Le Journal

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers are about to his a front-loaded schedule that will take them through the month in January, and as a result, the team made the decision to cancel game-day shootarounds. The Lakers will get some help in the lineup though with the return of Rui Hachimura who had been dealing with a calf injury. For Lakers head coach JJ Redick, Hachimura’s return comes with skill the team needs. “He’s our best catch and shoot guy,” Redick said following Lakers’ practice on Sunday. “He’s one of the best guys in the league.” When Rui Hachimura was still with the Washington Wizards, he had the ball in his hands more often, but with the Lakers, he’s had to adapt to a more off-ball role. When he was first traded, it was playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Now, it’s James and Luka Doncic. The result? Hachimura is putting up some of the best shooting percentages of his career over the past couple of seasons. His shot attempts have gone down since his Wizards days, but his efficiency has been better. For him, it’s just a testament to his work. “Since I got traded here, especially playing with LeBron, AD and now Luka, those guys are gonna get a lot of attention, get double-teamed. . .so that’s the kind of stuff I’ve been working on since I got here,” Hachimura said following Lakers’ practice on Sunday. “That’s my favorite thing to do right now. So just keep doing that, keep working on it, and that’s gonna be my thing.” Prior to the Lakers’ loss to the Sacramento Kings on Monday, Hachimura had missed six consecutive games due to the calf injury. He was scratched from the injury report against the Kings, but did not play. Redick acknowledged that Hachimura was only going to be available for one game of the back-to-back stretch, with him making his return against the Atlanta Hawks on a restriction of 18 minutes. He’s appeared in 27 games this season at a little over 32 minutes per game. He’s been averaging 12.7 points and 3.8 rebounds with splits of 52.1 percent shooting from the field, 44.5 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 75 percent shooting from the free-throw line. His field goal percentage and 3-point percentage are both the second-highest marks of his career. Hachimura will initially come off the bench upon his return due to his minutes restriction. Jake LaRavia will continue to start at forward for the time being. The post The skill JJ Redick says Rui Hachimura is among ‘one of the best’ in the NBA appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have approached a franchise moment that demands bold answers. For nearly two decades, Pittsburgh lived in a state of remarkable stability. No losing seasons. No identity crisis. That era officially ended with a thud in January. A 30-6 Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans didn’t just extend the Steelers’ playoff losing streak to seven games. It also detonated the foundation. Head coach Mike Tomlin stepping down after 19 seasons marked the most consequential organizational shift in Pittsburgh since the Bill Cowher era ended. The 2026 NFL Draft, then, isn’t just about talent acquisition. It’s about defining what Steelers football looks like next. Season recap Barry Reeger-Imagn Images On paper, the Steelers’ 2025 season checked nearly every box the franchise prides itself on. A 10-7 record matched the previous two seasons. It also delivered their first AFC North title since 2020. Their performance also extended the franchise-record streak to 22 consecutive seasons without a losing record. That achievement remains unmatched in modern NFL history. The roster added star power with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver DK Metcalf. Their defense remained a weekly problem for opponents. Context matters, though. The Steelers beat up on the middle class of the league and struggled mightily against elite competition. When the playoffs arrived, the gap was exposed brutally. Houston overwhelmed Pittsburgh in every phase. The offense never looked capable of responding. What followed mattered even more: Tomlin’s decision to step aside signaled that ‘good enough’ was no longer acceptable. The reset had officially begun. Draft needs The Steelers enter the 2026 NFL Draft facing rare uncertainty at multiple premium positions. Quarterback tops the list, with Rodgers’ future unresolved and retirement a realistic possibility. Pittsburgh must begin planning for the next long-term answer under center, whether that player starts immediately or develops behind a veteran bridge. Wide receiver is another priority. Metcalf gives the offense a true alpha. However, the lack of a reliable WR2 showed up repeatedly late in the season. On the offensive line, left tackle remains an area to monitor as the team looks to stabilize protection. Defensively, the foundation is strong but aging. Cameron Heyward is nearing the end of his career. The secondary needs an infusion of young talent, particularly at cornerback. While TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith anchor the EDGE group, adding depth and long-term insurance is never off the table for a defense built on pressure. Their productio has been waning, too. Here we’ll try to look at and discuss the Steelers’ 3-round mock draft based on the PFF 2026 NFL mock draft simulator. Round 1, pick 21: EDGE Romello Height, Texas Tech Height feels like a very Steelers pick in a transitional moment. He’s not a finished product, but he understands how to rush the passer with intent. His hand usage, bend, and ability to attack tackles with a plan translate cleanly to the NFL level. What separates Height is his versatility. He can rush, drop into coverage, and function in multiple fronts. That gives defensive coordinators real flexibility. In Pittsburgh, he wouldn’t be asked to carry the load immediately. Instead, he’d rotate behind Watt and Highsmith, logging meaningful snaps while refining his frame and tackling consistency. The upside is a starting-caliber edge defender by Year 3. This is a forward-thinking investment. Round 2, pick 53: RB Jonah Coleman, Washington This selection may raise eyebrows, but it makes sense stylistically. Coleman brings size, power, and reliability. Those should translate to cold-weather, late-season football. At over 225 pounds, he consistently finishes runs and moves piles between the tackles. What makes him especially appealing is his completeness: pass protection, hands out of the backfield, and situational awareness are all strengths. Coleman isn’t a home-run hitter, and he…

Tough lessons come quickly and often in the NBA. Unfortunately for the fans, the last-placed looking-for-answers New Orleans Pelicans have learned, sometimes painfully, that their margin for error shrinks dramatically when Herb Jones is not on the floor. It is not simply about losing one of the NBA’s elite perimeter defenders. It is about losing a voice, an organizer, and a tone-setter whose impact extends far beyond box scores. Zion Williamson acknowledged as much before hosting Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets. The two-time NBA All-Star offered an unusually candid assessment of where the Pelicans unravel defensively when Jones is sidelined. “Herb is supertalented defensively,” Williamson said. “Like, it’s physically, but he is also super vocal. Right now, we do not have that super vocal voice for us on the court. That’s definitely an area that I can step up in.” Williamson’s acknowledgment is a public diagnosis of a chronic issue plaguing the Pelicans. When Jones, the lanky, tenacious wing, is on the floor, New Orleans operates with a defensive identity. When he is not there are dramatic, deflating consequences in tight games. Late-game execution has become a glaring weakness, with opponents finding easy baskets when games hang in the balance. “We’ve got to, one, close games better,” explained Williamson. “Two, especially when (Herb Jones) is out, our defensive presence just has to be better. Late in the game, teams are getting layups against us. When Herb is out there, it’s a different story. But when he is not out there, we still have to have some type of defensive identity. That’s been one thing for us for sure.” Those late-game layups represent a defensive breakdown that extends beyond individual talent. When Jones directs traffic, pointing out screens, calling switches, and communicating rotations, the Pelicans function as a connected unit. His absence exposes how dependent the team has become on his orchestration. Stephen Lew-Imagn Images The challenge for New Orleans centers on developing a defensive identity that can survive without Jones. While no player can replicate his unique combination of skills, the Pelicans need others to assume more vocal leadership roles. Williamson has identified this as an area for personal growth, acknowledging his own responsibility to fill the communication void. “Just have a better defensive identity,” Williamson shrugged. “Like I said, whether Herb is out there or not, we just want to be better defensively. If we don’t get any stops, it does not matter how many points we score. We’ve got to be able to get stops.” That fundamental truth haunts the Pelicans. In today’s high-scoring NBA, offense alone rarely wins championships. The league’s elite teams can toggle between offensive firepower and defensive intensity. New Orleans has mastered the former but struggles with the latter when Jones sits. Until that changes, close games will continue to be akin to lay-up lines for opponents. The post Where Zion Williamson’s Pelicans fall apart without ‘super vocal’ Herb Jones appeared first on ClutchPoints.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers formally announced that Mike Tomlin was stepping down as the team’s head coach after 19 seasons, it sent shockwaves around the football world, from Allegheny County all the way down to Houston, Texas, where DeMeco Ryans is preparing for the Texans’ Divisional Round showdown against the New England Patriots. Taking some time away from his Tuesday media session to talk about Tomlin’s incredible tenure in Pittsburgh, Ryans admitted he was “shocked” to hear the news but is happy the long-time head coach was able to leave on his own terms, instead of being fired. “Part of me is happy he was able to step away on his own terms. One of the toughest jobs. Everyone tries to tell you how to do the job. A lot that goes into it,” Ryans told reporters via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. “The Steelers were the beneficiary of having that success for 19 years. Not another coach I respect more than Mike Tomlin. Glad he was able to go on his terms.” Initially hired all the way back in 2007, a lot has changed since Tomlin became the Steelers’ head coach. The United States has had three presidential elections, the PlayStation 3 has been replaced by the PS4 and now the PS5, and every other team in the NFL has changed their head coach at least once, with his long-time rival, John Harbaugh, also looking for a new job. In 2007, Ryans was a second-year linebacker for the Texans, but now he’s a head coach, having outlasted Tomlin as he remains committed to his own Super Bowl ambitions, showcasing the circle of life for NFL head coaches. The post Texans’ DeMeco Ryans drops ‘shocked’ reaction to Mike Tomlin’s Steelers departure appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence finally had his breakout campaign after leading the team to a 13-4 record and only four points shy of advancing to the divisional round of the playoffs. While their season came to an end after losing to the Buffalo Bills, 27-24, in their wild-card meeting on Sunday, the Jaguars, under first-year coach Liam Coen, have nothing to be ashamed of. Right, Lynn Jones-Turpin? It was Jacksonville’s best record since 1999, while also clinching its third AFC South title. While the conclusion wasn’t ideal, Lawrence expressed his gratitude to the fans. “It was a fun year, and we were able to win a lot of games, and unfortunately didn’t win as many in the playoffs as we wanted to, but to have your guys’ support, that home field advantage, to win the division against Tennessee, the game against Buffalo, it really makes a difference,” said the 26-year-old signal-caller in a video shared by Jacksonville Florida Times-Union’s Demetrius Harvey. #Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence’s message to fans. 13-4 season with stellar fan support: “It was a fun year, and we were able to win a lot of games, and unfortunately didn’t win as many in the playoffs as we wanted to, but to have your guys support… it really makes a difference.” pic.twitter.com/fBDelXpqfL — Demetrius Harvey (@Demetrius82) January 13, 2026 Lawrence went 18-of-30 for 207 yards and three touchdowns in a valiant effort against the Bills. But perhaps most importantly, he showed throughout the season that he can lead the Jaguars. Many were ready to label him as a bust after a string of pedestrian campaigns. But the Jaguars stayed patient with the former No. 1 overall pick. Now, Lawrence has repaid them with a memorable run. Fans will be happy to know that Lawrence is already looking forward to fine-tuning his game in the offseason. “Some of the footwork in the pocket, continue to improve accuracy, different arm angles, just continuing to give guys a chance to get the ball as soon as possible in space so that they can make plays,” said Lawrence in a separate report from Harvey. Those would make a difference as well. The post Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence hails major difference-maker in 13-4 season appeared first on ClutchPoints.