The trade-deadline acquisition of Lance Stephenson represented a wager by the Grizzlies that he was misused and underused, that they would be the ones to figure out how best to deploy him effectively, something no one’s been able to figure out since the Pacers. It starts with minutes: Stephenson had his best season when he was starting and getting 35 minutes a game in Indiana, but the Hornets quickly relegated him to rotation duties, while the Clippers could not for the life of them decide if he belonged in the starting five or off the bench, and at what position: they used him everywhere from point guard to power forward, and they used him sparingly, averaging under 16 minutes a night before his trade. The Grizzlies, despite their deeply weird roster, can promise more playing time, with a better-defined role, and they’re counting on that consistency, plus the incentives of a contract year, translating to a revival for the mercurial swingman. (And hot damn, do I dislike using the word “mercurial,” which is loaded and over-broad and attempts to cram a career’s worth of backstory, including things as far-ranging as legal troubles and dogged practices, to into a single overused word, but then again terms don’t become hoary if readers don’t know exactly what they represent, and what’s the point of language if not to efficiently convey meaning?) Early returns are not discouraging. In two games, including last night’s 128-119 win over the Lakers, Stephenson is averaging 23 minutes, 12 points, 3.5 boards, and 1.5 assists. But who cares about any of that. Watch this: Contact the author at [email protected].
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Cesc Fabregas has told Chelsea to feel the fire inside in next Saturday s FA Cup final against Manchester United.
Antonio Conte s side finished a disappointing fifth in the Premier League in 2017-18, meaning they will not play in next season s Champions League.
The cup showdown with United at Wembley offers a chance for last season s league champions to finish their campaign on a high, in what could be Conte s last match in charge.
And Fabregas, who married Daniella Semaan in a lavish ceremony on Tuesday, is desperate to finish the campaign with silverware after they ended their league season with a 3-0 loss to Newcastle United.
Just married to the woman of my dreams Thank you Pamela, , for making this day so perfect
— Cesc Fàbregas Sol…
Sevilla right-back Diogo Figueiras will spend the upcoming season on loan at Serie A club Genoa.
The 24-year-old has featured regularly for the UEFA Europa League winners since making the move from Pacos de Ferreira in 2013.
Yet to be capped by Portugal, Figueiras will move to Genoa on loan for the 2015-16 campaign, with the Italian club having an option to make the deal permanent.
Figueiras joins a side that finished sixth in the league last term, but were denied a UEFA licence to feature in the Europa League.
…
Benjamin Mendy owned his big mistake in Manchester City s 3-2 loss to Wolves in the Premier League on Friday.
City s title chances took a huge hit with the loss at the Molineux, where they led 2-0 despite Ederson s early red card.
Adama Traore, who had earlier scored, set up Raul Jimenez for the equaliser after dispossessing Mendy before Matt Doherty s 89th-minute winner.
Mendy accepted he made a huge error, but the left-back is desperate to improve.
It s easy to talk when everything is going well, but it s hard to do when s*** hits the fan, he wrote on Twitter.
It s easy to talk when everything is going well, but it s hard to do when sh*t hits the fan Big mistake tonight and I owe you my best for your continued support. Time to keep our heads up…
Auckland City have withdrawn from the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup.
The New Zealand club had been nominated as the Oceania Football Confederation s (OFC) representative for the tournament in Qatar, which is scheduled to begin on February 1.
However, the quarantine measures in place in New Zealand in relation to the coronavirus pandemic have led Auckland to pull out.
They had been set to face Al-Duhail in the opening game but that contest will now not take place.
A FIFA statement read: FIFA has today [Friday] been informed by Auckland City FC that, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and related quarantine measures required by the New Zealand authorities, the club will be unable to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup 2020.
Despite FIFA s regular ex…
Jamaica s Reggae Boyz face a must-win home match Wednesday in order to keep alive their dreams of a spot at the 2010 South Africa World Cup from the North, Central American and Caribbean zone.
Three of six spots in next year s final round-robin qualifying tournament are at stake while the United States, Costa Rica and El Salvador have already clinched their places in the 2009 showdown for three places in South Africa.
The Jamaicans will host eliminated Canada while Group B leader Mexico will travel to Honduras with each team vulnerable to being overtaken by Jamaica and eliminated should the Caribbean squad conquer the winless Canadians.
With Mexico on 10 points at 3-1-1 and Honduras on nine at 3-0-2, the Jamaicans on 2-1-2 for seven points must win to have a …
Jakub Blaszczykowski believes that Borussia Dortmund s derby clashes with Schalke are the most important fixtures of the season.
The reigning Bundesliga champions head into the crunch match on Saturday on the back of a 3-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday, which secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Juergen Klopp s men lost 2-1 to Schalke earlier this season, and Blaszczykowski is refusing to let the 10-point gap between Dortmund in second place in the Bundesliga and their rivals in sixth give the team a false sense of security.
The derby games are always a bit special. It’s an important game for us here, the most important of the season, the attacking midfielder told Bundesliga.com.
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Slaven Bilic believes West Ham could benefit from sending Enner Valencia out on loan to Everton after an injury-hit 2015-16 season.
The Ecuador forward joined the Hammers after impressing at the 2014 World Cup, and scored five goals in each of his two full seasons with the club.
However, with Valencia starting just 10 league games last term due to a number of fitness concerns, he has now made a temporary switch to Everton in order to find his best form.
And Bilic is satisfied that West Ham have managed to find an outcome that suits both the club and one of its key men.
I like Enner as a player and when I was coming to the club I marked him as one of our key players, he told the club s official website.
I rate him highly and he knows that. His la…
Wolfsburg left-back Ricardo Rodriguez has extended his contract with the Bundesliga club until 2019.
The Switzerland international s deal at the Volkswagen Arena had been due to expire in 2016.
Premier League side Manchester United have previously been linked with a move for Rodriguez, but he was now committed his future to Dieter Hecking s men.
A talented attacking full-back, Rodriguez has proven to be a useful goal threat for Wolfsburg since joining from Swiss Super League side Zurich in January 2012.
Rodriguez has scored 13 goals in his Wolfsburg career and will be aiming to add to that tally in the second half of the Bundesliga season.
Wolfsburg are second and trail leaders and defending champions Bayern Munich by 11 points, a gap they can …
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Looking to keep up their recent momentum at Anfield, defending champions Liverpool will host Brighton from behind closed doors on Wednesday night.
Liverpool
Starting with the hosts, while Liverpool might have found themselves enduring a concerning five-match Premier League winless run last month, there is no doubt that the mood in their camp should be on the rise. Appearing to have refound their form over the past week, Jurgen Klopp s side really capitalized on the slip-ups around them. Putting in another eye-catching display over the weekend in another trip to the capital, the defending champions cruised their way to a 3-1 romp at a high-flying West Ham on Sunday afternoon. Managing to build off of that thumping display away at Spur…
Belgium international Nacer Chadli has joined Anderlecht on a season-long loan from Ligue 1 side Monaco.
The 30-year-old arrived at the Stade Louis II from West Brom ahead of the 2018-19 campaign but was restricted to just 22 appearances in all competitions.
He was an unused substitute for the opening-day defeat to Lyon on Friday and will now link up with Belgium team-mate Vincent Kompany, who took over as Anderlecht s player-manager in May, with Monaco confirming the loan deal on their official website.
Former Manchester City captain Kompany has endured a difficult start to the season with his side picking up just two points from their opening three Belgian First Division A games.
Chadli, who has made 51 appearances for Belgium, has also enjoyed spells w…