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Celtics, Theis agree on two-year, $10M deal

Published in Basketball
Tuesday, 02 July 2019 12:43

Restricted free agent F/C Daniel Theis has agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal to stay with the Boston Celtics, CAA agents Michael Tellem and Aaron Mintz tell ESPN.

Theis will compete for minutes in the frontcourt, including at backup center. Boston lost five-time All-Star Al Horford in free agency, but signed free agent center Enes Kanter to a two-year deal and return 2018 first-round pick Robert Williams.

Theis, 27, has averaged 5.5 points and 3.9 rebounds in his two seasons with the Celtics.

Theis, a four-time German All-Star, played two seasons with the Brose Bamberg of the EuroLeague.

Sources: Mavs, Finney-Smith agree on new deal

Published in Basketball
Tuesday, 02 July 2019 12:07

Restricted free-agent forward Dorian Finney-Smith has agreed to a three-year, $12 million deal to re-sign with the Dallas Mavericks, sources told ESPN.

Finney-Smith has developed into a quality role player since joining the Mavericks as an undrafted rookie three years ago. He averaged 7.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game last season and is one of Dallas' best perimeter defender.

The Mavs still have more than $22 million in salary-cap space and hope to sign Danny Green, according to sources. Green is waiting for two-time title teammate Kawhi Leonard to make his free-agency decision before determining whether he will accept Dallas' offer.

The Athletic first reported Finney-Smith's deal.

Sources: 76ers offer Simmons $170M max deal

Published in Basketball
Tuesday, 02 July 2019 11:40

The Philadelphia 76ers offered All-Star guard Ben Simmons a five-year, $170 million maximum extension, and the sides are working through contract details toward an eventual agreement, league sources tell ESPN.

Sixers general manager Elton Brand and Simmons' agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, have until mid-October to finalize a rookie extension, but there's a shared expectation a signed agreement will come significantly sooner, league sources said.

Simmons, the 2016 No. 1 overall pick and 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year, is one of the cornerstone stars for the 76ers. His teammates, including All-Star center Joel Embiid (five years, $150 million), Tobias Harris (five years, $180 million) and Al Horford (four years, $109 million) have been secured with long-term deals.

Simmons, 22, averaged 16.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists for the Sixers last season. At 6-foot-10, he has one of the NBA's most unique skill sets as a playmaker and finisher at the rim.

How will the Sixers make these new pieces work?

Published in Basketball
Monday, 01 July 2019 18:14

Once again the Philadelphia 76ers have a new look, and once again it looks great on paper. Regardless of what Kawhi Leonard chooses to do in NBA free agency, the Sixers will enter next season as legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference. Despite losing JJ Redick and Jimmy Butler, the quick acquisitions of Al Horford and Josh Richardson keep the Sixers in the conversation.

Still, the best NBA teams possess both strong offenses and defenses, and Philly is not there yet. Last season the Sixers ranked just 11th in net rating. The offense worked (No. 8 in the NBA), but the defense was just average (No. 14). That's not good enough.

The good news is that both new guys arrive with sterling reputations for getting stops. It's easy to imagine this new group becoming a top-10 defense soon.

During Horford's tenure in Boston, he was the centerpiece of one of the league's most dependable defenses. Out of the 15 NBA bigs who defended at least 2,000 pick-and-roll plays last season, Horford ranked second in efficiency, per Second Spectrum tracking. Opponents scored just 0.93 points per direct pick when Horford was defending the screener. Joel Embiid -- no slouch on defense either -- allowed 0.94.

Meanwhile, with the Miami Heat, Richardson built his brand by playing outstanding perimeter defense. He provides Philly with an active, versatile wing capable of frustrating even the world's best perimeter players. Just ask JJ Redick, or watch Richardson here:

play
0:16

Richardson steals, finishes fast break with a dunk

Josh Richardson gets a steal and slams home a two-handed fast-break dunk for the Heat.

Richardson is a top-notch 3-and-D wing who pairs that elite defense with above-average 3-point shooting. He's no Redick, but Richardson made 36% of his 3s last year, which is right at the league average. However, that 36% is a little misleading.

Drilling down a bit further, it's clear that Richardson is better at some kinds of 3s than others. In Philly, it's likely his 3-point activity will skew toward his strengths and away from his weaknesses.

Last year, Richardson hurt his overall 3-point efficiency by launching a bunch of off-the-dribble 3s. He made just 28% of them. As he moves from Miami's anemic offensive environment (which ranked No. 26 in efficiency last season) to Philly's star-studded lineup, his usage rate will dip and his shot quality will rise.

Richardson is much better in catch-and-shoot situations than he is off the bounce. Last season, he hit 38% of his catch-and-shoot 3s (69th percentile, per Second Spectrum), and perhaps no young player in the world is as good at creating such shots than Ben Simmons, his new teammate. Last season, Simmons' passes led to 782 3-point shots for his teammates. Nobody in Miami had more than 312 ... and that was Richardson himself, who has developed into a much better playmaker over the course of his career. Unlike Butler, Richardson will be content to play off the ball and stretch the floor, making him an ideal wing alongside Simmons.

Richardson may not be as good as Redick as a shooter, but he's really good at hitting open catch-and-shoot 3s. His shooting percentage jumped to 42.4% (73rd percentile) when his defender was at least 6 feet away. Simmons created 452 such open looks last year, and it's fair to expect Richardson's 3-point activity to skew toward his strengths in Philly, where he'll play alongside higher-usage teammates who command a lot of defensive attention.

While Richardson seems like an ideal player alongside Simmons and Embiid, Horford's fit is a little more concerning. According to Basketball-Reference, Horford spent 92% of his time as a center last season. Philly already has a pretty good center. Can Horford and Embiid play together? In an era defined by smaller and smaller lineups, Philly is making a bet that they can.

It helps that both dudes are versatile two-way players. Horford is light-footed enough to guard smaller guys on defense and skilled enough to spread the floor on offense. He's a much better passer and floor general than Embiid, but it's still fair to question how these giants will space the floor in tandem. At least they'll have some time to experiment and figure it out during the regular season.

Horford doesn't clog up the paint or need to post up to thrive on offense. He's an efficient offensive player who does his best work in the paint and from downtown.

He's another screener, another passer and another catch-and-shoot threat for head coach Brett Brown to play with on offense. Furthermore, he's an unselfish chameleon who already has demonstrated he'll do what it takes to fit in.

The challenge may be on defense. Will smaller, faster opponents be able to exploit the relative slowness featuring Horford and Embiid? Maybe, but Horford is no ordinary center. If he can effectively defend opposing 4s, Philly should be just fine, especially considering the fleet of help defenders who surround him. When Simmons is locked in, he can help clean up defensive miscues that arise.

And here's the thing: The Horford acquisition enables Brown to stagger his lineups (and his load managements) in ways that consistently will keep at least one great big on the floor. Embiid is likely to miss time, and Horford helps mitigate that. Similarly, the presence of Embiid helps Philly manage the minutes of its brand-new 33-year-old big man. Their combined presence means both can get more nights off while not needing to play more than 30 minutes per game.

Even if Kawhi returns to the Raptors, the East is wide-open. Toronto deserves to be the favorite to start the year, but Philly is right there with the Milwaukee Bucks threatening to dethrone the champs. And if Leonard leaves, the East looks like a two-team race between the Bucks and Sixers.

Last season, the Bucks logged the best record in the league because they paired a great offense with a great defense. With the arrival of Richardson and Horford, the Sixers are in the process of doing the same thing.

Reports: Machado loses appeal, will sit vs. Giants

Published in Baseball
Tuesday, 02 July 2019 12:36

Manny Machado's appeal of his one-game suspension was denied, and the San Diego Padres star will serve it Tuesday night by sitting out against the San Francisco Giants, according to multiple reports.

Major League Baseball had issued the punishment to Machado for "aggressively arguing and making contact'' with plate umpire Bill Welke on June 15. Machado was ejected for arguing a called third strike, but denied that he made contact with Welke. His appeal was heard Friday, according to reports.

The MLB Umpires Association took exception to the one-game suspension, saying it was a "slap in the face."

"One game..one single game. What kind of precedent is that setting? It is NOT okay to throw a temper tantrum and physically touch someone of authority, just because you don't agree. Violence in all workplaces is not tolerated. Period," the MLBUA said in a Facebook post.

MLB called the response "inappropriate" in a statement. Machado is batting .276 with 20 home runs and 57 RBIs for the Padres after signing a $300 million, 10-year contract in spring training.

Yankees place Voit on 10-day IL with ab strain

Published in Baseball
Tuesday, 02 July 2019 10:37

The New York Yankees have placed Luke Voit on the 10-day injured list after the first baseman suffered an abdominal strain during Saturday's game in London.

Voit felt tightness while running the bases in the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox and was removed from the game.

He described the injury as "a little tightness, but nothing crazy," but did not play in the second game of the series. The IL move is retroactive to Sunday.

Voit, 28, is hitting .280 with 17 home runs and 50 RBIs. He was 4-for-4 with three doubles in Saturday's game prior to the injury.

In related moves, infielder Mike Ford and left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr. were recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, while right-hander Chance Adams was optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

In the tight-knit world of baseball in the Dominican Republic, the legend of the kid spread quickly. He was a switch-hitter with world-class speed, an arm nobody would challenge and the body of a man. Someone called him El Marciano, and the nickname stuck. The Martian, it meant. Because there was no way he was from this world.

The praise for Jasson Dominguez started when he was barely a teenager, and it abounds still. And come this Tuesday, when he is expected to formalize a deal with the New York Yankees that includes a $5 million signing bonus, the 16-year-old center fielder instantaneously will become the most fascinating prospect for the game's most storied team, his debut next year eagerly anticipated by those who haven't seen him as well as by those who have.

That latter group includes general managers, international scouting directors and other front-office personnel -- professional skeptics -- who still can't help but lavish Dominguez with the sort of compliments reserved for the top 1 percent of the top 1 percent. Nearly every description begins with a caveat that goes something like: "I know this sounds crazy, but ... "

"But," one general manger who has seen him said, "he's like [Mike] Trout. And Trout wasn't close to this good when he was 16."

"But," an international scouting director who tried and failed to sign Dominguez said, "it's like Mickey Mantle. He's not 6-foot. He's a switch-hitter. He's got crazy power. He's fast as s---. He loves playing."

"But," another general manager said, "he's like -- what's that running back's name? The short, strong one? Maurice Jones-Drew. He's all muscle. But it's not stiff. He's twitchy. Can move in all directions."

Another veteran international scouting director didn't offer a player comparison but did summarize Dominguez simply: "He's the best July 2 player I've ever seen."

July 2 is the annual signing day for international amateurs, and in recent years as technological advances and superior scouting practices have helped better identify the best Latin American players, Dominguez has distinguished himself on raw numbers. He regularly reaches upward of 110 mph exit velocities swinging from both sides of the plate. Only 28 major leaguers have hit a ball 110 mph at least 10 times this season. Dominguez, two scouts said, has clocked around 6.3 seconds in the 60-yard dash. That's faster than Mo Hampton, arguably the best athlete in the MLB draft class of 2019, who decided instead to play cornerback at LSU this year.

This is not like the days of Jackson Melian, a hyped Yankees prospect from Venezuela who never made the major leagues. The conviction is stronger, the signings seen less as gambles and more as investments. It's what invites the comparisons -- that they're not based on physique or some other intangible alone.

"Jasson has a game that's very much like Mike Trout -- except he's a switch-hitter," said Ivan Noboa, Dominguez's trainer in the Dominican Republic. "It's a hard name for me to say, because it's really high expectations for a 16-year-old. But what Jasson is we all know. I know it's a little bit unfair to put them next to each other. It's a heavy weight to carry. But if someone can do it, it's him."

Dominguez arrived at Noboa's academy around his 13th birthday. Even then, he cut a strong figure, different from the wiry boys Noboa had hoped would grow into something. Today, Dominguez is 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, the exact measurements Mantle was listed at during his playing days.

Every day at Noboa's academy, Dominguez woke up before the sun rose and started his training regimen. He was a natural left-handed hitter whose right-handed stroke caught up. He took reps at shortstop and even catcher, but his speed suited him best in center. At one point, Noboa said, he started to think about where Dominguez stood among those he had trained, including Texas Rangers outfielder Nomar Mazara. That answer was clear: the best.

"I've been doing this for a long time," Noboa said, "and it's not just the guys who train with me. He's the greatest talent I've seen."

It's a talent few have seen by design. Unlike the Dominican Prospect League and International Prospect League, organizations that showcase young Latin American players across a multitude of games, Noboa prefers private workouts. Dominguez rarely if ever played in games against teams comprised of non-Noboa-trained players. One international scout said it scared him off of Dominguez.

That didn't stop others. Among those who expressed significant interest in signing Dominguez, according to sources, were the Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays, St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Angels. Each was fighting an uphill battle, considering the history of the Dominguez family.

"Jasson has a game that's very much like Mike Trout -- except he's a switch-hitter. It's a hard name for me to say, because it's really high expectations for a 16-year-old. I know it's a little bit unfair to put them next to each other. It's a heavy weight to carry. But if someone can do it, it's him." Ivan Noboa, Jasson Dominguez's trainer

Before Dominguez was born in February 2003, his father, Felix Dominguez, and his mother, Dorca Gonzalez, were trying to settle on a name. His dad had the perfect one: Jasson, like Jason Giambi. Yes, Felix Dominguez, an enormous Yankees fan, really did name his son after Jason Giambi, and, yes, that second "s" really is superfluous and it's pronounced like Jason.

The Yankees' affinity for Jasson Dominguez can be summed up by his cost. Rarely does a 16-year-old Latin American player demand $5 million, let alone get it. In an unrestricted market, a player like Dominguez, two international directors said, would receive at least a $10 million bonus. The league's collective bargaining agreement limits what teams can spend on international amateur talent. The largest bonus pool is $6.48 million. The Yankees' limit is slightly less than $5.4 million. Essentially, they believe Dominguez is worth more than 90 percent of their pool, which itself says something considering the Yankees' recent success in the Latin American market.

The reality: Every team knows how valuable a high-caliber prospect can be. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. project to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars each. Even though he's only 18, Wander Franco, now the game's No. 1 prospect, could well develop into a $100 million shortstop for the Rays. Before Dominguez, Franco had received the largest signing bonus since fixed pools were instituted: $3.825 million. Dominguez, multiple evaluators said, is that level of player -- "and he might be better," according to one.

Even his most ardent fans acknowledge that because Dominguez is so strong, so fully developed at 16, there might not be room for the sort of growth Tatis experienced as he filled out. Neither that nor the lack of outside game action gave two international scouts pause. What Dominguez possesses now, they said, is plenty.

He can't show it until next year, as 16-year-olds don't play the season they sign their contract. Which means Yankees fans must wait. The baseball world too. The good news is that now they have plenty of time to prepare themselves for something they'll believe only when they see. Orson Welles was right after all. The Martian is coming.

Australian Nick Kyrgios demonstrates the best and worst of his game as he beats Jordan Thompson in five sets to reach the second round at Wimbledon.

FOLLOW LIVE: Wimbledon 2019: Nick Kyrgios goes through after beating countryman Jordan Thompson

Available to UK users only.

Find out how to get into tennis with the BBC Get Inspired guide.

Eight-time champion Roger Federer survived a first-set scare to see off South African debutant Lloyd Harris and reach the Wimbledon second round.

Federer, 37, moved through the gears to win 3-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 on Centre Court.

After Harris left the crowd stunned by taking the opener, Federer began to find his rhythm and rattled off victory in one hour and 50 minutes.

The Swiss, aiming for a record-extending ninth men's title, could face Britain's Jay Clarke next.

Clarke, 20, is out on court against American Noah Rubin, with a prize of meeting the 20-time Grand Slam champion awaiting.

More to follow.

Ron Jon Surf Shop Backing Tifft At Daytona

Published in Racing
Tuesday, 02 July 2019 07:16

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Ron Jon Surf Shop, the iconic surfer style retailer, will sponsor Front Row Motorsports and Matt Tifft during the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona Int’l Speedway on July 6.

Ron Jon Surf Shop is celebrating the brand’s 60th anniversary in 2019.

Ron Jon Surf Shop is known for offering the surf, beach and active lifestyle to visitors from around the world. Ron Jon Surf Shop currently operates stores throughout Florida and in other locations along the eastern seaboard including Ocean City, Md., Orange Beach, Ala., two locations in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and its original location in Ship Bottom, N.J.

Ron Jon Surf Shop carries all of the beach essentials needed to have fun in the sun and features a wide assortment of surfwear, swimwear, sunglasses, hats, footwear and many other items perfectly suited for the casual beach lifestyle.

“NASCAR fans obviously like spending a lot of time outdoors,” said Heather Lewis, Marketing Director of Ron Jon Surf Shop. “There’s a natural correlation between their core fans and our customers. We’re excited to team up with Matt Tifft once again and help carry our message and values to a broader audience.”

“It’s so great to have Ron Jon Surf Shop on the car at Daytona,” said Tifft. “If you grew up going to beaches on the east coast, they’re a brand you instantly recognize. To have them with us, celebrating their 60th anniversary is a huge honor and I can’t wait to turn heads on track with this car.”

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