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Nuggets expected to hire former Timberwolves HC Ryan Saunders as assistant
Nearly three weeks ago, the Minnesota Timberwolves hired former Denver Nuggets president Tim Connelly on a five-year contract worth over $40 million that includes a stake in ownership. On Sunday, it was reported that the Nuggets may be flipping the script on the Timberwolves and poaching a former head coach in Minnesota.
The Denver Nuggets are expected to add former Timberwolves coach Ryan Saunders as an assistant coach on Michael Malone’s staff, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 12, 2022
The son of the late Flip Saunders, Ryan Saunders was hired as the Wolves interim head coach in January 2019 after Tom Thibodeau was fired. The 36-year-old Saunders was fired from Minnesota in February 2021 after posting a 43-94 record with the club.
Prior to joining the Timberwolves as an assistant in 2014, Saunders was an assistant for five seasons with the Washington Wizards beginning in 2009.
Michael Malone's Denver squad is coming off of a first-round playoff exit against the Golden State Warriors. Malone's longest-tenured assistant coach is Ryan Bowen, who's been with the team for seven seasons.
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Nikola Jokic on the cusp of a streak never achieved in 79-year NBA history
Nikola Jokic on Wednesday became the third player ever to start a season with four consecutive triple-doubles, joining Oscar Robertson (1961-62) and Russell Westbrook (2020-21) in exclusive company. If the Denver Nuggets star can make it five in a row against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, he'll achieve a streak never recorded in the 79-year history of the NBA, per the Associated Press. Nikola Jokic on pace to eclipse the Big O Jokic recorded the 168th triple-double of his career on Wednesday, finishing with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the Nuggets' 122-88 blowout victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. The Serbian star is just 13 shy of tying Robertson for second on the leaderboard and 35 away from equaling Westbrook, the all-time leader. Unless he suffers an injury, Jokic is a lock to surpass "The Big O" this season, considering he amassed a career-high 34 last season. It also doesn't seem far-fetched for Jokic to tie or surpass Westbrook's record of 203 triple-doubles this season. For one, Westbrook, who has assumed a bench role with the Sacramento Kings, won't put up the gaudy numbers he did during his prime with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Furthermore, Jokic's recent career progression suggests a steady increase in the number of triple-doubles year-over-year. Nikola Jokic's rapid-fire triple-doubles Jokic had only 16 triple-doubles when he won his first MVP in 2020-21, a number that rose to 19 when he clinched his second Michael Jordan Trophy the following season. That total increased to 25 when he earned his third MVP in 2023-24, and then to 34 last year, when he became the first center ever to average a triple-double for a season. If the recent trend is any indication, Jokic will likely accumulate at least 40 triple-doubles this season, making him the all-time leader. Another remarkable trend in Jokic's triple-doubles is the rapidity with which he gets them. On Wednesday, he sat out the fourth quarter, marking the 17th time in his career when he reached a triple-double mark while logging less than 30 minutes. According to the NBA, Jokic leads both Robertson and Westbrook for most such games. Jokic similarly had more triple-doubles within three quarters than the entire NBA combined last season. And that was when the Nuggets had questionable depth, leading to the firing of head coach Michael Malone. This season, Denver is significantly better, giving Jokic many more chances to record triple-doubles and sit out the fourth quarter.
Nationals set to hire MLB's youngest manager in over 50 years
The Washington Nationals were one of a handful of teams heading into the offseason needing a new manager. The Nats fired former manager Dave Martinez, who helped lead them to their first World Series title in 2019, ahead of the All-Star break. They then had to decide if they wanted to keep interim manager Miguel Cairo or head in another direction. The Nationals decided to go in a different direction, announcing on Thursday that they are set to hire the youngest MLB manager in over 50 years. Nationals will hire Blake Butera to be their next manager After going 29-43 after taking over for Martinez, the Nationals decided that Cairo wasn't the man to lead them forward. Washington is hiring 33-year-old Blake Butera to be its next manager, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Butera will be a new voice to pair with the new president of baseball operations, Paul Toboni, who took over for former executive Mike Rizzo. According to Passan, Butera will be the youngest manager in more than 50 years. Butera joins Oliver Marmol (39) of the St. Louis Cardinals as the only managers in baseball under 40 years old. In his four-year career as a minor league manager in the Tampa Bay Rays organization, Butera accumulated a 258-144 record. That should bode well for him going to Washington, especially after six straight losing seasons. A former 35th-round draft pick of the Rays, Butera is also a former two-time minor league Manager of the Year in the Rays organization and was the bench coach for Team Italy in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Nationals need to give Blake Butera everything he needs to be successful Being so young and "inexperienced," Toboni and the Nationals organization will need to surround Butera with a veteran coaching staff. In particular, an experienced bench coach to help guide him through being a big league manager. Someone like former Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington would be a good hire to help guide Butera, given his managerial experience and longtime coaching. Coming from the Rays organization, Butera can bring over things he's learned there to help the Nationals improve as an organization. The Rays are consistently at the forefront of analytics and new, innovative ways to build a successful baseball team. Having a young roster and only two players with a decade in the big leagues (Josh Bell and Trevor Williams), Butera should find it easy to connect with some of his younger players, given his age. However, veterans may find it hard to listen to someone as inexperienced as Butera, which he’ll need to work on if the Nationals add any more to help mentor their young core.
Three wild quotes from Louisiana governor Jeff Landry that could wreck LSU head-coaching search
For three days, the LSU Tigers had the most appealing head-coaching opening in college football. That changed Wednesday, when first-term Louisiana governor Jeff Landry (R) opened his mouth. Below are three absurd statements from Landry that should make prospective candidates run in the other direction instead of considering becoming the next LSU head coach. 1. Who's in charge? What Landry said: "No, I can tell you right now [athletic director] Scott Woodward is not selecting our next coach. Maybe we'll let President Trump pick it." Reaction: What should terrify candidates the most is how unorganized the search for head coach is at the top, creating a trickle-down effect that could permeate throughout the program. With an embattled AD — who has since been fired — plus the university looking for its next president, LSU's next head coach has no way of knowing what administration he'll be answering to. That uncertainty is no way to attract elite candidates. 2. Pot, meet kettle What Landry said about hiring the next football coach at LSU: "We're gonna make sure that he's compensated properly, and we're gonna put metrics on it because I'm tired of rewarding failure in this country and then leaving the taxpayers to foot the bill." Reaction: One of three programs with three national titles this century (joining Alabama and Ohio State), LSU has higher expectations for its football team than at most FBS programs. Landry's comments raise questions about how much time the Tigers will give their next head coach to construct a winner. What kind of metrics will be in place? It's normal for coaches to earn raises with conference or national championships, but what happens if Kelly's successor doesn't have the same immediate success he did, leading the team to the SEC title game and coaching a Heisman winner (Jayden Daniels) in his first two seasons? "I'm tired of rewarding failure in this country" is also a rich statement from a man whose state was ranked 46th of 50 states in education and last for economy by U.S. News World Report. 3. Politicians should stay out of sports What Landry said: "All I care about is what the taxpayers are going to be on the hook [for]." Reaction: Is it too much to ask that our elected officials know how things work? Landry was asked why LSU officials met with him at the governor's mansion before Kelly's firing, and his reasoning was nonsensical. Coaching buyouts, including Kelly's, are often paid through boosters with money to burn, not taxpayers. WDSU-New Orleans reporter Travers Mackel wrote on Monday that one private donor will foot the majority of Kelly's buyout. "Zero public money set aside for education, salaries or scholarships will be used," Mackel wrote. Landry's meddling in Kelly's firing is more than just concern for Louisiana taxpayers. "In the absence of a permanent president [at LSU], the governor has grabbed authority over key decisions," Yahoo Sports reporter Ross Dellenger wrote earlier this week. (A search for a new university president is in the final stages, according to The Advocate.) Politicians have no reason to get involved with college coaching decisions. Where does their influence end? What if the best available candidate doesn't share Landry's leanings? It's ridiculous to even have to consider. Well, everywhere but at LSU.
'TNF' takeaways: Lamar Jackson dazzles in return as Ravens humiliate Dolphins
The Baltimore Ravens dominated the Miami Dolphins in a 28-6 rout on "Thursday Night Football" as quarterback Lamar Jackson shined in his return from injury. Here are four takeaways from the first NFL game of Week 9: Lamar Jackson returns in style You would never know that Jackson had not played since Week 4 judging by his incredible performance on Thursday night. He wasted no time getting started with this fourth-down strike to tight end Mark Andrews in the opening quarter and capped his four-TD night with a nine-yard connection to wide receiver Rashod Bateman late in the third quarter. His 18 total TD passes against the Dolphins are the second-most all-time in five games vs. one opponent, only behind George Blanda's 21 against the New York Titans. After going 18-of-23 for 204 yards and four TDs, Jackson now has 14 passing TDs and only one interception in five games. If he stays healthy, this Ravens team will be difficult to slow down in the second half of the season. Mike McDaniel's seat keeps getting hotter It keeps getting worse for the Dolphins head coach after Thursday's latest dud. Miami had 332 yards of offense, but went 0-for-3 in the red zone and committed three turnovers, including a brutal one in their own territory in the first quarter. During a pregame segment on Prime Video, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport was asked what McDaniel's future looks like in Miami and said his job status is "firmly up in the air." While he said he did not "see anything imminent" from owner Stephen Ross, it will come down to how the players respond going forward. Although he signed an extension prior to last season and is under contract through 2028, a 2-7 record and another blowout loss is doing nothing to help McDaniel's case at the moment. Kyle Hamilton spearheads strong defensive performance from Ravens The Ravens entered the night allowing the third-most points per game (30 PPG), but Thursday night was a much different story. The All-Pro safety Hamilton may have not had the most tackles on the team, but his impact was certainly felt with six total tackles and one tackle for loss. He was more impressive than the stats show, especially at creating pressure on Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa and keeping Miami from having any success between the tackles. In the first quarter alone, Hamilton did not even line up as a safety in his first 15 snaps and still only gave up one yard rushing on four carries, opposed to 31 yards on three carries away from him, per Next Gen Stats. For a team that has struggled defensively, they need more of what they got on Thursday night if they are going to claw their way back into the AFC North conversation. Don't count the Ravens out yet It was not that long ago that Baltimore was 1-5 and staring at a wasted season. After back-to-back wins, an improving 3-5 record and a sloppy AFC North in which the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3) are the only team above .500, the Ravens are firmly in the hunt. In fact, FanDuel currently lists them as the favorites (-145) to win the division as of Thursday night. The defense still needs to prove itself against stiffer competition, but if Jackson continues to ball out, the Ravens could complete a remarkable turnaround and mix up the AFC playoff picture.
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