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Only a year ago, Brampton, Ontarios Anthony Bennett was making a splash in the NCAA at UNLV, averaging 16. Jeremy Walker Braves Jersey .1 points per game, 8.1 rebounds, shooting .533 per cent from the field and .375 per cent from the three-point line with a good mix of power and range. The 68" freshman was drawing comparisons to former alum and Naismith Player of the Year Larry Johnson, and was considered a cant-miss NBA lottery pick. Today, two months into his rookie NBA season after being selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2013 Draft, ESPNs NBA Insider Chad Ford says "hes looking like the worst #1 draft pick of the last twenty years." Bennetts season averages of 2.5 points and 2.1 rebounds per game, shooting .275 per cent from the field, .556 per cent from the free throw line and .148 per cent from behind the arc in 10.5 minutes per game do little to contravene Fords claim. Bennetts agent and former AAU coach Mike George feels the media criticism is making a bigger story than necessary and is tinged with bias. "Obviously hes the #1 pick so theres a lot of pressure in that regard," George says. "I also think the fact that hes Canadian [means] a lot of the American media are not telling both sides of the story." Yet, Ford was also the biggest champion of the now since forgotten, Serbian 7-footer Darko Milicic, who in 2002 was drafted behind LeBron James and ahead of Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. So how did Bennett go from stud to dud? Last January, he developed a torn left rotator cuff which he played through, until the Runnin Rebels were eliminated from the NCAA tournament in March. After declaring for the draft, he had shoulder surgery in May and wasnt cleared for basketball activity until September, missing all of Summer League. He finally was able to participate in Clevelands training camp, with a focus of getting back into game shape, working on his conditioning and losing weight. The other side of the story that George refers to - the unfair media criticism - is that the Cavaliers strategy was always to ease Bennett in. Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, who covers the team, agrees. "They actually are kind of stacked at power forward," she says. "So bringing him along slowly, on what they anticipated was going to be a playoff team, was definitely part of the plan. I know that they are a little sensitive to criticism of him, compared to some of the other players. They say if he played as many minutes as some of these other players, his stats would be better. Im not sure I am totally in agreement on that." But minutes are hard to come by for a rookie on an underperforming 11-21 squad searching for wins. Sending him down to the D-League isnt an option that the Cavaliers are entertaining, so is their master plan working? "For the past two months, hes been going two-a-days and getting himself back in shape," George says. "Thats why hes cut his weight down to 243 right now, and you see the difference between his play today and the start of the season. He looks different on the floor, hes running better, and playing with more confidence." Schmitt Boyer offers a more measured assessment. "Its very, very incremental," she says. "Hell do little things that coaches see and will point out to him when they are going through game footage. But I do think hes catching on and getting a little better, although theyve set the bar pretty low. I sense that his confidence is actually getting better. Even if it might not be totally showing up in his stats, theyre showing more confidence in him." That confidence, coupled with opportunity, may be the shift Bennett needs, as he has lost 17 pounds since training camp. The Cavaliers have indefinitely suspended centre Andrew Bynum, freeing up minutes in the frontcourt and have ended the small forward experiment, moving him back to his natural slot in the power forward position. "Is he starting off slower than a number 1 pick should?" Schmitt Boyer asks. "Yes, and Im not trying to soften what hes doing in any means. A couple years ago, people were really down on Tristan Thompson and now Im not sure he wouldnt be the second pick in that draft. Its a little quick to determine him the worst number one pick in twenty years. He may well be a bust, I just dont think its fair to say that after two months in the NBA." The end result of Bennetts rookie campaign lies somewhere in between. He wont go down as the worst pick in the last twenty years, yet is hard pressed to live up to the standard of a number one draft pick. Make no mistake, no one will pencil him in for the All-Rookie team just yet, but chances are high Bennett will prove that Ford may have been suffering from a case of premature proclamation. Gary Matthews Braves Jersey . Starting from pole, the 26-year-old Vettel turned in a trademark clinical performance to win the Indian Grand Prix on Sunday and join F1 greats Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher as just the third driver to win four consecutive championships. Jeff Burroughs Braves Jersey . The Broncos quarterback earned the offensive award Wednesday after passing for 374 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-21 win over the Raiders Monday night. Manning completed 32-of-37 passes and had a passer rating of 135. https://www.cheapbraves.com/2813o-dallas-keuchel-jersey-braves.html . The San Antonio Spurs handled the conditions, and the team, and it sure helped when a suffering LeBron James couldnt make it to the finish.NEWARK, N.J. -- Cory Schneider has played in so many low-scoring games this season that his coach compared him to a pitcher who needs a shutout to win. "We dont give him a lot of run support and I think hes starting to get used to that," New Jersey Devils coach Pete DeBoer said. "Hes figured it out that he has to pitch a shutout." Schneider made 26 saves while "pitching" his third shutout of the season and Michael Ryder scored his fourth goal in five games to lead the Devils past the Dallas Stars 1-0 on Thursday night. Schneider came up with his biggest save in the closing seconds when Tyler Seguin of the Stars put one on net, but he turned it away to clinch the game. "Even with 8 seconds left, they can still come up the ice and make something happen," Schneider said. "Fortunately, I was able to stick that one away and it didnt hit my guy and go in. Winning is always better, no matter how it happens, 5-4 or 1-0." Schneider earned his first victory since Dec. 28 against the New York Islanders. Schneiders previous shutout was also a 1-0 victory against Buffalo on Nov. 30. He also blanked the Rangers in October. Ryder, who scored 35 goals three seasons ago while playing for the Stars, netted his team-leading 15th on a pass from Travis Zajac. "I went through a little stretch there where the puck wasnt going in and I just stuck with it," Ryder said. "If you keep shooting, eventually youll find the back of the net. Its going in for me now." Despite stellar goaltending by Kari Lehtonen, who made 33 saves, Dallas dropped its fourth straight. "I think that is the problem when you are losing a lot," Lehtonen said. "You are not consistently playing well. We need to keep working. During a season, there are tough times and really good times. Our job is to cut this as short as possible and start playing well again." Ryder connected at 8:17 of the second period. Ryane Clowe sent the puck behind the net and Zajac held on until he could slip it to Ryder for his shot from the edge of the right circle that beat Lehtonen to his stick side. "One-nothing games are games that goalies want," Lehtonen said. "I wish wee would have been the one with the one goal at the end. Mike Lum Braves Jersey. It was a tight game and their goalie played great. Thats how it goes." Ryder nearly struck again at the 10:36 mark of the second when he intercepted a pass and skated in for an uncontested shot that Lehtonen saved. Dallas made a bid to tie the game when Ryan Garbutt took a shot that hit Schneiders mask. Soon after, Stephen Gionta was charged with a double-minor for hitting Jamie Benn in the face with his stick. The Devils killed the four-minute power-play to keep its 1-0 lead entering the third. "That was critical," DeBoer said of killing the four-minute power play. The Stars didnt get their first shot until 10:40 in the first period. That drought included a two-minute power play. The Devils held a 10-8 shots edge in the period. Ryders shot from between the circles was thwarted by a nice reaction save by Lehtonen midway through the first. Schneider made three saves in rapid succession to deny the Stars in the first period. Tyler Seguin skated down the left wing before trying to beat Schneider with a high shot. Seguin got a second chance on the rebound before Rich Peverley took his shot from in close that Schneider blocked. "There wasnt one save that stood out, but that flurry of shots there was when I had to be on my toes," Schneider said. Seguin, Dallas 21-goal scorer had the toughest night with six of his shots denied by Schneider. "Its a big goose egg up there," Seguin said. "I am pretty much a guy who needs to produce. Im not satisfied. In the third period, we showed some desperation. We need to find a way to get it for a full 60. We are wanting to win, but we are not hating to lose." NOTES: Zajac missed Wednesdays practice because his wife gave birth to his daughter. DeBoer noted that Zajac looked energized. "His wife should give birth every week," the coach said. "He looked great." . DeBoer said he was "leaning toward" giving Schneider a second straight start against Florida on Saturday because of the shutout. The Devils activated D Adam Larsson, who has not played since Nov. 23, from IR and assigned him to their AHL Albany affiliate. ' ' '