Enrique Martinez Villar

Mexico City / 18.04.2021 07:08:41

As they fight to avoid a third straight season of losses, a bright spot for the New Orleans Pelicans has been the sudden and successful transformation of Zion Williamson into a hard-hitting points forward.

This pivot has been made possible in part because of the adaptability of point guard Lonzo Ball, who has comfortably transitioned to an off-the-ball role and is having the best season of his career. Ball has shown his ability to function as an immediate shooter while also working with Williamson in the two-man game.

Fostering a partnership between Williamson and Ball, who are 20 and 23, respectively, is an intriguing proposition alongside former All-Star Brandon Ingram, also 23. But this group might not get a chance to become the version of New Orleans from ‘big three’.

“I feel comfortable here,” Ball said March 31. “I also love to play with (Williamson) and [Ingram]. We have a lot of young boys. I think we can be good in the future. “

But Ball’s future in New Orleans this season is in doubt.

Ball was involved in business discussions with various teams before last month’s trade deadline, with the LA Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks among teams showing interest, sources said. Some executives came out of those conversations believing that Ball could be available in an offseason sign-and-trade as a restricted free agent.

The Pelicans have expressed interest in keeping Ball. When extension talks broke down before the season, the front office pointed to Ingram, who also did not reach an extension with the Pelicans entering the final year of his rookie contract. He subsequently had an outstanding season that led to a Most Improved Player award and then a maximum contract. The idea was that if Ball also had a strong season, the organization would do the same.

In fact, Ball has played well, averaging 14.5 points and 38.4% from 3s in 8.1 attempts per game, all of his career highs. After two seasons working with Pelicans shooting coach Fred Vinson, Ball has increased his free throw percentage from 41.7% in his last season with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018-19 to 79.2% this year, though his shooting rate free throws is still low.

“I think what Lonzo has done over the past two years to improve his shooting is one of the best stories in the league,” Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy said. “Now, he’s just a great shooter. Now he goes to the line and takes free throws. All the credit in the world to him.”

While playing alongside Williamson has helped, Ball has been a much better offensive threat to the Pelicans this season.

In catch-and-shoot triples, Ball has seen steady improvement throughout his career, going from 31.4% to 33.1% to 39.7% to 41.7% this season. Even when contested, Ball’s catch-and-shoot rate remains at 41.7%. Stephen Curry, for example, has 43.6% on those same types of shots.

Teams that need a point guard are preparing for Ball in free agency even with the Pelicans in possession of the same rights. New Orleans has just $ 91 million on its books for next season, giving the team room at the salary cap and plenty of room under the tax line.

But Josh Hart, who has also played competently alongside Williamson, will also be a restricted free agent, and will likely be a more profitable option than Ball. Attempts to transfer Eric Bledsoe, who is owed $ 18 million next year, have been unsuccessful.

“Unless they can trade Bledsoe, they will probably have a hard time re-signing both Lonzo and Hart,” said a rival league executive. They don’t pay the (luxury) tax ”.

That is not a generalization. The Pelicans are one of only two franchises, the Charlotte Hornets are the other, that have never paid the luxury tax. With Ingram’s salary, an extension beginning for Steven Adams, and planning for Williamson’s next contract down the road, the Pelicans’ history suggests that they will be judicious about their spending in both the short and medium term.

Ball is represented by agent Rich Paul, who engineered former Pelicans star Anthony Davis’ departure from New Orleans in 2019. One of the reasons Davis asked to be traded was because he was skeptical the Pelicans would spend on him. imposed as richer and more wasteful franchises.

Recently, future free agent Dennis Schroder turned down a four-year offer worth up to $ 84 million from the Lakers, sources said. New Orleans traded Jrue Holiday to the Milwaukee Bucks last offseason in part because there were concerns his next contract would be too costly for the Pelicans. Holiday signed an extension with the Bucks in early April that guarantees him an average of $ 33 million a year.

The moves herald a fertile market for free-agent point guards this summer with teams like the New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Bulls and Clippers possibly looking for improvements. That could lead Ball, who has impressed teams with his steady improvement and team-first attitude, to attract offers that emphasize the Pelicans’ salary capacity.

As the Pelicans struggle to make the postseason, Ball’s performance over the next month could influence the outlook for guards next season and beyond.

But for now, he’s focusing on playing some of the biggest games of his career while wearing the Pelicans uniform. “I’m where I’m supposed to be,” Ball said. “I think of summer when summer comes.”

Less than three months separate us from the end of the contract Lionel Messi with the FC Barcelona. So far, the Argentine footballer and the Catalan club have not sat down to talk about the renewal, a reason that places him in the orbit of the best clubs in the world for the summer transfer market. One of them is the Paris Saint-Germain, whose coach, Mauricio Pochettino, has referred to the possible arrival of Rosario to the Parque de Los Príncipes as a free agent.

Asked about current issues in the world of football, the Argentine coach told ‘Cadena SER’ that the future of Lionel Messi will be known sooner or later. Of course, the former Tottenham refused to confirm if PSG has already launched an offer to sign the Barcelona captain.

“We greet each other and talk inside with Jordi Alba, Neymar, Rafinha. We had a good gathering. Surely soon it will be known what happens with the future and contract of Leo Messi ”, Pochettino explained about Barcelona’s historic goalscorer, whose contract ends exactly on June 30.

On the other hand, the PSG coach referred to the continuity of Kylian Mbappé and Neymar, the great figures of the French team who still do not renew the bond that ends in the summer of 2022. The Argentine dream of continuing to have both.

“I am optimistic that they will stay. The priority is that the talented players of Neymar and Mbappé continue. We do not think of another plan without these players. The goal is to keep the best players. The club wants to get the Champions League and the ability of this club is to keep Neymar and Kylian so that they stay for many years. In three months we have a very good relationship. The two players are very committed to the club ”, Pochettino said.

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Featured news from International Soccer

The German coach announced on Saturday that he plans to leave the Bavarian giant when the season ends.

Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick announced his intention to leave the Bavarian club at the end of the current season on Saturday, speaking to Sky television after his team’s 3-2 victory in Wolfsburg on matchday 29 of the Bundesliga.

“I have announced to the team that I would like to end my contract at the end of the season,” said the coach, who is linked to Bayern until 2023.

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“This is my decision, which I have made after mature reflection. I have explained the reasons internally and this will remain internally, ”said Flick, whose conflict with sports director Hasan Salimahidzic has been known for weeks and has been widely commented on by the press.

Asked about his possible future as Germany’s new coach, since Joachim Löw will leave the post after the European Championship, he assured that there is nothing decided for now on the matter.

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“My future is not yet clear, there have been no conversations with Oliver Bierhoff (director of the German Football Association),” he said.

“The national team is a possibility that any coach should consider, but first I have to digest all this. The last few weeks have not been easy ”, he pointed out about the option of being Löw’s replacement at the head of the ‘Mannschaft’, a rumor that has been loud for a long time.

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Since February, Flick has been under heavy media pressure for his stubborn refusal so far to clarify whether he wanted to continue as Bayern coach next season or not.

CSince the newspapers are not only there to ask questions but, above all, to answer them, we are going to start at the beginning. No sir AgnelliIt’s not that 16-24 year olds are not interested in football. They like it as much, or more, although in different ways.

The president of Juventus, and also of the European leagues, said that 40% of teenagers no longer liked it. And it was so wide. But it was, at best, a half-truth. Of the 1,450 million followers estimated by the Global reach of football study, 26% are in that age range. Africa (42%) and South America (38.3%) are the ones with the youngest pending of the ball. Europe is losing steam, that’s true, and North America, in football terms, never had it for many parties, but reality speaks of a relative growth of youth fans of 7% worldwide and 3% in Spain. .

What changes is the way of following it. A 10-year-old boy, today, does not understand having to wait with his finger in the VHS rec to record the summary of the goals of the day in Estudio Estadio – and, in the worst case, delete the chapter of The Fantastic Car. that was under-. If you have understood all these references, it is normal that you are on the verge of receiving your virus vaccine. Congratulations. The options, now, are immediate: see the goals a minute later on the web, receive alerts on the smartwatch at the beginning and end of each game, historically update the live scores every 15 seconds … it’s another roll.

Twich, Facebook Live, YouTube … The strong point of sport has always been live, what experts call the “fear of missing out”. The games are when they are, the day they are scheduled. That is already unthinkable, for example, with the rest of the entertainment: you watch the series when you want, and how you want. And, in general, with the free time of the kids who can connect to YouTube and manage the way they watch their videos as they please, stopping when they want and returning anyway.

Games, Fantasy, casters …

Winning over kids is part of the survival of the football industry. Of the future not only of this sport, but of entertainment. LaLiga’s Director of Digital Strategy, Alfredo Bermejo, explains to MARCA where the shots go in this mission: “I do not agree that there is a detachment. What has been happening in recent years -and not only affects the youngest, but everyone- is a change in the way that content is created, distributed and consumed. It affects all entertainment. Until now, consumption was linear, television channels, nothing more. New technologies have made it easier for there to be more content creators, OTT, social networks … There are many more alternatives and new audience niches on different platforms. Users have more alternatives. “

Football is still the best entertainment in the world, it is not easy to improve it

Alfredo Bermejo (LaLiga Digital Strategy director)

“We are talking about football, the largest entertainment product in the world, so improving it is not easy. Our data does not speak of detachment. In television audiences it is not what we are seeing. The other way around: more and more game minutes are consumed , more hours of live football. Of course some have more impact than others, but the data we have does not say that young people are separating from football, “he insists. Bermejo.

In addition, there are projects to find other ways to connect with the public. LaLiga Casters through Twich, eSports projects, LaLiga Fantasy … more content options about football that is consumed more. And in different ways. “I would say that, due to the duration and trajectory they have, Fantasy and the eSports project and LaLiga are the ones that are allowing us to have a closer relationship with the fan. For the novelty, LaLiga casters, the project that we are doing between others with Ibai Llanosis one of the ones that has been working the most in recent months “, also analyzes LaLiga’s director of digital strategy.

“The natural step that we see with Twich stars like Ibai was that the open game that we broadcast through Gol would also be offered open in the profiles of both Gol and LaLiga as well as the own Ibai. It is one more test to connect with those types of audiences. The feedback, so far, has been very positive. In addition, we continue to have the direct one. The emotion that a competition like LaLiga gives you. The differential value to compete with those other entertainments that you can see at any other time “, ditch Alfredo Bermejo.

Content creators seek the validity of the moment

David de las Heras (youtuber)

Content creators

The future goes towards living football, too, outside of the 90 minutes of the game: more extensive summaries that can be seen on platforms like YouTube, products like Fantasy that allow you to have attention towards the game even if your team does not play …

That’s what Jess lives on. Or, better: @therealyesus, Forward09, a content creator who is in excess of 3,150,000 subscribers on YouTube, with videos far exceeding eight million views. A reference for brands that are aimed at young audiences.

“I, who live it every day, share videos with players and try to record many actions, I would even tell you that the attention has increased: they are more attentive to the results, to the footballers … Although it seems strange, the pandemic has brought closer the figure of the players to the follower. Many have made direct, they have played the Play, they have recorded messages … my opinion, even, is that it is the opposite. The attention has not fallen “, he explains Forward09.

The pandemic has brought players closer: live, Play, recorded …

Forward09 (content creator)

“The actuality is the key point,” he adds. Match that with David de las Heras, which has 895,000 subscribers on YouTube, although somewhat older in age (from 25 to 30): “Live and immediacy right after a match is what continues to work best. A video is liked and it is seen much more a minute later of the game than the next morning. It shows a lot. Any content creator looks for the validity of the moment. The games generate an expectation throughout the day and the analysis, right after, is what works best for us. ”

Subscribe to the BRAND Weekend Newsletter and receive in your email, Saturdays and Sundays first thing in the morning, the reports, interviews and in-depth graphics of MARCA and those of its Sunday supplement ‘Primera Plana’.

Bayern healed their injuries after the painful elimination in the Champions League at the hands of PSG and hit the table on their visit to Wolfsburg that tastes like a sentence in the Bundesliga. A day after RB Leipzig’s draw against Hoffenheim, the Bavarians took advantage of the puncture of Nagelsmann’s men to take an important step towards the title. Thanks to the imperial performance of the young Musiala, doublet included, the all-time champion beat Wolfsburg 2-3 and, in this way, extended the difference with respect to Leipzig in the standings to seven points. With only five days to go, a lot would have to happen so that the locals did not end up lifting their ninth consecutive salad bowl.

Bayern still cannot count on key pieces of the Flick scheme such as Lewandowski or Gnabry, but the absences on the grass of the Volkswagen Arena were not noticed. Led by an imperial Musiala, who at just 18 is already becoming a leader of the Bundesliga champion, they swept Wolfsburg in the first half. Musiala himself was in charge of putting the Bavarians ahead, who increased the rent after a serious mistake by the goalkeeper Casteels through Choupo-Moting. Weghorst managed to close the gap after a Müller loss, but once again Musiala, this time with a header, reestablished the two-goal difference before going through the locker room.

He did not change the game script after the restart, with a Munich team that had numerous chances to sentence the clash. Sané forgave too much against a Wolfsburg that, out of nowhere, returned to give excitement to the game. Philipp took advantage of a collective error in the visitors’ defense to beat Neuer and put his team back into the game. It was then that Glasner’s men showed why they are in third position on the table and intimidated Flick’s side. Weghorst had the tie on his boots. Bayern suffered. But he resisted, taking three points from northern Germany that, with only 15 points to be distributed, bring them closer to what would be the thirty-first salad bowl in their history.

Zinedine Zidane did not confirm that he will continue on the Real Madrid bench next season, he congratulated Florentino Pérez on his re-election as president, without linking his continuity to that of the president or looking “beyond tomorrow’s game”, because he assured that in football a contract “is worth nothing.”

“I’m happy for him, who will continue as president of Real Madrid“, he assured.” I do not see beyond tomorrow’s game, the rest nobody knows what will happen. I only think about the day to day, about working and nothing else. “

“You can have a four-year contract and then continue or the other way around, a contract that is going to end and then stay with you, so the contract means nothing. I’m happy and thinking about tomorrow’s game, “he added.

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Annoyed by the questions about his future before the sports of the game against Getafe, Zidane showed his feelings at the criticism he has received this season for the irregularity before a good moment that keeps him fighting for the League and the Champions League.

“You don’t know anything about my future, you can’t comment on anything I say because you never look at the future”, he responded tensely to a journalist. “When you said that you had to remove Zidane either, I’m here and I’m going to fight until the last day. Here only day-to-day matters, I don’t know what’s going to happen in three months or a year, the only thing that everyone is interested in the day to day “.

“There were many doubts from many people but we did not, we have never doubted the work we did. The players are very involved, they believe in what they do and in the difficulty they get stronger. It is what this team takes out at every moment and game. I am very proud that they always want more, it is what fills me, seeing my players involved in everything we do, “he added.

At times when criticism has turned into praise for his figure, with a great run of results and after a week in which the classic beat Barcelona and eliminated Liverpool from the Champions League, Zidane assured that his greatest virtue is to value his position. “I enjoy what I do every day.”

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“It is a team that works a lot, with players who have won a lot but they always want more and that, for a coach, is phenomenal. We are going to continue fighting, we know how to suffer and to try to win we have to suffer on the field. The consequence of work can lead you to do great things, “he reflected.

Finally, he responded to those who point him out as an aligner and never recognize his virtues in the tactical section. “What I tell you will not change anything, that if I have a flower and It’s true because I have it from training this team and at this great club, I’m very lucky. “

“Then I don’t think it’s a disaster as a coach, I’m not the best insurance but I like what I’m doing. You can’t always do things well but it’s the least of it, the important thing is to put passion into what you like and give always the maximum, every day one hundred percent as I do, but especially my players “.

El Cabezón, who recently turned 40, went through the TyC Sports screen and spoke about his current affairs in Nacional, gave his opinion about El Muñeco, el Loco and what he will do after retirement.

Andrés D’Alessandro turned 40 this Thursday and, far from thinking about an imminent retirement, still feel like playing soccer. The steering wheel, today National of Uruguay, went through the screen of TyC Sports and spoke of his present and his future. Besides, andLogged Marcelo Gallardo and Marcelo Bielsa.

“I am at a special moment in my career. At 40 it is not easy to run behind the youngest but I still have plenty of desire. At this age, if you don’t feel like getting up early to train … the day I don’t want the alarm to go off, I’ll say enough “, expressed in dialogue with High pressure. “For now I’m very hungry to end up being able to fight for things. Nacional opened the doors for me and I am very grateful to the club. I am very happy to be able to play another Copa Libertadores and the Uruguayan tournament, which is not easy. I would love to retire with a degree. Whatever, because in football it is very difficult to win. We lose much more than we win and when you win you have to enjoy it “, added later.

Andres D

In his last step by River, Cabezón did the technical course although he has not yet decided what he is going to do, since he could perform another task within footballl. “Soccer gave me more than I imagined. I am very grateful. We have a very short shelf life. Then you have a life ahead of you and it is not easy, you have to know what you are going to do “he declared. “I love football and I can’t imagine my life without football or a ball nearby. I have not decided to be a coach, I also like group management. In recent years we do it because we have become the greatest. We do not set rules but we try to be an example. From there talk, address the youngest “, added.

D’Alessandro on Marcelo Gallardo

The big head, who was a partner and directed by the Doll in River, assured that he wants “let him stay 20 more years” at the Millionaire. “Marcelo is very fair. It is a quality that marks Bielsa as well. He does not care about the name, the story, the size, he will put the best one. That makes a difference in many moments. Everyone knows how to work and they are at the bottom of the barrel because those who train badly know that they are not going to play, and that makes it more fair. When I came back he told me that he wanted me in the group but he was going to have to break up to play. He is also extremely professional, he is in everything “, he asserted, and assured that River is the great candidate to win the Copa Libertadores. “River is the great candidate for the Copa Libertadores. With Flamengo it got out of hand at the last minute, he had it under control and he deserved it. Afterwards, Palmeiras found three goals in 15 minutes of River’s bewilderment. When it is proposed, it is a team to be feared. Having a coach for many years in a club is not easy “, opined.

Andres D

D’Alessandro also spoke of Marcelo Bielsa

“I get up early to watch Leeds. For me, Bielsa is current and will continue. Whoever worked with him knows the values ​​he has. It has made me a better player and a better person. It makes me happy that he is doing well everywhere. He’s running a barbaric campaign in the Premier League. Everywhere he shows the quality of person he is, sometimes he goes from humble. It’s crazy, total, that makes it different. Obsessed with his work. For me it is a phenomenon “, slipped. “I wanted him to speak in my book and he answered me. It took a little while but he sent me his opinion and describes me as I went with him. He described me as controversial, but always well predisposed to the coach and the group. When I am a coach I would like to be like him, transmit my idea around the world and have my work recognized even if I do not win titles “, he continued.

Andres D

Lionel Scaloni and the Argentine National Team

“It seems spectacular to me that the Argentine National Team has Scaloni as a coach. It has Ayala, Samuel, Ayala, Placente, Mascherano helping in the youth teams. What better than that? Then they will have a boss who will evaluate their work and will say if it is good or bad. ANDIt’s part of our job. That arrival of former players to the clubs is positive “, he concluded.

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The renewal of Tuca Ferretti continues without materializing, while the approach of the board with Miguel Herrera is just beginning

The future of Ricardo Ferretti on Tigers continues in the air and the feline board has begun to explore options in case the Brazilian does not continue on the university bench, among the options that San Nicolás like is Miguel Herrera who would have already been surveyed by the feline dome to find out how he is at the moment.

Sources indicated to ESPN that he ‘Louse’ He was already on his way to return to Xolos de Tijuana for the next tournament, but that option could lose interest due to the possible interest of the Tigers The same source indicated that Mauricio Culebro had already had some friendly talk with Herrera where he asked him about his plans for the near future, although at no time did he formally offer to take charge of the people of Monterrey from the following campaign.

Another close source reported that even the work team of Miguel Herrera he would be designing a project to present to the feline board of directors, which would include a diagnosis of the staff and thus define ups and downs for the next contest, in which they would seek to give a fresh and renewed face to the team.

On the other hand, Tigers They have begun to ask for references about some players who could arrive at the institution in the next tournament, for the felines it is a priority to strengthen the left wing, both on defense and attack, in addition to that they are waiting to know what will happen with players like Diente López who could leave the team.

For now Miguel Herrera you are resting waiting to receive a specific offer for your services, while, whatever happens, Ricardo Ferretti he will remain in charge of the Tigers until the end of this tournament.

The renewal of Tuca Ferretti continues without materializing, while the approach of the board with Miguel Herrera is just beginning

The future of Ricardo Ferretti on Tigers continues in the air and the feline board has begun to explore options in case the Brazilian does not continue on the university bench, among the options that San Nicolás like is Miguel Herrera who would have already been surveyed by the feline dome to find out how he is at the moment.

Sources indicated to ESPN that he ‘Louse’ He was already on his way to return to Xolos de Tijuana for the next tournament, but that option could lose interest due to the possible interest of the Tigers The same source indicated that Mauricio Culebro had already had some friendly talk with Herrera where he asked him about his plans for the near future, although at no time did he formally offer to take charge of the people of Monterrey from the following campaign.

Another close source reported that even the work team of Miguel Herrera he would be designing a project to present to the feline board of directors, which would include a diagnosis of the staff and thus define ups and downs for the next contest, in which they would seek to give a fresh and renewed face to the team.

On the other hand, Tigers They have begun to ask for references about some players who could arrive at the institution in the next tournament, for the felines it is a priority to strengthen the left wing, both on defense and attack, in addition to that they are waiting to know what will happen with players like Diente López who could leave the team.

For now Miguel Herrera you are resting waiting to receive a specific offer for your services, while, whatever happens, Ricardo Ferretti he will remain in charge of the Tigers until the end of this tournament.