In early September, the Cleveland Cavaliers paid a king’s ransom to acquire Donovan Mitchell in a blockbuster trade with the Utah Jazz. Things worked out fairly well for Cleveland in 2022-23, earning a top-four seed in the East, but the Jazz received a strong package in return that included Lauri Markkanen. When the deal came together, Markkanen was seen as an intriguing player but, at the same time, he was not viewed as a jewel or even as the centerpiece of a sprawling transaction. Following a breakout campaign this season, though, Markkanen is now the winner of the NBA’s 2022-23 Most Improved Player of the Year award.
Markkanen was the centerpiece of a Jazz team that surprised many in the NBA world on the way to 37 victories, and he outlasted New York’s Jalen Brunson and Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to win the award with 69 first place votes.
NBA
In his three previous campaigns combined, Markkanen averaged 14.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game and converted only 44.8 percent of his field goal attempts. In 2022-23, the 25-year-old forward erupted for 25.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game while shooting 49.9 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from three-point range, and 87.5 percent on a career-best 6.0 free throw attempts per contest.
Beyond his individual contributions and improved efficiency, Markkanen was also key to Utah’s success. The Jazz out-scored opponents by 3.8 points per 100 possessions with Markkanen on the floor, and that dipped to a -6.5 net rating when he was off the court this season. The next step for Markkanen will be attempting to follow up this All-Star season with a repeat performance, but he was the betting favorite for the award for a large portion of the season and the voters agreed with that notion.
Roman Roy — and by extension his portrayer, Kieran Culkin — has been given a bit more to do on the final season of Succession. He’s now the interim co-CEO of Waystar Royco, which means he’s had to step things up. His dad also suddenly died, meaning we got to see some real emotion from a guy who’s usually a sarcastic quip machine. But getting promoted and acting like a real person with real feelings is just the start.
As per Variety, HBO has decided that when they submit award contenders for the Emmys this year, Culkin will be promoted for the lead actor category. Culkin has been nominated twice before, in the supporting actor section. That made sense at the time: Roman is a main cast member, but in past seasons he wasn’t ever center stage the way Jeremy Strong’s Kendall has often been. While Kendall was been dealing with a drug habit and duking it out with the father that doesn’t believe in him, Roman has been doing things like sending dick pics to one of his dad’s most trusted employees.
But now Roman is (maybe temporarily) running the ship with Kendall. He’s even making bold moves, like accusing the blood-collecting weirdo who wants to buy their company of effectively killing his dad, and during a heated negotiation. (Hey, apparently it worked!) He even looked pretty despondent at the end of the fifth episode. And there’s still five episodes left for Culkin to strut his stuff.
Monday got off to a wild start, with news that Tucker Carlson was suddenly, out of seemingly nowhere, done at Fox News. (Don Lemon is also — and also shockingly — out at CNN.) Initial reports made it sound amicable, that they’d agreed to go their separate ways. Newer reports, though, claim that Tucker was straight-up fired, and that he was as stunned by the news as everyone.
On Monday morning, Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott called Carlson and informed him he was being taken off the air, and his Fox News email account was shut off. According to a source briefed on the conversation, Carlson was stunned by his sudden ouster from his 8 p.m. show, the most watched program in cable news last month. Carlson was in the midst of negotiating the renewal of his Fox News contract through 2029, the source said. As of last week, Carlson had told people he expected the contract to be renewed.
But why was Tucker terminated? Apparently not even he knows. Scott reportedly told him that the decision was made “from above,” which likely means Rupert Murdoch himself. Carlson has also allegedly speculated that Murdoch’s children intend to sell the company down the road — shades of Succession’s Waystar Royco — and they wanted his controversial show off their airwaves.
There have already been other reports about the big decision. The Los Angeles Timesclaims it has to do with those two lawsuits brought against them by former producer Abby Grossberg, who’s already made public some unflattering stories about working alongside him. The Washington Post, meanwhile, reports that the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit, specifically unearthed comments Tucker had made about management, “played a role in his departure.”
More details may emerge later, but for now, Fox News viewers have already seen their last Tucker Carlson show, at least on that network. After all, his termination was effective immediately. Instead, those tuning in at 8pm will have to made do with Brian Kilmeade. At least Tucker has Megyn Kelly on his side.
Social media is often a flashpoint for misinformation and disinformation, and one of the worst offenders is Twitter. A prime example is a rumor that swept the app calling Fugees member Pras Michel an “FBI informant” after his testimony in the federal money laundering case against him last Tuesday.
<em>Rolling Stone reported that Pras made the unusual move to testify in his own defense after consulting with his lawyers and “the universe” according to Mother Jones reporter Dan Friedman. However, in the report, Rolling Stone noted that Pras had met with FBI agents over the course of the investigation into his association with Malaysian financier Jho Low and whether Pras had helped Low, a foreign national, make campaign contributions illegally in the 2012 election. Low is also under investigation — and currently a fugitive — for allegedly stealing $4.5 billion from Malaysia’s 1MDB sovereign wealth fund.
Obviously, this is a complex case and those “hip-hop Twitter” gossip accounts aren’t exactly legal geniuses. But it doesn’t take a genius to extrapolate “FBI informant” from the report — just a dire misunderstanding of the facts of the case. And once there’s a hot take circulating online, it doesn’t take long for it to start circulating, true or not, as long as it’s inflammatory enough.
In hip-hop, the term “informant” carries a lot of baggage, so of course, “Pras is an informant” is one hell of a takeaway.
In reality, Pras is simply on trial because he allegedly took money from Low and put it into Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign and lobbied Donald Trump’s administration to stop investigating Low and extradite Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui, an associate of Steve Bannon. Michel said he met with FBI agents to discuss sending Guo back to China but denied doing so on behalf of the Chinese government (Guo fled to the US in 2015 to escape fraud, corruption, and rape charges, according to Mother Jones. Guo sought asylum, claiming to be a whistleblower).
The rumor probably won’t stop circulating now, but here’s yet another reminder that Twitter gossip is not a trustworthy source — especially not now that old emerald mine nepo baby Musk is in charge.
The week got off to a big start Monday when two big media figures, of two very different stripes, were abruptly out of their jobs. Fox News announced they had decided to “part ways” with their biggest star, Tucker Carlson, effective immediately. Meanwhile, over at CNN, Don Lemon — who’d been in hot water over comments he made that were seen as sexist — was either given the ax or agreed to part ways, depending on who’s telling the story. Both bits of news caused big stirs; the Tucker one in particular drew jeers and cheers. But one Fox News alum is taking both of their sides.
On SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Show, the disgraced former Today host weighed on both Carlson and Lemon. Of the former, she deemed it a “terrible move” by Fox but a “great thing” for Tucker. It’s not yet known what prompted her old employers to split with their biggest star, but whatever the reason, Kelly thought it made no sense:
“If this is a reaction to the Dominion lawsuit, why is Maria Bartiromo there? Why is Jeanine Pirro still there? Why is Suzanne Scott still there? The CEO of Fox News. She got them in far more trouble with her executive emails panicking about Dominion and the audience than anything Tucker did behind the scenes. I realize the left hates Tucker’s guts. I get that this is a joyful day for them. But internally at Fox, they always had that gauge, at least under Roger Ailes, of how to ignore those critics and do what was right for the channel and its audience and the truth.”
Kelly also predicted it would be “great for Tucker,” whom she’s not “worried” about. “I predict Tucker goes independent,” she told listeners. “Tucker launches a podcast or digital show and crushes it. Absolutely crushes it. … A lot of people think he’s going to run for office. I don’t think so. I just don’t think so. Tucker’s got way more influence sitting behind a microphone than he does standing on a debate stage.”
As for Lemon, she felt compassion for him after he claimed he’d been terminated without any direct notice from CNN brass.
“No, no, he’s, he’s not wrong,” she said. “I mean, everybody knows I’m not exactly Don Lemon’s fan, but he’s not wrong that if that’s true, that he was just told by his agent he was fired and they didn’t have the balls to tell him man to man. I mean, that’s just classless. He’s got a right to complain about that.”
Kelly has been with SiriusXM since 2021, two years after leaving NBC over comments she made about blackface. During her tenure thus far, she’s railed against Dr. Fauci and student loan forgiveness. It’s not surprising that she’d side with talent over management, even if she and Fox News parted amicably so she could make a failed attempt to be a nice and normal host of a nice and normal morning show.
The Houston Rockets have decided on their next head coach, as they look to take a positive step forward after three straight dismal, tanking seasons. Houston has reportedly landed on former Celtics coach Ime Udoka, who was suspended for the year and ultimately fired by the Celtics for an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.
ESPN Sources: Ime Udoka has agreed to a deal to become the next Houston Rockets coach. pic.twitter.com/xhcDRDfnNJ
Udoka was expected to take over the Brooklyn Nets job after they fired Steve Nash earlier this year, but Brooklyn chose to move forward with Jacque Vaughn rather than Udoka as they were already dealing with the Kyrie Irving debacle at the time they were also facing heat for trying to hire Udoka after his suspension. While the Rockets reportedly did their “due diligence” on Udoka, there are plenty of questions that remain about the circumstances that led to his ouster in Boston that still have not come to light and we may never get a complete picture of. The hire will certainly raise questions about the off-court issues that led to the Celtics, coming fresh off a Finals run, moving on from Udoka.
From a purely coaching perspective, it’s not hard to see why the Rockets made this move given Udoka’s reputation as a strong defensive coach. The young Rockets could use some structure and discipline on both ends, which was a hallmark of Udoka’s Celtics squad. How he fares in getting this Rockets group to buy in will be rather fascinating to watch given the struggles Houston has had in recent years.
If political satires, Oscar-winning dramas, and underrated comedy gems are your thing then you’ll definitely want to check out HBO’s May lineup.
The streaming platform just dropped its content plans for the month and they include a satirical drama about the wildest political scandal in American history (starring Woody Harrelson, naturally) and a new season of the best comedy series you’re probably not watching. Yet.
Here’s everything coming to HBO and HBO Max this month.
White House Plumbers (limited series premiere 5/1)
From the minds that gave us Veep comes this mostly factual, entirely satirical retelling of the wildest f*ck up in the history of American politics. Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux play Watergate masterminds E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy, the “White House Plumbers” who hoped to sabotage Richard Nixon’s political opponents and ensure a second term in office. Instead, their bumbling ineptitude resulted in a governmental scandal that would live in infamy and the toppling of the presidency they were trying to protect.
The Other Two: Season 3 (streaming 5/4)
Picking up three years after the events of season two, one of Max’s most underrated comedies returns to give fans an update on the Dubek siblings. One is getting married (and having a mid-career crisis), one is premiering his heavily-delayed-due-to-Covid masterpiece, one is transitioning from child stardom, and one is announcing a summer slate filled with Maria Menounos reality shows. And mom? She’s amassed more power than ever.
Here’s what’s new on HBO and HBO Max this May:
Avail. 5/1 Absolute Power, 1997 (HBO) Alpha Dog, 2006 (HBO) American Honey, 2016 (HBO) As Tears Go By, 1988 Betrayed, 1988 (HBO) Black Mass, 2015 (HBO) Blue Valentine, 2010 (HBO) Calvary, 2014 (HBO) Coffee and Cigarettes, 2003 Daddy Day Care, 2003 (HBO) Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who!, 2008 (HBO) Dreamer: Inspired By A True Story, 2005 (HBO) Eat Pray Love, 2010 The Forbidden Kingdom, 2008 (HBO) Heartbreakers, 2001 (HBO) The Hole In The Ground, 2019 (HBO) Hustle & Flow, 2005 (HBO) I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry, 2007 (HBO) The Karate Kid, 2010 Kingsman: The Secret Service, 2014 (HBO) The Last Castle, 2001 (HBO) Lord Of Illusions, 1995 (HBO) (Director’s Cut) Lucky You, 2007 (HBO) Man Of The House, 2005 (HBO) Mid90s, 2019 (HBO) Midnight Sun, 2018 (HBO) Mirror Mirror, 2012 (HBO) Mirrors, 2008 (Extended Version) (HBO) My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, 2016 (HBO) Paper Moon, 1973 (HBO) Paranoia, 2013 (HBO) Parasite, 2019 (HBO) The Rookie, 2002 (HBO) Shark Night 3D, 2011 (HBO) Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow, 2004 (HBO) Soapdish, 1991 (HBO) Some Like It Hot, 1959 (HBO) Sorority Row, 2009 (HBO) Step Brothers, 2008 White House Plumbers, Limited Series Premiere (HBO) Windtalkers, 2002 (HBO)
Avail. 5/2 1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed, Documentary Premiere (HBO) Batwheels, Season 1 ERUN ALL NIGHT, (HBO)
Avail. 5/3 Fifty Shades of Grey, 2015 (HBO) (Unrated Version)
Avail. 5/4 The Other Two, Max Original Season 3 Premiere
Avail. 5/5 Unicorn: Warriors Eternal, Season 1
Avail. 5/8 Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who!, 2008 (HBO) Legion of Super-Heroes, 2023 Sky Captain and The World Of Tomorrow, 2004 (HBO) The Conjuring, 2013 (HBO) Two Sides of the Abyss (Die zwei Seiten des Abgrunds), Max Original Premiere
Avail. 5/11 Rick and Morty, Season 6
Avail. 5/14 We Baby Bears: Little Falling Star, Season 1G
Avail. 5/15 I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry, 2007 (HBO) Land of Gold, 2022 Unbreakable, 2000 (HBO)
Avail. 5/16 Angel City, Three-Part Documentary Series Premiere (HBO) Men in Black, 1997 Men in Black II, 2002 Men in Black III, 2012
Avail. 5/19 The LEGO Batman Movie, 2017 Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, 2001 (HBO) Parasite, 2019 (HBO) Spy/Master, Max Original Premiere
Avail. 5/20 Love to Love You, Donna Summer, Documentary Premiere (HBO)
Avail. 5/22 Kingsman: The Secret Service, 2014 (HBO) San Andreas, 2015
Murray continued to yell back at Petraitis as his teammates steered him towards the tunnel, and it was reported shortly after that the league would be investigating the matter. They ultimately decided Murray’s actions crossed the line by making contact with an official, which they have always frowned upon, and suspended him for a game for “making inappropriate contact with and verbally abusing a game official.”
Murray has been the Hawks’ most consistent offensive performer of the series so far, scoring at least 23 points in every game against the Celtics. Without Murray, Atlanta faces an uphill battle as Boston will focus even more of their energy on pressuring Trae Young, who now will have an even greater creation burden in Game 5. Young has had back-to-back big nights to help Atlanta pick up a split at home and force the series back to Boston, but without Murray, he won’t have much in the way of on-ball help when the Celtics send extra attention his way to get the ball out of his hands.
With the increase in AI-generated content, it’s getting harder and harder to know what was made by a human and what was just thrown together by a robot. Some things you can definitely tell are not real (it’s always the teeth) but as technology advances, it seems impossible to tell the difference between a real Grimes song and a fake Grimes song. Though let’s be honest, Grimes has never been shy about her desire to be a computer.
Now that AI is taking over art, music, and basic conversation, the next logical step would be to start creating AI-generated movies, which is something that Joe Russo of the Russo Bros duo thinks will happen very soon. Too soon, maybe!
Russo, who directed Avengers: Endgame, a real movie that is inhabited by dozens of CGI superheroes, thinks that AI-generated movies are on the horizon. He also admits that he is on “on the board of a few AI companies,” so we are in for a whole new batch of AI movies, whether we want it or not. Russo told Collider, “What you could do with [AI] is obviously use it to engineer storytelling and change storytelling,” he explains. Though the word “obvious” is doing quite a bit of heavy lifting in this scenario. He continued:
So you have a constantly evolving story, either in a game or in a movie, or a TV show. You could walk into your house and save the AI on your streaming platform. “Hey, I want a movie starring my photoreal avatar and Marilyn Monroe’s photoreal avatar. I want it to be a rom-com because I’ve had a rough day,” and it renders a very competent story with dialogue that mimics your voice. It mimics your voice, and suddenly now you have a rom-com starring you that’s 90 minutes long. So you can curate your story specifically to you.
Does this seem a little risky? Yes. Does it also sound like a Joaquin Phoenix movie? Yes. But it also does seem to be a place that many artmakers are heading, especially with the usage of various “aging” technologies that keeps Harrison Ford in business.
Russo believes that AI can be utilized specifically in the gaming community. “Say you want Fortnite to be more of a horror game, right? Then you could ask the AI to ramp up the horror elements of it,” he explained. “So again, you could curate your experience.I think that’s where it’s going. How quickly we get there, I don’t know, but that’s where it’s going.”
If we don’t need actors or storytellers or even directors anymore, then…what are we left with? Should those people be forced to get real jobs, like plumbers or accountants? Imagine Joaquin Phoenix as a handyman. It’s impossible! Let the actors act!
Aaron Rodgers is finally a New York Jet. After months of chatter about Rodgers’ future and the star quarterback outright saying he wanted to be traded to the Jets, the two sides reached an agreement on Monday that allows them both to move forward for draft week.
The deal sees the two sides swap first round picks this year, as well as some late round picks exchanging hands, with the biggest prize for the Packers being a second round pick this year and a conditional second next year that can become a first round pick if Rodgers plays 65 percent of the snaps for New York in 2023. It’s a fascinating trade in that the market for Rodgers was almost non-existent beyond New York, but Green Bay still held enough leverage in the negotiations to get some value in return for the former MVP.
It was also fascinating because we got to watch the process of Adam Schefter breaking the news live on air, as he was doing a hit with NFL Live when the text came in, leading to some truly tremendous television as the crew learned the details of the trade as Schefter was receiving the information.
Schefter having to shush Marcus Spears because the big fella got too excited about the Packers getting a first for Rodgers — before learning it was a swap of No. 15 for No. 13 — is spectacular, as is Laura Rutledge being the one able to hold things on course amid the chaos of the live report. It’s also pretty great watching all of them process what the return was for Rodgers in real time (as Schefter sorts it all out himself), with Mina Kimes agreeing with Rutledge that the conditional pick is the real star of the trade, as that could be a good pick for Green Bay depending on how things go for New York and Rodgers.
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