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Analyst Slams Wizards: ‘Painful’

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Analyst Slams Wizards: ‘Painful’


The Washington Wizards are losers of 14 consecutive games after falling to the Milwaukee Bucks 124-114 inside the Fiserv Forum on Saturday night.

The loss completed a winless month for the Wizards, who last won on Oct. 30.

Bleacher Report writer Andy Bailey called the Wizards “painful to watch.”

“Now over a month into the season, the Washington Wizards have still only beaten one team (the Atlanta Hawks…twice). And Washington isn’t even really threatening opponents in these games,” Bailey writes. “There have been occasional glimmers of hope from Bilal Coulibaly (perimeter defense), Alexandre Sarr (rim protection) and Bub Carrington (playmaking for himself and others), but watching the Wizards has generally been a painful experience this season.”

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If one watches the Wizards, he or she shouldn’t watch them to hope if they win. They will be underdogs in every game they play for the rest of the season. The motive for the Wizards this season is to grow, especially when it comes to the younger players on the roster.

If there is growth from the team’s three first-round picks — Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George — along with second-year pro Bilal Coulibaly, then that should make things less painful for the Wizards.

Things are rough early in the season because these players are learning how to play in the NBA and with each other on the fly while other, more experienced teams are fighting for playoff positioning and have to win games where they can get them. When they play the Wizards, they know that it’s an opportunity that they cannot waste to grab a win, so Washington is getting every opponent’s A-game on every given night.

The Wizards are back in action on Tuesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who hold the league’s best record.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Pentagon readies 1,500 troops to possibly deploy to Minnesota, US media say

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Pentagon readies 1,500 troops to possibly deploy to Minnesota, US media say


  • Trump had threatened Insurrection Act to control protests against ICE
  • Minnesota governor mobilizes National Guard amid rising tensions
  • 11th Airborne Division soldiers in Alaska on standby, reports say
  • Confrontations high after ICE agent killed Renee Good
Jan 18 (Reuters) – The Pentagon has ordered about 1,500 active-duty soldiers to prepare for a possible deployment to Minnesota, the site of large protests against the government’s deportation drive, U.S. media reported on Sunday.

The army placed the units on prepare-to-deploy orders in case violence in the northern state escalates, the Washington Post reported, citing unnamed defense officials, adding that it is not clear whether any of them will be sent.

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The White House told the Post in a statement that it is typical for the Pentagon “to be prepared for any decision the President may or may not make.” The Pentagon and the White House did not immediately respond to requests from Reuters for comment.

President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to use the Insurrection Act to deploy military forces if officials in the state do not stop protesters from targeting immigration officials after a surge in Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

THREAT OF TROOPS FOLLOWS SURGE OF IMMIGRATION AGENTS

“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

The soldiers subject to deployment specialize in cold-weather operations and are assigned to two U.S. Army infantry battalions under the 11th Airborne Division, which is based in Alaska, the Post and ABC News reported.

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Confrontations between residents and federal officers have become increasingly tense in Minneapolis, Minnesota’s most-populous city, after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three, on January 7 as she was driving away after being ordered to exit her car.

Trump, a Republican, has sent nearly 3,000 federal agents from ICE and Border Patrol to Minneapolis and neighboring St. Paul since early last week, as part of a wave of interventions, mostly to cities run by Democratic politicians.

He has said troop deployments in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Memphis and Portland, Oregon, are necessary to fight crime and protect federal property and personnel from protesters. But this month he said he was removing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, which have faced legal setbacks and challenges.

Local leaders have accused the president of federal overreach and of exaggerating isolated episodes of violence to justify sending in troops.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, against whom the Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation, has mobilized the state’s National Guard, opens new tab to support local law enforcement and emergency management agencies, the state Department of Public Safety posted on X on Saturday.
Trump has repeatedly invoked a scandal around the theft of federal funds intended for social-welfare programs in Minnesota as a rationale for sending immigration agents in. The president and administration officials have repeatedly singled out the state’s community of Somali immigrants.

The Insurrection Act is a federal law that gives the president the power to deploy the military or federalize National Guard troops inside the U.S. to quell domestic uprisings.

The law can be invoked when there are “unlawful obstructions, combinations or assemblages or rebellion” against federal authority. If the president deems those conditions have been met, he may use the armed forces to take actions “to enforce those laws or suppress the rebellion.

Reporting by Chandni Shah in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom Hogue and William Mallard

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Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab



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Bellevue vs. Renton: Watch Washington boys high school basketball tilt live tonight

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Bellevue vs. Renton: Watch Washington boys high school basketball tilt live tonight


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Bellevue travels to Renton High School on Friday night for a nonleague matchup that pits two surging programs coming in on win streaks. The Wolverines (12-2) enter riding momentum from last season’s state quarterfinal appearance, while the Red Hawks (7-8) look to build consistency under head coach Rashaad Powell.

Head coach Warren King returns a deep senior class led by Jackson Skaggs, Max Harrity, Eduardo Molina, Kenny Shin, Trevin King and Nick Norrah. The Wolverines also feature junior Tayten Jones, giving them a balanced roster capable of competing with any team in the state.

The Red Hawks counter with their own weapons. Senior Isaac Elegan anchors the lineup, while junior scorer Sudan Luok provides offensive firepower. Junior co-captains Julius White-Kelly, Nick Jarvis and Jalen Taylor round out a core that has shown flashes this season.

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Opening tipoff is set for 8 p.m. PT on Friday, January 16 with a live TV broadcast on NFHS Network.

• WATCH: Bellevue vs. Renton basketball is livestreaming on NFHS Network

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How to watch Bellevue vs. Renton basketball livestream

What: Wolverines, Red Hawks set for Friday night Showdown in Renton

When: Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. PT on Friday, January 16

Where: Renton High School | Renton, Washington

Watch live: Watch Bellevue vs. Renton live on the NFHS Network



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National Guard troops to stay on Washington, DC, streets through 2026

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National Guard troops to stay on Washington, DC, streets through 2026


WASHINGTON (AP) — National Guard troops will be on the streets of Washington, D.C., until the end of the year, according to a memo reviewed by The Associated Press.

The memo, signed by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and dated Wednesday, said “the conditions of the mission” warranted an extension past the end of next month to continue supporting President Donald Trump’s “ongoing efforts to restore law and order.”

Meanwhile, Trump said this month that for now he was dropping his push to deploy National Guard troops in Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, which had provoked legal challenges. He also backed off a bit Friday from his threat a day earlier to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy troops to quell protests in Minnesota.

In Washington, troops have been charged with patrolling the streets and picking up trash. Trump has asserted repeatedly that crime has vanished in the city.

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Two National Guard troops from West Virginia that were part of the mission in D.C. were shot the day before Thanksgiving. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from her injuries.

The National Guard has about 2,400 troops in Washington, with about 700 from D.C. and the rest from 11 states with Republican governors, including Indiana, South Carolina, Alabama and Oklahoma.



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