That is an article model of the CBS Sports activities HQ AM E-newsletter, the final word information to on daily basis in sports activities. You may signal as much as get it in your inbox each weekday morning right here.
Please test the opt-in field to acknowledge that you just want to subscribe.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep watch over your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
🏀 Good morning to everybody, however particularly to …
ZACCHARIE RISACHER
For the second consecutive yr, a French participant went No. 1 total within the NBA Draft. This yr, it was Zaccharie Risacher, who heard his title known as by the Atlanta Hawks.
Risacher, 19, started his professional profession by taking part in for ASVEL Basket, the crew owned by former San Antonio Spurs star Tony Parker. Final season, Risacher was loaned to JL Bourg, the place he instantly grew to become a standout.
In 23 video games, Risacher averaged 11.3 factors per recreation whereas taking pictures 54.1% from the sector and 45.0% from past the arc. Our personal Sam Quinn says Risacher nonetheless has some work to do on that shot, however he has all of the bodily instruments essential to change into a star within the NBA.
- Quinn: “He has good defensive instruments, can deal with the ball and has, at occasions, flashed a formidable jumper. He’s streaky on that entrance, and his NBA future could very effectively be dictated by how a lot that shot develops, however he brings a bit little bit of all the pieces to the desk as a 19-year-old. If he grows into the form of participant the Hawks suppose he will be, then he has an opportunity to be the sort of wing that matches onto any roster no matter who else it has.”
CBS Sports activities NBA professional Adam Finkelstein graded every first-round choice, and the Hawks earned a stable “B” for his or her Risacher decide. It might not be flashy on the floor, however Risacher’s ceiling is excessive.
The No. 1 total decide actually got here all the way down to a pair of Frenchmen, with Alex Sarr coming off the board instantly after Risacher, going to the Washington Wizards at No. 2 total. A 3rd French participant, Tidjane Salaun, was drafted at No. 6 total by the Charlotte Hornets.
For these like myself, who did not get previous freshman algebra in school, meaning half of the primary six picks have been from France. That makes French basketball certainly one of Brad Botkin’s clear winners from the primary spherical.
Try each decide from the primary spherical (and observe the second spherical later at present) with our 2024 NBA Draft Tracker. It was additionally a busy night time on the commerce market, so you’ll want to evaluate the wheeling and coping with our commerce tracker.
👍 Honorable mentions
💸 And never such a superb morning for …
Getty Pictures
DALTON KNECHT
Yearly, there appears to be a participant compelled to endure a slide on nationwide TV. This yr, that participant was Dalton Knecht, former Tennessee star.
Knecht was projected to be a top-10 decide on this yr’s draft, and our CBS Sports activities consultants anticipated him to slide no decrease than No. 8 total. As an alternative, Knecht needed to wait effectively past the No. 10 total choice till the Los Angeles Lakers finally took him with the No. 17 decide.
In some methods, that could be a blessing for Knecht — if not for brand spanking new coach JJ Redick and LeBron James — stated CBS Sports activities NBA author James Herbert.
However there are some very clear drawbacks to his slippage. Knecht’s delight might need been a bit bruised within the second, however his monetary portfolio will endure the most important hit. Knecht may solely watch as thousands and thousands of {dollars} left his checking account with each crew that handed on him. That is why our personal Brad Botkin listed Knecht as one of many first spherical’s largest losers.
- Botkin: “Because the No. 17 decide, Knecht is slated to make $18.5 million over his first 4 years within the league. Had he gone No. 6, he would’ve been in line for over $34 million. Taking part in with LeBron is cool and all, however give me the $16 million. There is no such thing as a assure that any draft decide, irrespective of the place they go, will make it within the NBA. However the cash on the first-round slots is assured via the primary three seasons.”
After all, one participant’s loss may very well be one other crew’s achieve. That was actually the case for the Lakers.
Not solely did Brad have the Lakers down as an enormous winner for touchdown maybe the most important steal of the opening spherical, however the decide additionally earned the one “A+” of the night time in Adam Finkelstein’s draft grades.
👎 Not so honorable mentions
⚾ MLB mid-season grades
Getty Pictures
The 2024 MLB season is already midway over, and it is time to ship report playing cards dwelling.
Our MLB consultants have handed out mid-season grades to every crew, and there are a handful of honor roll college students. A number of groups, together with the defending World Sequence champions, should attend summer time college if they do not get issues straightened out.
The one crew that obtained an “A+” was the Philadelphia Phillies. They sit atop the NL East with a 53-27 file, and the Phils have a 7.5-game cushion over the Atlanta Braves. All the things is clicking for Philly proper now, as our personal Dayn Perry explains.
- Perry: ” about Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola. This yr, nevertheless, Ranger Suárez and Cristopher Sánchez have pitched on their degree to date, and that provides the Phillies frontline-grade rotation depth that is the envy of just about each different crew in MLB. On the opposite aspect of issues, Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, and Kyle Schwarber have helmed what’s been a top-tier offensive assault to date.”
One other valedictorian candidate is the Cleveland Guardians, a crew that has come out of nowhere to utterly bludgeon opponents with an electrical energy surge.
If the Phillies and Guardians are on the high of the category, the Texas Rangers want to search out some additional credit score.
The defending champs are six video games below .500 and seven.5 video games out of first place within the AL West. That poor efficiency was sufficient to earn the Rangers one of some “F” grades.
🏈 Bryce Younger able to put rookie yr within the rearview
Getty Pictures
The No. 1 total decide within the 2023 NFL Draft is already in search of a bounce-back season. Bryce Younger‘s rookie season was a catastrophe, however the Carolina Panthers quarterback has already put it in his rearview mirror.
Younger is coming off a season through which he averaged simply 179.8 yards per recreation, threw one fewer interception (10) than touchdowns (11) and bought sacked a whopping 62 occasions. That most likely wasn’t the NFL debut the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner was anticipating.
Our personal Jonthan Jones sat down with Younger, who’s already taking steps to shake off his brutal 2023 marketing campaign. Younger is aware of dwelling on the failures and hardships of final yr will not assist him enhance in 2024.
- Younger: “I am massive on controlling what I can management and ensuring that that is what’s focusing. No matter occurred the previous yr — the great, the dangerous, no matter. It isn’t one thing that I can management. It isn’t one thing that holds sway over what we’re doing anymore. So I believe the extra vitality you placed on stuff that does not have any impact on what we’re making an attempt to be. You may take away from the objective in itself.”
One purpose to consider Younger can take a leap ahead in 2024 is the teaching workers overhaul. Turnover is not often good for younger QBs, however when the crew went 2-15, how a lot can it actually harm?
Former Buccaneers OC Dave Canales is now the top man in Carolina, and he helped revive Baker Mayfield‘s profession in Tampa final season. The Panthers additionally went out and traded for receiver Diontae Johnson and spent massive cash to enhance their offensive line.
Nonetheless, Younger does lacks elite weapons on the skin. The Panthers have zero gamers in our rating of the highest 20 NFL large receivers. Perhaps rookie Xavier Legette can change that in 2025.
📺 What we’re watching Thursday
⛳ Rocket Mortgage Basic — Spherical 1, 3 p.m. on Golf Channel
🏀 2024 NBA Draft — Second Spherical, 4 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Copa America — Panama at USA, 6 p.m. on Fox
🏅 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials, 6 p.m. on USA Community
🏒 2024 NHL Awards, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Aces at Sky, 7 p.m. on Prime Video
🏅Â U.S. Olympic Monitor & Discipline Trials, 8 p.m. on NBC
⚾ Guardians at Royals, 8:10 p.m. on FS1
⚽ Copa America — Uruguay at Bolivia, 9 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Fever at Storm, 10 p.m. on Prime Video