On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
It was bound to happen at some point. Sam Merrill had been the Cleveland Cavaliers and NBA's hottest shooter for months, but now he finds himself in the first true shooting slump of his career.
All of this comes as fans begged J.B. Bickerstaff and the coaching staff to give Sam more minutes. An increase in playing time is what he got, but not an increase in production. Merrill played 21.8 minutes per game in the last four contests and is averaging just 4.5 points and is shooting 16% (5-30) from behind the arc.
A lot of shots are going up, but not a lot are going in.
Now isn't the time to panic or worry that Merrill isn't the three-point specialist everyone believed he was just a few weeks ago. The Cavs are in a difficult spot as a team and Merrill's slump could be a byproduct of that.
One of the key reasons that Merrill has seen so much more playing time is because of the injuries the Cavaliers are navigating. Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, and Evan Mobley remain sidelined with separate injuries and none of them have a clear path to a return.
This is putting more pressure on Merrill to be a focal point of the offense and make up for the scoring void. Together the injured trio combines for 59 points a game. Plus, with Mitchell, Mobley, and Strus out, defenses are putting a higher emphasis on taking away Merrill's opportunities.
It's also not a total shock that Merrill has hit a cold patch. Every shooter goes through streaks of hot and stretches of cold and that comes with being a sharpshooter. It just so happens this slump coincides with Cleveland's injury bug.
The worst thing Merrill can do now is stop putting up shots. His confidence is one of the main reasons he found himself as a key contributor to the team. At this point, the best way for him to get out of the slump is to shoot his way out of it.
More must-reads:
- Rockets' Fred VanVleet suffers torn ACL, could miss entire season
- Suns adding franchise icon as senior advisor
- The 'Multiple 30-TD pass NFL seasons' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
Lakers’ Andrew Wiggins Trade Faces Major Hurdle, Says Exec
The Los Angeles Lakers have been linked to Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins this summer, but an anonymous NBA executive believes that the deal won't go through because of superstar LeBron James' history with the team. According to Ashish Mathur of Lakers Daily, the unnamed executive would be shellshocked if a deal materialized that sends Wiggins to LA since Heat president Pat Riley still holds animosity towards James. More news: Lakers Legend Says LA Should Trade Austin Reaves “I would be stunned if Pat did this trade,” the executive said. “You really think Pat wants to help LeBron [James]? He’s still mad about LeBron leaving Miami. I don’t see it happening.” James infamously chose to sign with the Miami Heat during the summer of 2010 and spent four dominant seasons there, winning a pair of MVP trophies, a pair of championships, and winning Finals MVP in both of those runs. He didn't finish outside of top three in MVP voting across those seasons and was in the Finals during the entirety of his time in South Beach. The King would then return to the Cleveland Cavaliers ahead of the 2014-15 season, also taking his team to the Finals, and would win the third championship of his career the following season. As for potential bad blood between Riley and James, that wouldn't be too surprising, but from a business perspective, there is certainly more than enough reason to hear out the purple and gold. More news: Lakers' Trade Plans Receive Major Update From ESPN Insider The Lakers reportedly don't want to part ways with their first round pick, something that would be a nonstarter for Miami, but Wiggins will be 31 years old in February and has a player option ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. This timeline may better fit the Lakers than the Heat at this stage in the former No. 1 overall pick's career. The Lakers would obviously benefit from Wiggins' two-way capabilities, but the Heat believes that they can still contend in a wide-open Eastern Conference. If keeping Wiggins in Dade County best positions them to do so, Riley likely won't let Wiggins walk (to a team with LeBron on it, nonetheless), but if Miami sees enough value in a potential package from LA, then things can start to pick back up. Latest Lakers News For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.
Micah Parsons has savage response to Packers' loss to Browns
The Green Bay Packers are reeling after they blew a 10-0 lead at the start of the fourth quarter on Sunday. The Packers allowed the Cleveland Browns to score 13 unanswered points to win 13-10 in front of 65,470 fans at Huntington Bank Field. Following the game, defensive end Micah Parsons had a crude response to the comeback. "Sometimes, just like today, you s--- the bed," Parsons said via ESPN. "That's just the reality of it. It happens to the best teams. Even the best Super Bowl champs make mistakes, and they pay for it early. You go back to the history of the champions and who've they've played and games they should've won. It's just that competitive. "It's that hard to win. It's hard as hell to win football games. When you win football games, it's a celebration. But when you lose, it sucks." What went wrong for the Packers in loss to Browns Parsons and the Packers had a couple of major blunders in the final minute that they want back. Green Bay kicker Brandon McManus had a blocked field goal attempt that allowed the Browns a chance to get in range for a game-winning field goal. Parsons was called for a neutral zone infraction on the first play of the Browns' drive, allowing Cleveland to start the series from the Green Bay 48-yard line with 21 seconds remaining. Parsons apologized for the penalty, calling it "unacceptable." The All-Pro finished with two tackles. Parsons has extra motivation for avenging the loss against the Browns. The Packers are set to travel to play his former team, the Dallas Cowboys, on "Sunday Night Football" in Week 4.
Former Boston Star Says a Single Absence Could Derail Red Sox Season
Jonathan Papelbon sent the warning that he thinks the Red Sox were delivered a blow they can’t recover from. He doesn’t think the Red Sox can simply patch the hole in their lineup as they fight for a playoff spot. “One player can derail a team tremendously, especially if it’s a leadoff hitter like Roman Anthony,” the former Boston closer told Vegas Insider's Ben Mendelowitz. “You can’t replace that.” Anthony, who went on the injured list earlier this month with a left oblique strain, remains without a clear timetable to return. Manager Alex Cora said Sunday that “not much has changed” in the rookie outfielder’s recovery. Anthony has been able to walk on a treadmill for up to 25 minutes and do bike work, but he’s still dealing with soreness. Originally, the expectation was a four-to-six-week recovery. With the calendar closing, the Red Sox may be running out of time to get Anthony back for the stretch run. The Red Sox take on the American League East-leading Toronto Blue Jays beginning Tuesday and then close out the season at Fenway Park against the Detroit Tigers. Papelbon, who earned a reputation for blunt honesty during his time in Boston, pointed to the way a single absence can ripple through a roster. “When a player that you can’t replace, or just fill in a gap, gets hurt, then you see weaknesses in the lineup,” he said. “Pitchers can navigate lineups easier without that player in there.” It’s not only about Boston’s side of things. Papelbon noted how opposing pitchers gain confidence just knowing they don’t have to see Anthony in the box. “Sometimes that can do wonders,” he said. Anthony had become a key spark at the top of the order. His combination of on-base skills and extra-base power gave the Red Sox a dimension they lacked in recent seasons. Without him, the offense has looked thinner, easier to game-plan around, and the team has struggled to put together consistent rallies. For now, the Red Sox wait. Cora said Anthony is “doing everything possible to hopefully get back.” But as Papelbon reminded, the lineup is different without him — and the gap is one Boston hasn’t figured out how to close.
The Commanders' defense is being led by a breakout player who actually leads the NFL in the one thing the team needed him to do
The Washington Commanders' defense needed to rebound against the Las Vegas Raiders after surprising a lot of people the week before, and they did just that. It wasn't perfect by any means, but the defense rallied behind impressive performances by some key contributors on Sunday. The team hit Ashton Jeanty in the backfield and put pressure on Geno Smith, and finished with five sacks as a team. One player, however, is off to an amazing start and leads the NFL in pressures. Dorance Armstrong's breakout season is loading Dorance Armstrong has been off to a hot start in his second season with the Commanders, and we all wanted him to do one thing: get to the quarterback. Through the first three games, Armstrong has three sacks, 18 pressures, and 11 hurries. His 18 pressures and 25% pressure rate actually lead the NFL right now. On Sunday, Armstrong finished with five tackles, one sack, two tackles for a loss, and a quarterback hit to help set the tone on defense. A second season with the Commanders after coming over with head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr from the Dallas Cowboys seems to be paying off massively. Dorance Armstrong Quick Facts This Season Dorance Armstrong is one of only seven players in the NFL this season to have a sack in all three games. Armstrong becomes the third player in franchise history to start the season with a sack in the first three games, joining only Preston Smith and Matt Ioannidis. First time in his career that he has had three straight games with a sack. He only played on limited snaps with the Cowboys as a rotational player, and came to the Commanders to be an every-down defensive end, and he's living up to the expectations. Last season, Armstrong finished with 51 pressures, 10 sacks, and 33 hurries, and he's on pace to clear that by a good margin if he can continue to dominate. The team needs youth to step up, and having a sure starter at an important position at only 28 years old will go a long way for the oldest team in the league. Not a one-trick pony Getting to the quarterback is obviously the flashy side of being a defensive end, but you can't be a liability in the run game like we saw last season. The run defense as a whole is playing much better than last year, and Armstrong is also off to his best start in the run game. Through three games, he has his highest PFF grade in run defense, and he's up to a 75 grade, which is vastly improved over his 41 grade in 2024. Landing a starting defensive end was one of the biggest storylines all offseason, but not enough people gave credit to Dorance Armstrong, who has stepped up massively, especially with Deatrich Wise out for the season on the other side of the line. The Commanders can rotate players on one side of the line, and it helps a lot knowing you have Armstrong holding it down and leading by example on the other side.
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
