12

Andre Iguodala voted VP of National Basketball Players Association

The National Basketball Players Association elected Golden State’s Andre Iguodala as first vice president during its Board of Player Representatives meeting on Monday.

Iguodala has served as vice president of the Executive Committee since 2013. He will replace LeBron James in his new role. James’ four-year term has expired.cheap nfl jerseys china nike

“I am honored to be chosen by my peers to step into this position and take on a larger responsibility within the NBPA,” Iguodala said in a statement. “I look forward to continuing my work with (NBPA executive director) Michele (Roberts), Chris Paul and the Executive Committee to accomplish the best possible outcomes for the union and our future members.”12

In other elections, Milwaukee’s Malcolm Brogdon, Boston’s Jaylen Brown and Charlotte’s Bismack Biyombo were elected to serve as vice presidents on the Executive Committee. Brogdon, Brown and Biyombo have all previously served as NBPA team representatives; they will replace Carmelo Anthony, Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Iguodala, whose three-year terms have expired.

“Malcolm, Jaylen and Bismack have all shown a great commitment to the union since they arrived in the league,” NBPA president Chris Paul said in a statement. “I have no doubt they will bring a fresh perspective and passion to the Executive Committee and I am excited to start working with them.”nike nfl jerseys cheap china

Other members of the Executive Committee include Minnesota’s Anthony Tolliver (secretary-treasurer), San Antonio’s Pau Gasol, Portland’s CJ McCollum and Los Angeles Clippers veteran Garrett Temple (vice presidents).

The Committee will help guide the union in policy-making and decision-making with regard to the current collective bargaining agreement. Each side can opt out of the current agreement in 2022.

11

Kevin Durant steals the show in Charlotte, wins second All-Star MVP

Durant, who last won the award in 2012, shot 10-for-15 from the floor (6-for-9 from 3) as Team LeBron set an All-Star Game record for most made 3s in a game with 35.

“We just didn’t want to lose,” Durant told ESPN’s Rachel Nichols after accepting the MVP trophy on the court after the game. “We know we had a lot of talent over there that can do multiple things. We just wanted to turn it up a bit on the defensive side. I think the group closed the third quarter really changed the game for us. It is fun being around such greatness. Seeing how these guys operate on the day to day. I’ll miss my time here.”cheap nike nfl jerseys wholesale

He added 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks as LeBron James improved to 2-0 as a captain since the NBA All-Star Game changed to a draft format last year. Durant paid off as James’ No. 1 overall pick in the draft.11

“It’s all sweet to me,” Durant said when asked to compare the award to his other career accomplishments. “I mean, it’s hard to rank. Everything’s special. But it’s cool to be out there with some of the best players to ever play the game, and to win an MVP here in front of my family and friends is pretty sweet. I just keep trying to rack them up, I guess.”

The 11-year veteran’s trophy case is getting mighty crowded these days after he took home back-to-back NBA Finals MVP awards for the Golden State Warriors’ championships the last two years.cheap nfl jerseys china nike

Durant, who is not expected to opt in to the final year of his contract, worth $31.5 million, with the Warriors and instead test free agency this summer, was asked if there were any teammates in particular he enjoyed playing with on Team LeBron.

Several of his teammates — Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard and Klay Thompson — are also expected to test free agency this summer. James’ team, the Los Angeles Lakers, will have the salary cap space to sign a max free agent of Durant’s caliber.

12

Colts need more pass-rushers to survive schedule loaded with elite QBs

The task of being even better defensively next season will be tougher, because instead of facing some of the league’s top rushers, the Colts will face some future Hall of Fame quarterbacks — including this season’s league MVP.

The Colts got a significant amount of pressure using stunts, as they finished tied for 19th in the NFL with 38 sacks. Twenty-two of those sacks came in four games alone. They had five games in which they didn’t record a sack.cheap nfl nike jerseys from china

Pass-rushers are arguably the second-most important players outside of quarterbacks, and the Colts lack a player whom an opposing quarterback is looking for at the line of scrimmage before the snap. Defensive lineman Denico Autry led the Colts with 9.0 sacks, followed by rookie linebacker Darius Leonard’s 7.0. There were 22 players with at least 10 sacks in the NFL this season.12

Looking at more than $100 million in salary-cap space, you would think it would be easy for the Colts to go out and just sign a pass-rusher. It’s the opposite, in fact, because teams value their pass-rushers and don’t often let them get away in free agency.

That means it wouldn’t surprising if the likes of Kansas City’s Dee Ford, Houston’s Jadeveon Clowney and Dallas’ DeMarcus Lawrence are wearing the same uniforms next season because they re-sign with their current teams or the franchise tag is placed on them.nfl cheap jerseys nike

Ballard won’t leave any stone unturned when it comes to trying to find some pass-rushers. The Colts have the 26th pick in the April draft, and defensive line is one of the deeper positions in it, according to NFL front office officials. ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. had 11 defensive linemen selected in the first round of his most recent mock draft.

Robert Mathis was the last impactful pass-rusher the Colts had — he recorded 19.5 sacks way back in the 2013 season.

“In this league, when you can have a dominant rusher that the other team really has to, on Monday, come in and game plan for — and really more than one, to me, you want two or three along the front,” Ballard recently said on a radio interview on Indianapolis’ WFNI-1070 AM. “That would be the No. 1 priority in my mind going forward.”

11

49ers won’t take him, but Kyler Murray moves will impact Niners’ draft

Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray’s announcement last week that he intends to focus on football made waves in the Bay Area, particularly at the headquarters of the Oakland Athletics.

While the A’s most directly felt the impact of Murray’s apparent decision to bypass the chance to play baseball for them, the ripple effect of Murray’s news made its way to the area’s local football teams.

On the surface, the San Francisco 49ers and Murray won’t have much to do with each other. The Niners have a huge investment in quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and there’s next to no chance that Murray will be on San Francisco’s radar with the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft.nike nfl jerseys cheap china

There’s a long way to go until the draft, but many are expecting Ohio State pass-rusher Nick Bosa to be the top overall pick, which, for now, is held by the Arizona Cardinals. Given the 49ers’ need for a dominant edge rusher, Bosa would be an ideal fit.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, have been connected to Murray since video surfaced of new coach Kliff Kingsbury praising Murray last year and saying he’d take him with the top pick.11

Kingsbury has attempted to quell that speculation, saying that Josh Rosen is the guy in Arizona. But you don’t have to look hard to find examples of teams being committed to a quarterback right up until the moment they aren’t. In 2015, the Rams spent months trying to convince the world that they were sticking with Sam Bradford. Then, on the first day of the league year, they traded him to Philadelphia for a package that included Nick Foles.

If, over the next couple of months, Arizona trades Rosen and drafts Murray, that would be the easiest path to giving the Niners a chance to land Bosa.cheap nfl nike jerseys from china

Even if that doesn’t happen and Arizona stays with Rosen, having Murray in the mix could improve the Niners’ position. With teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins in need of quarterbacks — and others, such as the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers lurking as potential surprise entrants in the derby — the only way to ensure landing the signal-caller they want is to trade up to No. 1.

Simply put, any situation in which someone other than Bosa goes No. 1 overall would be a boon to the Niners, and while Murray’s presence doesn’t guarantee such a scenario, it certainly doesn’t hurt the chances of it happening.

12

The Sean McVay era is here, but good luck replicating what the Rams’ coach has done

He understands it so much so that the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator seized the opportunity in front of a large media contingent to offer the credentials of his son, Wes Phillips, who is a tight ends coach for the Washington Redskins.

“Wes is a young offensive coach that knows Sean McVay,” Phillips said, serious as ever, “if anybody is looking for a head coach.”

The room laughed. And it seems far-fetched, yet somehow it wouldn’t be shocking if Wes Phillips’ phone began to ring.

Call it the Sean McVay Effect.

The Rams hired McVay in January 2017, when he was 30 years old, making him the youngest head coach in modern NFL history. He took a 4-12 team that had suffered a 12-year playoff drought and clinched a division title in his first season. In his second season, the Rams again won the NFC West. It was the first time since 1979 that the team had won consecutive division crowns.cheap official nike nfl jerseys

Last week, McVay, 32, became the youngest head coach in NFL history to produce a playoff win, with a 30-22 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC divisional round. And on Sunday, with a win over the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship Game at the Superdome, he could become the youngest head coach ever to advance to the Super Bowl.12

“It’s something that, when you get a chance to play for one game away, that’s exactly why you do all this hard work,” McVay said. “We’re going to go there and give it our best shot and compete to the best of our ability and see what happens.”

But regardless of Sunday’s outcome, McVay’s tenure in L.A. is already considered a resounding success and is leaving an impression around the NFL. Teams across the league are in a hurry to find the next McVay — a coach who can offer an explosive brand of offense and be a quarterback guru. The Rams average 32.9 points per game, and under McVay, Jared Goff went from bust to boom.

The Cincinnati Bengals appear set to hire Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor, another 30-something offensive coach, who has spent two seasons with McVay (including one as receivers coach) and has prior NFL experience with the Bengals and the Miami Dolphins.nfl nike jerseys cheap china

And the Arizona Cardinals opted for an unconventional hire in Kliff Kingsbury, a 39-year-old who was fired after producing a losing record in six seasons at Texas Tech but — as a (since-modified) Cardinals news release pointed out — “is friends with Rams coach Sean McVay — the 32-year-old offensive genius who has become the blueprint of many of the new coaching hires around the NFL.” Before Kingsbury accepted the position, McVay extended to him an invitation to join the Rams’ staff as an offensive analyst for the playoff run.

When one league executive was asked via text message whether the McVay-like hires were a trend or a coincidence, the executive responded only with a link to the famous “McDowell’s” scene from “Coming to America.”

11

Kliff Kingsbury ready to find out what makes Josh Rosen ‘tick’

It was a challenge Kingsbury, who takes “a lot of pride” in the quarterback position, readily accepted.

“I want to get to know Josh, get to understand what makes him tick,” Kingsbury said. “I do think he wants to be a great player in this league. I think he’s very competitive. You watch him play this year and some of the shots he took and continued to get up and continued to fight.

“That says a lot about the young man. So, excited to develop that relationship.”cheap wholesale nike nfl jerseys

To figure out where Rosen needs to get to, Kingsbury first needed to see what he was working with. But it has been hard for Kingsbury to get a firm grasp on the type of quarterback Rosen was last season.

Kingsbury had watched every one of Rosen’s 13 starts (and the few minutes he played in Week 3) by his second day on the job. He watched all 393 of Rosen’s pass attempts, all 11 touchdowns and all 14 interceptions. He watched the 45 times Rosen was sacked and all the times Rosen got off the turf, albeit sometimes slowly.11

Kingsbury turned off the tape thinking the quarterback he’s inheriting was “incredibly talented.”

But even though he was impressed with Rosen, the film didn’t tell Kingsbury the whole story.

“It’s hard to tell when you’re really trying to break down a quarterback,” Kingsbury said. “You don’t know what he was told, what his reads were, where his eye should be. All you can see is whether it’s accurate or not, and sometimes [if] protections [are] not good, that’s going to be spotty, as well.“cheap official nike nfl jerseys

Kingsbury’s Texas Tech teams were offensive powerhouses. They didn’t necessarily win, going 35-40 in his six seasons, but they produced on offense. From 2013 to 2018, Kingsbury’s quarterbacks had the second-most completions, attempts, yards, touchdowns, completions over 20 yards and passing first downs nationally, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. The Red Raiders’ offense also was ranked third nationally in yards per game, second in passing yards per game, fourth in total first downs, third in third-down conversion percentage and eighth in points per game.

Kingsbury was open about whether his version of the Air Raid will work in the NFL. He didn’t promise an exact replica showing up at State Farm Stadium, but he pointed out that more and more college offensive concepts have made their way into the NFL — and some have even been successful.

“I think that’s something we’ll find out,” he said. “Watching other people’s film and watching guys that are doing some of those concepts, they’re having success. There’ll be defensive adjustments. Everybody’s alwa

12

Rams’ Marcus Peters, Saints’ Sean Payton say barbs are in the past

McVay’s quip aside, Peters and New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton both downplayed their rematch and potential “bowl of gumbo” heading into Sunday’s highly anticipated contest at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Peters chided the media for “trying to make it something that it’s not” and praised Payton’s competitiveness. Payton noted that the Saints wanted to draft Peters with one of their first-round picks less than four years ago, adding that he has “great respect for him.”

That did not appear to be the case in early November. The Saints handed the Rams their first loss in that Week 9 game, and the decisive score occurred when Michael Thomas zipped past Peters for a 72-yard touchdown in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, part of a 211-yard game for the Saints’ All-Pro wide receiver. Afterward, Payton said the following: “They were going to travel Marcus to [Thomas], and that was fine by us. We thought we liked that matchup — a lot.”

“Tell Sean Payton to keep talking that s—,” he said. “We’re going to see him soon, you feel me? Because I like what he was saying on the sidelines, too. So tell him to keep talking that s—, and I hope you see me soon. We’re going to have a nice little bowl of gumbo together.“cheap nfl nike jerseys from china

“It gives you some flexibility,” McVay added, citing Talib’s “command” and “ability to communicate.”12

Peters experienced what appeared to be a down season in his first year in L.A., coming up with only three interceptions while being graded 100th among 119 qualified corners by Pro Football Focus. His response, when asked about how 2018 played out: “We ain’t done yet.”

Peters has a chance to ensure that by redeeming himself.cheap nike nfl jerseys paypal

“You look forward to those rematches and stuff like that,” Peters said, “but s—, I didn’t know it was going to turn out like this. Y’all didn’t know it was going to turn out like this. It just happened. Y’all have fun spinning the gumbo thing all week.”

“I see y’all trying to make it something that it’s not, man,” Peters said. “Just all respect to Sean Payton and what he does. During the game, things was happening. But I just love the fact that he’s a competitor. When I was coming out of the draft, it was the same way — fiery, energy — when I was meeting with him and things like that. It wasn’t nothing to be disrespectful. Shoot, I was pissed off. I didn’t have the game that I wanted to have.”

11

Who believes in the Patriots? Almost everyone, actually

Tom Brady stood at the lectern after winning his eighth straight divisional-round playoff game, wearing a black ski cap on his head, smiling patiently as he listened to a question attempting to summarize the sentiments of his haters, who are apparently numerous.

Hey, Tom, the questioner began, as one does when greeting a friend, or loved one. Once again this week, there was a lot of talk about how this was the end of the dynasty, and how you’re were going to fall off a cliff. I’m sure winning is sweet, but is it even sweeter when you continue to prove people wrong?nike nfl jerseys wholesale cheap

Brady, who still had traces of eye black faintly visible on his 41-year-old face, mulled the question for several seconds, trying to stifle a wry grin that would potentially reveal far more than his answer.
Which he has almost no shot of winning: Brady is going up against the juggernaut that is the Kansas City Chiefs, a team it’s almost impossible to imagine him defeating, as long as you ignore that he did it once already this season; or that only four teams (Broncos, Ravens, Jets, Colts) have ever kept him from playing in the Super Bowl.11

The reality is Tom Brady simply wanted it more, and we, his critics, have been afraid to write the truth, even those three times we voted him the league’s Most Valuable Player, or the four times we voted him the MVP of the Super Bowl.

“Everyone thinks we suck and we can’t win any games,” Brady said on the field after earning a berth in his eighth consecutive AFC championship, twice as many as Jim Kelly led the Buffalo Bills to consecutively in the 1990s. “We’ll see. It’ll be fun.”

Brady was letting us know, in that moment, that he has heard our whispers, he has absorbed our doubts, while also continuing to ignore the noise because he never hears what is said or written about him, especially not the thousands and thousands of words written each week discussing his greatness.cheap nfl nike jerseys from china

With 28 career playoff wins, how could anyone argue otherwise? Obviously, a quarterback who didn’t like winning so much would have, eventually, lost some of those games on purpose, or even grown tired of winning, as Brady’s old golf buddy, President Trump, likes to say. Perhaps that is the real difference between Brady and Philip Rivers, a man who fell to 0-8 in his career against the Patriots in this divisional-round loss. It has little to do with the fact that Brady has played his entire career for an organization with tremendous wealth and stability, in front of a rabid and loyal fan base, and for an exceptional coach with an uncanny knack for talent acquisition.

12

Fantasy Premier League: The pros and cons of Marcus Rashford

When the two strikers faced off on Sunday, it was Rashford who had the upper hand. His goal decided the match and helped Manchester United pick up their biggest win since sacking Jose Mourinho. Since the change in management, the Englishman has started every match scoring a fantastic four goals while also recording an assist. In fact, over that period his England contemporary and opponent this week, Harry Kane, is the only striker to be involved in more goals (seven). As for shots on target, no other forward has recorded more than Rashford’s 12 over the past five matches, with teammate Paul Pogba the only player overall to have recorded more overall (15).china nike nfl jerseys cheap

That last stat may be a nice little hint as to just how effective Manchester United have been in attack since the hiring of Solskjaer. In his brief managerial tenure at the club, the Red Devils have led the league in goals scored, assists, and shots on target, and sit second in chances created. Compared to those statistics under the previous administration, this has been a massive improvement at the club. The result of this has been incredible as 42 percent of Manchester United’s wins, and 34 percent of their goals, have come in the five matches since Solskjaer took charge.12

Naturally this outstanding on-pitch improvement has bled into fantasy and, while Pogba has likely been the biggest beneficiary, Rashford has quietly re-established himself as one of the best strikers in fantasy. While his overall ranking does not necessarily flatter him in the ESPN game (45th), he has recorded a tier-high 85.9 points over the past five matches, with Kane and Salah being the only forwards to have recorded more points over that stretch. There’s more to Rashford’s game than just goal scoring though — his creativity has significantly boosted his value this season as his six assists lead his tier on the season.

There’s more to Rashford’s recent form than just the managerial change, it’s also how he’s been deployed. All five of the 21-year-old’s starts under Solskjaer have come as a forward, a position from which six of his seven goals have come this season. The strange thing is, despite his usage by previous managers, this is by no means a new trend. Ever since the Louis van Gaal days it was evident that Rashford was better up front than when shifted out wide. Unfortunately for the latter, the signings of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku in consecutive seasons meant Rashford had to play on the left in order to get any meaningful minutes. Over his young career, 64 percent of his goals have come when playing up front, and this is certainly evidenced in fantasy as well. When playing as a striker this season, Rashford averages 12.25 points, just about four points better per game than when playing anywhere else. That number would make him a top-20 player in the league, and the best in his tier.cheap nfl nike jerseys from china

Whether or not, Rashford can keep this up does remain to be seen, however. He has already scored as many goals (seven) as he ever has in a Premier League season, while already having recorded the most assists in his career (six). Fantasy wise, he boasts 203 points in our game, which is within 50 points of his total from all of last season. Of course, the main reason he’s already reaching his season-high marks is playing time. Rashford is currently on pace for 2170 minutes, just about 400 more than he’s ever played before. If he keeps up his current rates of production, he could be in line for a 12-goal, 10-assist season.

11

Emery says Arsenal can sign only loan players … and the reason should worry fans

Last week, Arsenal boss Unai Emery said something surprising: “We cannot sign players where we have to make a payment … we can only make loan signings.” That’s not what you’d expect to hear from a club that is six points away from fourth place and in danger of finishing outside the Champions League spots for the third successive season after 19 consecutive years of playing in the world’s biggest club competition.nike nfl jerseys wholesale cheap

Nor is that what you’d expect from a club that ranked sixth in the most recent Deloitte Money League, boasts the second-highest average attendance in the Premier League and has made a profit every year since 2008. (Most recently, they reported profits of £44.6 million in 2017, followed by £25.1 million in the first six months of the following season.)

To some, Emery’s words brought to mind the mid-to-late Arsene Wenger Era, in which the club sat on enormous cash reserves. The manager said they could buy players, but they wouldn’t do it “for the sake of it,” and supporters blamed the owner, Stan Kroenke, for being stingy.11

It’s not quite like that now. Emery would happily spend money if he could. Rather, Arsenal offer a case study of how big decisions from newcomers, made in a short time, can have massive knock-on effects. Their situation illustrates how hard it can be to put the toothpaste back in the tube.

One was the decision to re-sign Mesut Ozil. Like Sanchez, he was six months away from free agency, and he, too, wanted a big bump in salary: from $9.6 million to $20 million-plus. Arsenal chose to extend his deal through 2021 at something close to his requested wage.china nike nfl jerseys cheap

Finally came the signing of forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for a club record £57.6 million. Aubameyang had been on the market the previous summer, but Wenger opted instead for another central striker, Alexandre Lacazette. Adding Lacazette was a sizable investment (£46.5 million rising to £52.6 million with bonuses), though at that stage, he had gone nine consecutive games without a goal, and his return to that point (nine in 27) wasn’t earth-shattering.

Aubameyang, on the other hand, had scored 69 goals in 79 Bundesliga games the previous two years. While there were some reservations about his character — he missed training sessions in Dortmund and tried to engineer a move away the previous summer — they ultimately agreed to both the fee and a wage packet of some $12.8 million a season through 2021, nearly twice what Lacazette had agreed to six months earlier.