Liam Hicks' RBI double
Yahoo Sports fantasy analysts Matt Harmon and Scott Pianowski debate which first year head coach, Ben Johnson or Liam Coen, is more likely to revive their franchise and deliver a turnaround season. They break down each coach's strengths, team situation, and what it will take to bring winning football back. Hear the full conversation on the 'Yahoo Fantasy Forecast' podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
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Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
How the Sean Combs Verdict May Have ‘Chilling Effect' on Cases for Abuse Victims
Follow all of our Sean Combs trial coverage When a jury of eight men and four women cleared Sean Combs of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges on Wednesday – the most severe charges leveled against him by federal prosecutors – reaction was decidedly mixed. More from Rolling Stone Sean Combs Alternate Juror Speaks Out Beating RICO Charges Doesn't Make Diddy a Hero Charlize Theron on Why She Won't Reveal Name of Director She Alleges Sexually Harassed Her Combs' supporters cheered the news as a total vindication. While he was convicted of two lesser counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and conceded during the trial that was physically violent in his personal relationships, he was acquitted on the top counts and avoided the worst-case scenario of a possible life sentence. The national women's advocacy group UltraViolet called the verdict a 'stain on the criminal justice system,' and 'an indictment of a culture in which not believing women and victims of sexual assault remains endemic.' Legal experts say the verdict was also a big loss for the team of prosecutors who tried the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York. Yes, the prosecutors managed to convict Combs of two counts under the Mann Act – securing some sort of prison sentence for the rich and powerful defendant. But that was the 'low-hanging fruit' in the government's sprawling case, Alyse Adamson, a former assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, tells Rolling Stone. 'This is a huge, huge blow,' Adamson says, referring to prosecutors and the complicated case they put on with 34 witnesses over nearly two months of trial. 'This is a huge win for Combs.' For other prosecutors, this could make them think twice about using RICO in a 'novel' way, she says. 'Obviously, they were using the RICO to try to bring charges against Combs that they otherwise couldn't bring because the statute of limitations had already run,' she explains. 'The problem,' according to Adamson, is that the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act enacted in 1970 is understood as something used to go after mob bosses, and 'this Combs 'enterprise' wasn't really a clearly defined and structured organization' that you see in a typical RICO case. 'I think they had evidence that somebody had been doing bad things for a long time, and the prosecutors wanted to bring a righteous prosecution to try to catch him, and I think they just were a little over their skis,' Adamson says. Brad Bailey, another former federal prosecutor who now works as a defense attorney in Boston, says the verdict 'certainly suggests an overreach on the part of the Southern District.' 'They've expended a great deal of resources. Six prosecutors on the case is an inordinately high number to commit to any one case. They also have committed a great deal of law enforcement resources in terms of the investigating agents. There was a big splash with the high-profile searches with guns drawn at his residences … so this is an embarrassment in terms of what could have been an overreach,' Bailey says. 'On the other hand, you never know what type of factor notoriety and fame place on these cases, and that's always the wild card – the unknown X factor.' Bailey noted that the jury signaled more than once to the judge that they were having trouble reaching consensus with the clock ticking. When they were selected, the judge told them he expected they would be finished with the trial by the Fourth of July holiday this week. 'My guess is that this is a jury that was tired and wanted to go home and there was contentiousness in there,' Bailey says, 'and they just decided that this was the proper reflection of the evidence as presented.' 'I'm as pro-prosecution as they come. But you have to respect the jury verdict. The jurors rejected these allegations. This was a failed prosecution,' Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor now working as a victims' rights attorney in Los Angeles, tells Rolling Stone. Rahmani says the outcome of Combs' very high-profile trial will likely have a chilling effect on the willingness of other victims and prosecutors to move forward with other cases. 'There's no question,' he says. 'Imagine going and testifying before 12 strangers and telling them that you were urinated on in your mouth … that you were forced to have sex on your period or while you had UTIs, and the jurors don't believe you? You're talking about the most graphic, explicit, personal details of your sex life, and they think you're a liar. 'I've had maybe over 100 conversations in my office when I'm talking to a victim, and I explained what a civil or criminal trial entails and that you're going to have to testify publicly and you're going to be cross-examined and you have to tell your story and relive your trauma in a very public way,' he adds. 'Eight out of 10 say they can't do it. After this, it's probably going to be nine out of 10.' Adamson agrees. 'It is already extremely difficult to have victims testify. That is a traumatizing experience, no matter the outcome,' she says. 'So this is definitely not going to make it any easier to convince witnesses and victims to come forward, for sure.' Jay Clayton, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, released a statement after the Combs verdict was delivered, saying he wanted to 'recognize the important work' of the SDNY's work seeking to combat human trafficking. He did not mention Combs by name. 'Sex crimes deeply scar victims, and the disturbing reality is that sex crimes are all too present in many aspects of our society. Victims endure gut-wrenching physical and mental abuse, leading to lasting trauma. New Yorkers and all Americans want this scourge stopped and perpetrators brought to justice,' Clayton said. 'Prosecuting sex crimes requires brave victims to come forward and tell their harrowing stories. We and our law enforcement partners recognize the hardships victims endure and have prioritized a victim-centered approach to investigating and prosecuting these cases.' Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kristian Winfield: Mike Brown to New York: 4 ways new head coach can improve Knicks
NEW YORK — Tom Thibodeau is out. Mike Brown is in. A new era is underway at Madison Square Garden — and it comes with sky-high expectations. Brown, a two-time NBA Coach of the Year who most recently won the award in 2023, inherits a Knicks team fresh off its first Eastern Conference finals appearance in 25 years. On paper, it's a group built to contend: an All-Star backcourt engine in Jalen Brunson, a dominant center duo of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson, and the OG Anunoby-Mikal Bridges duo coined 'Wingstop' for their two-way presence on the wings. Advertisement But beneath the surface lies unfinished business. The Knicks were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in back-to-back postseasons, the second coming despite a massive roster overhaul that landed Bridges and Towns in New York last summer. Their 50-win success was real — but so were the glaring holes exposed in the playoffs: defensive lapses, offensive predictability and a lack of trust in young bench pieces when it mattered most. Enter Brown. The veteran coach has led a team to the NBA Finals, turned perennial losers into playoff threats and helped guide Golden State's dynasty from the sidelines as an assistant. Now, tasked with elevating a ready-made contender to championship heights, Brown's fingerprints will be all over this next chapter in Knicks basketball. Here are four ways Brown can immediately improve the Knicks in Year 1. Advertisement Take Jalen off the ball more often Only one player in the 2025 NBA playoff run held the ball for longer than Brunson: Cade Cunningham, and the Detroit Pistons did not have the talent around their All-Star centerpiece that the Knicks put around theirs. Brunson led all NBA players in average time of possession (8.6 minutes), seconds per touch (6.06) and average dribbles per touch (6.04) during the regular season. For reference, that's two more minutes per game holding the ball than Oklahoma City's reigning Most Valuable Player of the Year Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, three more minutes than Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tyrese Haliburton, and three more minutes per game than 2016 LeBron James, who played alongside Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love in pursuit of Cleveland's first title. Each of Brunson's ball-dominant metrics increased during the playoffs. It's an area Brown can make an immediate impact, because good ball movement can beat the best defenses, while stagnant, standstill offenses don't stand a chance in today's NBA And the natural counter-argument? If it ain't broke, why fix it? Despite the offense, the Knicks still managed to win 50 games in back-to-back seasons and make the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in a quarter century, something they are favored to do once again with key injuries to Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics), Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Darius Garland (Cleveland Cavaliers) and the Milwaukee Bucks waiving Damian Lillard (Achilles). Advertisement Play the young guys The Knicks gave Brown a deeper bench than Thibodeau had to work with in the past. Case in point: where Thibodeau had Cameron Payne, Brown will have former Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson, and where Thibodeau turned to Precious Achiuwa, Brown will have French standout Guerschon Yabusele. But the young players are the same, and Brown has a history of developing prospects into impact players in their role. The Knicks took Pacome Dadiet with pick No. 25 and Tyler Kolek at pick No. 34 in the 2024 NBA draft, yet Thibodeau only used Kolek in emergencies and virtually never put Dadiet on the floor. The Knicks as currently constructed are a team set to be up against the second apron for the foreseeable future, which means they will need to lean on developing some of their young players in lieu of adding big-name players in free agency. So players like Dadiet, Kolek, Hukporti and, if they bring him back, Kevin McCullar Jr., need to see the floor to grow into impactful players later down the line. And is there evidence Brown will play and develop his outer rotation players? Ten Kings players averaged double-digit minutes in 2023, when Brown won Coach of the Year. In 2024, Davion Mitchell and Keon Ellis both saw regular minutes as part of Sacramento's rotation. Ellis notably went undrafted in 2022 and cracked the Kings' roster through a two-way contract before Brown helped him develop into a regular rotation player. Brown was also more willing to go away from his starters if another player had a better matchup or a hot hand, vs. Thibodeau's clear-cut loyalty to the players he rode to the playoffs. Hold stars accountable on defense For a Thibodeau-coached team, the Knicks defense was never up to par. That's because it's hard to cover for two players — albeit incredible offensive talents — with such glaring shortcomings on the defensive end. This could be Brown's biggest challenge: finding the right schemes — and pressing the right buttons — to unlock New York's full defensive potential. The Knicks already have one of the best combinations of two-way wings in Bridges and Anunoby. Josh Hart and Miles McBride are disruptors, too, and Robinson is a well-known defensive anchor. But their two-best players were defensive liabilities, so much that Thibodeau had to go stretches on end with one of Towns or Brunson on the bench for defensive purposes in the conference finals against the Pacers. Advertisement Brown will need an answer to this critical issue when the next playoff run comes around. That could be challenging both — directly and through the media — to guard their yard. Brown doesn't back down from this particular challenge. It was part of his M.O. in Sacramento, where former Kings All-Star De'Aaron Fox told reporters he appreciated the tough love and refuted reports that a rift between point guard and head coach were responsible for Brown's dismissal 31 games into last season. Can Brown hold Brunson and Towns accountable? His coaching resume would suggest as much: Brown has coached James, Kobe Bryant, Fox and Domantas Sabonis and was an assistant with the Golden State Warriors for their three-rings-in-six-years run, where he worked with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green. Brown has won four NBA titles as an assistant, including one with the San Antonio Spurs. He knows what it takes to win big. If the stars in orange and blue want to win a title, they will listen to the man who has seen them won up close and personal. Tun on the jets Who says tough love can't be fun? Brown went viral on social media during his tenure as head coach in Sacramento for participating in a team practice, sprinting the full length of the court and shouting 'turn on the jets' to light a fire under his team. So it's no coincidence his 2023 Kings team posted the best offensive rating in NBA history (118.6) in a season Brown won Coach of the Year for the second time in 11 seasons. Advertisement The Knicks could see more practice time — and hard practice time — under Brown. In fact, it's expected, which will be a complete deviation from Thibodeau's approach: heavy minutes in-game with minimal practice time on off days. The added time in Westchester won't hurt if the starters aren't all ranking near the top of the league in minutes per game. In fact, it will benefit a team that has more untapped potential on both ends of the floor than most teams returning with their cores intact next season. ——— What will be better under Brown? Opportunity for players outside of the starting five will be available. If someone doesn't have it going, Brown will turn to the bench. He will be more inclined to do so given the bevy of options at his disposal, but the Knicks need their main guns fresh at the end of the year for playoff preservation purposes. No player under Brown averaged 35 minutes per game in Sacramento in 2023. That kind of minutes distribution is what helped both Oklahoma City and Indiana to the NBA Finals this season. Advertisement What will be worse under Brown? Early chemistry will take a hit. After all, Thibodeau was the coach responsible for elevating the Knicks back into the playoff conversation after years toiling away as a lottery team. A new voice and a new perspective can work wonders at Madison Square Garden, but like any relationship, there will be growing pains as a new coach and a pre-constructed roster get on the same accord. What we don't know Will the Knicks offense immediately improve under Brown? Many credit the Kings' offensive success to Brown's former assistant, Jordi Fernandez, who left and revitalized the Nets last season as the Kings struggled to find consistency. And what kind of offense will Brown implement in training camp this summer? Will it resemble what the Golden State Warriors run with a roster loaded with offensive talent? Will the Knicks put the ball in Towns' hands more as a facilitator the way Brown used Sabonis in Sacramento? Advertisement Brown and his not-yet-solidified coaching staff has the rest of the summer to plan, prepare and position themselves to take the Knicks to the next level. In New York, after a conference finals appearance, the bar is set at the NBA Finals. If Brown can deliver, the details will be an afterthought buried beneath the memories of a championship parade down the Canyon of Heroes. ____
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Boston Celtics reportedly add San Diego guard Hayden Gray to Las Vegas Summer League squad
The Boston Celtics have reportedly added former UC San Diego guard Hayden Gray to their 2025 NBA Las Vegas Summer League roster. What does the San Diego, California native bring to the Sin City Celtics? Does he have a shot at making the team as a two way player or latching on with the Maine Celtics to play for Boston at the G League level if he is not quite good enough to nab a two way spot with the parent club? Last season, he put up 11.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and an absurd 3.1 steals per game while shooting 47.9% from the field overall, 41.8% from beyond the arc, and an odd 68.8% from the free throw line, considering his accuracy from 3. Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing in at 190 lbs., Gray has the size to play at the NBA level, though he'd need to put on some muscle. Advertisement The hosts of the CLNS Media "How Bout Them Celtics!" podcast, Jack Simone and Sam LaFrance, took a closer look at his game ahead of the Summer Celtics' slate of four friendlies in Las Vegas this summer. Check it out below! If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network: This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics reportedly add Hayden Gray to Las Vegas Summer League squad
