Tag: timely

Ben Simmons, Sixers come in ranked 3rd in ESPN’s Power Rankings

The Philadelphia 76ers are ranked third in ESPN’s latest power rankings.

The Philadelphia 76ers are getting set to begin the second half on Thursday when they take on the Chicago Bulls on the road. However, they are dealing with a lot of issues pertaining to the league’s health and safety protocols when it comes to their star duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

The two of them had to miss Sunday’s All-Star game in Atlanta due to contact tracing with a barber testing positive for COVID after he cut their hair before they went to Atlanta for the festivities.

As the second half gets set to begin, the Sixers are ranked third in ESPN’s latest edition of their power rankings:

The Sixers know what they’re going to get from Joel Embiid, who is arguably the NBA’s best center, and certainly is their most dominant low-post presence. But Simmons has recently turned up his level of aggression at the offensive end, and it has made a notable difference. The most eye-popping display of this came against the Utah Jazz last month, in a game in which Embiid didn’t play and Simmons scored a career-high 42 points. But it also has happened plenty when Embiid has shared the court with him in recent games. And when Simmons is aggressive like that, using his singular combination of size and strength to attack the defense, Philadelphia becomes a different team. Embiid deservedly gets the most attention. But Simmons’ offense could be what ultimately determines just how high Philadelphia’s ceiling is.

The Sixers begin the second half on the road against the Bulls on Thursday and then the Wahington Wizards on Friday as the schedule begins to get more compact and games come at an even faster pace.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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3 Rams pegged as NFL free agents who ‘could get more money than you think’

The Rams could have a hard time retaining some of their most important free agents this offseason.

The start of free agency is just about a week away, with the market officially opening on March 17 at 4 p.m. ET. Given their cap situation, the Los Angeles Rams won’t be major players like the Jaguars, Jets and Patriots could be, but they’ll still be looking to improve on both offense and defense.

Retaining their own free agents will be critical, given how many starters are set to have their contracts expire next week. Among them are Leonard Floyd, John Johnson, Troy Hill, Gerald Everett and Austin Blythe, all of whom have contributed in significant ways at some point.

It’s tough to project how much some of the Rams’ pending free agents will make due to the declining salary cap, but Tom Pelissero of NFL Media highlighted three of them among NFL free agents who could get more money than fans might think.

Those players were Everett, Johnson and Hill.

Everett didn’t put up big numbers with the Rams, but his athleticism will surely intrigue teams that are looking for a receiving tight end who can make things happen after the catch. Johnson plays like one of the best safeties in football but he doesn’t get the recognition as one, for whatever reason. That could change once he cashes in this offseason, likely joining the top five safeties in annual salary. And then there’s Hill, who’s “on the short list of guys who can play inside and outside,” Pelissero wrote.

The Rams should be able to afford Hill or Everett if they want to re-sign them, but Johnson may be out of their price range. A deal worth at least $14 million per year isn’t out of the question for the young safety, knowing how impactful he’s been in four seasons with the Rams.

It helps that the Rams have good depth at safety and tight end with players such as Taylor Rapp, Jordan Fuller, Terrell Burgess and Tyler Higbee, but cornerback will need some help if Hill leaves; David Long could finally be called upon to start.

There will be new starters at several positions next season because of how many free agents could leave the Rams this month.

Daryl Morey says Joel Embiid is most unstoppable thing he’s ever seen

Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey is impressed by star big man Joel Embiid.

Philadelphia 76ers star big man Joel Embiid is one of the best players in the NBA regardless of position. He stands at 7-feet tall, and he can score at all three levels while also being one of the best defenders in the league. He can do so many things on the floor and it’s impressive as ever.

New team president Daryl Morey has been working on trying to get the right pieces around the big fella, but he has learned something about him: He is a pretty unstoppable player. This comes after Morey’s time with the Houston Rockets and star guard James Harden.

Morey sat down with Sports Illustrated’s Howard Beck and he had this to say about his new star player:

“I get in trouble when I say stuff like this,” Morey says, “but he’s the most unstoppable thing I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen a lot. You know who I’ve seen,” he says, alluding to Harden. “But I’ve never seen anything like it. Like last night against Rudy Gobert, he faced him up at eight feet, and I mean it ended in a dunk. And (Gobert) is an amazing defender. And he had no answer.”

Embiid is averaging 30.2 points and 11.6 rebounds on the season and the team is sitting at the 1 seed in the East. He is set to make a run at the MVP award if Philadelphia can continue to stay at the top of the standings throughout the second half of the season.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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7 free-agent defensive linemen the Rams should target

If the Rams make changes to their defensive line, these 7 players could be targets in free agency.

On paper, the Rams’ defensive line looks like a strength. Aaron Donald obviously leads the group, but he’s joined by Michael Brockers, A’Shawn Robinson, Sebastian Joseph-Day and Greg Gaines.

But there could be changes coming to the group this offseason. Morgan Fox is a pending free agent, Brockers is available for trade (according to Albert Breer) and Robinson could be a cap casualty if the Rams are desperate to clear some space.

If they do decide to move on from one or two players, there will be a bunch of options on the free-agent market for them to add. Here are seven potential targets on the defensive line for Los Angeles.

Oklahoma drops in latest Ferris Mowers coaches poll

The Oklahoma Sooners fall in the latest Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.

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The Oklahoma Sooners have found themselves in a bit of a skid as the season came to a close against their bitter rivals. The team lost their final four games by a combined 17 points. Continue reading “Oklahoma drops in latest Ferris Mowers coaches poll”

WATCH: Jaylen Brown scores 22 points, 5 rebounds in 2021 NBA All-Star Game

The first-time All-Star had a solid debut in his hometown of Atlanta.

Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jaylen Brown had himself a very solid debut at the 2021 NBA All-Star game held this Sunday, March 7 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Marietta native — just a short drive away — impressed in front of a hometown crowd as he co-represented the Celtics.

Teammate Jayson Tatum did well for Team Durant, but Brown had been drafted for Team LeBron, and helped his squad secure the 170 – 150 win with 22 points, 5 rebounds, an assist and 2 steals. The Cal-Berkeley product was a very efficient 8-of-12 overall and 5-of-7 from beyond the arc — in total an excellent first stab at the annual league exhibition.

Watch this highlights clip embedded below put together by Tomasz Kordylewski to see the Celtic forward’s performance for yourself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V3e_uesRd0

The Celtics next return to action this Thursday, March 11 against the Brooklyn Nets on the road at 7:30 p.m.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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Michael Brockers is hoping the Seahawks trade Russell Wilson

Michael Brockers would be happy to see Russell Wilson out of the NFC West “so you don’t have to chase him around twice a year.”

No team has been a bigger thorn in the side of Russell Wilson than the Los Angeles Rams. They’re the only team in the NFL that he’s faced more than three times and has a losing record against, going 8-10 versus the Rams in his nine seasons.

Wilson is a future Hall of Famer and one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and even though the Rams have played him well during his time in Seattle, they’d probably be happy to see him leave the NFC West.

Wilson has voiced his displeasure with the Seahawks this offseason, and the team has fielded trade calls involving the quarterback. Though it’s hard to see the Seahawks trading Wilson, Michael Brockers hope they do it.

“You cross your fingers a little bit,” Brockers said on “Good Morning Football” Monday. “You hope whatever you hear is true, and he’s out of here so you don’t have to chase him around twice a year. For the most part, he’s a phenomenal player, but if he chooses to leave and leave the division and make it a bit little easier for us, man, to each his own.”

What makes Wilson such a tough quarterback to defend is his ability to extend plays. He’s not only mobile enough to pick up yards on the ground, but he’s always looking to throw downfield when escaping the pocket, often creating big plays after it looked like he’d be taken down for a loss.

Wilson has been sacked 72 times against the Rams, which is 13 more than any other team has sacked him, so they’ve come up with the right blueprint for getting him on the ground. But there’s no doubt they’d love to see the seven-time Pro Bowler in another division so they don’t have to face him twice a year.

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5 Rams players whose contracts could be restructured

The Rams need cap space and these 5 players could have their contracts restructured to save the team a lot of money in 2021.

The salary cap is set to decrease in 2021 as a result of lost revenue from last season due to the pandemic. The Rams are projected to be over the limit by about $35 million if the cap comes in at around $180 million, which the NFL says is the floor for it.

Needing to get under the cap by March 17, the Rams are expected to restructure at least a few of their players’ contracts before then. Restructuring converts either base salary or bonuses into a signing bonus, which is prorated over the remaining years of the contract.

It’s not a pay cut, and oftentimes it means a player can get more money up front rather than waiting until future years. It’s a common move made by teams, especially this offseason with the cap dropping.

Here are five Rams players whose contracts could be restructured soon.

Andrew Whitworth explains why he wasn’t completely shocked by Jared Goff trade

Andrew Whitworth says players were more surprised by the timing of the Jared Goff trade, not the deal itself.

Though the trade isn’t official yet, the Los Angeles Rams will have a new quarterback in 2021 after agreeing to swap Jared Goff and draft picks for Matthew Stafford at the end of January. It was the first big move of the offseason, coming just two weeks after the Rams’ season ended in the divisional round of the playoffs.

For the most part, Rams players who were asked about the deal said they were surprised by it. However, Andrew Whitworth read the tea leaves from Les Snead and Sean McVay, so he could tell something might be on the horizon.

What shocked him more was the timing of the trade and how quickly it came together.

“After hearing some of the press conferences and understanding kind of where we stood as a team, and what things were being said, you knew that there’s obviously some things there where it’s an open door for whatever,” Whitworth said, via the Los Angeles Times. “So, I mean, you’re more just shocked at the timing and how fast that whole thing came about and all of those type things.”

Players understand better than anyone else that the NFL is a business. And so Whitworth knows just about anyone can be cut or traded at any moment.

Being in the NFL for 15 years, Whitworth has seen his share of teams get broken up, watching the front office move on from players each offseason.

“So, I think as players you’re shocked by it, but I think it’s less shocking to the players only because that’s the nature of what we do,” he continued. “I try to explain to people that ask me around town, it’s like every August I show up I’m looking around the room like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s right this guy’s not here anymore. Oh, that’s right, he left in free agency.’”

Whitworth and Goff are good friends, often playing golf together. Goff grew close with Whitworth’s kids, too, so their connection runs deep off the field.

Whitworth said he’ll be “supporting him and wishing him nothing but the best” as he starts his next chapter in Detroit, but he’s also excited about the arrival of Stafford. Whitworth says he knows Stafford through former Bengals lineman Clint Boling, and they all play golf in their free time.

“I think that will be a pretty easy transition and, obviously, he’s a heck of a football player,” Whitworth said.

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Doc Rivers wants Sixers to help Joel Embiid find answers on offense

Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers wants the team to help Joel Embiid to find the answers on offense.

The Philadephia 76ers brought on coach Doc Rivers to be the new headman of the team due to a large amount of success he has had in his coaching career. He has a title on his resume with the Boston Celtics, and he has coached a few different collections of talents.

With the Sixers, he is taking on a team led by the unique star duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Philadelphia added a lot of different pieces to their supporting cast around them as they have been looking to help their stars succeed.

The shooters they have added have helped Embiid greatly with his post passing. He now has outlets to pass to when he has waves of defenders coming at him and that is something he has not had in the past.

“I’ve always thought the job of us as a staff, a coaching staff is to make sure that we give the players the answers,” said coach Doc Rivers. “As far as when they do get trapped and where the ball should go. I think that’s something that we have to work on every day, but we almost invite traps because it usually leads to 3s or easy 2s for us so it’s been all good thus far. We still have a lot of work to do.”

Philadelphia has been a bit up and down when it comes to their offense, but it has been making progress. This has been a pretty brand new group when it comes to the supporting cast around Embiid and Simmons as well as a new coach in Rivers.

All of that takes time to get guys to buy into a system and to know their roles within the system. The Sixers have been working through all of that and they have shown an ability to never quit when the chips are down. They continue to put up a fight.

“I am very happy and very comfortable with where we’re at right now,” Rivers added. “We have won a ton of games this year in the fourth quarter down the stretch through our execution. We have shown all of them, how well we can space the floor and Joel has really improved his post passing.”

The Sixers sit at the No. 1 seed in the East and they will be looking to keep it going when the season gets back underway on Thursday against the Chicago Bulls.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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