#ThursdayThoughts
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| Parsed Name : | Thursday Thoughts |
| Country : | USA |
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| Created : | 09/09/2021 |
| Updated : | Last Friday at 1:42 AM |
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Biggest questions, scrimmage standouts starting Thursday
The chatter surrounding the Thunder's draft plan continued, while several players left their mark on the daily in-game action. (Author: Gardener)
CHICAGO -- The first combine scrimmages took place Thursday, with two more coming Friday as teams continue to conduct interviews and transact behind-the-scenes deals. As usual when the entire league gathers in one place for any length of time, fact-finding trips and design speculation get serious. A series of agency-run Pro Days continues to take place here in Chicago, and top executives will be traveling to California next week to complete that stretch. The first day of play at the combine tends to be more important than the second, if only because players who start hot are often pulled from the event by their advisors. There is a strategic level of teasing that takes place and often works to the advantage of prospects, particularly those who have a real chance of making the first round. Conversely, many prospects on the fringes of the first round who chose not to play slipped into the second round on draft night. Based on chatter from across the league and what we saw on the pitch Thursday, here's what you need to know about the combine so far. While the Magic did indeed win the lottery on Tuesday, most of the early speculation surrounding the league focused on No. 2-holding Oklahoma City. On the loose assumption that the Magic Smith take, there's a segment of competing executives who believe Thunder boss Sam Presti will have a hard time passing Gonzaga forward Chet Holmgren, as I originally predicted in Tuesday's mock draft. It feels like concern for Banchero's defense (which I partly share) has been overdone on the public front: He's no rim protector, but he's no stiff either, and he's a rare talent when it comes to the ball skills and feeling in its size. His jump shot can be shaky at times, but he's ready to play from an offensive standpoint in the NBA. When it comes to the Thunder, this can be argued both ways: OKC operates under a very undefined timeframe for disputes and have shown a willingness to be patient and develop prospects who weren't necessarily physically ready for the league. Holmgren fits in well there in theory, as the Thunder will have a runway to experiment on how best to deploy it, and there's an immediate need for an upgraded central defense on the list. On the other hand, if there's a pattern to the way Presti has built his team over the past few years, it's that the Thunder clearly value size and ability on the fringes. Capable of moonlighting as a point guard and acting as both a ball handler and screener in pick-and-roll situations, Banchero undeniably offers more perimeter utilization than Holmgren for his size. Given that he's physically ready for the league, it's also a safer assumption that Banchero will improve the rotation in some way right away. It may be some time before there is clarity on this matter if there ever is, but it's safe to say that intrigue in the lottery is starting at #2 right now. Sharpe has been raised in many of my conversations this week as a prospect who both fascinates and terrifies NBA leaders. He'll almost certainly come off the board in the first five or six picks of this draft, despite never playing a college minute in Kentucky, and there are two very glaring sides of the coin here. Sharpe's physique, balletic movements, ability to use his grip to create space and potentially high-quality vaulter are all enticing. Over the course of a Monday pro day that consisted essentially of him dribbling around, launching jumpers and doing cool dunks, it was pretty obvious why he would be voted so high. It's worth noting that he's also taken a unique path to his current status: He was under the radar in Canada and didn't have hot recruiting before being blown up as a prospect in late 2020. 19-year-old Sharpe's life has changed a lot since then, and it's happened very quickly. Still, there's no shortage of interest here -- I'd expect pretty much every team in the top 10, including Orlando and Oklahoma City, to at least try to win it. There's still some decisions to be made here, but it's safe to say The prospect of Sharpe's unusual talent and athletic prowess successfully caught the attention of the entire NBA this week. A number of players had strong days at the combine, with the scoring stats helped to some extent by a large group of players who decided against a five-a-side game at the last minute, leaving plenty of minutes to spare. There isn't enough space or time to highlight each individual player, so here are a handful of personalities who moved the needle in my thoughts (not all of whom had the best days). Quite clearly the most intriguing guard prospect to come onto the field on Thursday, Smith displayed his bulletproof, sneaky athleticism and made several nice pass readings throughout the first game. He ended up shooting just 6 of 17 from the field and cooling off in the second half with just five of his 17 points, but his overall performance was quite promising and helped validate those who viewed him as a late first-round caliber player. Smith is fairly skinny and has a lot of growth ahead of him, but his ability to create his own shot and also do threesomes with a pretty good clip is quite appealing considering he's still only 19 and not much high has played -level basketball at all. Teams still appear to be looking at him as a project, likely capping his call-up cap, but Smith certainly improved his case on Thursday. Williams has some fans in the NBA and has gained momentum as a player in first-round discussion, although opinions are still mixed. He's of great length, can pass, dribble and shoot at a competent level, and is functionally much more athletic than was always apparent in the film. He finished the day's second game with a solid 11 points and four rebounds and looks like he has a real shot at making a role for himself considering the need for versatile, supplemental wings. Williams isn't terribly dynamic when it comes to getting the ball on the ground and has struggled a bit to confidently attack the second layer of defense, but that's not often asked of him in the NBA. He has a good base of skills to build on and has helped himself this week. It was nice to see Williams show and show off his skills while not being constrained by the limitations of Purdue's offensive system: he scored 14 points, 13 rebounds and recorded five assists while helping his team win in the first game. Williams has been in great form, has great length and real passing shots, and has looked quite agile throughout the game. He'll never be a stellar big, but Williams offers something for a creative team to work with and, over the course of a productive game, has demonstrated the skills that set him apart from most other bigs at the combine. Clearly one of the more competent guards to come on Thursday, Rollins, 19, influenced the game with his ability to paint and displayed above-average athletics on the edge. He's a top scorer who doesn't play with much charisma or creativity, but he's found ways to get things done throughout the game and given his age there are clearly some things here for teams to work with. He's missed all three of his three-pointers, which won't alleviate concerns about his reach, but he clearly deserves to be at the combine and has worked his way towards draftability if he decides not to go to college to return. Part of the value of the combine is the ability to see players in the same position at similar stages in their careers in the same court. The second combination game featured four different long-term project greats in Foster, Moussa Diabaté, Josh Minott and Dominick Barlow, and I thought Foster's experience, spanning a full season in the G League, was readily apparent in the context of his peers. Foster still has some bad habits and loves his knight a little too much, but his body looks great, he has an improved understanding of his role and he made some surprisingly good passes on Thursday that caught the eye. Though he finished with just five points and six rebounds, I was a little more encouraged by his development and wonder if he can work his way into productivity as he matures. I felt Butler deserved a footnote here: he hit two threes early in the first game and looked pretty comfortable on the sidelines before colliding with Kofi Cockburn, who sent him to the touchline for a while. He eventually bounced back and finished with just six points and three rebounds, but it's hard not to be a little more intrigued by his skill potential at 7' 1" despite his stick figure-like body type. He might end up going back to college, but it is Obviously there's more here that hasn't been shown in the state of Florida, and it's the kind of unique project that could be enticing in this year's second round.
Sandown Thursday recap including victory for Love Envoi
Trainer Harry Fry admitted there was still room for improvement after watching Love Envoi hold their unbeaten record over jumps in Weatherby's Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Jane Seymour Mares' Novices' Hurdle at Sandown. (Author: Gardener)
Love Envoi (left) on course for victory in SandownTrainer Harry Fry admitted there was still room for improvement after watching Love Envoi beat her unbeaten record over jumps in Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Jane Seymour Mares' Novices' Hurdle maintained at Sandown. The Westerner mare, who arrived on the back of a hat-trick of hurdle wins this season, made easy work of the testing conditions to secure the biggest win of her career as she clinched victory from the front in the Class 2 feature under Johnny Burke . After proving eager early on, the 10/11 favorite soon found himself into a nice rhythm in the 2m 4f price before being pursued by main market rivals Speech Bubble and Nina The Terrier, entering the homestretch for the last time . Despite removing roots from second to last, he couldn't stop the favorite's momentum, which galloped all the way to the line to defeat Speech Bubble by two and a half lengths.Access exclusive features, all FREE - No monthly subscription feeSign up with your existing Sporting Life, Sky Bet or Sky Games account. If you don't have one of these, registration is completely FREE! Fry, who won overtime with Jessber's Dream in 2016, said: "Looking at her going to the track, going to the post office and during the race, she was doing everything wrong that she possibly could. “As soon as she got to the front, she calmed down and she kept coming out of his hands. “While I'm happy to win the race, I'm not particularly happy with how she's approached it. She was thrilled the first day she won for us. It was great that she won the race but the way she did it is not as professional as I would like. She is four out of four for us and has done extremely well. “She did a lot wrong but she has one but there is room for improvement in how we managed to win her races. I was supposed to be jumping up and down as we won a second class and that's four at the trot but as relieved as I am to win is that she went about it the wrong way which dampens the excitement a bit. “She just seems to go her own way. If someone had said to me at the beginning of the season that we had won four straight away, I would have laughed at them. "I'm delighted that she won and maintained her unbeaten record but there is room for improvement to say the least." to 01.08. trimmed could be on the horizon about what was my first ever Grade One winner with Bitofapuzzle at Fairyhouse was the Easter Grade One Mares Novices hurdle. We have options.” Niall Houlihan made sure this campaign will be his best in the saddle after eclipsing his best season total to date when he claimed his 18th campaign winner aboard Manucci in the opening handicap Virgin Bet Conditional Jockeys (2m) hurdle. After matching his best-ever 17-win record last season in January, the 21-year-old surpassed that mark after beating the Gary Moore-managed 3-1 favorite to a 12-length win on his Sole had led to driving on the track. Houlihan said: “It's great to come here to Sandown today on a Thursday and ride a winner on my only ride. “I had a very good start to the season but as I would never really be involved in the conditional jockeys championship I just wanted to try and get some higher quality rides and that was my main goal. “Improvement is the key to this game. I don't have a set total I want to reach. I just want to drive as many winners as possible and make a lot of contacts. Looking back on his season so far, Houlihan has picked a few moments that stand out from all the rest. He added: "My two wins at Editeur Du Gite in Cheltenham were something special, along with riding a triple at Plumpton, my local track to exclusive features, all FREE - No monthly subscription feeSign up with your existing Sporting Life, Sky Bet or Sky Games account. If you don't have one of these, registration is completely FREE!Lucinda Russell thanked her partner, retired eight-time jump jockey champion Peter Scudamore, after defeating Douglas Talking, who maintained his undefeated record over fences with a three-pointer success at the " Ubique” Handicap Chase (2m). Russell said of the successful 15/8 favorite, “It was amazing. I reached out to Scu (Peter Scudamore) after he jumped second and said why are we bringing this horse here as it's only his second time over jumps but that was the reason because he jumps brilliantly. He is adorable. "He's just a different horse over fences. He was very keen on hurdles and he wouldn't settle and we spent a lot of time teaching him how to calm down. You can see he just gets it and is a lot happier horse over fences. We could have gone to Ayr but it's a nice price. Scu said he would be fit for the track and as always he was right. "We are committed to safer gambling. Follow and track your favorite horses, jockeys and trainers. Access Exclusive Features All For - No Monthly Subscription FeeClick HERE for more information
"We thought the media was exaggerating and now we're refugees"
Tens of thousands of women and children in Ukraine have traveled to the neighboring country as the border crossing into Poland is overwhelmed by the crisis triggered by the Russian offensive (Author: Gardener)
The border crossing between Romania and Ukraine. It took Natalya 20 minutes to decide how much of her life she could cram into a suitcase, not knowing if one day she could ever return to Kyiv. "[On Thursday] we woke up around 6 a.m. and saw on Facebook that the war had started," she explains. I picked my mom up, I grabbed my dog, we got in the car and we left. I hope we can return within three months to rebuild our country they are destroying.” The 29-year-old's face looks tired as she smokes at the border crossing in Siret, where she just entered Romania from Ukraine is. "We had a happy life," she says. We thought the media was exaggerating, but one person decided to do it," she continues, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking with a tone of not really sure if she's in a movie or in real life life lives. She is one of a group of women who have reached the border in three cars. They arrived in Romania in the early hours of Tuesday after spending two and a half days in their vehicles given the bottleneck that had formed at the Romanian border. "We just stopped [in the car] to take a four-hour nap," Eleanora Samburska explains from her side. Around 105,000 Ukrainians have entered Romania since the war began, according to Romanian border police late Tuesday evening, while just over 62,000 have left the country. In the past 18 hours, more than 7,000 people have entered through one of the four official crossing points along the more than 600-kilometer border the two countries share. In the same period, another 7,600 people entered Romania via Moldova. Almost all of them are women and children, as men under the age of 60 have been banned from leaving Ukraine under martial law enacted by Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government in response to the Russian invasion of his country. Romania is not usually a destination country, but a place that people pass through. Those arriving in Siret appear to be divided into three groups, they say: foreigners who have been ordered by their home countries to leave Ukraine; Ukrainians living in the south of the country for whom Moldova and Romania were simply the fastest escape from the war; and a more recent phenomenon, the residents of the shelled capital of Kyiv, who are seeking a "Plan B" against the never-ending traffic jams on the western exit routes. It is the people of Kyiv who – “for now”, as they often clarify – go to Poland because they have relatives and friends there, but have decided to take a longer route via another European Union country, around Ukraine so to leave as soon as possible. From Kyiv it is about the same distance to the Romanian border crossing at Siret as to the Polish border crossing at Dorohusk: between 500 and 600 kilometers. She has just arrived in Romania with her 15-year-old son. Her husband, she explains, stayed behind to “keep control” of the city of Ivano-Frankivsk (population 230,000) in south-western Ukraine, although he will not fight Russian forces directly. "Our first stop will be here, then maybe Poland... and we'll have to think about that later," she says as she waits for the police checkpoint light to turn green and continues her journey. In Siret, some images are repeated every now and then: mothers with diaper packs, children holding on to their favorite stuffed animal for the ride, cars with three generations of a family inside, and people with glassy faces as if trying to assimilate something that happened way too fast. Many people arrive with their vehicles. Others come as close as possible and then walk the last few kilometers through the traffic jam. Many of the arriving Ukrainian men have to turn around quickly and begin the return journey. The pair attempted to cross the border together, knowing full well that this would be next to impossible given that at 30 he is ripe for recruitment into the resistance forces. "Now he's here, I'm here ... I don't know what to do," she says tearfully. "I've spent the last few days in the emergency shelter we have in the basement of my building," she explains. "You watch and watch the news, trying to understand how to act." In the end, she was evacuated from Kyiv along with other employees of the IT company she works for. For the time being, the company will continue to operate from its building in Romania. Wrapped in a blanket, Darpan Vemra, 20, stands in line outside a hotel called Frontera in the early hours of the morning. He is one of around 20,000 young Indians studying in Ukraine, a more accessible country than others in Europe. "Last night we slept in an air raid shelter in Ukraine," explains Vemra. We'll wait a month or two... and then maybe we'll come back.” Another regular sight in Siret is the Romanians who have come to help. There are those who move alone, like the young man who wrote a sign in English and Ukrainian offering free accommodation for up to five people. Or Dana Miron, a resident of nearby Suceava, who has been waiting for a Ukrainian family to take her to her sister's house for five hours. She's 23 and coordinated the pickup through a Facebook page that sprang up after the invasion. Since then she has come every night. He drives the 100 kilometers a night that separates his house from the border post. "I would take a family member to my house, but it's a long way away and everyone wants to stay as close as possible," he explains. "If they arrive tired, they won't be able to drive 100 kilometers." Daniel Criham, 23, helps those arriving with their bags while Bogdan Oprea, 39 and a volunteer firefighter, staffs a table with free basic products. "They mainly ask for medication, especially paracetamol," he explains. "A woman who had just crossed the border asked me, 'Is this from the people of Romania?' I told her it was, and she burst into tears," he explains.
Tips for Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival from Robbie Power
Galopin Des Champs and Bob Olinger clash in the first race of the day (Author: Gardener)
Galopin Des Champs and Bob Olinger face off in the first race of the day Want to get the day's sporting headlines straight to your inbox? It's so disappointing to see only four but we have an intriguing duel between Galopin Des Champs and Bob Olinger who both won last year's hurdles meeting. I think it's going to be a pretty easy race as Galopin Des Champs will be the winner and Bob Olinger will follow. They are two very good horses but I just think Bob Olinger will have more toes than Galopin Des Champs and will come out on top. Sire Du Berlais is a very interesting runner in the Pertemps as he is aiming for a hat trick in the race for Gordon Elliott and JP McManus. It's an open race and I think Gordon could win it again but it could be on the lower end of the handicap with a horse named Dunboyne. He was well supported for the race and out of the six runners Gordon has in the race he would be the best choice. At Ryanair, Allaho is likely to be one of Ireland's bankers of the week and will be very hard to beat. He was a very good three-mile winner on the last day at Newbury but it's very hard to compare Allaho to what he did at Cheltenham last season and what he has done so far this season. The Stayers is extremely competitive and I've picked about five different winners for it over the past few weeks, but as it gets closer I'm siding with Champ. He's in good course form, ok he didn't win the last day at Cheltenham after a very good performance at Ascot but I think he could be the one to beat here. The plate comes after the stayers and looks wide open. My only ride of the day is in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle where I work with Say Goodbye for Gordon Elliott and I think she has a great chance of winning at a tremendous price. She was just a length and a half behind Gordon's other mare Party Central at Leopardstown and will come for this run. He's probably one of the biggest fantasies to come out of Cullentra this week and should take a beating. His form is rock solid and he looks like the one they all have to beat. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts
Thursday dossier
Platform for fitness A group of seniors perform the laugh club routine at Kopar railway station in Dombivli West on Wednesday Naveen Kishore has it all in a good rhyme Publishing veteran Naveen Kishore has, so to speak, gone for the verses with his own book Poems About To, the Tribunes hold true. The title is called Knotted Grief (Speaking Tiger) and in it he writes about how sadness and cruelty affect people's relationships... (Author: Gardener)
Publishing veteran Naveen Kishore has gone for the verse, so to speak, with his own book of poetry about to be released. The title is called Knotted Grief (Speaking Tiger) and in it he writes about how sadness and cruelty affect people's relationships with one another. Speaking about why he started writing poetry, Kishore said, "I have always read poetry and turned to it for comfort in times of loss or despair. I could live, think, be, mourn a way. During the pandemic, loss was everywhere, inside and around me. And I turned to writing poetry instead of reading it, to carve my own hope out of a world that many of the poets I read didn't know. The only way out is hope. In the end, grief leads to hope. Same Same But Different, a play performed at Studio Tamaasha last weekend As theater in the city heads back to normal, Andheri's Studio Tamaasha is staging a fitting play this weekend. It's called Beds and it's focused on the pandemic. Founder Sunil Shanbag told this diary that it's part of a project they set up to encourage young theater creators to return to live performances. It's more about the psychological impact here, like saying theater is back," he said, adding that they also have workshops planned. Bengaluru-based theater maker and educator Nisha Abdulla has launched an initiative in which she encourages women who can identify with the issue of wearing the hijab in educational institutions in Karnataka, which has sparked a series of incidents in parts of India. They can send handwritten letters to express their solidarity with the women affected. "We want them to know that they are not alone, hold the leaders and the media accountable and help them push back in any way we can to fight for themselves," Abdulla told this diarist. To create a space to share your darkest thoughts or random thoughts, The Alipore Post newsletter is launching a new initiative – Dear Jasmine. It's not an advice column, says curator Rohini Kejriwal. “Our writer will share his experiences and insights in response to the questions or thoughts. But it doesn't have to be about sad things," she shared with this diarist. It's about time you got out from under the rock if you haven't heard of Metaverse, a network of 3D virtual worlds focused on social connection. The F&B industry is also not set to be left behind, according to an announcement yesterday by Massive Restaurants founder Zorawar Kalra. Kalra explained that Farzi Café, a restaurant chain owned by his hospitality company, is invading the Metaverse. “Ten years ago nobody believed that an Instagram page would be necessary for your restaurant. Nevertheless, no restaurant can do without it today. We believe a presence on the Metaverse will follow a similar path. The Farzi Metaverse experience is all about community building. It will be a juxtaposition of the digital and real worlds, creating unforgettable experiences where actions in one directly affect the other.
Georges Niang keeps his thoughts on Ben Simmons to himself
The Philadelphia 76ers take on their division rivals, the Brooklyn Nets, for the second time this week on Thursday. While it's technically just another regular-season game, the matchup has plenty of juice these days with the Nets now fielding the former Philadelphia first... (Author: Gardener)
The Philadelphia 76ers take on their division rivals, the Brooklyn Nets, for the second time this week on Thursday. Though technically just another regular-season game, the matchup has plenty of juice these days as the Nets now field former Philadelphia first pick Ben Simmons. For months, the Simmons saga was nothing more than a distraction for the 76ers. When Simmons made it crystal clear that he wanted out, the Star Guard took several approaches to force Philadelphia's hand to make a trade. While several of his teammates tried to show support throughout the saga, many were happy to take a backseat after the big trade. Veteran Sixers forward Georges Niang signed with the team over the summer after a stint in Utah. In signing a deal with the Sixers, Niang expressed excitement at playing with Simmons. Simmons sat out the entire regular season before being traded. When asked about Simmons on the eve of the Star Guard's return to Philadelphia, Niang kept his thoughts to himself. "I'll try to answer that as best as I can. We've got who we've got in this locker room. But I think we're happy with who we have in this dressing room. He knows what he did or what he had to do to fix himself. Whether that's right or wrong or irrelevant, that's not my place to talk about it. We're glad we have guys in this dressing room who want to be here. via Kyle Neubeck Any frustration towards Simmons from current Sixers is certainly understandable. Considering the team just wanted to stick together and win games, Simmons' behind-the-scenes antics served only as a distraction. While everyone, including Niang, understands that Simmons could no longer play for the organization while doing his best, the way the situation unfolded was certainly not ideal for all involved. Fortunately, the situation has been resolved for everyone involved and everyone can focus on the rest of the season. Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated.
Ogbah's Status, Gesicki's Role, Free Agent Top Defensive Target, and more
Tackling various issues on the minds of Miami Dolphins fans, from potential No. 29 draft targets to potential special team changes (Author: Gardener)
Tackling various issues on the minds of Miami Dolphins fans, from potential draft targets at number 29 to potential special team changes Part 1 of the latest SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag: I've been thinking about the WR situation and wanted your thoughts on it something like bring in another WR like Cooper or a 1st pick, play gesicki there and waddle. Hey Dion, wouldn't have a problem with this plan but would need to figure out where DeVante Parker fits into this equation because he has a pretty high salary. One thing is for sure, the Dolphins have to play Hunter Long in 2022 after picking him in the third round last year. Finally, if the Delfine don't trade Gesicki, I think he would absolutely be used in a hybrid role because he's just not a prototypical tight end. Hey my friend, I'll make you a GM again. All things considered, who would be your top free agent target on defense at each position? Hey Dana, interesting question and I think I would try to balance need with talent and financial considerations. In fact, I think my #1 target in defense would be to re-sign Emmanuel Ogbah as he would be very difficult to replace (as I researched on Wednesday). If you ask me about an outside free agent it would have to be an Ogbah replacement if he ends up leaving, either Jadeveon Clowney or Chandler Jones. If the Dolphins sign Ogbah, I'd be looking for an Impact linebacker like maybe Jordan Hicks. What do you think it will cost to keep Ogbah? Hey Reza, when I look at competitions around the NFL for Ogbah, I think we're looking at the $14-$16 million range. PFF predicts his free agent contract will last three years, $46.5 million with $30 million guaranteed. Of course that depends on who's available but names I really like for this spot would be LB Nakobe Dean, CB Trent McDuffie or a shot at WR Jameson Williams. I'm not opposed to the idea of trading down for more picks either, considering this is a draft more than abounding in high-end talent. Do the Dolphins have an exclusive window to try and sign Ogbah by Sunday? Hey Doc, yes the Dolphins can always sign Ogbah for a new contract as he is already on their roster while other teams won't see him until next wednesday (16 the legal manipulation window). Are the Dolphins active on the trade front? Hey J , there's no doubt that the Dolphins are exploring all possibilities, but I'm not entirely sure it makes sense to do something too quickly, especially at wide receivers, because there could be several quality players in the position that am Ending up being released and available (like Cole Beasley, Amari Cooper and Jarvis Landry) Hey Dave, well part of the reason Josh Boyer was kept as DC was to maintain continuity on this side of the ball and make sure that there wouldn't be a difficult transition period. And I think everyone is confident that Mike McDaniel and his staff will help the offense improve. I am so not sure if I see the concerns there. Also, can the Dolphins do much worse than starting 1-7? Hey Ricky, I think Chris Grier has done a lot more justice with the Dolphins than many fans realize. Second, although he's officially been the GM since 2016, there's never been a clear indication that Grier has been the final decision maker for the past five years. Of course all bets are off if 2022 goes terribly badly, but other than that I wouldn't expect it to be a pivotal year for him. If you were GM, how would you improve special teams this offseason? I expect Sanders to bounce back from a bad year. Any chance Jakeem Grant will return to #Dolphins? Hey Dixon, all good questions. I think there's a good chance the Dolphins will replace Michael Palardy because he just wasn't consistent enough. The coverage teams have been good for the most part, which is why I would re-sign Mack Hollins. I really like Jevon Holland as a punt returner, but I think he's too valuable on defense to be used there, and the same goes for Waddle. The Dolphins have already signed a terrific CFL kick returner (DeVonte Dedmon) and he'll have a look, but sure it's not impossible Grant could return, although he wasn't exactly thrilled with how he was in Miami was used. Do you think the interest in JC Jackson is because Team X wants to trade? Hey Nick, that's an interesting question and would certainly make sense following the news of Byron Jones' surgery as his now guaranteed contract almost ensures Jones will be back in 2022. Before that, one could have made an argument Jackson could agree with Howard for a great ball-hawking-cornerback tandem. But as I wrote Wednesday, it's difficult to justify having three big-money cornerbacks in the same roster, so the Dolphins may now sign Jackson and trade Howard, though any potential trade there almost necessarily involves a conversation with someone else team would involve Howard's agent with his contract situation (that's really the only reason the Dolphins should consider trading him).
A deadly shark attack is closing Sydney beaches as authorities try to capture the great white, believed to be 10ft long
The shark is believed to be 10 feet long. It was the first fatal shark attack in Australia's largest city since 1963. (Author: Gardener)
Sydney authorities on Thursday used bait lines to try to catch a giant great white shark that killed an ocean swimmer as beach communities in Australia's largest city were rocked by the first such attack in decades. Drones combed the ocean from the air, spotters launched on boats and six drum lines were set up to try to capture the creature, which is believed to be at least 10 feet long. Thirteen beaches across the city were closed Thursday and swimmers' WhatsApp groups filled with graphic images of the attack and messages to check friends were safe and well. An 800-person ocean swim race scheduled for Sunday has been postponed. Police believe they have identified the victim, a 35-year-old ocean swimmer who was attacked on a sunny Wednesday afternoon, leaving shocked fishermen and golfers watching helplessly from nearby cliffs. It was the first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 1963. Shark biologists believe a great white shark at least ten feet long was likely responsible," said the state government's Department of Primary Industries. The ministry announced it would deploy "six SMART drumlines" around Little Bay Beach, near where the attack took place east of town. Drumlines have baited hooks and are used to target sharks which can then be tagged and taken to deeper oceans away from shore.The attack has rocked beach communities in eastern Sydney where being in the water is part of everyday life.Every morning before dawn and later as the sun goes down , surfers, swimmers and paddleboarders flock to the waves to train or take a break from busy working lives According to Sports Australia, 4.5 million Australians swim regularly and at least 500,000 surf Whales, dolphins, rays and several species of sharks live along the coast and it's not uncommon to see animals in the water.or hear the ringing of shark alarms pushing everyone back to the beach.'We all know that wi r take a risk every time we get in the water," said 45-year-old Kim Miller, who started swimming in the ocean after returning to Sydney in 2020 (near Maroubra, I thought I was). walked on water." "It got a little closer today when we heard it was a long-distance ocean swimmer because we knew it's a route we've done so many times," Miller said. "Mine is a bit nauseous this afternoon." Her Thursday morning swim was limited to one sea pool, but she insisted "we'll all have the guts to get back in." "I know it's going to be a while to get these pics out of mine to get head. When I swim, it's often in hopes of seeing beautiful marine life, or I don't even think about it. It will take some time to come back to that."
NBABets 4 best bets for Thursday night
See how analysts at Action Network are betting on Thursday's NBA standings, including 76ers vs. Hawks. (Author: Gardener)
We have a short NBA list on Thursday with some very big games. Our crew of betting analysts delve deep into the prop market to find their favorite bets on the board across three games: 76ers-Pistons, Cavaliers-Hawks, and Bucks-Nets. Additionally, we pay attention to the spread in Cavs-Hawks, which is a crucial game for Eastern Conference play-in standings. Check out their in-depth analysis and best bets for Thursday night. Brandon Anderson: Don't look now, but Cade Cunningham is making a late-season push for Rookie of the Year. Cunningham started the year slowly. The Pistons also still ran much of the offense through Killian Hayes, maybe they were trying to salvage a previous lottery pick investment, or maybe they were just trying to get Cade into things. But Cunningham has really taken a big step forward since his strong showing at All-Star Weekend. Just look at the production of the last 10 games. He has 23.1 points, 5.0 assists and 7.9 assists per game! These aren't just potential Rookie of the Year numbers. Those numbers would make you an All-Star, maybe even a possible All-NBA contender. Of course, they would only do that over a full season, not just a 10-game span. Cunningham's scoring is up but still somewhat inconsistent, but it's his assists that really stand out. He's had at least six assists in each of those last 10 games. Cunningham actually ranks in the top 10 in the entire NBA for potential assists in the last 10 games, per NBA Advanced Stats, at 14.6 per game. We don't even need him to convert half of it to top that. I love this on any plus number, but would play to -120 if needed. Matt Moore: The Cavaliers have the second-most pick-and-roll coverage of any team in the league. This means they put two defenders on an equal footing to try to get the ball out of the ball carrier's hands and chop the snake's head off. The spread bets that hit the Sharps Thursday night Young is averaging 9.7 assists per game against the top five teams in coverage at this level this season, and with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen sidelined, the Cavs' defense isn't was the right thing. I bet Young is amassing double-digit assists on this one, and I like it when he has a double-double. While they weathered the storm with the losses of Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley are irreplaceable for a Cavaliers team that builds on their defense. The presence of Allen and Mobley on the inside propelled the Cavs to 5th place defensively (109.2) in their non-garbage time minutes per cleaning of the glass. Nonetheless, it's no surprise that this defense fell off a cliff and ranks 20th in defensive ratings, dropping 117.4 points per 100 possessions over the past two weeks. They conceded a 120-112 loss to the Mavericks, giving up 1.27 points per possession, and now face Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks, one of the best offenses in the league. The Hawks are top 10 in eFG% (54.4), fourth in field goal percentage behind the arc (37.6%) and have averaged 119.5 points per 100 possessions over the past two weeks. While the Hawks have struggled defensively for most of the year, they've improved in recent weeks and as they make their postseason push, they've won and put back three straight games and three of their last four. These are two teams going in completely different directions since the All-Star Break, with the Hawks playing 11-7 with a +2.6 net rating and the Cavs playing 7-11 with a -3.7 net rating. The Cavs have lost and failed to cover four of their last five games. Their only win came against the Orlando Magic, who benched all of their starters throughout the fourth quarter as they attempted to develop younger talent and position themselves for a higher draft pick. With both teams playing back-to-back this isn't an ideal pitch for either, but the Hawks are home and my model makes them 7-point favorites here. I'll be splitting the points with the Hawks as they should pick up another win to keep pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Kenny Ducey: Believe it or not, the Nets aren't one of the best rebound teams in the NBA just because they brought in Andre Drummond. Since the All-Star break, Brooklyn is only 16th in rebound rate and grabbing 49.8% of available boards, and against a very long team like the Milwaukee Bucks they will have a challenge. Milwaukee is second in rebound since the break, and nobody has had more success on the glass than Giannis Antetokounmpo. He's averaged 13.1 boards in those 13 games and he's exceeded 13.5 rebounds a total of seven times. Antetokounmpo scored 14 on opening night against the Nets, and while he only had seven rebounds against Brooklyn in early January, it lasted 26 minutes. The webs are incredibly vulnerable, and I'm going to support Antetokounmpo to take advantage of that.
Sens ends the week with a win in D.C. as Brown scores the 200th point
The Ottawa Senators returned to victory on Super Bowl Sunday thanks to a 4-1 away win in Washington.... (Author: Gardener)
The Ottawa Senators returned to victory on Super Bowl Sunday thanks to a 4-1 away win in Washington. The Ottawa Senators returned to victory on Super Bowl Sunday thanks to a 4-1 away win in Washington. The win ended a busy week for the Senators, while Connor Brown's win marked a career milestone, as detailed by Three Thoughts. A brutal five-game-in-seven-day stretch has come to an end for the Senators. With Sunday's 4-1 win, the Sens ended the week with a 3-2-0 record, with Connor Brown using the word "resilient" to describe the team's performance. "It's not easy to play 5-in-7 in this league, especially against teams like Pittsburgh, Boston and Washington," Brown said. "The lads have been fighting hard this week and [the win] feels good." Ottawa won Monday and Tuesday after wins over New Jersey and Carolina. They had a slip up the middle because although the Sens conceded just four goals overall, first against Pittsburgh on Thursday and Boston on Saturday, the Sens were twice knocked out 2-0. However, the Sens ended the week with an away win in D.C. on Super Bowl Sunday, when they won in Washington for the first time since Jan. 21, 2014. "Everyone stepped up and everyone upped their game," said Brady Tkachuk. The Sens have Monday off but host St. Louis on Tuesday as they will play six games over the next 12 days through the end of February. Five of the Senators' remaining games this month will be played at the Canadian Tire Center as their lone road contest is a trip to Buffalo on Feb. 17. Connor Brown achieved a significant personal milestone on Sunday afternoon when he recorded the 200th point of his career. "It means a lot," Brown said of the milestone. When you hit milestones like this, you need to reflect and see the help people [gave] to get you there that year at 10:29 to cement Ottawa's 4-1 win. Earlier in the week, Brown had scored his 100th point with the Senators, becoming the 43rd player to do so. Brown needed 253 games to get to 99 points with the Maple Leafs, but since taking over in an expanded role at Ottawa in 2019, he's only needed 158 games to reach 101 points with the Senators and 200 career points. "Four years ago I scored eight goals and I didn't know where my career was going," Brown said of his 2018-19 season. “I've had a fresh start here and I'm grateful for that and for the city of Ottawa and this team. "I'm going to try to keep getting better but of course it feels good to reach 200 but it's over and [now] I have to keep pushing." Sunday once again showed Nick Paul's incredible versatility. After 21:37, his second most ice time of the season, Paul had one assist, picked up 24 faceoffs (he won 50 percent) and dished out three hits. He saw 3:19 ice time on the power play and 2:51 on penalties. "Paulie is 26, but he's only played about 200 games in this league," Brown said. “I know I definitely got better and better in my first 200 games and I see that in Paulie. He's getting better every week and every game." When you get a guy with that level of skill, a big guy who plays it right and can also drop them with one of the toughest guys in the league, we're lucky to have him in Having our team competed against the Caps All-Star: "Nick was great," said Sens head coach D. We didn't need that, Wilson is one of the toughest guys in the league, and he obviously felt like he could made freedom on chabby. Paul has been outstanding for the Senators this season, making countless moves from wing to center. His nine goals this season are a career-high while he's five points away from his career-best 20. In 44 games, the 483 faceoffs he has completed this year is already a career high, as is his 234 wins.