Beyond The Press
Posts
🏈 Comeback of a Lifetime

🏈 Comeback of a Lifetime

January 16, 2023

Good morning BTP family! What a wild first weekend of NFL playoffs it has been so far. Between a very impressive playoff debut from Brock Purdy and an incredible comeback by Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars, Wild Card Weekend did not disappoint. In the NBA, LeBron James became the 2nd NBA player to hit 38k points as he and Kareem are the only two to hit this impressive mark. James now sits just 364 points away from passing Kareem to become the number-one scorer in NBA history. A mark that may never be broken again.

In today's BTP we break down the Jaguars insane comeback win over the Chargers, possible destinations for Deandre Ayton now that he is trade eligible, and is this the end of the line for D'Angelo Russell and the Minnesota Timberwolves?

Start the week off strong!

INSANE COMEBACK

Jaguars Pull Off One of the Greatest Comeback Wins Of All Time

Don’t look now but the Jacksonville Jaguars are moving on to the Divisional Round! After the Chargers built a 27-0 first half lead, things seemed very grim for the Jaguars. Trevor Lawrence threw four first half interceptions including three to Asante Samuel Jr. alone. But yet another Brandon Staley lead collapse was destined to take place.

Trevor Lawrence played lights out in the second half fueled by three second half touchdowns compared to his four first half interceptions. Lawrence totaled up 211 yards and three touchdowns in the second half with a passer rating of 144.5. The Jaguars eventually rallied from 27 points down to pull off the third-largest comeback in playoff history. Trevor Lawrence really turned what looked like the worst postseason debut in NFL history into one of the most impressive comebacks of all time.

After the game, Lawrence said, "You couldn't write a better script to win a game like that tonight, so it makes it more special, but don't want to do that again. Got to take care of the ball. That’s where it starts.” Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson was impressed by Lawrence's demeanor to stay composed and not get down on himself after a rough start. After the game he said, “…from an individual standpoint, this is really a great performance by our quarterback." The Jaguars will look to keep the momentum up as they are set to play the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium next weekend.

ON THE MOVE

Is Deandre Ayton Leaving the Suns?

Don’t be fooled by the $133M max contract or how quickly the Suns’ matched his offer sheet; Deandre Ayton isn’t finishing his career in Phoenix. The writing has been on the wall for Ayton since the Suns refused to extend him following their 2021 Finals run, and now that he is officially eligible to be traded, he likely will be. There are no guarantees in the NBA, but here are a few landing spots where the talented center could find himself playing next month.

Toronto Raptors

The Raptors have wildly underperformed this season, and there are credible rumors that they could look to tear it down. So a package of All-NBA forward Pascal Siakam for the younger Ayton, plus a handful of first-round picks could satisfy both sides. At this stage in their careers, Siakam is an upgrade over Ayton and would give Booker a true second star while Toronto improves their draft lottery odds for Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson, collects future draft capital, and gets a damn good player in Ayton. Ayton isn’t asked to do much in Phoenix’s offense, but he has so much untapped potential that a coach like Nick Nurse might be able to unlock.

Chicago Bulls

Every contender in the NBA would love to land Alex Caruso at the trade deadline, but few teams are actively shopping a player as talented as Deandre Ayton as a potential return. Given Ayton’s age and upside, a combination of Caruso and Nikola Vucevic could get the job done for Chicago.

The Bulls, like the Raptors, should seriously consider entering a rebuild, and not only would this trade help them creep to the bottom of the East, but big-picture, Ayton could be a foundational piece for this next phase of Bulls’ basketball. Caruso’s stellar defense and team-friendly deal are an obvious fit for the Suns, but the three-point shooting Vucevic could also thrive in Phoenix and get plenty of open looks in their guard-centric offense.

Other Teams

Several other teams are interested in Ayton, but for a variety of reasons, they may not be able to get a deal done before the February 9th deadline. Obviously, Indiana has some level of interest as they signed him to an offer sheet last summer, but because of that, they’re not eligible to trade for him for a year. Charlotte is interested, but they lack the kinds of contracts needed to help make salaries match. Orlando and San Antonio could also be options, but they are more likely to wait until they know where they stand in the 2023 draft order before making such a significant trade.

END OF THE LINE

D'Angelo Russell Stuck in Minnesota?

There’s no easy solution for the Minnesota-D’Angelo Russell problem. Russell was supposed to be Minnesota’s point guard of the future when he arrived via a 2019 sign-and-trade that netted Golden State Andrew Wiggins and the pick that became Jonathan Kuminga. While Minnesota would obviously like a do-over, it’s important to remember that at the time, they desperately needed help at the point guard position while also hoping that by bringing in KAT’s best friend, they'd get some goodwill from their franchise player. But it hasn’t worked out as planned.

In many ways, D’lo is still a productive and talented player, but he hasn’t exactly lived up to that $117M contract, and it’s put them in a tricky spot. With their eyes on the postseason, the T-Wolves need D’lo’s play-making, especially as they wait out KAT’s injury, but keeping him around and not re-signing him is hugely detrimental to their cap space. Should Russell stay put and sign with another team in free agency, Minnesota would not inherit his $31.3 million salary in open cap space.

Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a robust market for point guards at Russell’s salary level. The Heat have checked in about Russell, likely for some kind of Kyle Lowry swap, and the Clippers and Suns are reportedly looking to improve their backcourts, but there’s no way they could fit his $31M cap hit without seriously altering the look of their team. Whether they like it or not, the two sides are likely stuck together for this season and beyond.

THE RUMOR MILL

Bulls' Zach LaVine, Wizards' Bradley Beal Among Stars Whose Trade Restrictions Lifted

Lakers News: Reporter Believes This Trade Could Return LA To Contender Status

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

January 16, 1966: Chicago is granted an NBA franchise to be called the Bulls; becomes the 3rd NBA franchise in the city, after the Chicago Stags (1946-50) and Chicago Packers/Zephyrs (Wizards)