Bill Belichick gives DeAndre Hopkins the ultimate compliment ahead of Patriots-Texans

Bill Belichick will often give credit where it’s due, but he rarely gives opposing players praise like he did with DeAndre Hopkins. 

Bill Belichick will often give credit where it’s due, but he rarely gives opposing players praise like he did with DeAndre Hopkins.

The New England Patriots will hit the road to face the Houston Texans on Sunday night and Hopkins will be high on the priority list for Belichick. Hopkins didn’t drop a single pass last season, while recording 115 receptions,  1,572 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Belichick told reporters on Wednesday that Hopkins’ picture belongs next to ‘NFL receiver’ in the dictionary. He also went on to call his catch radius and hands, ‘elite-elite’.

Belichick has always had respect for Hopkins, and he made that clear last season.

“If he’s covered, he’s still not covered because he still has the ability to go up and get the ball,” Belichick said, transcribed by Texans Wire. “He’s really never covered.”

This will likely be one of Hopkins’ toughest games of the season though, because he’ll be squared up with Stephon Gilmore — the NFL’s best cornerback. Gilmore is coming off of a week that he completely shut out Amari Cooper, and he hasn’t allowed a catch in the last two weeks.

The Texans vs. Patriots will be a great game, but the matchup within the game will be something to watch.

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Jimmy Butler insinuates some Sixers didn’t understand title opportunity

Former Philadelphia 76ers guard Jimmy Butler insinuates a few Sixers did not work as hard.

The Jimmy Butler drama continues for the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite him leaving for the Miami Heat back in June in free agency that netted the Sixers Josh Richardson in a sign-and-trade, there have been little things that continue to pop up.

Butler first gave a vague reason for why left Philadelphia for Miami and some assume that he did not get along with coach Brett Brown and/or Ben Simmons. Meanwhile, he also gave a ton of praise to superstar Joel Embiid as the two still have a good friendship.

Now, there is something new he said about the Sixers.

Butler had a sitdown interview with Yahoo! Sports’ Vincent Goodwill where he opened up on a lot of things and one of those was what happened with the Sixers that bothered him and one of those was the topic of work ethic. Butler told Goodwill when asked if the other Sixers understood the opportunity in 2019:

No, but everybody don’t do that. Everybody don’t work like that. That’s just what it is. I learned that over the years and is there something wrong with that? No, there is not. There’s not.

Goodwill then asked why would a player not play for a championship and understand the opportunity and Butler then responded with:

Is everybody playing this game for a championship? The money, the cars, the fame, there are so many other things that other people can play this game for.

Butler did not mention any players specifically so it’s tough to really pinpoint what went down in Philadelphia. Butler continues to be really vague about what really happened and coach Brown wants nothing to do with it either as he plainly wished him well.

The Sixers beat up on Butler and the Heat in their first matchup on Saturday and the Heat make their second and final trip to The City of Brotherly Love on December 18. [lawrence-related id=20119,20110,20103]

Rookie Wire Power Rankings: Herro, Hunter rise up the ranks in Week 5

Rookie Wire took a look at the top rookies through the fifth week of the 2019-20 NBA season.

The 2019 NBA Draft class has continued to impress this season.

The group has produced some fascinating storylines thus far with the emergence of several under-the-radar players while the top players selected are playing as expected.

Rookie Wire will compile the rankings of the five best players each week based on how they performed on the court. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but, rather, to illustrate the top-performing players week to week.

Here are the Rookie Wire Power Rankings for Week 5:

Week 1 Power Rankings | Week 2 Power Rankings | Week 3 Power Rankings | Week 4 Power Rankings

All stats are through games played on Nov. 26

5. Tyler Herro, Heat

Stats: 14.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists

Rank Last Week: Honorable Mention

Herro returns to the rankings for the first time since Week 1 after showing out recently for the Heat. The 13th overall pick is back up to fifth in scoring among all rookies after recording 18 points in three of his last four games. Herro has proven to be able to get hot this season and is seemingly always a candidate to go off, thus making him one of the top rookies to watch on any given night. His swag, as Jimmy Butler said, is one reason to tune in.

4. Brandon Clarke, Grizzlies

Stats: 12.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.1 blocks

Rank Last Week: 4

While Ja Morant has captured the bulk of the headlines in Memphis, and rightfully so, Brandon Clarke has also emerged onto the scene. While he is seventh in scoring, Clarke gets it done all over the court and his shot selection has truly been a revelation. He is one of the most efficient players in the league after shooting 63.6% from the field and has developed one of the nicest floaters in the NBA today. An expanded role in the Grizzlies’ system could increase his numbers but he has flourished to this point of the season.

3. Eric Paschall, Warriors

Stats: 16.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists

Rank Last Week: 3

The second-round pick has certainly not played like one this season. Paschall is third in scoring average among rookies but is second in total points scored, trailing Ja Morant by just five. Given the number of injuries to the Warriors, Paschall has emerged as one of the top options on offense and has been a bright spot for the team thus far. He is coming off of his second double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

2. Kendrick Nunn, Heat

Stats: 16.9 points, 3.3 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 steals

Rank Last Week: 2

Nunn is fresh off of one of his most efficient outings of the season on Monday night. The undrafted guard recorded 19 points against the Charlotte Hornets on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range. Nunn recently told Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype that he believes he can be a future All-Star and his first season with the Heat certainly has the makings of a successful career.

1. Ja Morant, Grizzlies

Stats: 19.1 points, 6.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals

Rank Last Week: 1

Morant turned in one of his most impressive games of the season on Saturday in a shootout with the Los Angeles Lakers. He recorded 26 points, six assists, five steals and three rebounds in the one-point loss. Morant became the first rookie since John Wall in 2010 to reach those numbers in a game. He followed that performance up with 19 points for his second career double-double on Monday in a game in which he left briefly after taking a scary fall into a courtside camera operator. He would return to the game and appeared to be fine but the Grizzlies certainly caught a break after he wasn’t seriously hurt.

Honorable Mention:

R.J. Barrett, Knicks: 15.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.4 steals

Barrett averaged 10.5 points over his last two games after sitting out Sunday due to an illness. He is still fourth in scoring among rookies and will look to get back on track Wednesday on the road against his hometown Toronto Raptors.

Coby White, Bulls: 13.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists

The boom-or-bust potential with White has been fascinating this season. He recorded a career-high 28 points on Saturday but followed that up with eight points on Monday. If he can gain some consistency this season, White would certainly have a place among the best in the rookie class. He is shooting 43.5% from 3-point range over his last four games.

Rui Hachimura, Wizards: 12.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists

Hachimura has struggled some over his last four games after shooting 43.6% from the field for the Wizards. Like White, he has also had issues with consistency at times as his playing time has been sporadic. Hachimura has shown flashes this season but, like most rookies, is still learning the ins and outs of the NBA.

On the Rise:

De’Andre Hunter, Hawks:

Suddenly, after a slow start to the season, Hunter has been on a tear recently. He scored the most points among rookies over the past week and is averaging 19.5 points over his last four games. He is shooting 50% from the field and 50% (11-of-22) from beyond the arc in that span.

Ky Bowman, Warriors:

The Warriors’ two-way rookie is averaging 19 points over his last three games, including a career-high 24 points against the Thunder on Monday. He has been on fire from all over the floor and is producing in a pinch for the injury-rattled Warriors.

Shout Out:

Tremont Waters, Celtics

With Kemba Walker out on Monday, the Celtics called up Waters from the G League. The two-way guard may have only scored seven points in his NBA debut but he made quite an impression on the team and it likely won’t be the last time we see Waters with the Celtics.

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LeBron James believes Anthony Davis is handling New Orleans return ‘exceptionally well’

LeBron James knows what it’s like to return to an old place where you left and he thinks Anthony Davis is doing just fine.

When it comes to situations like Wednesday night’s return to New Orleans for Anthony Davis, LeBron James is the NBA’s foremost expert. So to hear that he believes Davis is doing a good job of handling his nerves in anticipation of his first game in New Orleans as a visitor should be an encouraging sign for Lakers fans hoping their team picks up their ninth straight win.

James was approached about how he felt like Davis was handling the situation, which James believed he is handling “exceptionally well.” To him, the most important thing that Davis can do is stay in the moment and let basketball become the focus, according to USA TODAY’s Mark Medina.

“He’s been anticipating that moment, and now the moment is here,” James said. “So I think he’s handled it exceptionally well, and the excitement, the jitters, the butterflies and everything like that will grow as the day goes on. But once that tip-off begins, that’s the main thing. Just try to win the basketball game.”

As we’ve written here before but it bears repeating, there’s no chance that what happens in New Orleans will be anything like what happened to LeBron when he came back to Cleveland in 2010. While Davis did leave the Pelicans in an awkward exit, New Orleans is not his hometown and the Pelicans came out with a King’s ransom in return for Davis, including their leading scorer this season Brandon Ingram. Not to mention the fact they won the lottery and are still waiting on No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson to play.

Things may have ended poorly but rare is the NBA break up that ends well. All things considered, the Lakers have a chance to win their ninth straight and move to 16-2. And that’s a story even the most optimistic of Lakers fans wouldn’t have expected heading into Thanksgiving.

Titans place TE Delanie Walker on Injured Reserve, add K Ryan Santoso

The Tennessee Titans placed tight end Delanie Walker on Injured Reserve on Wednesday.

The Tennessee Titans placed tight end Delanie Walker on Injured Reserve on Wednesday.

Walker finished out 2019 with 21 receptions for 215 yards and two touchdowns. Walker last saw action in Week 6’s shutout loss to the Denver Broncos, and has been inactive for the last four games.

Players like Jonnu Smith, MyCole Pruitt and Anthony Firkser will be called upon to step up in the pass-catcher’s place.

The team also signed kicker Ryan Santoso to the active 53-man roster, and will keep both him and Ryan Succop on the roster ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.

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Santoso had a pair of preseason stints with the Detroit Lions, and also saw time with the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL back in September.

His specific role for the future has yet to be determined.

The Titans and Colts are set to face off at noon CT on Sunday in Lucas Oil Stadium.

Packers not yet ruling out RT Bryan Bulaga (knee) for Sunday vs. Giants

It’s still possible the Packers will have Bryan Bulaga at RT against the Giants.

The Green Bay Packers aren’t yet ready to rule out starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga for Sunday’s matchup with the New York Giants.

Although coach Matt LaFleur said the team would take the week to figure out the best combination of starters for the offensive line, it’s possible Bulaga – who left Sunday night’s loss in San Francisco with a knee injury – will still factor into the equation.

“The goal is to put our five best out there, and we’ll take the week to figure that out,” LaFleur said Tuesday. “We’re going to go through the week of practice and see what combination works the best. I also wouldn’t rule Bryan out at this point.”

Bulaga got rolled up on from behind in the first quarter against the 49ers and didn’t return. The Packers believe he avoided a significant injury, which seems to be confirmed by LaFleur’s hope that Bulaga could still play against the Giants.

Second-year offensive tackle Alex Light replaced Bulaga on the right side against the 49ers. LaFleur kept the door open for the Packers shuffling the starters if Bulaga can’t go, suggesting right guard Billy Turner could slide out to right tackle against the Giants.

The Packers will release their first injury report of the week on Wednesday. LaFleur could give Bulaga the entire week to see if the knee responds well enough to play Sunday.

Bill Callahan has nothing but good things to say about CB Josh Norman

Callahan sang high-praises for former Panthers CB Josh Norman when on a conference call with the Carolina media ahead of Sunday’s game.

It appears the Washinton Redskins head coach Bill Callahan has had nothing but good things to say about Josh Norman, the veteran cornerback that has been relegated to a special teams role in Washington while flirting with the inactive list as of late.

With a matchup with his former team this weekend, the Carolina Panthers, it would be surprising to see Norman play on Sunday, especially after the secondary found some success in last week’s victory, but you wouldn’t catch that drift from hearing Callahan talk.

While on a conference call with the Carolina media ahead of Sunday’s game. Callahan reportedly was very complimentary of Norman and said that he has been playing through a lot of injury and pain this season.

While both sides are doing and saying everything necessary to keep this thing cordial in the media, it would be interesting to see what’s going on behind the scenes.

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Oklahoma picks up 3-star, 2020 linebacker Shane Whitter

Alex Grinch’s ‘Speed D’ gets a new addition.

Three-star linebacker, Shane Whitter announced his commitment to Oklahoma Wednesday morning…

Alex Grinch’s ‘Speed D’ gets a new addition.

Three-star linebacker, Shane Whitter announced his commitment to Oklahoma Wednesday morning via Twitter.

Whitter was previously committed to Wake Forrest since March.

The Burlington, North Carolina (Williams High School) native stands six-foot-two and 236 pounds. The three-star linebacker is the No. 32 overall ranked recruit in the state of North Carolina and holds a 5.6 rating according to Rivals.

Whitter makes the eighteenth commitment to the Sooners in the class of 2020 and joins Bishop McGuinness’ (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), Brynden Walker as one of two linebackers committed to play for Grinch and Brian Odom.

Oklahoma’s 2020 recruiting class currently ranks No. 13 in the Rival’s rankings. The Sooners are now just five spots behind No. 8 Texas for the best class in the Big 12 for 2020. Outside of Oklahoma and the Longhorns, Kansas is the next highest ranked 2020 recruiting class coming in at No. 30. Iowa State is No. 36 and Oklahoma State are No. 40.

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