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Nuggets Journal: Aaron Gordon says the quiet part out loud, admitting postseason fate is “on us”

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:44:24 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS – This postseason, the Nuggets can’t blame a torn ACL, a third back surgery, a lack of perimeter defenders or claim that two-time MVP Nikola Jokic ran out of gas without much help.They can’t say Aaron Gordon had too much responsibility on his plate or that their roster was devoid of title experience.Kentavious Caldwell-Pope checks that championship box, and a whole bunch of other invaluable ones, too.In Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown and Christian Braun, Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth added rugged defensive pieces that former president Tim Connelly, who’s now shepherding Denver’s first-round playoff opponent, did not. What’s the difference so far this postseason, as the Nuggets have built a commanding 3-0 lead over Minnesota? It’s the defense.They can’t say the roster didn’t have a healthy balance of veterans, either, with Jeff Green, DeAndre Jordan and Ish Smith giving them an unofficial leadership council that can soothe locker room turmoil and set an example for the...

Late nights, position clusters and “a lot of work”: Sean Payton and George Paton’s pre-draft dash has been a football get-to-know-you

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:44:24 GMT

Mickey Loomis pondered the question, straightened his face and prepared his best deadpan.A year ago, the longtime New Orleans general manager was asked how the pre-draft process changed without Sean Payton, who was settling into what ultimately would be one year away from coaching.“Quieter,” Loomis said, pausing for the laughter he knew was coming from reporters.“I’m making a joke at his expense,” he continued, explaining that he found the Saints’ preparation similar overall but altered without Payton, the veteran coach with a “strong voice.”That strong voice now shares a draft room with Broncos general manager George Paton after 15 years of going through the process with Loomis.In Denver, the pre-draft process is in many ways the ultimate football get-to-know-you between Payton and Paton. The two have not only spent hours together watching prospects ahead of the NFL Draft, which runs Thursday through Saturday, but they’ve bonded over their affinity for the art of scouti...

Kiszla: Broncos need to draft as if the jobs of Russell Wilson and George Paton depend on it

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:44:24 GMT

The Broncos must approach the NFL draft as if the jobs of two of these three men depend on it: general manager George Paton, quarterback Russell Wilson and coach Sean Payton.With only five picks in the draft, and none until the third round, maybe you think it’s a big ask for the Broncos to improve from 5-12 to the playoffs in a single year.“It is very hard to get an impact player in the third round,” cautions Paton, acting as if the Broncos would be lucky to acquire Tweedledum and Tweedledee with back-to-back selections at Nos. 67 and 68 overall in this draft.Well, then may I humbly suggest Paton must do everything in his power to ensure the Broncos trade up to acquire a player capable of not only starting as an NFL rookie but being a difference-maker.In this draft class, the position to target is a position of definite need for the Broncos: edge-rusher. From Alabama’s Will Anderson, the most sure-fire All-Pro talent on the entire board, to Isaiah Foskey, who sacked the quarterback ...

Ezequiel Tovar struggling but Rockies say he’s not in over his head: “Everybody’s going to get humbled”

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:44:24 GMT

When shortstop Ezequiel Tovar made his major-league debut late last season, he was 21 years and 53 days old, making him the youngest position player in Rockies history.Maturity was his calling card. Now, Tovar needs every ounce of that maturity as he struggles through a difficult April.He entered the weekend slashing .180/.242/.246 with four doubles, no home runs and just four walks in 66 plate appearances. His road batting average was .115. His defense has been adequate with two errors in 61 chances. He’s failed to turn some tough plays that he’s fully capable of making. But there have been glimpses of the excellence the Rockies expect from him, and over the past few games, he’s played more aggressively, both in the hole and toward the second-base bag, and it’s starting to pay off.“He’s show flashes of what he’s capable of,” general manager Bill Schmidt said.Although Tovar was not in the starting lineup Friday night in Philadelphia, t...

Should Warriors consider having Draymond or Looney come off the bench?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:44:24 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors will get Draymond Green back from league suspension for Game 4 on Sunday afternoon and (likely) beyond. Down 2-1 in a series against the Sacramento Kings that could go the distance, this team desperately needs his experience and voice back.But the way the Warriors beat the Kings in his Game 3 absence informs how they can best flip a stunning first-round series deficit.Playing Kevon Looney as the one big on the floor surrounded by shooters in Game 3 spread the floor and helped limit their turnover count to 11. With Green back in the fold, will Golden State have one of either Looney or Green start off the bench and stagger their minutes to help limit turnovers and optimize the offense?Green wasn’t into the idea that the Warriors’ offense works best with only one of the two bigs on the court at a given time. Their 120.5 offensive rating when paired together throughout the entire regular season supports that perspective.“I think it...

Walters: High living costs solidify California’s two-tier economy

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:44:24 GMT

Why California is what it is – a state with an immense economy but equally immense socioeconomic divisions – is the topic of perpetual academic, media and political debates.There is one factor, both a cause and an effect, that cannot be debated: California is an enormously expensive place in which to live and work. And if anything, the relatively high inflation that has plagued the national economy in recent years has exacerbated the angst that Californians were already feeling as they struggled to make ends meet.Gov. Gavin Newsom’s crusade against gasoline refiners, accusing them of price-gouging, exploits that angst by virtue signaling to his constituents that he’s sympathetic to pain in their wallets. However, the state’s high fuel prices are just a tiny fragment of the state’s high cost of living and its corrosive effects.How high? Insure.com, a website that analyzes insurance costs, recently updated its comprehensive, state-by-state guide to living costs of all kinds, and revea...

Bed Bath & Beyond, once hot, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy following years long effort to revive home goods retailer

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:44:24 GMT

UNION, N.J. (AP) — Bed Bath & Beyond, once hot, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy following years long effort to revive home goods retailer.Source

Herbert wins Handa Championship in playoff

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:44:24 GMT

OMITAMA, Japan (AP) — Australian Lucas Herbert outlasted Aaron Cockerill to win the Handa Championship on the second extra hole Sunday for his third world tour title.The pair finished the final round tied on 15-under 265 after Herbert just missed a birdie putt from 20 feet on the 18th for a 67. Cockerill had a chance to take advantage but saw his second shot on the last find a bunker and was lucky to save his par and force the playoff after a closing-round 68.After both players made par at the first extra hole, Herbert did well to recover from a wayward tee shot on the second extra to secure his first win since the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open title in 2021.Scotland’s Calum Hill took sole third place with a 14-under 266 despite shooting a tidy 5-under 65 in the final round.___More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

German government, trade unions agree on wage deal for public workers

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:44:24 GMT

The German government, local authorities and trade unions reached a deal late Saturday on higher pay scales for the country’s 2.5 million public-sector workers, staving off the possibility of indefinite strikes. “We have accommodated the unions as far as we can responsibly do under difficult budgetary circumstances,” said Nancy Faeser, the country’s interior minister. Trade union Ver.di had called for significant raises as the country, like many others across the Continent, grapples with high inflation.Among other things, the deal entails tax-free one-time payments totalling €3,000 in several stages, with the first €1,240 to be handed out in June, followed by €220 each month from July to February 2024. In March 2024, monthly pay for all public workers will increase by €200, followed by a 5.5 percent salary increase, with a minimum increase of €340. The agreement runs for 24 months. The compromise is largely based on a proposal by arbitrators who were called i...

Russia running the UN Security Council is going about how you’d expect

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:44:24 GMT

The United Nations is accustomed to oddity, absurdity and a certain amount of hypocrisy. But the eye-rolling is hitting epic levels this month as Russia has taken over the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council and used it to defend its war on Ukraine.Already, the Kremlin has held sessions to cast its abductions of Ukrainian children as a protective measure and accuse Western countries of being irresponsible on arms control by sending weapons to Kyiv.Another shot looms Monday, when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is scheduled to chair a Security Council meeting on defending the principles of the U.N. Charter — a pact designed in part to prevent wars.“They’re trying to troll us,” an American official familiar with the U.S. operations at the United Nations said in describing the Russian tactics. “They’re picking topics where they know some of their most egregious actions in this war are centered, and they’re trying to flip the narrative on its head. We’re not going to...