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The Best of the Day: April 5th, 2021
See the best of the day in sports from April 5, 2021 including CAR trading for Sam Darnold, Kyrie putting on a show vs. the Knicks, and more!
Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
The ‘Best of the Day’ is a daily PSO original series showcasing the most significant stories, highlights, and facts going on in the land of the NFL, NBA, & MLB every day. Get a recap on EVERYTHING that happened on 4/5 here.
The Jets announced their intent to draft a QB in the upcoming NFL Draft after trading away QB Sam Darnold to the Panthers in return for multiple draft picks. The move is best for both sides, as Darnold will get a chance to restart after his disastrous time in New York, while the Jets added draft capital to surround whichever QB they draft at No. 2. Also, Nets GM Sean Marks has completely transformed Brooklyn over the the last half decade into title contenders, Gary Trent Jr.’s drained a game-winner for his new team vs. Washington, and PSO’s released the first NFL Draft scouting report of 2021, focusing on WR Kadarius Toney.
Here is the best of the day from April 5, 2021:
Carolina Panthers Landed Sam Darnold from the Jets
The Carolina Panthers acquired QB Sam Darnold from the New York Jets in exchange for a 2021 sixth round pick along with their second and fourth round picks in 2022. Having now traded away the former No. 3 overall pick after months of speculation, the Jets have made it clear they intend to draft their next franchise QB with the No. 2 pick in this month’s draft.
UPDATE: Carolina Panthers have acquired QB Sam Darnold from the New York Jets for a 2022 2nd Rd & 4th Rd Pick, and a 2021 6th Rd Pick pic.twitter.com/3b6cQ6J18r
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) April 5, 2021
Following this trade, if the Jets select a QB with the 2nd overall pick in the 2021 draft, they would become the 1st team in the Common Draft Era (since 1967) to select two quarterbacks within the top 3 overall picks in a 4-year span.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 5, 2021
Darnold was selected 3rd overall in 2018 https://t.co/pJIugvcVSn
Darnold, who doesn’t turn 24 until June, gets a chance to hit the restart button after a difficult three seasons with arguably the NFL’s most dysfunctional franchise. In Carolina, Darnold will finally be put in a position to succeed with a significantly upgraded supporting cast that includes RB Christian McCaffery and WR’s D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson, whom Darnold threw to during their two seasons together in New York.
Perhaps the biggest reason for optimism in Carolina though, is coaching, as Matt Rhule is a significant upgrade over Darnold’s former coach in New York, Adam Gase. Not to mention, his OC will be Joe Brady, who transformed the LSU offense in his lone season as OC with the Tigers, famously helping develop now-Bengals QB Joe Burrow from a late round selection into the 2020 No. 1 overall pick. Now that Darnold is in a much better situation with Carolina, only time will tell whether the Jets failed him or if he failed the Jets.
Sam Darnold's 72.7 QB rating was the lowest in the NFL last season among 35 qualified passers. pic.twitter.com/xAGBFyn88e
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) April 5, 2021
Jets record WITH Sam Darnold since 2018:
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) April 5, 2021
13-25
Jets record WITHOUT Sam Darnold since 2018:
0-10 pic.twitter.com/8MU8FlKUYC
Sam Darnold was the most pressured (48.9%) QB in the NFL during 2020 pic.twitter.com/pH77IcrPn4
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) April 6, 2021
Related: Stories of the Day
GM SEAN MARKS HAS COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED BROOKLYN IN HALF A DECADE
Sean Marks, the general manager of the Brooklyn Nets, has turned Brooklyn into the odds-on favorites to win the NBA Finals this season from the bottom of the league just a few years ago. Four seasons ago, Brooklyn’s team was highlighted by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Brook Lopez. Marks has taken this roster and transformed it into a title-favorite in a span of only four seasons.
Now, the squad consists of top players like Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, along with a supporting cast of Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge. This is a team full of big names, and Marks was able to put together a roster of all of them. Not only did he add all these talented pieces, but the squad plays well together too. Brooklyn currently boasts a 35-16 record, which is top of the Eastern Conference, and they’ve done so while dealing with plenty of adversity and absences along with a first-year Head Coach.
Marks’ masterpiece is also the new team of New York now. In Monday’s clash with the Knicks, Brooklyn secured the victory without star players Kevin Durant and James Harden, as Kyrie dropped 40 to pull out the win and complete the inner-city sweep. Whether Brooklyn wins it all this year or not, the impact and influence of Sean Marks can’t be understated as he’s constructed possibly the most talented roster of all-time and should be the unanimous Executive of the Year.
COLORS KEY | FULL NETS OUTLOOK
Kyrie. Ridiculous. 😳 pic.twitter.com/7ovtGnI3gW
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 5, 2021
Uncle Drew is in the zone 👀 pic.twitter.com/sip41FZBWn
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 6, 2021
Related: NBA Takeaways of the Day
Gary Trent Jr. drained the GW at the buzzer!
Gary Trent Jr.'s #TissotBuzzerBeater, from ALL ANGLES!@gtrentjr x @Raptors pic.twitter.com/oMt9Ug6dcx
— NBA (@NBA) April 6, 2021
Related: NBA Highlights
PG Kyrie Irving, BKN (W v.NYK): 40 PTS (15-28 FG | 5-12 3P), 7 AST, 2 REB, 0 BLK, 1 STL, 2 TO
#PlayerOfTheDay (4/5/21) - PG Kyrie Irving, BRK
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) April 6, 2021
TOP FACTS:
- 3rd most GP (7) with 40+ PTS in Nets history
- T-2nd most PTS by Kyrie this season
- Swept NYK w/ KD out & Harden left early
KEY STATS:
40 PTS, 7 AST, 15-28 FG (54%), 5-12 3P (42%) pic.twitter.com/ZnLJBMShS8
Related: Players of the Day
Washington Wizards (101) vs. Toronto Raptors (103)
[Highlights] @RAPTORS (-219; $7.62) d. WIZARDS (+186; $8.77) 103-101 (GW-3PM) [WAS +5.5 | u225]
Related: Games of the Day
Related: Facts of the Day
PSO Scouting Report: WR Kadarius Toney by Ricky Eisenbart
The talented WR finally broke through during his 2020 senior season at Florida, significantly improving his draft stock and PSO breaks down his future outlook in the NFL.
Kadarius Toney Scouting Report:
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) April 6, 2021
Physical Tools: A-
Game Film: ??
Production: A-
Risk: ??
Overall: ??
FULL evaluation: https://t.co/gtqozNIS0m
Related: Latest PSO Posts
DATE: April 5, 1984
SIGNIFICANCE: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became the NBA’s all-time scoring leader (31,419 PTS)
April 5, 1984: Los Angeles Lakers C Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became the NBA's all-time leader in PTS as he used his patented sky hook to pass former Laker great Wilt Chamberlain (31,419)
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) April 5, 2021
pic.twitter.com/9OX5hieCGl
Related: Significant Sports History
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