Tag: IT

Most USC fans still trust Lincoln Riley, but not all of them

Most USC fans think Lincoln Riley will turn things around, but that view is not unanimous among the fan base.

On our recent USC football call-in show at The Voice of College Football, something happened at the 27:50 mark of the broadcast. A caller on our show was not convinced that Lincoln Riley is the right guy for USC. Issues going back to Oklahoma shaped the caller’s perspective. He felt Riley inherited a great OU program that got worse every year.

We discussed that Oklahoma was 8-5 in 2014, the year before Riley arrived as offensive coordinator.  He inherited Mike Stoops as his defensive coordinator when he became the Sooners’ head coach. Riley’s offenses were the main sources of success for Bob Stoops’ last few teams at Oklahoma, and the defense is what held them back. Riley definitely did make a mistake by hiring and retaining Alex Grinch on staff at USC.

Lincoln Riley is a young coach and D’Anton Lynn is only his second defensive coordinator hire. The jury is out and we will see how the defense performs this year for USC.

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Marquese Chriss working out with Zach LaVine, Isaiah Thomas, Jamal Crawford, Paolo Banchero and others

Golden State Warriors center Marquese Chriss was spotted working out with Zach LaVine, Isaiah Thomas, Jamal Crawford and others in Washington.

As the basketball world prepares for November’s NBA Draft, Marquese Chriss is in the gym working on his game.

On Monday, Kenan Oliver of K.O. Development and Pacific Courts shared a video of the former lottery pick practicing his long-distance shot. Alongside fellow Washington Huskies product Noah Dickerson, Chriss splashed a series of 3-pointers from different locations beyond the arc.

In addition to working on his range, Chriss joined a group of talented players for a workout in Washington. The Golden State Warriors big man and Dickerson joined Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine, plus NBA veterans Isaiah Thomas and Jamal Crawford.

Via @k.o.development on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGzFUvenJ1-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Along with the NBA talent, Washington’s Naz Carter and consensus five-star recruit Paolo Banchero were on the court for the run. The 17-year-old forward is committed to joining Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s Duke program.

In the video of the star-studded scrimmage, Chriss is featured during a putback rebound and a drive to the basket. During the drive, Chriss showed off a quick crossover paired with a strong finish on the score.

The next time Chriss will be able to join his Golden State teammates on the floor will be at the Warriors preseason training camp in San Francisco.

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Free agent Isaiah Thomas believes he can help the Warriors off the bench next season

After making a pitch to come off the bench for the Warriors, Isaiah Thomas chimed in again saying he knows he could help Golden State next season.

Although it’s still early in the Golden State Warriors offseason, free agency buzz is beginning to make rounds in the Bay Area.

After Jared Dudley fired off a tweet about the Warriors, Isaiah Thomas responded with a pitch to come off the bench in Golden State next season. The Washington Huskies product tweeted he would come off the Warriors’ bench “serving!!!!”

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After his tweet about landing with the Warriors made headlines, the veteran guard chimed back in on Twitter. On Sunday, Thomas shared a tweet saying he knows he can help out in Golden State.

Via @isaiahthomas on Twitter:

In July, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported the Warriors would be prioritizing the backup point guard role over the offseason. With Damion Lee, Mychal Mulder, Jordan Poole and Ky Bowman slated behind Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson; the former Boston Celtics All-Star could be a free-agent option.

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After a pair of All-Star campaigns in Boston during the 2016 and 2017 season, Thomas has made stops in Cleveland, Los Angeles, Denver and Washington.

Last season, the 31-year-old spent 41 games with the Wizards, averaging 12.2 points on 40.8% shooting from the field. Thomas added 3.7 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 23.1 minutes per contest. After landing in Los Angeles in a trade, the Clippers waived Thomas in February.

In a limited role, the proven guard could add firepower to Golden State’s backcourt. In his stint with the Wizards, Thomas recorded 15 or more points in 14 games. Thomas could add a reliable scoring option for Steve Kerr off the bench.

With an extended offseason on the calendar for the Warriors, Bob Myers and Kerr will have plenty of time to study potential free-agent fits. Kerr and Myers will need to add pieces around Curry, Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins for the Warriors to build their climb back to the postseason.

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Isaiah Thomas makes a pitch to come off the bench for the Warriors next season

Could Isaiah Thomas fit off the bench for the Golden State Warriors in the 2020-21 NBA season?

While the NBA Playoffs are set to begin in the Orlando Bubble, the Golden State Warriors are getting an early jump on their offseason plans. First up on the Warriors to-do list is the NBA Draft.

Following the lottery and draft, Steve Kerr and Bob Myers can turn their attention to the free-agent class. With Steph Curry and Klay Thompson slated to return healthy alongside Andrew Wiggins, Eric Paschall and Draymond Green, Golden State’s front office will need to add some finishing touches to Kerr’s rotation.

Could one of those finishing touches be Isaiah Thomas?

On Saturday, the two-time All-Star made a pitch to come off Golden State’s bench in the 2020-21 season. In response to Jared Dudley’s tweet about the Warriors, Thomas responded, saying he’d come off Golden State’s bench “serving!!!!”

Via @isaiahthomas on Twitter:

After back-to-back All-Star seasons with the Boston Celtics in 2016 and 2017, Thomas has battled a hip injury while bouncing around the NBA.

In 2019, the 31-year-old spent 41 games with the Washington Wizards, averaging 12.2 points on 40.8% shooting from the field. The Washington Huskies product added 3.7 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 23.1 minutes per contest.

After a deadline trade from Washington to Los Angeles, Thomas was waived by the Clippers in February.

The eight-year veteran’s proposal to come off the Warriors bench received a reaction from future NBA Hall of Famer Dwayne Wade.

Via @DwyaneWade on Twitter:

With a roster that features the salaries of Curry, Thompson, Green and Wiggins, Golden State’s offseason spending could be limited. Outside of Golden State’s Andre Iguodala trade exception and the taxpayer mid-level exception, the Warriors will need to get creative when it comes to free agency. Bringing in a veteran to help solidify their second unit could be on Golden State’s checklist.

Behind the Splash Brothers, the Warriors could use firepower. Damion Lee and a trio of rookie guards fill out the rest of Golden State’s backcourt depth. With both Curry and Thompson coming off significant injuries, having a proven guard with a resume like Thomas could be an intriguing option.

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Lions IT director will be stationed in Bob Quinn’s driveway for 2020 NFL Draft

Just when you thought things couldn’t get more unusual. ESPN’s Adam Shefter is reporting that the Detroit Lions IT director, Steve Lancaster, will be stationed in a Winnebago in Bob Quinn’s driveway for the 2020 draft.

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any more unusual.

ESPN’s Adam Shefter is reporting that the Detroit Lions IT (information technology) director, Steve Lancaster, will be stationed in a Winnebago in Bob Quinn’s driveway for the 2020 draft, ready to address “any technical issues”.

With the NFL holding a virtual draft in 2020, Quinn and the Lions appear to be taking no chances that they will have any technological mishaps when they are on the clock during the draft.

At his virtual press conference last Friday with local media, Quinn laid out how the Lions were adjusting to the parameters of a virtual draft.

“I’m at my house, I have a home office that I use occasionally during the season and occasionally during the offseason – not very much – but I’m staring at a TV to my right. I have three monitors to my left, I have two laptops. I have a huge, what we would call our draft phone, I have my home phone. I have two cell phones, and I have a printer.”

Quinn went on to mention that the team had backup plans for the internet, power sources, and phones for each staff member’s home who will be involved in the Lions draft.

Now, with Lancaster and a Winnebago involved, Quinn has apparently taken another step to make sure they are prepared.