Author: ADM

Suns can still play for their basketball lives

Every failed team has a last gasp, the moment desperate players pour all their remaining energy into a dying cause.

That moment has arrived for the Suns.

Whatever their inspiration for a heartbreaking loss Tuesday night in Memphis, it must be repeated on a nightly basis until no games remain on the schedule. With even better second-half defense.

There must be cohesion, sincerity and real emotional investment. They must play with great pace and great passion. They must care more about the outcome than we do, something that has been frequently questioned over their first 58 games.

There are no delusions. The Suns are not winning an NBA championship in June. But if they can hang 148 points on the Grizzlies in an overtime loss on the road, they can stage some upsets and make a late run at a play-in berth.

At the very least, they can restore a chunk of dignity to basketball fans in Phoenix. For all the torment and divisiveness on Planet Orange, they owe us that much.

If the last gasp fails, heavy decisions loom on the horizon, along with shame and indignity. Trading Kevin Durant becomes a certainty. His legacy in Phoenix grows dim.

With all due respect to the future Hall of Famer, it’s a shame he wouldn’t sign off on a proposed trade to Golden State at the deadline. Netting Jimmy Butler, Jonathan Kuminga and draft picks would’ve saved the current season and the future in Phoenix, staving off the inevitable teardown.

Next, Devin Booker. Nobody wants to see our homegrown hero leave the Valley. But he is eligible for a very pricey extension (over $70 million annually) and is no longer playing like an insatiable first-team All-NBA player. And while spending money is never an issue for owner Mat Ishbia, there’s a larger picture to ponder.

Refitting the Suns around Booker and Beal, primarily with assets gained from a trade of Durant, will only get you so far. You are not beating Oklahoma City anytime soon.

The current state of the Western Conference strongly suggests the Suns won’t be a title contender for at least five years, thereby best suited to demolish the house and start from scratch. The architect needed for such a painful rebuild is a story for another day.

For now, the Suns can do us one last favor. Play for your lives. Give us your best. Make basketball in Phoenix fun again. It’s the least you can do.

Reach Bickley at [email protected]. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7.




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Diamondbacks get 1st look at potential closers this spring

MESA — The Arizona Diamondbacks are not much closer to picking their ninth-inning man than they were at the start of spring training, manager Torey Lovullo said Tuesday.

Three candidates are A.J. Puk, Justin Martinez and Kevin Ginkel, who each made their spring training debuts Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park.

Their outings went as planned, as the trio combined for three scoreless innings with no hits allowed and five strikeouts. Lovullo was pleased, saying the stuff came out hot.

Martinez had the toughest assignment with hitters 2-4 and committed the lone walk to Kyle Tucker, which was swiftly erased by a Seiya Suzuki double play.

“I don’t want it to be easy for me,” Lovullo said of the closer decision. “I don’t want anybody to win anything by default. I believe in the spirit of competition. I think competition brings out the best of everybody, and I want this group to go out there and get after it every single day. And you saw that happen today.”

Joe Mantiply, who started Tuesday’s game, said he hasn’t seen anyone too worried about the competition, saying there is confidence several pitchers can fill the role. He credited the depth of the bullpen, as the Diamondbacks have recently added accomplished veteran relievers Kendall Graveman and Shelby Miller to an already deep bunch.

General manager Mike Hazen told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Monday he sees Martinez, Puk and Ginkel as all capable of earning the closer role. They each had limited opportunities to do so last year.

“It’s kind of like the No. 1 starter thing,” Hazen said. “You can’t really say you’re a No. 1 starting pitcher until you go out, like, three years in a row and throw 200 innings, pitch into the playoffs and you become a No. 1.

“You kind of have to prove it. The closer is the same thing. You pitch in leverage … and then you run with it.”

The Diamondbacks want to lean on one closer without going by committee as they have in stretches over the past several seasons.

Geraldo Perdomo pops a home run

Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo showed off some pop with a solo home run, and he started his swing with a leg kick. Perdomo has typically used a toe-tap to set up his swing, and he is testing out the leg kick which can help generate a bit more power with his legs.

“I just want to practice it in spring training to see how it goes,” Perdomo said. “I don’t try to do them to get more power, I just try to do to it to stay more in control with my leg. So when I go to the toe-tap, I think I’m gonna be more balanced, too.”

He does not know whether he will keep it for the regular season.

Perdomo has not hit for much power, relying on his elite plate discipline to reach base and flip the lineup (.258/.349/.366 last two years).

Diamondbacks camp notes

– The box score for left-hander Kyle Nelson was not pretty (two home runs), but the important aspect is he made his first appearance against another team since April 22, 2024. He missed most of the season after undergoing surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome but is back and an option for the bullpen.

– Non-roster infielder Ildemaro Vargas has begun the spring red-hot, as he picked up another two hits on Tuesday. He is 4 for 9 with two extra-base hits and three RBIs as he competes for a utility spot in his third stint with the club.

– Back at Salt River Fields, left-hander Jordan Montgomery threw his first bullpen session since dealing with a left index finger strain.




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Cardinals nab Shemar Stewart in Kiper’s NFL mock draft

How likely are the Arizona Cardinals to take a quote-unquote project with the 16th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft?

If Texas A&M edge rusher Shemar Stewart is still sitting there, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. joins colleague Field Yates in believing it’s a possibility.

The summary on the Aggies prospect goes like so: He’s a physically imposing athlete at 6-foot-6 and 290 pounds with the speed and power to play on the edge rather than the interior of the defensive line.

Does it translate to the NFL, though, if it only translated to 4.5 combined sacks over three years in college? The potential is there, which is why Kiper has Stewart going to Arizona in the first round of his pre-NFL Scouting Combine mock draft.

When I put together my first mock draft back in January, the board didn’t present much pass rush value at No. 16 for the Cardinals. Not ideal, considering this team was 28th in pass rush win rate at 33.3%. But this time around, the Cards would have their choice between Stewart and Georgia’s Mykel Williams. It’s close, but I like the ceiling for Stewart here. Thanks to his speed and power, he should test really well this week in Indianapolis. And Arizona would be able to slide him in opposite Zaven Collins and get him a lot of work early in his career.

In 2024, Stewart posted 31 tackles with two passes defensed.

Pro Football Focus actually grades him in the elite side (88.2) for his run defense, while his pass rush grade leaves a lot to be desired (67.2). PFF credits him with four quarterback hits and 33 hurries this past season.

NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein sees Stewart as a project, a player who can win on brute speed-to-power bullying but doesn’t have the hand usage or plan to counter.

What could make or break Stewart as the Arizona Cardinals view him as an NFL Draft prospect?

For the Cardinals’ purposes, there’s a clear need on the edge. BJ Ojulari is coming off a serious knee injury, making Collins the only sure thing.

Stewart showed some versatility across his career under Jimbo Fischer and Mike Elko. He played as a standup true edge player but did get some occasional use on the interior.

PFF lists Stewart with 371 snaps outside the tackle and 117 over the opposing tackle last year. Many snaps of that latter designation had him attacking inside a tackle’s shoulder and blowing up protections in the B-gap — that appears to be where much of his run-stopping juice came from.

Point is, Arizona under defensive coordinator Nick Rallis loves getting wacky with his fronts, and Stewart causes problems when an opposing quarterback wonders if there’s a 290-pound missle attempting to bend around the edge of the offensive tackle or if he’s ready to blow up an inside run.

The Cardinals would just need to believe the potential to produce on the edge is there even though the college tape leaves a lot on the table — that Stewart can finish plays with the quarterback on the ground.

Pair him with a healthy Ojulari and last year’s first-round pick, defensive tackle Darius Robinson, and the Cardinals’ defensive front at least could look like a potentially imposing group if Stewart is the pick.




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Suns once again look in similar company, lose to Raptors

The overarching theme of the Phoenix Suns’ season the last two months is how much they look like they are playing against an opponent at their level when they face teams on the outside of the postseason picture, a.k.a. some of the worst teams in the NBA.

Therefore, that is who they are. With a complete lack of signature wins against other teams and hardly any blowout victories in general, how else are we supposed to interpret that?

Sunday’s iteration was a 127-109 loss to the 18-39 Toronto Raptors who were missing their big-time trade deadline acquisition Brandon Ingram (left ankle sprain) and starting center Jakob Poeltl (right hip pointer).

In the unenviable task of evaluating this team for the rest of the season, Toronto offered a perfect test for the Suns in seeing if they could properly beat a team that has the type of roster that typically makes Phoenix (27-30) beat itself.

The Raptors are loaded with athleticism and length across every position. Jamal Shead is the same size as Tyus Jones but is twice as explosive as him in every department, while it is lottery pick after lottery pick around the perimeter. That type of makeup wreaks havoc against the Suns on the glass, in transition and with forcing turnovers.

Toronto is a very bad offensive and shooting team but also has four guys that can go off for 25-plus any night in R.J. Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Gradey Dick and Immanuel Quickley. Phoenix has a tendency to let inferior opponents get comfortable and on paper that’s too much skill to allow to reach that state.

Since mid-January, the Raptors came into the day 9-8, sitting 24th in offense and eighth in defense. There aren’t really team numbers that pop inside the weeds, so again, just don’t hurt yourself.

But what is perhaps the biggest weakness of this Suns team is how little they set the tone. That has crippled them for three straight contests coming out of the All-Star break, posting 21, 20 and now 26 points in the first quarter. They have no identity, so what are they even trying to establish coming out of the gates anyway? You can win a lot in the NBA by imposing your will. Phoenix loses a lot by doing the opposite.

This game was dictated on the Raptors’ terms. That sentence should speak for itself.

Phoenix had a season-low two assists in the first quarter. That would suggest a terrible offensive quarter but the Suns still got to a mildly low 25 points and shot 46%, a nod to what Toronto was OK with taking away and also Phoenix missing open shots.

A day earlier, the Suns shot 76% in the second quarter to make up for a slow start. They were not able to do that on Sunday, and more importantly, Toronto kept rolling offensively. Phoenix’s abhorrent transition defense maintained that standard, as did its lazy closeouts to blah shooters. The Suns can roll their eyes at a 10-for-18 (55.5%) half of 3s for a poor shooting team but they did absolutely nothing to impede that. Remember this for later!

Toronto’s strategy to tunnel the Suns in certain areas of the floor offensively resulted in allowing just 13 attempts from 3 in the first half, two of which went in. What was far worse was the Suns going -6 in free-throw attempts against the defense with the worst opposing free-throw rate in the NBA, and Phoenix has the third-best for its own offense. If you needed the numbers to tell you who the aggressor was too instead of the tape, there you go.

The Raptors operated like a team that knew it would win in the margins and math enough to come out with a victory. They were rewarded with a 15-point advantage at halftime.

Phoenix made five straight shots in the early third quarter to cut it to 10, a byproduct of Toronto missing shots while generating just as good of opportunities as it did in the first half. That trend continued until a dual-contest at the rim by Nick Richards and Kevin Durant at the rim got Devin Booker a run-out 3 to get within four that finally resulted in the Suns finding some intensity on defense.

But in a consistent theme this year, Phoenix cannot simply decide to increase its effort and see that correct all the other problems. Terrible rebounding and turnovers quickly resulted in the Raptors getting back up 11 later in the quarter.

It was 88-82 Raptors entering the third quarter after a 4:35 close to the quarter that was 7-5 Toronto. Yet another mid-off was in the cards.

Toronto got back ahead by 11 after Quickley found some success hunting Grayson Allen or Jones, an element of Phoenix’s defensive scheme in which it does not fight nearly enough to avoid giving away that switch for free. Suns turnovers kept coming and that let Toronto run against the aforementioned woeful effort to get back.

Phoenix then ripped off a 10-0 run in just over two minutes, one that was affected by Toronto’s insistence for running terrible offense, before Toronto buried five straight 3s in an avalanche to jump up 17 with under two minutes to go. All of that was sparked by Quickley, who was in a zone the Suns rolled out a red carpet toward earlier in the game.

The Raptors finished 20-for-35 (57.1%) from deep. Once again, the Suns have no one to blame but themselves. They let the Raptors grow their confidence in the first half and the shooting luck regressed significantly in the third quarter when all they could muster to counter was those five points for nearly five minutes.

Or how about making up for it on the other end? They only attempted 28 and made seven (25%). Clearly, head coach Mike Budenholzer’s offensive principles haven’t stuck. You decide who deserves more of the blame for that (when it was a problem last year too).

Booker had 31 points and eight assists with one turnover in 37 minutes while Bradley Beal was excellent with 12-of-15 shooting for 30 points. Durant was 5-of-15 for 15 points with four rebounds, four assists, three steals, three blocks and two turnovers. Booker reached 37 minutes, Durant clocked in at 40 and Beal sat at 41 after all three played 38 the night prior. That is going to catch up to the Suns very, very soon if they keep this up.

A more understated Suns weakness for the second straight year has been the lack of variety when it comes to how they get Durant the ball. The mid-post isolations are effective and also a turnover machine, so against a team like Toronto that can deny those rather easily or force risky passes, Durant wasn’t going to get as many of those looks. That required him to find shots in other ways, and since Phoenix doesn’t use much half-court motion to get Durant the ball on the move off the catch, you get performances of his like Sunday’s.

If you want to play the blame game here, which is honestly just a shrug for something like this, consider how this is a different coaching staff and offense than last year with the problem still persisting.

For something worth noting, Beal thrived after clearly tweaking something in his left foot during Saturday’s win. Beal called for immediate sub, a signal he was done for the day, only to return shortly later. That left foot is where he sprained his big toe, an injury that sidelined him for four games.

Phoenix ended up -8 in free-throw attempts, a truly mind-boggling result given Toronto’s extreme deficiencies on both sides of that exchange and how the Suns are one of the best at generating them.

The Suns are now just 13-9 when shooting 50% or better after checking in at 50.6% on Sunday, another signal to how much they get burned by being a terrible defensive team that does poorly in the math areas as well.

Toronto had four players score at least 20 points, including 23 in 20 minutes from backup 5 Chris Boucher, the latest pedestrian center to ravage the Suns. Richards and Mason Plumlee did not have good nights after having their best joint effort on Saturday.

Ryan Dunn briefly appeared in the Suns rotation as the outcries from the fanbase for more of him on the floor continued. He played just seven minutes.




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BJ Freeman no longer with ASU due to detrimental conduct

BJ Freeman is no longer with the Arizona State men’s basketball team due to conduct detrimental to the team, a team spokesperson confirmed to Arizona Sports on Sunday.

“It was just unfortunate that it came to this. He’s our leading scorer and a very productive player for us,” coach Bobby Hurley told reporters postgame. “It’s just we’ve had too many instances of either player or coach conduct with BJ, and he was already suspended once.

“It was a really hard decision to make, but it was based on this year, and he’s got another season to play,” Hurley continued. “I’m sure that he’s going to still have a very good market for a place to land next year.”

AZCentral’s Michelle Gardner first reported the dismissal.

Freeman was ejected in back-to-back games against Colorado (Jan. 28) and Arizona (Feb. 1) before later earning a one-game suspension that kept him out of a meeting with Oklahoma State (Feb. 9).

The senior ends his season as ASU’s leading scorer, averaging 13.7 points per game. He hit his stride when conference play arrived, averaging 15.6 points (39.4% 3-point shooting) and 2.6 assists over 14 games.

Beginning with Kansas State, ASU has five regular-season games remaining without a path to an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament.

What events led to BJ Freeman leaving ASU?

Freeman landed at ASU as a transfer from UW-Milwaukee after averaging 25.8 points in his final Horizon League tournament, positioning himself as a potential force on offense for the 2024-25 Sun Devils.

His ASU season started poorly on the court with a 2-for-9 showing against Duke in an exhibition, leading him to come off the bench for his first three games once the regular season had gotten going.

Freeman scored in double digits each of the three games and carved out a central role in the ASU offense, which became even more so when freshman Joson Sanon injured his ankle and missed time.

His first ejection came as a flagrant 2 foul when fighting through a screen against Colorado and as a result hit an offensive player where people don’t like to be hit. He insisted postgame that he was only trying to fight through the screen in a show of effort, saying he knew Hurley would be on him if he didn’t.

The second came after he headbutted Arizona guard Caleb Love at the end of the Wildcats’ victory over ASU. The two teams, which did not shake hands afterward, will meet again on March 4.

Then came the suspension, which was never clarified beyond “conduct detrimental to the team.”


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Bradley Beal to start against Chicago Bulls

Bradley Beal is back in the Phoenix Suns starting lineup for the first time since Jan. 4, getting the nod at guard over Tyus Jones who moves to the bench on Saturday against the Chicago Bulls.

Beal had come off the bench for the past 15 games he has played in — he missed seven over the span. In Thursday’s loss to San Antonio, Beal pitched in 19 points and six assists in just shy of 33 minutes of action.

Jones moves to the bench for the first time this season, and the first time since April 7, 2023, as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. As the Suns starting point guard, Jones is averaging 10.9 points on 44.8% shooting from the field and 5.9 assists to 1.4 turnovers.

The change comes as the Suns find themselves fighting for a play-in spot, currently at 11th in the West. Star guard Devin Booker has taken on more of a point guard role, taking much of the primary ball-handler duties — a role Jones was specifically brought in to do after Phoenix played largely without a point guard in 2023-24.

Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer said before Saturday’s game that the team is always looking at different ways to rotate their stable of guards.

“We’re always looking at different combinations. Brad has been playing that backup point guard role and Brad and Devin together and even Grayson (Allen),” he said. “We feel like all those guys can handle it. We’re always looking at it, always trying to figure out how we can be our best and appreciate what Devin can do handling it, what Brad can do handling it. What Tyus brings to us. We’re always looking at everything.”

Budenholzer also noted that Jones organizes the team and is “a guy that’s looking to get everybody involved. Has a comfort level with that spot. He’s been good.”




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Colangelo advocates for Diamondbacks staying downtown

Jerry Colangelo has a very simple rule for how he envisions professional sports in the Valley: All roads lead to downtown.

It was important for the team and its community benefits to be centralized, according to the figure who served as the Phoenix Suns’ first general manager before being instrumental in bringing two teams to the Valley, the Arizona Diamondbacks and then-Phoenix Coyotes.

It’s also the key reason he’s encouraged by recent developments in state legislature that have funding within reach for Chase Field renovations that would keep the Diamondbacks downtown.

“It’s very, very important (to keep the Diamondbacks downtown),” Colangelo said when he joined Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Friday. “Way back when, we could’ve gone to some other locations, but I insisted it was going to be downtown. I believe that’s where the team should play. Why? Because all roads lead to downtown.

“Also, I was really concerned about other businesses and people benefitting from having the team downtown, the restaurants, the bars, the retail. Some owners opted to go in the suburbs and have their own piece of property. Who gained anything from that, other than them? And that was not my mindset, it was more about what’s good for the community, along with where we thought it would be best.”

The Diamondbacks await the Arizona House vote on HB2704, which was approved by the House Commerce Committee last week. It will now go to a vote in the House before moving onto the Arizona Senate and then the desk of Gov. Katie Hobbs, who has told AZCentral.com she backs the legislation.

D-backs president Derrick Hall said earlier this week he was not sure when the vote will occur, hoping it will commence in the next couple weeks. There have been amendments adopted by the Commerce Committee, including penalties for the Diamondbacks if they relocate. They would have to pay the $10 million if they leave the state by Oct. 1, 2035.

“Years take a toll on facilities, they just do. … And here, with the sun, the heat, etc., I think that time table moves faster. So there’s a lot of work to be done on the building. The building, I believe, still belongs downtown for the Diamondbacks,” Colangelo said on the final day of Newsmakers Week. “I’m happy that they’re making some progress. And all I know is what I’ve read and what I’ve heard, nothing on the inside, but I think there are some people who are amenable to making things happen for them, and I think that’s good for everyone.”

Colangelo added he still wishes the Cardinals had built their stadium downtown, as opposed to Glendale, where they are approximately 18 miles away from Chase Field.

What did Colangelo think about the Valley losing Coyotes he helped bring?

“I didn’t like the fact that we lost anything in terms of our community, and it’s unfortunate, the way the whole hockey thing … developed,” Colangelo said.

Similarly to how Colangelo led the charge for Phoenix to get an MLB expansion team, he was the key figure in bringing NHL hockey to the Valley, although this time it came as an already-existing franchise.

“I had interest in hockey before we built the arena, and I had conversation with (then-NHL president John Ziegler) and I said, ‘I need to know what’s the shot for NHL hockey in Phoenix?’ And he said, ‘Not in your lifetime.’” Colangelo retold. “If that’s not a possibility, I want to build the most intimate seating arrangement ever for basketball. Proximity to the court sells. Intimacy sells.

“As a result of what he told me, we were going to always put in an ice plant for the ice show and minor league hockey. So we go and build what we said we would do … and almost immediately we get a call from the NHL they want to play a few exhibition games, they liked it.”

Colangelo described how a connection to new commissioner Gary Bettman through their basketball ties led to then-owner of the Minnesota North Stars franchise asking what Colangelo could do for him while shopping the team to the Phoenix and Dallas markets. Upon hearing Colangelo’s suggestion of being his landlord, the owner took his team to Dallas instead.

Businessmen Steve Gluckstern and Richard Burke bought the Winnipeg Jets with the intention to have the franchise take the North Stars’ vacant place in Minnesota, but they were unable to reach a deal to share Target Center with the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves. The search turned back to Phoenix, where an agreement was reached with Colangelo.

Frustration arose when concerns were raised about obstructed viewing angles in the arena despite Colangelo saying he made the issues clear in the planning process, prompting the team to leave the downtown arena in 2003 for another in Glendale close to where the Cardinals would break ground on a home in the same year.

He noted the Coyotes had their heaviest fan support when calling downtown home.


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Cardinals must continue to rely on QB Kyler Murray

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray turned in an inconsistent 2024 in his first full season under offensive coordinator Drew Petzing.

The franchise signal caller put together an impressive 10-game stretch highlighted by 12 touchdowns to just three interceptions, only for the wheels to come off in the backend of the season.

That first-place feeling sitting 6-4 at the bye week? That was quickly eroded behind three straight losses on the way to a sputtering 2-5 finish and 8-9 final record.

For a Cardinals team that hangs its hat on limiting turnovers and generating explosive plays, that’s a big no-no.

Fans (continue to) go back and forth as to whether or not Murray is the answer moving forward. Owner Michael Bidwill, however, remains one-sided on the polarizing signal caller.

“What he is is a dual threat quarterback. When he’s healthy he scares every defensive coordinator and he has a chance to change the game with his feet and with his arm,” Bidwill told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta during Newsmakers Week on Friday. “When you look at it, we’ve got to continue to rely on him and he’s got to play at a high level. He knows that.

“He’s working hard. … He needs to take the next step and we’re excited about our future with Kyler. He’s a great quarterback. I think we need to continue to build around that offense for him.”

Murray certainly deserves some of the blame for his fall off in the latter half of the season.

It wasn’t all on him, though.

While the Cardinals defense improved over the course of the year, the talent deficiencies popped up regularly — as did the inability to consistently rush the passer. Injuries to both sides of the football didn’t help matters, either, especially when depth was tested late in games.

Even with his miscues, Murray still finished seventh in completion percentage (68.8%), ninth in QBR (66.5), 11th in passing yards (3,851).

In general manager Monti Ossenfort’s eyes, progress starts with a collective step forward.

“It’s the same thing with our whole team. We have to finish,” Ossenfort added. “There were those tight games. Was it only Kyler? No, there were other things that the rest of the team could do. Does Kyler have to play better? Absolutely he does.

“When Kyler was (not turning the ball over and generating explosives), he was rolling. … And then when those games get tight and we turn the ball over and Kyler’s involved in some of those, that’s where it’s going to be tough to win and it’s going to be tough to win late in the season when the window of opportunity just shrinks. That’s a hump we have to get over. Kyler has to improve on that. The whole team has to improve on that. We have to raise our level of consistency.”




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Michael Bidwill talks lawsuits, Cardinals workplace culture

Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said Friday that he believes his team’s workplace culture is “excellent” and recent lawsuits against him and the team are simply allegations that he will strongly defend.

One of those lawsuits, a defamation case against the team, its legal representation and a public relations firm filed by former Cardinals vice president of personnel Terry McDonough, was dismissed on Feb. 13.

“It’s a privilege to be in this position and all these positions,” Bidwill told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta. “Just like in the entertainment industry and CEOs or businesses and CEOs or sports teams and owners, there are going to be times where things come up where people make allegations. You got to go through the process — sometimes it’s a more lengthy process. But we’re going to defend this. We strongly deny all these allegations and look forward to the process that we can stand our ground (in) and make sure we defend ourselves strongly, which we will.

“Often times you see the reality is much different than what’s alleged. And allegations are simply that: just allegations. We look forward to moving forward. It just comes with the territory here, and I understand that. There are going to be critics out there, etcetera, and we’re just going to be focused on building a great organization, great team.”

What is the most recent lawsuit that the Cardinals and Michael Bidwill face?

Bidwill’s former personal assistant, Brittany Neuheisel, filed a lawsuit accusing the owner of verbally abusing her during her tenure that began in 2019 and ended last month.

The lawsuit filed Feb. 6 in the Superior Court of Maricopa County claims constructive discharge, wrongful discharge, discrimination and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The 54-year-old former assistant claims that she was “continuously tormented for failing to disavow members of her own family and for refusing to participate in illegal conduct.”

In another example, the suit claims that Bidwill demanded Neuheisel “provide false information” on federal and international disclosure forms relating to the owner’s travel on a private airplane. It also says that when Neuheisel would raise concerns about Bidwill’s requests, the owner would ridicule her Catholic faith.

Cardinals believe they have improved the workplace culture

Bidwill on Friday said the Cardinals have spent the last few years focusing on improving their workplace culture. That came with leadership changes in both the football operations and business wings of the franchise.

“I think there’s a perception outside the building that a few people want to carry on,” Bidwill said. “We’ve gone through a lot of changes the last couple of years and brought in new leadership. I’m excited about the leadership team we have both on the football and the business side.”

They hired chief people office Shaun Mayo in 2021 to oversee human resources and Jeremy Walls in 2023 as chief operating officer. Bidwill credited those two with helping improve the culture on the business side.

Walls’ hiring followed the departure of former COO Ron Minegar, who went on the record to ESPN about poor workplace culture in light of the initial McDonough complaint. It accused the Cardinals and Bidwill of misconduct, discrimination and harassment.

The Cardinals’ response to that complaint led to McDonough’s defamation lawsuit that was dismissed this month, although an NFL arbitrator ordered the Cardinals to pay McDonough almost $3 million in damages.

Of course, the Cardinals have also seen turnover on the football side of things as well. General manager Monti Ossenfort was hired before the 2023 season and has steadily built a core culture through the draft and development of his young players.

The Cardinals improved from four wins to eight in Ossenfort’s and head coach Jonathan Gannon’s tenure.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.




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Last sleep before games return

SCOTTSDALE — Starting on Friday, the Arizona Diamondbacks will play a baseball game almost daily until at least the end of September.

Their Cactus League slate begins at 1:10 p.m. MST against the Colorado Rockies, and fans will receive their first in-game looks at coveted free agent signee Corbin Burnes.

Burnes — a four-time All-Star who signed a six-year, $210 million deal — will pitch one inning after requesting to throw in the first frame of spring training as he has done in the past. Behind him, expect to see a youthful group as most major leaguers continue to work behind the scenes.

“You’re gonna see a lot of minor leaguers because everybody’s just not caught up yet,” manager Torey Lovullo said on Thursday. “I think four games in you’ll start to see a lot of our guys, but we have three pitchers throwing tomorrow. I don’t know the other two.

“(Jose) Castillo will start the following day, but it’s Corbin backed up by two other guys and then a bunch of minor leaguers.”

As for the batting order, Lovullo said five to six regulars will take the field on Friday with the caveat that there is no set starting lineup at this point.

“It’s hard to say who you categorize as a starter, but you’ll see several play and then I gotta stagger it,” Lovullo said. “And several will play the next day.”

The D-backs have paired position groups in past spring training games, and an example Lovullo brought up is second baseman Ketel Marte and shortstop Geraldo Perdomo will take the field together more times than not.

When can fans arrive at Salt River Fields for Diamondbacks-Rockies?

Fan access to Diamondbacks workouts on the backfields takes place each day from 9 a.m. to noon MST. The gates to the stadium open 90 minutes prior to games.

How the Diamondbacks evaluate spring training

The Diamondbacks are not going to judge their roster or position competitions based on spring training results. It is a small sample size and players are trying to build up for the regular season while staying healthy.

There are elements to games that Lovullo explained are useful when evaluating the team, though.

“Shapes of pitches, mound presence, the ability to step back and execute after a crisis situation,” Lovullo said. “What do you look like after you make an error, have a bad at-bat, what’s your body language like? Those are the things that I’m really honing in on, and then specifically the breaks and movements of players.

“Just find out where these guys are with their confidence level when they’re on defense, and then their ability to not miss pitches offensively. It’s not the result that I’m watching.”

ABS enters playing field

Diamondbacks veterans will receive their first experience playing in a game with the automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system on Friday.

The league is testing ABS in spring training this year after a trial run in Triple-A. ABS will not be implemented in the major leagues this year, but data and feedback from spring training will help decision-makers determine the next steps.

Not every ballpark will have ABS. The five Cactus League parks that will are Salt River Fields, Surprise Stadium, Goodyear Ballpark, Camelback Ranch and Peoria Sports Complex. The D-backs will play a league-leading 29 games with ABS.

Teams get two challenges each game, which they retain if correct. It is very quick, as the pitcher, batter or catcher has to challenge a strike or ball call within a couple seconds. The video board will display the pitch location and the game will continue on as so:

What’s been happening at Diamondbacks spring training before Cactus League begins?

Lovullo praised his club’s intensity and focus during the first days of spring training, as much of the roster arrived in camp well before the official report dates.

The D-backs ended last season on awkward terms, watching the Mets and Braves clinch playoff spots by splitting a doubleheader after the regular season ended for 28 teams. That experience stuck in Lovullo’s mind and that of the players who received an extreme example of “every game counts.”

“I think the players have been fantastic with their focus,” Lovullo said. “Spring training is a little bit loose, but when you need to be in and engaged, they’re all in. I watched the cuts and relays today, and it’s as good as I’ve ever seen a group execute cuts and relays on day one, it was electric. Guys were in the right place and doing exactly the things that they know are important to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“The intensity has been great, and I think this group is coming together very nicely.”

The Diamondbacks have had an eventful start to spring training:

– They gave a four-year extension to Perdomo, whose leadership and steady play made him a core member of the ballclub.

– The club also brought in veteran relievers Kendall Graveman and Shelby Miller (minor league deal) to deepen the bullpen.

– Pitcher Drey Jameson faced live hitters for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023.

– Left-hander Jordan Montgomery responded to owner Ken Kendrick’s criticism by saying, “I’ve got two older brothers, so it’s not gonna hurt my feelings.” He also arrived in camp 20-25 pounds lighter looking to be more smooth to the plate.




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