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(Photo by Jeenah Moon/Getty Images) The NBA season is kicking off in just a few weeks and right now there are a bunch of analysts, writers, and fans speculating about what's to come. Will the Golden State Warriors reign supreme again? Who will make the playoffs? Which teams will overperform and which will underperform? Most importantly, which NBA star will be the best of the season? Only 8 outlets reporting, but players sorted by the average of preseason player rankings… 1. Giannis Antetokounmpo 2. Nikola Jokic 3. Joel Embiid 4. Luka Doncic 5. Stephen Curry 6. Kevin Durant 7. Jayson Tatum 8. LeBron James 9. Jimmy Butler 10. Trae Young — Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) September 23, 2022 There have been a few outlets predicting the top players in the league for 2022-23 and a consensus is that Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks will be the best player. The other names consistently mentioned towards the top of these lists are two-time MVP Nikola Jokic of...

Sep 28, 2022 NBA Insiders NBA training camps opened this week, and players from all 30 franchises are preparing to refine their skills and build chemistry with their teammates for the 2022-23 season. But a handful of serviceable players are still unsigned and not yet sure which team they will be helping this upcoming season, if any. Injuries, age and reduced minutes from previously playing on teams with deep rosters have lowered their stock as players, but several teams still have time to take a chance on these unsigned players and bring them in before the season. Seasoned veterans such as Jeremy Lamb and Hassan Whiteside and former All-Star Blake Griffin are among the top unsigned players who could make a solid late addition to an NBA team, either as a role player for a contender or a mentor for young teams. Here's a look at the best unsigned players who still have a chance to find a home this season and where they could fit in best: Jeremy Lamb | Guard | Age: 30 Stats: 7.3 PPG, 2...

September 30, 2022 Greg recaps Thursday’s MLB games, talks to Jared Smith of Pickswise about handicapping games with a total of 7 or lower, preview Friday’s games, and what might happen in the pivotal National League Playoff races, & Greg picks & analyzes EVERY Friday MLB game! Podcast Highlights 3:56-Recap of Thursday’s MLB Games 21:02-Interview with Jared Smith 47:25-Start of picks with Reds vs Cubs 50:58-Picks & analysis for both Phillies vs Nationals games 56:50-Picks & analysis for Mets vs Braves 1:00:24-Picks & analysis for Marlins vs Brewers 1:03:52-Picks & analysis for Pirates vs Cardinals 1:06:48-Picks & analysis for Rockies vs Dodgers 1:11:03-Picks & analysis for Diamondbacks vs Giants 1:14:51-Picks & analysis for Orioles vs Yankees 1:19:57-Picks & analysis for Red Sox vs Blue Jays 1:23:24-Picks & analysis for Royals vs Guardians 1:26...

At Hornets' media day James Bouknight was not discrete with how he felt about the coaching change. When asked if the fresh start under Steve Clifford was good for him, he said;  " Yeah, I think so. Yeah. I don't really want to get into it. I just want to focus on this year and what we got going on now."   There's no question that Bouknight was disgruntled with his playing time last season. He had a slight altercation with ex-coach James Borrego against the Miami Heat in early February. He showed his displeasure as he got up from the bench to confront Borrego's, but his teammates held him back and then he left to the locker room. After that the two seemed to sort it out a little bit off the court, but Bouknight only checked into 3 games after that altercation. In those three games, he didn't record more than 5 minutes.  Thankfully, Bouknight seems to already have a much better relationship with Hornets' new coach Stev...

USATSI Last weekend was a rough one for those who included the Chiefs and 49ers in their NFL best bets. Kansas City lost outright to Indianapolis after several special teams blunders, but they return as one-point road favorites at Tampa Bay in the Week 4 NFL odds at Caesars Sportsbook. Meanwhile, Jimmy Garoppolo's drop out of the back of the end zone helped the Broncos (+1.5) win against San Francisco, 11-10. The 49ers are still 2.5-point favorites in the Week 4 NFL spreads NFL bad beats are a part of the game, but every week offers a clean slate of matchups for your NFL bets. All of the Week 4 NFL lines are listed below, and SportsLine's advanced computer model has all the NFL betting advice and predictions you need to make the best Week...

As you may have heard, the NBA is considering ending the the one-and-done rule, which would allow high school basketball players to go directly to the league without waiting a year. Frankly, we have never understood this. First, it turns the NBA into a combination of baby sitters and development programs. And secondly, as far as the union goes, it will cost some guys their job every single season. What difference does it make to LeBron James, Jayson Tatum and Zion Williamson? Not much. For marginal players like Jose Alvarado, Bol Bol and Isaiah Todd, or older players like Cody Zeller, Frank Kaminsky or Mason Plumlee, it could cost them their jobs. There are a lot more of those guys than there are superstars so we've never understood why they go along with a plan that could cost them millions of dollars but whatever. That's their decision. Obviously a return to going straight to the NBA out of high school would change college recruiting, particularly for Duke and Kentucky...

Follow Josh VanDyke on Twitter Montague freshman Mackenzie Goudreau tees off during the Division 4 golf state finals Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020, at Forest Akers West in East Lansing, Mich. The Wildcats won their school's first-ever state title in a girls sport in only their fifth season as a program. Courtesy of Letisha Mikkelsen Courtesy of Letisha Mikkelsen MUSKEGON – We've seen some impressive individual performances on local tennis courts, soccer fields, volleyball courts, golf courses and aquatic centers so far this fall sports season. Now, we want the readers of MLive and Muskegon Chronicle to decide who had the most impressive week in their field of play and deserves top billing in our Athlete of the Week poll. You can vote as many times as you'd like between now and Tuesday at noon for the student-athlete you believe had the most impressive start to the season. This week's winner will be announced Tuesday afternoon with a separate post highlighting the player and t...

CINCINNATI — Football weather arrived just in time for Week 6 of the high school football season. VOTE NOW for your Player of the Week! Winton Woods running back Trey Cornist, who rushed 18 times for 343 yards and six touchdowns in Warriors' win over Anderson Elder linebacker Ben Voelkerding, who had nine tackles — including a sack and a forced fumble Highlands running back Cam Geisler, who had three touchdowns and 70 yards on seven carries all in the first quarter Covington Catholic running back Owen Leen, who ran for 69 yards and had two receptions for 113 yards — including an 89-yard touchdown Lakota West quarterback Mitch Bolden, who rushed for two touchdowns and ran for 206 yards and three touchdowns in the Firebirds' win Who is the Week 6 Player of the Week? Friday Frenzy crews were in Northern Kentucky for the Game of the Week, Covington Catholic at Cooper. The two went into quadruple overtime last year, but no need this season. Evan Pi...

Getty Images Blake Griffin of the Brooklyn Nets congratulates Kyrie Irving. Brooklyn Nets six-time All-Star Blake Griffin is still a free agent. Though the franchise has not announced they are moving on from Griffin after spending the last two seasons with the Nets, it became evident way before they got eliminated from the playoffs. Per "Basketball-Reference", Griffin played a career-low 17.1 minutes per game during the 2021-22 season. It is the first time in his career that he has averaged less than 20 minutes per game in a season. While Griffin may not be of service to the Nets anymore, as a gritty, wily veteran, the 33-year-old could be helpful to several teams, especially those looking to compete for a championship. The Los Angeles Lakers would fall under that category. After a 2022 season where they missed the playoffs, Lakers gen...

Story Links ST. LOUIS – Thomas Dziagwa , who has spent the last year-plus on the Saint Louis men's basketball staff as a Graduate Student Manager, has been promoted to the program's Director of Basketball Operations.   "We are excited to promote Thomas on our staff," SLU head coach Travis Ford said. "He is a terrific young coach who has worked really hard in all areas since arriving on the SLU campus. Thomas has developed strong relationships with players and staff, brings great energy every day, and will continue to bring a winning attitude in his new role."   "I am extremely grateful to Coach Ford and the SLU administration for this opportunity," Dziagwa said. "My goal is to continue to learn and develop as a coach, and there are no better staff and players to learn from than right here at Saint Louis University. I'm ready to hit the groun...

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CHICAGO (AP) — Zach LaVine had quite the offseason. The Chicago Bulls' two-time All-Star and Olympic gold medalist landed the richest contract in franchise history when he agreed to a $215 million, five-year contract. He and his wife, Hunter, welcomed their first child, a son named Saint Thomas. LaVine also had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in May. He said he is completely healed, looking forward to playing at full strength and seeing just how far the Bulls can go with expectations high coming off a playoff appearance. "If they're not high, then what are we doing here?" LaVine said Monday at the team's media day. "Our expectations have to be really high. If we're not thinking we can compete for championships, we...

USATSI There will be 31 players taken in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, but teams usually have about 20 players with first-round grades in April. Mock drafts are more or less a look at players with the potential to find themselves in that conversation. In today's thought exercise, I explore a few new names as well as an evolving quarterback pecking order. The draft order below was determined using SportsLine's Super Bowl odds, but in reverse order. These are your team's betting odds of winning a Lombardi Trophy this season.   Without further ado, let's kick this off! NFL Mock Draft

WACO, Texas – Baylor women's basketball and the Tip-Off Club are hosting the annual Welcome Back Dinner at the Ferrell Center on October 11. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the event itself begins at 6:30.   The event will feature a free boxed dinner, with head coach Nicki Collen introducing the 2022-23 Baylor women's basketball squad for the first time, including a preview of the upcoming season.   The Tip-Off Club is comprised of four tiers of giving: Champion ($300-$599), All-Big 12 ($600-$1,999), Insider ($2,000-$4,999) and Dream Team ($5000+). Each tier offers extra access and benefits to the women's basketball squad, including weekly newsletters, access to the Stone Room pre-game with a scouting report, assigned parking, dinner with Coach Collen and a chance to travel with the team. Fans interested in joining the Tip-Off Club can find more information on the Bear Foundation's website. Membership forms will be available at the dinner, as well as opp...

Philadelphia enters 2022-23 with urgency to make a deep playoff run led by Joel Embiid and James Harden. Philadelphia 76ers 2021-22 record:  51-31 Key additions: PJ Tucker, Montrezl Harrell, Danuel House (free agency); De'Anthony Melton (trade) Key subtractions: Danny Green (trade) Last season: It was turbulent from the start for the Sixers, who tried and failed spectacularly to fix their impasse with Ben Simmons before bailing on the relationship and swapping him for James Harden. The trade with Brooklyn also cost Philadelphia a pair of valuable rotational players in Seth Curry and Andre Drummond, not to mention future draft capital. In a perfect world, Simmons would've handled the fractured situation better and returned a more determined player and Philly's house would've been in order. Instead, the midseason shakeup didn't produce rave reviews or results. Harden was inefficient upon arrival and, once the playoffs began, was far from the Kia M...

After dropping a baseball-focused "Legacy of Slub" collection, Reigning Champ returns to deliver a fun new premium mini basketball hoop, arriving as an interactive showpiece for indoor spaces and entryways. As a long-time collaborator with Spalding for custom-branded indoor basketballs, the new offering continues RC's commitment to promoting an active and healthy lifestyle for youth through sports. The monochromatic white hoops are limited to 100 units and feature a custom-perforated backboard in 16-gauge steel, a laser-cut monogram logo in the center, and a spring-loaded rim. Each set also comes with an embossed mini leather basketball and mounting hardware. "From coast to coast, we pay respect to our roots in Vancouver's eponymous west side neighborhood, while taking inspiration from 'The Cage' on New York's West Fourth Street, the nostalgic streetball mecca where basketball legends from past and present turn pick-up games into rites of passage,...