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Grizzlies guard Yuki Kawamura has been HOOPING in preseason
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- Celtics' sale comes with significant and surprising twists
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New Trail Blazers Owner Could Be Key to Winning An NBA Title
The Trail Blazers’ rebuild has progressed well over the past few years. Portland’s title hopes hinge on this working out, especially with a new Blazers owner looking to win. New Trail Blazers Owner Could Be Key to Winning An NBA Title Billionaire Tom Dundon and a group of investors have an agreement to buy the Portland Trail Blazers. The franchise has been in limbo since former owner Paul Allen died in 2018. Since then, Paul’s sister, Jody, took over the Trail Blazers. She and the trust have been facilitating the sale of the franchise per Paul’s will. Now, Dundon and his group of investors have stepped in as the favorites. He has owned the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes since 2018 and has been the sole owner since 2021. This is a huge step for the team, as the reported sale could reach up to $4 billion. General Manager Joe Cronin and Head Coach Chauncey Billups have led the team to a promising future. With Dundon at the helm rather than Jody Allen, the Blazers could unlock their potential. The Prospective Blazers Owner Has A Good Track Record Dundon hails from Texas, but he has run the Hurricanes like a well-oiled machine since 2018. The team is in a small market, just like the Blazers, which has always been an issue for Portland. Dundon’s potential ownership could also eliminate concerns about the franchise relocating from Rip City. Back in 2018, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman dispelled any rumors of the Hurricanes moving. In that case, Portland should be glad that Dundon is leading the charge for new ownership. He has a good track record for keeping the team in its city and leading them to success. Ever since he took over, the Hurricanes have never missed the postseason. This is even more impressive, considering the team missed the postseason for the prior nine consecutive seasons. With the Blazers’ rebuild moving towards a positive direction, the stars are aligning with Dundon’s prospective ownership. The team has promising players like Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson leading the way. The roster has many promising young players and amazing veterans. This includes two-time champion Jrue Holiday and a returning franchise icon, Damian Lillard. A Promising Future That Could Improve Portland’s Title Hopes The Lillard trade in 2023 altered the franchise’s future. They have amazing talent, as Cronin acquired talented players like Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija. With that, they have also drafted well, including Sharpe, Henderson, and Donovan Clingan. They have Yang Hansen, who is a promising player, and he also has a huge fan base in China. Lillard’s return is also huge for the franchise, as he will have a positive impact again. He won’t be playing until the 2025-26 season, but the Blazers have a superstar on their roster again. That is just in time for the new ownership, as they will need a player to spearhead the change. With this promising group of players, Dundon’s acquisition of the team is another positive sign. The team has a focus on a strong defense, and Cronin has already laid the foundation in the Blazers’ rebuild. With Dundon’s investment, the Blazers could improve further and become a top team. That will take some time, but they could become a more consistent postseason team. Dundon already did that with the Hurricanes, and he could do it with the Trail Blazers as well. As long as the front office and team are in harmony with the ownership, the future should be promising.
Bears make big decision amid concerning Caleb Williams reports
Second-year Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and other starters were spectators for Chicago's preseason opener versus the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, first-year Bears head coach Ben Johnson confirmed things will be different when his club hosts the Buffalo Bills for an exhibition matchup this coming Sunday evening. "Everyone's going to play," Johnson said, as shared by Courtney Cronin of ESPN. Johnson added that how many snaps Williams will take versus the Bills is "to be determined." The Bears will first host the Bills for a joint practice on Friday. Johnson came to this decision following multiple reports detailing the supposed struggles that Williams has endured throughout training camp. Most recently, Monday’s practice was allegedly "a low point for" Chicago's first-team offense and featured "Williams and receiver Rome Odunze both looking frustrated" after some failed connections. "I've been pretty consistent with the thought of reps, reps, reps are the most important thing to get [Williams] up to speed," Johnson explained. "And by the plan that we had a week ago, we were able to get him probably somewhere between 80 and 100 more reps than we would've been able to do had he played in the game. This week, it's a different schedule. Different length of time in terms of in between games and all that. And so, our plan right now is the guys that sat out last week, they will be playing this week." Those running the Bears hope that the hiring of Johnson, an advertised offensive guru, will help Williams become a top-tier quarterback after the 23-year-old won only five of 17 starts during his rookie season. However, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic is among those who have mentioned that Williams has been responsible for a noteworthy number of inaccurate passes this summer. "I think the trust that we've been talking about from the get-go, that's really where that comes into play," Johnson added about risking the health of his starters by playing them against Buffalo. "We haven't been here with this group as a coaching staff. That trust has been earning, and we've been developing that amongst each other. It's not a one-way street. It goes both ways. And so I think that's just another step in the progression, you know?" The Bears will wrap up the preseason with a game at the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 22. It's unclear if Williams or other Chicago starters will see any action that Friday night.
Packers’ Jeff Hafley Sounds Off on One of Defense’s Biggest Weaknesses
The Green Bay Packers made major strides on defense in 2024, and if coordinator Jeff Hafley’s group is going to level up even more in 2025 it may need to improve in one vital area. As Hafley continues to search for the right pieces in the secondary, particularly at cornerback, there’s an under-the-radar concern that could be lurking for Green Bay’s ascending front seven to worry about this season, as well. Packers’ Jeff Hafley Worries About Mobile Quarterbacks If the Packers are going to make strides towards competing for a Super Bowl, Green Bay is going to need to go through the likes of Jalen Hurts, Dak Prescott, Jayden Daniels, and Lamar Jackson, among the NFL’s most mobile quarterbacks. Even after one disappointing preseason game that saw New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields break contain on a couple of big runs, including a touchdown scamper, Hafley is sounding the alarm. “That’s a point of emphasis that we need to be better at, period,” Hafley recently told reporters. “There were too many times where the quarterback was getting out of the pocket last night. So, for us to be good as a unit, really, this season, it’s a lot of mobile quarterbacks that we’re going to have to face. It’s more mobile quarterbacks in the league than there are not. “So, we’ve got to do a good job of rushing as a unit, trapping the quarterback, our rush communication, all the above and building a trap … whether it’s an early down, whether it’s third down, whether we have a pressure, it really doesn’t matter. That’s definitely going to be a point of emphasis going forward.” For a Packers team with Super Bowl aspirations, this isn’t a small issue—it’s a critical test that will define whether their defensive improvements are sustainable against the NFC’s elite.
Dolphins humiliated by Lions at joint practice
Joint practices have revealed some problems for the Miami Dolphins with a few weeks to go before the regular season. Tua Tagovailoa started against the Chicago Bears in Sunday's preseason game, wanting to show improvement after having a bad showing during the Dolphins' joint practice in Chicago on Friday. Tagovailoa did play better, going 5-of-6 passing for 27 yards and led the Dolphins to the Chicago 1-yard line before the offense was stopped on downs. A few days later, Tagovailoa and the offense had another poor performance at their joint practice with the Detroit Lions. Per Colton Pouncy of The Athletic, Miami couldn't score in the red zone against a motivated Lions defense during Wednesday's practice. "Dolphins offense just ran 16 or so plays in the red zone vs. the Lions and didn’t score until the final play (between the second units)," Pouncy posted on X. "Miami’s first-team offense didn’t score in the 7-8 plays vs. Detroit’s first-team defense. It was ugly. Lions’ D is having a day." Pouncy's observation of the Lions manhandling the Dolphins was universal among beat reporters covering the Lions and Dolphins, with The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner calling it the most "lopsided" practice he'd witnessed covering the NFL. Last week, Omar Kelly of the Miami Sun Sentinel said Miami folded when the Bears defense began to whip on the offense. The accusations of the Dolphins being a soft team are going to continue until they decide to fight back in joint practices or against opponents in the regular season. When healthy, the Lions have a fierce defense. So Detroit having the edge isn't a surprise, though not being able to score during 16 plays in the red zone is a concern. Miami doesn't appear to have found an identity, and that could spell doom for the season if it doesn't get it figured out before Week 1.
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