Demaryius Thomas Jersey from linchao's blog

6:30 p.m.

Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz is the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year.

The center was the leading vote-getter for the league’s All-Defensive first team.

Gobert anchored a Jazz defense that ranked second in the NBA in defensive rating.

He beat out Anthony Davis of New Orleans and Joel Embiid of Philadelphia.

—

6:20 p.m.

Victor Oladipo of the Indiana Pacers has won the Most Improved Player at the NBA Awards.

The guard averaged 23.1 points in his first season with the Pacers. He earned his first All-Star berth, too.

Oladipo also led the league in steals for the first time.

He beat out Clint Capela of Houston and Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets.

—

6:15 p.m.

Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers has won Rookie of the Year honors at the NBA Awards.

The guard averaged 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, joining Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson as the only rookies to post those numbers in a season.

Simmons helped Philadelphia to a 52-30 record, including ending the season with a 16-game winning streak.

He beat out finalists Donovan Mitchell of Utah and Jayson Tatum of Boston.

—

6 p.m.

The NBA Awards aren’t just about the hardware. Everyone gets fed, too.

Players and their guests are sitting down to dinner at the second annual show. On the menu is salad with avocados, grapefruit and green goddess dressing, and a main course of wild seabass with rice and steak.

Dessert is a vanilla cream puff, chocolate peanut butter cupcakes and pavlova with lemon curd and blueberry.

—

5:55 p.m.

Jeanie Buss says she has complete faith in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ front office no matter how Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka want to build the team, whether it’s through trades Adam Gotsis Jersey , free agency or the draft.

Buss says she asked them a year ago to identify a style of play for the team and make decisions that reflect that style. She describes the Lakers’ style as fast and says it’s about passing and sharing the ball while committing to each other as a team.

Buss is the team’s controlling owner and president. Johnson is the team’s president of basketball operations.

—

5:45 p.m.

Baron Davis has arrived at the NBA Awards on a foldable electric scooter.

Davis lives near Santa Monica Airport, so he rode the small scooter onto the red carpet outside Barker Hangar.

The urban mobility device has a maximum range of 16 miles and a top speed of 14 mph, which is about how fast traffic sometimes moves in Los Angeles. It costs about $900.

—

4:07 p.m.

James Harden is hoping to win his first NBA MVP award in what could be another big night for the Houston Rockets.

Harden, Cleveland’s LeBron James and New Orleans’ Anthony Davis are the three MVP finalists. That and the league’s other individual awards will be presented Monday night at the NBA Awards show.

Harden was the league’s top scorer on a Rockets team that had the NBA’s best record, giving him a strong chance to finally capture the MVP award after finishing as the runner-up twice.

The Rockets walked away with Coach of the Year for Mike D’Antoni and Sixth Man of the Year for Eric Gordon last year at the inaugural NBA Awards. Gordon has a chance to repeat, while center Clint Capela is one of three finalists for Most Improved Player.

—

— Suddenly, football is fun again for Eric Ebron.

He’s smiling and shouting, celebrating scores and making big plays look routine at training camp. Inside the Colts‘ tight end meeting room, teammates hear him asking questions and offering suggestions, virtually certain Ebron will play a prominent role in Indianapolis’ new offense.

It’s everything Ebron wanted — a second chance to showcase his skills and finally live up to the hype surrounding him when he entered the NFL.

My deal is to just take it to the next level Eric Ebron Jersey ,” Ebron said shortly after signing with the Colts in free agency. “At this place, I have a new start, I have a new finish. I have a new rep and that alone means a lot.”

Ebron thought he could have achieved more in Detroit.

So did the Lions, who drafted the North Carolina product with the No. 10 overall pick in 2014.

They believed the Ebron’s 6-foot-4, 253-pound frame and 4.6-second time in the 40-yard dash made him a nightmarish matchup for opponents and figured Ebron could stretch the field down the middle and open up the outside for Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate.

Instead, Ebron’s reputation was damaged by injuries and a perceived propensity for dropping passes.

He struggled with a pulled hamstring as a rookie, missed two games the next season with a strained knee and three games in 2016 with a bruised knee and sprained ankle. Last year, he missed most of training camp with a pulled hamstring but finally managed to play in all 16 games for the first time in his career.

Ebron’s stats weren’t bad once he got started: 47 receptions for 537 yards and five TDs in 2015, 61 catches for 711 yards with one TD in 2016 and 53 catches for 574 yards and four TDs in 2017. They just weren’t the mind-blowing numbers everyone anticipated when he was a hot-shot prospect.

So the Lions decided to let a frustrated Ebron test free agency rather than exercise their fifth-year option.

Turns out, a change of scenery could be the perfect remedy to jump start Ebron’s career.

Colts tight ends coach Tom Manning convinced Ebron he’d start with a clean slate and a coaching staff that values tight end mismatches. It was an offer too good to pass up.

“Tom had so many little stats and tapes put together and it is about treating him (Ebron) the right way Deonte Thompson Jersey ,” offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni said. “He is a phenomenal talent so we would be foolish not to want him on our team. But it definitely helps having guys that know how to recruit.”

The Colts insist Ebron could still become the player the scouts projected.

He’s only 25 years old and provides Luck with another critical option alongside Pro Bowl receiver T.Y. Hilton and Pro Bowl tight end Jack Doyle.

And, of course, Ebron took note of just how creative coach Frank Reich was last season as offensive coordinator for Super Bowl champion Philadelphia.

He’s not lobbying yet to throw a pass to Luck, like tight end Trey Burton did in the Super Bowl — though nobody would put it past the fun-loving, energetic newcomer.

But he should fit in nicely with a deep positon group that starts with Doyle and includes veteran Erik Swoope and possibly promising youngster Ross Travis, at least until running back Robert Turbin returns from his four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.

“We really complement each other extremely well, to be honest, more than I even expected as we came in here,” Doyle said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun working with him. It’s going to be an advantage for us both.”

Ebron believes this offense will help him, too Demaryius Thomas Jersey , which is why the season-opener, Sept. 9 against Cincinnati, can’t come soon enough.

“I just bring a little bit more versatility to the offense and I do a couple things a little bit different (than Doyle),” Ebron said. “Me and Jack are here to work side by side and I think that’s going to be something to really watch and something that’s exciting that I’m excited for. I’m sure the coaches are, too.”

Notes: Doyle (personal reasons) was one of a handful of players who missed Tuesday’s practice. Left tackle Anthony Castonzo and Denzelle Good, who is battling to start at right tackle, both sat out for a second straight day with hamstring injuries. … Also out were rookie defensive end Tyquan Lewis (foot), cornerback Chris Milton (hip), center Deshawn Bond (concussion protocol). Right guard Matt Slauson was given an extra day of rest.