SDS Mailbag: JT Daniels expectations, best fit for drafted SEC players and ranking Thanksgiving foods
By Adam Spencer
Published:
The 2020-21 college basketball season is just around the corner. In fact, games will have been played by the time the next Mailbag comes out next Friday.
No, we aren’t getting a full Feast Week of tournaments like we normally would, but I’m just happy we’ll have any basketball at all. Hopefully, we can make it all the way to March Madness and get a full tournament played this year.
For now, though, I’ll settle for these makeshift Thanksgiving week tournaments.
Here are your questions for this week’s SDS Mailbag:
Robert:
What are your realistic expectations for JT Daniels in his first start for Georgia?
My expectations are super low for Daniels. I’m skeptical of why it has taken him this long to win the job. Stetson Bennett IV clearly isn’t the answer, as he’s struggled the past 3 weeks. Meanwhile, D’Wan Mathis hasn’t been able to move the offense much during his limited time on the field.
Daniels has been cleared to play by doctors for a few weeks now, but hasn’t gotten on the field at all. That’s a concerning sign.
I have all the confidence in Daniels being a good, solid SEC quarterback, but I don’t think it’ll happen this year. Clearly, something isn’t fully right with his recovery from the knee injury.
But, the good news for Georgia fans is this — he doesn’t need to do much for the Bulldogs to win. Georgia’s defense and running game continue to be the strong suits of the team. Daniels just needs to avoid turning the ball over. That’s why Bennett has been benched (along with being banged up, too).
If Daniels throws for 220 yards, 1 or 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions against Mississippi State on Saturday, that should be taken as a wonderful sign moving forward.
Michael:
Which SEC player chosen in the first round of the NBA Draft this week landed in the best situation?
So, to recap, Anthony Edwards went to the Minnesota Timberwolves with the No. 1 overall pick. Then, Isaac Okoro went to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kira Lewis Jr. went to the New Orleans Pelicans, Aaron Nesmith went to the Boston Celtics, Tyrese Maxey went to the Philadelphia 76ers and Immanuel Quickley went to the New York Knicks.
Obviously, Quickley is out, because I won’t believe the Knicks are a capable franchise until they prove otherwise. Likewise with Okoro to the Cavaliers.
My pick is Nesmith. The versatile forward now has a path to immediate playing time alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown after Gordon Hayward opted out of the remaining year on his contract.
The Celtics are one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and Nesmith will be a great fit. He’s a lights-out shooter and plays solid defense. He’ll fit right in alongside Brown, Tatum, Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart and others.
Keep an eye on Edwards, too. Playing alongside D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns will give him plenty of opportunities to score. He’ll be a solid bet to be the Rookie of the Year.
Rachel:
If you could invite 3 TV show characters to your Thanksgiving dinner, who would you choose and why?
Hmmm, that’s a great question. I’ll be honest — I thought about this for a long time. “TV characters” is such a broad category, but I’m sticking to shows I like.
Therefore, my group of 3 characters looks like this:
- Jim Halpert from The Office
- Jake Peralta from Brooklyn Nine-Nine
- Jessica Day from New Girl
I think that’s a great group. Not a ton of drama, but a lot of fun, interesting characters. I don’t think Jack Bauer, another favorite of mine, would be a good Thanksgiving dinner guest. Too much going on in his fictional life.
Let me know in the comments who you’d invite to your dinner!
@Dobbe8:
Rank these traditional thanksgiving foods: turkey, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, cranberry sauce, stuffing (or dressing) and dinner rolls.
I shouldn’t be answering this question before lunch, because now I’m starving. Anyway, here’s how I’d rank those foods:
- Mashed potatoes (especially with butter and goat cheese mixed in)
- Turkey (I prefer dark meat over white meat)
- Mac and cheese (as long as it is fancier than just straight out of the box)
- Dinner rolls (heavily buttered)
- Cranberry sauce (not a huge fan)
- Stuffing or dressing (I hate it)
There you have it. I also really like green bean casserole, as long as it is covered in those crispy onion things. And, of course, no Thanksgiving dinner is complete without plenty of wine and a Hot Toddy or 2.
I can’t wait to stuff my face and watch football all day next week! Oh, and college basketball will be on, too. It’s going to be great.
Have a question for next week’s Mailbag? Tweet at us using #SDSMailbag or email me at ASpencer@SaturdayDownSouth.com.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
