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🏀 Good morning to everybody, however particularly to …

ZACCHARIE RISACHER

For the second consecutive yr, a French participant went No. 1 total within the NBA Draft. This yr, it was Zaccharie Risacher, who heard his identify referred to as by the Atlanta Hawks.

Risacher, 19, started his professional profession by taking part in for ASVEL Basket, the crew owned by former San Antonio Spurs star Tony Parker. Final season, Risacher was loaned to JL Bourg, the place he instantly grew to become a standout.

In 23 video games, Risacher averaged 11.3 factors per recreation whereas taking pictures 54.1% from the sector and 45.0% from past the arc. Our personal Sam Quinn says Risacher nonetheless has some work to do on that shot, however he has all of the bodily instruments essential to grow to be a star within the NBA.

• Quinn: “He has good defensive instruments, can deal with the ball and has, at instances, flashed a formidable jumper. He’s streaky on that entrance, and his NBA future could very nicely be dictated by how a lot that shot develops, however he brings slightly little bit of every thing to the desk as a 19-year-old. If he grows into the form of participant the Hawks suppose he could be, then he has an opportunity to be the form of wing that matches onto any roster no matter who else it has.”

CBS Sports activities NBA skilled Adam Finkelstein graded every first-round choice, and the Hawks earned a strong “B” for his or her Risacher decide. It is probably not flashy on the floor, however Risacher’s ceiling is excessive.

The No. 1 total decide actually got here all the way down to a pair of Frenchmen, with Alex Sarr coming off the board instantly after Risacher, going to the Washington Wizards at No. 2 total. A 3rd French participant, Tidjane Salaun, was drafted at No. 6 total by the Charlotte Hornets.

For these like myself, who did not get previous freshman algebra in faculty, meaning half of the primary six picks have been from France. That makes French basketball one among Brad Botkin’s clear winners from the primary spherical.

Take a look at each decide from the primary spherical (and observe the second spherical later at this time) with our 2024 NBA Draft Tracker. It was additionally a busy night time on the commerce market, so make sure to evaluation the wheeling and coping with our commerce tracker.

👍 Honorable mentions

💸 And never such a very good morning for …

DALTON KNECHT

Yearly, there appears to be a participant compelled to endure a slide on nationwide TV. This yr, that participant was Dalton Knecht, former Tennessee star.

Knecht was projected to be a top-10 decide on this yr’s draft, and our CBS Sports activities consultants anticipated him to slide no decrease than No. 8 total. As an alternative, Knecht needed to wait nicely past the No. 10 total choice till the Los Angeles Lakers finally took him with the No. 17 decide.

In some methods, which may be a blessing for Knecht — if not for brand new coach JJ Redick and LeBron James — stated CBS Sports activities NBA author James Herbert.

However there are some very clear drawbacks to his slippage. Knecht’s delight may need been slightly bruised within the second, however his monetary portfolio will endure the largest hit. Knecht might solely watch as tens of millions of {dollars} left his checking account with each crew that handed on him. That is why our personal Brad Botkin listed Knecht as one of many first spherical’s greatest losers.

• Botkin: “Because the No. 17 decide, Knecht is slated to make $18.5 million over his first 4 years within the league. Had he gone No. 6, he would’ve been in line for over $34 million. Taking part in with LeBron is cool and all, however give me the $16 million. There isn’t a assure that any draft decide, regardless of the place they go, will make it within the NBA. However the cash on the first-round slots is assured by the primary three seasons.”

After all, one participant’s loss could possibly be one other crew’s acquire. That was actually the case for the Lakers.

Not solely did Brad have the Lakers down as a giant winner for touchdown maybe the largest steal of the opening spherical, however the decide additionally earned the one “A+” of the night time in Adam Finkelstein’s draft grades.

👎 Not so honorable mentions

⚾ MLB mid-season grades

The 2024 MLB season is already midway over, and it is time to ship report playing cards house.

Our MLB consultants have handed out mid-season grades to every crew, and there are a handful of honor roll college students. A number of groups, together with the defending World Collection champions, must attend summer season college if they do not get issues straightened out.

The one crew that obtained an “A+” was the Philadelphia Phillies. They sit atop the NL East with a 53-27 file, and the Phils have a 7.5-game cushion over the Atlanta Braves. All the things is clicking for Philly proper now, as our personal Dayn Perry explains.

• Perry: “You already know about Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola. This yr, nevertheless, Ranger Suárez and Cristopher Sánchez have pitched on their degree thus far, and that offers the Phillies frontline-grade rotation depth that is the envy of just about each different crew in MLB. On the opposite facet of issues, Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, and Kyle Schwarber have helmed what’s been a top-tier offensive assault thus far.”

One other valedictorian candidate is the Cleveland Guardians, a crew that has come out of nowhere to utterly bludgeon opponents with an electrical energy surge.

If the Phillies and Guardians are on the high of the category, the Texas Rangers want to search out some additional credit score.

The defending champs are six video games below .500 and seven.5 video games out of first place within the AL West. That poor efficiency was sufficient to earn the Rangers one of some “F” grades.

🏈 Bryce Younger able to put rookie yr within the rearview

The No. 1 total decide within the 2023 NFL Draft is already on the lookout for a bounce-back season. Bryce Younger‘s rookie season was a catastrophe, however the Carolina Panthers quarterback has already put it in his rearview mirror.

Younger is coming off a season during which he averaged simply 179.8 yards per recreation, threw one fewer interception (10) than touchdowns (11) and acquired sacked a whopping 62 instances. That in all probability wasn’t the NFL debut the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner was anticipating.

Our personal Jonthan Jones sat down with Younger, who’s already taking steps to shake off his brutal 2023 marketing campaign. Younger is aware of dwelling on the failures and hardships of final yr will not assist him enhance in 2024.

• Younger: “I am massive on controlling what I can management and ensuring that that is what’s focusing. No matter occurred the previous yr — the nice, the dangerous, no matter. It isn’t one thing that I can management. It isn’t one thing that holds sway over what we’re doing anymore. So I feel the extra vitality you placed on stuff that does not have any impact on what we’re making an attempt to be. You may take away from the aim in itself.”

One cause to consider Younger can take a leap ahead in 2024 is the teaching employees overhaul. Turnover is not normally good for younger QBs, however when the crew went 2-15, how a lot can it actually harm?

Former Buccaneers OC Dave Canales is now the pinnacle man in Carolina, and he helped revive Baker Mayfield‘s profession in Tampa final season. The Panthers additionally went out and traded for receiver Diontae Johnson and spent massive cash to enhance their offensive line.

Nonetheless, Younger does lacks elite weapons on the surface. The Panthers have zero gamers in our rating of the highest 20 NFL huge receivers. Perhaps rookie Xavier Legette can change that in 2025.

📺 What we’re watching Thursday

⛳ Rocket Mortgage Basic — Spherical 1, 3 p.m. on Golf Channel
🏀 2024 NBA Draft — Second Spherical, 4 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Copa America — Panama at USA, 6 p.m. on Fox
🏅 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials, 6 p.m. on USA Community
🏒 2024 NHL Awards, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Aces at Sky, 7 p.m. on Prime Video
🏅 U.S. Olympic Monitor & Area Trials, 8 p.m. on NBC
⚾ Guardians at Royals, 8:10 p.m. on FS1
⚽ Copa America — Uruguay at Bolivia, 9 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Fever at Storm, 10 p.m. on Prime Video