Lakers reportedly targeting UConn’s Dan Hurley; NBA Finals start tonight; MLB All-Star ballot time

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As if today wasn’t already a big day for the NBA, ESPN reported overnight that the Los Angeles Lakers are preparing a “massive” offer to lure Dan Hurley from UConn, the coach who led back-to-back NCAA championships, to be the next coach. Expect more on this story from our college basketball and NBA teams throughout the day.

And as for another great NBA story…

Good morning everyone, but especially…

THE BOSTON CELTICS AND THE DALLAS MAVERICKS

Welcome to the NBA Finals, friends. It’s been a long time since we had the NBA on our screens, but the Celts facing the Independents numbers that are well worth the wait.

We saw a historic postseason Luka Doncic already, and in your bold predictionsBrad Botkin says even more story is on the way.

• Botkin: “1. Luka averages 35 points per game – Only nine players have averaged at least 35 points in a single Finals: Michael Jordan (twice), Shaquille O’Neal (twice), Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor, LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jerry West, Allen Iverson It is Kevin Durant. … Doncic has averaged 35 PPG in a single playoff series just once in his career (35.7 vs. Clippers in 2021). It’s a huge number. But Dallas will have to score a lot in this series, and any idea that Boston is uniquely equipped to defend Luka has been thrown out the window with what he did to Minnesota…”

Doncic, of course, isn’t the only Dallas star who can score big. Considering Jrue Vacationin hilarious (and honest) one-word answer about defending Kyrie IrvingBoston also has a lot of respect for Dallas’ “other” star.

The Mavericks are a championship-caliber team. But there’s a reason why the Celtics are considerable favorites. They were an NBA-best 64-18 in the regular season, had the best offensive rating in NBA History and had the fifth-best average margin of victory in NBA history. They are a superteamSam Quinn writes, and they also represent the future of superteams.

• Quinn: “The Celtics don’t have three great players. They have six very good players. Three of them, Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis It is Al Horford, became All-Star teams playing for someone other than the Celtics. A bedroom, Derrick White, was acquired before its prime and can still get there wearing green and white. … Jaylen Brown has already signed a supermax extension that has not yet come into force. Jayson Tatum became eligible for one by earning All-NBA honors this season. But Boston built them while they were reasonably cheap and before the CBA severely limited their maneuverability. They added players who were expensive but not prohibitive, and they timed the plays brilliantly.”

Here’s more:

Honorable mentions

Not so honorable mentions

MLB All-Star Game: Expert early voting, unknown names

MLB All-Star voting is officially openand Matt Snyder has his early voting with the game still over a month away.

Many of Matt’s choices are ones you guess: Aaron Judge. Juan Soto. Shohei Ohtani. Mookie Bets. Folks at the top of the MVP conversation. But there are many difficult decisions. In the AL, one of them is shortstop.

• Snyder: “Gunnar Henderson, Oriole. Veteran and established stars are Corey Seager, Carlos Correa It is Bo Bichette. However, this is a two-man position now, between rising superstars Bobby Witt Jr. and Henderson. Neither has come close to oversaturation in terms of public attention and hasn’t even been an All-Star yet. So I will go with one on every vote and send apologies to Antonio Volpe.”

Matt also has hidden choices for each position – man, Matt really does it all! — and let’s give the NL Central leaders some love.

• Snyder: “Second base – Brice Turang, Brewers. Luis Arráez had a big run for his batting average last season and that should happen again. Ketel Mars is an established star and played in the World Series last year, so I’m going to end those two. I’d vote for either of them if there wasn’t a viable alternative, but Turang is hitting .291 with a .356 OBP and 21 stolen bases for a first-place team. He deserves a look.”

Golazo 100: Why Christian Pulisic cracks the list as we reveal 100-81

We start our Great goal 100 reveal with players #100-81and at the top of that portion is a name familiar to USMNT fans. Christian PulisicFresh off his best season, he reaches 81st place. While it is a remarkable achievement for Pulisic to be among the best in the world, it is also shows the lack of top players among the USMNT rankswrites Chuck Booth.

• Cabin: “His 12 league goals are the first time he has broken double figures in league games throughout his career. His eight league assists are also a career high. But just as important as these statistics, for the first time in his career, Pulisic has shown the ability to get on the pitch regularly and stay there. He has played a career-high 36 of 38 league games for Milan, and only the second time he has broken the 30-game barrier… When other nations have done so. USMNT will face several top 100 players, this shows that despite America moving up in the FIFA rankings, America is still playing catch up when it comes to their talent level.”

If we had done this exercise a few years ago, Neymar would have been a top 10 player. I was shocked to see it fall in 89th place. Jonathan Johnson explains.

• Johnson: “… still doesn’t even have a goal to his name at Al Hilal… A brilliant player in his time, but not consistent nor motivated enough throughout the final significant years of his career means this looks like things ending in ignominy unless Neymar can muster enormous inner strength and belief to return to something close to his best one last time.”

We are revealing 80-61 this morning at CBS Sports Golazo Network.

Examining Emma Hayes’ strong start to the USWNT

Exactly nine months ago, the USWNT finished its worst World Cup ever. Maybe the veterans were too old. Maybe the young people were too young. Whatever the case, the US needed a new voice, with the world clearly catching up.

Emma Hayes It’s this new voice. After an incredible race with ChelseaHayes made his debut as USWNT coach in a 4-0 victory over South Korea on Saturday, and she followed that up with a 3-0 victory in Tuesday’s rematch.

There was much to be encouraged. Crystal DunnNormally a defender, he played in attack and scored. Lily Yohannes, all 16 years old, scored. And Hayes got valuable time with the team before naming the Olympic roster.

She is impressed so far, but she will also face enormous expectationswrites Sandra Herrera.

• Herrera: “With Hayes, she is already checking off items on USWNT fans’ bucket lists. Integrate new players with less experience and play them? two players were unused this window… Ready or not, Hayes is here to help push US soccer into the global game in a way it isn’t used to and that’s a good thing.

What will we watch on Thursday

Puppies in the Reds7:10 p.m. on MLB Network
NBA Finals – Game 1: Mavericks x Celtics8:30pm on ABC