As the Los Angeles Lakers begin a long summer, their elimination to the Minnesota Timberwolves was particularly frustrating as self-inflicted wounds led to their demise. JJ Redick, who had been great all season, showcased that he was a rookie head coach in this first-round series.
Despite a terrific debut season, Redick struggled to make necessary adjustments, particularly in crunchtime on offense. There was no structure and isolation play led to poor shots at the end of the shot clock.
Game 4 was Redick’s boldest decision as he opted to play Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James and Dorian Finney-Smith the entire second half. This decision was hotly debated when the Lakers went on to lose, but Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul defended the head coach, via NBA insider Chris Haynes:
“You’re trying to win the game. He’s playing the players that he feels like can win the game. You can be a backseat driver all you want. The last thing you’re thinking about is anyone being fatigued when you’re in a do-or-die situation and trying to win the game. Just like you may be 300 pounds but if you walk past that house and that dog come out that driveway, you’re taking off and you’re gonna have to hit that gate. And guess what, in a normal instance, you may not be able to hit that gate the same way but out of fear, you may jump that gate in a single leap.”
Paul brings up a good point that this particular five-man lineup was L.A.’s most-used lineup to close out games. But the issue was that fatigue caught up with them and they weren’t able to hold onto a late lead while the bench rotation players watching on from the sidelines.
While the decision was met with a lot of criticism, if the Lakers were able to come out with a win then it may not have been a talking point. Frankly, Minnesota proved that the Lakers’ roster is not deep enough and does not have enough playoff-level players to beat upper-echelon opponents.
That is what this offseason is about, rounding out a team that better suits Doncic, while bringing in more size on the wing and center position. With a more well-rounded roster, time will tell if these decisions made by Redick result in early playoff exits or if he will learn from his mistakes and be better in his second season.
The Lakers have been looking for stability in terms of a head coach and they believed JJ Redick would be with the franchise for years to come. He provided immediate results with a 50-win season and secured a top-three seed in an ultra-competitive Western Conference.
Despite a disappointing postseason appearance, general manager Rob Pelinka did not waver on his support of Redick following an all-around positive first season.
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Jordan Goodwin spent the 2024-25 season playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. He had averages of 5.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals per contest while shooting 43.8% from the field and 38.2% from the three-point range in 29 games. This week, the Lakers waived the 26-year-old. Via ESPN's Shams Charania (on July 20): "The Los Angeles Lakers have waived guard Jordan Goodwin, sources tell ESPN. Goodwin emerged as a key rotation piece for JJ Redick late last season, playing 29 games and four playoff contests. Goodwin and Shake Milton were released to clear space for arrival of Marcus Smart." Many people reacted to the news on social media. @LakersLead: "Nooooo" @Fullcourtpass: "Looks like no trade coming for the Lakers" Jake Weinbach: "Lakers valued Goodwin but cutting him seemed to be the easiest pathway toward clearing space for Smart. Another contending team in need of backcourt depth should pick him up." @SportsMatt12: "The Lakers were the 3 seed in the West last season. They lost DFS, Markieff Morris, Jordan Goodwin, and Shake Milton. They added Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, Marcus Smart and Adou Thiero. I think that’s easily a trade I make. The Lakers got better." Tony Jones: "Jordan Goodwin is going to have a big market" @Chase_OnX: "Hate to see Goody go but we need Smart. We need his defense. Show goes on." @HoodieNaz_: "he needs to be picked up he’s too good to not have a job" Goodwin has also spent time with the Grizzlies, Suns and Wizards over four seasons.
The first training camp practice of the year didn't get off to a roaring start for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In a video posted by SteelersWRobbie on X, Rodgers can be seen getting intercepted by inside linebacker Patrick Queen while targeting wide receiver DK Metcalf on the first pass of team drills at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa. Prior to that, however, Rodgers got in plenty of work with Metcalf without any defenders on the field as the pair continues building chemistry. While Rodgers throwing a pick on his first official attempt of camp isn't a good omen, it doesn't signal any impending struggles during what's likely to be the 41-year-old's final season of his career. The four-time MVP is still adapting to his new surroundings, and it wouldn't come as a surprise if he were to be a bit behind schedule as things get underway in camp. To liken the situation to baseball, it's rare to see pitchers have their best stuff or throw at maximum velocity in spring training. The same goes for Rodgers in this case, as it's unreasonable to expect that he'd be at the top of his game right off the bat. Though Metcalf's initial target from Rodgers as teammates produced a negative result, the pair should connect with regularity throughout the season. They held a throwing session at UCLA shortly after Metcalf was dealt to Pittsburgh from the Seattle Seahawks in March, and he was among the Steelers receivers who joined Rodgers for a workout in Malibu earlier this offseason. During an appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show" in June, Rodgers revealed that Metcalf was a major factor in him deciding to sign with the Steelers following his release from the New York Jets. "DK is a lead-by-example guy, and he's a big reason why I'm in Pittsburgh as well," Rodgers said. "Conversations that we had, and just the kind of person that he is." Rodgers, who threw for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns with the Jets last season, owns the lowest interception percentage in league history at 1.4, so Steelers fans shouldn't expect to see too many mistakes from the future Hall of Famer this season.
New York Yankees top prospect Spencer Jones is absolutely scorching hot at the plate right now, as he's hit three home runs in the first five innings on Thursday for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders. With 29 home runs, Jones now has the minor league lead in home runs. He's played only 67 games this season between Double-A and Triple-A, making his season even more impressive. He's hitting .308 for the season. SPENCER JONES THREE-HOMER GAME! and it's only the 5th lol The @Yankees prospect ties, takes and extends the MiLB HR lead with a big day for the @swbrailriders. He has 29 this season. Ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the organization by MLB Pipeline, Jones is an interesting conversation point for the Yankees right now. Do they bring him up to the big leagues and let him try to help a team that has fallen to four games back in the American League East? Do they let him stay in Triple-A, where he's only played 18 games, and continue to develop? Do they include him in a trade at the deadline in order to go get help for the MLB roster? Or, do they make him off-limits in any talks? It's all part of the calculus for general manager Brian Cashman as the deadline looms on July 31. The Yankees are off on Thursday but they will resume play on Friday night against the Philadelphia Phillies at home. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. ET as Ranger Suarez (PHI) pitches against Will Warren (NYY). Related MLB Stories DOMINANT OUTING: Cristopher Sanchez threw a complete-game against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night, making rare history among Phillies lefties. CLICK HERE: 20/30 ONCE AGAIN: Jose Ramirez just keeps doing things that no player in Cleveland history has ever done. CLICK HERE: TURNING DOWN AN OFFER: According to reports, D-backs star Corbin Carroll will not play for Taiwan at the World Baseball Classic. CLICK HERE:
Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Callan Foote, Michael McLeod and Alex Formenton have been found not guilty by Justice Maria Carroccia in London, Ontario, according to reporting from The Athletic, after being charged in connection with an alleged sexual assault involving the 2018 Canadian men’s national junior team. Carroccia said that she did not find E.M.’s [the alleged victim] evidence “credible or reliable,” in explaining her reasoning. “Having found that I cannot rely upon the evidence of E.M. and then considering the evidence in this trial as a whole, I conclude that the Crown cannot meet its onus on any of the counts before me,” Carroccia said. The allegations against Dube, Foote, Formenton, Hart and McLeod first became public in May of 2022, when reports emerged that Hockey Canada had paid to settle a lawsuit with a woman, known in court documents as E.M., who said she was sexually assaulted by eight players “over several hours” in a London hotel room on July 18, 2018. No charges were levied as a result of the initial investigation by local police, which was closed in February 2019, but the case was reopened after the 2022 report. Formal charges were then brought against the five defendants on Jan. 30, 2024. The trial began on April 22, 2025, and the verdicts were reached solely by Justice Carroccia after two mistrials influenced her to dismiss the jury. The NHL does not have a formal policy for players accused of or charged with domestic violence, sexual assault or similar crimes. Instead, the four players who were under NHL contracts at the time – Dube, Foote, Hart and McLeod – were granted indefinite leaves of absence by their clubs shortly before the charges were announced. All of them were pending restricted free agents on expiring contracts and were not extended qualifying offers, making them unrestricted free agents as of July 1, 2024. When asked about the playing eligibility of the defendants, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has continually deferred action until after a verdict was reached. While none of the players are formally suspended by the league, similar situations have routinely required some sort of permission from league offices for them to play in or return to the NHL. If teams approach any of them with a contract offer, they will presumably wait for that guidance before registering the deal.