We all laughed at the Falcons…
…but perhaps they pulled a fast one on all of us? And no laughing at Chris Finch today, even if his predicament does fascinate us.
Did Falcons Nail Draft After All?
What Happened: The NFL wrapped up its annual draft on Saturday, the last major opportunity for teams to remake their rosters during the offseason.
Now that oddsmakers have a better feel for what the landscape will look like heading into the 2024 season, championship odds have been tweaked, even if these new additions don’t even have playbooks from their new teams just yet.
Why It Matters: There’s a good lesson here in how the public perceives something versus how sportsbooks do.
Many observers couldn’t wrap their heads around the Falcons, after giving Kirk Cousins a boatload of guaranteed money in free agency, drafting an older prospect at QB in Michael Penix Jr. But Atlanta saw its Super Bowl odds move from +3000 to +2400, signaling that Vegas is a believer in whatever the plan is.
A lack of a plan has effects too. The Cowboys, knee deep in a strange offseason that has them playing chicken with both their franchise QB and head coach after a stunning playoff loss, watched their title odds worsen from +1300 to +1500. Perhaps avoiding a headline-grabbing move will pay off, but for now, Jerry Jones’ front office has delivered an underwhelming effort.
How We’re Feeling Today
Wondering how the Timberwolves will proceed in Round 2 of the NBA playoffs.
Obviously, the players shouldn’t change a thing. They just swept the Suns after all. Stay the course, etc.
But what happens with coach Chris Finch, who ruptured his patellar tendon after a collision with Minny guard Mike Conley?
Feels like half the job of an NBA coach is to stalk the sideline and engage in histrionics in front of the refs to signal disapproval. Are the T-Wolves going to be inspired by the sight of their coach in a leg brace? Or will they lose some spirit as he fails to properly berate an official from a chair on the bench?
The potential for another Hugh Freeze moment is invigorating.
The Look Ahead
Mark Stone SOG – The Vegas captain has been pretty quiet since his return to the lineup in Game 1 following a lacerated spleen that caused him to miss the final 26 games of the regular season. He had a goal in Game 1, but has been held pointless on just three shots since. The Golden Knights have a chance tonight to seize a 3-1 series lead, and they’ll look to their captain to deliver (on a 1.5 SOG line), which is why Stone’s output should go up tonight.
LeBron James POINTS – LeBron picked up more of the scoring load in Game 4 with his Lakers’ season on the line, dropping 30 for the first time in the series. LA still has its back to the wall, so we’d expect James to again shoulder more of the offense in another win-or-go-home contest. His line for tonight is 26.5; if he doesn’t get to that figure, it probably doesn’t bode well for the Lakers anyway.
