Thunder Trade Serge Ibaka! 2016 NBA Draft Thoughts 2K16 Park PS4
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) The Orlando Magic were looking to get a proven veteran and a rim protector this offseason and they came out with both in Thursday night"s NBA draft.
Orlando selected Gonzaga sophomore Domanta Sabonis with the 11th overall pick then immediately traded his rights to the Oklahoma City Thunder for veteran shot-blocker Serge Ibaka. The Magic announced the deal hours after Sabonis said during an ESPN interview that he was heading to OKC. Also in the proposed trade, the Thunder will receive guard Victor Oladipo and Ersan Ilyasova in addition to the rights to Sabonis.
Orlando general manager Rob Hennigan said he had been having exploratory talks with Oklahoma City for a while but that they took a serious turn Thursday afternoon.
"We"re excited about the versatility (Ibaka) brings, we"re excited about the experience he brings having played in a lot of big games, a lot of high-level playoff games, NBA Finals," said Hennigan. "His experience is obviously a plus, we feel like he fits with (Nikola Vucevic), we feel like he fits with Aaron Gordon. It just gives us a lot of versatile interchangeable parts."
The Magic also took UNLV 7-foot freshman center Stephen Zimmerman with the 41st pick and in the second round.
But the landing of Ibaka gives the Magic a proven shot blocker and a player who has experience going deep into the playoffs. Ibaka has been a key part of the Thunder teams that regularly qualify for the playoffs and played the Golden State Warriors to Game 7 in this season"s Western Conference finals.
He gives the Magic an inside presence they didn"t have last year and piece needed in new coach Frank Vogel"s system. Ibaka is not only a consistent top five shot blocker but he also made the NBA All-Defensive first team in 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14.
"The defense we played at Indiana that we hope to bring here to Orlando is predicated on having a guy like Serge Ibaka that can protect the rim and be that lead shot blocker," said Vogel, who joined the Magic last month after his contract with the Pacers was not renewed. "The way the NBA is going defensive versatility is huge."
Orlando is coming off a 35-47 season in which they missed the postseason for the fourth straight year. Hennigan has said the team was a proven veteran away from making the postseason. They"re hoping Ibaka who averaged 12.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks last season can fill that void.
Also, the move seems to open up a logjam the Magic had on the wing where restricted free agent Evan Fournier and rookie Mario Hezonja are vying for time. Oladipo was the Magic"s No. 2 overall pick in 2013 but has been up and down during his first three seasons.
"Victor is a first-class human being and we are going to miss him," Hennigan said. "This was not an easy decision by any stretch of the imagination. We felt like it was necessary to make this move to help fortify our team and make the moves we felt we needed to."
A California jury has decided that Led Zeppelin did not lift "Stairway to Heaven"s" acoustic guitar riff from the band Spirit, whose instrumental composition "Taurus" bears similarity to the iconic rock song.
The plaintiffs argued that Zeppelin was familiar with Taurus"s work, having opened for them in December 1968. "Stairway" wasn"t released until 1971. But during testimony, the Associated Press reports, lead singer Robert Plant "cracked up the courtroom when [he] said he didn"t remember most people he had hung out with over the years."
The AP has more:
In trying to show the works were substantially similar, the trust had the tricky task of relying on sheet music because that"s what is filed with the U.S. Copyright Office.Jurors were not played the "Taurus" recording, which contains a section that sounds very similar to the instantly recognizable start of "Stairway." Instead, they were played guitar and piano renditions by musicians on both sides of the case. Not surprisingly, the plaintiff"s version on guitar sounded more like "Stairway" than the defense version on piano.Experts for both sides dissected both compositions, agreeing mainly that they shared a descending chord progression that dates back three centuries as a building block in lots of songs.
I wrote about that progression in April:
"Taurus" begins with 45 seconds of orchestral, almost cinematic music, dominated by foreboding strings and a brief appearance of jazz flute. Then begins 15 seconds of fingerpicked, classical guitar, with the bass notes descending chromatically (a half-step) from A to F (or A, G#, G, F#, F). The passage then repeats itself before the song moves to a different musical idea. It"s these 30 seconds that are the subject of the lawsuit, at least in terms of the technical composition of "Taurus" and "Stairway"."Stairway" includes the same chromatic descent. But a few bass notes do not a plagiarized song make. Although both tunes feature the same tone of spare, slowly paced guitar, Jimmy Page"s part builds in ways that the one in "Taurus" does not. The two guitars use the same chords, but they do not use the same composition.
The AP notes that guitarist Jimmy Page wanted to construct a song that would progress to a crescendo. It"s this evolution of "Stairway"in addition to "Stairway"s" riff being relatively more intricate and resolving to a different chord than the one in "Taurus"that makes the music distinct.
Copyright infringement has always been its own beat in the world of music journalism. Notably, the Spirit lawsuit was moved to the same court as the case involving Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, and the estate of Marvin Gaye. The lines weren"t just blurred in that onethey were crossed, a jury decided.
Whenthe original Slayer Espresso machine debuted at the 2009 SCAA Event in Atlanta, Ga., it set a new standard for professional espresso craft by introducingthe technologyof adjustable flow rate, made possible by a proprietary needle valve of the companys own design.
In recent yearsthe Seattle, Wash.-based manufacturer has quietlybeen siting its crosshairs onmilk craft, and the resulting innovations arerolling out this month in the form of the first entirely new machine in the Slayer line. The new machine, called the Slayer Steam, will make its public debut this weekat the SCAE World of Coffee event in Dublin, Ireland.
The Slayer Steamis designednot only to do for the craft and service of milk-based espresso drinks what their original machinedid for pure espresso, but to do it specifically in high-volume, fast-paced settings.While the Slayer Espresso is about as fully manual as a pump-dependent espresso machine can be, the Steam makesa variety of brewing and steaming settings available at the tap of a button or flick of an ergonomically convenient lever, with the goal of helping baristas hit their marks with accuracy and confidence, quickly and with a minimum of behind-the-bar stress while keeping customers cycling expediently through.
I have clients that use Slayer, whether its a single group or two-group on lets say a slow bar, and over there on the other side of the bar they have a Cyncra or they have an L.M., Slayer Espresso President Jason Prefontaine recently told Daily Coffee News. They have something else. Well, I want that other position on the bar.
The Slayer Steam will therefore be aggressively priced to compete with other volume-oriented semi-auto machines, while upping the game in terms of programability for consistency and speed not just by way of customizable volumetric groups and easy-accessdigitalcontrols, but through an unprecedented step forward in the steam department hence the name.
Each steam assembly on the Slayer Steam offers two programmable flow ratesettings, which is a functionality not unlike the user-configurable flow-rate steps on the paddle-actuated groups of the Slayer Espresso. Yet in the context of steaming milk, the application is quite different.
Whereas on a Slayer Espresso, a barista slides the actuator to alter the flow rate of brew water during the extraction for flow profiling purposes, the four totaluser-configurable steps of steam pressure split among the two wands of the Slayer Steam arent so much for shifting on the fly as they are for the quick, targeted achievement of ideal, predictable power in a high-volume environment, where every fraction of a second is valuable in the provision of efficient service.
Rather than having to devote a moment of focus to twisting a k**b or adjusting a lever to open an analog valve to just the right point in just the right amount of time for a certain volume of a certain type of milk for a certain drink texture, baristas will have a go-to position on a designated wand that nails it every time.
Beyond this usability upgrade, the steam itself is also of higher quality, which is another of the Slayer Steams marque breakthroughs. Hotter, drier steam is producedby way of what the company is calling its Vaporizer technology a small super-heater of sorts, through which the regular saturated steam from the steam boiler is additionally flash-heated before it reaches the wand. The Vaporizer evaporates residual moisture out of the steam before it exits the machine, resulting in a drier, more precise steam that introduces less water into the milk.
Prefontaine estimated that on average, the volume of liquid in a steam pitcher increases by about 10-15 percent with additional water in the course of a typical beverage steaming. Drier steam, coupled with the power to fine-tune the temperature of that steam through anaccessibly positionedBarista Dashboard digital interface, not only yields a creamier, purer milk, but a finer, more velvety and consistent texture, improved mouthfeel, amplified sweetness and greater definition in surface art designs, according to the company.
It is undeniably better quality in the milk, Slayer Brand Development Coordinator Sarah Dooley told Daily Coffee News. Dooley said that with drier, hotter steam increasing the temperature of the milk without watering it down, the machine delves beyond traditional drink-making and into the culinary sphere.Weve managed to find the temperatures that accentuate sweetness, and were talking about temperatures that are very common in the candy world.
Dooley also noted milk-fat development given the approximately 400 different lipids in the liquid that melt and solidify at different temperatures.We have really interesting and beautiful aromatics at some temperatures, and at other temperatures theres accentuated sweetness, she said. Were hitting a sweetness point that no one has ever hit in milk, because we couldnt go hot enough. If you do a little bit of candy research, those temperatures from softball to hardball are from 250 to 350 degrees, so were dabbling in this arena where we can really develop that sugar.
The Slayer Steam represents an aesthetic departure as well, stepping away from the iconic squatting X profile of the Slayer Espresso and into another strong yet streamlined form all its own. People today like things that are new and fresh, Prefontaine said of the Steams angular case and sleekly contoured supports. This is a new, fresh design that also has some unique features to enable them to make the most killer milk-based drinks possible.
Prefontaine said that the first Steam machines, available in either a two- or three-group configuration, are slated to ship in late September or early October. There will be no steam-related conversion kit for installation in older Slayer Espresso machines, nor is there currently a plan for a single group Steam, although the future is unwritten.
Anything is possible. Of course weve had those conversations, Prefontaine said of the single-group notion. But after a year and a half of nose-to-the-grindstone work and having this thing percolating in my brain for three years, we just really want to get the two- and the three- into production.
Howard Bryman
Howard Bryman is the associate editor of Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine. He is based in Portland, Oregon.
Tags: espresso machines, Jason Prefontaine, milk, Sarah Dooley, Slayer, Slayer Steam, steam, World of Coffee, World of Coffee 2016
Cristiano Ronaldo le quita de un tirón un micrófono a un periodista y lo lanza a un lago ESPN FC"s Craig Burley reflects on Iceland qualifying for the round of 16.
With Euro 2016 reaching the business end of the tournament, there"s been plenty to look back on. While heroes and potential match-winners have emerged in France, there"s been plenty of flops and villains too.
Here"s a look back at the winners and losers, starting with the good guys ...
Heroes
So much for diluting the quality. The success stories of the so-called minnows have been the highlight of the tournament. The incredible Iceland side, drawn from a pittance of a population. The wonderful Welsh, at their first tournament since 1958. The Irish and the Northern Irish, roared on by their incredible supporters. The redoubtable Hungarians, who never give up. And a word for poor Albania, whose gallantry against the odds will live long in the memory. There are still issues with the tournament"s expansion to 24 teams, but quality isn"t one of them.
Andres Iniesta gets better and better. An excellent performance in Spain"s 3-0 win against Turkey was capped with a sensational evasive manoeuvre that kids all over the world will be trying in the park. Surrounded by onrushing Turkish midfielders, Iniesta simply took the ball out of the equation by flicking it straight up in the air and taking a step sideways. Then, with adequate space duly created, Iniesta simply brought the falling ball back under control and nudged it out to Juanfran. Magnificent.
There"s 102 seconds left. France, favourites to win the European Championships in their own back yard, have a problem. They"ve allowed Romania back into the game and for all their available talent, they can"t find a way through. A 1-1 draw would give Switzerland a good chance to win the group, shutting the door on the pre-planned soft route to the semifinals. And then the ball falls to Dimitri Payet, surrounded by Romanian defenders, just outside the penalty area. He takes a touch with his right foot and then unleashes a thunderbolt with his left. France 2-1 Romania. Problem solved.
How many heroes have really turned up in France? Not many. But Gareth Bale has been everything that Wales required him to be and more. There"s no trace of ego, there"s no sense that he has taken a higher orbit than his teammates. He"s scored in every game, and you wouldn"t want to bet against him continuing that record for a while longer yet. And those free-kicks ... Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane may have a very tricky decision to make next season.
Gareth Bale"s goals have propelled Wales to the round of 16.
Yes, there have been obvious exceptions, but out here in France it"s impossible not to be swept up by the euphoria of the supporters. All across the country, people from every nation have celebrated, commiserated and in many cases, become wildly inebriated with each other. The hope now is that it will continue into the latter stages and that the competition will be seen as a sign of what unites Europe, rather than a reminder of the ugliness that can divide it.
Villains
This was a profoundly miserable tournament for Russia. If Iceland, with their climate and tiny population of around 300,000, can fix their national team, the largest nation on earth really has no excuse. Leonid Slutsky brought an over-matured, painfully slow team to France and they were fortunate only to be thrashed once, as Wales thumped them 3-0. There are few positives that can be drawn from this. A dramatic and lightning fast overhaul is required if they"re to have any hope of avoiding humiliation in 2018 when they host the World Cup. And we haven"t even mentioned theproblems off the pitch ...
There was something very sad about Ukraine"s dismal showing. A nation beset by issues far more serious than football might have united in an inspirational display of national pride. But it really didn"t work out like that. There were worries in the camp already, feuds between key players and serious disciplinary problems. There were faint signs in their 2-0 loss to Germany that they might be able to overcome it all, but their display in the 2-0 defeat against Northern Ireland was absolutely pitiful. They leave not just without a point, but without even a single goal.
Dark horses? No chance. Austria were a pantomime horse. Not a real horse at all, just some sweaty men in a costume doing their best not to fall over in front of everyone. There was more than enough talent in that team to facilitate a run to the latter stages, but they lost their way in the first game against Hungary, the opening exchanges of which they dominated, and never came back. This could have been the summer when one of the grand old powers of European football reasserted itself for the first time in decades. Well, actually it was. It was just a different grand old power.
David Alaba had a tournament to forget as Austria were eliminated in the group stages.
He redeemed himself on the pitch with a fine performance in the 3-3 draw against Hungary, but Cristiano Ronaldo"scomments about Icelandwere spectacularly misjudged. It"s a tiny nation in their first ever tournament against top seeded Portugal with one of the world"s best players up front -- of course they"re going to try to defend. Ronaldo has seemed troubled this summer, snapping on Wednesday andthrowing an intrusive reporter"s microphone in a lake, later electing not to speak to the press in either his man of the match presentation or the mixed zone afterwards. Despite the schadenfreude, it"s hard not the feel sympathetic to the pressure he is under. But he hasn"t helped himself.
Amid the joy and the excitement, UEFA has some serious questions to answer about their handling of this tournament. The policy of blindly matching up games with stadia, regardless of the size of teams and security concerns, has to change. Security is supposed to be tight, but a pitch invader managed to getwithin inches of one of the world"s most famous players. Fans aresupposed to feel safe, but thousands had to flee in Marseille as Russian Ultras poured through inadequate stewarding. Checks are supposed to be thorough, but pyrotechnics, firecrackers and, in one instance a flare gun, have all made frequent appearances in France. It hasn"t been good enough.
Iain Macintosh is a writer for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @IainMacintosh.
Officer Caesar Goodson Jr., the third of six Baltimore police officers to stand trial for their alleged role in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray, was found not guilty of second-degree murder today by Judge Barry Williams.
Goodson, who drove the police van carrying Gray, 25, faced up to 30 years in prison if he was convicted of the most serious charge, second-degree depraved-heart murder. He chose to leave his fate up to a judge instead of a jury.
Goodson and the packed courtroom sat silent throughout the judge"s reading of the verdict. Deputies had warned those in attendance against overt protests. Officer Edward Nero, who was found not guilty by the same judge last month, sat in the front row. Outside, seven brown-shirted sheriff"s deputies guarded the front door of the courthouse as protesters chanted and held signs.
The verdict comes three days after arguments wrapped up in the case. Williams was tasked with deciding when during the ride Gray sustained the injury that led to his death and whether that injury was a result of actions taken or not taken by Goodson.
Goodson was also found not guilty of manslaughter, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office. He pleaded not guilty on all counts.
A protester displays a sign outside a courthouse after Officer Caesar Goodson was acquitted of all charges in his trial in Baltimore, June 23, 2016.
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake issued a statement on the judge"s decision today, asking residents to remain patient in the process and to respect the ruling.
"Now that the criminal case has come to an end, Officer Goodson will face an administrative review by the Police Department. We once again ask the citizens to be patient and to allow the entire process to come to a conclusion," she said. "I am proud that we as a community have come together to move our city forward over the past year. I know that the citizens of Baltimore will continue to respect the judicial process and the ruling of the court."
SLIDESHOW: Public Reaction to Freddie Gray Trial Verdicts")
Prosecutors had to prove that Goodson acted with such wanton and reckless disregard for human life that it amounted to malice. During closing remarks Monday, Williams seemed confused by the states argument that a wide right turn taken by Goodson was part of a "rough ride," asking, "Can we not agree that taking a turn wide is less dangerous?"
A "rough ride" is police lingo for teaching someone a lesson by putting him or her in a police wagon without a seat belt and driving so jarringly that the person is thrown around, according to The Associated Press.
Protesters stand outside the courthouse during the trial of officer Caesar Goodson, one of six Baltimore police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray, in Baltimore, Maryland, June 23, 2016.
Williams also questioned prosecutors why Goodson stopped to check on Gray if it was the officer"s intent to give a rough ride. Obtained surveillance footage from the time of the ride shows Goodson stopping the van after the wide right turn in question, walking to the back of the vehicle, looking in, returning to the front and getting back behind the wheel before calling dispatch for backup.
A representative for the Office of the State"s Attorney for Baltimore City, Marilyn Mosby, said, "We will not be issuing any statement and will continue to respect the gag order implemented by the judge."
Goodson"s attorney Andrew Jay Graham declined to comment on today"s decision.
Baltimore City State"s Attorney Mosby Marilyn Mosby, center, exits the courthouse after a verdict was issued in the trial of officer Caesar Goodson in Baltimore, Maryland, June 23, 2016.
Gray died after suffering a severe neck and spinal cord injury. During the trial, the defense argued that the neck and spinal cord injury occurred simultaneously in a catastrophic moment before his arrival at the police station. The prosecution argued that the neck injury resulted from the alleged rough ride and progressively worsened through the remaining stops and that the officers neglected to get Gray medical care leading to his death.
Williams also presided in the previous cases of Officers William Porter and Edward Nero. Porters trial ended with a hung jury in December, and he will be retried in September. Nero, who also opted for a bench trial by Williams, was acquitted last month.
ABC News" Jim Avila and Sarah Kolinovsky contributed to this report.
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Jeff Teague Full Highlights 2016.02.01 vs Mavericks - 32 Pts, 8 Assists, TEAgue-TIME!
The Indiana Pacers have traded George Hill for Jeff Teague, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
Rumors circled around the trade deadline that the Atlanta Hawks were looking to move on fromtheir former All-Star point guard in order to make way for the younger, 22-year-old Dennis Schrder to take over the team and start a new era. The Pacers were one destination mentioned, with reports suggesting that George Hill might be a player involved in a potential swap.
And now it is official: The Hawks have moved on, and the Pacers have gotten a point guard who team president Larry Bird has shown interest in while parting ways withthe Hometown Hero.
To sum up the deal,Teague goes to Indiana, Hill goes to Utah, and the Jazzs #12 pick goes to Atlanta.
In swapping Hill for Teague, the Pacers get a more natural point guard who isbetter playmaker and a much better scorer. He is also someone who has given rise to a #PlayoffTeague hashtag for his ability to play well in big games in the postseason.
More from 8 Points, 9 Seconds
Despitefewer minutes in the 2015-16 season, due to Schrders emergence, Teague is coming off his best scoring season ever in terms of points per 36 minutes with 19.6. He also posted a career-high 40.0% from 3-point range. In more troubling news, he just had his worst season of finishing at the rim, making a paltry 56.3% of this attempts in the restricted area.
In losing George Hill, the Pacers get worse on defense. Hill has been a stalwart at guarding his position since joining his hometown club in the summer of 2011. He was particularly fantastic in slowing down Kyle Lowry as the Pacers nearly upset the Toronto Raptors in the playoffs this year.
He is also a much more versatile player than Teague. Hill, by his own admission, is neither a point guard nor a shooting guard hes just a guard. He was able to set upthe offense or be a great knockdown shooter in the corners when Paul George, Lance Stephenson, or Monta Ellis dominated the ball.
For a team that needs more offense, however, this is likely a good move. Teague can score and the Pacers do need that, even if a three-man perimeter of Teague, Monta Ellis, and Paul George as it stands now would seem to need an extra basketball to work optimally.
This is also helpful for a team that wants to keep getting better as Paul George and Myles Turner age. Teague is just 28, two years younger than Hill, so he can stick around longer as Turner grows into the near-All-Star that many expect him to be in a few more seasons.
Both Teague and Hill have near identical contracts, with one year around $8 million left on their deals. So Indiana is not tradingsomeone locked up longterm for a rental.
Moreover, according to Wojnarowski, the Pacers are also trying to sign Teague to an extension immediately.
Indiana can have up to $34.4 million in cap room this summer, so locking in an extension now would be a crafty way to essentially not use up any of that room while also signing a free agent to a long-term deal.
Hill gave solid years to Indiana and was a key cog in a defensive-minded team that went to back-to-back Eastern Conference finals while giving the Miami Heat all they could handle.
But those days are long gone and Larry Bird wants more buckets.
Nobody can yet know if this trade will work out, but Jeff Teague is a bucket getter.
Derrick Rose, Jeff Teague, and others have been traded. Whos next?
The NBA Draft is still a day away but we had two trades of note today.
First the Hawks, Jazz, and Pacers completed a 3 team trade. Jeff Teague goes to the Pacers, George Hill goes to the Jazz, and the 12th pick goes to the Hawks.
Marc Stein noted that the Hawks are now shopping their 12th and 21st picks in an effort to convince Al Horford to stick around in free agency. If they do keep the 12th pick theyll likely target one of the bigs that are likely to be available in that range.
An interesting note from the Celtics perspective is that the Sixers were in those discussions up to the last minute - per Jonathan Givony.
If the Sixers really want a veteran PG, does that mean rumors of their interest in Dunn are overblown? Or will they now be more motivated than ever to make a move for any point guard? Complicating matters (at least in my mind) is the growing sentiment that Ben Simmons will operate mostly as a point forward anyway.
The other big news today was that Derrick Rose was traded (along with Justin Holiday and a future 2nd) to the Knicks for Robin Lopez, Jose Calderon and Jerian Grant.
Unless the Bulls are going into full blow-up mode, this would seem to indicate that they are focused on building a team around Jimmy Butler. So the Celtics might have one less star player option to pursue on draft night.
That doesnt mean that Ainge will be any less active on the phones tomorrow. He apparently hasnt gotten very close to anything as of yet, but it sounds like hes prepared for several different scenarios.
All eyes are on the Celtics as the draft approaches. My final mock draft is as follows:
