to get was a good value pick as well.

6. Packers jump for first safety

  • Packers get No. 21 (S Savage)
  • Seahawks get No. 30, 114, 118

The buzz leading up to draft day was that Darnell Savage had emerged as a first-round pick on some boards, but it was still a bit shocking to see him as the first safety chosen, in a trade up no less. I didn't love giving up multiple fourth-rounders, but the value is actually really good on the Packers' end, as a nine-pick jump in the first should have been more expensive.

5. Saints stop CGJ's slide

  • Saints get No. 105 (DB Gardner-Johnson)
  • Jets get No. 116, 168

This is a decent value for the Saints, maybe a small overpay, but I don't know what Chauncey Gardner-Johnson was doing available on Day 3 in the first place. His versatility to play either corner or safety should have had teams targeting him in Round 2, and I love the Saints got aggressive in order to land him at No. 105.

4. Jaguars target sliding tackle

  • Jaguars get No. 35 (OT Taylor), 140, 235
  • Raiders get No. 38, 109

We're in the range now where you could make any of the last four trades No. 1 and I wouldn't put up too much of a fight. Many experts matched Jawaan Taylor to the Jaguars at No. 7, but they passed on him when Josh Allen fell further than expected. Imagine their surprise when Taylor was still on the board to open Day 2. The Jaguars wisely, struck a deal to go get him and paid almost exactly fair value in the deal.

3. Eagles jump Texans for left tackle

  • Eagles get No. 22 (OT Dillard)
  • Ravens get No. 25, 127, 197

The Eagles probably slightly overpaid here, and I'm giving up three picks is tough. But even though this involved a shorter move up the board than the Packers-Seahawks trade above, it was a monumental move up in terms of quality of the prospect acquired in Andre Dillard, who can take over as the team's franchise left tackle pretty quickly. And there was zero chance he was getting by Houston at No. 23, so the Eagles had to make this deal to get him, yet didn't have to break the bank like the Steelers did to go get Devin Bush. Love this deal for the Eagles.

2. Broncos land QB of the future

  • Broncos get No. 42 (QB Lock)
  • Bengals get No. 52, 125, 182

Another 3-for-1 pick swap that can be tough to stomach, but in this case it landed the Broncos a potential franchise quarterback. Many projected Drew Lock to go the Broncos at No. 10 overall; instead they traded back to No. 20, where they took Noah Fant. Then they went with an offensive line prospect they had their eye on in Dalton Risner and finally used the extra second-rounder acquired from the Steelers to make a move for Lock. Fantastic job moving around the board by John Elway and his team, and Lock is the type of guy who can pay major dividends on this draft slot if he hits.

1. Redskins add extra first-round talent

  • Redskins get No. 26 (OLB Sweat)
  • Colts get No. 46, 2020 2nd

From a value perspective, this is the best deal of the draft, as it should have cost Washington more to move up 20 picks and back into the first round. That's not a major knock on the Colts -- they obviously missed out on the guy they were eyeing at No. 26 and decided that Redskins pick could end up being high next year. But Washington spends to go get a prospect they could have drafted at No. 15 without many people having a gripe, especially when it was reported Montez Sweat's medical issues were a little overblown.

Sweat was a home-run pick at No. 26, and the Redskins paid a bargain-bin price to get up to that spot and get him. That's what makes this the best trade of the 2019 NFL Draft.

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https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2019-nfl-draft-ranking-all-40-trades-from-cardinals-poor-return-for-josh-rosen-to-the-first-round-deal-at-no-1/

2019-05-02 12:34:00Z
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Why Enes Kanter is ripping the Turkish government again - New York Post

Enes Kanter had a solid game in helping the Trail Blazers to a 97-90 win over the Nuggets in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal on Wednesday night. Not that you would know it if you live in Turkey.

Enes Kanter/Twitter

Kanter, a former Knick, reignited his fight with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after discovering his 15-point, nine-rebound night was deleted by the NBA Turkey website. He posted a screen grab of his stats deletion with the tweet (right).

“What a messed up country lead by #TurkishDictator @RTErdogan,” Kanter tweeted. “Only Turkish player out here tonight, and the official @NBA for Turkey @NBAturkiye is censoring me. They dont show blazers games in Turkey. The government controls people,this a problem. How can official NBA allow this(?)”

While a member of the Knicks, Kanter did not attend the team’s 101-100 loss to the Wizards in London on Jan. 17 because he feared Erdogan would have had spies in the city who would try to kill him.

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https://nypost.com/2019/05/02/why-enes-kanter-is-ripping-the-turkish-government-again/

2019-05-02 06:57:00Z
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When Dame Time is delayed, the other Blazers are right on time - ESPN

3:07 AM ET

DENVER -- Damian Lillard sat on a stool in a ballroom in sweatpants and sliders at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown on Tuesday with an iPad on his lap, about to head to a video session to comb through Game 1. The Portland Trail Blazers felt as if they had played well, but self-inflicted wounds -- such as turnovers -- and a monster game from Nikola Jokic undid an otherwise dazzling performance from Lillard that has seemingly become a standard.

He had 39 points on 21 shots, but he couldn't produce any of the signature moments down the stretch, and there wasn't much support elsewhere. As his star has exploded into a sun this postseason, there's a belief percolating around the Blazers because it feels as if this is a moment for Lillard. He can carry them; he can lift everyone.

Except in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinals series at the Pepsi Center, he didn't. He had just 14 points on 17 shots. He hit one of his seven 3-pointers. He had four assists to three turnovers. It was his worst statistical game of this postseason, by quite a lot.

So the Blazers lost, right? That's probably not even the right question; how much did they lose by?

They won 97-90, evening the best-of-seven series against the Denver Nuggets at 1-1, and did it as a collective. It's the kind of win Lillard relishes, knowing it's all the guys he counts on, the ones he tries to credit when he claims the spotlight, that got it done.

"In this type of game that's when you need a tough, group effort," he said. "You just need a few guys to make a few big-time plays."

Typical of Lillard, he spent a considerable amount of his postgame availability naming teammates. There were contributions both sizable and small, including 20 points and six assists from CJ McCollum, gritty interior defense by Zach Collins. Rodney Hood scored 15 points off the bench, including the biggest shot of the game, a corner 3 with 2 minutes, 2 seconds left to put the Blazers up 10. Lillard set it up, collapsing the entire Denver defense and kicking to the corner for a wide-open shot.

"Obviously, teams can not guard him with one man," Blazers center Enes Kanter said. "They send double-teams, triple-teams. That's why I say he doesn't just make himself better, but at the same time he makes everyone else better around him."

Though he's known for the big shot, the big moment, it's not unusual for Lillard to stand aside when necessary. It was a McCollum night, with the matchups directing the ball his way. The Nuggets, like the Oklahoma City Thunder before them, want to get the ball out of Lillard's hands at all cost. Defenses can't take away everything, whether that's a rolling big man for a pocket pass or an open shooter in the weakside corner, but you can pick your poison and choose what you want to live with. And that's fine when you can get the ball out of Lillard's hands and there's no other imminent danger. But McCollum is always a threat, and on Wednesday had the entire arsenal on display.

There's no catchy moniker for McCollum in clutch time, but the trust built between him and Lillard is the driving force of the Blazers. Everyone knows Dame Time, but Lillard doesn't put a vice grip on the ball. It was McCollum's game to run in the final six minutes, with Lillard playing off the ball for much of it.

"Sometimes we have conversations, but it's more feel now after six years," McCollum said of how they communicate whose time it is to take over. "He knows when I want the ball, we can kind of make eye contact, and I know when he wants the ball. Other times we'll verbally express it, or he'll be like, 'Go take it' or 'I need one, I need one.' Or I'll tell him, 'I'm ready, come on.'

"That's how we play, and tonight, down the stretch, we kind of alternated. A couple times I had it, a couple times I told him to go get the ball and take advantage of the matchup and make the right play. That's the type of player that he is, the type of person that he is. If he sees I have the hot hand or an advantage, he defers. And if I see he has the hot hand or an advantage, I tell him to go to work."

The Blazers don't get away with Lillard's off night, though, without some good fortune. The Nuggets shot the ball so poorly -- "We couldn't make a damn shot," coach Mike Malone said -- in the first half that the home fans actually let out some hefty boos. The Blazers made adjustments for Jokic, sending more double-teams and sticking to their plan of taking away his left shoulder and right hand as much as possible. They tried to make him pass and were willing to live with the results. Kanter played one of his best overall games, scoring 15 points with nine rebounds, but more importantly played quality interior defense, contrary to his negative reputation on that end of the floor.

Kanter has been a revelation for Portland, sprung unexpectedly into a significant role after Jusuf Nurkic's injury. Kanter escaped basketball purgatory in New York, going from the end of the bench on a team that was tanking to the starting five of a playoff team, and in some ways, breathing life back into his career.

"This team, this organization, the city, the whole state, even the senator, it's probably the best thing that's ever happened to me in my basketball career," Kanter said. "I cannot thank them enough. That's why every day I wake up and look in the mirror and say I should feel blessed."

Hood is a similar story, cast off by the Cavaliers after failing miserably in last year's postseason alongside LeBron James. There's Collins, who is trying to find footing in his second season. There's the other Curry, Seth, who drilled a critical 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. There's Maurice Harkless and Al-Farouq Aminu, glue guys who fill the margins. They are a team of misfits and second (and third, and fourth) opportunities, built for adversity and difficult situations.

There is a fortitude that makes them special, and a trust and togetherness that extends throughout the locker room and entire organization. The coaches and staff all wore bow ties in Game 2 in honor of Jon Yim, who was seriously injured in a car accident in Portland last week.

Yim is the team's video coordinator and player development coach and always wears a bow tie for games on Wednesday.

"I think the bow ties are undefeated this year," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said.

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http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26652154/when-dame-delayed-other-blazers-right

2019-05-02 06:23:04Z
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Assistant claimed Arizona hoops coach Sean Miller 'bought' star player for $10G per month - Fox News

An assistant basketball coach at the University of Arizona told a recruiter for a professional sports agent in June 2017 that Wildcats head coach Sean Miller had "bought" the services of star center Deandre Ayton for $10,000 per month.

The phone call was recorded by investigators and was played in Manhattan federal court on Wednesday during the bribery trial of the recruiter, Christian Dawkins, and another man, former amateur coach Mel Corde. Both men are accused of funneling money from apparel giant Adidas to the families of prominent recruits to get them to attend colleges sponsored by the company.

Yahoo Sports said Arizona assistant coach Emanuel Richardson and Dawkins were discussing the possibility of recruiting Ayton to sign with Dawkins' sports management firm when Richardson asked, "You know what he [Miller] bought per month?" When Dawkins indicated he didn't know, Richardson answered, "I told you, 10."

Sean Miller has coached Arizona men's basketball since 2009

Sean Miller has coached Arizona men's basketball since 2009 (Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports)

"He's putting up some real money for them [expletive deleted]," Dawkins responded.

Miller, who led the men's hoops program at Xavier University for five seasons before becoming head coach at Arizona in 2009, has denied violating any NCAA rules. He and LSU head coach Will Wade had been subpoenaed to testify in the ongoing trial, but U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos ruled last month that the pair were not relevant to the bribery case against Dawkins and Corde.

Deandre Ayton was drafted by the Suns with the first overall pick in 2018

Deandre Ayton was drafted by the Suns with the first overall pick in 2018 (AP Photo/Kevin Hagen)

A spokesman for the Arizona men's basketball program did not immediately return requests for comment.

In February 2017, Miller received a contract extension that pays him a base salary of roughly $2.6 million per year.

Ayton played for one season at Arizona, averaging 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. The Wildcats finished the year with a record of 27-8 and were knocked out of the 2018 NCAA tourney in the first round by Buffalo. The following June, the Phoenix Suns tapped Ayton with the first overall pick in the NBA draft.

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Richardson is awaiting sentencing after he pleaded guilty in January to a charge of bribery conspiracy. Prosecutors said Richardson accepted $20,000 from agents in exchange for convincing players he coached to hire those agents to represent them. Three other former college basketball assistants have pleaded guilty to similar charges: Chuck Person at Auburn University; Tony Bland at USC; and Lamont Evans, who coached at South Carolina and Oklahoma State.

For his part, Dawkins has denied allegations that he paid a $2,500 bribe to Evans, claiming that the money was meant to pay expenses for the family of South Carolina basketball player P.J. Dozier. Dawkins has argued that it wouldn't make sense to bribe coaches because they don't have enough influence over players' business decisions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from Yahoo Sports.

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https://www.foxnews.com/sports/sean-miller-deandre-ayton-arizona-basketball-10g-month-book-richardson

2019-05-02 04:26:50Z
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