For many years, the Sacramento Kings simply couldn’t get their act together, and they owned the NBA’s longest playoff drought, which dated back to 2006.

But the Kings are having a terrific season which has gotten them a playoff berth and the third-best record in the Western Conference, which means the Charlotte Hornets now own the league’s longest streak of missing the playoffs.

The longest active playoff drought now belongs to the Charlotte Hornets (7 seasons). pic.twitter.com/UvnkyfY8vO

— StatMuse (@statmuse) March 30, 2023

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They haven’t reached the postseason since 2016, and even worse, they haven’t won a playoff series since 2002.

With talented players such as LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward, and Terry Rozier, Charlotte does have talent, but it hasn’t been able to put it together.

The team ranks 27th in scoring at just 111.5 points per game and is last in offensive rating, which has resulted in a 26-51 record, which is the second-worst in the Eastern Conference.

To be fair, injuries have played somewhat of a role, as Ball has played in just 36 games due to injury, but the team simply should be better.

Just last season, they finished 10th in the East and made the play-in tournament, losing to the Atlanta Hawks.

Some, including former NBA superstar Charles Barkley, have blamed majority owner Michael Jordan for being lackluster at his job and possibly lacking the dedication needed to turn the Hornets into a winner.

The good news for them is that in Ball, who is averaging 23.3 points, 8.4 assists, and 6.4 rebounds a game this season, they have a legitimate star they can build around — if he stays relatively healthy moving forward.

The post The Hornets Have Taken On A New Lowly NBA Lead appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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Despite finishing the 2022 NFL season with a winning record of 9-8, the Pittsburgh Steelers fell short of the NFL playoffs, which is not something common in the Mike Tomlin era.

Although ultimately, it was a disappointing season, it is time to move on for the storied NFL franchise and look toward what could be a promising future with Kenny Pickett under center and Tomlin still running the show on the sideline.

As part of the Steelers’ effort to bounce back, the team has added an addition to the defense.

According to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, the Steelers have agreed to a two-year deal with safety Keanu Neal.

The #Steelers are signing veteran safety Keanu Neal to a 2-year deal, per his agent @davidcanter. They also signed former #Chargers DL Breiden Fehoko.

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 30, 2023

The one-time Pro Bowler played the majority of his career with the Atlanta Falcons, who drafted Florida product with the 17th overall pick in 2016.

During the last two seasons, Neal spent time with the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers after being with the Falcons for the first five years of his NFL career.

Neal started eight of 17 games he played for the Buccaneers last year, recording 63 tackles, one interception and four passes defensed.

In 2023, the Steelers will look to get back to form as one of the best teams in the AFC and might have the edge in the AFC North division.

The Cleveland Browns still don’t know what they really have with Deshaun Watson and the Baltimore Ravens appear to be well on their way to losing Lamar Jackson, who wants to get paid or get traded to a team that will pay him.

The post The Steelers Have Signed A Veteran Safety To A 2-Year Deal appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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Brad Miller’s two-run homer in the fifth inning helped the Texas Rangers extend its lead over the Philadelphia Phillies.



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