標籤: hates

It seems Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta hates name, image and likeness deals in college football. But the reason for this is a bit strange.

Zero money in college sports, especially football, has completely changed the industry. For decades, programs were built entirely around the ability to capture the hearts and minds of high school recruits in their living rooms and kitchens.

However, now a program can only turn things around drastically in one offseason if they have enough money to bring in the best players through the transfer portal or in the high school ranks. While this has brought an absurd level of volatility to college sports, it has also provided athletes with long-standing money-making opportunities. This means they are not in a rush to reach the pro ranks to earn big money

Well, it seems the Ravens general manager hates it because it means he can’t get his hands on prospects any time soon, and isn’t interested in “older” players.

Baltimore Ravens GM hates NFL Draft’s ‘old’ players

“The players are getting older. Not necessarily the average age of the players, but there are older players in the draft,” DeCosta said this week. ‘We are seeing more 24 and 25 year old players. This is because of the void, people are being paid to live. This is problematic for us because if people are coming in at older ages, they will probably get less benefit. In some cases they are not three-contract players; They are players with two contracts. And in some cases, they have suffered more injuries. “They’ve been playing college football a longer time, so they’ve had more injuries.”

“… Before 2024, 4 percent of our players on the draft board could be 24 1/2 or older. Now that number is up to 18 percent. So we’ve seen a 14 percent increase in older players on the draft board,” he said. “…I don’t think it’s certainly a good thing. Historically, we’ve tried to develop young players whenever possible. It’s something we feel strongly about.”

So essentially, DeCosta will want to make college football players less money so he can use them as quickly as possible for the best interest of the Ravens. Even if it means cutting them out of a few seasons. Additionally, while his point about accumulating more injuries is valid, the extra years in college also means being better prepared to make an impact in the NFL rather than requiring more experience and further development.

It’s a little strange to dislike more experienced talents who were able to make good money before the NFL chewed most of them out.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

Popular sports analyst Bill Simmons doesn’t like the Houston Rockets’ excitement as the NBA playoffs approach, and even he believes head coach Ime Udoka is not a fan of this roster.

Entering the season, the Rockets were viewed by many as a serious threat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the West. They had an elite defense, a good young core, and added future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant to give them the scorer they were lacking.

For most of the season, they have been a top four team in the conference. However, they seem to be slowly faltering. Lost 6 of their last 10, including potential playoff rivals, the San Antonio Spurs, the Los Angeles Lakers (twice), and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.

His recent play has dedicated NBA fan and expert Bill Simmons very concerned, and he expanded on his thoughts during a new edition of his The Ringer podcast.

Are the Rockets on a tear after Kevin Durant burner phone rumors?

“The body language doctor is terrified of,” Simmons began. The popular podcaster claimed that the Rockets have bad vibes, and that he thinks they are “the most disconnected of the playoff teams.” The biggest evidence of why he feels that way was a key moment during this week’s 110-108 overtime loss to the Timberwolves.

After a bad turnover at the end of regulation, All-Star Alpern Sengun made an incredible play by running back and getting a big block. He moved so far that he lost his balance, fell on his face and got a cut on his lip. Yet instead of his teammates getting excited about the game, Reed Shepard gave him a “Good job, dude, like it’s the end of the first quarter.”

Simmons also noted how Durant and his other Rockets teammates did not show much support after the game. He said, “That team is not on the same page. I don’t like the vibes. Something is really wrong.”

Then he took the matter a little further. There are suggestions that Ime Udoka has done one of the worst coaching jobs in the NBA this season, and questions over his lack of late-game adjustments.

Simmons said, “The feelings are terrible. I don’t think he really likes the team that much. And if you want to go into the whole conspiracy theory, they haven’t been the same since the KD Burner stuff during the All-Star break.”

Earlier this season a conspiracy surfaced on an X account owned by Durant that featured group chat conversations criticizing Rockets teammates as well as other players and coaches around the league.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

In recent memory, many have compared Golden State Warriors power forward Draymond Green to NBA legend Dennis Rodman. The reason for this is his aggressive play on the court and his controversial actions and statements outside the court. Rodman himself once said that Green is the only player in the NBA who reminds him of him.

However, according to ScoopB.com, Green is not at all among those who try to compare him to Rodman. He told sports media personality Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson that he found these comparisons “lazy”.

“People always make comparisons between you and Dennis Rodman and I don’t think that’s fair,” Robinson said.

“It’s not fair to the way Rodman came back to basketball,” Green said. “Dennis Rodman was one of the most elite rebounders we’ve seen in this league, and I think it’s unfair to make comparisons between us.”

Green is playing his 13th season in the NBA. All those years were spent with the warriors. During this time, he helped lead Golden State to four NBA championships (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022). In 2017, Green was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Additionally, he is a four-time NBA All-Star.

Overall, the comparisons to Rodman come from his high-octane defensive effectiveness. Sometimes, the presence of both can be destabilizing on the floor. Rodman was recognized as the premier rebounder of his era, but was not much of an offensive threat. Green, meanwhile, is regarded more as a playwright.

Still, the two will be forever linked, whether justified or not.

Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ loss to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, Deandre Ayton was heard saying the team has put him in a Clint Capela-like role. Capela, who is currently playing for the Houston Rockets, has made his career as a big man who does the dirty work on the glass and on the defensive end.

Capela was never a major scoring threat in the NBA, and he was never one to take many shots during a game. His career average is 8.1 field goal attempts per game, and in his 12-year career so far, he has only had two seasons where he made double-digit shot attempts.

But then again, Capela was a late first-round draft pick. He was not expected to become any kind of star player. He always knew what his role was in the NBA and he played that role well. Ayton, on the other hand, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft. There has only been one season in his eight-year career where he has attempted fewer than 10 shots per game, and that is this season with the Lakers.

When the Lakers initially signed Ayton as a free agent last offseason, it wasn’t without some doubts. His previous stints with the Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers were marred by alleged behavioral issues. But Ayton insisted he knew what was at stake in terms of his career when he joined the Lakers.

And now, more than halfway through the season, some of those issues are starting to resurface. But if DeAndre Ayton wants to continue to shape his image and the overall perception of him in a good way, he needs to embrace Clint Capela’s role for the Lakers.

Deandre Ayton becoming Clint Capela would help the Lakers

The way Ayton referred to his role in Capela’s transformation made it seem like he was a player of his caliber. But beyond all that, Capela actually played a major role as the starting center during a period when the Rockets were viewed as a legitimate contender in the Western Conference.

His Rockets career averages are 11.1 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots while shooting 61.4 percent from the field. During the playoffs, he averaged 8.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots making 60.2 percent of his shots from the field. Again, Capela knew his role and played it to perfection.

According to Daniel Starkund of Lakers Nation, coming into this season, Ayton himself knew he would have to sacrifice some of his offense while playing alongside Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves. The same three players will have the ball in their hands most of the time and will take the lion’s share of shot attempts. This is not a bad thing and this is how the Lakers should operate.

Ayton has already shown that he can be a good defensive anchor for the Lakers team. He has shown he can be employed on both ends of the court and on the glass. Before the Lakers’ matchup against the Atlanta Hawks on January 13, head coach JJ Redick mentioned how Ayton couldn’t fool anyone by giving up effort on the defensive end on a consistent basis.

“When he’s been engaged, he’s been good. There are some technical things we’ve worked on with him throughout the season, both in his individual workouts and in our defensive circles,” Redick said. “It’s just more consistency. He’s shown he can do that… DeAndre has shown it himself. He can be a really good defender.”

For a Lakers team that has faced problems defensively, Ayton could be the one that can make a big difference. It’s just that he has become more active on the defensive end when he is getting more consistent shot attempts.

However, there is a trade-off to this. Ayton is attempting a career-low 9.0 shots, but he is shooting a career-high 66.7 percent from the field. Playing alongside creators like Doncic, James and Reeves, the quality of his looks is going to be better.

Capela’s embrace of a role of playing strong defense and driving hard on the glass is important not only to raising the team’s ceiling, but also to furthering his NBA career. Should Ayton exercise his team option, he potentially has one more year remaining on his signed contract with the Lakers.

Whether he stays with the Lakers or chooses to go elsewhere, if he can show that he is capable of playing a Capela-like role, he will find a place in the league. The NBA is often a rude awakening for those who are accustomed to having the ball in their hands and being the primary offensive option. That was Ayton’s role during his lone season in Arizona. That was his role in high school.

But in the NBA, players don’t become No. 1 options at the end of their careers. It’s either there or it’s not. And Ayton has the potential to be a good complimentary player on a winning team. He just needs to understand this before it’s too late.