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Jacques Vaughan wanted his players to match their physical strength and hit first. Bruce Brown called it a win-win game. In the end, physical strength was there, but not victory. Instead, the result was a heavy defeat.

“Everyone contributed in a good way tonight, everyone came with good energy, even though it was back to back,” said Seth Curry. “And as I said, everyone was in the right place. I want to say that with this team we had, it was good to have a chance to win at all. And I mean, that’s all you can ask for right now.

The Raptors held the Nets in Toronto, 109-108, in front of the nearly sold-out crowd of 18,903 at Scotia Bank Arena, the first since the pandemic. With the loss, Brooklyn is just one game away over 0.500 (32-31), and Toronto, now leading the Nets, have increased the season to 2-2 – a big factor if the two teams finish the regular season with the same records and fight to qualify for the playoffs. Although there are 19 games left in the regular season schedule with the return of reinforcements in many different timelines, the Nets are now eighth; three and a half matches from the sixth and guaranteed place in the playoffs and three matches from the 11th and one fishing.

“It simply came to our notice then. We talked about this before the match. We talked about it after the match. We’ll talk about that when we get home. There is an urgency, “Jacques Vaughan said of the inclusion situation. “It simply came to our notice then. They need to feel it. They have to feel it and hug it and go through that door. There is a sense of urgency in this group. ”

The Nets were behind in the last minute, 103-100. After three misses by Patti Mills from the corner, James Johnson hit the rebound to the top of the key to Seth Curry, who buried a 28-foot three-pointer to tie the game at 103 with 50.8 seconds left. On the other hand, Gary Trent Jr. took a pair of free throws to give the Raptors a two-point lead (105-103) with 30.8 seconds on the clock.

Out of time, Curry received his shot rejected by Scotty Barnes. The guard got another chance to bury two points for Brooklyn to level the game, but missed the 19-foot corner jumper. Although Patti made a pass to keep it within two points, Toronto took advantage of the free throws in the final seconds, building a four-point lead, and Johnson’s three-pointer to buzzer was one point less. to avoid a terrible defeat. The Raptors outscored the Nets 28-19 and the two defensive calls in three seconds, booed by LaMarcus Aldridge officials with just over three minutes to go, led to two additional completed free throws for Toronto to help build their cushion in final moment.

“One was probably legal. One was illegal, “Aldridge said during two defensive three-second calls whistling down the section. “I was in pick-and-roll so I could be in the paint. As far as I can remember, I haven’t seen him yet, I think I touched Thaddeus as he cleared the canvas. I think this is difficult to fight. I don’t think it was right. It is what it is.”

It was a balanced result for Brooklyn, which again lost none of its star players. In addition to missing Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons and Joe Harris, Andre Drummond was a late scratch with knee pain.

“We all know who we will be back to,” James Johnson said of Kevin Durant’s recent return. “And we all know what we need to do to help. I feel that it sheds a lot of light on the rest of us, that we didn’t have a chance or that we got different chances, different minutes and things like that. “

Johnson led the Nets with 19 points, two boards, three assists and a 31-minute block. Curry, who struck a series of timely strikes to keep Brooklyn on strike distance late, finished with 18 points on a total of 7 out of 16 and 2 out of 6 out of 3 points. The guard also made six assists and grabbed four boards in his team’s record 37 minutes of play.

Aldridge scored almost a double-double of 16 points and nine rebounds to continue with three assists in 30 minutes. Kam Thomas took the lead with 11 points in 18 minutes, followed by Goran Dragic, who battled Raptor’s booing throughout the race with 10 points in 15 minutes.

“We had to win,” Aldridge said. “We had control. We had a bit of an insulting drought. We had some turnovers. They made several difficult blows. Difficult stakes down. This is the game.”

Photo by Cole Burston / Getty Images

The Nets opened the race with their 35th different starting lineup for the season, most in the league: Mills, Curry, Bruce Brown, Johnson and Aldridge. Vaughn made it clear that he wanted Brooklyn to win the battle for physical strength, and the Nets came out of the gates trying to accomplish that goal. Toronto scored 10 of its first 15 points in the fight, while Brooklyn leaned in to shoot earlier, scoring 15 games in the first few minutes.

The Raptors continued to successfully make their way into the fight, creating a 10-0 series to part with an 11-point lead. Dragic, who registered after three minutes left in the first quarter, heard roaring boos from the Canadian audience. At the end of the first Toronto led 32-25.

Brooklyn responded with a 10-2 series attack, while short-handed, smooth. Curry was a huge component in running, playing and hitting a series of threes. Although Curry was the main part of the Nets’ attack, he dealt with foul problems and played with three fouls. Unlike Monday, the contributions followed from top to bottom, and the physicality and intensity challenged the game. Dragic heated up in the last minute of the first half, scoring the last five points to help the stubborn Nets lead 59-55 at the break.

Richard Lawrence / Toronto Starr via Getty Images

The Raptors continued to enter the middle of the fight and thrive on cuts outside the ball in the basket. Scotty Barnes has been the leading force since he was Monday night, reached the basket and was a major part of Toronto’s size and length. Brooklyn cooled down in the middle of the third period, missed seven consecutive shots and missed a 7-0 series from Toronto, but were just three points behind.

In the last two minutes of the third, it was on the way to Brooklyn. The Nets showed they could do to the Raptors what Toronto had done to them on Monday night, making the series 14-4, turning the defense into an attack. At the end of the third Brooklyn led 89-81.

After the zero two starting minutes of the fourth, the Raptors grabbed the momentum … and kept it. A series of bad breakthroughs and a pair of threes from the former Net, Thaddeus Young, quickly brought Toronto’s deficit to one possession. A few minutes later and after a five-point swing, Brooklyn’s lead was reduced to one point with the remaining 4:39. Although the Nets’ attack cooled and the Raptors increased to 10-0 (100-96), Pascal Siakam fouled with three minutes left, which paid off. In the end, Brooklyn failed to do so in the final seconds and was at the wrong end of timely calls from officials.

“Obviously everyone knows the situation we are in. “The boys in the locker room, we understand it a little differently,” Johnson said. “We know where we are. We understand how close we really are to becoming what we want to be this year. And as we continue to play with the no-apology mentality and the next person, I feel like we’re getting better. ”

The movie room

That was the answer Nets fans wanted. Brooklyn shoots 50% of the field and 40% of three. They defended with passion and honor, using Zone 2-3 to stop the Toronto attack, which went smoothly Monday night. It is a pity that the group failed to win for their efforts.

The story of the match – in addition to Seth Curry’s three-point crazy shot from damn near Vancouver – was the game of two of Brooklyn’s youngest and most intriguing prospects. What they managed to do against a very strong, battle-tested defense of Toronto was just amazing.

Nicholas Claxton was a bright spot, scoring 3 blocks along with 8 points in a 3 out of 3 shooting against the Raptors. The dude was everywhere, hitting the weak side and finishing the baby hook games, looking like the promising young man who took the stage by storm last season.

“Nick came off the bench and gave us a lot of good minutes, the athleticism was good,” said Seth Curry. “And his game on the boards, protecting the edge, was a little good.”

He even waved with a lowered handle and looked like himself from the University of Georgia as he accelerated his pace. Plus, you must love him to blow up this show game like 7-foot Alex Caruso!

Cam Thomas also continued his strong play with 50% shooting at night. One thing that stands out for Cam lately is the advancement of its handle. He became much more confident in mixing the changes in pace with his dribbling movements and this helped him a lot to get to the edge.

Previously, Thomas had worked mostly at one speed, with his mind set on either crashing to the edge, picking up a mid-range jumper, or stepping back three. Now he reads what his defense gives him. No, even better, he is manipulating the defense to give him what he wants. The movement below is dirty; back between the dribbles in the championship, as if setting a step back three, a quick change in his position, as if about to shoot three balls, and then a sudden acceleration after the defense bit the fake.

He didn’t do these things at the beginning of the year!

What next

Photo by Michael Reeves / Getty Images

The Nets will return to play on Thursday, March 3, when the team hosts the Miami Heat at the Barclays Center. The match is scheduled for the top at 19:30 ET. Will Kevin Durant play? The Nets have scheduled his return on Thursday night or Saturday. Nets needs him.

For a different perspective on Tuesday night’s game in Toronto, check out Raptors HQ, our sister site that features Raptors.

The change in the late games and the Lakers’ empty holdings to close the game against the Mavericks on Tuesday night proved too costly to overcome, as LA dropped their third in a row to 109-104.

LeBron James led a much more energetic effort than the purple and gold and the energy compensated for some of the mistakes, the performance throughout the night and especially down the section was too much to overcome.

With another failure expected on national television, a huge third of the Lakers helped them clear the 21-point deficit and even saw them lead the second half. James led the race, scoring a record 26 points with 12 rebounds and 5 assists.

James started at the center again when the Lakers grew up with an never-used squad of Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk, Austin Reeves and Stanley Johnson around James. Although this lineup gave mixed results, it was a sharp, dramatic improvement from their loss on Sunday, even if the moral victories did not lead to anything for the Lakers at this point in the season.

Carmelo Anthony scored 20 points off the bench, and Monk added 17 points, five rebounds and four assists. As a team, the Lakers shot 14/34 from the line for 3 points and made only 12 runs after 16 in the first half of Sunday alone.

It was a significant, significantly improved performance for the Lakers after one of the lowest points of the season against New Orleans. In this loss to the Pelicans Lakers, they looked lifeless, apathetic and ready to give up the season. Since the inaugural board on Tuesday, efforts have never been a problem and have helped the team overcome many of its shortcomings at night.

Led by their youth injection in the starting lineup, the Lakers played with more energy and spirit than they had for some time, finding a lead in the beginning and holding it through much of the frame.

Not surprisingly, however, Luka Doncic did the job and helped the Mavericks take a 22-21 lead just after the middle of the quarter, first by throwing a reckless lob at Maxie Kleber before finishing on the edge of the next reign. His rematch – yes, indeed – over Dwight Howard, however, was the highlight of the quarter.

After the Lakers took a 25-22 lead, the Mavericks closed the frame in an 8-0 series, most of which came after James went to the bench to take a 30-25 lead in the second period.

A series of one basket at the beginning of the quarter led to an increase in Mavericks’ lead to 10 points at 38-28. Spencer Dinuidi continued his strong magic with Dallas after being reached in the deadline, increasing the lead to 44-32 after a corner three, imposing a timeout on Laker.

The Mavericks did not give up, and the lead rose to 16 points in the middle of the second period. While the Lakers’ starting lineup played with much improved energy, they were still not a very effective group.

Josh Green’s basket moments after Talen Horton-Tucker left the game after turning his ankle quickly changed the atmosphere of the game with the Mavericks, rising 56-38 and nothing worked for the Lakers.

Westbrook’s technical out of the ensuing timeout was second for the evening – soon followed by head coach Frank Vogel for the third – for the Lakers and Doncic added a jumper from the other end after a 21-point lead. Even when the Lakers seemed on the verge of running away, reducing the lead to 14 points, a consecutive 3 points by Dorian Feeney-Smith returned the lead to 18 points.

Feeney-Smith and Monk exchanged 3 points to close the half and the guests headed to the locker room with a score of 71-56.

Finally, the Lakers made a series in the second half with a series of 13-1, which included the passing of Austin Reeves, 3-pointer by Malik Monk, 3-pointer by Stanley Johnson, free throws by Monk and another Johnson 3-pointer to complete the escape with the Lakers lagging behind only 72-69.

While the Mavs initially stretched their lead back, the LeBron logo appeared when it buried a 3-pointer right on the inside of the field to keep the deficit at just three points. James continued his fiery shooting with a fading 3-pointer a few possessions later to level the game at 78 for each.

Malik Monk gave his first lead to the Lakers in the first quarter with a quick break at 82-80. After LeBron finally went to the bench, all hell broke loose when the teams exchanged baskets and 3 points, with the Lakers eventually leading 87-85 in the final frame after beating the Mavs 31-14 in the third.

Another strong start to the quarter saw LeBron’s main strike and a six-point lead for the hosts. After the Mavs reduced the lead to two points, LeBron’s jump and Anthony’s triple restored the five-point lead.

Big shots by Jalen Brunson and Doncic kept the Mavs within one point, while James sat ahead of Doncic and Powell finished the series 11-0 as part of seven consecutive shots for the visitors to give them a 105-100 lead.

After a time-out, Westbrook stopped running with a sharp kick in the middle of the lane. Doncic retained his five-point lead in the next round. Many turnovers and missed opportunities by the Lakers at the end of the section prevented them from taking advantage of their improved efforts on Tuesday, as the Mavs ended the game without much resistance from the hosts.

For the second time in three games, the Lakers will face a team in the playoffs as well, as they meet the Clippers on Thursday in a road trip. This will be another national television game on TNT with a signal scheduled for 22 hours

For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed iTunes, Spotify, Tailor or Google Podcasts. You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.

INDIANAPOLIS – The Jets need to start scouting teams that are scouting quarterbacks with watchful eyes and other signs of falling in love.

The fuss on Tuesday when the NFL Combine kicked off was that there might not be a quarterback worthy of the top 10 in the draft, which would mean the Jets have fewer opportunities to look at number 4 and number 10. If their phone doesn’t ring with commercial offers, then the Jets did not get the full benefit of having a young quarterback on the spot plus two of the best choices to deal with another team looking for their own Zach Wilson to build.

So what are the chances of Kenny Pickett of Pittsburgh, Malik Willis of Liberty or another quarterback starting to climb and increase the value of Jets’ assets? The quarterbacks took part in a 15-minute series of interviews for the team on Tuesday night and had to throw themselves at Lucas Oil Stadium on Thursday.

“It happens every year – quarterbacks are pushed out,” said Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht, who has the impossible task of taking over from retired Tom Brady. “People will choose their poison, and other people may rate it higher or lower than us.”

The Jets are in a sweet position if the trading market develops, because the goal of the Broncos (№ 9) and the Commanders (№ 11) would be to jump over the needy defenders Panthers (№ 6). If trading up to number 4 is too expensive for some partners, number 10 may attract interest from Saints (No. 18), Steelers (No. 20) and Buccaneers (No. 27), especially if all quarterbacks remain available after nine selections.

“As we approach the draft, we see what teams have joined the free agency and theirs [remaining] needs, ”said Broncos CEO George Patton. “It’s great to know what people may or may not accept in front of you. You watch everything. ”

The consensus among the draft gurus is that all five quarterbacks selected in the first round last April will be rated higher than the best option in this class. Well – unless journeymen and unsuccessful starters Drew Locke, Taylor Heineke, Sam Darnold, Theism Hill, Mason Rudolph and Blaine Gabert will not lead teams in 2022 – there is still a need for new blood.

“I believe it’s quality class,” said Kevin Colbert, CEO of Steelers. “There may not be as many players in this position as there were in the past, but there will certainly be NFL starting quarterbacks coming out of this class.

Only once in this century (2013) did the draft not include a quarterback in the top five. The NFL has been shown to be right to devalue the class led by EJ Manuel (№16 in the Bills) and second-round Jets Geno Smith. But the teams that passed in 2017 to Patrick Mahoms (№ 10) and Deshon Watson (№ 12) may think differently.

“This is the most important position in the sport, so we are always looking,” Patton said. “No stone turned to find this man. We know we need to play better than a quarterback. So we will be aggressive. “

The Jets already have the most drafts with two players from the second round and one from the third round, all in the top 70. So it’s not like they’re looking to get a pack of picks to accumulate more darts.

But a team that wants to trade a veteran – even one that needs an extension, given the Jets’ $ 48 million salary ceiling space – makes more sense in the victory phase of the recovery now. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah suggested that the Jets could act as a middleman by recruiting high-end players for one of their first rounds, then watching their choices change again in exchange for a trade-seeking quarterback veteran.

The wild card for the Jets could be Colbert, who is retiring after the draft and could follow in the footsteps of former Ravens General Ozzy Newsham, who gave Lamar Jackson to his successor on his way out. Pickett played his home games at Steelers’ Heinz Field College.

“We try not to say [we’re trading] third and sixth, ”Colbert said, as a commercial example. “It simply came to our notice then [Pro Bowl receivers] Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown. We always try to put a name of choice in a given year and make sure we think it’s an equivalent trade. “

Three men from the Nebraska Athletics Department improved significantly on Tuesday night.

On the floor, Bryce McGowans improved her freshman freshman candidacy of the year by 26 points to lead Nebraska (9-21, 3-16 Big Ten) over №23 in Ohio (18-9, 11-7 Big Ten). ) 78 -70 in Columbus.

Why was this award a little more important in this game? On Monday, Ohio coach Chris Holtman told 97.1 The Fan that McGowans will not get his vote as a freshman in the league.

“They have a freshman (Bryce McGowans) fighting for freshman of the year. He will not receive my vote. “

On the bench, Fred Heuberg gave the doubters something to think about. Heuberg achieved consecutive victories for the first time in his term in Nebraska. Tuesday night marked the first victory over a ranked opponent after being eliminated in the last 24 games, returning to 2019.

Back in Lincoln, Nebraska Athletic Director Trev Alberts won more recognition for his decision to keep Heuberg for another year. Alberts said last week that Heuberg sold it for the future of the program. This future looks better when you win road games against ranked opponents.

The Huskers led most of the way against the Buckeyes, but did not take control immediately. Ohio State led by seven in the first half and led 30-29 by 5:51 at halftime.

Nebraska used 8-0 to take the lead with four at halftime. Ohio scored 3 with 10 seconds left to score their only goal of the flight in the final 8:11.

For most of the second half, the game was divided into at least two possessions. The Huskers increased their lead to 11 with 3:33 before a 7-0 series by Buccaneer.

But Nebraska did what was necessary at the last minute: he made free throws. The Haskers made five in the last 51 seconds to seal the victory.

Alonzo Verge Jr. controlled the attack with 11 assists and 13 points.

Helping his brother, Trey McGowans finished Malaki Branham with 16 points in a 5 out of 11. Branham is another Big Ten freshman of the year.

CJ Wilcher scored 15 points, 13 of them in the first half.

The Huskers shot 49.1 percent for the game, including 9 of 23 out of 3 and 15 out of 18 on the free throw line.

With only one game left in the regular season, Nebraska head to No. 10 in Wisconsin on Sunday before the Big Ten tournament next week.

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

For a man jailed without bail on suspicion of attempted murder, Kane Velázquez doesn’t seem exactly ashamed of himself in the latest photos, and maybe now we know why.

According to a San Jose Mercury News report, Velázquez allegedly shot a man, 43-year-old Harry Eugene Goularte, who was recently accused of harassing Velázquez’s “close relative”. In particular, Goularte was charged with a crime of fornication and lewdness with a child under the age of 14. As the child is a minor and has been reported as a victim of sexual abuse, the details of the child’s name and relationship with Velazquez are kept secret. Court documents also reveal that the abuse may have been widespread.

Despite objections from the Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office, Gularte was released on bail last Friday. Three days after Goularte’s release, Velazquez is said to have shot at a car with three people in it. One of them was Gularte, while the shot man is his stepfather, who is expected to survive the shooting.

There are still many unknowns about the Santa Clara shooting, but Velazquez’s motives for his alleged involvement are at least clearer. As these reports spread online, there was an outpouring of support for the former heavyweight champion, although it is important to remember that nothing has been proven in court.

Insomnia

The UFC may head to Singapore in June, which is certainly a change in the landscape from Apex!

Tony Ferguson did not receive the call, but according to El Kukui, he was offered to fight both Islam Mahachev and Rafael dos Agnos in recent weeks. In this regard, Renato Moicano started as a solid outsider against the RDA.

Clean up!

Kayla Harrison told Chris Cyborg that if you want to talk, say it with your chest!

Kamaru Usman’s reaction to Colby Covington against Jorge Masvidal surprised me.

There were many D2s and junior college wrestlers thriving in the UFC. John Jones was the champion of JUCO!

Mike Perry is doing some repairs – coming with BKFC territory!

Slips, tears and KO clips

Withdrawal from the exchange with folded arms is dangerous for the reasons explained below.

Be careful when turning into a street fight …

Accuracy is just as important as strength, especially in body shots.

Random land

Outrageous.

Midnight Music: I’m late for the party, but the new song by Red Hot Chili Peppers is solid!

Sleep well maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.

INDIANAPOLIS – The Green Bay Packers are doing their best to continue the Aaron Rodgers era. We know so much.

Sources with many teams interested in acquiring the future quarterback in the Hall of Fame remain skeptical that he will see the market. What they know for sure is that Packers Brass is trying to find the means to keep Rogers and keep at least a healthy semblance of the list intact to fight him at Lombardi in 2022. According to these rival general managers, Packers they will do whatever it takes to make enough room for franchise star successor Davante Adams, knowing that any Rodgers re-hiring plan that does not include Adams is a lost cause.

“They will do whatever it takes to franchise the receiver,” said one GM.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether this is enough. Other teams are betting that Rodgers will stay in Green Bay, but he is the best card. He tends to go to extremes and take things very personally, and it is unlikely that he is going through this long process, sending every clear signal that he wants to stay with the only team he has ever known … just to pull carpet. everyone in the Green Bay front office is demanding a deal anyway.

Nothing is over until this man is done. But within the industry, it is speculated that there will be a solution soon and that Rodgers will get all the money he wants to stay in Green Bay.

Don’t rely on Bucs spraying after Brady

After Tom Brady retires, there is no easy decision to replace him in Tampa Bay. It’s not like two years ago, when Brady – and guys like Drew Bryce and Philip Rivers – abounded as potential quick fixes in the free agent market.

As the coach of Bucks Bruce Arians told me: “There is no door number 2 this year”. And the Arians have made it pretty clear that Tampa has considered some potential veteran quarterback deals, and the prospects aren’t good for them to agree on trading conditions in that market. There is still talk that Brady may be back in the game quickly, but the Aryans can’t count on that and don’t think that’s going to happen. Of course, he would welcome such a call or message.

It will shock me, but I would say, “Come back, darling!” Let’s go! ”He said.

The most likely outcome, however, could be Bucs staying inside. Veteran Blaine Gabert and young Kyle Trask are already on the list. And while I believe the Bucs will add a quarterback – Gardner Minshaw, Mitchell Trubiski – I’m beginning to believe Arian’s word on where this team is headed for QB. Alliance seems really enthusiastic about Trask’s development after he was chosen a year ago, and about how many years spent archiving Brady can help his development.

I wouldn’t count on the Bucs doing something super spraying after Brady.

Cardinals’ Kingsbury, Murray before climbing up

Cardinals coach Cliff Kingsbury is trying to downplay the strange dynamics of the game in what has already become a turbulent and difficult off-season for his team, just a few weeks later. But this dynamic is complex. He and quarterback Kyler Murray share a representation from the same agent – at a time when Murray became very public through this representation in his desire for a massive new deal, while Kingsbury is also entering a key year for his own future as NFL head coach. It’s difficult.

As we told you weeks ago, when Murray cleaned up social media about everything the Cardinals cut off, it was all about money. The point is that Murray, the first draft pick for 2019, has been compensated at the level he believes will cost three years up and down the league, and the franchise is in no hurry to pay him $ 40 million a year. This is friction. And Murray is not happy that this will not be a smooth and easy process and that he may have to play it in his deal with a rookie (with a looming option for the fifth year), hence all the passive aggressive antics.

“I think if you look at the landscape, everyone has something of that, and that’s part of their expression,” Kingsbury said of Murray’s icy off-season with the team during his media session at the plant. Kingsbury also expressed confidence that the quarterback would be “highly motivated to be a much better player next year”.

But he doesn’t seem so keen to do so in his dealings with a rookie. Murray has every right to his opinion and to deal with it as he wishes, and the deletion of your team from The Gram has become a move for the injured players. There is no reason to despair. But this is also not your normal scenario for many reasons, and while Kingsbury can talk about the separation of church and state, if you will, when you talk to Agent Eric Burkhard about his personal issues, the fact is that he came to Arizona with Kyler as a package. deal, they are connected together in ways beyond most other coaches and quarterbacks and this complicates matters.

After all, the coach and QB may face a steep climb to make money this offseason. At the first sign they are already.

More internal notes from the combine

• Jimmy Garopolo, who requires shoulder surgery, will definitely affect what was already a pretty cool trading market for him. Often an injured player who requires another procedure and does so at a time when his team is trying to overturn him is not the right time. And availability has always been a problem with Jimmy G. Not having him on the field for the start of your off-season work, as your new starting quarterback after an exchange, is problematic. Sources said that Garopolo will undergo the procedure soon and that he should be able to throw in early July and “should be full by the beginning of the regular season or just then”, which is not ideal. Two generals who sniff the quarterbacks told me essentially the same thing about what they think of Garopolo’s value before the news of his operation came out. “I don’t think they get more than four (fourth round pick),” one told me. “Maybe a foursome that turns into a threesome (with incentives),” said another. Maybe these GMs are trying to reduce the value, but most of me believe that San Francisco is facing a scenario in which the return on dealing with QB is not as great as the risk of not having another QB of its caliber on the list. …
• Broncos general manager George Patton has indicated that he is doing his best to upgrade the quarterback, but the more he spoke, the more it became clear how difficult it would be, especially if Rodgers and Russell Wilson stayed in place. “We will be aggressive,” Patton said at one point during his media presence, adding another cliché that “no stone is left unturned.” Best of all, “we will exhaust all possibilities to try to find the best person”, indicating the free agency, the deals and the draft. In the end, he, like other grandmasters, may be stuck with the draft …
• Leaving GM Kevin Colbert Steelers faces the same reality and seems to embrace it. “I believe this is a quality class,” he said of the quarterbacks eligible for the 2022 draft. “There will be NFL starting defenders who will come out of this draft.” Of course, diagnosing who they are is the hard part. Personally, I would go after James Winston if I were from the Steelers, but nonetheless, Colbert is just the man who tries to solve this mystery on the way out as he ends his career in the Hall of Fame.

MINEAPOLIS – After ordering their worst period of the season in February, the Golden State Warriors were looking to turn the page when they left the All Star holiday and the calendar turned to March.

But instead it was more the same – perhaps even worse – as they allowed the Minnesota Timberwolves to score the most points from an opponent this season on their way to a 129-114 loss.

The Warriors have lost three of their last four games and are just halfway ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies for second place in the Western Conference standings.

But unlike the Warriors’ other two losses – the Denver Nuggets and the Dallas Mavericks – their loss to the Timberwolves lacked every bit of cohesion and struggle.

“It was the first time I felt there was a breakdown in our relationship and that should be the exception rather than the rule,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr. “So that’s the most important thing for me to look forward to.”

After reviewing the Warriors’ game against Denver and Dallas, Kerr said he liked the way his team played until the fourth quarter of both games.

According to him, the defense was good, but the most important thing is that Golden State plays with the energy that helps them develop. But all this was missing in Minneapolis on Tuesday.

“[I saw it] everywhere, “Kerr said of how the lack of connectivity manifested itself against the Timberwolves.” It’s not just a tangible thing, it’s just a feeling and energy – a collective spirit. I didn’t like the energy or the spirit tonight. “

While Kerr says his team’s disunity is not a tangible, black-and-white concept, Stephen Curry, who led the Warriors by 34 points, believes a very real thing can be traced.

“We have a lot of different rotations and lineups and we’re trying to make adjustments on the go,” Curry said. “We need to be more in sync as a team of five.

The Warriors have been without Draymond Green for 24 games, including the 7 seconds he played on Jan. 9 when Clay Thompson returned. Thompson, meanwhile, has not been a regular player for the Warriors due to the limited minutes and lack of play at one end of consecutive games. Andre Iguodala has missed 15 of his last sixteen games.

Moses Moody, who started on Thompson’s place on Tuesday, left the game in the second quarter due to a left eye injury, which Kerr said was “swollen closed”.

This led to a liquid starting lineup and rotation, forbidding the Warriors from building any real chemistry. It also left them without two of the players with the highest IQ.

“We had a lot of stirring,” Curry said. “This is not an excuse for the way we play, but we are built as a full team. And until we achieve that, I’m not sure we’ll see our full ceiling, but we need to do the little things in the meantime to continue to build trust. “

Thompson, who missed the last two games due to a general illness, is expected to rejoin the Dallas team and may be active against the Mavericks on Thursday.

Green will also join the team, although there is still no schedule for his return from a back injury. Iguodala is already with the team, but is not expected to play.

The Warriors are trying to take a big picture approach as they try to get out of their funk. They are trying to see the silver line of their young players, such as Jonathan Cumming and Moody, to get more playing time. They highlight the work Kevan Looney has done as the only truly great man available to them. They know the season is long.

“I’m just trying to be patient about where we are this season and what we’re trying to do in a month and a half,” Curry said.

“We just have to make sure that when we have a night like tonight, in which we scatter a little, we have to work to get back to the home base and remember what the goal is,” Kerr said.

But the space for mistakes is shrinking quickly and the Warriors realize that this is the section that should prepare them for their playoff series. So, adjustments need to be made now and they can’t wait to solve all their problems until they get a complete list.