For teams that picked at the top of last week’s NBA draft, there is hope. But players like Zion Williamson and Ja Morant illustrate the fragility of expectations.
Author: Michael
There have been those flashes of genius, league honors and jump-out-of-your-seat moments for Zion Williamson and Ja Morant, but there have also been injuries and suspensions, controversies and questions.
It’s been a tough season for the Phillies. After their miraculous run to the World Series last year, they’ve struggled out of the gate this year while the Braves have built a healthy lead in the division. Thursday afternoon’s game against Atlanta, therefore, was an important one, representing a golden opportunity for Philadelphia to make up ground in the division race.
Through the first nine innings, things were going fine for the Phillies. They hadn’t scored a run but their pitchers hadn’t allowed one, either. So the game went to extra innings.
The end of the 2023 NBA Finals in June also marked the end of the career of Udonis Haslem. Undrafted out of Florida. Haslem joined the Heat in 2003, with whom he would spend the entirety of his 20-year career. Along the way, Haslem contributed to three championships, became the franchise’s leader in rebounds, and became the defining image of Heat culture.
Before the playoffs, Sports Illustrated asked Dwyane Wade—who entered the NBA with Haslem—to reflect on their 20-year friendship and Haslem’s career. Here’s Wade, in his own words, on the legacy of UD.
The Mets’ 74th game captured why, after almost half a season, the most expensive team in baseball gets only a 14.2% chance of reaching the playoffs, according to Baseball Reference. For only the second time in franchise history, the Mets on Wednesday gave up 10 runs (including two unearned runs), walked eight batters and threw two wild pitches in just eight innings in a road loss.
The 10–8 clunker in Houston has as its only comp in scattershot pitching a 19–10 defeat in Montreal by the 2004 Mets, losers of 91 games. These Mets are on pace to lose 88.
Aaron Rodgers may be playing for a new team, but his love for psychedelic drugs remains the same. The Jets quarterback spent the week at a psychedelics conference in Denver, and he made an argument for the legalization of these kinds of drugs.
“Is it not ironic that the things that actually expand your mind are illegal and the things that … dumb you down have been legal for centuries?” Rodgers said at the conference, via ProFootballTalk. “We’ve got to change that. We’ve got to change that. It’s through awareness and education.
Beckham has not played in a game since tearing his ACL in Super Bowl LVI. Before the injury, however, he was playing rather well with the Rams.
The Bills have made the playoffs in five of the past six seasons since Beane and McDermott took over in 2017.
The 2023 NBA draft has come and gone. And while this year’s draft will likely be remembered for Victor Wembanyama at the top, there were still plenty of opportunities for teams to add value working their way down the board that could have an impact both next year and beyond. We’re fresh off an NBA finals that showed the power of smart drafting, from Nikola Jokić starring to role players like Christian Braun pitching in with quality bench minutes. Who could be this year’s big steal? Here’s a look at five of my favorite selections from this year’s class.
Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Victor Wembanyama is most excited for breakfast tacos, as he should be.
Getting drafted in the NBA is a wild experience that changes a player’s life upside down in a moment. They have to get used to the fame, the fortune, moving to a new city, and starting a new life. This is an especially big jump for Victor Wembanyama, who leaves France behind and heads to Texas — but one thing about this move is already on his mind.
One thing Wembanyama says he is excited about for his move to Texas: “Breakfast tacos.