Tag: reaction

Nets’ Jacque Vaughn reacts to team starting to find its identity

Jacque Vaughn reacts to the Nets starting to form an identity as the end of the regular-season approaches.

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn has to be trying to figure out a lot of things with this new roster on the fly. He has been trying to figure out his playoff rotation while trying to figure out how this team should play, the strengths/weaknesses, etc. It seems that he and the team are starting to figure all of that out.

In Friday’s 124-123 overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, it was another display of how the Nets must play if they want to be competitive. In the first half, Brooklyn had a tough time keeping up with Minnesota as they had trouble scoring as well as defending the Timberwolves effectively. At one point, Minnesota made 13 of 14 field-goals as Brooklyn was a step slow for most of the first half.

In the second half, the Nets were able to tighten things up on both ends of the floor. The offense went into Spencer Dinwiddie and Mikal Bridges breaking down their man off the dribble and either scoring off that action or finding an open teammate while their defense was them switching and gang-rebounding at the basket. Vaughn reacted to how the Nets are starting to form their identity:

“Yes, it’s been interesting to see like the metamorphosis of this group kind of thing. We at the beginning thought okay, how are we going to score? We can’t play ISO ball like we did previously in the past. Are we going to be able to have multiple people who can handle the basketball and have multiple double scores? Been able to produce and score enough and then, we struggled on the defensive end. So, then we had the challenge that group to shift their mentality of not thinking you have to score but first of all, let’s be a defensive oriented team. I think we’ve responded, started to form an identity with this group. And, hopefully they realize that.”

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Nets’ Royce O’Neale gives team credit for rebounding as a unit

Royce O’Neale gives his teammates props for rebounding as a team to limit the impact of Rudy Gobert.

Brooklyn Nets forward Royce O’Neale has had to adapt to a lot of different roles depending on the situation ever since the NBA trade deadline essentially relegated him to the bench. Most of the time, O’Neale has to fill in as a pseudo-big whenever Nic Claxton gets into foul trouble or when head coach Jacque Vaughn decides to play small.

In Friday’s 124-123 overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, O’Neale had 12 points and 15 rebounds as he had to help Claxton deal with the likes of Rudy Gobert in the paint. Even with Claxton on the floor, the Nets still lack a big who has the size of a player like Gobert so anytime the team faces someone like him, it is a tough task.

That is why it’s important for Brooklyn to rebound as a unit to make up for the lack of size. The Nets did that after the first quarter as three different player had more than right rebounds and O’Neale did the most on the inside to help out Claxton. O’Neale also brought some value to the table by still being a threat from three-point land and he was able to push the ball in transition whenever Brooklyn had a numbers advantage. O’Neale reacted to the team rebounding together as a collective unit:

“You know, everybody’s being collective rebounding, coming together. I mean, playing small ball, we know, it’s gonna take all of us and we were lucky that was good enough to get all those rebounds.”

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10 biggest salary cap hits for Bears in 2023 after trading for DJ Moore

With the Bears landing DJ Moore in a trade for the No. 1 pick, here’s a look at their biggest salary cap hits heading into the 2023 season.

The Chicago Bears are trading the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft to the Carolina Panthers for a massive haul, which includes two first-rounders, two second-rounders and wide receiver DJ Moore.

The addition of Moore finally gives quarterback Justin Fields a No. 1 wide receiver, who will elevate the passing game immediately. Moore signed a three-year extension worth $61.88 million last March, which keeps him in Chicago through 2025.

Where things will stand after the acquisition of Moore, the Bears are expected to have roughly $75 million in cap space in 2023, which is still the most in the league.

Here’s a look at the 10 biggest cap hits currently on the books for the Bears in 2023, after the addition of Moore.

Salary cap numbers courtesy of Spotrac

Auburn QBs rank near bottom of College Football Network’s SEC rankings

Robby Ashford and T.J. Finley will have plenty to prove this season under the direction of Hugh Freeze.

Auburn’s most scrutinized position in the spring continues to make its’ national rounds.

College Football Network recently projected how each SEC quarterback would perform this season. The battle between incumbent [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] and [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] will be a strong one throughout the spring and into summer workouts, so College Football Network made sure to include both names in their rankings by placing them No. 11 out of 14 quarterbacks.

College Football Network’s case for Finley is that he has a chance to have the best season of his college career under what is considered to be the most competent staff he has ever worked under.

For Finley, his third year in the program should be his best, even if his career arc would indicate otherwise. With a clean slate in terms of coaching staff and scheme, the big man could rely on his athleticism to give him an advantage over Ashford if he can stay healthy and keep the ball on the right side of the field.

As for Ashford, College Football Network suggests that he needs to improve as a playmaker in order to lead Auburn to a bowl game this season.

For Ashford, he’ll have to prove he can sustain drives with his arm and not just his legs if he wants to keep or even earn the starting nod at this point. He struggled with consistency both from a decision-making and an accuracy standpoint in 2022 and relied too heavily upon his legs to garner first downs.

No matter who wins the starting quarterback role, College Football Network feels that the competition will make both players better. The good news is, despite their low ranking, Auburn’s quarterback situation ranks higher than programs looking to fill the shoes of celebrated quarterbacks, Alabama and Georgia.

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2023 NFL mock draft: Shakeup at No. 1 after Panthers trade up with Bears

The Bears and Panthers made a blockbuster trade for the No. 1 pick, where Carolina moves up for their franchise quarterback.

The Carolina Panthers pushed all their chips to the center of the table and acquired the No. 1 overall pick from the Chicago Bears in a blockbuster trade ahead of free agency.

In doing so, Chicago receives the No. 9 overall pick, the No. 61 overall pick, Carolina’s first-round pick in 2024, a 2025 second-round pick and wide receiver DJ Moore.

How will this change the landscape of the NFL draft? Here is our latest mock draft following the trade.

Nets’ Spencer Dinwiddie reacts to success of switching defense against T’Wolves

Spencer Dinwiddie gives credit to the defense for the team getting back in the game after halftime.

Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie isn’t confused for being the best defender in the world. However, the one thing he will do on the defensive end is compete and that goes for the rest of the team as well. Given the fact that Brooklyn is one of the smaller teams in the league, for the team to be successful, every played has to be willing to play out of position on the defensive end.

In Friday’s 124-123 overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Dinwiddie had 29 points and 11 assists as he took over the game for the Nets in the second half and the overtime period. Despite how well Dinwiddie played on offense, he lamented how the team played on the defensive end in the first half when they allowed the Timberwolves to score 68 points.

Brooklyn’s defense played better after the first half as they found a way to help as necessary so that Minnesota center Rudy Gobert wouldn’t get as many easy second-chance points like he was getting in the first half. The Nets wanted to switch on defense as much as possible and when that happens, the smaller players for Brooklyn have to compete with the bigs of the league if they want to be a good defensive unit when the playoffs come around. Dinwiddie reacted after the game to how the defense turned things around after halftime:

“So, I think there was focus and attention to detail. I mean, we went to switching one through five, and rely on our guards to kind of hold up Rudy (Gobert) a bit, which, you know, had pros and cons. But Nic’s (Claxton) obviously phenomenal on the perimeter as well. So, he always holds his own regardless of matchup. It’s on us to help him. But, for the most part, regardless of the defensive switch, like it really had more to do with focus and attention to detail, because 68 points in the first half is just far too much. I don’t care who you’re playing.”

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Auburn gymnastics ends regular season with 197.600 in win over Penn State

Cassie Stevens and Derrian Gobourne take home multiple event titles in their final meet at Neville Arena.

For seven Auburn seniors, their final meet inside Neville Arena ended in the best way possible.

No. 9 Auburn welcomed Penn State for the regular season finale on Friday night and ended with a 197.600-197.025 win. Not only did the team have to battle the emotions of senior night, but they also had to compete without Suni Lee for the second week in a row. Despite the challenges, head coach Jeff Graba was thrilled about his squad’s performance.

“I thought the girls did a good job of coming in and building off what we’ve tried to work on in practice,” head coach [autotag]Jeff Graba[/autotag] said following Friday’s meet. “This is a hard night, a lot of emotions, and I thought they did a really good job to get through it and get us set up for the next few weeks.”

Auburn ended the first rotation by trailing Penn State but jumped ahead after a solid performance on bars. Four Tigers scored 9.9 or higher on bars, with seniors [autotag]Cassie Stevens[/autotag] and [autotag]Derrian Gobourne[/autotag] earning 9.925’s in Auburn’s overall score of 49.525. Gobourne was delighted with her team’s performance on bars and says that it proves just how talented Auburn is at the event.

“With Suni in or out, we’re going to have her back. We’re going to do what we need to do,” Gobourne said. “Showing up the way we did even though we were missing her is really special, and it shows what we can do.”

Auburn continued to separate themselves from the Nittany Lions in their third rotation by scoring 49.250 on the beam. [autotag]Gabby McLaughlin[/autotag] paced the Tigers with a 9.950 and senior [autotag]Aria Brusch[/autotag] closed her home campaign on beam with a 9.900.

Then, in what has become the norm, Auburn closed out the event with a spectacular showing on the floor.

Brusch and [autotag]Sophia Groth[/autotag] scored 9.9 in the first half of the event, which paved the way for [autotag]Olivia Hollingsworth[/autotag] to put on a spectacular show for a team-leading 9.950, which sets a new career high. Seniors Cassie Stevens and Derrian Gobourne ended the meet with 9.9 and 9.875 respectively. Stevens was the all-around winner by recording a 39.525.

“I think we came together as a team tonight, and it was really fun,” Stevens said following her final meet at Neville Arena. “The vibes were different. We were doing it for each other. We were having fun while we were doing it. That’s Auburn gymnastics.”

The regular season has now concluded, and Auburn will now get ready for its next task, the SEC Championships. Auburn will compete for a series of conference crowns next Saturday at Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia.

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Twitter Reacts: Penn State’s upset against Northwestern in Big Ten Tournament

How Twitter reacted to Penn State’s big win over Northwestern.

The clock still has not struck midnight on the Penn State Nittany Lions as they continue to fight through the Big Ten tournament.

It took a total team effort from the male Nittany Lions but they were able to upset Northwestern in their home state for the second time this year. This win all but guarantees an NCAA tournament berth for the team and now their gritty work ethic will get to be on the big stage.

Between the big win and a questionable call at the end of the game, Twitter was buzzing throughout the game.

Nets’ Mikal Bridges says team playing small is ‘tough to guard’ for opponents

Mikal Bridges recognizes the value of Brooklyn playing small when in a matchup with a team like the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Brooklyn Nets guard Mikal Bridges has had to learn a different role and way of playing ever since he was traded to the Nets at the trade deadline. In Phoenix, Bridges was used to playing in the forward spot since he played with Chris Paul and Devin Booker. The change in Brooklyn seems to have brought out the best in Bridges.

In Friday’s 124-123 overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Bridges had 34 points and six rebounds while having to do his best to guard Anthony Edwards for most of the night. After a slow first quarter, the Nets were able to swing the momentum to their side once Brooklyn started playing small which usually results in Dorian Finney-Smith playing at the center spot.

This proved pivotal in the overtime period since the Nets had no choice but to play small since starting center Nic Claxton fouled out in the fourth quarter. However, it looked to be to Brooklyn’s benefit as Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert had to guard someone like Dorian Finney-Smith or Royce O’Neale and it costs Minnesota in the end as Finney-Smith hit a clutch three-pointer off a nice pass from Spencer Dinwiddie. Bridges reacted to the team’s success playing small against Minnesota after the thrilling win:

“Just making them guys (Minnesota) on defense react. Five guys out that can all shoot and drive so I think that’s just tough for opponents. When I was in Phoenix, Dallas was doing that and it was tough to guard and you got a guy that can get in the paint and you got to over help but, you got shooters everywhere. So, it’s definitely tough so just that’s what we’re doing just get it to one of the guys to create and everybody ready to shoot and drive and make a play.”

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Court motion offers graphic details in Michael Irvin case, video to be made public

The Marriott employee’s story details aggressive flirting and a lewd proposition from the Hall of Fame WR; a judge ruled on the video. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Marriott has finally revealed details regarding the early February incident involving former Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin in Phoenix. A court motion now filed by the hotel chain gives a version of events that’s very different from the story told by Irvin and multiple witnesses.

Those details come as a federal judge says the company “blatantly” violated an order to provide Irvin with video recordings of the incident in question. In response to an emergency motion filed by Irvin’s legal team, the judge is allowing the video to be released publicly.

The Marriott motion, according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, describes an encounter with a female employee that was initiated by a “visibly intoxicated” Irvin and quickly escalated into aggressive flirtation, unwanted physical contact, and a graphic proposition from the Hall of Famer.

Irvin filed a lawsuit against Marriott and the woman seeking $100 million in damages after he was sent home from his job covering Super Bowl LVII for NFL Network.

As per the new court filing, written by a Marriott attorney, Irvin “flagged down” the woman in the lobby’s bar area as she was working, asked about her job, told her that he found her attractive, and introduced himself. The woman explained that she was not an NFL fan and didn’t know who Irvin was; Irvin reportedly told her to look him up on the internet.

During this initial exchange, Irvin shook the woman’s hand and also touched her arm “without her consent, causing her to step back, becoming visibly uncomfortable.”

It’s then that Irvin allegedly made the most disturbing accusation contained in the motion document.

Irvin “asked the Victim whether she knew anything about having a ‘big Black man inside of [her],'” per the court motion. “Taken aback by Irvin’s comments, the Victim responded that his comments were inappropriate, and she did not wish to discuss it further.”

“Irvin then attempted to grab the Victim’s hand again and said he was ‘sorry if he brought up bad memories’ for her,” the motion continues. “The Victim pulled her hand away and tried to back away from Irvin as he continued to move towards her.”

Two hotel workers apparently approached in an attempt to intervene, at which point Irvin closed the encounter with another handshake, which the Marriott legal team says the woman returned, “wanting the interaction to end.”

The former Cowboys star allegedly “stated that he would come back to find [the woman] sometime that week when she was working.” He also allegedly “leered” at the woman as she walked away and made suggestive comments overheard by another hotel employee, saying “She bad,” and “I want to hit that.”

Irvin has denied that anything inappropriate took place and explained this week that he had not seen the hotel’s video or even been informed of the exact nature of the woman’s complaints. He has admitted, however, that he had been out drinking earlier in the evening and did not recall the exact nature of his brief conversation with the woman.

This week, though, Irvin compared the accusations to a modern-day lynching. Earlier in the week, two men whom the three-time Super Bowl champ had just met said that they witnessed the entire exchange and saw nothing about the conversation or the woman’s body language that caused any sort of concern at the time.

Irvin’s attorney fired back at the new detailed allegations Friday.

“Total hogwash,” Levi McCathern said in a statement to Dallas Morning News. “Marriott’s recently created account goes against all the eyewitnesses and Michael’s own testimony as well as common sense. We will release the video next week. There is no sexual assault. The fact Marriott is taking the position that it is is an insult to all of the true female victims out there.”

“I was shocked by Marriott’s prior handling of this situation,” McCathern went on. “I am now disgusted and appalled. I wish trial was tomorrow, so Michael could clear his name and get the compensation he deserves for Marriott’s reckless disregard for the truth.”

The woman reportedly shared her version of events with a coworker that same evening and then told her supervisor about the incident the next morning.

The hotel reported the incident to the NFL, following guidelines that had been established just the day prior regarding any league employees staying at the hotel. No criminal complaint was ever received by local police about the matter.

Prior to Friday’s ruling by U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant, only McCathern had seen the hotel’s video footage, which blurred out the woman’s face. The judge was not pleased with the hotel chain deciding to place its own conditions on who could view the footage and how.

“It seems like Marriott just looked at my order and didn’t want to produce the video,” Mazzant said.

The judge has now ordered the video to be produced “without modification.”

Irvin’s lawyer says that video’s public release will be the key to exonerating the NFL legend.

“Everybody who views [the video] will see what I’ve seen and what the witnesses who were there have seen,” McCathern said. “Michael didn’t do anything wrong.”

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