Preise » nd Kim Pegula. Its time to create thei

Five Quick Thoughts for a Monday: 1. NORRIS COLE (Heat): Its funny, you watch a guy play and now really produce and it just jumps off the page at you - why? You put a young player with potential in a winning environment where there is veteran leadership, outstanding coaching and management and a way that things are done and its a wonderful environment for growth, improvement in a climate of constant accountability and expectation of achievement/production. When he was drafted out of Cleveland State this was a young man who could go either way as a pro but the professionalism of the team that drafted him has been a wonderful place for him to be nurtured and educated on how to be a good pro. Hes really impressed me with his play off the bench and has made a significant difference against Indiana in key moments. Proper environment truly does effect outcomes. 2. INDY DEFENCE: Im sorry but the Pacers have NO chance of winning this series if they continue to allow the Heat to shoot 50 per cent plus as theyve done in all of the first three games. The Pacers have been an outstanding defensive team the past few years and thats their "calling card" - it sure aint their offence! To think that youre going to run up and down with the Heat and match buckets - good luck with that. The small/skilled lineups that the Heat throw out there are making Roy Hibbert and David West ineffective to say the least. Its easy to say but hard to do, but the Pacers have to start mucking it up and make this a much more physical and hotly contested defensive style of play. Miami is a flow team and if you allow them to get in rhythm and swing the ball with minimal resistance you might as well set up tee times for next week. The D had better be drastically better on Monday night or this series will wind down quickly. 3. SERGE IBAKA and REGGIE JACKSON (Thunder): A combined 30 points from two starters vs. minimal production from Nick Collison and Thabo Sefolosha - what a difference! Add another playmaker in Jackson (five assists) to the mix and suddenly the ball moves with a purpose and they look like a "team" instead of an "iso show" and then Ibaka was brilliant coming back from the injury with seven boards and four blocks - talk about impact performance. Suddenly the rim/paint was being protected and the Thunder played with some force and swagger defensively and on the boards. Good players used properly and healthy enough to play changes how things go drastically. Winning is really hard and you need your top guys there or you are overwhelmed at times. Now that looked like the OKC Thunder on Sunday night. If they can continue to play that way weve got a series that will go seven games. 4. NBA DRAFT: You watch the Playoffs so far and the thing that continues to jump out at me is how the NBA has changed over the years. How that reflects on this years Draft is that if youre the Cavs and the Bucks with the first two picks youve really got to think long and hard about how Joel Embiids game fits in the league today versus the upside over a 10-12 year period of guys like Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker. This has become a perimeter-based league with skilled guys who can do it all versus the traditional brand of power basketball which still has its place in the game...yet at what price? Always a terrific philosophical discussion for GMs, executives and coaches to hash out. 5. POTENTIAL VS. PRODUCTION (Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas, Raptors): You can talk about the No. 20, 37 and 59 picks in this years Draft that the Raptors have and the free agent decisions and possible moves that GM Masai Ujiri can make this off-season. But for the Raptors to continue to improve and take nice gradual building steps over the next few years the significant improvement in every respect from these two youngsters is paramount. Players are made in the off-season and teams are developed in-season. Will these two young men pay the price between now and early October and come back stronger, more skilled, more knowledgeable and ready to be consistent winning pieces that take an organization from respectable to another gear? Only time will tell. "To whom much is given (major minutes and starting opportunities as sophomores), much is expected." Cant wait to see what both young men come back like in the Fall. Their improvement/development will define the next step for the Raptors. Lots of attention will be focused on the role of head coach Dwane Casey and his staff along with the support staff in the further growth of both guys but in my opinion its a whole lot more now on these two guys personally of how bad do they want to be next level players? When you reach your third year as a pro its time for you to be able to "figure it out" on your own and the coaches are there to guide you on the proper path - yet its on YOU. Its time to be consistent producers in every respect. How these young men (I really like both of them) take personal ownership of their professional careers will set the stage for the long-term direction of the Raptors and the moves Ujiri needs to make accordingly to fill in the blanks. The proper environment exists for both to improve significantly - now its on them to seize the opportunity given to them. Discount Air Max 90 .C. United have acquired midfielder Alex Caskey from the Seattle Sounders for a third-round pick in the 2016 MLS draft. Wholesale Air Max 90 . Pinch-hitter Tommy Medica singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Padres beat the Seattle Mariners 2-1 in their first home game since Gwynn died of cancer Monday. http://www.airmax90outletsale.com/. Right-hander Todd Redmond took the loss. Jose Bautista hit his second home run of the spring. Here are a handful of tidbits from around camp: Hutchison impressive The Blue Jays are being cautious when talking about their young arms but internally, excitement is building over the way Drew Hutchison is looking and performing this spring. Cheap Air Max 90 Free Shipping . Two weeks after suffering a concussion, Foles will start in place of Michael Vick, who is out for the second time this season with a hamstring injury. Nike Air Max 90 For Sale Cheap . Last year, Matt Kuchar closed with a 4-under 68 to beat Kevin Chappell by two strokes for his second win of the 2013 season and sixth of his career.ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - No price was too high for Terry Pegula and wife Kim if it meant keeping the Bills in Buffalo, and preserving late Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilsons legacy.Having difficulty keeping his emotions in check during an introductory news conference on Friday, Pegula was humbled to succeed Wilson as the Bills owner, and outlined his reasons for spending an NFL-record $1.4 billion to buy the team.I want to ask the fans if I overpaid. I know what theyre going to tell me, Pegula said. We can all have many things in life. We can buy a house. We can buy a car. If you have enough money, theres 32 football teams. And theres only one Buffalo Bills.The Pegulas were formally ushered in as owners two days after their bid was approved unanimously by NFL owners. And theyll get their first chance to watch the Bills play from the owners box on Sunday, when Buffalo (3-2) hosts AFC East rival New England (3-2).Ralphs 54 years, how do you follow that act? Its tough, Pegula said. Its going to be an amazing experience.Wilson was the teams founder and sole owner until he died in March, opening questions of whether the team might be sold and eventually relocated.Pegula, who also owns the NHLs Buffalo Sabres, shared those same concerns and wanted to guarantee the franchises future in western New York.And yet he acknowledged still being floored by how Bills fans reacted once the Pegulas reached an initial agreement to buy the team early last month.I was humbled by all you fans, and the outpouring of emotion that I saw when our name was announced as the winning bid, Pegula said. I could not believe the pent-up fear of losing the team that was released by you, the fans.The Pegulas beat out several competing bidders, including New York City real estate mogul Donald Trump, and a Toronto-based group led by rocker Jon Bon Jovi. Bon Jovis group raised concerns over whether it had an intention to buy the team and eventually relocate itt north of the border.ddddddddddddThe 63-year-old Pegula grew up in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, graduated from Penn State, and made his fortune selling his Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling rights for $4.7 billion to Royal Dutch Shell in 2010. Hes a long-time Sabres fan and bought the team in February 2011.Pegula intends to keep Russ Brandon as Bills president. He failed, however, to define how he and his wife will split ownership duties.Without going into detail, he added there have been preliminary discussions about the possibility of building a new stadium, including a potential downtown site.Brandon welcomed the Pegulas, and believes Wilson would be pleased with the transition.I could envision Ralph with his legendary fist pump, saying, Job well done. Its been a great ride, Brandon said. Now the ride belongs to Terry and Kim Pegula. Its time to create their own memories and define the Pegula family legacy for generations to come.Pegula first teared up about a minute into his introductory speech, when he stopped in mid-sentence before saying, I knew this was going to happen. Pegula then said: We all just bought the team. Our team. The Buffalo Bills.Pegula noted that he grew up rooting for the Detroit Lions. And he said he was well aware that Wilson owned a small share of the team, which he had to relinquish in order to establish the Bills as an American Football League franchise in 1959.Though he never met Wilson, Pegula did recall watching the Bills in the 1960s. Pegula became an even bigger fan in the 1980s, when he based his natural gas company in Olean, New York, and began regularly attending Bills games.Owning a professional team is about winning. And the primary goal of our ownership will be to win the Super Bowl, to bring championships to the city of Buffalo, Pegula said. Myself and my family will dedicate ourselves to that.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '