After seemingly rediscovering their winning ways in the month of May, the St. Louis Cardinals have fallen flat to start June.

The team has lost four consecutive games and are 4-9 in their last 13 games.

As such, they have fallen back to the bottom of the National League with a record of 25-36.

Things looked to be improving after four consecutive series wins against the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and Los Angeles Dodgers.

However, they have been in a tailspin since then.

The offense is largely to blame for their misfortunes lately.

On Twitter, Cardinals analyst Brandon Kiley posted some distressing numbers that sum up just how poorly the team has performed.

The #STLCards are 4-9 in their last 13 games. Twelve of those 13 games have been played against CIN (27-33), CLE (27-32), KC (18-42) & PIT (32-27).

Some notable OPS numbers in that stretch:
Nolan Arenado – .620
Nolan Gorman – .562
Tommy Edman – .554
Willson Contreras – .297

— Brandon Kiley (@BKSportsTalk) June 6, 2023

Much of their offensive struggles have to do with the fact that Willson Contreras and Nolan Arenado have both been slumping as of late.

In the Cardinals’ recent 13-game stretch, Arenado has posted a miserable .620 OPS.

Contreras has an OPS of .297 since the beginning of the stretch.

Nolan Gorman and Tommy Edman have OPS marks of .562 and .554, respectively.

These are certainly some concerning stats for the Cardinals, who were expected to have a solid offense at the beginning of the season.

But that offense is nowhere to be found at the moment.

Even more alarming is the fact that 12 of those 13 games came against the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Kansas City Royals, and Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates are the only team in that group with a winning record, and they now lead St. Louis by eight games in the NL Central.

The post Cardinals Analyst Highlights The Team’s Current Spiral appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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There are a number of former NBA stars who are playing basketball overseas now, including Dwight Howard.

Howard, who won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers toward the end of his career, has found great success playing basketball in Taiwan.

But that doesn’t mean he won’t count out the possibility of re-entering the league.

According to NBA reporter and Sacramento Kings insider Mark Haynes, Howard recently said, “I’m not retired from the NBA just yet, and I would love to help the Sacramento Kings contend for a title.”

Dwight Howard on possibly returning to the NBA next season:

“I’m not retired from the NBA just yet, and I would love to help the Sacramento Kings contend for a title.”

Should Sacramento sign him?

Via. @markhaynesnba pic.twitter.com/Y4QKVXT2Up

— NBA Buzz (@OfficialNBABuzz) June 6, 2023

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This isn’t the only comment that Howard has made about the league since leaving the US.

He has actually generated a lot of buzz for comments about the playoffs, particular players, and the state of the league.

However, this is his most direct comment about him possibly playing again in the Association.

He last played for the Lakers in 2021-22, although he was only on the floor about 16 minutes a game and averaged 6.2 points.

When the Lakers didn’t re-sign him, he decided to try his luck overseas and has done very well for himself.

The idea of him returning to the Kings, or any team, isn’t too far-fetched.

But it’s also not very likely as he is 37 years old and has become injury-prone over the years.

Even on a veteran’s minimum contract, it likely wouldn’t be worth it for most teams.

The pressure and workload in Taiwan aren’t as hard on Howard, allowing him to play frequently and produce a lot of points.

But would that be the case if he came back to the NBA?

No matter what happens, one thing is clear: Howard has become an expert at creating the sort of quotes that constantly keeps him in the headlines.

The post Dwight Howard Talks About Possible Return To The NBA appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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The Miami Heat recently scored a very important Game 2 win over the Denver Nuggets.

It was an impressive victory made all the more astonishing because it was secured on the road in Colorado.

There were several stars who helped the Heat score the win and Gabe Vincent was one of them.

He scored 23 points in Game 2, including 4-of-6 from beyond the three-point line.

This was just the latest great game from Vincent in the Finals.

So far, he is scoring 21 points per game and 4.5 three-pointers.

According to StatMuse, he is leading the Finals in three-pointers made and is helping keep his team’s hopes alive.

Gabe Vincent in the Finals:

21.0 PPG
4.5 3PM
58/56/100%

Leading the Finals in 3-pointers. pic.twitter.com/2rd00lNGfo

— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 6, 2023

This was Vincent’s best season yet, even before this strong showing in the Finals.

He scored 9.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.

He started in the most games of his career and helped the team begin its remarkable and unexpected postseason push that continues now.

Vincent’s rise to this level has been remarkable in its own right.

He was left undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft and instead signed with the G League team the Stockton Kings, where he averaged 8.8 points in 18 minutes per game.

A couple of years later, the Heat signed Vincent to a two-way contract and he made his debut in January of 2020.

Now, just days ago, Vincent secured a team-high 23 points for the Heat in Game 2.

The power of Vincent reminds fans that this Miami roster is very deep.

Although Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo will always receive the most attention, the team is only successful because of strong role players like Vincent and others.

The post Heat Star Is Leading The Playoffs In A Pivotal Way appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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