Before the 2022 Boone County high school football season, we compiled a list of players for our offensive and defensive player of the year preseason watchlists.

After the season, the Tribune will select the county's offensive player of the year and defensive player of the year.

This week, we are expanding our watchlists for these honors.

Here are our mid-season additions:

More:Rock Bridge earns immense CMAC win over Helias: Boone County Week 5 football roundup

Offensive watchlist additions

Southern Boone WR Chase Morris

Rock Bridge WR Drevyn Seamon

Hallsville QB Colton Nichols

Father Tolton QB Jake Ryan

When the Tribune curated the original offensive player of the year watchlist, two starting quarterbacks were unknown. Hallsville's Colton Nichols and Father Tolton's Jake Ryan have burst on the scene as starters, with Ryan throwing five touchdowns in one half last week and Nichols rushing for 16 touchdowns through five games.

The same, in a way, goes for Southern Boone's Chase Morris and Rock Bridge's Drevyn Seamon. New quarterbacks starting for the Eagles and Bruins meant new connections with different receivers. So far, Morris is among the best in the county with the ability to turn a two-yard gain into an 80-yard score. Morris has nine receiving touchdowns on the year. Seamon, a sophomore, has emerged as Rock Bridge's most productive target as he leads the team with 339 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

More:How trust and special teams vaulted Rock Bridge over Helias, as the Bruins are CMAC favorites

Defensive watchlist additions

Centralia DL Jack Romine

Rock Bridge DL Aidan Dubbert

Southern Boone LB Weston Jennings

Harrisburg DB Braden Wyatt

Stout defenders from Rock Bridge, Southern Boone and Centralia who live in opposing backfields have earned their way onto our mid-season watchlist. Rock Bridge's Aidan Dubbert is a disruptive force; he's recorded six tackles for loss and three sacks through five games. Southern Boone's Weston Jennings has almost done the same at linebacker with six tackles for loss and two sacks.

Centralia's Jack Romine is one of a few standouts on a gritty Panthers defensive line, and he has two sacks and a defensive touchdown on his resume this season. Harrisburg's Braden Wyatt has been extremely productive at defensive back, forcing a fumble, returning an interception for a score, recording 10 tackles for loss and tallying four sacks.

When planning out the player of the week parameters, the Tribune decided winners couldnt win in consecutive weeks.

Morris abided by the rules and simply bided his time. It was only a short matter of time before he would win again. By commanding 59% of the vote, Morris won Week 5 player of the week honors.

Morris touched the ball four times and scored three touchdowns in a 49-7 romp over Versailles. He returned an interception for the games first score and caught three passes for 37 yards and two other touchdowns.

This wasnt the record-breaking performance he had in the first week of the season. However, it does show how Morris is a threat to score no matter where he is on the field and what side of the ball hes on.

Thats a boon for Southern Boone, which is putting together a strong season so far.

Morris is a junior, meaning he'll still have a chance to improve as a senior next season. Thats already a thought that should leave opposing head coaches with some nightmares.

Lutheran St. Charles @ Rock Bridge

Last weeks win at Helias makes this matchup a bit of a trap game for the Bruins. However, with the way the coaching staff has been preparing Rock Bridge, its hard to see the Bruins falling into the trap here.

The Pick: Rock Bridge

Smith-Cotton @ Battle

Its been a week for Battle, putting behind last weekends broadcast incident and moving forward. The Spartans get a Smith-Cotton team theyve historically played well against. Battle should earn some more momentum this week.

The Pick: Battle

Jefferson City vs. Hickman

The Kewpies finally got in the win column last week, and its easy to see how they did it. They made plays on offense, and the defense found ways to get the ball back to the offense. Jefferson City is a team thats similar to Hickman. The question is, can the Kewpies keep their momentum rolling?

The Pick: Hickman

More:How Jake Ryan's leadership is lifting Tolton football to meet ambitious goals

Father Tolton @ Doniphan (Saturday)

The other weekend Tolton played a road game on a Saturday was when the Trailblazers easily dispatched Principia. Tolton should make quick work of 0-5 Doniphan.

The Pick: Father Tolton

Centralia @ Clark County

Its time to see what Centralia is made of. After the Panthers suffered their first loss of the season, their chance to rebound is on the road against a Clark County team thats averaging 37 points per game. The Centralia defense has to prove its worth here.

The Pick: Centralia

Osage @ Hallsville

A 30-point win prepares Hallsville for an Osage team thats won two straight games and is finding its footing on offense. Expect Hallsville to keep its offense rolling, too.

The Pick: Hallsville

Eldon @ Southern Boone

Player of the week honoree Chase Morris is back to tantalize another team, and Eldon is coming off a 44-14 loss to Hallsville. The Eagles are looking at a 4-2 record heading into the second half of the regular season.

The Pick: Southern Boone

Harrisburg vs. Ash Grove (@Osage HS)

This is an interesting neutral-site game. Ash Grove and Harrisburg are similar teams, but its easy to give Ash Grove the advantage. Ash Grove has proved it's settled in with a 4-1 record.

The Pick: Ash Grove

Continue reading here:
Who deserves to be added to our player of the year watchlists? Boone County high school football Week 6 preview - Columbia Daily Tribune

SEATTLE (AP) The Seattle Krakens first season ended up looking like most other NHL expansion seasons.

And still there was a significant feeling of underachievement after the team launched with the hope of contending for a playoff spot in Year 1.

Seattles first year was one stumble after another. Bad luck. Bad performances. An uncanny ability to give away games late and an overall inability to capture its new market. Seattle was so bad so early it was difficult for the Kraken to make the hoped-for inroads with the fan base.

All that puts more pressure on Seattle to show improvement in the second season.

I think each guy is hungry to prove to ourselves and prove to each other that we can be a lot better, more competitive and being in a lot better spot this year come March and April, forward Jaden Schwartz said.

Theres no doubt Seattle has made improvements. The team's scoring problems should be addressed through the addition of Andre Burakovsky and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Throw in a full season of Matty Beniers and first-round pick Shane Wright, and Seattle has the depth and talent up front it simply lacked a year ago.

The defense also received a boost with the signing of veteran Justin Schultz, but the biggest key for Seattle will be improvement from starting goalie Philipp Grubauer, who struggled early last season.

NEW FACES

Burakovsky and Bjorkstrand immediately slot into Seattles top forward lines. Burakovsky had a career-high 61 points last season on his way to winning the Stanley Cup with Colorado. Bjorkstrand had a career-best 57 points for Columbus and was acquired in a trade by general manager Ron Francis when the Blue Jackets found themselves in a salary cap crunch.

Seattle finished 29th in goals scored last season and its power play was even worse at 30th in the league. Burakovsky and Bjorkstrand should take some of the pressure off Jared McCann, Yanni Gourde and Jordan Eberle, the only three Kraken forwards to top 40 points last season. Having Schwartz and Brandon Tanev back from significant injuries should help as well.

We need to find ways to be better offensively, coach Dave Hakstol said. Part of that is some of our personnel and the additions that we have, but also a big part of that is just being better at some of the areas in terms of getting inside and finding some of those scoring opportunities."

HI ROOKIE

Beniers looked the part of a future star during his limited 10-game stint last season. He had three goals and six assists after joining the Kraken. And if the hopes for his first full season could be any higher, Beniers sniped a spectacular goal for Seattles first of the preseason.

I dont know if they know who I am, but hopefully I can pick up where I left off last year, Beniers said.

Beniers is likely to anchor one of Seattles top lines, possibly with either Burakovsky or Bjorkstrand alongside. But he may not be the only rookie to be a major contributor. Theres a strong case for Wright to be one of Seattles top four centers now, meaning starting his NHL career at age 18 rather than spending another season playing at the junior level in Ontario.

One more Seattle rookie could be defenseman Ryker Evans. While hes most likely to start in the AHL, Evans could be an early call if another left-shot defenseman is needed.

BETWEEN THE PIPES

Seattle could make its biggest improvement if Grubauer can rediscover the form that made him a finalist for the Vezina Trophy two years ago.

Grubauer was a major disappointment in his first season with Seattle. His 3.16 goals-against average was in the bottom third in the league and his .889 save percentage was the worst among NHL starters. Some of Grubauers early troubles were the result of a lack of chemistry with his defensemen.

It didnt work out for us last year. We didnt have the year we wanted to have as a team and individual, Grubauer said. So its time to step up and make those changes.

Seattle signed veteran Martin Jones as Grubauers backup after Chris Driedger suffered a major knee injury at the world championships.

___

More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

See more here:
Kraken understand need to improve in second season - USA TODAY

Time jumps are critical to how House of the Dragon is telling its story about a tumultuous moment in Targaryen history. None of those time jumps are as important as the 10-year leap that episode 6, The Princess and the Queen, takes. While much has changed in Kings Landing in the time the show skipped, one shift that has the potential to confuse audiences is the addition of so many new characters, in the form of the children of Alicent, Rhaenyra, and Daemon.

To help you keep track of all six children that appeared in this episode (including five new ones), heres a breakdown of Rhaenyra and Alicents respective families:

Jacaerys Velaryon (Leo Hart)

Jace is the oldest son of Rhaenyra and Laenor or maybe of Rhaenyra and Ser Harwin Strong, depending on who you ask. Jace is currently the heir to the Iron Throne after his mother, and a strong kid despite only being somewhere around 7 years old. In this episode we see him almost beat Aegon Targaryen in a bout with wooden swords, despite Aegons advantages in size and age.

Lucerys Velaryon (Harvey Sadler)

Also known as Luke, Lucerys is Rhaenyras second child, and is mostly unremarkable in this episode. He does happen to bear a striking resemblance to Ser Harwin Strong, his mothers closest friend and notably not her husband. Unfortunately for all involved, this coincidence is noticed by literally everyone in Kings Landing, drawing Lukes legitimacy into question.

Joffrey Velaryon (a baby)

Born at the start of episode 6, Joffrey is Rhaenyras youngest child, for now, and only a baby and therefore pretty unremarkable on his own terms. He is also likely a bastard fathered by Ser Harwin Strong. Joffrey is named in honor of Laenors late lover, Joffrey Lonmouth, who was beaten to death at their wedding by Rhaenyras former lover, so theres a lot going on there.

Aegon Targaryen (Ty Tennant)

Aegon is one of the children who was not new to this episode, as we had seen a little of him before the time skip. He is the oldest son of Viserys Targaryen and Alicent Hightower. Anyone who knows even a little about Targaryen history knows that Aegon is a bold name to give a child. The name of the Westerosi dynastys first king, Aegon always carries with it a certain implication of earned (or conquered) kingship. Unfortunately, unlike the conqueror, the version of Aegon we see in this episode is mostly just a weird, spoiled brat.

Aemond Targaryen (Leo Ashton)

Aegons younger brother, Aemond, is Alicents second son. Think of him as the Prince Daemon of this family, except without any of ambition, rashness, or martial prowess that make Daemon who he is at least not yet. As we see in this episode, Aemond does not have a dragon, a fact that he spends much of his young life very self-conscious about.

Helaena Targaryen (Evie Allen)

The second oldest of Alicents children, Helaena is a strange girl who, in this episode, we see playing with a large bug and counting its legs.

Baela Targaryen (Shani Smethurst) and Rhaena Targaryen (Eva Ossei-Gerning)

We dont get much from these two this episode. They are the children of Daemon and his second wife, Laena Velaryon.

See the rest here:
Breaking down House of the Dragons many new children and parents - Polygon

The Dead Space remake isnt settling for being a simple graphical update. In an EA Blog, the devs explained that while the game will hit all the main beats and events of the original, they want to expand it to include lore from across the series. They also want to give side characters more time in the spotlight with side-quests that highlight their experience on the Ishimura.

The plot heavily referenced multiple characters in the original Dead Space without giving them much screen time. Issacs girlfriend Nicole, for example, was the catalyst for Issacs journey to the Ishimura, but much of her story remained untold. The same can be said for Elizabeth Cross and Jacob Temple, whose story was mostly told through log entries.

So, we may finally get to see the Ishimura crews descent into madness firsthand. Issac will also have a voice in the remake, like he does in the second and third games. These new narrative additions, paired with the new ability to backtrack through the Ishimura, should give the game a whole new feeling. Hopefully, it wont lose any of its iconic appeal in the process. If so, itll be the definitive way to experience this horror classic.

Go here to see the original:
Dead Space Remake Expands Narrative and Includes Lore from Rest of Franchise - PlayStation LifeStyle

Detroit The Pistons officially start preparations for the 2022-23 season this week, and it began with the franchise announcing the roster for training camp on Monday morning.

There were no real surprises, with the additions of Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel and Kevin Knox all from deals with the Knicks joining the roster. Kemba Walker, whom the Pistons also acquired in a trade with the Knicks during the offseason, is listed on the roster but is not with the team.

It was previously reported that Walker and the Pistons were expected to reach a buyout agreement, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent.

A couple of additions include Jules Bernard and Stanley Umude, who both signed Exhibit 10 contracts to join the training-camp roster.

With the acquisition of Burks and Noel, the Pistons added veteran leadership to their young core, and some depth with Knox.

However, all three players are dealing with the injuries ahead of training camp. Burks is expected to miss the start of camp to rehab a navicular fracture, a foot injury. He will be re-evaluated in three weeks.

Knox (right gastroc strain) and Noel (reconditioning/plantar fasciitis) will see limited participation at the beginning of training camp as they recover.

Bojan Bogdanovic, acquired in a trade last week with the Utah Jazz, is not listed on the initial roster, as the trade has not been officially announced. Kelly Olynyk and Saben Lee, who were in the deal and slated to go to the Jazz, also are not listed on the roster.

The Pistons also announced decisions to exercise their fourth-year team option on the contracts of Saddiq Bey, Killian Hayes and Isaiah Stewart for the 2023-24 season. Detroit also exercised its third-year team option on the contract of Cade Cunningham for 2023-24.

The Pistons debuted two new additions to their traditional Association (white) jerseys during Monday's media day. In addition to the No. 6 on the left shoulder to pay tribute to Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell, the franchise will also honor the late Bob Lanier with a black "16" stripe on the right section of their jerseys.

Lanier, who was selected by Detroit with the first pick of the 1970 NBA Draft, spent the first nine seasons of his NBA career with the Pistons and quickly established himself as one of the greatest big men to ever play the game. He ranks as the team's all-time leader in scoring average (22.7 ppg) and double-doubles (442). He ranks among the career leaders in franchise history in several total categories, including third in points (15,488) and rebounds (8,063), second in field goals (6,276), fourth in blocks (859) and seventh in games played (681).

The team will also honor the legendary Pistons center with a "Bob Lanier tribute night" when the Milwaukee Bucks visits Little Caesars Arena.

Hamidou Diallo will be the final Piston to ever wear the No. 6 as a result of the league's announcement to retire the number leaguewide, a decision that went into effect shortly after Bill Russell passed away on July 31.

The number can never be worn again, but players who wore the number last season can continue to do so. Diallo said he thought about changing his number, but he feels the number has more meaning because of his interactions with Russell during the 2019 All-Star Weekend.

"God rest his soul. He was a great person. Definitely a motivator," Diallo said. "When I was in Charlotte during All-Star weekend, I got to sit down and eat dinner with him. So, that's a blessing within itself for me, being able to have that interaction with him. I feel like this number 6 holds more value because I actually got to interact with him and I actually got to get to know him and talk to him.

"Being the last person to ever wear it as a Piston, it's an honor. I'm trying to make sure that in the same way that's an honor, my performance is as well. I'm clearly aware of that and I'm just trying to stay ready so I don't gotta get ready."

mcurtis@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @MikeACurtis2

See the article here:
Pistons' Kemba Walker not with team; three have injuries heading into training camp - Detroit News

The Arizona Cardinals must figure out how to find the balance within their play calling and try to incorporate more running plays in their scheme.

After another disappointing loss, the Arizona Cardinals are 1-2 on the season. The good thing is that its still very early in the year and they have a chance to righten the ship. There are improvements and adjustments that need to be made, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Last season, the Cardinals had one of the top offensive units in the NFL as they were tied for eighth in total touchdowns, 11th in points scored, 11th in points per game and were eighth in total offense. Expectations were much higher for this unit entering the season.

They were expected to improve upon last seasons performance with the new the additions such as WR Marquis Brown, rookie TE Trey McBride, RB Darrel Williams, and rookie RB Keontay Ingram. But the coaches appear to be struggling with finding the right balance within the offensive scheme.

Its noticeable how much the Cardinals pass the ball as opposed to the run, but thats largely a result of falling behind early which forces them to pass the ball as they play from behind. They have been notorious for their slow starts in each of their three games so far and that has had a negative effect on the game plan.

During the first game of 2022against the KC Chiefs, the Cardinals fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter. In their second game they got off to an even worse start as they faced a 20-0 deficit going into halftime but they somehow was able to make a miraculous comeback for their first win of the season.

Last week was the same story as the Arizona Cardinals once again fell behind early to their divisional foe Los Angeles Rams as they were down 10-0 in the 1st quarter. QB Kyler Murray had 58 pass attempts against the Rams. And while he did make a couple of big connections, he only averaged 5.4 yards an attempt.

Kliff Kingsbury must find a way to implement the running game more into his offensive attack in order to keep defenses honest and to make his play calling less predictable. And besides Murray throwing for 314 yards, he had zero TD passes as he set his career highs in attempts and completions.

There has to be a level of concern for Murray dropping back that many times in the pocket (even though the offensive line played exceptionally well against a vaunted Rams defense) and being exposed to the pass rush even with his ability to escape. So why not try to find some balance and put the ball in the hands of the running backs?

Against the Rams the Cardinals RBs only ran the ball 19 times while accumulating 62 yards. James Conner, Eno Benjamin and Willams are too talented to limit their touches because they all have big play ability and are good inside the red zone.

Putting the ball in the hands of the RBs (especially early in games) could open things up in the passing game for Murray and company, especially if they have success because opposing defenses must account for both the run and pass. While comparing discrepancies between the numbers, the Cardinals passing totals prove that they are a pass heavy team as they currently rank second in attempts, third in completions, 18th in completion percentage and 12th in passing yards.

While comparing the rushing stats, its noticeable just how much the Cardinals play callers favor the pass over the run as the Cardinals are currently 21st in attempts, 17th in yards, and 13th in yards per carry. Maybe adding a few plays for their stable of running backs could be the key to unlocking their success as the Cardinals only have 3 TDs through the air.

Everyone knows what the Air Raid offense was designed for. But it may prove to be a genius idea to implement more running plays into the game plan.

(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference)

The rest is here:
Arizona Cardinals have zero balance within the offense - Raising Arizona

NBA training camps and the 2022-23 season are right around the corner, and players and coaches are set to preview their team's upcoming campaigns with their respective media days this week.

For some teams, this year's media day will be the first introduction of some of their big offseason additions. These include the Atlanta Hawks' new shooting guard Dejounte Murray, the Cleveland Cavaliers' new shooting guard Donovan Mitchell and the Minnesota Timberwolves' new center Rudy Gobert. Each of which will meet with reporters for the first time as a member of their new respective squads.

This year's rookie class will also make their NBA media day debuts. First overall pick Paolo Banchero will get some facetime with Orlando Magic beat reporters fresh off his Summer League performance as he prepares for his first NBA training camp.

The same goes for Jabari Smith Jr. of the Houston Rockets, Keegan Murray of the Sacramento Kings and a handful of other coveted rookies that will be expected to help their teams right away this year.

ESPN's countdown of the league's best players returns for its 12th season. See which stars made the cut, which vaulted to the top and which are sliding down the list.

NBArank 1-5: International stars on the rise NBArank 6-10: How far LeBron and KD fell NBArank 11-25: L.A. duo and rising Wolves NBArank 26-100: Russ, Ben and a host of Qs Debate! LeBron's ranking and top-10 tweaks

Then there are some veteran teams that will have some serious questions and concerns to address heading into the season. The Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets, who bear the pressure of being serious win-now contenders this year, got plenty of the media's attention last year for all the wrong reasons.

LeBron James and Russell Westbrook will have to explain to Lakers reporters why they will bounce back from last year's losing campaign.

Meanwhile, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will have to answer for their spree of off-the-court distractions and offseason of near departures in their first media appearances since their first-round playoff exit last season.

Here's what players are talking about as media days kick off across the league:

Did we just become best friends?

Back in November 2019, after years of on-court run-ins, Russell Westbrook attempted to bury Patrick Beverley -- suggesting that his defensive reputation was more branding than actual execution.

"Pat Bev trick y'all, man, like he plays defense," Westbrook said at the time. "He don't guard nobody, man. It's just running around doing nothing."

Beverley later revealed on JJ Redick's podcast that Westbrook's barb "damaged my career."

That's what made Beverley's comments about Westbrook at Lakers media day Monday so jaw-dropping.

"You can't really take everything you do in the game and put it in real life," Beverley told ESPN. "Since I've been here ... if I was to have a best friend on the team right now, for sure it'd be him. We spend the most time together. We've been locked and lift weights together and all that stuff. So I'm super excited."

Whether Beverley and Westbrook have truly let bygones be bygones or if this was just an orchestrated effort by the pair of point guards to throw a wet blanket on their fiery past in front of the media remains to be seen.

During Beverley's news conference, he was asked to elaborate on how his relationship with Westbrook has grown since he was traded to L.A., causing the 11-year veteran to launch into a facetious fairytale.

"We went on this boat ride, you feel me? It was just us two. It was real intimate," Beverley said. "It was 2,000 candles, you feel me? He landed in a helicopter. I came in one of my underwater vessels. We talked three hours over wine. He had a two-Michelin-star chef come pull up, cook some steaks. I had my chef pull up and make the desserts. And that's how we got to where we are now."

Beverley did share a legitimate story with the Lakers' regional television partner that he and Westbrook have spent time together during pregame chapel services over the years and that Westbrook once gifted his sister courtside tickets.

"I look at my sister, she's on the floor, he gave her her seats," Beverley told Spectrum SportsNet. "[Didn't] know me from a can of paint. ... From that point on [the relationship improved]."

The Lakers plan to use Beverley as their primary wing defender and hope he can convert from the outside as a career 37.8% 3-point shooter, sources familiar with the team's thinking told ESPN, rather than use training camp as a battle for the starting point guard spot between him and Westbrook.

However, there will be others on the roster -- namely Dennis Schroder, Kendrick Nunn and Austin Reaves -- that Westbrook will have to separate himself from in order to secure a job with the first unit.

-- Dave McMenamin

Durant, Nets GM address offseason drama

The Brooklyn Nets had an ... eventful summer. But after Kevin Durant's surprising trade request -- and subsequent rescinding of said trade request -- the Nets are whole again and have the roster to contend for an NBA championship.

Durant and Nets general manager Sean Marks addressed their tumultuous offseason during Brooklyn's media day.

"No," Durant said when asked if he was surprised he's still a Net. "I know I'm that good that you're not just going to give me away. That's one thing I did appreciate about Sean and [Nets owner] Joe [Tsai]. ...

"I know who I am."

Sitting next to Nets coach Steve Nash, Marks addressed KD's trade request and the adversity facing Brooklyn this season.

"If [Durant] wanted out, and still wanted out, he wouldn't be here," Marks said.

"You want people who have the conviction to be here."

The Lambo is back for the Pels

Zion Williamson is a Lamborghini and needs to treat his body as such.

That was New Orleans Pelicans forward Larry Nance's message to his star teammate as Williamson prepares to return to the court for the 2022-23 season after a long injury layoff.

"You don't put the cheapest gas in a Lambo, you know?" Nance said at Pelicans media day on Monday. "You go to the pump and you put the 93 to 95, whatever that is, you put that in there 'cause you don't want to be on the highway driving and hear your engine. No, you don't want that."

Williamson missed all of last season with a broken right foot. A year ago at Pelicans media day, the Pelicans announced the injury, and it seemed that Williamson wouldn't miss much of the regular season, if any games at all. Instead, Williamson suffered numerous setbacks and never was able to step foot on the court.

This year's media day was different, however. Williamson was all smiles all day.

"I feel like I'm at my best right now," Williamson said. "I feel like I'm moving faster, jumping higher. I feel great."

-- Andrew Lopez

Goran Dragic on the D-Rose dunk: "This is my nightmare"

When a reporter began to bring up the time Goran Dragic, then in only his second season in the NBA, was on the wrong side of a dunk by Derrick Rose, all Dragic could do was smile and laugh.

"This is my nightmare," he joked.

The clip went viral for Rose's ferocious dunk and Bulls commentator Stacey King's animated reaction -- "What are you doing Dragic? Did you not get the memo?" -- but Dragic, now entering his 15th season in the NBA, is able to laugh looking back on it.

"The funny thing is this was the only time somebody dunk on me in my whole NBA career," Dragic said. "It's fine. I even talk to Derrick. We were together in Zagreb when we had an Adidas campaign and I came to him and I said 'You had to do it like that?'

"At least I'm on TV all the time."

-- Jamal Collier

Patrick Williams on training with DeMar DeRozan

DeMar DeRozan leaned back in his chair and laughed when asked about putting Patrick Williams through his offseason workout plan.

DeRozan had been plotting for Williams, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft entering his third season in Chicago, to join him in Los Angeles during the offseason ever since the end of last season when he proclaimed at his exit interview that "Pat is my main victim."

"The workout starts at 5 on the dot, not 5:01, not 4:59 -- 5 a.m. You can't be pulling in the parking lot at 5 a.m.," Williams said. "He puts himself through every situation he can possibly be in in the game -- every double-team, triple-team. It's different. One-on-one, one-on-three -- it's just different. Then of course he has a family. He goes home and tends to them, be with them, still be a father. ... Then we go back in the afternoon for more."

After missing most of last season with a wrist injury, Williams' development will be one of the biggest storylines to watch this season in Chicago.

"Even before the season ended last year, I was telling him how important this summer is for him," DeRozan said. "Coming into his third year, so much experience and understanding what needs to be done is gained your first two years. You kind of let it all out going into your third year."

-- Collier

Bulls give an update on Lonzo's knee

The Chicago Bulls did not have a firm timeline for Lonzo Ball's return when they met with the media Monday at the United Center.

Bulls vice president Arturas Karnisovas said the team and Ball's representatives reached a crossroads over the summer with Ball's recovery from a left knee injury suffered in January before electing to have another surgery, which is scheduled for Wednesday in Los Angeles.

"First of all, we gave him every opportunity to rehab and get back on the court without doing the surgery," Karnisovas said. "So that was our thought process, obviously with the thought in mind of what's best for the player. ... We need to do something else."

Ball is expected to be reevaluated in four to six weeks following the surgery, which will sideline him for training camp and at least the start of the regular season.

Chicago remained optimistic about its chances to compete while noting how improved the Eastern Conference would be this season, pointing to guards Alex Caruso, Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White, as well as new addition Goran Dragic, as players who will pick up the slack in Ball's absence.

"Anytime you lose a good player, it's always challenging," Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. "I think we'll have to see how these guys gel and mesh once training camp starts and we start practicing. I think we have enough back there that we can get the job done."

-- Collier

Clippers take the throne -- the kicks throne

The LA Clippers have several stations where players stop by to take pictures at media day. One is a kicks station, complete with an elevated throne. Paul George stopped by to show off his latest "PG" model and talk about his favorite kicks growing up -- the first shoes he loved were the Nike Huaraches worn by Michigan's Fab Five. Marcus Morris Sr. stopped by to greet George, who saw Morris wearing several gold chains with his uniform and said he should've worn his gold chain as well.

John Wall unloaded a bag of sneakers while Kawhi Leonard stopped by to look at all of Wall's kicks. Wall shouted, "Hey Klaw!" to ask what he thought. Leonard said Wall could use some New Balances -- his shoe sponsor -- but added, "You got some Kobes in there."

-- Ohm Youngmisuk

Jaylen Brown addresses KD trade talks

While the focus of media day in the Boston suburbs was on the suspension of coach Ime Udoka, and the fallout from it, Jaylen Brown also addressed one other lingering storyline from the offseason: his inclusion in trade discussions for Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant.

"Yes and no," Brown said when asked if he'd talked to the front office about the trade discussions. "I've talked to my teammates, I've talked to ownership, organization, etc. I keep those conversations between us. All I can say is that now that I'm here, I'm ready to play basketball. I'm in great shape, probably the best shape of my life, so I'm excited to start the journey. Things have gotten to the start that we wanted it to go, but that's life sometimes, so put our best foot forward and do what we gotta do."

Brown, who will turn 26 next month, has blossomed into one of the NBA's top wing players, and he and Jayson Tatum are among the league's elite wing combinations. But it also isn't the first time his name has come up in such a scenario, as it did when superstars like Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard were available in the past.

Brown alluded to that when asked how it felt to go through that this summer, hinting that it's not the first time he has had to do so.

"I don't know how to answer that," Brown said. "It's been the same since I've been here, so it wasn't surprising or it wasn't not surprising, it didn't make me feel some type of way or whatever.

"It is what it is. I talked to my teammates, organization about it and now I'm just ready to play basketball."

-- Tim Bontemps

Keeping Luka fresh after a busy summer

Luka Doncic will likely get a lot of time off during training camp. The Mavericks want to proceed with caution when it comes to their MVP candidate, who spent his summer starring for the Slovenian national team, including playing in seven EuroBasket games earlier this month.

Unlike the past two years, Doncic reported to training camp this month in game shape. However, he took a beating during EuroBasket, playing through injuries to his shooting wrist, ankle, head and back.

"We're going to start a little light, but as we all know in this room, Luka loves to play basketball," coach Jason Kidd said. "He's ready to go, but we want just to start slow. This is a marathon. He just got done playing, but anytime he sees the practice game plan and sees scrimmage, he's ready to play."

Doncic, Kidd and Mavs director of player health and performance Casey Smith will discuss the superstar's involvement in practice on a daily basis. Doncic, whose EuroBasket run ended prematurely when Poland pulled off a stunning upset over Slovenia in the quarterfinals, said he feels "fine" physically.

"I'm probably not going to do everything, but I'm going to do a lot," Doncic said. "I don't know. We're still trying to figure out a plan."

--Tim MacMahon

When will Robert Williams III be ready?

When the NBA Finals came to a close a little more than three months ago, both the Boston Celtics and starting center Robert Williams III said they anticipated rest -- and not surgery -- would be the thing to fix his left knee that caused him problems throughout the playoffs.

But then came last week, when the team announced Williams not only had surgery on that same left knee, but that he wouldn't be able to resume basketball activities for another 8-12 weeks.

"I just feel like it never got back to what it was," Williams said when addressing why he chose to have surgery. "That's the bottom line.

"So, we want to do 100 percent of rehab and do things the right way."

The injury was the second significant blow to Boston's depth in the past few weeks, after free agent signing Danilo Gallinari tore his ACL in a World Cup qualifier for Italy in late August.

But Williams, who had a meniscectomy in late March and came back in less than a month to play in the first round of the playoffs against the Brooklyn Nets -- and ultimately missed seven playoff games as he shuttled in and out of the lineup as the knee flared up -- said repeatedly he had "no regrets" about playing through it.

"I'm solid, for sure," Williams said. "I played in the Finals, homie. You win some, you lose some, but I don't regret my decision at all. I was 24 years old and my dream was to play in the Finals. I don't regret that s---."

-- Bontemps

How do you do, fellow kids?

Mavericks have a plan for newcomer Christian Wood

The Mavericks' plan for Christian Wood, their most prominent offseason addition, is to use him as a sixth man.

Coach Jason Kidd confirmed that during media day, but it might have been news to Wood, who was acquired from the Houston Rockets in June for the No. 26 overall pick and four end-of-bench players.

"This is my first time hearing about it," said Wood, who was straight faced at first and then laughed, somewhat uncomfortably.

Wood averaged 19.1 points and 9.9 rebounds as the starting center for the rebuilding Rockets the past two seasons and is entering the final year of a three-year, $41 million deal. JaVale McGee will start at center for the Mavericks, as the 34-year-old lob threat and rim protector was promised during the free agency recruiting process.

"I'm motivated either way -- off the bench or starting, either way," Wood said, noting this is the first time in his career that he has had an opportunity to contribute to a winning team. "It's something I could figure out. I'm not really worried about who's starting the game, more so concerned about who's finishing the game.

"If people are asking like, 'How would he feel about coming off the bench?' I'm not too worried. It's something that most likely will [be discussed] in talks with extensions and talks with free agency, but during the season, it's not going to get me off of my pivot."

Wood profiles as a potential Sixth Man of the Year candidate if he embraces the role. He has proven the ability to score efficiently, is a threat to roll or pop after screening and figures to get a lot of good looks around the rim and at the 3-point line when paired with MVP candidate Luka Doncic.

"I want C. Wood to be himself," Kidd said. "I don't need him to be 'The Microwave.' I just need him to be C. Wood."

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NBA media days - The best quotes from around the league as teams kick off the 2022-23 season - ESPN

Wine & Dine in the D at Westin Book Cadillac Hotel: Explore gourmet food, wine, beer, spirits and more from local restaurants for a good cause. A fundraiser for Cure Multiple Myeloma Corporation and the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, the evening features food from popular restaurants like SheWolf, Crispellis Bakery, Mootz Pizzeria, the Silver Spoon, Zao Jun and more. Hear live music from Ursula Walker and the Buddy Budson Quintet. 5 p.m. Sept. 29. $195-$295. 1114 Washington, Detroit. (248) 921-1576. Curemultiplemyeloma.org.

Chick-fil-A opens in Southfield: The newest Metro Detroit location for Chick-fil-A is opening Thursday in Southfield. Owned and operated by Southfield-bred Matthew Leverett, this location will be open Mon.-Sat. for dine-in, drive-thru and carryout service, including mobile carryout and mobile drive-thru ordering. 28550 Telegraph, Southfield. chick-fil-a.com.

Taste of Black Spirits at Garden Theater: A celebration of BIPOC-owned spirit brands and companies from across the globe, the Taste of Black Spirits returns to the Garden Theater for a second event, showcasing Black-owned alcohol brands such as Duke & Dame, Anteel Tequila, Tycoon Cognac and Brough Brothers Bourbon. 5-11 p.m. Fri. $55-$100. 3929 Woodward, Detroit. Search for tickets on Eventbrite.com.

The Upright opens Friday: A new underground cocktail bar opens Friday inside popular Detroit restaurant Oak & Reel. The cozy bar serves craft cocktails and small plates like Bolognese arancini and cacio e pepe pasta fritti. The Upright is open 7 p.m.-midnight Fri.-Sat. No reservations needed or taken, except for parties of six or more. 2921 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit. (313) 270-9600.

Go to Italy with PizzaPlex: Southwest Detroit pizzeria PizzaPlex is offering a package trip overseas to Naples, Italy. Happening Dec. 2-7, travelers will get a hands-on cooking class, guided tours, a visit to the Amalfi coast, lodging, transportation and meals. Sign-up deadline is Friday. Learn more at pizzaplex.com/tour-to-naples.

Hazels launches Pacific Coast menu: Next week creative and seafood-forward Birmingham restaurant Hazels will launch their newest menu, this one inspired by the flavors and fruits of the Pacific Coast. Expect a lot of seafood, including additions to the raw bar and menu staples like their lobster rolls, token burger and fried chicken. The Pacific Coast menu starts Oct. 5 and will run through the end of 2022. 1 Peabody, Birmingham. (248) 671-1714. Eatathazels.com.

Detroit Cocktail Classic 2022 at Eastern Market: Hot brands, popular bars and expert bartenders come together for this annual event. 7 p.m. Oct. 7. $50 in advance, $65 day of. VIP tickets also available. Shed 3, 2934 Russell, Detroit. eventbrite.com/e/detroit-cocktail-classic-2022-tickets-320920500857.

Pietrzyk Pierogi celebrates National Pierogi Day: Detroit Polish food company Pietrzyk Pierogi is honoring National Pierogi Day on Oct. 8 with unique flavors. Try their sweet apple annie pierogi with Michigan apples, spices and a graham cracker crumble or the savory fall harvest pierogi with sweet potato, Parmesan cheese and Brussels sprouts. All cooked pierogi will be eight for $8 on that day, too. Patrons who spend $100 or more will get a free T-shirt. 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Oct. 8. 1429 Gratiot, Suite 109, Detroit. pietrzykpierogi.com.

Melody Baetens

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Dining news and events: Cocktail parties, new menus and more - Detroit News

Texas A&M still has ground to gain to match the No. 1-ranked recruiting class last winter, but the Aggies climb inside the top 20 for the first time this cycle thanks to several key commitments.

They brought back Bravion Rogers into the mix after the speedy athlete (who projects to CB) had decommitted in early August. They also won big over future SEC rival Oklahoma by keeping ESPN 300 DT David Hicks in state. On the heels of signing an outstanding collection of defensive linemen in their 2022 class, Hicks brings impact talent and versatility with his mobility and 6-foot-4, 270-pound size. Texas A&M's class has strong quality (seven ESPN 300 commits), but is low in overall commitment numbers (12 total commits), so it remains a team to watch over the final months.

While the No. 1 spot is far from settled, Alabama has distanced itself a bit from the fierce competition with a pair of ESPN 300 additions, bringing its total to a nation-high 17. In search of their eighth top-ranked overall class under Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide scored big pulling two prospects ranked among the top 10 at their positions out of the Lone Star State in Jalen Hale, a lengthy, explosive WR with good body control, and Jordan Renaud, a big man with good quickness and agility who can bring versatility to their defensive front.

While Alabama remains No. 1 on the recruiting trail, the top-ranked team on the field, Georgia, has surged back into the top five of the class rankings. The Bulldogs bolstered their offensive line by adding a third ESPN 300 OT in Monroe Freeling, a tall but flexible OL with an outstanding frame to develop. For the second time this cycle, they have gone into Florida to land an ESPN 300 WR in Tyler Williams, a still-developing but rangy target with big-play speed. Georgia has finished with a top-three class six years in a row and sits in good position to extend that impressive streak.

Oregon and USC are in a tightly contested battle for the top class in the Pac-12. The Ducks reclaimed the lead for now by adding a pair of defensive commits, namely top-10 DT A'Mauri Washington, who has the tools to be a powerful presence in the trenches.

Florida State is off to its best start on the field since 2015 and riding that momentum to rise on the recruiting trail as well. The Seminoles landed one of the nation's elite receiver prospects in Hykeem Williams, who can be dangerous with his blend of length, excellent ball skills and blazing game speed.

ESPN 300 commits: 17 | Previous ranking: 1

SEC rank: 1 of 14Top offensive commit: QB Eli Holstein (No. 13)Top defensive commit: S Caleb Downs (No. 16)

The Crimson Tide are positioning themselves to contend once again for one of the best classes in the nation. They landed some impressive talent to their secondary with in-state pickup Tony Mitchell, who has a nice blend of length, fluidity and speed, as well as Jahlil Hurley, an agile and smooth corner with good length. Downs is the No. 1 safety who can provide a physical presence with his aggressive, hard-hitting style of play. Yhonzae Pierre might not be among the most touted names in this class, but he is a very strong in-state pickup, as he is a quick, flexible defender who can develop into a disruptive edge defender. They landed the top two RB prospects in the nation in Richard Young, an explosive and versatile back out of Florida, and Justice Haynes, who rushed for over 2,000 yards as a junior, out of Georgia. This could very well be Bryce Young's last season in Tuscaloosa, and to prepare, the Tide landed two ESPN 300 QBs. Holstein, a one-time Texas A&M commit, is an accurate passer with good arm strength and mobility for his size (6-foot-4, 225 pounds). Dylan Lonergan, who is also a very talented baseball prospect, is a poised and promising QB as well.

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2023 CFB recruiting rankings: Commits lead to top 40 shakeup - ESPN

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) Changes are coming to the New York Jets' offense.

Nothing too drastic or radical, but Zach Wilson's return as the starting quarterback allows the team to do some things it simply couldn't with Joe Flacco under center.

Certain aspects, for sure, offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said Thursday. "Zachs a different player than Joe, so obviously the plans going to be a hair different in certain ways.

Not trying to dive into it too far, for obvious reasons, but were going to do what we think is best to help the offense and Zach and all those guys to be successful.

Wilson is fully healthy six weeks after suffering a bone bruise and having arthroscopic surgery on a torn meniscus in his right knee. He's expected to start Sunday at Pittsburgh in his season debut, barring any setbacks at practice this week.

That means no restrictions on the 23-year-old quarterback whose athleticism is as much as weapon in the Jets' offense as his arm.

It's what made him so coveted in the draft last year, and had the Jets excited to take him with the No. 2 overall pick. Wilson's mobility should help open some things up for an offense that has held a lead for just 22 seconds this season where the 37-year-old Flacco more of a traditional pocket passer simply wasn't equipped to do. It's a dimension Wilson brings to the offense that has become popular with other teams in maximizing their quarterbacks' abilities.

LaFleur used Cincinnati's Joe Burrow last week's opponent and the Bengals' Super Bowl run last season as an example.

I thought there was times, just in certain situations, he almost just put his head and just found an escape route and tried to go make plays, LaFleur said. Thats not what were asking him to do were just asking Zach to go play his game, whatever hes comfortable with.

Before Wilson's preseason injury, the thought was the influx of playmaking talent the additions of Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin, in particular would help make the offense more efficient after Wilson might have had the tendency last season to try to play hero while making plays out of nothing.

On the play during which he was injured in August, Wilson was trying to get extra yards a not-so-wise display of his ultra-competitiveness.

Still, Wilson insists he isn't going to change the way he plays.

Im full go, he said. Im going to be playing ball how I can.

It's an approach if used smartly could help, especially with the state of the Jets' shaky and shuffled offensive line.

Left tackle George Fant went on injured reserve with a knee injury on Tuesday and Duane Brown is still at least a week away from returning from IR with a shoulder injury. That means career backup Conor McDermott is likely to get the start with a responsibility of protecting Wilsons blind side.

The Jets have allowed 37 quarterback pressures in three games, tied for the sixth most in the NFL. Flacco was hit 17 times, tied for the second most in the league, and sacked nine times.

Wilsons ability to make plays off-schedule and scramble out of trouble could come in handy Sunday during his return in Pittsburgh. And LaFleur believes his quarterback learned something from being sidelined the past six weeks.

The game in the NFL is when you have to protect yourself and get down, you have to get down. He knows that, LaFleur said. I have no worry that hes going to make the right decisions, but at the same time, hes going to utilize his skillset."

And Wilson isn't taking the field planning to prove anything after being away so long.

No, thats thinking too much, he said. "In my mind right now, its, Im going to give this everything I have. Im going to have fun with it. Let the result take care of itself.'

If I go out there and I play my game, I do what Im supposed, I have that short-term memory after plays and move on, I think things are going to go well.

NOTES: DL John Franklin-Myers (toe) fully practiced after being limited Wednesday. ... LB Quincy Williams (ankle) did not practice and is expected to be out for the game. ... CB Brandin Echols (hamstring) was limited.

___

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Jets' offense will be 'a hair different' with Wilson back - USA TODAY