Daily Archives: July 14, 2024

The Las Vegas Sphere has been wowing the public with its dazzling computer-generated imagery. It turns out over a hundred Nvidia GPUs are helping to render the effects.

In a blog post, Nvidia said the company behind the Sphere is harnessing around 150 RTX A6000 graphics cards to power the visuals both inside and outside the dome-like venue, which cost $2.3 billion to build.

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In December 2020, Nvidia launched the RTX A6000, which currently cost about $4,500 a piece. The workstation GPU is now being used to render content for the 16k by 16K displays across the Spheres interior, as well as 1.2 million programmable LED pucks on the venues exterior, the company said.

(Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)

The results have helped the Sphere display all kinds of imagery, often to promote concerts or special events at the venue. To do so, Sphere Studios, which is based in Burbank, California, will develop custom video content for the venues massive displays.

Nvidias blog post didnt go into details about how the A6000 GPUs are powering the visuals at the Sphere. However, the company noted the visuals are streamed in real time to rack-mounted workstations equipped with Nvidia RTX A6000 GPUs, achieving unprecedented performance capable of delivering three layers of 16K resolution at 60 frames per second.

In addition, the Sphere has been using Nvidias networking technology to eliminate any stuttering to the content streaming. This includes using the companys Bluefield data processing units and the Nvidia Rivermax software, which is focused on media streaming.

Nvidias blog post goes on to say the Sphere has been captivating the public. But all that technology isnt cheap, with some estimates projecting the Sphere might use enough electricity to power 21,000 homes during its peak usage.

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Las Vegas Sphere Uses 150 Nvidia A6000 GPUs to Power Its Massive Display - PCMag

LAS VEGAS Basketball fans got a first look at many of the top NBA draft picks during the first day of Las Vegas Summer League. The Thomas & Mack Center sold out for the two marquee games as 19,000 fans packed the gym for Lakers vs. Rockets to see Bronny James in action. But it was Reed Sheppard, the No. 3 pick, who stole the show and helped Houston get the win, 99-80.

"It was good to get out again and start to compete and play with different guys," Sheppard said after the game. "We had a good week in practice, so just to get out and go against another team was a lot of fun."

The other big game of the night was Wizards vs. Hawks, featuring the No. 1 pick in the draft, Zaccharie Risacher, squaring off with the No. 2 pick, Alex Sarr. The Wizards edged out the Hawks in the closing minutes, securing the win, 94-86.

"It was a nice first game and we got the win so I'm happy," Sarr said after the game.

The first night of Summer League did not disappoint and there's plenty more action to come during the 11-day tournament. Yahoo Sports breaks down the notable performers from Day 1.

Reed Sheppard, Rockets Sheppard had six points in the first half, then came alive in the third quarter, hitting deep 3s and taking players off the dribble. Defensively he was incredibly active, deflecting passes and blocking shots off the switch. Sheppard finished with 23 points, five assists, four rebounds and three blocks in the win.

"As the game went on, I just got more and more comfortable," Sheppard said. "My coaches and teammates were telling me to keep being aggressive. They told me when you come off ball screens, look for your shot. A lot of that was them putting confidence in me."

Dalton Knecht, Lakers Knecht led the Lakers in scoring, pouring in 25 points in the loss. He struggled a bit off the bounce but was deadly in catch-and-shoot situations, hitting 5 of 11 from 3. He also added six rebounds and four assists and played both on and off the ball throughout the game. The fifth-year senior out of Tennessee fell to the Lakers with the 17th pick in what could be the steal of the draft.

Bronny James, Lakers James finished with eight points, with six of those coming in the first quarter. He couldn't find his rhythm from deep, going 0 for 8 from 3-point range. "My shot wasnt falling today, but I just need to continue to get the reps in and get better," James said postgame.

The 6-2 guard was visibly upset with the loss after the game but is being patient with the process and learning as much as he can from game to game. "Im just running the film and looking at things I always do and whatever open looks I get, Im going to take it," James said. "Im getting more comfortable and letting the game come to me, but we just need to get better."

James, the 55th pick in the draft, added five rebounds and two steals.

Cam Whitmore, Rockets Last year's Summer League MVP was the best player on the court Friday night, finishing with 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals. He was confident off the dribble and had some good looks in transition. At one point during a half-court set, he cut for one of the best dunks of the night.

In the second quarter, Whitmore also pulled Sheppard aside to give him a few pointers on what he was seeing.

"That was just a defensive thing he was talking about and that's what so great about Cam is he played last year and he knows the smaller things that I don't know yet," Sheppard said. "He's just taking the initiative and helping me and teaching me and giving me advice and it's been very helpful."

Zaccharie Risacher, Hawks Risacher, the No. 1 pick in the draft, was fairly quiet until halfway through the third. He struggled from behind the arc to start the game, going 1 for 5, before finding his rhythm and finishing 3 for 9 from 3 for 18 points.

When his shot wasn't falling, he used his footwork to seal in the mismatch and score off the block. The 6-foot-8 wing played more games than any college player in the draft with his season extending into May for the LNB Pro A playoffs in France. In his first NBA game, he showed more versatility on the perimeter and is proving to be more than just a designated shooter.

"Honestly, that was a great experience," Risacher said. "Just to step out on an NBA court, and I felt good. I know we lost, but that's a part of the game and I'm ready to do whatever the coach asks me to do."

Alex Sarr, Wizards Sarr was known for his rim protection coming into the draft and capped off his first NBA game with four blocks. He held down the paint defensively. The spacing in the NBA also benefits the 7-1 mobile center and he was utilized in the pick-and-pop regularly, comfortably stepping outside to the perimeter.

Sarr still needs to get stronger but didn't shy away from contact. He was physical in the lane and zipped passes when he felt the help-side defense drop. The No. 2 pick finished with 12 points (including two 3s), seven rebounds and four assists.

"I was just taking what the game was giving me and trying to make good reads out there," Sarr said. "This time right now is just about getting better and adjusting to the pace of the game. Our team is position-less and they want everyone to play in every spot, so they really put an emphasis on that."

Bub Carrington, Wizards Carrington was the 14th pick in the draft and showed off his versatile playmaking in his first game on the court. The 18-year-old didn't shy away from any open shots off screens and was comfortable getting downhill. He finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in the win.

The Wizards might have drafted two building blocks for the franchise in Sarr and Carrington, who looked confident as the primary ball-handler. The team could give him the freedom to get reps as its future starting point guard this upcoming season.

"I felt great out there," Carrington said. "Just playing the game I love and connecting with my teammates. We kind of got stagnant and started playing iso-ball so we just had to regroup and trust each other."

Nikola Djurisic, Hawks The Serbian guard finished with only seven points, but his first NBA basket came on a poster dunk over Sarr in the opening minutes of the game. The Hawks drafted Djurisic with the 43rd pick and he added two assists and two rebounds in the close loss.

Terrence Shannon Jr., the No. 27 pick out of Illinois, looked comfortable in his first game with Minnesota. He finished with 25 points, three rebounds and two blocks in 27 minutes. He scored mostly off the dribble and favored finishing on the left side of the rim. His pace was great and he played well alongside Rob Dillingham, who finished with five assists.

"I'm known as a scorer, but I'm really trying to set up my teammates because during the season I'm going to be playing with Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, guys that score," Dillingham said after the game. "I've just been watching a lot of film of Mike [Conley] and how he sets up guys in the offense."

The Orlando Magic got a commanding win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, 106-79. They were led by last year's lottery picks, Anthony Black and Jett Howard, who combined for 42 points, but Tristen da Silva (this year's No. 18 pick) was the glue guy along the wing, posting 13 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Meanwhile, the Pacers' frontcourt of Jarace Walker and Oscar Tshiebwe combined for 42 of the team's 95 points in a two-point loss to the Nets. Walker was a lottery pick last year and Tshiebwe (who had 19 rebounds) went undrafted last year. Brooklyn's Jalen Wilson drained five 3-pointers and led all players with 25 points in the win.

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NBA Summer League, Day 1: Reed Sheppard steals the show vs. Bronny James in Las Vegas - Yahoo Sports

LAS VEGAS If there's ever a place where you can turn your luck in the blink of an eye, for better or for worse, it's Las Vegas. And while things had not been going Dalton Knechts way for the Lakers this summer, that changed as quickly as hitting a jackpot on the slot machines on Friday.

The Thomas & Mack Center was rambunctious when the Lakers stepped onto the court Friday night with the vast majority of the attention landing on Bronny James shoulders.

From warmups until the final buzzer, everything he did was overvalued. Fans stood up as if the national anthem was playing when he took to the floor. There were cheers for his dunks pregame and jeers during his 0-8 performance from deep.

In the end, the Lakers' performance as a Summer League team in Vegas was more of the same as in San Francisco: flashes of quality, droughts with no scoring and another blowout loss.

Bronny may have been the main character as the night began, but Knecht had the kind of Friday night in Vegas that people dream of.

The result was irrelevant. Knecht's performance was not as he was the Lakers' best player on the floor and demonstrated why they made the right move by drafting him.

He started for the team, just like he did in all three California Classic games, but this time, his performance wasn't up-and-down; he was, in a word, sensational.

This game was the intersection where his promise and potential met with his current state.

He set ball screens, found his position on the wing and converted his shots, whether contested or not. He was known in college as a sharpshooter and brought that range to Las Vegas, hitting on five of his eight 3-point attempts.

"It just fell, Knecht said postgame. "I always stay confident in my shot and I know my teammates got my back, as well as the coaching staff. No matter what, I'm just gonna let it fly."

Tonight, Knecht's confidence never wavered. He took 18 shots more than any player on either team and converted on nine of them, tying with Houston Rockets rookie guard Reed Sheppard for the most makes.

Late in the game, he took more and more responsibility, handling the ball at the top of the key. Confidence oozed from him as he drove and dished out four assists.

It is encouraging to see Knecht continuously improving with each Summer League minute he plays. Fans want to see signs of growth and a willingness to absorb as much as possible and apply it like a sponge.

When looking at Knecht's flaws, the defensive side is an area where improvement is not only desired but required.

Knecht spoke about the work he has to do on that aspect of his game following the defeat.

"Just learning the concepts; everyone is from different colleges, and some are from overseas," Knecht said. "Just learning the coverages and keep communicating on the defensive end."

He was destroyed by Sheppard early in the second half.

Sheppard executed a right crossover that took Knecht out of position and then put the exclamation point on the play with a hesi floater that will undoubtedly make the young Rockets' highlight reel from the summer.

Later in the game, Knecht improved defensively.

He held his ground inside the paint, fighting for rebounds. Players tried to post him up a couple of times, but he used his size to stand to stay planted and avoided getting scored on.

Progress isn't linear. There have been and will continue to be bumps along the way as Knecht adjusts to the NBA life under the microscope of being a Laker. Still, so far, he's shown flashes of brilliance and a propensity to adapt and evolve under the leadership of his coaches.

"Both JJ (Redick) and (Dane) Johnson said the same thing: 'Just keep getting aggressive, lead the team, and keep getting better every single day," Knecht said postgame.

He'll have another opportunity to improve and attempt to pass the ultimate Lakers test by beating the Celtics on Monday.

Even if the result wont matter in the long run, Knechts performances will. And the Lakers are hoping theyve found themselves a high roller they can bank on moving forward.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.

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Dalton Knecht shows hes NBA-ready in Las Vegas debut for Lakers - Silver Screen and Roll

Who knows what Aaron Rodgers is thinking?

And he likes it that way.

Rodgers, once again, said something curios while at the American Country Celebrity Golf Tournament according to Vegas Sports Today.

Rodgers was asked about the Raiders who new Las Vegas offensive coordinator Luke Getsy will use top wide receiver Davante Adams. Rodgers, Adams and Getsy were all together with the Green Bay Packers.

Rodgers said I love Luke Getsy. He then, without prompting said I love Davante Adams. I cant wait to play with him again.

OK, then.

Rodgers seems pretty confident he and Adams will reunite. Its been no secret that Rodgers would like his New York Jets to acquire Adams. But the Raiders have not been interested in dealing him. Adams said this week Rodgers remains in his ear about joining the Jets, but Rodgers knows hes a Raider.

So, if it doesnt happen in New York, maybe somewhere in Rodgers interesting mind the thought of him joining Adams in Las Vegas is the way to a reunion. After all, he he said he loves Getsy. And the Raiders were reportedly a team that interested Rodgers a few years ago when there were trade rumors.

This, of course, is something for the future to think about and theres a lot to shake out in both Las Vegas and in New York at the position before any changes occur.

But Rodgers is thinking about something.

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Raiders quarterback: Is Aaron Rodgers playing chess? - Silver And Black Pride

When the Las Vegas Raiders fell 3-0 to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14 last season, there was a sense of depletion among Raider Nation.

The Raiders were fresh off a bye week heading into the matchup, a much-needed break after dropping back-to-back games that evened Coach Antonio Pierce's start as interim head coach.

With an opportunity to get back on track at home, Las Vegas was unable to score a single point.

Instead of hanging their heads, though, the Raiders bounced back the following week to drop a franchise-record 63 points on the Chargers. The effort started with their leaders.

Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams, who had come off an underwhelming 53-yard receiving game, finished with 101 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions, just his second of what would be three 100-plus-yard receiving outings.

In the sixth episode of the new Netflix documentary, "Receiver," Coach Pierce expressed his appreciation for the veteran wideout and the approach he took to that contest.

"Your star player, right?" Pierce said. "What are we playing for? Probably out the playoffs, got this interim head coach, he'll probably will get fired at the end of the season, I got money in the bank. Why he needs to do it? He could've easily just tapped out on me and be like, 'I'm good.' He didn't. For me, to be honest, that moment was like, 'I can fool with Davante.' Totally different approach now with Davante from that point on for me."

Ironically, Adams said it was because of Pierce that the team was able to rebound from the Minnesota loss.

"[Pierce is a] really open communicator and doesn't let his pride get in the way," Adams said when he joined the "Up & Adams Show" earlier this week, "and it makes it really easy to work with him and figure out solutions, which is why we were able to bounce back after putting up a goose egg against the Vikings and then, play a few days later and go up and put up 60-some-odd points. So, when you have a coach like that that's willing to listen and work with you, it makes everything a lot better."

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Why Raiders' Pierce's View of Adams Changed After 2024 Win Over Chargers - Sports Illustrated

A Western heat wave has already smashed all-time record highs and heat streaks, even by standards of the Desert Southwest and California.

This scorching heat kicked off around the July Fourth holiday weekend, and will only slowly relent in some areas this weekend.

(WEATHER MAPS: Temperature | Heat Index | 10-Day US Forecast)

Last Sunday, July 7, the official temperature sensor at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas climbed to 120 degrees.

That crushed the city's all-time record of 117 degrees, set in 1942 and tied in 2005, 2013, 2017 and 2021.

But that wasn't the end of it.

Vegas soared to 119 degrees two days later on July 9, then 118 degrees on July 10 and 11. They sweated through their four hottest days in 87 years of records, and a record seven straight days with highs of 115 degrees or more.

Perhaps what's most stunning about this is the airport sits about 1,000 feet higher in elevation and 250 miles northwest of Phoenix, Arizona. Phoenix has only reached 120 degrees three times in 130 years, and hasn't done so since July 1995.

(Further beef up your forecast with our detailed, hour-by-hour breakdown for the next 8 days only available on our Premium Pro experience.)

People cool off in misters along the Las Vegas Strip, Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Las Vegas. A heat wave is spreading across the Western U.S., the National Weather Service said, sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures.

Among reporting stations with at least 70 years of records, 10 other locations, all in California, tied or set their all-time record highs during this heat wave. Most are plotted in the map below.

Palm Springs (124 degrees on July 5) topped its previous all-time standard from 2021, 1995 and 1993.

Barstow, in California's Mojave Desert north of Los Angeles, tied its all-time record (118 degrees) three days in a row from July 7-9.

Bishop, in California's Owens Valley at an elevation of just over 4,100 feet, chalked up five straight days with highs in the 110s in this heat wave. They had only two such days prior to this heat wave dating to 1943.

Finally, in northern L.A. County's Antelope Valley, both Lancaster and Palmdale soared to 115 degrees, tying the all-time record in Lancaster and topping the record in Palmdale.

(For even more granular weather data tracking in your area, view your 15-minute details forecast in our Premium Pro experience.)

All-time record highs tied or set during the early-mid July 2024 Western heat wave

This heat wave was also notable for how long it lasted. Here are the heat streaks that tied or smashed all-time records, in addition to the Las Vegas streak mentioned earlier:

Not surprisingly given this heat wave, it's been the hottest first 10 days of July on record for more than a dozen major reporting stations in the West from Washington state to Arizona, according to the Southeast Regional Climate Center.

Among those cities are Portland, Oregon; Sacramento, California; and Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona.

Rankings of July 1-10 temperatures across the country. Cities with a "1" had their record warmest July 1-10 period on record.

The world record-holder for heat, California's Death Valley National Park, fell short of that all-time high.

But it was still searing.

For over a week straight, daytime highs topped out at 125 degrees or hotter, reaching 129 degrees on July 7. And their early-morning low temperature, if you want to call it that, dipped to 99 degrees on July 9.

Following that world record of 134 degrees in a July 1913 heat wave, Death Valley has only reached 130 degrees twice since, in July 2021 and August 2020.

As usual, that only attracted tourists wanting to experience extreme heat. Unfortunately, at least one death was attributed to the heat in the park, the Associated Press reported.

Tourists take photographs with the thermometer at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center during a dangerous heat wave, Tuesday, July 9, 2024, in Death Valley, Calif. The thermostat is imprecise, registering the temperature anywhere from 1 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit higher than more precise instruments and providing a more impressive reading for pictures.

Intense heat is typical before the heart of the Southwest's rainy monsoon season shifts into high gear and expands.

In this case, though, a bubble of high pressure known as a heat dome set up camp for days over California and western Nevada, nosing north into the Pacific Northwest.

The strength and persistence of the heat dome and its sinking, dry air allowed temperatures to soar as far north as Washington state.

The upper-level weather pattern from July 4-9, 2024, featured a prominent upper-level heat dome over California and the adjacent Great Basin, nosing north into the Pacific Northwest.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM

- June Was Earth's 13th Straight Monthly Heat Record

- 6 Things You Should Know About Heat Waves

- La Nia Still Expected To Develop

Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. His lifelong love of meteorology began with a close encounter with a tornado as a child in Wisconsin. He completed a Bachelor's degree in physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, then a Master's degree working with dual-polarization radar and lightning data at Colorado State University. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on X (formerly Twitter), Threads, Facebook and Bluesky.

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Western Heat Wave All-Time Record Highs And Streaks - The Weather Channel

Training camp is on the horizon for the Las Vegas Raiders as its less than two weeks away from rookies reporting to camp, meaning the regular season is inching closer and closer! With that, we have a bunch of season preview questions to get to for this weeks mailbag, so lets get to it.

Q: Do you think Aidan OConnell or Gardner Minshew can lead the Raiders to the playoffs this year?

A: Regardless of who wins the quarterback competition this summer, I expect Las Vegas to finish in the seven- to nine-win range. So, if the team can get to the latter, they have a chance at making the playoffs with a little bit of help, but the odds arent in their favor. I will say this though, I think the Raiders chances are better if OConnell wins the job since he has more room for growth as a younger player. It just depends on how quickly he can hit the ground running, starting with winning the job in training camp.

Q: Does Anthony Brown have any chance of shocking the world and being QB1 this year? Seems to me like he had the best camp.

A: A chance? Sure. A good or even decent one? No.

Brown would have to take a giant leap forward in training camp and likely wont get any reps with the first team seeing as those will be split up between OConnell and Minshew. His best opportunity at becoming the starter is by beating out Carter Bradley for the QB3 job and then getting an opportunity to start if OConnell and Minshew get injured. If Brown were to play well in that situation, then the discussion of him being the long-term starter would be on the table.

Q: In your opinion, do the Raiders have a Top 10 NFL roster? If not, where is it?

A: I wouldnt put the roster in the Top 10 given the instability at quarterback and cornerback. To me, its closer to the 15 to 18 range, hence my skepticism about the team being a postseason contender.

The Raiders defensive line and receiving corps are definitely Top 10 units and Kolton Miller is a stud left tackle. But they do have question marks along the offensive line and at running back. Also, the only linebacker I have a good amount of confidence in is Robert Spillane, so I cant put Las Vegas in the upper third of the league heading into the season.

Q: Who do you think has the edge heading into camp to start opposite Jack Jones and do you think they still might bring in a vet to fill that spot?

A: Jakorian Bennett was reportedly getting the majority of the first-team reps during OTAs and minicamp, and a lot of his issues last season were mental which a year of experience can help fix. So, Bennett would be my pick to win that job in training camp.

Ill take this as my weekly pitch for the Raiders to sign a veteran cornerback! I certainly want the front office to bring someone in, but there hasnt been any news on that front. Maybe they sign someone right before camp like Marcus Peters did last year, but Peters had at least visited with the organization at this point a year ago.

In other words, its looking like Las Vegas will head into training camp with the corners it already has. Maybe the team gets a week or two into practice and the front office decides to be more aggressive, but I wouldnt hold my breath waiting for that to happen.

Q: Outside of CB, who is a player youd like to see added before the season starts?

A: I think the Raiders could use a backup option for John Jenkins in case something were to happen to Jenkins and they dont have another notable nose tackle on the roster. So, Linval Joseph could be a good option to fill that role.

Joseph is obviously passed his prime as hell turn 36 in October, but hed at least give them a veteran insurance policy to help stop the run if Jenkins were to go down. I could see the coaching staff letting the young defensive tackles battle it out during training camp and then adding Joseph, or someone else, to the practice squad right before the start of the regular season.

Q: What are your thoughts on Isaiah Pola-Mao? Whenever he got on the field, he seemed to make plays.

A: I wrote a film room piece on Pola-Mao about a month ago (see below) and Im excited to see what his role is on the team this season. As you mentioned, hes made a handful of plays in the few opportunities hes gotten so far and the coaching staff had some good things to say about him during the spring. I think Pola-Mao can be a good fit in Patrick Grahams system as a versatile safety, Id just like to see him improve as a run defender when playing in the box.

Q: If the NFL is so hellbent on having 18 games on the schedule, why dont the players ask for an expanded roster? Maybe 60 players instead of 53?

A: I think the players and NFLPA would push harder for an extra bye week and a higher salary cap before asking for expanded rosters. The extra bye means their bodies have more time to recover and more cap space allows them to make more money since the league will get more revenue from the TV contracts. Expanding rosters would negate the latter a bit because teams would have to pay more players.

With the 18-game schedule, I think most players are more concerned with the wear and tear on their bodies and being compensated for playing an extra game than they are about their teams depth. The best players are going to be on the field every week regardless of how big the roster is, so expanding the roster isnt going to do much for their concerns.

A: I definitely think Christian Wilkins will be a factor on third downs. Where the Giants were coming from is historically, Wilkins hasnt been a great or elite pass rusher, but he was much better last season. For example, Pro Football Focus had him logging a career-high 61 pressures last season which was nearly double his previous best of 33.

Also, Touchdown Wires Doug Farrar pulled a stat from Sports Info Solutions that Wilkins was tied with Chris Jones and DeForest Bucker for the second-most third-down pressures (27) from interior defensive linemen in 2023 trailing only Quinnen Williams. So, dont get worried about what the front office that signed Daniel Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract thinks!

A: Ill put it this way, I think Antonio Pierce would have gone full Mike Ditka and traded a boatload of draft picks for Jayden Daniels if it were up to him and Tom Telesco is notorious for never trading in the draft. Mark Davis might set the budget and Pierce will have influence, but the roster decisions are ultimately up to Telesco.

A: In the sense that there will be two tight ends with their hands in the ground more often than not, not necessarily because Brock Bowers can be used like a slot receiver. But I would expect to see 12 personnel as the base personnel package with Bowers, Micheal Mayer, Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers on the field, if thats what youre referring to.

Then, Tre Tucker would be the 12th man so to speak who still gets a decent amount of playing time as the change-of-pace receiver. If I had to guess, Id say Tucker and Mayer wouldnt be on the field together that much, subbing in and out for each other.

Thatll do it for this weeks mailbag. Thank you all for submitting questions and, as your weekly reminder, if youd like to have your questions answered in a future column, tweet them at me, @MHolder95, email them to SBPQuestions1@gmail.com or look for our weekly call for questions on the site. The latter will continue to publish on Thursdays.

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Mailbag: Can Aidan OConnell or Gardner Minshew lead Raiders to playoffs? - Silver And Black Pride

3 observations after Council, Aluma help Sixers win their opener in Las Vegas originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

With a clean slate in Las Vegas, the Sixers opened their second summer league of 2024 on a winning note.

Following a 1-2 stay in Salt Lake City, the Sixers notched a 94-81 victory Saturday night over the Pistons.

Ricky Council IV led them with a 24-point, six-rebound outing. No. 5 overall pick Ron Holland II recorded 15 points and seven rebounds for Detroit.

The Sixers second game in Vegas will be Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET vs. the Trail Blazers. Here are observations on their win Saturday:

The Sixers did not have the most encouraging start.

Council let a three-pointer fly on the teams first possession and air balled it. Jared McCain also came up well short on his first three-point attempt and missed an early contested layup. Detroit jumped out to a 9-2 lead.

Jeff Dowtin Jr. (18 points, eight assists, five rebounds) remained the Sixers main point guard, though McCain brought the ball forward a decent amount in the open floor. He got on the board with a slick left-to-right crossover and driving layup.

While it hasnt corresponded with incredible numbers, McCains displayed good attacking instincts and skills in transition during summer league. In the second quarter, he pushed the ball ahead, used a drag screen, and drained a pull-up three.

It will be intriguing to see what strides McCain can make this year as a movement shooter. The Sixers called an after-timeout play for him late in the second quarter, having the 20-year-old curl off of two down screens and receive a pass from Dowtin. McCains mid-range jumper went in and out, but the reps navigating around screens should absolutely be helpful for him.

Hes clearly capable of operating off on-ball screens, too. McCain made one of the nights best plays early in the third quarter when he ran a pick-and-roll with Adem Bona, quickly faked a pass, and kept on driving for a lefty layup.

McCain's jump shots still aren't dropping the way they usually do. He had 11 points on 4-for-14 shooting, six rebounds and two steals.

Bona (eight points, seven rebounds, five blocks) scored his first Vegas points on a put-back slam.

On the Sixers next possession, Bona set a solid pick for Dowtin followed by a Gortat screen sealing his man while also clearing out space for Dowtins driving bucket la Marcin Gortat.

Refining his pick-and-roll game will be a huge part of Bonas offensive development. Those sorts of sequences in which he reads the play as it unfolds will be an important aspect.

Bona has obvious room for improvement overall offensively. He had one rough turnover Saturday when he drove from the left side of the floor, pivoted back, and tossed a pass to no one. His sprint down the floor couldnt prevent a Daniss Jenkins dunk.

Defensively, Bona was again hungry to block anything he could and quite effective. Hes up to 14 rejections through four summer league outings.

As was the case in Salt Lake City, Council wasnt bashful about putting up threes.

He had an off night from long range, going 1 for 6 beyond the arc, but Council regularly slashed into the paint and looked to create fouls. He went 9 for 9 at the free throw line.

Against any competition, foul drawing appears to be one of the top skills in Councils game. For an NBA role player whose minutes likely wont be massive at all on most nights next season, its a nice way that he can contribute. And it also means that Councils value hinges a little less on whether his jumpers are falling.

Teams dont love to see players waste possessions in search of fouls, but its typically fair enough when Council plows into the lane and hopes to hear a whistle. He often gets what hes seeking.

Council threw down a few more dunks, too.

Keve Aluma continued to give the Sixers efficient, impressive production behind Bona. Sixers summer league head coach Matt Brase opened the fourth quarter with Bona and Aluma together in the frontcourt.

The 25-year-old Aluma posted 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting and eight rebounds. He closed the game out and was excellent in crunch time.

Shortly after sinking a three, Aluma pump faked and drove to the rim for an and-one layup. Great work by a player who spent last season in South Korea.

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3 observations after Council, Aluma help Sixers win their opener in Las Vegas - Yahoo Sports