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Kendrick Perkins fires shots at NBA's 'cupcake' players
Tom Thibodeau has been voted as the coach most players wouldn't want to play for . It's the third straight year the New York Knicks head coach has finished first in the unwanted voting. Interestingly, Thibodeau has led his team to a second-placed finish in the Eastern Conference.
Multiple players came to Thibodeau's defense after the poll's results hit social media. Donte DiVincenzo pointed out that multiple players on the Knicks roster have been enjoying career years under the veteran coach's tutelage.
Late Monday night, former NBA champion turned ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins shared his thoughts on the Thibodeau situation, calling those who voted for Thibodeau 'cupcake players.'
And another thing before I move on. All those soft ass players that said they wouldn’t want to play for Thibs… guess what? Thibs don’t want to coach yall cupcake asses either. Carry on…
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) April 23, 2024
Perkins' comments came shortly after the Knicks had secured their second straight win over Nick Nurse's Philadelphia 76ers. He's also been vocal regarding New York's roster and their chances of success in the Eastern Conference, labeling Jalen Brunson as an MVP candidate, too.
Thibodeau's coaching is paying dividends for New York. And it would appear the team's fanbase is happy with the progress the team has made since he took the reigns in 2020. As such, it's unlikely that anyone within the franchise has paid much attention to the disrespect being thrown Thibodeau's way.
Perkins is right, perhaps the players that don't want to play for Thibodeau are the type of players he wouldn't want on his team.
More must-reads:
- Donte DiVincenzo throws support behind disrespected head coach
- Knicks guard calls out voters over Coach of the Year snub
- The 'NBA minutes leaders by season' quiz
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Veteran Center Rejected Knicks Offer
The New York Knicks imagine themselves as a championship contender, and those dreams looked like they may be rapidly approaching reality in last season's run to the Eastern Conference Finals. They've spent much of this offseason patching holes in their roster, requiring significantly more firepower from their bench to scare their opponents with a well-rounded rotation that they lacked in 2024-25. They're not looking to burst at the seams with reserve bucket-getters, but have done plenty to consolidate their backup guards and bigs with a summer of moves that's still continuing. Though their most recent on-court developments have provided the Knicks' hopes with real wind behind their sails, those wishes to bolster the frontcourt aren't new. New York reportedly tried to woo a veteran center in Daniel Theis over to last season's situation, but failed to seal the deal. Theis, now playing for AS Monaco, could have joined the Knicks mid-season last year before opting for a European return, according to BasketNews.com. He spent the first leg of the 2024-25 campaign with the New Orleans Pelicans, the sixth team that the 33-year-old's suited up for in the last five seasons. New York's offer gave Theis yet another chance to fill in as a role-playing big on another contender, but he chose to bet on himself. "I could have gone to the Knicks, for example, but it was more for insurance that Mitchell Robinson came back from a long injury," Theis said on a recent Euro Insiders podcast. "And then I talked to Tom Thibodeau and he said, 'Yeah, you will be like insurance in case he can't play and this and that.' It's like what I did with P.J. Tucker. "For me, it was like, 'Okay, if I sit for the rest of the year, what are my chances in the summer?' So if I’m like, 'Okay, I go overseas to Europe and play great, I might have a better chance.' That was my whole intention and thought behind it — just consider Europe and see what it is." Robinson did indeed manage to remain healthy when it counted, seeing the floor in all 18 Knicks playoff games after playing in just 17 during the regular season. His reliability as a defender and rebounder up front would have negated Theis' presence, as he would have spent all but a few garbage time minutes occupying the same seat on the bench that Tucker took in the postseason. Though he would've likely been constrained to a minimum contract that would've expired at season's end alongside other role playing veterans like Landry Shamet, Cameron Payne and Precious Achiuwa, he'd have been a little more playable than some other deep-cut Knicks as a rim-rolling center, and that's the sort of job that New York's looked to fill in the months since. Theis chose his path, and the Knicks stayed young in building a roster that's expected to blow every other 21st century Knicks team out of the water.
Browns' Shedeur Sanders could be losing valuable opportunity after injury update
Just when it seemed everything was going right for Shedeur Sanders, the Cleveland Browns' rookie quarterback caught an unlucky break on Wednesday. The 23-year-old QB was sidelined during Wednesday's joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles after suffering an oblique injury. Per Kelsey Russo of the team website, the 2025 fifth-round pick won't practice Thursday and is considered day-to-day. He is deemed unlikely to play in Saturday's preseason game against Philadelphia, scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on NFL Network. Before Wednesday's practice, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed rookie QB Dillon Gabriel will start against Philadelphia as long as he's healthy enough to play. The 2025 third-rounder missed Cleveland's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers because of a hamstring issue. However, Stefanski previously said Sanders would get more reps this week after a solid preseason debut. The former Colorado Buffaloes star received the start in the 30-10 win over Carolina, going 14-of-23 passing for 138 yards and two touchdown passes. Not playing against Philadelphia could disrupt Sanders' momentum. More importantly, it may eliminate another opportunity for him to overtake Gabriel in Cleveland's four-way QB competition. Sanders is listed as the Browns QB4 behind Gabriel, Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco on the team's unofficial depth chart. Despite questions about Gabriel's size (5-foot-11, 205 pounds), the coaching staff seems to favor him over Sanders. Earlier this offseason, Gabriel's processing speed reportedly impressed Browns coaches, giving him an edge over Sanders. The former Oregon Ducks star also received reps with the first-team offense during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, while his fellow rookie didn't. If Gabriel plays well against the Eagles, that would continue to affirm the coaching staff's confidence in the 24-year-old QB. Neither Sanders nor Gabriel is expected to be the Week 1 starter for the Browns. It's likely going to be Flacco, who helped Cleveland make the playoffs in 2023 when he went 4-1 during a late-season stretch. Still, another solid preseason showing could help Sanders position himself to replace 40-year-old Flacco in the future. With the setback, it may take more time to climb the depth chart.
Oregon suspends former five-star WR recruit indefinitely
Oregon wide receiver Jurrion Dickey has struggled to live up to expectations in his first two seasons with the Ducks, and he is now in a terrible position heading into 2025 as well. Dickey has been suspended indefinitely by Oregon, head coach Dan Lanning announced on Tuesday. Lanning also suggested that Dickey may not play for the Ducks again. "We have two team rules; that’s respectful, be on time,” Lanning said, via James Crepea of The Oregonian. “There’s some pieces of that where I felt like he needed a break from us and we needed a break from that so we could focus on what’s in front of us right now. "Wishing him nothing but the best, as far as success and want to see him get back to where he can be a contributor somewhere; that might be here that might be somewhere else.” Dickey was a five-star recruit and rated as one of the top wide receivers in the country when he came out of Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton, California, in 2023. He suffered an injury in his senior year in high school and redshirted as a freshman at Oregon. Dickey has two catches for 14 years during his time with the Ducks. Oregon went 13-1 in Lanning's third season with the program last season. The Ducks lost to eventual national champion Ohio State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
Raiders Camp Report No. 15: Rookie Rising, New Position Battles Emerge
HENDERSON, Nev.—Pete Carroll, a future member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame, has brought his passionate approach and emphasis on competition to the Las Vegas Raiders, and it's already yielding positive results. In our latest episode of the Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast, we take you inside today's training camp practice to discuss several intriguing developments, including one rookie who is excelling in his bid to secure a spot on the 53-man roster. You can watch the entire podcast below: When Lonnie Johnson suffered a serious injury, many wondered what John Spytek and Pete Carroll would do next. The addition of Terrell Edmunds proved to be a smart move, bringing in a seasoned veteran. After practice, Edmunds addressed several questions, and below is a partial transcript of his responses. Safety Terrell Edmunds Q: How did this opportunity come up? And what were your first thoughts when you found out? Terrell Edmunds: "My first thoughts when the opportunity presented itself, I was just excited. Excited to come and join a new team, excited to come and join these guys. I saw how much they were grinding. I watched the game before I even came out here. And then, just excited to come out here." Q: What was your evaluation of the defense watching the game? Edmunds: "It was pretty good. Everybody has your hiccups right now, ups and downs of just early preseason, just getting everything in order. You have a lot of new faces on the team, new coaching scheme. So now it's just like, let's all come together. Let's figure out what we can do to make us the best squad we can be." Q: How would you describe your skill set and how you fit into the mold here with Patrick Graham's defense? Edmunds: "Honestly, just coming in and just trying to be a sponge, trying to learn as much as I can. Come down wherever they want me to play, if they want to play dime, if they want to play any safety position. Wherever they want me to go, just go out there and help out the best way I can." Q: Are you absorbing the new playbook? How similar is it to stuff you've done in the past? Edmunds: "Every playbook has some similarities, but you just got to come out here and just learn exactly what they want you to do. Just come out here, first get the respect of your teammates, then get respect to your coaches, and then go out there and play fast." Q: How do you go about doing that? I know there's some catch up going on right now. A lot of these guys have been in the building since April. So, for you coming in here the way you have, how do you go about your time? Edmunds: "Just be coachable, number one. Don't be afraid to ask the question. Don't be afraid to ask a teammate when you're out there with them. I just go out there and just give everything you got, just come in here try to be a study right you can say, just stay in the building. Nothing for me to do at the hotel anyway. So, stay in the building and just learn as much as I can and come help out whenever they put me in." Q: You're a veteran, you've been around a long time. Can you talk about the culture Pete Carroll, it's pretty unique. Edmunds: "It is unique. I played for some historic coaches, and he's just another one on the list, and now his culture that I'm involved in now, that's a little bit different. But he's just excited. He's high energy guy in meeting rooms, at practice you see him running up and down. You see him with the competition today, I had a competition. We had a tip ball drill at the end. I lost, but just the competition factor, just make sure everybody ready to come compete every day." Q: Pete Carroll being a former DB coach himself. What has he said to you about what he wants to see from you on this team? Edmunds: "He just said he wanted to see high energy right now. High energy, see how well I can pick up the playbook. Just play fast, just go out there and play free and just go out there and help out the team." We'd appreciate it if you would follow us on X @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr , and let’s talk about the Silver and Black’s training camp and Terrell Edmunds’ comments.
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