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Let's start with a little technical information on DVD. I am never really sure how much to cover and how technical to get. I will do my best to make things as easy as possible for everyone to understand.
DVD is encoded as MPEG 2 video and stored on DVD following the ITU-R BT.601 standard. ITU-R stands for the International Telecommunication Union, Radio Communication Sector. BT.601 is the standard for digital component video.
BT.601 specifies how the signal is transcoded from R'G'B' to Y'Cb'Cr', the digital filters used, sampling rate, and the horizontal resolution. While NTSC (SDTV) is based on BT.601, HDTV is based on BT.709. Y is the luma channel and 'Cb'Cr' are the chroma or color-difference channels.
There are several different sampling formats for Y'Cb'Cr', namely 4:4:4, 4:2:2, 4:1:1, and 4:2:0. BT.601 defined 4:4:4 and 4:2:2, MPEG added the 4:2:0 format because it requires less storage. We are really only concerned about the last one, 4:2:0, because that is the format that DVD uses. I should also mention that there is more than one version of 4:2:0. What 4:2:0 means is that not only are the chroma channels reduced 2:1 horizontally compared to the luma channel, but they are also reduced 2:1 vertically. The best would have been 4:4:4, where there is no reduction for chroma and luma, but that takes up too much space on the DVD.
The sampling rate of luma (the black and white, brightness, portion of the signal) is 13.5 MHz, which provides 720 active samples per line. The sampling rate of chroma (the color portion of the signal) is 6.75 MHz. The Nyquist theorem states that the sampling rate must be twice that of the highest frequency so that aliasing will not occur. This limits the maximum luma bandwidth to 6.75 MHz (half of 13.5) and the maximum chroma bandwidth to 3.375 MHz (half of 6.75).
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We generally speak in terms of resolution, not bandwidth. Each MHz represents 80 horizontal lines of resolution or television lines (TVL). (This only applies to 4:3 TVs.) That equates to DVD having a maximum TVL of 540. I have only seen a couple of DVDs that actually contain information out to 540 TVL, and those are Avia and the MS Test Annex. (WHQL)
Recently, a couple of DVD player manufacturers have begun advertising that their players are capable of upsampling the chroma channels. The fact is that 4:2:0 must be converted to 4:4:4 before it can be displayed. Interpolation is used to generate the new color difference samples. How those samples are generated can vary from processor to processor, and some algorithms are better than others. The DVDO Pure Progressive™ engine uses an excellent technique to perform the "upsampling."
Y'Cb'Cr' data for DVD are encoded with 8-bit precision. While a couple of first generation DVD players used 8-bit video DACs, 10-bit video DACs are now the standard. These extra bits of resolution provide headroom. Some companies are now moving to 12-bit and 14-bit DACs. Most of the DACs run at 27 MHz or 2x oversampling. (That's 2x the sample rate of luma's 13.5 MHz.) This oversampling helps the video reconstruction filters.
Because the DACs are running at twice the sample rate, more interpolation is done and additional samples are created resulting in 8:8:8 Y'Cb'Cr' with 1440 active samples per line. Remember that this is not real information but interpolated information. Who do you suppose the first manufacturer will be that makes that claim?
Some newer players have DACs that are running at 54 MHz. If the DVD player is outputting a progressive image, it has to generate twice the number of scan lines in the same amount of time as an interlaced player. That requires the DACs to be at least 27 MHz. Through oversampling, and by going to 54 MHz, the DACs once again have 2x oversampling on the progressive output. I guess that makes it 4x oversampling on the interlaced output. As high-end players begin to offer video scaling (converting 480p to 600p, 720p, 768p, 960p, etc.), they will need to utilize even faster DACs.
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Once the MPEG 2 video has been decoded and converted to analog, it should no longer be referred to as Y'Cb'Cr'. The correct label is Y'Pb'Pr', which is the proper designation for Component Analog Video (CAV). The CAV labeling of DVD players is not consistent, and many use the improper term Y'Cb'Cr'. Note that CAV in the video realm (Component Analog Video) is different than CAV for the mechanical movement of laser beams on tracks of the discs, where it means Constant Angular Velocity.
Video Formats
Toshiba has come up with a clever name for CAV called Color Stream. That's fine, except that no one else uses that term, and we constantly get questions asking if the Color Stream outputs on their DVD player will work with the component video inputs on their TV. Its gets even better, since they call progressive DVD outputs Color Stream Pro. And if that wasn't enough, their DVD players with 54 MHz DACs are Super Color Stream Pro. I have no problem with the concept of marketing, but we are talking about using some clever terms that actually refer to standards.
One more thing I would like to mention at this point is the connector used on the CAV outputs. Since this format was adopted from the commercial TV broadcast industry, it only makes sense that the DVD players would use the same BNC connectors that industry uses. Nope! There was a chance to do something right from the beginning, but the first ones on the block with CAV outputs chose RCA connectors. You will only find BNC connectors on the high-end DVD players. The importance of the jack stems from a need for 75 Ohm connections, due to the high frequency of the video signal. BNCs are 75 Ohms, but RCA jacks are often much lower than that, say 25 Ohms, which will degrade signal transmission through reflections at the connection point.
There is a new type of output that is being offered on at least one brand of player, and it is called Serial Digital Interface (SDI). SDI itself is not new, it is defined in BT.656 and SMPTE 259M. Theta, who offers the output, is calling it the 4:2:2 digital output. This output is interlaced and does not contain any of the MPEG flags that can aid in the de-interlacing process. A few digital display devices offer SDI inputs along with two video processors, Miranda and Snell & Wilcox.
CAV (Component Analog Video)
If implemented properly at the source, video processing and display, CAV offers the best video quality from DVD and should be used whenever possible.
In the broadcast world there are several different versions of CAV, which include SMPTE/EBU N10, MII, and Betacam®. So which one did they adopt for DVD? How about none of them! In fact, up until recently there was no standard at all for consumer CAV. There are now three CAV formats for consumer devices, and they are all part of the EIA 770 standard. EIA 770.1 and 770.2 are for both interlaced and progressive SDTV, while 770.3 is for HDTV. EIA 770.2 looks just like SMPTE/EBU N10, so I will not list it. I also want to mention that the Y portion of EIA 770.1 looks like Betacam® Y, while the 'Pb'Pr' portions look like SMPTE/EBU 'Pb'Pr'.
Since we measured the output levels of each player, I am going to list which CAV format a player most closely resembles. Before I can do that, I think it is best to actually tell you about the various CAV formats. Armed with lots of data and Microsoft Excel, I have put together some graphs to visually show the level differences and I will include the actual values too.
What makes things even more interesting is that the devices you are going to plug the DVD players into, like your TV or video processor, are expecting a certain CAV format, but which one? Faroudja, for example, calibrates all of their video processors for the Betacam® format. Not a single DVD player that we measured outputs Betacam® levels, but as long as the TV or processor you buy has user adjustable controls like brightness, contrast, and color controls, you can calibrate the levels. Some devices even let you adjust tint on the CAV format. Normally this is not possible because chroma phase is not part of the CAV format. However, it can be done by mixing 'Pb' and 'Pr' proportionately. Toshiba TVs do allow you to adjust tint on the CAV input.
While we are on the subject of Toshiba TVs, it would make sense that if a manufacturer makes both DVD players and TVs, and that if you connected the two together, they would be calibrated to work without any adjustments. Not so! You even have to adjust tint on the CAV inputs to get them to match.
Component Analog Video Data
If you are unable to utilize the CAV outputs on your DVD player, each player also comes equipped with S-Video and Composite outputs. The NTSC standard for the composite/YC format is SMPTE 170M. With one format in NTSC land, you would think that they could get those output levels correct, but manufacturers have failed to ensure that their outputs conform to this standard. Most devices have brightness, contrast, color, tint, and sharpness controls so that you can calibrate the levels.
I feel it is important to mention the lack of standards, because if you are evaluating a DVD player, it MUST be calibrated to the display device you are viewing it on so that it's a fair test. This is especially important when comparing CAV to S-Video or Manufacturer A to Manufacturer B.
There is one product, the DVDO iScan Plus, which does not have any user adjustable controls. They brought this groundbreaking product to market at an unbelievably low price. They made an assumption that the DVD players would output the appropriate levels. They lucked out on tint, if S-Video is used, because every single player we tested had perfect chroma phase (tint). However, when it came to the chroma level (color), the players were all over the board.
Due to limited time and the fact that the Composite output has too many compromises, we only measured the S-Video (YC) output of each player.
Composite/YC Data
DVD Player Video Measurements
I am not aware of any standard measuring practice in regards to DVD players and their video performance. Most of the reviews that I have read have all been virtually subjective. There is nothing wrong with subjective reviews, but sometimes taking a closer objective look is important.
We paid a great deal of attention to detail in our measurements right down to the smallest item. We did our best to ensure that every player was tested on an even playing field.
The Essentials
We chose the Tektronix VM700T as the test and measurement device. It is highly regarded as one of the best, if not the best around. The VM700T was equipped with option 1 for NTSC Composite/YC testing and option 30 for CAV testing. The VM700T provides 3 channels, which was enough to measure both the YC (2-channels) and CAV (3-channels) outputs. The VM700T is only useful for interlaced video. We had to use a Tektronix 1735HD to look at the outputs of the progressive players. We were not able to get the detailed information with the 1735HD as we did with the VM700T, but we got what we could.
The VM700T is designed for use in a video broadcast environment and has a video input and output for each channel. At the end of every video chain, the signal must be properly terminated. In our case, the VM700T was at the end, so we had to terminate the outputs in order to get accurate measurements. Since the quality of the terminators will affect the measurements, it is very important to use 75-Ohm terminators with very little tolerance for error. For our DVD benchmark, we chose Canare terminators. Prior to getting the Canare terminators, I had a handful that I picked up from the local electronics shop. I could actually touch them and the measurements would change. The Canare terminators exhibit no such behavior.
Since we were so particular about the quality of the terminators, you can imagine that we also followed the same methodology for video cables. The most important thing about cables to me is having the proper connectors. The VM700T uses BNC connectors. Some DVD players use RCA, while other use BNC. I did not want to use converters anywhere in the chain. I had three 1-meter cables made for the tests, each cable having the necessary connectors: 1 BNC->BNC, 1 BNC->RCA, and 1 RCA->RCA, all of which having Canare terminators. The specific Canare cable is V3-5CFB.
The VM700T does not have a YC input, so a special box was required that would convert the single Din plug into two BNC cables. For this I used a TecNec SV4-YC breakout box. I could have had a special cable made with an S-Video female on one end and two BNCs on the other, but I did not.
For lab grade power, we went with the PS Audio P300 Power Plant AC regenerator. It does not matter what the AC coming out of the wall looks like because the P300 completely regenerates it. This guaranteed that all players had equal power. Colin made some noise floor measurements on the audio side, with each player plugged into the P300 and then into the wall. Did the P300 make a difference? You can read the audio portion to find out. I would also have liked to feed each player really bad power to see how each power supply performed, but we ran out of time.
Aside from the actual players, the only other necessary part was the test patterns. We used two discs (DVDs) for our video measurements, Avia and Video Essentials. One of the most interesting problems with test patterns and DVD is knowing whether or not the pattern you are using is accurate. The MPEG 2 encoder can do some pretty wicked things to test patterns. There were actually a couple of measurements that we did not make because we felt the patterns themselves were not reliable enough. We also discovered that we did not have access to all of the test patterns we really needed.
While on the subject of accuracy, just because we had the VM700T did not mean it was accurate. The VM700T is a precision device, and Federal Express delivered it to my house. We used a Tektronix TSG-170a test pattern generator to verify the accuracy of the VM700T. From our quick test we can safely say that the VM700T was accurate within +/- 0.04 dB.
A series of measurements were first made on the CAV outputs, followed by the YC outputs. Below are the test patterns we used and the various measurements we made. I tried to do my best to completely document how the measurements were made so that they could be reproduced by anyone with the right equipment.
We also used the Extron CVC-200 CAV-to-RGBHV transcoder, so that we could look at the progressive image on a PC monitor, which only accepts RGBHV. We only evaluated a player's progressive performance through the transcoder.
The Tests
Black and White Levels . . . Setup
The first thing we measured were the black and white output levels of each player. Before I can explain that I guess I had better explain the term setup.
Setup is the offset used to separate the active video from the blanking level. That offset is 7.5 IRE. If setup is not used, then the black level and the blanking level are at the same level, which is 0 IRE. Setup may also be referred to as pedestal. Setup is only used in NTSC. As I mentioned previously, some players give you the ability to turn off setup. I actually encountered a couple of players that had no setup on the CAV output and no way to add it. All players should at least have setup on by default and then offer the ability to turn it off. The Dwin TranScanner video processor assumes that the black level is at 7.5 IRE and clips everything below that.
All of our video measurements where made with setup, and this choice was made because I live in NTSC land (USA). Given more time I would also liked to have made measurements without setup.
Note: The graphics shown below are clickable to see larger versions for more detail.
We used the blues bars (Title 4, Chapter 1) pattern on Avia to measure the black and white levels. The measurement was made around line 220 near the bottom of the pattern where you see the 100 IRE white bar on the scope. Breezeway is taken as zero. We measured white at the top of the white bar deflection and black at base of white bar.
The values are in IRE, and a perfect player would have white at 100 IRE and black at 7.5 IRE. Some of the players we measured had white above 100 IRE, which can be bad. The Dwin TranScanner clips (removes) everything above 100 IRE, and other video processors may do the same.
If you are comparing two players with each other, and their black and white levels do not match, you can use the contrast and brightness controls to match the players.
One last thing that I want to mention is that, because of these output differences, the gray scale must be adjusted for the player one is using. If you change out the player, or even switch from YC to CAV, you will have to recalibrate your gray scale. The change to the gray scale may not be major, but the fact that you had the gray scale calibrated in the first place means that you do care about accuracy.
Color Bars
Using the same blue bars pattern, we measured the color levels. Here is where you can pinpoint which CAV standard each player is outputting. This measurement was made on line 50. Both option 1 and option 30 automatically calculated the color bar values and provided the results.
For the YC output, Luminance Level, Chrominance Level, and Chrominance Phase were presented in IRE. Each player will be presented in graph format compared against SMPTE 170M.
For CAV output, Y, Pb, and Pr were given in mV. Each player will be presented in a graph compared to SMPTE/EBU N10, MII, Betacam®, and EIA 770.1.
The color and tint (for YC only) controls can be used to match the DVD player with the display device.
We also looked at the color bars using the vectorscope display. This display is used to quickly tell you if the signal is within tolerance. These are used throughout a production studio to ensure that the video signals are not being decimated somewhere in the chain.
Frequency Response
We used the multiburst (Title 3, Chapter 24) pattern on Avia to measure the resolution capability of each DVD player.
Whenever a manufacturer provides you with their resolution specs, they always seem to say that their player outputs >500 lines or 540 lines, but what does that really tell you? There is more to the equation than just a number.
First, I need to explain the term amplitude. Amplitude represents the size of the signal. For our measurements, amplitude will be expressed in dB.
When we measure resolution, what we are really measuring is the frequency response. Perhaps it is more correct to say we measure the amplitude of various frequencies within the range of the device, in this case the DVD player. Remember from the video basic discussion that DVD players are able to reproduce frequencies up to 6.75 MHz.
The two most common test patterns used to measure the frequency response are the sweep and multiburst. A sweep signal will start at a specific frequency and will continually increase in frequency until a specific frequency is reached. The Avia sweep pattern ends at 5 MHz, while VE continues to 5.5 MHz. A multiburst pattern gives your discrete frequencies packets. The Avia multiburst contains 7 frequency packets. The downside of the multiburst is that you do not know what the frequencies look like between the discrete packets.
What we measured was the peak-to-peak amplitude of each packet. If the amplitude deviates from zero either +/- dB it results in linear distortion. We made our frequency response measurements on line 50. The VM700T is capable of measuring 6 packets at once. The test pattern on Avia contains 7 packets, so we skipped the very first packet, which is 0.5 MHz. We made our measurements at 1 MHz, 2 MHz, 3 MHz, 3.58 MHz, 4.18 MHz, and 5.0 MHz. The 1.0 MHz packet was used as the reference frequency.
Measurements were made on both the YC and CAV outputs. I am not aware of any reason why there should be any measurable difference between the two outputs, but in many cases there were. I suppose if a difference did exist, I would hope that the CAV output is better. Unfortunately this was not always the case.
We also looked at the sweep pattern on every player to verify that nothing funny was happening between the multiburst frequencies. They were all ok in that regard.
I said earlier that if the amplitude deviates from zero, this would result in a linear distortion. If it's a + dB distortion, then it may show up as ringing (halos at edges) in the picture. If it is a – dB distortion, then fine detail may appear softer, blurred, or not at all if the roll-off is steep enough.
What is ringing? Ringing and often called overshoot shows up as a faint artificial line around an object's edge.
The sharpness (Title 3, Chapter 28) pattern on Avia was used as a visual verification of ringing in a DVD player. You need to follow the instructions that accompany the sharpness pattern to properly set the sharpness control on your display device. Once that is done, you can look at the test pattern to see if any ringing exists.
On a few players, there will always be ringing no matter where you set your sharpness control. The fault often lies with the filters used in the DVD player. If you are evaluating the picture quality of DVD movies, you need to be aware if the ringing you see in the picture is in the transfer or an artifact of your DVD player. Another source of ringing can come from your display device. A nasty feature that many TVs employ, and which results in ringing, is called Scan Velocity Modulation.
A third pattern that is very useful, but was not available to us, is a multipulse test pattern. Along with measuring the frequency response of the player, you can also measure the group delay. What is group delay? It's a distortion that happens when some frequency components of a signal are delayed more than others. What does this look like in terms of picture quality? It shows up as a lack of vertical line sharpness.
On a few players, we did look at group delay even though we did not have a multipulse or 2T pulse pattern, which are needed to easily make such a measurement. We were able to indirectly test for severe group delay anomalies by measuring the reproduction of the resolution wedge on the WHQL DVD. We captured line 129, field one of the "Weave Freeze Frame" test slide on the WHQL DVD. We also measured the original DigitalBeta from which that disc was made and used those values as our reference.
Pixel Cropping
The Pixel Cropping (Title 5, Chapter 89) pattern on Avia was used to see how much of the DVD image the player is delivering. To measure the pixel cropping of a DVD player, a display device is needed that has no overscan. This is a visual verification test.
In the NTSC system, it takes 52.65 µs (microseconds) to draw a scan line. It just so happens that it takes approximately 0.07407 µs to draw a single pixel. If you multiply 0.07407 µs by 720 pixels you end up with 53.3304 µs, which is 0.6804 µs more than the time it takes to draw a scan line. If you divide 0.6804 µs by 0.07407 µs, you end up with 9.19 pixels less than 720 pixels, or approximately 711 pixels.
Those extra pixels will be cropped from the sides, and there is no hard and fast rule where they come from. They can all come from one side or the other, or even be cropped from both sides. The degree of cropping will vary from player to player, and some players are even cropping from the top and bottom.
It is also possible for a DVD player to output all of the pixels. Computer DVD players usually do this because they do not have to conform to NTSC timing. This also would not be a problem if they followed BT.601 vs. SMPTE 170M timing.
We measured the cropping from all four sides of each player. We only counted the pixels using the YC output, and we made the assumption that both the YC and CAV outputs were the same.
Signal-To-Noise Ratio
We used the Red Field (Title 4, Chapter 18) and Magenta Field (Title 4, Chapter 19) on Avia to measure the signal-to-noise ratios of each player. What is signal-to-noise? It's the ratio of the amplitude of the signal at full output to the amplitude of the noise floor.
The red field was used for the YC output, and the magenta for the CAV output. I did go through all of the color fields on two DVD players, and the noise measurements did not really change.
Manufactures usually provide the number 65 dB when they tell you the signal to noise ratio of their player. I am not sure really what that number means, but they might be referring to the composite output of the player. The YC and CAV actually have more than one output, and will have more than one number; perhaps the 65 dB is an average.
The measurements were made on line 50 of each pattern, and are are slightly different for the YC and the CAV outputs. The YC consists of two measurements, Chroma AM (Amplitude) and Chroma PM (Phase) noise. Both of these numbers are generated by the AM/PM noise measurement in the VM700T option 1. The CAV measurements are generated by option 30 and consist of Y, Pb, and Pr noise levels.
Noise levels are also referred to in dB or -dB where, the lower the number, the better. When I say lower I mean -65 dB is better than -35 dB.
The larger your display device (such as with a front projector and 6 foot screen), the more you will appreciate the better signal-to-noise ratio on a DVD player.
Component Channel Timing
The final measurement we made was using the Bowtie (Title 18, Chapter 15) test pattern on Video Essentials.
We used the bowtie pattern to measure the channel timing (delay) between the CAV channels. It is very important for the three signals to be time aligned. Delays can cause vertical edges, and fine detail to be soft, fuzzy, and even improperly colored.
A delay of 10 ns (nanoseconds) is noticeable, and will cause color smearing near the edge of objects. It takes a delay of 74 ns for a complete pixel to be delayed. I will note here that the worst delays were from two THX certified DVD players.
Other Tests
I mentioned earlier that we did not have all the test patterns we would have liked. A multipulse pattern would have been useful to measure group delay. A chroma frequency response pattern would have been useful to see how the chroma channels matched the luma channels in terms of frequency response.
Another set of measurements we could have made was differential phase (DP) and differential gain (DG), because test patterns are available on both Avia and Video Essentials. However, we felt that the inherent noise in the test patterns on both discs was so high that they would have produced inaccurate results. They would have shown the relative difference among the players, but we wanted more. It is very unlikely that you will experience any DP and DG problems because the video is generated digitally.
DP and DG occur when the chroma phase and gain levels are not processed equally at all luma levels. How does this affect the picture quality? Phase affects the hue or tint while the gain affects the chroma or color. You get changes in the hue or chroma as the brightness in the picture changes. Brighter portions of the picture may appear discolored.
We will be gathering more test discs and procedures as time goes on.
I have provided you with a lot of information on the video side of DVD. Please don't be confused by all of the color space information that I threw at you. It is meant merely as a reference and to show just how important it is to adjust your TV to match your DVD player in order to get the most out of DVD.
Standards are in issue in any industry. The problem with the consumer electronics industry is that no one adheres to all the standards. Now that you know what they are, you can demand more from the manufacturers. Just look at what the ISF has done on the display side. A few years ago, no one cared, but that has all changed. Manufacturers, like Toshiba, have listened, at least a little bit, and we hope others will too.
Avia images Copyright 1999, Ovation Software
Video Essentials images Copyright 1997, Joe Kane Productions


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Gilgeous-Alexander's Superb Start Pushes A Lofty Ceiling Even Higher
The Los Angeles Clippers never wanted to trade Shae Gilgeous-Alexander. A mere four games into his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, it's never been more obvious why.
The Los Angeles Clippers never wanted to trade Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
As Kawhi Leonard waited to sign his contract to ensure his new team had a deal in place for Paul George, the Clippers had already agreed to send a record-setting collection of first-round picks – four of which include no protection whatsoever – to the Oklahoma City Thunder. According to The Athletic's Jovan Buha and Sam Amick, LA's hopes of forming perhaps basketball's best wing tandem since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen hinged on its inclusion of Gilgeous-Alexander in the prospective package for George.
Based on reputation and numbers alone, the decision should have been easy. Gilgeous-Alexander wasn't a blue-chip prospect going into his freshman season at Kentucky or even his debut campaign in the NBA after he vaulted up draft boards to the lottery. His rookie season was extremely encouraging, but there was reasonable debate as to just how high Gilgeous-Alexander's star could rise.
George, meanwhile, was coming off the best season of a career that's tracking toward the Hall of Fame. He finished third in MVP voting and was in the thick of his prime at 28. More importantly, Leonard putting pen to paper hinged on the Clippers' acquisition of George.
Was a sophomore combo guard that averaged barely more than 10 points per game his rookie season worth sacrificing years of imminent title contention? There's no detailed reporting on the extent of LA's hesitance to part ways with Gilgeous-Alexander, but the notion that any doubt existed whatsoever speaks to just how highly head coach Doc Rivers and company thought of him.
Given Gilgeous-Alexander's performance during his first few games with the Thunder, too, that lends stunning credence to the Clippers' reluctance.
Coming into 2019-20, the question wasn't whether he'd be a positive two-way player during his first season in Oklahoma City. Gilgeous-Alexander was rock solid last year, even showing flashes of brilliance on a nightly basis, culminating in a spot on the All-Rookie Second Team. He was even more impressive during the Clippers' hard-fought six-game loss to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs, introducing himself to a national audience by scoring at least 22 points twice and, at times, effectively guarding each of the opposing stars.
Even considering an updated appraisal of his career trajectory after the playoffs, Gilgeous-Alexander blew away optimistic expectations over the first week of the regular season. He's averaging 21.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game on slightly above average efficiency. He leads his veteran team in points, usage and shot attempts, while, maybe most telling of Gilgeous-Alexander's impact, the Thunder's offensive rating when he's on the bench is a putrid 75.0, per NBA.com – by far the worst on the roster.
The sample size is small, obviously, and there's always noise involved in early-season on-off numbers, especially for a thin team like Oklahoma City. But the eye test serves as a ringing endorsement of both Gilgeous-Alexander's gaudy statistical output and his overall influence on the Thunder, even when he fails to finish.
The possession above illustrates what separates Gilgeous-Alexander from the vast majority of young guards with nascent star potential: pace. He's never rattled by pressure with the ball in his hands, routinely uses hesitation dribbles to keep his defender off balance and has already mastered the art of keeping the defense on his back in pick-and-roll play, putting defenders in "jail." Such a high-level understanding of timing and angles as a ball-handler takes years for most playmakers to develop; Gilgeous-Alexander has it at 21.
He's averaging 16.8 drives per game, ninth-most in the league, and taking 9.5 shots per game on those herky-jerky forays to the rim. Only Kyrie Irving and Trae Young average more shots while penetrating than Gilgeous-Alexander, but neither are shooting better than his 52.6 percent — a number he's bound to improve upon once getting more comfortable with his off-hand.
But for now, Gilgeous-Alexander's nuance as a ball-handler combined with his long arms, long strides and quick first step has made it nearly impossible to keep him out of the paint. And once there, he's been able to mitigate the effect of trailing contests or help shot-blockers with an array of finishes, most commonly a one-handed scoop layup that's quickly becoming a signature.
Gilgeous-Alexander had one of the lowest three-point rates in the NBA among starting guards last season. The only backcourt stalwarts who took fewer threes per field goal attempt than him were Ben Simmons, DeMar DeRozan and Kris Dunn, according to data compiled at Basketball Reference. That company of non-shooters, fortunately, isn't an accurate portrayal of Gilgeous-Alexander's shooting ability from deep, a reality laid bare in the playoffs, when he connected on half of his 18 triples.
But it's not like Gilgeous-Alexander hinted at a future of alpha-dog shot-making against Golden State, either. Through four games with the Thunder, though, he looks every bit the part of a dangerous shooter from all over the floor, whether off the catch or the dribble. Gilgeous-Alexander is launching 5.5 threes per game so far and hitting them at 36.4 percent, a respectable clip that's deflated by a majority of his attempts coming off the bounce.
Gilgeous-Alexander's release is relatively slow and begins from below his waist. Unless he completely reworks his shooting motion, he won't ever be the type of player sprinting off screens, needing just the smallest sliver of room between him and the defense before letting fly. But Gilgeous-Alexander is too talented with the ball to play that more finite role anyway, and the imminent threat of his drive is already forcing defenders to give him enough breathing room to shoot threes cleanly.
Most encouraging might be the confidence and frequency with which he's taking tries from deep. Gilgeous-Alexander isn't hesitating to shoot early in the shot clock nor from above the break and has occasionally hunted three-pointers when he finds himself guarded by a bigger defender on switches.
The ease and comfort with which Gilgeous-Alexander plays has made it increasingly difficult to remember just how meteoric the rise has been. He wasn't even a top-25 recruit as a high school senior, nor a full-time starter for John Calipari until January of his freshman season. He was a role player, in every sense of the word, as a rookie with clear holes in his game offensively.
Now, Gilgeous-Alexander is a three-level scorer with the defensive chops to guard multiple positions. That lineup scalability extends to the offense, too, where he was initially projected as a pure point guard but is currently making his biggest impact as a primary scorer — sprinkling dashes of plus passing ability and innate court sense in between.
It's unclear where exactly Gilgeous-Alexander's game will go from here. His rapid growth over the past two years not only makes it foolish to put a cap on his ceiling but continues raising his floor higher and higher.
The Thunder have always been identified most by the singular play of their superstars. Yet only four months after finally hitting reset on a team that had been chasing titles for the better part of a decade, it seems more possible than ever that Oklahoma City might already have its next one.
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NBA Daily: Why Boston Rebuffed Indiana
Many reports have come out explaining why Boston didn't trade Gordon Hayward to Indiana when they had the chance. Matt John provides an alternative theory for why Danny Ainge didn't take Indy's offer.
Let's be clear on this: There is some valid intrigue to one Myles Turner.
He is one of the rare hybrid bigs who can block shots (at a high clip) and shoot threes (at an average clip) – and all in a league that values that sort of skillset in bigs now more than ever. He's a seven-foot rim-runner that jumps like his legs are made out of pogo sticks with arms long enough to make Mr. Fantastic jealous.
Although he hasn't grown much as a player over the last three years, you can make the case that none of that is on him. The Indiana Pacers outgrew him for reasons out of his control, which, in turn, has limited his effectiveness and made him a little underrated.
And best of all, had the Celtics acquired him for Gordon Hayward, Turner would have strengthened their frontcourt on depth alone. Their frontcourt weaknesses definitely showed itself in the postseason when it mattered the most. Turner was attainable, is a better fit in Boston than he currently is in Indiana and he fits with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown's timeline, so why didn't the Celtics agree to take him from Indiana when they had the chance?
At first glance, the simple answer is that they just didn't want him that badly. More and more details have come out saying that the Celtics gauged trade interest around the league for Turner and didn't really get anywhere, so they wanted more from Indiana.
Not too long after the Hayward debacle, it was announced that the Celtics were bringing in Tristan Thompson – a starting-caliber big who rebounds better, costs half as much as Turner and has championship experience – further reinforcing that Boston just wasn't that into the center.
That sadly doesn't really answer the question, since, all things considered, getting someone like Turner surely would have been a better alternative than letting Hayward walk for nothing. Even if the Celtics didn't have much interest in Turner to begin with, why this route?
Well, maybe it wasn't about the prospect of getting Myles Turner. Maybe it was more about what kind of asset they were letting go of. Maybe, just maybe, Boston didn't want to make an Eastern Conference rival potentially stronger than them.
If everything went Boston's way, Gordon Hayward would still be suiting up for the Celtics. They were willing to pay Hayward upwards of nine figures to keep him as the fourth guy in their pecking order. Evidently, Hayward didn't want that, and it's not hard to see why.
Besides getting a bag so expensive that pretty much everyone unanimously agrees that it was a gross overpay, Hayward's injuries combined with the unexpectedly rapid growth spurts of Tatum and Brown greatly diminished his role in Boston since first joining back in 2017. Remember that when Gordon Hayward signed a max contract with the Celtics, nobody second-guessed it from either side because he was supposed to be a featured player on a team aiming for a title. Subsequently, that went *poof* just six minutes into his first season in Boston.
You know the rest.
Fast forward to the end of this season and it was clear that Hayward wasn't a featured player anymore and just part of the supporting cast. Being the fourth option has its perks, like not having the pressure to be the guy night-in and night-out. Especially when you're being paid $30 million to do it. Alas, no player signs a max contract intending to be a complementary piece on a contender. Hayward wanted a bigger role and that wasn't happening in Boston.
He's going to get just that in Charlotte, probably would have gotten that in Indiana, and Myles Turner, Doug McDermott and a first-rounder isn't the worst return for someone who was leaving anyway.
But know why the Gordon Hayward era in Boston turned out to be a dud? Hayward never quite figured out what he was supposed to be on the team. He was the most overqualified fourth option in the league and, yet, never quite ran with that role. Hayward brought more good than bad, but the inconsistency was maddening.
There were moments where the Celtics saw the Hayward of old, but they were flashes in a pan. Upon further inspection, there was a pattern. Almost every time Hayward put on a retro performance, someone else on the team happened to not be playing.
The first one of these performances came during the comedy of errors that was Boston's 2018-19 season. His first season post-leg injury, Hayward wasn't exactly the bucket-getter he was during his Utah days. He managed to eclipse the 20-point mark only seven times in the 81 games he played for the Celtics that season – and that included the postseason. So, whenever he had it going, it was safe to say that it was a rare occasion. Such an occasion happened on Jan. 2, 2019.
Hayward's 35 points off the bench helped the Celtics rout the Minnesota Timberwolves, 115-102. This wasn't Hayward's first 30-point performance of the season. Hell, it wasn't even his first 30-point performance against the Timberwolves that season. What made this even more surreal was that Hayward managed to do this without mercurial star Kyrie Irving. Well, it wasn't like Minnesota was exactly the team to beat so there wasn't too much to take from it. But then, on Feb. 12, it happened again.
Gordon Hayward put up yet another excellent performance – and this time against the twice revamped and very legitimate Philadelphia 76ers with Tobias Harris and Jimmy Butler. Yet again, no Kyrie, no problem. The Celtics won 112-109 going away, and they wouldn't have done it without Hayward.
Any Celtics fan would tell you that it was a Kyrie thing seeing how badly that relationship ended. In fact, he had his best performance as a Celtic against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 5, 2019, where he hung a career-high 39 points on them.
This time though, there was no Jaylen Brown. Huh. So maybe it didn't have much to do with Kyrie. Maybe Hayward played better when more touches were available. Hayward never put up a performance quite as strong as that one again – but anytime he had a standout performance, it usually fell under the exact same conditions. If Hayward had a great game it was because a vital player on the Celtics had been absent, and he was good enough to make up the difference.
For instance, on Jan. 28, Boston faced off against their future conference finals opponent Miami HEAT without the blossoming Jayson Tatum – moreover, it was in South Beach, where the home team had lost on their home floor only twice beforehand. Boston prevailed 109-101. How did they do it?
A month later, it happened again. This time against old friend Minnesota and this time without Kemba Walker. It didn't matter then either. Hayward looked like himself.
Sure, Hayward had some fantastic games when the squad was at full strength and had some not-so-fantastic games when featured players were out, but this didn't feel like a string of coincidences. At that time, it didn't seem as evident, but in light of his departure, it stands out more now: The bigger role Gordon Hayward had in the offense, the likelier he was to perform better.
That was the conundrum with sending him to Indiana. Should he have been sent to the Pacers, there would have been more touches for him. Indiana already has some impressive offensive talent between All-Star center Domantas Sabonis and bubble-darling TJ Warren. Even with how good those two have been, theoretically, they wouldn't have demanded the ball enough to limit Hayward's role on the team like Boston inadvertently did with the Jays and Kemba.
With the ball in his hands more, the Hayward that showed up oh-so-sporadically in Boston may have been a mainstay in Indiana. That's not a sure thing, but Ainge may not have wanted to take that chance.
It's also worth mentioning that with the emergence of Sabonis, Indiana had less and less use for Turner. They've tried to make the pair work for the last three years. Their two-man net rating together is plus-2.1, which is fine, but it doesn't show much progress compared to the plus-2.8 the year prior. With Sabonis' emergence as their center of the future, it seems much more apparent that Turner is the odd man out.
So if the Celtics agreed to sign and trade Hayward for Turner among others, they'd be doing the Pacers potentially two favors:
1. Giving Indiana the better player and fit who would thrive in a bigger role.
2. Ridding Indiana of an already expendable player, talent and all.
Let's now point out the obvious. Of course Danny Ainge didn't want to lose Hayward for nothing. No one in his shoes would. But evidently, he didn't think acquiring Turner as the centerpiece was worth possibly making the Pacers, an Eastern Conference rival, not only better with Hayward, but potentially better than the Celtics too.
Indiana was a mere 3.5 games behind Boston for the third seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Hayward, even with his injury history, could have conceivably raised their ceiling high enough to supplant Boston. If Boston believed he wasn't capable of that, then maybe they would have pulled the trigger on this deal – or more definitively, wouldn't have been offering him $100+ million to keep him around.
Here's a better way of putting it: The Celtics are much more likely to fear a team with Gordon Hayward if his supporting cast has the likes of Sabonis, Warren and Malcolm Brogdon than they are if his supporting cast has the likes of LaMelo Ball, Devonte' Graham and PJ Washington.
Optimistically, Hayward makes Charlotte a borderline playoff team. There's no telling what he could have done for Indiana if all they had to give up was Turner, McDermott and a first-rounder.
Ultimately, too, Hayward was moved by Charlotte's out-of-the-park mega-offer – and that's why he'll be donning a Hornets uniform next season.
In the end, Boston did get something out of Hayward. A league-record $28.5 million trade exception. One so big that it took forking over two second-round picks to get Charlotte to comply. It's hard to believe that Boston won't use an exception that large – look at what Golden State just did with the exception they got for Andre Iguodala – just like it's hard to believe that they'll get someone of Hayward's caliber on the trade market. A star is probably out of the question, but a young player with upside definitely isn't. Someone like Myles Turner comes to mind. As stated earlier, there's definitely some intrigue to Turner.
Just not enough intrigue to trade Gordon Hayward for – as Boston has made so abundantly clear.
2020 NBA Draft and Free Agency Roundable
Drew Maresca, Matt John and Steve Kyler discuss winners and losers of the NBA Draft and free agency.
ALERT. ALERT. ALERT. The NBA's 2020-21 season is scheduled to begin in less than a month.
If it feels like we just crowned the 2020 NBA Champions, that's because we did. The Los Angeles Lakers secured their 17th championship on October 11, just over a month ago. Still, the new season kicks off in less than a month, on December 22; and the preseason could start almost two weeks earlier (December 11). And while there is much to look forward to pertaining to the new season, there is also much to assess.
November brought us trade season, the 2020 NBA Draft and a flurry of free-agent moves – all of which kicked off within days of one another, beginning on November 16. Basketball Insiders begins its 2020-21 coverage with Drew Maresca, Matt John and Steve Kyler assessing the abbreviated 2020 offseason:
NBA Draft Winners:
The draft had its share of surprises, but nothing outdid Tyrese Haliburton slipping to 12th. Haliburton shot up draft boards since the NCAA season came to an abrupt stop in March. His size and versatility were highlighted over and over again, and he was billed as an ideal running mate to pair with a score-first point guard. It seemed all but certain that he'd be a top-6 pick, with the Pistons at 7 being his assumed floor.
Well, this one was a mind-bender. Not only did he fall past the Atlanta Hawks — who he was linked within the lead up to the draft surprisingly — he was passed up by Detroit (who took another point guard in Killian Hayes) AND New York (who selected the 2019-20 Naismith Player of the Year, Obi Toppin) — both of whom were in the market for a point guard of the future.
But while it's surprising that he fell to Sacramento, it's far from a bad thing for Haliburton. He'll line up next to point guard phenom De'Aaron Fox, who just inked a 5-year max extension. The Sacramento backcourt will look to move the ball up the court (FAST), and Sacramento could have found its backcourt of the future.
And it looks like Sacramento will give Haliburton more responsibility than originally assumed as they opted to pass on matching an offer sheet for shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanović (who will head to Atlanta). Further, guard Buddy Hield has a notoriously tumultuous relationship with head coach Luke Walton, making it look as though Haliburton can begin leaving his mark on the NBA immediately. Keep an eye on the rookie from Iowa State as a dark horse in the rookie of the year race.
- Drew Maresca, Staff Writer
If we're being completely honest, the fact that this draft wasn't renowned for its upfront talent and more renowned for its deep pool of solid players makes it difficult to determine who really are the big-time winners of this go-round. So for this year, I think I'll label the teams that usually get maligned for their draft decisions that definitely made the right choice.
Let's start with the Charlotte Hornets. Michael Jordan has been routinely made a laughingstock for the moves he's made for the Hornets, but instead of playing it safe, he went with the high upside pick. Out of all the prospects in this draft, LaMelo Ball arguably has the highest ceiling. There are definitely red flags to his game but the Hornets swung for the fences here because Ball may very well have the best chance at becoming a star. If he flops, he flops but that's not relevant here. For the Hornets, drafting him at the very least signifies that they really do want to change their fortunes.
Then there's the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland has made some… interesting draft choices with their lottery picks over the past decade, most recently with their 2019 pick, Darius Garland. This time, however, they actually picked the guy who actually fit with what they needed. Cleveland's been sporting a piss poor defense over the last few years, so they brought in one of the draft's most talented defenders. Isaac Okoro's probably not going to be a star, but he definitely aids a big weakness of Cleveland's. There just might be a light at the end of the post-LeBron tunnel.
Finally, as Drew pointed out, the Sacramento Kings made the perfect selection with Tyrese Haliburton. The do-it-all guard should be an excellent backcourt partner with De'Aron Fox, and his selection eases the pain of the recently departed Bogdan Bogdanovic. No one exactly knows what to make of the Kings' current roster makeup with all the personnel and roster shakeups, but Haliburton should be another step in the right direction for them.
- Matt John, Staff Writer
They say the true test of an NBA Draft is not known for two maybe three years, and that likely will be true of the 2020 NBA Draft class. To that end, there were a couple of picks that jumped off the page, so let's start with LaMelo Ball to Charlotte.
From a talent perspective, Charlotte may have gotten one of the best players in the draft. When you combine Melo's natural ability with having Michael Jordan in his ear, the Hornets could end up with the top player in the class when it is said and done. The risk on Melo is two-part – first, durability, which we have seen with his brother Lonzo's NBA career. Melo has played a lot of high-level basketball and his body does not reflect high-level physical development, and that could catch up to him as it did with Lonzo.
There is also a side-show factor. There are enough things going on in an NBA season, but to have the sideshow that comes with the Ball family in Charlotte is a risk. James Borrego has built a strong foundation for Charlotte's youth — will the spotlight and the bully pulpit Melo's father Lavar Ball receives be a distraction? Time will tell, but the pick was an excellent one.
With the 15th pick, the Orlando Magic selected Cole Anthony, and while on the surface Anthony had an underwhelming season at North Carolina, its easy to forget he was one of the top scorers coming out of high school and was, by his own account, playing at 70 percent at UNC. If that's true and Anthony can rebound to his stature coming out of high school, Orlando may have nabbed exactly what they were looking for — namely, an impact scorer. Time will tell if Anthony can be that guy at the NBA level, but getting Anthony's offensive punch with the 15th represents incredible value.
With the 20th pick, the Miami HEAT selected Precious Achiuwa out of Memphis. Talk about the prototypical HEAT player. Achiuwa checks so many boxes for the HEAT; they now have interchangeability with Bam Adebayo, as they have similar physical styles of play. Achiuwa is a quality defensive presence that can guard four positions. To get such a perfect fit at 20 is uncommon and for Miami, it could be a nice selection.
- Steve Kyler, Editor and Publisher
NBA Draft Losers:
Most teams drafted pretty well this year, or they strategically swapped their pick(s). But the Hawks' selection of Onyeka Okongwu was curious for a few reasons. Before I get into the downside of the pick, let's make one thing clear — this is no way means I think Okongwu wasn't deserving of the 6th pick. On the contrary, Okongwu is a long and athletic big man who will probably affect the NBA game beginning on Day 1. But the Hawks didn't need him. They just completed a trade for an athletic, shot-blocker in Clint Capela in February. Regardless of Okongwu's upside, the Hawks simply don't need another starting-caliber center. But they could have used a big, versatile forward like Deni Avdija.
The NBA is moving toward a positionless game. Avdija fits that mold to a T. He is a 6'9″ point forward who can score and create for others. Further, he's a high IQ player who competes hard, plays on and off the ball and possesses strong defensive fundamentals.
Ultimately, the Hawks set themselves up for the future in free agency, so a wonky – but still productive – draft pick won't set them back too much. But Avdinja's upside is substantial. And he could have been inserted into the rotation immediately without stealing too many minutes from major players (whereas Capela will obviously lose minutes to Okongwu).
- Drew Maresca, Staff Writer
As I said earlier, a draft like this makes it hard to decide who are the winners, and the same goes for the losers. For example, the Bulls definitely reached when they picked Patrick Williams, but a draft like this was the perfect time to reach for a prospect if you really liked him. In a case like this, if the other prospects aren't good enough to make you think they'll come back to haunt you, then go for the guy you like the most no matter what anyone else thinks.
In an offseason where pretty much everything uncharacteristically went their way, the Suns made an odd choice when they selected big Jalen Smith seeing how they already have a talented frontcourt and were perhaps better off with a guard like Kira Lewis or a swingman like Haliburton. However, if they think that developing DeAndre Ayton's backup is the way to go, then go right ahead! We also have to remember that everyone thought that the Cam Johnson pick was terrible last year, and he made the whole NBA world eat their words.
There are definitely guys picked later in this draft who might wind up being better overall than Aaron Nesmith, but the Boston Celtics needed someone who can help them now. The Celtics' second unit was desperate for a shooter and that's exactly what Nesmith brings to them. The guys who could wind up being better than Nesmith will need time to develop, and Boston's not waiting anymore. Maybe in previous years, but not now.
- Matt John, Staff Writer
There were not a lot of crazy questionable picks in the 2020 NBA Draft. Maybe we had too much time to micro analyze the class, or maybe teams just went more with popular opinion That said there was one pick that sort of stood out as something of a reach – Patrick Williams at four to the Chicago Bulls.
To be fair, Williams is a quality NBA prospect and he could go on to have a fruitful NBA career; but at four with Killian Hayes and Tyrese Haliburton still on the board (and able to solve more pressing needs), Williams seems to be a stretch.
Every year there is a pre-defined order that most believe the draft will go in, so Williams going several spots higher isn't out of the ordinary. The question is will Williams be a game-changer for a Bulls team desperate for a player in the draft that really moves the needle?
They say the draft should never be about solving positional needs, rather grabbing the best player available. I'm not sold on the idea that Williams was the best talent available at the four spot, so time will tell.
- Steve Kyler, Editor and Publisher
Free Agency Winners:
The rich seemed to get richer in the NBA this offseason. Very few elite teams lost marquee players, and many actually added one or more. But one outlier is the Atlanta Hawks.
Atlanta had an impressive offseason, first adding elite prospect Onyeka Okongwu in the draft, and then adding Danilo Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanović, Kris Dunn and Rajon Rondon in free agency. That's an impressive haul for any team, but the Hawks just sped up their rebuild considerably, placing themselves squarely in the playoff discussion. Their new additions join an incredibly young core of Trae Young, Cam Reddish, Kevin Huerter, De'Andre Hunter, John Collins and Clint Capela. Rondo will be especially important for Young's development, as Rondo is known to be an incredibly high-IQ player and cut-throat competitor. Gallinari and Bogdanović add versatility and shooting to a team in need of it. The Hawks were probably going to take a step forward and fight for one of the final playoff spots in the East prior to these signings. They'll be even better now.
- Drew Maresca, Staff Writer
It's tough to decide who really are among the biggest winners in free agency because it depends on what the team sought out to do and also because this free agency class was so weak that it was seen as basically the calm before the storm that will be next year's class. If even. It honestly wasn't too impressive.
Keeping what goals they had in mind, more teams won than lost. Atlanta got the best pool of players in free agency by a landslide. Houston got the best economic value for the players they added in the offseason. Utah and Miami for the most part ran it back while adding some new faces that should serve to make them better. Those guys were among the biggest winners, but not the winner of free agency. That belongs to the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers.
Not a lot of NBA champions can brag that they got better after winning a title, but the Lakers have definitely been the exception. While it was not perfect, the free agency period went as fantastically as they could have hoped. Signing Wes Matthews was their most key signing of the summer because a. the Dennis Schroder trade makes even more sense now and b. Matthews will do everything Danny Green did for the Lakers at basically 1/5th of the price. Coming in at a close second was re-signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who was brought back at a reasonable deal after an awesome playoff performance.
Honestly, they didn't have to bring in Marc Gasol, but getting him for chump change, even on the back end of his career, was a steal. They were better off keeping Markieff Morris than letting him walk so they did just that. The one head-scratcher was giving Montrezl Harell the full mid-level exception. On the one hand, Harell's better than the no-show he put up for the Clippers when they got spanked by the Nuggets, so that might be a good value for the Sixth Man of the Year. On the other, it's hard to see Harell play in their closing lineups alongside LeBron and Anthony Davis. They learned that the more spacing they had during their title run, the better.
At best, Harell adds second unit scoring to a team that didn't exactly have a whole lot of that last season, and at worst, he's an expendable asset to dangle at the deadline. No matter what happens, the Lakers have had one of the best offseasons a reigning champion can have to the point where it's really not a hot take to say that they are a considerably better team now than they were back in October.
- Matt John, Staff Writer
Free agency winners? The Lakers.
Seriously, to see the 2020 NBA Champions deepen their roster with Dennis Schröder, Montrezl Harrell, and Marc Gasol without giving up anything that truly mattered to their core? That is incredible front office work.
Here are a couple of other situations worth mentioning:
The Atlanta Hawks have completely remade their team and did so without doing anything break the bank silly. The veteran additions of Danilo Gallinari, Rajon Rondo, Solomon Hill and Tony Snell are solid pick-ups and nabbing Bogdan Bogdanović will be a great get, maybe on the high side money-wise, but given his talent so far, it was a solid signing and what you have to do to steal another team's player.
The Miami HEAT running it back with functionally the same core is smart, too. The HEAT are just scratching the surface of their potential given how young so many of their core guys are. They wisely structured their deals to remain flexible, although the Bam Adebayo extension takes them out of the direct free agent market next summer, they won't be tied to long-term boat anchor type deals and could always trade into a free agent they covet because of how many great assets the HEAT have.
Overall, all three teams did a really good job in such a compressed chaotic timeframe.
- Steve Kyler, Editor and Publisher
Free Agency Losers:
To Matt's point above, winners are tough to crown without seeing a finished product on the hardwood. Losers are a little easier. And there are a few clear losers. But the team that hurt itself the most is the Charlotte Hornets. It's a weird pick because I do actually like their roster, and I think it's significantly improved from last year's team. And the guy that's most to blame for the Hornets' hate will probably be their best player in 2020-21, but the Hornets also grossly overpaid to get him.
The announcement that Gordon Hayward was signing with the Hornets took most of the NBA universe by surprise. Hayward waited until (essentially) the last minute to announce he would opt out of the final year of his contract, which would have paid him $34.2 million. It was widely assumed he did so to secure more long-term money, not to essentially duplicate his salary AND stretch it. But that's exactly what he did.
Hayward ultimately announced his intention to sign with the Hornets for 4 years/$120 million. Now, signing a 30-year-old, former all-star is usually celebrated, but Hayward hasn't been able to re-establish himself after suffering a brutal foot injury in the first game of the 2018-19 season. He did manage to 17.5 points per game last season, and he averaged a career-high in rebounds (6.7), but he averaged only 2.8 free throw attempts per game (down considerably from what he tallied in Utah). He also suffered more injuries last season, breaking a bone in his hand in November and suffering nerve pain in his foot during the playoffs. So exactly what player are the Hornets getting? And worse still, what will he be in 2023-24?
Numerous reports state that the Hornets and Boston Celtics are still working on a sign-and-trade deal, which could improve the Hornets' future cap situation. But either way, they're still on the hook to pay Hayward the entirety of this massive contract — and that's not ideal.
- Drew Maresca, Staff Writer
If they manage to win the championship anyway, then the following won't matter, but man oh man, the Bucks really missed out on such a golden opportunity when their sign-and-trade for Bogdan Bogdanovic fell through.
For a couple of days there, it really felt like Milwaukee had added the last piece of the puzzle. Bogdanovic's abilities as a combo guard felt like such a perfect fit for what the Bucks are all about. His abilities as a scorer would have taken more pressure off of Khris Middleton, and his abilities as a shooter should have complemented Giannis' game like a glove. As an added bonus, his 6'6" frame and his playmaking abilities would have further strengthened the Bucks' motion offense and positionless basketball. This was it. The Bucks were going to be better than ever.
Until the rug got pulled right out from underneath them. The tampering debacle canceled everything, and the Bucks at this point can only wonder what could have been. Failing to acquire a superstar is one thing. Having a superstar then failing to get the guy that definitely would have made your championship aspirations the strongest they've been in years is another. That's why they are my pick for the biggest loser in free agency.
In all fairness, their offseason wasn't a total failure for them. In fact, props to them for not stubbornly trying to run it back when it was clear that something had to be done. Jrue Holiday is definitely an upgrade over the likes of Eric Bledsoe and George Hill. Getting a haul of buy-low additions like DJ Augustin, Bobby Portis, Torrey Craig, and Bryn Forbes will help fill out the bench, but none of those guys compare to what Bogdanovic could have done for them. With what's at stake, it could very well haunt Milwaukee knowing that Bogdan Bogdanović slipped through their fingers.
- Matt John, Staff Writer
There were a few head-scratchers in free agency…
Not sure what the Detroit Pistons were thinking. They let their best free agent walk in Christian Woods, then turned around and gave a big deal to a slightly-average guy. Jerami Grant is a quality player, but three years and $60 million is a ton.
If the motivation was to go all in for one more run with Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose, mission accomplished; but I'm not sure that means anything, even in the East.
The Orlando Magic stayed largely quiet in free agency, which was surprising given that it seems the current squad has run its course. The Magic have long valued the idea of growing youth in an environment built around trying to win, but it's clear that Evan Fournier who opted in to a massive final contract year worth $17 million, is primed to be moved and looks to be in camp next week.
The Magic do have some injury concerns specifically Jonathan Isaac who is recovering from an ACL tear and the questionable outlook of Mo Bamba, who had to leave the Orlando bubble unexpectedly back in August, due to physical struggles related to the Coronavirus.
With so much uncertainty around the Magic's youth, their lack of movement in free agency was a surprise.
- Steve Kyler, Editor and Publisher
One Move We'd Like To See:
Kevin Love to the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland enters 2020-21 with a bit to be excited about. They're looking forward to a full season with Jusuf Nurkic in the middle, they re-signed Rodney Hood and they added a high-ceiling youngster in Harry Giles (as well as Derrick Jones Jr.). But even if they also bring back Carmelo Anthony, they'll still need help at the forward spot. Enter Kevin Love.
Love is badly mismatched with the rest of Cleveland's roster. He is 32, whereas nine of their players are 25 or younger. Further, Love is a five-time all-star and NBA champion, whereas the Cavaliers are in a full-on rebuild. It's not an ideal match, and the Cavs should cash Love in before it's too late.
Love to Portland makes perfect sense. He hasn't been seen as a primary option in a number of years, but he still adds incredible value as a scorer, rebounder and passer. And that works perfectly considering Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum appears poised to stick in Portland for at least the next few seasons. Portland could sit tight, but adding Love would put them in the conversation with teams like the Nuggets and Clippers who hope to knock off the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.
Even if Portland can't make a deal for Love, they should look to add a versatile power forward like Julius Randle. They can't rely on Anthony and Giles to hold down the four spot and expect to compete for a championship. But if they maneuver correctly, Dame-time could translate to championship time in the Rose City.
- Drew Maresca, Staff Writer
DeMar DeRozan/LaMarcus Aldridge to the Charlotte Hornets. By drafting LaMelo Ball and maxing out Gordon Hayward, the Charlotte Hornets are out to prove that they really want to be… not subpar! There will be no argument here that Charlotte paid above and beyond for Hayward's services, but his contract is in the same ballpark as Tim Hardaway Jr's- As overpaid as he is, he's not going to take the money and run. He'll do his best to live up to the deal Charlotte gave him even if it's not very likely.
Alas, adding Hayward and Ball only puts Charlotte in discussion for one of the lower playoff seeds, and in no way does it guarantee that they'll get one of them. If MJ and co. truly are serious about getting the Hornets back to the playoffs, what harm could it do to go all in and pry DeRozan and Aldridge from San Antonio? They have the expiring and near-expiring deals to make it work, like Nicolas Batum, Cody Zeller, and Terry Rozier, as well as appealing enough young talent without sacrificing the most appealing assets like Miles Bridges Malik Monk to pull it off. Aldridge's and DeRozan's names aren't as sexy as they were three years ago, and that, along with their contracts expiring, is what makes a possible trade for them feasible. All signs are pointing to San Antonio moving on from both of them, so Charlotte needs to strike while the iron is hot- er, lukewarm in their case if we're being really honest here.
Those two don't make Charlotte a contender in the east – again, if it was 2017, it would be a different story – but they do make the Hornets more formidable as a playoff team. If there aren't many better options for Charlotte, and from the look of things, there really aren't, acquiring those two at least puts Buzz City back in the postseason, and might just complete the most talented Hornets teams we've seen in ages.
- Matt John, Staff Writer
Let's go with Houston…
When Mike D'Antoni and Daryl Morey left the Rockets, you knew the clock was ticking. It really hasn't stopped, the question is when is Houston going to pull the trigger on a Russell Westbrook trade, and how soon after will James Harden follow?
The talk in NBA circles is Westbrook could be headed to Washington in a package for John Wall. Wizards president Tommy Sheppard has said that deal is not happening – that does not mean it couldn't resurface later.
There was talk of James Harden wanting to be in Brooklyn with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but Houston at this point seems set on waiting out the process and seeing if they can get both Harden and Westbrook back on board… How frequently has that worked out? Typically, when guys ask for the door, they usually get it, and the return usually goes down before it goes up.
Trying to move some $82 million in committed salary during the season is nearly impossible. This is why if Houston wants all the Nets' and Wizards' cookies, they need to make the move now or risk the offers or even the opportunity to dwindle away fast.
- Steve Kyler, Editor and Publisher
The 2020-21 NBA season could end up just as chaotic as last season; but looking past the many challenges facing the league's schedule, player movement has once again shifted the balance of power. There are new favorites this season, and more importantly, there will be surprise teams to look forward to, also. But regardless of which team you root for, NBA fans have much to be thankful for right this holiday season.
Looking For A Few Great Voices!
From time to time we have open chairs at Basketball Insiders for writers looking to gain experience, grow their brand and to be part of an aggressive up-tempo content team.
From time to time we have open chairs at Basketball Insiders for writers looking to gain experience, grow their brand and to be part of an aggressive up-tempo content team.
We are considering adding new voices for the 2020-21 NBA Season, and what we are looking for is very specific.
Here are the criteria:
– A body of professional work that reflects an understanding of the NBA and basketball.
– Must live within 30 minutes of an NBA team.
– Must be willing to write two to three times per week on various topics as assigned.
– Must write in AP style and meet assigned deadlines.
– Be willing to appear in Podcasts and Video projects as needed and scheduled.
– Have a strong understanding of social media and its role in audience development.
– Be willing to work in a demanding virtual team environment.
Some things to know and consider:
– We are not hiring full-time people. If you are seeking a full-time gig, this is not that.
– This will be a low or non-compensation role initially. We need to understand your value and fit.
– We have a long track record of creating opportunities for those that excel in our program.
– This will be a lengthy interview and evaluation process. We take this very seriously, so should you.
– If you are not committed to being great, this is not the right situation for you.
If you are interested, please follow these specific instructions, Drop us an e-mail with:
Your Name:
The NBA Market You Live Near:
And Why We Should Consider You:
We do not need your resume, but a few links to work you have done under the above information would be helpful.
Please send all of this to: firstname.lastname@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Program Description
A major in biology provides the graduate with a variety of courses for a diversity of experiences in biology. This program, offered in Kansas City at our Parkville campus, includes courses in general biology, botany, anatomy, physiology, genetics, microbiology, and research techniques. With the basic core courses, plus required supporting chemistry, mathematics, and elective biology courses, the biology graduate will be prepared for either the workforce or entrance into professional or graduate school. Students are strongly advised to seek either an additional major or a minor to provide for maximum postgraduate opportunities.
The Department of Natural and Physical Sciences welcomes partnerships with appropriate businesses and government agencies to place students studying biology in Kansas City into internship positions in their major or a related field. The Department of Natural and Physical Sciences actively encourages students to work in such internship positions and considers internships to be an integral part of the curriculum.
The students and faculty of the undergraduate Biology program at Park continue to attain high marks in recognizable contributions, research, and scholarly activity.
A broad array of biology-related career options are available to qualified biology graduates, including:
- Teaching biology in high school
- Becoming a wildlife biologist
- Working for a company preparing environmental impact reports
- Working for a state department of natural resources as a biologist, conservation officer, or water quality specialist
- Performing research in a pharmaceutical company, a hospital, or for an industrial company such as Quaker Oats
- Being an inspector for the Food and Drug Administration
- Earning a Ph.D. degree and obtaining a teaching/research position at a university
- An undergraduate major in Biology with a pre-med focus is especially recommended for students earning advanced degrees to become physicians, optometrists, physical therapists, dentists or other licensed professionals.
Patty Ryberg, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, has been awarded a $168,000 research grant from the National Science Foundation. The grant, the first NSF grant received by a Park University faculty member since 1993, will establish a paleobotanical research program at Park with a focus on Antarctic fossil plants. Students will study the critical role plants play in the Earth's environment and changing the ecosystem. The NSF grant will fund new microscopes with high-resolution magnification, and it will enable up to 12 Park undergraduate students to participate in stipend research. The students will have access to thousands of Antarctic fossil plants housed at the University of Kansas in Lawrence where Ryberg maintains a research partnership following her post-doctoral fellowship.
About the School
Park University was founded in 1875, and is a four-year, private, nonprofit, coeducational, liberal arts institution with degree programs that are fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a ... Read More


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There is no easy way to break up with a significant other. But you can be kind about it. Linda Young, a counseling psychologist based in Bellevue, Wash., offers advice on how to break up with someone as humanely as possible. Young is on the board of directors of the Council on Contemporary Families and runs the "Love in Limbo" blog on
—Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz
Step #1: WHEN TO DO IT
You want to have the break-up conversation when there's plenty of time to talk in private, face-to-face, with few distractions.
There's never a good time:
Even if he's in a great mood, or she's had a bad day at work, don't make excuses. Decide to do it, and do it.
An exception:
If your partner is going through something traumatic, such as a health scare or the death of a loved one, the more humane thing to do is postpone the breakup until that difficult period is over.
Step #2: WHERE TO DO IT
In private:
During dinner (their house may be best because then you can leave). Or have the talk while taking a walk or doing something outside in nice weather, as it's healthy to physically move when you're digesting emotional news.
In public:
Only if you fear for your safety.
Step #3: WHAT TO SAY
Announce beforehand that "We need to talk."
Broach the subject only when you're ready to start talking. Try: "I've been struggling with something for a while, and I'd like to come out with it…" Be honest about your reasons, but don't point fingers or declare what you don't like about your partner. Rather, say, "This is what I've discovered over time is missing." The point is that it's just a mismatch.
Infuriating clichés, such as "It's not you, it's me" or "This is hurting me as much as it's hurting you."
Step #4: REACTING TO THE REACTION
Be resolute:
Don't backpedal and suggest you maybe can work it out, which just prolongs the inevitable.
Say you're sorry:
Sit with your partner's tears and apologize for causing pain. If your partner gets mean and starts hurling insults, don't fight back. Just say, "I'm sorry, I know it hurts." And then listen.
Latest Living
Step #5: POST-BREAKUP ETIQUETTE
Generally, it's best to cut off all contact, but you may continue to talk if your partner was shocked by the break up and needs more questions answered in order to process the situation. Follow their lead, and don't initiate contact — especially if you're second-guessing your decision — it will only cause confusion.
Definitely NOT:
No post-breakup sex, and don't try to be friends right away. It sends mixed signals and the dumpee may think there's a chance to get you back.


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Criterion 3
Criterion Three: Student Learning and Effective Teaching
The organization provides evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness that demonstrates it is fulfilling its educational mission.
3a. The organization's goals for student learning outcomes are clearly stated for each educational program and make effective assessment possible.
3b. The organization values and supports effective teaching.
3c. The organization creates effective learning environments.
3d. The organization's learning resources support student learning and effective teaching.
Marcia King-Blandford will serve as the UT Self Study Steering Committee Liaison to the Criterion Three Team.


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Tommy Lasorda celebrates his 84th birthday with a star-studded lunch at Buca di Beppo and enjoys storytelling and good food with Matt Kemp, Don Mattingly, Javy Guerra, George Lopez and two lucky fans.
From a few weeks ago. Video from Dodgers/MLB -
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Lasorda's Birthday Lunch
3 comments:
- Unknown said...
Hey man thanks for posting. I was actually one of the winners and it was an amazing experience to sit around with Tommy, Don Mattingly, Matt Kemp, and Javy Guerra. This will always be a high class organization.
- October 5, 2011 at 1:27 PM
- Roberto Baly said...
That's awesome Nick. Looks like you had fun! What a memorable day for you. Thanks for reading! :)
- October 5, 2011 at 5:33 PM
- White Devil said...
Nothing I like better than to listen in on ballplayers, managers, or others on the "inside" of the game telling stories.
- October 5, 2011 at 9:04 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Ever since I crash-landed in one in Halo: Combat Evolved, I've had a soft spot for those big ol' UNSC Pelican dropships. As it turns out, it's possible for three players to team up in the campaign level "Reclaimer" and hop behind the wheel of one, despite the fact that the story doesn't call for it.
The trick was (somehow) discovered by NoWise10, who demonstrates it in the video above.
It's a pretty involved process, so if you're looking for another tutorial, check out this one by SomeFilthyCasuals, who provide their own walkthrough.
H/T Praxic


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On Thursday (July 11), David Bowie's first hit single "Space Oddity" turned 50 years old, and to celebrate the momentous occasion Mattel decided to release a special edition Barbie doll in honor of the late glam rocker. Yeah, you read that right: you can now by a David Bowie Barble.
The doll, dressed head to toe like the rockstar's iconic alter ego Ziggy Stardust — metallic jumpsuit, platform boots, facepaint and all — is priced at $50 and is available to purchase via Barbie's official website (though be warned, it's currently backordered until July 29).
"Introducing Barbie® as David Bowie. In a definitive celebration of two pop culture icons, Barbie® honors the ultimate pop chameleon, English singer, songwriter and actor, David Bowie, whose dramatic musical transformations continue to influence and inspire," the doll's description reads. "With a career spanning over five decades, David Bowie was at the vanguard of contemporary culture as a musician, artist, and icon. He was, and remains to be, a unique presence in contemporary culture. Dressed as Bowie's fantastic sci-fi alter ego, Ziggy Stardust, in the iconic metallic 'space suit,' this collectible Barbie® doll honors the cultural legacy of the musical genius who redefined rock and roll. Subject to availability. Colors and decorations may vary."
Find more info here and check out some pictures of the doll below.
Photo: Getty Images


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All Fired Up! (ファイヤー!ポケモンリーグかいかいしき! Moltres! Pokémon League Opening Ceremony!) is the 76th episode of Pokémon: Indigo League.
Seeing the torchbearer, Ash wants to carry the flame of Moltres. Despite Team Rocket taking the flame, Charles Goodshow, the president of the Torch Committee, gives him more flame from Moltres. On the opening, Team Rocket appear once more and take the torch and plan it to use on Ash. Little do they know that the flame is a Pokémon...
Episode plot
As the heroes go to the Plateau, Ash suddenly bursts, causing Misty and Brock to believe he is mad and Togepi to cry. Ash explains that when he thinks of the League, he cannot subdue himself from the joy. Misty confesses she never saw him this confident, but Brock knows this will change tomorrow, when the League begins. As they arrive at the outskirts at the league, the people suddenly cheer, making Ash believe they cheer for him. However, they pass him and the heroes turn around, seeing a torchbearer. Brock and Misty explain when the League starts, the torchbearer lights the fire of a Moltres to symbolize the beginning.
Ash believes he will catch and train Moltres, since it is more than a legend, but Misty discourages him he'd train it like Charizard. Nevertheless, Ash wants to carry the torch. He goes to the torchbearer and asks if he could carry it, but Jenny comes and tells only the approved competitors can carry the torch. Ash still wants to do it (as he shows the badges), but Jenny clarifies only approved ones can carry. However, an old man believes he has the spirit what it takes to carry the torch. Ash thinks this man is Santa Claus, but Jenny introduces the man as Charles Goodshow, President of the Pokémon League Torch Committee. Misty tells he does not look like a President, but Ash knows that looks shouldn't matter, while Charles supports him, as deeds should be more important. Charles asks Ash if he'd like to carry the torch and Ash accepts.
Soon, the torchbearer gives Ash the flame. Ash tells Pikachu the flame is quite important and goes to the path to the League and is supported by the people between, with Jenny, Charles, Brock and Misty following him in the van. Team Rocket sees this and know they will take the torch to the HQ. As the van and Ash go, a crack opens in the ground, making the van fall in the hole. Ash soon sees Team Rocket is after the torch, as Meowth goes on him and scratches his face. Ash throws the flame and Meowth catches it, but burns himself. Pikachu gets the flame, while James sends Victreebel to soothe the flames. However, it gets burned as well. Ash, knowing that he'll regret this action, sends Squirtle, who uses Water Gun to douse the flames. Team Rocket is grateful, but still go to get the torch.
James goes to get it, but gets electrocuted by Pikachu. Ash and Jessie catch the torch and argue. Squirtle goes on Jessie and stretches her mouth, but Meowth tickles Ash, which causes him to lose the torch and Team Rocket depart with it. Though Misty, Brock, Charles and Jenny climb up, Ash is depressed he lost the flame. Charles goes to him and reveals his secret - he gets a lantern out with Moltres' fire, explaining if the torch goes out, the lantern would share the fire. Meanwhile, Team Rocket wants to maintain the fire, but when Meowth turns the heat up, the flame burns Team Rocket and douses out.
After a while, Ash gives Misty the torch and later Misty to Brock. From a distance, Ash sees the Plateau, while Charles comments tomorrow it will be filled with many people. In front of the Plateau, Brock gives Charles the flame. Charles expects them to be at the opening, to which the heroes agree. When they enter the village near the Plateau, Gary tells Ash he is late. Ash gets riled up and tells him he will win the League. Gary responds a real trainer would study his/her competition, tells Ash he needs to go away else he'd catch loseritis and walks away with his cheerleaders. During the night, Ash remembers what Brock, Misty and Gary told him and promises to prove them wrong by winning. He dresses up and walks away, though Misty wakes up and feels he is scared. Charles studies the stadium and notices Ash. Ash has doubts, but says he should give his best.
Next day, the opening commences. The trainers go in the stadium. Brock and Misty notice Ash and Pikachu nervous, while Gary seems confident. The final torchbearer appears and goes to the top to light the central torch. She is approached by two figures. Ash, sensing trouble, runs to the top, saying not to give the torch to the figures, but one of the figures snatches the torch, as the figures then reveal themselves as Team Rocket. Ash goes to take the torch back, but James sends Weezing, who uses Smog. Worse, Team Rocket enters a machine, who takes the central torch away. Charles is horrified as without the central torch, the opening ceremonies can't proceed. Meowth tells to get the Pokémon, so the machine hops to the center, causing chaos as trainers scatter in terror as Team Rocket make a mockery of the event. Pikachu electrocutes the robot, but it is electric-proof. Ash then tries to have Bulbasaur attack with Razor Leaf, but the leaves only add fuel to the fire. Team Rocket advance on Ash and his Pokémon, soon having them trapped against a wall and ready to incinerate them with the torch. Brock and Misty shout for Ash to run for it, but Ash does not back down, refusing to let the Pokémon League be marred by Team Rocket's actions, and tells them to give him their best shot. Team Rocket attacks, and Misty screams Ash's name, as the torch engulfs Ash, Bulbasaur and Pikachu in fire. However, they notice they don't take damage, much to the confusion and puzzlement of Team Rocket. Suddenly, Moltres appears, and Team Rocket realize they are in serious trouble and can only scream in horror as Moltres strikes and destroys the machine, blasting Team Rocket, burnt and charred, off over the horizon as punishment for trying to ruin the Pokémon League.
With the central torch back in position and Moltres being the fire, Charles makes a speech. He welcomes the trainers and clarifies the ones who truly love Pokémon will fight in here, as the fire burns brightly than ever. Ash thanks Moltres and says to Pikachu they finally came here.
- "(on Charles Goodshow) Is that Santa Claus?" - Ash
- After Ash gets the fire from the torch, the "Gotta Catch 'Em All" theme song is played.
- The Pokémon League opening ceremony has some similarities with the opening ceremony of the Olympics.
- The "Who's that Pokémon?" in this episode is Seaking.
|Pokémon the Series: The Beginning
|Other series: Gold and Silver · Ruby and Sapphire · Diamond and Pearl · Black & White · XY and XYZ · Sun & Moon · Journeys


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52 's
Damascus steel Wrist Band
Check out now. Fast, Easy, Secure Checkout.
Primary Material: Damascus steel
Size: Different sizes are available
Pattern: Twisted
Color: Grey
Excellent product and service
This knife is a masterpiece. It is a beautiful work of art. Everything about this knife is perfect. This knife is of the highest quality. Thick and sharp blade looks like it's alive.
A few objective comments about seller and the artworks I bought (Wrist band, ring, and pen): 1) the steel used is as described (good quality), I really like the pattern; 2) Seller is willing to work with requests although sometimes information got missed out due likely to the language skills, but this should and could definitely be improved; 3) Craftsmanship is good but can definitely be improved, seller need to pay attention to details to make this a piece of artwork not an industrial product! 4) Seller need to spend time on production description to make sure there is no misleading information
If seller can improve on the above, I will definitely come back again in the future!
Hello our shop is one of the best shop on Artfire we make all kind of custom and hand made products contact us for Bulk orders


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Sailin' away!
With their vibrant colors and designs, these unique knobs will pull together your sailboat themed room. These knobs add the perfect finishing touch to drawers, closet doors or armoires. Each knob is hand painted by a professional artist, using high quality, child friendly, water based paints that will surely last for generations to come.


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INC Research Strengthens Leadership for Strategic Advisory Services Unit
Robert Ryan, PhD, appointed Vice President, Regulatory Strategy, Consulting and Submissions
Raleigh, N.C., Dec. 6, 2012 – INC Research, LLC, a therapeutically focused clinical research organization (CRO) with a Trusted Process® for delivering reliable results, today announced the appointment of Robert Ryan, PhD, as Vice President, Regulatory Strategy, Consulting and Submissions. Dr. Ryan will provide global leadership to position INC Strategic Advisory Services as a market leader in regulatory consulting and submissions offerings. In this role he will continue to build on the Company's strong reputation in helping biopharmaceutical customers worldwide navigate through the complexities of the regulatory environment to accelerate their time to market.
"Robert brings a unique blend of strategic leadership skills and international regulatory expertise that speaks to biopharmaceutical companies looking for guidance along the entire continuum of the drug development lifecycle," said Tim Dietlin, Senior Vice President, Global Consulting and Strategic Alliances. "Our Regulatory Consulting and Submissions team has a long history of exceptional work, and we look forward to continuing this track record under Robert's leadership."
Dr. Ryan is an experienced senior regulatory affairs executive with more than two decades of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. He brings a unique blend of scientific and business acumen to the position, having held regulatory and executive leadership positions in both the CRO and biopharmaceutical industries with companies such as Quintiles, PPD, Celtic Therapeutics and Schwarz Pharma. Most recently, he was Chairman of the Board for Levare, LLC, a CNS/pain pharmaceutical development company. Dr. Ryan has been directly involved in the approval of more than 20 drugs throughout his career. He holds a doctorate in toxicology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, master's degrees in pharmacokinetics and genetics. Dr. Ryan is a diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology.
With a network of global locations and on-the-ground expertise in all key markets, INC Research is committed to delivering superior quality regulatory services to help customers design the most efficient product development programs. The Company supports customer needs across the entire product lifecycle, from early regulatory development strategy consultations to clinical trial and marketing authorization submissions and post-licensing support. INC Research's service portfolio ranges from new chemical entities (NCEs) to biologics, biosimilars, well-established substances 505(b)(2) pathway, generic drugs, devices and in vitro diagnostics. With in-house expertise in drug-device combination products and medical devices, the Company also is able to offer a range of strategic and operational services, including clinical investigation submissions and CE-marking (Conformité Européenne) expertise. For more information on INC Research's Regulatory Consulting and Submissions services, please visit the online Resource Library.
About INC Research
INC Research is a therapeutically focused clinical research organization with a high-performance reputation for conducting global clinical development programs of the highest integrity. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies look to INC Research for a complete range of customized Phase I through Phase IV programs in all therapeutic areas and innovative pediatric and women's health trials. The company's Trusted Process® methodology and therapeutic foresight lead customers to more confident, better-informed drug and device development decisions. INC Research is headquartered in Raleigh, NC. For more information, please visit www.incresearch.com or follow us at @inc_research.


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