In yesterday’s win over the Minnesota Vikings, the Chicago Bears lost starting quarterback, Mitchell Trubisky after he was brought to the ground on a strip sack that ultimately was overturned.
The seriousness of the injury wasn’t immediately divulged but Trubisky did not return to the game and came out of the locker room with his arm in a sling.
During his media availability today, head coach Matt Nagy revealed that the quarterback would not need surgery and would be back “sooner rather than later”.
Initial MRI on Bears’ QB Mitchell Trubisky revealed he has a dislocated left shoulder, with a slight labrum tear, but does not need surgery and should he back “sooner rather than later”, per source. He will travel with team to London and is unlikely to play vs. Raiders.
In the midst of all the Antonio Brown drama that the Oakland Raiders went through this offseason, one interesting nugget that was revealed is that Vontaze Burfict was one of the team captains.
Burfict had quite the past during his tenure with the Cincinnati Bengals. In 2016 he was suspended four games for a personal foul he committed against Brown in the playoffs. In 2017 another personal foul penalty—a hit on Anthony Sherman—resulted in his second four-game suspension. Then in 2018 he received a third four-game suspension but this time it was for the illegal use of PEDs.
On Sunday, during the Raiders game against the Indianapolis Colts Burfict unleashed a brutal hit against tight end Jack Doyle that resulted in his ejection.
It was announced today that he would be suspended without pay for the remaining 12 games of the 2019 season. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen was the first to report the possible season-long suspension. The NFL cited the unnecessary nature of the hit and his previous suspensions as the reasoning behind the length of this one. You can read the full statement, courtesy of NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport:
Here is the official announcement on #Raiders LB Vontaze Burfict, who is suspended without pay for the rest of 2019. Jon Runyan wrote: “There were no mitigating circumstances on this play.” pic.twitter.com/DdoXyTb5ax
Before the day is out, we are officially 23 days away from the NBA regular season and the eagerness for the first tip could not be any greater. Coming up next into our SneakerReporter Top NBA Team countdown on day 23 is team 23: the New York Knicks.
The Knicks finished with the league’s worst record in 2018 and tied their franchise record for the worst win-loss ratio in a single season. On top of that, what looked to be a pragmatic procedure to feed fans’ optimism in possessing all that cap space to sign two max free agents was abhorrent mismanagement that blew up in their faces.
And of course Knicks fans, I’ve got good news and bad news for y’all: you got the Duke man that you wanted to build around for the future. Bad news: It wasn’t Zion.
What feels like broken promises – having all that cap space to sign two free agents in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to blowing it on low-tier talent in Julius Randle and Taj Gibson, and losing out on the first overall pick in the Draft Lottery to the Pelicans – are probably just more cycles of sun and moon for everyday Knicks fans. It’s gonna be a long road back to the top of the East, and that’s putting it nicely. With what they have, however, owner James Dolan, President Steve Mills, and GM Scott Perry, and head coach Dave Fizdale think what they have is enough to turn the Garden into Eden again someday.
23. New York Knicks (37-45) – Trust Me Knicks Fans, It Really Could Be Worse…
The Knicks are looking for a miracle, for lack of a better term. The Garden has not seen a postseason contender since 2013 when the Carmelo Anthony-Amare Stoudamire faction took the Knicks to the conference semis, ultimately losing to the Conference finals-bound Indiana Pacers in 6. Since then, it’s been gut punch after gut punch for fans who’ve felt like their favorite team playing in the Mecca was finally on the cusp of turning into contenders.
The cap space meant for Kyrie and KD to splurge within the city that never sleeps was dealt to Taj Gibson, Bobby Portis and Julius Randle, who in the most obvious of insights don’t hold a candle to the immensity of Kyrie and Durant’s name as KD and Uncle Drew took the trip to smaller NY borough Brooklyn to grow the smaller market into an Eastern powerhouse. Still, it could be way worse for the Knicks, and really, it’s a blessing in disguise.
In reality, the three veterans will be tasked with assisting the Knicks’ coaching staff in the professional and mental development of their new pieces picked up in the draft, and namely, their first-round selection, scoring aficionado R.J. Barrett. You ask anyone if the Knicks’ plan all along was to draft the 6-foot-7, 208-lb guard out of Duke, and they’d have a belly-aching laugh, proclaiming you were crazy. I mean, Knicks fans premade Zion Williamson jerseys and theorized different starting lineups with an assumed big three of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and Zion Williamson, all before March Madness even started at the end of the college basketball season.
But, to quote some boring summer reading assignment for my eighth-grade English class, “the best-laid plans go awry”. The Knicks may not have seen Barrett in their future and things did not go as planned. That doesn’t mean its time to sulk over what could’ve been, but work on and go with what is their future. And Rowan Alexander Barrett is just that, if not more.
The Duke guard played understudy to the most efficient and electric player in the nation Zion Williamson, but that did not mean he didn’t get his. As a freshman, it was Barrett, not Williamson, who led the entire ACC in scoring. The duo led the nation in scoring, with Zion’s numbers being lower than Barrett’s. That number could be misleading, considering that Barrett’s numbers saw a rise in productivity by being the go-to scorer after Williamson went down with a foot injury (after blowing his sneaker to smithereens against UNC in January 2019).
The crafty lefty was a 3-level offensive dynamo under Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, averaging over 22 points a game, 4.3 assists per contest, and most surprisingly, 7.6 rebounds a game to earn Consensus 1st Team All-American honors. Barrett possesses an impressive blend of size, fluidity, and body control. He’s garnered professional comparisons to Manu Ginobili for his ability to get creative and ambidextrous at the rim, and James Harden to get hot from anywhere, create off the dribble as a slasher and make plays as an off-ball cutter.
His 6’10 wingspan meshes well with his unflappable scoring mentality, and in games that he struggled to put the ball in the basket, which, to be frank, were a good few, Barrett never showed discouragement or dismay, for he kept putting up shots. His consistency was a problem at Duke last season but as a playmaker, the native of Toronto, Canada displayed no shortage of Ball IQ. As his body and mind mature further into his career, his defensive skills will improve, and that will come with the proper development at the next level, of course.
Barrett can be a franchise centerpiece – that is, if he is afforded the proper coaching and established time with a starting five in the regular season. He’s too dynamic of a playmaker to leave on the bench as the sixth man to kick off his career.
As it goes for the rest of the Knicks, the destruction of the old-look Knicks in the post-Kristaps Porzingis era could not have come at a sweeter time.
The onlookers in the Garden probably won’t miss the likes of Emmanuel Mudiay, Mario Hezonja, Noah Vonleh, Lance Thomas and Luke Kornet, and for the moment be content with an offensively-maturing Julius Randle, who stepped up big in the scoring department, with his numbers going from 11.1 ppg to 21 ppg in a matter of two years. Randle may fit the rebuilding timeline and could be shipped to gain draft capital a few years from now, but was the only player to have guaranteed money beyond the 2019-20 season on the roster, which gives the Knicks organization plenty of flexibility.
Other additions in the offseason were: Michigan’s Ignas Brazdeikis (a result of a draft trade), Taj Gibson, Elfrid Payton, Bobby Portis, and Wayne Ellington, Reggie Bullock and Marcus Morris.
None of those names really jump out, which isn’t really something Knicks fans want to hear. But, the Knicks are getting not only veteran leadership in the locker room but pieces that are legitimate floor spacers. Elfrid Payton, in 42 total games last year, performed like a starting point guard, averaging 10.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game. Though hampered by ankle pains that caused him to miss 40 games last year, he’ll have every opportunity to challenge both Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina for a starting guard spot (if his health permits) as a dual slasher and craftsman as a floor general.
On the topic of the Knicks starting backcourt, the Knicks will be heavily reliant on the offensive output of second-year guards Frank Ntilikina and Dennis Smith Jr. Ntilikina’s efforts on defense have been significant in his short time as a Knick, has held all of his matchups to shooting a little over 45 percent. That hasn’t translated to his scoring ability, only averaging 5.7 points per game off 36 percent shooting.
For that reason, his time in New York may be getting cut even shorter. When the Knicks traded for Dennis Smith Jr. by dealing Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kristaps Porzingis, the Knicks trusted the 21-year old two-way scoring guard to be an athletic pick and roll maestro. While he has time to develop in that role, he will have to earn his minutes in this rotation, regardless if he is a starter.
The acquisitions of Marcus Morris, Wayne Ellington, and Reggie Bullock do not solve the Knicks perimeter scoring problem right off the bat, but they sure are better than nothing. The twin of the Pistons’ Markieff Morris who has to secede from the dysfunction of the 2018 Boston Celtics, Marcus Morris backed out of a deal with the San Antonio Spurs after agreeing to a two-year, $20 million with the organization, all in the idea to agree to a one-year deal that was $5 million less.
Both Ellington (who came over from the Pistons) and Bullock (after one year with the Lakers) fit the bill when it comes to three-point shooting as their averages combine to around 35 percent from deep., which may not be much of an upgrade considering that the Knicks were the third-worst 3 point shooting team in the league last year.
What the Knicks are hoping to have those numbers skyrocket, is the second-year outlook on 2018 first-rounder Kevin Knox. A stretch forward that’s potential is through the roof from a defensive standpoint, Knox will be looked at as a veteran now and not some darling teenager that posted memorable highlights on social media sites in the Summer League. Make no mistake about it, Kevin needs to step it up in the offensive department.
Averaging 12 ppg by shooting 37 percent from the field and 30 percent from behind the arc is obviously not going to cut it and if he wants to avoid a sophomore slump, David Fizdale must run the offense through his 6’9, 216-lb multifaceted athlete for his numbers and confidence to grow.
When discussing the frontcourt situation for New York, the combination of Taj Gibson and second-year man Mitchell Robinson could be a dynamic rim-protecting swat fest when taking Robinson’s rookie year into consideration. Last year, Robinson instantly made a name for himself when he broke the Knicks’ rookie blocks record by swatting away nine shots in just his 12th game in the league and averaging 2.4 blocks per game. With the veteran Gibson, who over the course of a career averaged 1.1 BPG and 4.1 rebounds per game, it will be beneficial for Mitchell’s development into a polished big man.
So adding all of the Knicks offseason woes together, the casual viewer will be writing off the young, prospective Knicks roster that has more upside than their previous failing rosters by a mile. But do realize, even if this is the Knicks team of the impending future, there is enough to challenge in a less-talented Eastern conference right now, as crazy as it sounds. Moreover, if Mills and Perry want to get serious about contending, they have enough bargaining chips to get some big-name free agents by shipping off the pieces they acquired this offseason.
So no, all isn’t terrible for the Knicks in their teardown and reconstruction. And for the Garden to be rocking again, the work that is cut out for them must be accomplished.
But in order to do so while remaining the numero uno spot in the Big Apple, the Knicks must play hard night in and night out so that they can assert themselves as a postseason-pushing team that will incite fear of those who enter the Madison Square Garden during any road trip.
We are in for an early-season tilt between two of the top teams in the NFC as the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints matchup on Sunday Night Football. Dallas has made easy work of their first three opponents. With Ezekiel Elliott under a new contract, the team has been able to rely once again on the triumvirate of Elliott, Dak Prescott, and Amari Cooper offensively. With one of the top offensive lines in the league, it allows for the three superstars to really excel and that is what keeps the Cowboys among the elite teams in the league. The Saints had their own star-studded offensive trio in Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara, and Michael Thomas, however, they lost Brees to a thumb injury two weeks ago. Yet, with Brees playing at such an advanced age, the team had taken the proper precautions to ensure that they had quality players behind him to keep things going. Teddy Bridgewater was the highest-paid backup quarterback and Sean Payton has used Taysom Hill as a jack-of-all-trades endlessly. Star power and big plays will be the reason that one of these two teams will end Sunday with a very important win.
For the home team, the key to tonight’s game will be establishing the run. It is a cliche among football fans but in this situation taking as much pressure as they can off the shoulders (or should I say arm) of Bridgewater will be a big first step. Against the Seattle Seahawks last week, Kamara touched the ball 25 times–16 rushes–and totaled 161 yards and a touchdown. While they once again rely on Kamara in both the running and passing game, he has to average more than 4.3 yards per carry. The Cowboys defense has a fair share of athletes from Jaylon Smith, to Leighton Vander Esch, to Byron Jones and they’ll be looking to try and stall the All-Pro early and often. If the Saints can’t run the ball that will allow DeMarcus Lawrence to pin his ears back and focus solely on getting to Bridgewater in the pocket. The backup hasn’t gotten consistent snaps since leaving the Minnesota Vikings so his pocket presence might not be at its most alert and he could be susceptible to taking sacks, or worse, turning the ball over. By getting the ground game going Payton can take advantage of play actions and use Bridgewaters ability to throw on the move to orchestrate big plays.
Dallas has had the best of both worlds through three games. Prescott has played his best football to date. No longer a game manager or a system quarterback, he is truly making an impact on games each time he has taken the field. Part of the reason for that is the emergence of Amari Cooper. He had disappointed during his time with the Oakland Raiders but since joining the Cowboys last season he has looked every bit the part of the first-round pick he was when he was taken in the 2015 NFL Draft. Michael Gallup had emerged as a true number two option for the team but he is healing for a meniscus injury and will miss this game too. Jason Witten is back and his chemistry with Prescott is evident with each passing game. Add to that arguably the best running back in the league in NFL in Elliott and the offense truly cause headaches for opponents. It isn’t a one-horse backfield anymore either as rookie Tony Pollard has looked dangerous when filling in for the All-Pro runner. The major change that they made to their offense was bringing in Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator and so far the former NFL quarterback has passed with flying colors.
The only matchup between two undefeated teams pits the New England Patriots against the Buffalo Bills in a battle for AFC East supremacy. This is Buffalo’s second straight home game but when you add in that their road games against the New York Giants and New York Jets were just a couple hours away this team has mostly stayed within familiar confines to begin the year. Josh Allen is looking better and more comfortable in his second season, while John Brown and Cole Beasley provide consistency at wide receiver. In the backfield it’s the ageless Frank Gore still making waves—rookie Devin Singletary is unlikely to play. The real strength of this team is its defense. They’re physical and aggressive with athletes all over the field. Tre’Davious White is a shutdown corner and he’ll likely key in on one Patriot receiver all game. This very likely will come down to which defense plays better. The Patriots’ unit is yet to surrender a touchdown through three games. The Bills will be New England’s toughest test, however, in his 20-year career Tom Brady has been dominant when playing in Buffalo—he hasn’t lost in Buffalo since 2011. The team is still looking for Sony Michel to have a breakout game this year but Josh Gordon, Julian Edelman, and Phillip Dorsett III have been huge to start the year.
PREDICTION: Patriots 23 , Bills 9
Tennesee Titans @ Atlanta Falcons
We’re only at Week 4 and both of these teams’ seasons have taken more twists and turns than Super Mario Kart. Big things were expected out of the Atlanta Falcons this year as they would be getting two huge pieces back from injury on defense (Keanu Neal and Deion Jones). Unfortunately, Neal has been lost for the year once again after rupturing his Achilles. Offensively, a team with Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Devonta Freeman, and Mohammed Sanu should be averaging more than 20 points per game. They need a win here to keep pace with the New Orleans Saints in the NFC South. Meanwhile, the Tennessee Titans “shocked the world” when they opened the season with a dominant win over the Cleveland Browns. Since then they dropped back-to-back games against the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars. Marcus Mariota still hasn’t made the leap that is expected of a number two overall pick and his inconsistency is putting a damper on what could be a good offense. The defense has been lead by the play of the secondary and they’re going to need to step up big if they are going to have any chance against Julio. Both Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan were with New England in 2016 when Jones nearly won Atlanta the Super Bowl singlehanded.
PREDICTION: Falcons 28 , Titans 24
Kansas City Chiefs @ Detroit Lions
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, has one of the top two—and it’s not two—liveliest arms in the NFL and this matchup offers us the rare chance to watch him show it off in a dome. The last time he played in one he uncorked a beautiful 69-yard bomb to Tyreek Hill. Now Hill won’t play today but with Sammy Watkins, Aldrick Robinson, and Mecole Hardman Andy Reid made sure he kept some speedsters around for Mahomes. In his second season as a starter, he is on pace to smash his totals from last year. The Detroit Lions have been one of the early surprises of the 2019 NFL season. After crumbling late in Week 1 and allowing the Arizona Cardinals to tie in overtime, they’ve looked like a team on a mission. Matthew Stafford’s arm is quite impressive as well but he’s dealing with a hip injury and might not be able to play. Their top cornerback, Darius Slay also popped up on the injury report (hamstring) late this week is a game-time decision as well. Kansas City has been a buzzsaw to begin the year and don’t expect that to slow down this week.
PREDICTION: Chiefs 42 , Lions 17
Oakland Raiders @ Indianapolis Colts
Andrew Luck’s surprise retirement felt like the end of the Indianapolis Colts’ chances to do something special this year but a balanced roster and steady play from Jacoby Brissett has helped them to keep their head above water to start the year. Marlon Mack has been sound, the double-headed tight end monster of Jack Doyle and Eric Ebron have been security blankets for Brissett, and TY Hilton is still doing TY Hilton things. The defense has stepped up its game to thanks to Malik Hooker and last years Defensive Rookie of the Year, Darius Leonard. There’s nothing spectacular about this team they’re just very solid in all three areas of the game. The Oakland Raiders jumped out with a very impressive Monday Night Football win to start the season but have returned to Earth since then. Darren Waller has been great and Josh Jacobs should be in the Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation but this team is struggling to sustain four good quarters of play week-in and week-out. A win here could get things back on track and keep the team from blaming Antonio Brown’s departure on their poor play.
PREDICTION: Colts 24 , Raiders 16
Los Angeles Chargers @ Miami Dolphins
After a valiant effort to get to a 12-win season, the Los Angeles Chargers have stumbled out of the gate in their attempt to meet the expectations placed on them. Los Angeles is dealing with a significant amount of injuries early in the year. Here’s a list of offensive starters that Chargers will be missing for this game: Travis Benjamin, Virgil Green, Hunter Henry, Justin Jackson, Russell Okung, and Mike Williams. That doesn’t even mention the fact that even though Melvin Gordon will be active for this game the team only plans to use him in an emergency. However, if there were any game for that crop to miss it would be this one. The Miami Dolphins are not just bad, they are bad on purpose and that’s a different level of bad. The only bright spot for them this year is the amount of draft-eligible quarterbacks in the NCAA that are playing at a high-level (Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa). Hopefully, Brian Flores gets another chance next season to show whether or not he’s capable of being an NFL head coach.
PREDICTION: Chargers 33 , Dolphins 17
Washington Redskins @ New York Giants
The New York Giants finally did it, they benched Eli Manning and let rookie quarterback, Daniel Jones show what he can do. And what he can do is a lot more than Manning ever showed. Jones has the arm to hit deep passes, isn’t fazed by pressure, and is athletic enough to make plays with his feet (including last week’s game-winning touchdown scamper). Yet, as is often the case with New York sports, it was just one game and we can’t crown him the next big thing because he beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Not having Saquon Barkley this week means that their opponent will be free to fully lock in on stopping Jones. That opponent is the Washington Redskins who just so happen to have former Giants safety Landon Collins on their roster. This will be the quintessential NFC East rivalry game. Both team trading blows in a war of attrition as the rugged, physical game is decided by who can remain standing longest. Don’t be surprised if Redskins head coach sends Dwayne Haskins in here. Case Keenum has been playing poorly to date and Haskins is also the player many Giants fans wanted to draft. If he can defeat the crown prince Jones, that’ll be extra salt in the wound for the Giants. In Terry McLaurin, Adrian Peterson, and Vernon Davis there are just enough weapons there for Washington to take advantage of a porous New York defense.
PREDICTION: Redskins 20 , Giants 14
Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens
What was supposed to be the year of the Cleveland Browns has turned into just another year of the Cleveland Browns. They certainly weren’t done any favors by the schedule makers and the shocking home loss to the Titans means that they are likely on their way to beginning the season 1-3. In Odell Beckham Jr., Baker Mayfield, Jarvis Landry, and Nick Chubb the offense has immense talent but the offensive line’s poor play has made it hard for them to string together any stretch of effectiveness. They’ll be without both starting cornerbacks (Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams) for the second straight week and we’ve seen the Baltimore Ravens pass attack exploit bad defenses already this year. Lamar Jackson is much improved and thanks to new offensive coordinator Greg Roman, this team has some tricks up their sleeve that could help slow down the Browns excellent defensive line. Look for Hollywood Brown to be running free all over the Cleveland backup corners and the Ravens defense to be able to get pressure on Mayfield and keep an explosive Browns offense in check for most of the day.
PREDICTION: Ravens 31 , Browns 21
Carolina Panthers @ Houston Texans
The Kyle Allen Revenge Tour continues as the Carolina Panthers make the trip to Houston to face the Houston Texans. Last week, the Arizona-native went home and put on an admirable display against the Arizona Cardinals in a much-needed win for the Panthers. This week, he goes back to his old college stomping grounds–transferred to Houston from Texas A&M in 2016–and tries to remain hot. Helping him out will be Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, Greg Olsen, and Curtis Samuel as Carolina hopes its offense can put on another solid showing. McCaffrey has assumed the role of the best player while Cam Newton rehabs from his Lisfranc injury (which the team hasn’t announced how long he’ll be out for, just that he won’t return until he’s 100%).On the other side, Deshaun Watson will look to continue his stellar play and the offseason moves of head coach-turned-general manager, Bill O’Brien looks to be paying off so far. However, the Texans need to start putting some distance between themselves and the rest of the AFC South. Besides the Colts, none of the other teams have looked the part of a playoff contender. If Allen plays as he did in Week 3 Houston will have their work cut out for them.
PREDICTION: Texans 30 , Panthers 21
4:05 PM EST
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Los Angeles Rams
We haven’t seen the same display of dominance from the Los Angeles Rams this season as we did to begin the year in 2018. Sure they’re undefeated and still have the head coach the rest f the league is trying to replicate in Sean McVay, but last season this team came out and showed everyone that they were not to be taken lightly. They haven’t used Todd Gurley as much as they did last year and that might be a strategic choice as they want him as close to 100 percent at the end of the season after watching him wear down to close out the regular season and during their run through the postseason. Jared Goff looks comfortable in McVay’s system and the trio of Brandin Cooks, Cooper Kupp, and Robert Woods is still dynamic. On defense things being and end with Aaron Donald. The back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year (2017-2018) is once again a one-man wrecking crew for defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Bruce Arians will have their hands full here. Jameis Winston has been better with the new head coach but still leaves a lot left to be desired from his play. Chris Godwin will be hobbled and the run game has been virtually nonexistent all season. This feels like a game where Los Angeles makes it a point to remind everyone that they are the reigning NFC champions.
PREDICTION: Rams 35 , Buccaneers 12
Seattle Seahawks @ Arizona Cardinals
So far the Kliff Kingsbury experience in the NFL has had mixed reviews. In Week 1 the Arizona Cardinals offense through three quarters looked about as bad as anything ever experienced in the NFL, then came the comeback in the fourth quarter to secure a tie. Last week, Kyler Murray completed 30 passes, which amounted to a total of 173 yards. Dink-and-dunk is not what was expected out of the Air Raid’s introduction to the NFL but that’s what we’ve seen from Murray and the offense to date. However, Murray has revived the career of Larry Fitzgerald and David Johnson looks better than he did during any of his previous seasons with the franchise. There’s hope on the horizon and ultimately that is what Kingsbury was brought in for, to provide hope. They’ll travel to the Pacific Northwest and face off against the Seattle Seahawks and the 12th Man. Russell Wilson’s success in the league created a path for Murray to become the number one overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Seahawks remain a team committed to the run but Chris Carson’s fumble issues and Rashad Penny’s accumulation of injuries is making the team rely more and more on the arm of Wilson. Arizona’s secondary is one of the league’s worse and if Seattle lets Wilson air it out they could be in for a big day on offense. Yet, I believe this game will be decided in the trenches and it seems like Johnson is primed for a breakout performance.
PREDICTION: Cardinals 22 , Seahawks 21
4:25 PM EST
Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are looking to ride their elite defense back to the playoffs (and hopefully past the opening weekend) once again. The Monsters of the Midway are back and Khalil Mack is the scariest of them all. Run plays, pass plays, it doesn’t matter, Mack can find a way to impact them all. Second-year linebacker Roquan Smith is just as effective at the second level of play and his athleticism and football intelligence make it seem like there are two of him on the field at times. Safeties Ha-Ha Clinton Dix and Eddie Jackson are controlling things on the back end and our as likely to make a big hit as they are to pick off an errant throw. Chicago has needed all of that and more as Matt Nagy’s offense hasn’t found its footing just yet. Mitchell Trubisky is looking more like his rookie version than what we saw last year. If he can start showing real improvement than the Bears can round into shape as a very tough team to handle on both sides of the ball. The Minnesota Vikings had a makeover this offseason and thanks to the presence of a fully healthy Dalvin Cook, they have changed for the better. The current leading rusher in the NFL heading into Week 4 is capable of breaking off a huge run in the blink of an eye. He also can contribute in the passing game as well and his back up, Alexander Mattison is someone the Vikings have a lot of faith in. Cook’s emergence has helped to overshadow the fact that Kirk Cousins isn’t playing like the quarterback he’s being paid to be. With Adam Thelin and Stefon Diggs on the outside and a dynamic running game, Minnesota’s offense should be much less one-dimensional than it has been to begin this year.
PREDICTION: Bears 18 , Vikings 10
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Denver Broncos
The will he or will he not play question attached to Jalen Ramsey–who has not missed a game dating back to his days at Florida State–will linger into the afternoon for the Jacksonville Jaguars. After missing practices with the flu and then stepping away from the team for paternity leave, Ramsey flew with the team to Denver and is expected to test out his back pregame to determine if he can play or not. And oh yeah, he still wants to be traded from the team. On a brighter note, rookie Gardner Minshew has been a revelation for the team and DJ Chark has been highly productive to start the 2019 season. If Leonard Fournette can get going then there’s an outside chance that the Jaguars could be the type of winning football team that makes players as talented as Ramsey WANT to stick around. The Denver Broncos have been on the rough end of some tough losses as they embark on the Vic Fangio era. Joe Flacco has been “meh” to say the least but Phillip Lindsay is back in a big way for his encore season. Fangio made a name for himself as a defensive coordinator and with the front seven bookended by Bradley Chubb and Von Miller he must be living a dream come true. For them to notch their first win of the season, they’ll need their defense to answer the call. For as good as Minshew has looked in two and a half games, he’s still a rookie. If Chubb and Miller can get into the backfield they can easily cause havoc and turn the game for Denver.
The time is now to include yet another edition of the SneakerReporter NBA Top 30 team list. Media day was yesterday for some of the teams, to make your anticipation that much more fervent. We all cannot wait to see what our favorite teams will do in their 2019 campaigns, as some hope that their teams finish with a positive record while also supplanting the evidence to separate themselves from the bottom of the pack as a come-up team that will be a force to be reckoned with in the near future.
That being said, that ties into the synopsis of today’s team: the Oklahoma City Thunder.
It’s not the first time OKC has experienced a blowup. It’s the first season in franchise history that not a single member of the original OKC Four (the individual-and-combined success quartet of Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Serge Ibaka) will be wearing Thunder blue, and as sad as it is seeing their beloved Russell Westbrook head down south to reunite with his old Thunder buddy James Harden for the Rockets, the plan to grow the next generation of Thunder is now the #1 priority for General Manager Sam Presti.
Along with persuading veteran and probable first-ballot hall of fame guard Chris Paul to stick around for what could be a really bright future in OKC.
24. Oklahoma City Thunder (36-46) – And So Begins The Long And Painful Road To Recreating a Champion
Yesterday afternoon, Russell Westbrook took questions, posed for photographers and chatted it up with fellow teammates, staying in accord to his customary media day schedule. Just another year-opener in the career of the 8-time All-Star and 2017 Most Valuable Player.
This time, it was in Houston Rocket red. Frivously and freely dancing in his photo sessions, smiling after every question that came his way, the longtime, and now former, top dog of Oklahoma City sat beside his new – er, old – teammate James Harden. The era of the original Thunder quartet is 100% over.
That doesn’t mean its time for Thunder fans to sulk and lament their misfortune in free agency, though.
Sure, that may have been one of the worst offseasons in franchise history (actually, no, it probably is the worst occurrence in franchise’s short history, more than losing KD to Golden State) losing both Paul George and Russell Westbrook in a matter of weeks, a duo that had cemented themselves as a difficult out in back-to-back postseason visits. And for the first time since 2008 – OKC’s inaugural season – they will be without a superstar for the entire 2019 season.
That is if Chris Paul stays in Oklahoma, which now looks as likely as someone winning the lottery without buying a ticket.
Surely, the Thunder wish they can have the most probable chance of winning the Chris Paul sweepstakes, though the eight-time all-star and seven-time member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team is getting attention from teams, most notably the Miami Heat. It makes sense for the 34-year old to salvage whatever time is left in his career with a viable contender that can challenge for a deep playoff run, so his departure seems almost imminent.
Still, the offer stands for Paul to stay put and help build this roster to contention for the next couple of seasons, especially with the Thunder’s basket case of first-round draft picks in 2020 (by virtue of the Clippers) and beyond to help make the Thunder a young and potentially dangerous team to face in the coming years. But without Paul, the Thunder find themselves in the deepest and darkest of uncharted territories their organization has ever entered.
With one slim perception of this Thunder roster, the Thunder have a really good chance to have a record over .500, and it isn’t too farfetched to believe so. Billy Donovan is well accustomed to throwing out his most seasoned vets on the floor at once, so expect the same in 2019. Dennis Schroeder, Danilo Gallinari, Steven Adams, Andre Roberson, and CP3 (if he’s still on the roster come October 23) is still a solid starting five, and there’s no denying that. Yet their bench will be the biggest question mark heading into a new campaign.
Though, that very question has some finality to it. Donavan will allow his inexperienced-yet-prodigious pieces in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Hamidou Diallo and rookie Darius Bazley to blossom out of rookie status and into revered bench depth that will one day command the franchise’s direction. That may not happen right away for next season, considering how packed the West is, and specifically, the Northwestern division altogether.
But with all the draft assets the Thunder get in 2020 and 2021 from the Clippers (The Thunder received Danilo Gallinari, SGA, a 2021 Miami Heat first-round pick, a 2022 first-rounder, 2023 first-round swap rights, a protected Miami 2023 first-rounder, a 2024 first-rounder, 2025 first-round swap rights and a 2026 first-rounder for Paul George) and what Sam Presti got from trading Westbrook (ending up with Chris Paul, conditional 2021 swap rights, a protected 2024 first-rounder, conditional 2025 swap rights, and a protected 2026 first-rounder), the Thunder could be set up pretty nicely by filling in some crucial spots that need addressing for the next decade.
Assessing the current roster’s potential for this upcoming season, understanding that this Thunder team will easily be the most underwhelming roster in franchise history, if that’s even worth mentioning. There are still some volume scorers on this roster that should not be overlooked, like former Knick, Nugget and Clipper Danilo Gallinari. The Italian scoring machine hadn’t played through a full season since 2013 but he was critical for getting buckets for the Clippers last year. While accumulating 19.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists on 43.3 percent from deep last year, we saw Gallinari at his peak as a starter in this league.
Among the duo of Tobias Harris and 2018-19 sixth man of the year Lou Williams, ‘Nilo matched their offensive productivity and adapted to the swing of the trendy big man, a versatile inside-out scorer that is dually gifted in his footwork on the low block.
From a defensive standpoint, the Thunder possess who some would argue to be one of the most consistent defenders in Andre Roberson. Before he ruptured his left patellar tendon in the January of 2017, the Thunder – during the era of Westbrook/Carmelo/Paul George – posted one of the best defensive plus/minuses in the league and after he went down, the team’s defense was 12.5 points worse per 100 possessions when he left the floor. He was too valuable of a piece for the Thunder that year, ultimately leading up to their first-round exit.
Now healthy, having him around the facility is a plus but there is no full guarantee he will be half the player he was because he hasn’t even set foot on NBA hardwood in over two years. Roberson, a former defensive standout at Colorado, reached the NBA All-Defensive Second Team with the likes of new Laker Anthony Davis and MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. In the last season he played, Roberson was one of 11 players to finish with at least a block and steal per game.
Thunder fans still have the defensive prowess and efficiency of veteran big man Steven Adams, who is now qualified as the most original Thunder player on the roster. Heading into his 7th season with the only franchise he’s known, Adams tallied 13.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals on 59.5 percent from the floor on 52 percent shooting – a career-best. He has been, and will still be the most reliable player on the floor. If you need a stop at the rim, a basket out of the pick and roll, Adams is your guy.
The New Zealand native could very well compliment the games of this Thunder team endowed with a strong backcourt rotation, making the floor spacing possibilities with Dennis Schroeder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and/or Chris Paul a point of emphasis to utilize on a nightly basis.
Speaking of the Thunder backcourt depth, a perfect blend of youth and experience will benefit this growing roster. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looks like he’s the franchise guard for the future, and Billy Donavan will do what he can to make sure the second-year guard out of Kentucky will get as much in-game repetition as he possibly can. SGA impressed his rookie year, starting 73 games and coming off the bench for 11 games, averaging 10.8 points per game, 2.8 rebounds per contest and 3.3 assists a game on 47.6 percent shooting.
Widely praised by his LA Clipper teammates for his twitchy ability to slash, create space for others and separation between him and his defender, all while holding his own on the defensive end of the floor, averaging 2.3 steals a game.
Aside from him is Dennis Schroeder, who is going into his second year as a member of the Thunder. An aggressive guard who mirrors the all-around effort of Russell Westbrook, Schroeder put together a solid 2018-19 after coming over from Atlanta as their former starting guard. Though his numbers took a dip since he came off the bench for the first time in his career, the German guard’s lightning-quick penetration and microwavable-scoring efforts anchored Oklahoma City as a part of their rotation.
Now, onto the topic of their first-round selections in this year’s draft. The Thunder selected high school standout Darius Bazley with the 23rd pick, and though he did not play a single minute of college basketball as a result of serving a million-dollar internship with New Balance.
One fun fact: Rich Paul – his agent, and LeBron’s agent, too – helped him with the plan. As it goes, NBA rules dictate that a draft prospect must be one year removed from high school graduation before they can declare for a draft. Instead, Bazley decided to forego the NCAA to disregard his amateur status, worked on his game at his 6’9, 200-lb frame, seven-foot wingspan and now looks to be a multitalented, pure athlete that can score and defend anywhere on the floor.
Other pieces like Hamidou Diallo, who now reunites with his old classmate in SGA, the bouncy Terrance Ferguson, and the project of former Sixer and 7-footer Justin Patton, the Thunder have nowhere to go but up. And that may just be the best thing about this young unit.
Speaking hypothetically here: suppose CP3 says ‘hey, you know what? I’m already satisfied with where I am now and I believe I have what it takes to make these young guys into contenders in the next 2 years.’ Well, imagine that pairing of ball IQ at the guard spot, a scary three-to-four man attack in transition, and a frontcourt full of big men that can both shoot, set some mean screens and rebound? Say, that ain’t bad.
Hypotheticals aren’t reality and things aren’t going to get off on the best foot. Yes, the Thunder raked in a lot of different accolades as the fourth-best defensive team in the NBA (due to Paul George nearly winning defensive player of the year) but with the replacement of PG with a rusty Andre Roberson, and the nightly triple-double-grabbing output of Russell Westbrook with Chris Paul or his younger counterparts, the Thunder will struggle. But that’s expected when you stick with your most inexperienced pieces. And there’s nothing wrong with that at all.
Granted, the Thunder could stick to this starting five for this year and by doing that, be in a position to relinquish some expiring contracts en route to getting cap space to sign some max free agents, like how they did in the 2017 offseason when they signed Paul George. Also, those picks acquired this summer could be even more bargaining chips to get the players Sam Presti may want in a couple of years down the road.
Whatever happens, the power of destiny lies in the palms of the Thunder’s organizational division. So yeah, this is what the first-ever rebuild of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s franchise will entail. You have no stars to fall back on, so suck it up, make the right decisions in free agency and put the future of Thunder basketball in good hands.
The clock to recreate that fearsome Northwestern division foe starts now.
