Tag: Title

Clear Play: James Harden brings a new look to the 76ers

The Sixers are soaring after James Harden’s arrival. How long will it last?

BetFTW senior writer Prince Grimes joins Clear Play and host Tony Anderson to break down the new-look Philadelphia 76ers now that James Harden has fully established himself alongside MVP frontrunner Joel Embiid.

All odds via Tipico

Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO).

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It’s time to abandon ship on LeBron’s Lakers

The Lakers aren’t a serious team. It’s time we stop pretending.

LeBron James has nothing else to prove in his NBA career. Nothing.

He will forever be remembered as one of the greatest ever to let his sneakers squeak up a court. Still being an All-Star starter (and captain) at his ripe age of 37 speaks to his longevity and all-time talent. Every game the future Hall of Famer plays from this point on is more icing on his career than a necessity to lock up his legacy. His legacy is set in stone and double-engraved. And at this rate — because he’s surpassed every other seemingly impossible expectation — LeBron might be the first person to be an All-Star starter when he’s 40.

The question is: Will that star play come for the Lakers? And if so, will those Lakers even be a title contender?

We’re going to lean toward a hard maybe, and almost definitely, no.

It doesn’t matter that LeBron can dunk on the league’s best player, sorry to say.

Because where LeBron has thrived with his usual versatile dominance this year (29 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per on 52 percent shooting), the Lakers have, instead, played like they have cement blocks attached to their ankles. The issue is that they haven’t sunk to the bottom of the Hudson River yet, making their descent all the more uncomfortable and traumatizing (or exciting, depending on your rooting interests).

Since the start of the New Year, L.A. has gone a mere 8-11 through 19 games. Mind you: This is on a team with LeBron, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony, among others. Regardless of their collective old-man age (for professional sports, anyway; please don’t be angry with me), on paper, they should be better than 26-29.

They should be better than the ninth seed in the Western Conference.

They should be a title contender because, if anything, that is the baseline expectation of any LeBron James team. That is what LeBron does: Play for championships.

Before the season started, Tipico Sportsbook agreed that we should have high expectations for this Lakers squad. Emphasis on the past tense. After adding Westbrook and Anthony, the Lakers had the second-best preseason odds (+300) to win the NBA title, second only to the Nets (oops). Now, with their rampant struggles, L.A. has merely the eighth-best odds (+2000) to win the title, behind the Sixers, Jazz, Heat, Bucks, Warriors, Suns, and, still, Nets.

So that’s why, even with the Lakers winning the COVID-bubble title only 15 months ago, it’s time to abandon ship on this latest LeBron attempt at a championship. The Lakers are not a safe bet, and if they do play in June — regardless of LeBron being at the helm — it will be one of the most shocking runs in recent playoff memory.

But, hey, if you still disagree with that assessment, why not let LeBron tell you himself? He had, how do you say, some thoughts after a shellacking at the hands of the Bucks.

“Do I think we can get to the level where they are, right now?” said James, repeating a reporter’s question back to them. “No.”

The critical qualifier in that answer — which you know was intentional on James’ part given that it’s still February — was the “right now.” LeBron is a competitor and one of the best at that. He won’t punt on any season, no matter how bleak matters seem. But at a certain point, it might be time to cut your losses. It might be time to come to grips with reality and consider whether you’re being a bit too optimistic (delusional?) for a team that can barely stay afloat. At the same time, the battle-tested Suns and Warriors are lighting up the conference. Confidence will be the death of the finest among us.

LeBron still has faith, but the rest of us? It’s time to walk away and accept a burial of the Lakers.

Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO).

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Saints lose their lead on the NFC South after uneven 3-week start

The New Orleans Saints rank behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but ahead of the Carolina Panthers in updated NFC South standings after Week 3.

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Well, that’s not ideal. After jumping out to an early lead in the race for a division crown, the New Orleans Saints are now barely ahead of the lowly 1-2 Carolina Panthers, by virtue of a win over a divisional opponent. Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on top of the NFC South through three weeks, having earned a 2-1 record.

That’s painful, but it’s to be expected when the Saints play as poorly as they have. They’ve lost games on the road (to the 2-1 Las Vegas Raiders) and at home (to the 3-0 Green Bay Packers, who appear well-positioned for the No. 1 playoff seed in the NFC).

At least they aren’t the 0-3 Atlanta Falcons, who have blown double-digit leads in the fourth quarter twice in as many weeks. They’re firmly in the NFC South’s basement.

Sure, the Saints can turn it around. They could start winning games again as soon as next week, when they visit the 1-2 Detroit Lions at Ford Field (before a return back to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, when the 1-2 Los Angeles Chargers visit in Week 5). It’s very possible the Saints go into their bye week at a respectable 3-2, coming out of the break ready to get hot in October. That could go a long way towards earning their fourth consecutive division title.

We’ll see what happens. Just to drive the point home, here are how the NFC South teams stack up after Week 3’s games:

  1. 2-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1 in NFC South)
  2. 1-2 New Orleans Saints (1-0 in NFC South)
  3. 1-2 Carolina Panthers (0-1 in NFC South)
  4. 0-3 Atlanta Falcons (0-0 in NFC South)

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In-state recruiting key for Florida’s growing momentum

That class formed the basis for much of the team’s dominance 2008-09, leading to a national championship and SEC title in the former season.

Despite earning double-digit wins in each of his first two seasons at the helm of the Florida football program, coach Dan Mullen has received criticism for his recruiting success (or lack thereof). The Gators have landed top-10 recruiting classes in 2019 and 2020, but those classes weren’t elite in terms of the rest of the SEC, falling fifth and sixth, respectively.

But in the last week, Mullen received pledges from a pair of Miami prospects and teammates at Palmetto High School — five-star cornerback Jason Marshall and four-star safety Corey Collier. Those two additions became the highest-rated prospects in the class on the 247Sports Composite, and they bumped UF’s class up to the No. 6 spot in the nation.

A major reason for Florida’s success in this recruiting cycle is its ability to keep top Floridian prospects in-state. Nineteen players in the 2021 class hail from the state, the most since Urban Meyer’s 2007 class.

That class featured Sunshine State prospects like the Pouncey twins, Major Wright, Ahmad Black and Chris Rainey. It formed the basis for much of the team’s dominance in 2008 and 2009, leading to a national championship and SEC title in the former season.

Recruiting the state is much harder than it was a decade ago, as top out-of-state programs like Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and LSU all have made in-roads at high schools throughout the state. If Mullen begins to retain state talent at similar rates to what Meyer did in the late 2000s, it would bode well for the future of the UF program, which is still searching for its first conference title since 2008.

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Saints beat Falcons 26-18, clinch third straight NFC South title

The New Orleans Saints overwhelmed a last-minute Atlanta Falcons comeback effort to improve to 10-2 and win the NFC South division title.

The New Orleans Saints shut down an Atlanta Falcons comeback bid to improve to 10-2 on the year so far and clinch their third consecutive NFC South division title, punching their ticket for the playoffs. It was an impressive win filled with big plays on offense from do-it-all fireplug Taysom Hill and a punishing defense that sacked Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan nine times.

Sure, it wasn’t perfect. The Saints left too many points on the board with dropped passes and three failed onside kick recoveries down the stretch. Penalties plagued the team throughout the game. They obviously have plenty to clean up in the next week-and-a-half before their next kickoff.

But for now, it’s time to celebrate. The Saints won big over a divisional rival that embarrassed them once this year already, and did so on a national stage in Atlanta’s building (the other Mercedes-Benz-sponsored NFL venue). They’re locked in to host a playoff game and the Falcons are mathematically eliminated. Celebrate, New Orleans.

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