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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bill Simmons calls Pelicans' draft trade with Hawks one of ‘dumbest of decade'
The post Bill Simmons calls Pelicans' draft trade with Hawks one of 'dumbest of decade' appeared first on ClutchPoints. The New Orleans Pelicans stunned fans and media members alike on Wednesday with a draft-night trade — and not in a good way. Advertisement Despite being one of the NBA's worst teams this past season, the Pelicans, in a move not seen often by bottom dwellers, traded away future draft capital to get back into the lottery Wednesday night. New Orleans ultimately traded the Indiana Pacers' 2026 first-round pick back to Indiana in exchange for the No. 23 overall pick last night. The Pelicans then turned the 23rd pick into the Atlanta Hawks' 13th selection when they shockingly threw in either their pick or the Milwaukee Bucks' pick next year. They used the 13th pick to draft Derik Queen. With no protections and considering it is the most favorable pick of the two teams, the Pelicans could have inadvertently traded away one of the best picks in the 2026 draft. And Bill Simmons is not going to let them forget it. 'This was when I lost my mind. I think I blacked out,' Simmons said on the 'Bill Simmons Podcast' last night. 'I'm so glad the NBA can still give us these. New Orleans trades up 10 spots so they can take Derik Queen. And they give up their unprotected 2026 first-round pick swap that they have with Milwaukee, where they have the favorable — whatever the better pick is, they keep. They send that to Atlanta, who had to be deliriously happy. Like, 'We only have to move down 10 spots and we get an unprotected…' This was one of the five dumbest trades of this decade. I was speechless! I just can't believe it. And who is it? It's our guy, Joe Dumars. And now he just traded away their unprotected 2026 pick… They're in the West. What the f–k does he thinks is going to happen next year?' Dumars, who defended the trade for the pick used to draft Queen, joined the organization earlier this offseason, shortly after David Griffin was fired as president of basketball operations. He was most recently working in the NBA league office, and before that, was a longtime executive with the Detroit Pistons. Advertisement The Pelicans would seemingly be among the worst teams in the NBA next season, particularly with major questions surrounding Zion Williamson and Dejounte Murray, both of whom missed extensive time this past season due to injury. Related: Shams Charania claps back at Bill Simmons over Derik Queen-Pelicans trade Related: Pelicans' Joe Dumars sounds off on Derik Queen trade that's getting panned
Indianapolis Star
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
'I don't think you're wrong to say the runner-up is as memorable or more memorable than the champion'
The Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA championship Sunday night, with talk of a dynasty already beginning. But in the wake of Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the Indiana Pacers lead the conversation. The "Bill Simmons Podcast" on The Ringer broke down Game 7 after OKC's 103-91 win, spending the first 13 minutes on the team that lost. "I don't think you're wrong to say the runner-up is as memorable or more memorable than the champion," Zach Lowe said. "This was like some sports magic stuff that happened to the Pacers. I'm not talking just about the crazy end-of-game Haliburton shots, buzzer beaters and miracle comebacks." The Pacers had an unlikely comeback win in every round of the playoffs: Lowe said he spoke with another team's general manager Sunday before Game 7. "I asked 'What do you take out of this Pacers run, whether they win or lose?' And he said, 'Hope. We take hope because they are a study in alchemy and adding up to way more than the sum of its parts.'" Haliburton earned third-team All-NBA honors and Pascal Siakam was named to the All-Star Game. Seven players averaged double-figure scoring in the regular season, and eight in the NBA Finals. "Something magical happened to them in the nexus of style of play slash unique superstar, chemistry, toughness, how personalities and games all mesh together," Lowe said. It was magic."
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bears coaching has issues with Caleb Williams demeanor
The post Bears coaching has issues with Caleb Williams demeanor appeared first on ClutchPoints. Just a few days after Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams refuted rumors he didn't want to play for them, coaches are saying something different. Advertisement According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the new coaching staff are questioning Williams' commitment. Breer said as much during an appearance on the Bill Simmons Podcast on Friday. 'I kind of like asked around what they've been working on with Caleb and the stuff that they've been working on was really how you carry yourself as a franchise quarterback, and the command that you have to have to be a franchise quarterback,' he said. As a result, Breer said that coaches sought to get Williams back on track. 'And basically the point they were trying to make to him was 'Last year was a tough year, we understand. Your offensive coordinator gets fired, then your head coach gets fired. your offensive line wasn't very good, we get it.' It's like but if you're lying on the ground you know for an extended period of time you're not picking yourself up off the ground that's going to resonate with the rest of the team. That's the sort of thing that's going on, so it's like you need to be popping up off the ground after hits.' Advertisement As of late, Williams has been under scrutiny. A new book claimed Williams and his father tried to get him drafted by the Minnesota Vikings. Bears coach Ben Johnson is looking to get the most out of Williams and make him into the franchise quarterback. Caleb Williams needs to turn a corner. Williams is coming off a less-than-impressive rookie season with the Bears. He had to deal with a poor offensive line and being stacked routinely. Nevertheless, Williams finished the year with some impressive stats. He had 3,541 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. His sub-par season may have deterred the confidence he showed at USC. The Bears are looking to boost that back up.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Pittsburgh Steelers decided to bench Justin Fields for Russell Wilson in 2024.
The Pittsburgh Steelers decided to bench Justin Fields for Russell Wilson in 2024. originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired veteran quarterback Russell Wilson last offseason, quickly followed by them trading with the Chicago Bears to get Justin Fields. Advertisement The latter started out the year under center as a result of a calf injury to Wilson. But as soon as the veteran quarterback recovered, Fields was benched. And not everyone liked that idea. On a recent episode of the Bill Simmons Podcast, Albert Breer reported that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was one of the only people that thought benching Fields was the right move. "I think people there would tell you that the Russell Wilson thing undermines so many things in the last month of the season and that a lot of that building really wanted them to go back to Justin Fields," Breer said. "And it was something where Tomlin was kind of, again, all on his own on that one." Advertisement "People in the building'' is a tricky thing. Players? Assistant coaches? The "second-guess'' from then, by the way, can still be in play. Would the Steelers be better off in 2025 is Fields was still here? Fields led the Steelers to a 4-2 record in the six games that he started in, racking up 1,106 yards, five touchdowns, and just one interception. He was also able to show his elite scrambling ability with 289 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. As for Wilson, the team was 6-5 with him under center, but four of their losses were all in a row to end the season, leaving them with a 10-7 record on the season. While that is still solid, some think they could have competed for the lead in the AFC North if Fields had remained the starter. Advertisement Now, the young quarterback will be looking for a fresh start with the New York Jets, and the Steelers will be left wondering what would have happened if they had never benched him. Related: One Factor Could Slow Steelers' Kirk Cousins Pursuit Related: Steelers' Rookie QB Earns Comparisons to Super Bowl Champion This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA commissioner calls Caitlin Clark 'the most popular athlete in America,' but stresses value of other players
With the WNBA regular season nearly here, it's likely to be another big season for second-year Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark — and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is very aware of what Clark brings to the league. In an interview on the Bill Simmons Podcast released on Wednesday, Engelbert recognized Clark's elevated role in the W, calling her a "generational talent." But Engelbert also noted that there's a balance between highlighting Clark and promoting other talented players in the league. Advertisement "No league's ever got one player," Engelbert said. "In this case, Caitlin brought tens of millions of new viewers into the W and there's no denying that impact — not just in the WNBA, but the world of sports." Engelbert mentioned an LPGA pro-am that Clark had attended as an example, speaking on how her popularity in college fueled her prevalence now, and adding that she had spoken to NBA commissioner Adam Silver about Clark's prominence. Engelbert said that viewership was up "triple digits" across demographics, and that the presence of players like Clark heavily contributed to that growth. "Adam and I talk all the time about this, she's the most popular athlete in America," Engelbert said. With that said, Engelbert said that it was important to showcase the other talents in the WNBA, and not to put all of the league's eggs in one basket. "You do want to balance it, because obviously, we saw what happened with JuJu Watkins getting hurt," Engelbert said, referencing the USC star's ACL tear during March Madness. "You want to balance making sure that you're also promoting your other stars, like an A'ja WIlson, like a Breanna Stewart. Napheesa Collier killed it last year. "That's why this year is 'sustain and gain,'" Engelbert added. "Sustain the momentum we had last year and gain even more new viewers." Advertisement Engelbert noted that the WNBA has a unique pipeline of talented college players with pre-existing fanbases, something that has changed with the rise of social media and name, image and likeness deals. "We had great players for a couple decades, but now, I think with social media, with NIL, with them having brands when they come in and followership, and just the quality of the game, I can't say enough about that," Engelbert said when speaking on a rise in viewership across the league. Engelbert also mentioned Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers and Kiki Iriafen as other exciting new players in the league. Advertisement "Brands get to know them, fans get to know them, and they come out and they thrive in the W. As hard as and as competitive as the W is, they not only have a local and regional brand, like they have in college, but they actually have a national and now a global brand," she said. The WNBA regular season tips off on Friday with a matchup between the Minnesota Lynx and the Dallas Wings. Clark's Fever will play their first game of the 2025 season on Saturday.
