Latest news with #DPOY
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
3 reasons the NFL world wants to see Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt fail
On Thursday, All-Pro edge defender T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly agreed to terms on a new four-year contract that will make Watt the highest-paid non-quarterback in the history of the NFL. Steelers fans are elated to lock up Watt before the start of training camp and knowing he will be with the team through the 2028 season. But not everyone is so excited. Here are three reasons the rest of the NFL wants to see Watt fail. The whole DPOY thing In 2021, Watt was finally rewarded with his one and only Defensive Player of the Year Award. Then in 2023, Watt finished second to Cleveland Browns edge defender Myles Garrett. This caused some uproar based on comments Watt made and his skipping the awards ceremony. With Watt living rent-free in the heads of every Browns fan, that will be enough to put them on guard to put Watt's entire season under the microscope. 2024 didn't end well Like it or not, Watt ran out of gas late in the 2024 season. In fact, Watt failed to register a single stat in the team's final two games. This includes the regular season finale as well as the team's one playoff game. This amounts to 193 snaps without so much as a tackle. Not many players can do that and still become the richest defender in NFL history. Frankly, because of Steelers fans Let's be honest, the whole debate about T.J. Watt and where he ranks among the best defensive players in the league, including Garrett, makes the Steelers fanbase seem insufferable. Fans of opposing teams are drooling over the opportunity to take to social media and give the fanbase the business if Watt doesn't meet expectations with this new contract.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Sixers star Dikembe Mutombo ranked No. 81 player in NBA history
Former Philadelphia 76ers star Dikembe Mutombo is one of the best defenders in the history of the NBA. Mutombo won Defensive Player of the Year four times in his career and blocked 2.8 shots per game in his 18-year career. He led the league in blocks three seasons in a row from 1993 through 1996. When the Sixers acquired Mutombo at the 2001 trade deadline, he gave them that defensive presence to push them to the finals. He averaged 11.7 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks with Philadelphia after the trade on his way to winning his fourth and final DPOY award. He was an All-Star in his lone full season with the Sixers when he averaged 11.5 points and 10.8 rebounds along with 2.4 blocks per game. Bleacher Report ranked the top 100 players in the history of the NBA with Mutombo coming in ranked No. 81 on the list: One of only three players to collect four career DPOY awards, Mutombo dominated the interior during the late 1990s with the Nuggets and Hawks. And he was a key member of the early-2000s Philadelphia 76ers that made the NBA Finals. Though not much of an offensive threat, Mutombo was the premier shot-blocker of his day and left the lasting legacy of the finger-wag celebration after particularly rude swats. He ranks second behind Olajuwon on the all-time blocks list and checks in at No. 20 in career rebounds. Mutombo is a Hall of Famer who played for the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Sixers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, and Houston Rockets before retiring after the 2008-09 season. He passed away in September of 2024.
NBC Sports
5 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
2025 WNBA MVP, DPOY, ROY Odds: Betting, Futures, Predictions including Clark, Collier, Thomas
It's Week 9 of the WNBA season and we have a new contender for MVP behind Minnesota's Napheesa Collier as Caitlin Clark continues to drop further out the race. For DPOY, A'ja Wilson's odds are even more tempting than ever, but is she the best bet? MVP and DPOY dds are courtesy of DraftKings and subject to change. Rookie of the Year is still being offered on FanDuel and BetMGM as Paige Bueckers runs away with the award. Next week, I will cover Most Improved Player and Coach of the Year as Rookie of the Year is all but over. WNBA MVP Ladder: Napheesa Collier (-600) continues her dominance in this market, but as Caitlin Clark (+3000) continues to drop out of the race due to too many missed games and recent performance, Alyssa Thomas (+600) has been the biggest beneficiary. Thomas went from +5000 to +2500 to +600 over the last three weeks, so she is the hottest bet in this market, but the value has pretty much disappeared. The recent movement is because of a 15-point, 15-assist and 10-rebound triple-double in a 30-point win versus Dallas. The next game, Thomas went for 29 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, followed by another monster performance of 17 points, 11 assists, and 6 rebounds. Thomas is balling right now, but the recent play is likely unsustainable. Breanna Stewart's (+2000) odds have dropped because she has shot below 50% in five straight games and gone 3-of-17 from deep in that span. It's still Collier's award to lose and I'm not hedging. WNBA DPOY Ladder: Napheesa Collier (+350) is technically second in terms of odds to win DPOY, but winning MVP and DPOY in the same season is very difficult to do. In fact, it's only been done four times since 2007 (A'ja Wilson, Lauren Jackson, Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes). Collier's rise in this market is likely via the direct descent of A'ja Wilson (+250) and being the MVP favorite. Wilson missed a game after leaving in the second quarter against the Liberty, then returned for 34 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal in a 104-102 win versus Golden State. While Wilson was amazing and so are her on-and-off the court defensive splits, the Aces still allowed 102 points with her back, which is concerning. Gabby Williams (+400) is the only player in the league to average more than 2.0 steals per game (she averages 2.5), while Alanna Smith (+500) and Ezi Magbegor (+600) are two of three players to average at least 2.0 blocks per game (A'ja Wilson). The DPOY market is a crap shoot right now. I will wait to have a concrete pick to make up for the 2 units I've already deployed amongst four long shot players who aren't in the race. WNBA ROY Ladder: DraftKings shut down this market, while FanDuel and BetMGM still list odds for the race with Paige Bueckers between -5000 and -6000, while Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen are both +2500 or +3000. All three of these rookies will be represented in the WNBA All-Star game, so they've had terrific seasons, but Bueckers already locked up this award. Bueckers scored at least 20 points in eight games this season and six of the past nine outings. Vaughn Dalzell's WNBA Futures Bets: 2 units: Stephanie White to win Coach of the Year (+115) 2 units: Minnesota Lynx to win Championship (+340) 2 units: A'ja Wilson to win MVP (+225) 2 units: Napheesa Collier to win MVP (+150) 0.5 unit: Napheesa Collier to win MVP (+300) 0.5 unit: Jonquel Jones to win DPOY (+3000) 0.5 unit: Angel Reese to win DPOY (+2000) 0.5 unit: Aliyah Boston to win DPOY (+3500) 0.5 unit: Kamila Cardoso to win DPOY (+5500) 0.5 unit: Kayla Thornton to win MIP (+400) 0.5 unit: Brittney Sykes to win MIP (+250) 0.5 unit: Aliyah Boston to win MIP (+1500) 0.5 unit: Kamila Cardoso to win MIP (+3000) 0.5 unit: Seattle Storm to win the Championship (+2500) Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bob Myers Believes Cooper Flagg Will Impact Winning More Than Victor Wembanyama As A Rookie
Bob Myers Believes Cooper Flagg Will Impact Winning More Than Victor Wembanyama As A Rookie originally appeared on Fadeaway World. The Dallas Mavericks have selected Cooper Flagg with the first pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, and Bob Myers expects him to hit the ground running. On ESPN's NBA Draft Show, Myers boldly stated that he believes Flagg will impact winning more next season than Victor Wembanyama did as a rookie for the San Antonio Spurs. Advertisement "The unique thing about Cooper Flagg, Malika, is he impacts winning," Myers said. "More so than a lot of players. I'm gonna say something that might be controversial: Victor Wembanyama got a lot of attention being the No. 1 pick. I could see Cooper Flagg impacting winning more than Victor did in his rookie year. "And Victor is a fantastic player," Myers continued. "And the reason is Cooper Flagg is as NBA-ready as they come, and I'll tell you why. He guards. He defends. He blocks. He steals... How he's going to get on the court for Dallas and Jason Kidd is the work he does on [defense] and that's what I think makes him so unique... And he went to a team that is very good team already." Myers was the general manager of the Golden State Warriors from 2012 to 2023 and played his part in their dynastic run, which yielded four titles. His opinion carries weight, but this might not be his greatest take for a couple of reasons. First of all, as Myers himself pointed out, Flagg has gone to a very good team in the Mavericks. He will be playing alongside the likes of Anthony Davis and, eventually, Kyrie Irving, when the guard returns to the court from his torn ACL. Provided the Mavericks stay relatively healthy, they should be a playoff team. Advertisement Wembanyama, meanwhile, was selected first overall in 2023 by a Spurs team that wasn't exactly brimming with talent. Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, and Keldon Johnson were the best players the Frenchman played with as a rookie, and it wasn't a surprise that the team finished the 2023-24 season with a 22-60 record. No matter how good you are, you aren't going to win too many games as a rookie if you don't have a good team around you. Even LeBron James missed the playoffs in the first two years of his career, and there haven't been too many players in NBA history who have impacted winning the way he has. Secondly, Myers brought up defense as a huge positive when it comes to Flagg. It's safe to say, though, that he's not going to be as impactful a defender as Wembanyama was as a rookie. Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 3.6 blocks per game as a rookie and finished second in voting for DPOY. As good as Flagg is on that end of the floor, he is unlikely to be in the running for the award in 2026. Advertisement There's a reason why no one has claimed that Wembanyama hasn't lived up to that title of being a generational talent despite not having a lot of team success. His impact is clear for all to see, and it's only a matter of time before he turns the Spurs into a powerhouse. Provided Wembanyama and Flagg remain with the Spurs and Mavericks, respectively, for a long time, we'll get to see them face off against each other four times a season. Their clashes are going to be must-watch television. Related: Cooper Flagg Could Earn Close To $1 Billion In NBA Contracts By Age 31 This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Arrowheadlines: Travis Kelce could join elite group in 2025
A free agent ahead of what would be his 14th NFL season, Gilmore is still hopeful he'll find a place to lace up the cleats once again. 'I want to play this year, it's just got to be the right situation,' he said on The Money Down podcast. 'It's got to be the right situation for me. I'm not just gonna sign anywhere. … I still love the game. I still can contribute. It's just got to be the right place.' Gilmore is a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, though his last trip to the Pro Bowl came in 2021 and most recent recognition as an All-Pro cornerback came in 2019, the same season as his DPOY honor. His coverage ability took a dip in his age-34 season with the Vikings, and his 60.4 PFF grade in that category marked his third-worst of his career. However, he remains largely durable, and last year contributed an interception, nine passes defensed and 56 tackles to Minnesota's fifth-ranked scoring defense. Regardless of any steps lost, Gilmore could be an asset on the right team, a veteran leader with 173 starts under his belt, still capable delivering a game-changing play.
