Bafana coach robbed

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba was robbed on Thursday evening, according to reports.


|||

Johannesburg - Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba was robbed on Thursday evening, according to reports.


Thieves broke into Mashaba’s car as he entered a fast food outlet in Auckland Park ahead of his interview with Metro FM's Robert Marawa.


Shakes reportedly told Marawa during the interview later that he made a stop at a fast food outlet in Auckland Park “for a few minutes” but when he returned he found his car had been broken into.


“A number of personal items were stolen, among them my two cellphones and a laptop,” he said.






from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1C3DOZK
Read More

Fifa sets date for 2022 WC final

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Fifa ended more than four years of uncertainty over the timing of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar by announcing that it would be played in November and December.


|||

Zurich - Fifa ended more than four years of uncertainty over the timing of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar by announcing that it would be played in November and December with the final on December 18.


Spokesman Walter De Gregorio said the winter tournament would probably last 28 days, instead of the 32 for last year's finals in Brazil, but this was still to be decided.


“The executive committee today ... decided that, yes, we are going to play in November and December and, yes, the final is going to be played on Dec. 18,” De Gregorio told reporters at Fifa headquarters.


“It's a Sunday and it's also the national day of Qatar and, in principle, we try to play in 28 days.


“The next steps will be to have different talks especially related to the match calendar,” he added, referring to the 2019-22 cycle of international fixtures and the 2023 African Nations Cup in Guinea that is scheduled to be played in January.


Thursday's news was widely expected after the November/December period had been recommended by a task force of soccer's ruling body Fifa.


It will be the first time the tournament has been played outside the European summer.


Qatar was awarded the event in December 2010 on the basis it would take place in the summer in air-conditioned stadiums.


But within days Franz Beckenbauer, an executive committee member at the time, and Uefa president Michel Platini suggested a winter World Cup would be possible.


Qatar always said a summer World Cup was viable thanks to cooling technologies it is developing for stadiums, training areas and fan zones. However, there was still widespread concern for the health of players and supporters.


The decision could set Fifa on a collision course with the European clubs who had suggested staging the tournament in May as a compromise.


The European Clubs Association (ECA), which represents more than 200 teams, previously said they would demand compensation for interrupting the league season.


In addition to the tournament, clubs must release players two weeks before for training and warm-up friendlies.


The ECA demand had already been rejected by Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke who said the switch to November/December was a one-off.


Qatar still faces controversy for its treatment of migrant workers, mainly from Nepal and India, employed in the construction industry.


Fifa president Sepp Blatter has said Qatar must do more to protect those working on 2022 sites. – Reuters






from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1xlzxkx
Read More

Wenger wants away-goal rule scrapped

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Arsene Wenger last night called on Uefa to scrap the away-goals rule which accounted for both Arsenal and Chelsea in this year’s Champions League.


|||

Arsene Wenger last night called on Uefa to scrap the away-goals rule which accounted for both Arsenal and Chelsea in this year’s Champions League.


Wenger has been fighting for some time with European football’s governing body to abolish a rule he claims is outdated and actually promotes the defensive tactics it was designed to deter.


‘It’s not a debate I want to create because we lost,’ said the Arsenal boss. ‘We were not good enough and we have to accept that. The rule is the rule and we have to be better than the rule.


‘But I think the modern game has changed. This rule was created in the 1960s to encourage teams who just kicked people away from home because it was not on the television, to attack instead.


‘Since then it has changed. This is not the case any more. Barcelona goes to Manchester City, and they play like they play at home.


‘The super-defensive football has gone and I don’t think it will come back. The weight of away goals is too big. What it does today is to encourage the team at home not to attack. You protect your clean sheet because it becomes vital. So it encourages more defensive football in some situations than offensive football.’


Wenger — who would support the introduction of the system used in the Capital One Cup semi-finals, where away goals count but only after extra time — has a more pressing problem, with Theo Walcott asking for a significant pay rise if he is to sign a new contract.


Talks over a new deal have begun with Walcott nearing the final year of his contract. The forward earns around £90,000 per week, but he will ask for a sum significantly north of £100,000 per week before agreeing to an extension.


It remains to be seen whether the Gunners will meet the demands but his current position in Wenger’s plans may provide an indication.


Since returning from a long-term injury, Walcott has struggled for regular football, with the likes of Olivier Giroud, Danny Welbeck, Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla, Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all vying for a slot in Wenger’s four attacking positions.


Arsenal top-earners, Sanchez and Ozil, pick up in the region of £140,000 per week and the club are unlikely to offer Walcott anything near that, particularly given his lack of games.


His wage demands could lead to another drawn-out contract saga, similar to the discussions for his existing deal which nearly saw him leave. Liverpool and Manchester City will be monitoring Walcott’s situation closely ahead of a potential summer move. – Daily Mail






from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1xlzwNx
Read More

Messi not one of the all-time greats

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Lionel Messi was at his brilliant best against Manchester City and the knee-jerkers have been out in full force proclaiming him as the greatest footballer of all time.


|||

Lionel Messi was at his brilliant best against Manchester City and the knee-jerkers have been out in full force proclaiming him as the greatest footballer of all time.


Steady on, boys and girls.


Barcelona’s little maestro was just having fun with one of our pot-holed Premier League defences.


It was a delight to watch Messi enjoying himself and it was hard to keep a straight face when he made a laughing stock of a player described by City’s manager as the complete English footballer.


If James Milner really is that, it begins to tell us something of what’s wrong with the England team.


But sublime performances like this from Messi merely perpetuate the riddle of why he has failed to fully deliver on the greatest stage of all. The tango he danced around poor old City does not erase the memory of how he fell short — not for the first time at a World Cup — in Brazil last summer.


Russia 2018 represents his last chance to gatecrash this list of the top five players in the history of the beautiful game — and by the way, I saw them all:


Pele — There can be no arguing with the three World Cup glories, the thousand goals, the rare art of making the impossible look simple, nor that extraordinary ability in the air for a comparatively short man. And by the way, the great Brazilian was also as hard as nails.


Diego Maradona — Not only as mind-boggling to watch on the ball as Messi but capable of winning the glittering prizes single-handed — as he did in lifting Argentina to one World Cup triumph and, when virtually crippled, to the final of another. Forget our English angst about the Hand of God. Remember the genius.


Garrincha — Revered as greater than Pele in Brazil, where they worship pure, incredible magic on the ball. He was the divine inspiration for two of his country’s World Cup triumphs, perhaps most notably in 1962 when he assumed the mantle of leadership from the injured Pele.


Alfredo di Stefano — One of only three who played in all of Real Madrid’s first five European Cup wins. He ran things from midfield, inspiring dazzling moves which he then turned into goals as he arrived in the box. At his greatest when Ferenc Puskas joined him at the Bernabeu. Don’t just take my word for it. Pele and Eusebio described him as ‘the most complete footballer of all time’.


Cristiano Ronaldo — Exempt from our World Cup statute by virtue of playing for second-tier Portugal, yet still did more for his country in Brazil than Messi. He, too, is blessed with little Leo’s dexterity on the ball but also brings physical power and serious pace to the argument as to which of them should be the representative of the modern era occupying the final place in this list. – Daily Mail






from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1Fc1bTq
Read More

Spurs wanted to sell Kane - Sherwood

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Tim Sherwood insists senior figures at Tottenham wanted to "sacrifice" England new boy Harry Kane to bring in a foreign striker.


|||

Tim Sherwood insists senior figures at Tottenham wanted to ‘sacrifice’ England new boy Harry Kane to bring in a foreign striker as recently as January 2014.


The Aston Villa manager said he refused to sanction the move as head coach and instead picked the then unproven forward regularly during the run-in.


Sherwood said: ‘There were people at the club who wanted to bring in another striker and sacrifice Harry Kane. I wouldn’t allow that to happen. They know who they are. That’s why they should trust the people who know football within the club and not listen to outside influences who are trying to flog them a player.


‘If they would have brought in somebody last January and his name ended in an “I” or an “O”, the fans would have been very excited, but I’m not sure he would have given them the same output as Kane has given.’


Since 2011, Kane has gone on loan with varying degrees of success to Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich and Leicester, before sparking to life with 26 goals this season. Sherwood insists only Championship clubs would have been interested in the striker 14 months ago.


‘A lot of people would have taken him but no-one would have put their hand up in the Premier League,’ said Sherwood.


‘Everyone will tell you now that they always believed he would be a top player. But he had a few loans and a few managers never played him. They’d like him now, wouldn’t they?’ – Daily Mail






from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1MSQvID
Read More

News sport : Phillies 'aren't going to score a lot of runs' says Ruben Amaro Jr.

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

(USA TODAY Sports)

The fall from perennial contender to cellar-dweller has been precipitous for the Philadelphia Phillies.


After being the class of the National League for a half-decade, they've suffered through losing seasons each of the past two years. These comments from general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. certainly don't inspire any reason to expect it's going to get better this season. Amaro told MLB.com's Todd Zolecki he isn't overly optimistic about his team's offensive abilities:



"We're not going to score a lot of runs. We've been saying that. We'll have to scratch them. We're not going to scare anybody with our power, but that doesn't mean we can't score runs. We're going to have to manufacture them. We're going to have to do it with our legs. We're going to have to do it with our brains and aggressiveness."



[Yahoo Sports Fantasy Baseball: Sign up and join a league today!]


A look at Philadelphia's spring training stats confirms Amaro's assertion. Phillies hitters have combined for a .597 OPS in 17 Grapefruit League games and they weren't much better during the 2014 season.


Ryan Howard is the team's only true power threat, but he's far from the player he was in his prime and there's no guarantee he'll be in Philadelphia long-term. According to the latest report, the Phillies are willing to eat the majority of what's left of his sizeable contract to ship Howard out of town.


Thrown in Cliff Lee's most recent elbow injury and the Cole Hamels trade rumors and you can see why Philadelphia is a popular pick to finish with the worst record in baseball.


More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:





- - - - - - -


Israel Fehr is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter.






from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1C3nLLm
Read More

News sport : MLB to start every game on season's final day at the same time

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

(Getty Images)

Looking to add even more excitement to race for the postseason, Major League Baseball has announced a scheduling change they hope will do just that.


Every game on the regular season's final day will start at the same time. The 2015 season ends Sunday, Oct. 4, and first pitch is set for 3 p.m. ET in all 15 games across MLB.


Here's what the league's COO Tony Pettiti told Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times about the decision:



"If a game impacts another game, they're all occurring at the same time, so no team would be put into a lame-duck situation because their fate already had been decided by an earlier result. If we do have games coming down to the wire, we want to make sure we maximize that day. We're hopeful that the races will come down to the last day of the season. We want to make sure we celebrate the end of the season properly."



[Yahoo Sports Fantasy Baseball: Sign up and join a league today!]


There were two instances last season where simultaneous starts would have impacted the way the final day played out.


The NL Central title and second AL wild-card spot had not yet been decided, but staggered start time cut down the potential drama in a big way. The Pirates' loss earlier in the day meant the Cardinals clinched the division before taking the field for Game 162 and they were able to rest ace Adam Wainwright for the NLDS. The Mariners needed a win and an A's loss to force a tiebreaker in the wild-card, but they were eliminated halfway through their game when Oakland wrapped up a victory.


Having all the games begin simultaneously will force desperate teams to play to win, regardless of what's happening at another ballpark.


Let's hope at least a couple playoff races come down to the wire this season so we can see this great idea come to life.


More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:





- - - - - - -


Israel Fehr is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter.






from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1H98j3E
Read More

News sport : Who throws a shoe? Arkansas player gets away with it against Wofford

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

One of the stranger moments of the first day of the NCAA tournament came with 5 minutes left in Arkansas-Wofford game when Razorbacks senior guard Rashad Madden decided to kick his shoe off because it was aleady coming off.


Madden's shoe sailed into the stands and a teammate on the bench behind the play decided to toss an extra shoe to Madden like an ice hockey player giving a stick to player on the ice who has lost his.


[DraftKings: Free $25,000 March Madness Fantasy Basketball Contest]


The move forced officials to stop the game for several minutes and review the film only to issue a delay of game warning to the Arkansas bench instead of assessing a technical foul. Arkansas led 20-18 at the time but Wofford managed to take a one-point lead into the locker room at halftime.



- - - - - - -


[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1FbqDbJ
Read More

News sport : All five teams from state of Texas eliminated on first day of NCAA tournament

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

We’re one day into the NCAA basketball tournament and the entire state of Texas has been eliminated.


All five teams from the Lone Star state lost in the first round Thursday with several having their hearts broken in the final seconds. Fans of Texas, Baylor, SMU, Texas Southern and Stephen F. Austin can turn their attention back to the state’s pastime, the football season.


[DraftKings: Free $25,000 March Madness Fantasy Basketball Contest]


No. 14 seed Georgia State upset No. 3 seed Baylor on R.J. Hunter’s 3-pointer in the final seconds. The Bears gave up a 12-point lead and watched Hunter rip the cords with a deep shot from well beyond the top of the arc, touching off another wild celebration with his father, coach Ron Hunter, who tore his Achilles tendon last week when the Panthers won the Sun Belt title. \The Hunters were not the only father-son duo to celebrate at a Texas team’s expense Thursday. UCLA coach Steve Alford watched his son, Bryce, make nine 3-pointers to lead the 1th-seeded Bruins to a 60-59 upset of No. 6 SMU.


Bryce Alford’s final shot seemed off target but was swatted away by SMU center Yanick Moreira, who as called for goaltending. SMU missed two potential game-winning shots and UCLA advanced after three days of listening to criticism of its inclusion in the tournament because of a lackluster track record.


Indiana is the only other state with five teams in the bracket this year and the Hoosier state got off to a strong start with Notre Dame and Butler each posting wins and Purdue losing in overtime to Cincinnati..


Buter’s 56-48 victory in the Midwest Region came at the expense of Texas and coach Rick Barnes, who could be on the verge of losing his job after 17 years at the school. The Longhorns haven’t advanced to the tournament’s second weekend since 2008.


Few expected 15th-seeded Texas Southern to beat No. 2 seed Arizona in the West Region. The Wildcats had way too much winning 93-72.


Stephen F. Austin, a 29-game winner, was a popular upset pick against Utah on Thursday night in the classic 5-12 seed matchup. The Lumberjacks upset VCU last season in their first-ever NCAA tournament and there they were within two points of the Utes in the final minute before losing 57-50. And the state of Texas was done.


- - - - - - -


[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1B8mMol
Read More

News sport : Cursed San Francisco 49ers suffer yet another linebacker loss

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

The San Francisco 49ers are cursed. That's got to be it at this point.


After the firing of head coach Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers have undergone a series of dramatic changes, including a slew of free-agent departures and the retirement of linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland.


Now they can add injury to insult with the news that reserve linebacker Chase Thomas has torn his ACL while working out at Stanford, according to sfgate.com. Thomas played for the Cardinal and made the 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2013 and added depth at outside linebacker, where the team is a bit thin beyond Aldon Smith, Ahmad Brooks and Aaron Lynch.


Was Levi's Stadium built on a fault line? At this point, we'd expect no less. Things appear to be crumbling a bit in San Fran.


- - - - - - -


Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!






from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/198eiqt
Read More

News sport : Cincinnati forces overtime with dramatic layup then beats Purdue

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

Cincinnati came from seven points down in the final minute to force overtime with Purdue on a crazy layup from Troy Caupain that rolled around the entire rim and hung on the back of the rim for a split second before dropping through.


Purdue missed two free throws and four 3-point shots in the overtime and the Bearcats won 66-65 to advance to the second round.


[DraftKings: Free $25,000 March Madness Fantasy Basketball Contest]


But it was Caupain's drive to the basket and his shot at the end of regulation that will be remembered most from this one. Caupain scored six of his 10 points in that pivotal final minute of regulation for the Bearcats and in overtime.


The Bearcats victory was a feel good moment on a wild first-day of the tournament. They have been playing since December without coach Mick Cronin, who has been sidelined with health problems. Cronin did travel with the team to Louisville. He tweeted a selfie with assistant coach Larry Davis being interviewed on a television screen behind him.



Cincinnait's reward is a likely matchup with No. 1 overall seed Kentucky on Saturday.


- - - - - - -


[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1C2zXfx
Read More

United job? It’s my last, says Van Gaal

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal will retire from football when he leaves his job at Old Trafford.


|||

London - Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal will retire from football when he leaves his job at Old Trafford, he was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph on Thursday.


“This is my last job. For sure,” he said in an interview published on the newspaper's website.


“I have to pay attention to my kids, my grandchildren but also to my wife. They deserve it. Now I cannot pay that attention.”


The 63-year-old Dutchman, whose United contract runs until 2017, has managed some of the world's top teams including Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich, and guided the Netherlands to the World Cup semi-finals in Brazil.


“It is an honour and a challenge to be coach of United because I was trainer-coach of No. 1 (team) in the Netherlands, No. 1 in Spain and No. 1 in Germany,” he said.


“I had a choice to be manager of different clubs (like Tottenham Hotspur). I have chosen the No 1. I am very proud. I don't think there are many other coaches who can say that.”


Van Gaal, who won the Champions League with Ajax in 1995, said he had always set out goals.


“Everything that I've reached I've set in advance - that I go to the Premier League for example,” he added.


“I said it a year before (the World Cup) to my federation, and everybody was 'aghhh, it is not possible'. I said: 'I go after the championships'. One experience in the world championship is, for me, enough.”


At United his ambition is to build a team capable of winning the Champions League and Premier League.


“That's our goal, yes, and it depends on how we end this season,” he said.


“We have to qualify for the Champions League and we have many tests next year. That also develops the level of your team, and of course how many players can come in to improve our selection.”


Once Van Gaal has finished with the rebuilding job at United he plans to retire to the Algarve with his second wife Truus, who he said had wanted him to quit for the last five years.


“I have a paradise in Portugal. I want to quit to go there, play golf, eat fantastic food. There are very good wines in Portugal. There is the beach, the very beautiful weather.”


Reuters






from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1B8fuku
Read More

News sport : Cincy's Octavius Ellis ejected for cheap elbow to Purdue's A.J. Hammons (Video)

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

Things are getting a bit chippy in the Midwest region matchup between No. 8 seed Cincinnati and No. 9 seed Purdue.


[DraftKings: Free $25,000 March Madness Fantasy Basketball Contest]


Early in the second half, Purdue 7-footer A.J. Hammons was facing a double-team down low from Cincinnati forwards Octavius Ellis and Gary Clark, so he kicked the ball out to teammate Vince Edwards. As Edwards rose up for a shot, the 6-foot-10, 226-pound Ellis tried to establish a box-out on the 261-pound Hammons, but only after throwing an elbow toward Hammons’ neck.



That cheap shot resulted in an flagrant foul and an ejection for Ellis, the tallest player on Cincy’s roster. Ellis is also the team’s leading scorer and rebounder and already had scored seven points in the game to that point.


Defending Purdue, who also have mammoth 7-foot-2, 297-pound freshman Isaac Haas on the roster, in the paint is a huge challenge for opponents, but Ellis can’t lose his cool in that situation.


It remains to be seen if Ellis’ ejection ends up costing the Bearcats.


- - - - - - -


Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!







from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1981AIu
Read More

News sport : Rick Barnes future at Texas in doubt after another early exit for Longhorns

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

Rick Barnes might be done at Texas after the Longhorns lost 56-48 in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Butler on Thursday, ending a season some believed should have ended in the NIT instead.


Losing to Butler was no surprise considering Texas has a lengthy list of lackluster performances over the past two months. The Longhorns once were ranked in the top-10 earlier this season but fell apart in conference play and never lived up to the potential of the talent on the roster.


[DraftKings: Free $25,000 March Madness Fantasy Basketball Contest]


Athletic director Steve Patterson has a tough call to make. He already has overseen one Texas coaching legend's departure, when football coach Mack Brown departed following the 2013 season. But that wasn't as much his call as this will be. Texas hasn't been to the Sweet 16 since 2008.


Barnes has been at Texas for 17 years and is the winningest coach in the program's history. He was named to the Texas Hall of Honor in September. His future with the program was the clear focus of Texas beat writers when the end of the season arrived Thursday.




And Texas fans are clearly restless witht the status of the program. Barnes was given a contract extension a year ago after the Longhorns advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament before losing. he would be owed $1.75 million if he is fired before April and $1.5 million if he is let go after April 1, the Dallas Morning News reported.


- - - - - - -


[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1C27xSV
Read More

News sport : The 10-man rotation, starring the Golden State Warriors, leaving no doubt

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

A look around the league and the Web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.


[DraftKings: FREE entry to huge cash Fantasy Basketball Contest with first deposit]


C: Talking Points. Tim Kawakami on how Wednesday night's party showcased the Golden State Warriors at their best, thanks in large part to Andre Iguodala — one of the reserves who, as I noted earlier Wednesday, needed to have a bigger game to balance Golden State's attack — looking his best.


PF: Hang Time. John Schuhmann details how the absence of Kyle Korver hamstrung the Atlanta Hawks' offense on Wednesday.


SF: Sports Illustrated. Rob Mahoney on how Draymond Green's quick release — which produced a 5-for-7 mark from 3-point land on Wednesday — sets him apart from many stretch-four types, and helps keep the Warriors' pristinely paced-and-spaced offense humming.


SG: Valley of the Suns. The Phoenix Suns have fallen off of late, and looked to be in deep trouble after losing trade-deadline acquisition Brandon Knight to a sprained ankle. If they want to stay in the hunt for the No. 8 seed out West, here's five games they absolutely can't drop — including Thursday night's matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans.


PG: The Oregonian. A great look by Mike Richman at how the Portland Trail Blazers have become one of the league's best defensive teams, a decidedly unsexy process two years in the making that has Terry Stotts' club entering Thursday's action ranked seventh in the NBA in points allowed per possession. (They were sixth before Dwyane Wade and company dropped a jewel on 'em on Wednesday.)


6th: Raptors Republic. William Lou takes an in-depth look at the arguments for and against Dwane Casey getting James Johnson involved in the rotation as the Toronto Raptors head toward the playoffs: "Johnson is best when he’s a power forward, but there are two better options ahead of him in the rotation. However, if he plays at small forward, there isn’t enough shooting on the floor."


7th: The Hook. Tom Ziller makes the case that Chris Paul — not Stephen Curry, not Russell Westbrook, not James Harden, not LeBron James and not Anthony Davis — most deserves the 2014-15 NBA Most Valuable Player Award. It's a pretty good case!


8th: VICE Sports. Neil daMause explains why the proposal included in President Barack Obama's budget to ban the use of federal-tax-exempt bonds to fund the construction of sports stadiums probably won't actually keep team owners from looking to states, cities and towns to foot the bill for their buildings.


9th: SB Nation. Paul Flannery talks to Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge about rebuilding for the future while also trying to compete for a playoff berth in the present — the latter element of which, frankly, is not something many of us thought the Celtics would have to worry about this season.


10th: RealGM. Speaking of the Celtics, Brett Koremenos takes a closer look at some of the creative yet uncomplicated ways that head coach Brad Stevens has dialed up plays to create great, clean looks late in games as Boston has made its postseason push.


- - - - - - -


Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!



Stay connected with Ball Don't Lie on Twitter @YahooBDL, "Like" BDL on Facebook and follow BDL's Tumblr for year-round NBA talk, jokes and more.






from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1C27y9l
Read More