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Friday, November 20, 2020 SECTION B Paul Farmer . Sports Editor . 427.6926

ANALYSIS Grading picks, trades made by Kings on draft night

RichaRd ivanowski THE SACRAMENTO BEE

The Sacramento Kings started the Monte McNair era in earnest Wednesday night with the first official transactions under the new general manager. Not to spoil the lead, but things went better than anyone could have expected.

Tyrese Haliburton, Robert Woodard II and Jahmi’us Ramsey are the newest members of the Sacramento Kings.

While the Bogdan Bogdanovic trade saga continues to play out, there was never a chance for a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks to be officially completed by Wednesday night. If it will be completed at all seems uncertain, as a source says Bogdanovic never agreed to play in Milwaukee. But let’s put that particular madness aside and evaluate the three picks and two trades that are actually in the books for McNair and his team.

Drafted Tyrese Haliburton with No. 12

If you watched, listened or read any coverage of the draft you already know that Haliburton is a massive coup for the Kings. No one on God’s green earth had him outside the top 10. Some see him as a franchise changing talent if he reaches his ceiling and fits with the right pieces. At the very least, he is expected to be a solid starter for a long time.

Haliburton possesses a rare combination of playmaking, shooting and defense. His steal rate is phenomenal and his spot-up shooting is truly elite. Vision and IQ can be a little more subjective, but go watch his highlight reels. You will see why he is special. While he needs to add a lot of strength, his height and wingspan will make him a versatile option on offense and defense.

After studying up on as many prospects as I could, I finalized my top 75 on Wednesday morning. Haliburton ranked seventh in this class. When I wrote my breakdown of him in May, I balked at the fit with Bogdanovic and Buddy Hield. Now that Bogdanovic has been discussed in trades, that concern is gone. Landing Haliburton as an unadulterated win.

Grade: A

See Kings, Page B10

TRibune conTenT agency

Jake Scott, the ball-hawking safety who was MVP of the Super Bowl that capped the 1972 Miami Dolphins’ perfect season and later was jettisoned after multiple disagreements with coach Don Shula, died on Thursday inAtlanta. He was 75.

Scott, who was born in Greenwood, South Carolina, and lived primarily in Hawaii since 1982, was visiting friends in Georgia and had been hospitalized after injuring his head in a fall about a week ago, former teammate Dick Anderson said.

After Klay Thompson’s season-ending Achilles tear, W’s face critical decision

TRibune conTenT agency

Thursday morning, when Warriors general manager Bob Myers informed Stephen Curry and Draymond Green over the phone that Klay Thompson had suffered a season-ending torn right Achilles tendon, all Myers heard on the speaker was silence.

“I’ve learned in life that sometimes words don’t do it,” Myers said Thursday afternoon at a news conference that was supposed to focus on introduc-

ALUMNI UPDATE PFARMER@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET The Concordia University-Nebraska women’s soccer team finished its regular season with a 1-0 win over Briar Cliff as Armijo High grad Mikeila Martinez scored the match’s only goal on a penalty kick in the 82nd minute. It was the second gamewinning goal for Martinez, who scored two late goals to lift the Bulldogs (9-3-1, 9-2-1) past Jamestown 2-1 in overtime Oct. 10. Concordia finished third in the Great Plains Athletic Conference standings but must wait until the spring to take part in the conference postseason tournament, which was postponed because of Covid-19. It was the seventh goal of the season for Martinez, which put her in a six-way tie for fourth

“He was a great teammate and a great player,” said Anderson, who owned a Colorado ranch with Scott during parts of the five years that they comprised one of the greatest safety tandems in NFL history.

“Jake was a unique individual. He was either yes or no. No middle ground with Jake. He had an opinion on everything.”

Scott, a former seventhround pick, made the Pro Bowl in five of his six seasons with the Dolphins, was a first-team All Pro twice and second-team All Pro three times. But he is ing Golden State’s three new draft picks. “They said nothing. I mean, what are you going to say? . . . It hurts.”

A Thursday morning MRI exam revealed the severity of Thompson’s injury, which he suffered Wednesday afternoon during a pickup game against current and former NBA players in Los Angeles. After spending the past 17 months rehabbing a torn left ACL he sustained in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, Thompson –once one of the league’s game at 0.54. among GPAC goals leaders and a two-way tie for fifth in goals per game at 0.54. She added three assists to give her 17 points and finished seventh with 1.31 points per game. Martinez had 15 shots on goal among her 33 overall shots.

Lauren Montgomery (Rodriguez) started at defender for Midland (5-4-3, 5-4-3 GPAC) as the Warriors topped Northwestern (Iowa) to clinch a spot in the conference tournament. Midland wound up seventh in the GPAC standings.

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SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE talk of high ankle sprains, the lack of salary cap space, sprained MCLs, Jimmy Garoppolo’s flaws, torn ACLs and the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LIV to broach a fresh topic: The positives in the 49ers’ 2020 season.

No, seriously.

OK, so this admittedly took some creativity after noting the obvious – the 49ers are tied for the NFL lead for the most wins In East Rutherford, N.J. – but there have been a few most durable players – now faces a second straight season sidelined by injury.

This is a devastating blow to a franchise that had hoped to return to title contention this season with a healthy Thompson, Curry, Green and Andrew Wiggins. With Thompson set to begin a recovery process that typically runs between nine and 12 months, Golden State had to stare down a critical question: Does it endure another down year focused on player development, or does it try to make NFL

Jason Verrett (Rodriguez) recorded two tackles and one pass defensed in the San Francisco 49ers’ 27-13 loss to the New Orleans Saints. College football

Carson Strong (Wood) threw three touchdown passes and Brandon Talton (Vacaville) booted two field goals as Nevada (4-0) overcame an early two-score deficit for the second straight week and defeated New Mexico, 27-20. ANALYSIS developments that bode well for 2021.

Not that we’re closing the door on their 4-6 season.

That would be ignoring the fact they remain in playoff contention. And we’re keeping it positive. Fred Warner

The 49ers traded defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, an All-Pro and team captain who was remarkably durable.

That type of player is hard to find. a major move?

Before Thompson was injured Wednesday, the Warriors already were feeling pressure to rebound from a league-worst 15-50 record, maximize what’s left of an aging core’s prime and start making up for the more than $50 million they’ve lost with Chase Center shuttered during the coronavirus pandemic. Golden State is poised to have the largest payroll in

Courtesy file photo/Concordia-Nebraska Athletics Armijo High graduate Mikeila Martinez, second from left, celebrates Nebraska in overtime against Jamestown, Oct. 10. Martinez has a after scoring the game-winning goal for Concordia University- team-high seven goals on the season.

Armijo grad Mikeila Martinez lifts Concordia to 1-0 victory

Paul FaRmeR

It was the seventh goal of the season for Martinez, which put her in a six-way tie for fourth among GPAC goals leaders and a two-way tie for fifth in goals per

See W’s, Page B3

The Wolf Pack trailed 10-0 when Talton kicked a 28-yard field goal with 3:41 to go in the half. After an interception by Tyson Williams on the Lobos’ next play, Nevada scored one play later when Strong fired a 33-yard TD pass to Romeo Doubs with 3:21 remaining.

After New Mexico led 13-10 at the half, Talton tied the game with a 34-yard field goal 5 minutes into the third quarter and Strong put the Wolf Pack ahead to stay with touchdown passes of 61 and 59 yards – both to Doubs.

Strong completed 24 of 38 passes for 336 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Doubs finished with five catches for 172 yards, giving him 12 receptions for 309 yards and six TDs over the last two games.

Talton added three extra points to his two field goals.

Jake Scott, former Miami Dolphins star and Super Bowl MVP, dies at 75

Positives in the 49ers’ 4-6 start? Here are the top five

Let’s take a brief break from

See Alumni, Page B2

But the 49ers have found they have another in Warner, a team captain who has begun his career by starting 45 straight games (including playoffs). About the All-Pro recognition: That figures to come this season.

Perhaps Warner was already on that level – his teammates had termed him “All-Pro Fred” – but he’s reached another stratosphere in 2020.

Warner is a prototypical modern-day inside linebacker. After playing a hybrid position