It only took two seasons for Joe Mazzulla to prove that he has what it takes to be an NBA coach.Mazzulla was thrust into the spotlight in September 2022 when the Boston Celtics named him interim coach after Ime Udoka was suspended by the team for the entire 2022-23 campaign for violations of organizational policies.Just 21 months later, the Celtics, under a 35-year-old Mazzulla who had his interim tag removed in February 2023, were hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy to mark their 18th title in franchise history.But these types of success stories are rare.Plenty of coaches have waited well over two years to make their mark, and here are three who need to do so this season if they want to refine their reputation.Doc Rivers, Milwaukee BucksWhen it comes to causing title contenders to fall short of expectations, no one does it better than Rivers.Rivers has been coaching powerhouses since the 2013-14 season, when he saw his Los Angeles Clippers go 57-25 in the regular season just to lose in the Western Conference semifinals.Since then, despite having talent like Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Joel Embiid playing for him, Rivers has never been able to coach a team to the Finals. He took over at the helm in Milwaukee back in January, with the Bucks going just 17-19 this past season under his watch.Milwaukee then got bounced in the first round of the playoffs.Any team with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard should — at the very least — be one of the last four teams standing in the Eastern Conference. If Rivers can’t help the Bucks make a deep playoff run this time around, we may never see him coach again.Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors source: Getty Images The Splash Brothers are no more.An aging Klay Thompson joined the Dallas Mavericks in June via a sign-and-trade deal, leaving star guard Stephen Curry as one of the last remaining pieces of Golden State’s dynasty that dominated from 2014-22.Draymond Green is still around, too, of course — when he’s not facing a suspension for turning a game into a cage match.However, this Warriors team is now a shell of what it once was. Kerr has seemingly been carried by Curry, Thompson and at one point, Kevin Durant, for the entirety of his coaching career. With the teams Golden State has had over the past decade, you could throw in a third-grader at coach and they’d probably do just fine.Now Kerr finally has the chance to show that he does know what he’s doing, but if he fails, don’t expect the criticism to be light.Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks credits: Maddie Meyer | source: Getty Based on the way New York fans have been acting this offseason, you’d think the Knicks had already won a championship.New York traded for Mikal Bridges in July, putting him alongside Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson to make up a daunting starting five. On top of that, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo will be coming off the bench, making the Knicks a serious threat in the East.But this team is going nowhere if Thibodeau burns his guys out by mid-March.Thibodeau is notorious for excessively playing his starters, but with New York’s strong second unit, hopefully that changes this year. If it doesn’t, Thibodeau could find himself being deemed Public Enemy No. 1 in the Big Apple.
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International friendlies are much anticipated as much as huge soccer tournaments. Fans would always want to see their favourite team in action even if friendlies won’t gain each team trophies or prizes. Fans of LA Galaxy and Real Madrid are in for a big treat as the two soccer teams face each other at . The LA Galaxy, Major League Soccer and CAA Sports are proud to announce that the La Liga Champions Real Madrid will play with the Galaxy. The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. and played as a part of the World Football Challenge. Ticket information of this grand game will be released in the future.
The game would be the second friendly for this Summer held at the Home Depot Center as Galaxy is also scheduled to face Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday, July 24.
“We are excited to gi…
There was drama and set-piece goals aplenty in Colombia v Japan following the pattern set by Russia 2018 so far.
The tournament has delivered no shortage of storylines in its early stages the hosts getting off to a flier, Portugal s classic with Spain, and Mexico stunning defending champions Germany to name but a few.
Tuesday s Group H meeting also threw up another abundance of intrigue, the Blue Samurai springing something of a surprise with a 2-1 victory in Saransk.
And the fixture, although perhaps not at the top of most neutrals must-see list, served up more of the set-piece drama that has become an underlying theme across the first six days in Russia.
The game got off to a sensational start, Carlos Sanchez instinctively handling Shinji Kagaw…
Poland s Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker on Thursday released a 26-player list from which he plans to draw his final 23-member squad for Euro 2008, the country s first ever European championships appearance.
Beenhakker said he had trimmed six names from the initial 31-member list which he had announced on April 16.
The excluded players, however, will remain on standby in case any of his picks are injured or fail to perform as Poland warm up for the June tournament in Austria and Switzerland.
Until May 28, I m totally free to change some players on the standby list in and out, Beenhakker told reporters, referring to the deadline set by European football s governing body UEFA for announcing teams.
In addition, Beenhakker added a player who had not figured o…
Sean Dyche is ready for Everton to put last season s challenges behind them by making a positive start to the Premier League against Brighton on Saturday.
Everton had to contend with two points deductions last season, but an impressive run of results at the end of the campaign ensured they comfortably avoided relegation.
While they did not make the best start to pre-season, going winless in their first three games, they finished on a positive note, with a win against Preston North End and a draw with Roma.
Though they will be without key players for their opener, including Jarrad Branthwaite, Dyche is optimistic about what the season will bring.
You get the sense that, after last season s challenges and the positive end, I think there is more calmness an…
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will be at Paris Saint-Germain and have Pep Guardiola as their coach by next year, says Fabrice Pancrate.
Messi has told Barcelona he wants out but was reportedly turned down in his request for a meeting with club president Josep Maria Bartomeu to discuss a transfer.
PSG sporting director Leonardo is said to have contacted the 33-year-old s father, Jorge, to inquire about his situation, though Manchester City – managed by former Barca boss Guardiola – are rumoured to be the favourites to sign the six-time Ballon d Or winner.
However, Pancrate, who played for PSG between 2004 and 2009, believes the Ligue 1 champions have a masterplan in place which involves not only Messi, but Guardiola and Juventus star Ronaldo too.
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(GSM) AC Milan announced on Monday that goalkeeper Christian Abbiati signed a contract extension that will keep him with the Rossoneri through the summer of 2013, according to the team s official Web site.
The two-year extension keeps Abbiati, 33, at the San Siro through what might be the end of his professional football career.
Abbiati would be just shy of his 36th birthday by the time his new deal expires, and his current deal was set to expire at the end of the 2010-11 season.
The goalkeeper has been on the books at Milan since 1998, but he has had loan spells at Juventus, Torino and Atlético Madrid in the last five years.
There had been speculation as to Abbiati s future after Milan signed Marco Amelia on loan from Genoa for the upcoming Serie A cam…
Marco Silva is hoping Fulham’s 3-2 defeat to champions Manchester City will give his players “courage” against Aston Villa upon their return to Premier League action.
The Cottagers went toe-to-toe with Pep Guardiola’s side before the international break but were made to rue missed opportunities during the contest, with Adama Traore the most notable for squandering some gilt-edged chances at the Etihad.
However, Silva is confident his team can take encouragement from their display as they aim to maintain their unbeaten record at Craven Cottage this season.
“To see City finish with three central defenders with five at the back shows that we were creating problems for them, not just in transition,” Silva said.
“It gives us courage. We know what…
Bayern Munich will play the remainder of their home matches this year behind closed doors due to rising coronavirus rates in Bavaria.
Bavaria s Prime Minister Markus Soder revealed earlier this week that fans were set to be prevented from attending games for the foreseeable future .
The Bavarian government on Friday approved increased measures in an attempt to contain the pandemic, including bans on spectators at large, cross-region sporting events until the end of the year.
Bayern will face Barcelona in their final Champions League Group E match next Wednesday without fans.
The Bundesliga leaders, already assured of a place in the last 16 of Europe s premier club competition, will then take on Mainz on December 11 and Wolfsburg six days later behind …
Arsenal have raised their season ticket prices for the first time in seven years, with prices to increase by at least four per cent to return finances to a breakeven position in the medium term .
The Gunners welcomed back a full capacity to Emirates Stadium this campaign, after over a season of playing games almost entirely behind closed doors due to COVID-19.
Mikel Arteta s side are pushing for Champions League qualification this term, sitting two points behind fourth-placed Manchester United with three games in hand, and the Spaniard has cited the home support as a driving factor.
However, ticket prices are set to rise next season, with the additional cost depending on what competitions Arsenal qualify for.
The average general admission season ticket p…
It’s reunion week for the Los Angeles Rams and new franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford, hosting his former club the Detroit Lions for the first time since the two teams swapped QBs as part of a trade this past winter.
Stafford and the Rams are big NFL betting favorites taking the fumbling Lions and former L.A. passer Jared Goff, laying anywhere between -14.5 and -16. Detroit’s fortunes are not as bright as its California counterpart’s, lugging an 0-6 record with it to Los Angeles in Week 7.
Here are our NFL free picks and predictions for Lions at Rams on October 24.
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