NBC will use studio hosts Mike Tirico for play by play and Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison for analysis on its Thanksgiving night telecast of the Falcons game at New Orleans.They will replace the usual duo of Cris Collinsworth and Al Michaels.Tirico Youth Deion Jones Jersey , of course, is a veteran of play by play and does Notre Dame football games for the network. Dungy, a Pro Football Hall of Famer as a coach, will be working his third game in a broadcast booth. He did two December 2016 matches: Dolphins-Jets on a Saturday night, and a Christmas afternoon game between the Ravens and Steelers. Those games were produced by NBC and televised on NFL Network.It will be Harrison's debut in the booth.Michele Tafoya will continue her sideline reporter's role.The opening to "Sunday Night Football" also will change on Thanksgiving. Rather than the usual Carrie Underwood performance, New Orleans-based master chef Emeril Lagasse and voodoo rocker Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews will headline the opening.Set at Emeril's New Orleans, the special show opening will feature Lagasse setting the table by creating NFL-themed fare for a Thanksgiving feast. As dinner is being prepared, Trombone Shorty will play his distinctive brand of New Orleans street music, capped by his own rendition of the SNF theme song, backed by the New Breed Brass Band."What better place to celebrate Thanksgiving than in a city that perpetually revels in food, family, and football," Lagasse says. "We're so happy to be a part of this Thanksgiving special and bring our traditions home to you. Who Dat?!" Victor Oladipo is very good. He’s one of the five best shooting guards in the NBA, and he’s not No. 5. Oladipo was remarkable in the first half of Indiana’s matchup against Philly on Wednesday. He scored 24 of the Pacers’ 50 points, as Philly had no answer for him. He was the best player on the floor, on both ends of the floor.But the Pacers had a problem: they couldn’t count on Oladipo sustaining that kind of night for four quarters. Sure enough, the 76ers keyed in defensively and got physical over screens. After shooting 10-of-16 in the first half, Oladipo shot 4-of-14 in the second. Despite a 36-point effort from their best player, the Pacers lost to a conference rival — and they trailed by as many as 17 in the fourth quarter.The 6 Victor Oladipo stories you need to readPRADA: Oladipo’s “closing speed” makes him an NBA trendsetterFLANNERY: The lessons we must learn from Oladipo’s emergenceMADU: Oladipo and the Pacers remind us why we love sportsSOHI: Oladipo allowed the Pacers to play free. That’s why they’re thrivingCOOPER: How Oladipo finally found the right beat for his gameZILLER: Oladipo and the Pacers underscore the value of beliefOladipo is an amazing basketball player, better than anyone expected he’d be after he was traded from Oklahoma City for Paul George. But Paul Pierce said it best during ESPN’s halftime report: He might be the loneliest star in the NBA, and that’s not a good thing.The Pacers can be good, maybe even very good. They should by no means whatsoever blow anything up. This is a team that took LeBron James’ Cavaliers to Game 7 in the first round of last year’s playoffs, then improved their depth by signing Tyreke Evans Youth Grady Jarrett Jersey , Doug McDermott and Kyle O’Quinn.But Indiana won’t be great until they get Oladipo some star-level help. Their second-best player should be Myles Turner, who signed a four-year, $80 million contract extension this summer. But while he’s averaging 2.5 blocks per game, Turner’s regressed in other areas, including a career-worst 14.3-percent start from downtown.Instead, Indiana’s second man has been Domantas Sabonis — who was dealt along with Oladipo in the Paul George trade — and he comes off the bench. Oladipo and Sabonis make a solid tandem, but the Indy’s guard needs a legitimate co-star; someone who can pick up the slack when he goes cold.The Pacers have options, and there’s no rush. Oladipo’s under contract another two years after this one. He was a star at Indiana in college, he’s happy in the market, and he’s the superstar the Pacers have needed for some time. There’s no immediate pressure on Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard, because Indiana has a flexible roster and the potential for cap space this summer. They’ll be a playoff team this year, and could make a second-round appearance.But patience turns into a lack of urgency quickly in this league. The longer Indiana waits, the more it risks a repeat of the George situation, which ended slowly and in ugly fashion as George grew increasingly frustrated by moves on the margins. As Whitney Medworth wrote in 2017:That’s why the Pacers must do themselves a favor by maximizing Oladipo window. Twenty-six years old becomes 33 in the blink of an eye. Fresh starts can become mismatched parts and styles before you know it.If Pritchard were interested in finding his Batman a Robin, he could do so without too much pressure on the team’s future cap flexibility.He could inquire about Kemba WalkerWalker has been one of the more under-appreciated stars of this decade, solely because his Hornets teams have not made a playoff dent year after year. That hasn’t been his fault, because management just hasn’t put the right pieces around him.Walker has also been underpaid, now in the final year of a meager (by NBA standards) four-year, $48 million deal. He’s in line to sign a five-year, $189 million maximum contract in Charlotte, but given his age and the team’s direction, there’s a great deal of uncertainty as to whether the Hornets will give it to him.Should Charlotte want to move on, a trade that includes Cory Joseph Womens Matt Bryant Jersey , Tyreke Evans and two future lottery-protected first-round draft picks could be enough to pry Walker from Charlotte, especially if the Pacers can rope in a third team like Sacramento to take on one of the Hornets’ unfavorable contracts.It should be noted teams cannot trade newly signed free agents until Dec. 15, which means Indiana can’t involve Evans, McDermott or O’Quinn in any trades for a little over a month, even if they wanted.He could reach out about Jimmy ButlerButler wants two things: teammates who work hard and respect the game, and winners. He can get both in Indiana. Oladipo and Butler would be a two-man tandem that gives opponents nightmares. It would take some elite wings with some elite play-calling to get a bucket onthose two guys. Everything you need to know about the Jimmy Butler dramaJimmy Butler wants out of Minnesota. This is how we got here.Winners and Losers from the 76ers-Wolves blockbusterJimmy Butler’s ‘vociferous’ return to Timberwolves practice, explainedThe 7 most savage moments from Jimmy Butler’s interview with Rachel NicholsThe Timberwolves let the Jimmy Butler mess happenJimmy Butler was ruining the Timberwolves’ season, and maybe their futureInside the state of the 76ers before the Jimmy Butler tradeAnd with Butler pushing the right buttons to get the most out of his teammates, there’s no telling how far those two could go together.The problem is Tom Thibodeau reportedly wants the kitchen sink, the bathroom, the master bedroom, and the 55-inch 4K HD TV in a Butler trade, and the Timberwolves want to shed Gorgui Dieng’s remaining three years worth $48 million.Butler could also choose to leave Indiana instead of re-signing long-term. His preferred destinations were New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and potentially his home town of Houston. Indiana isn’t on that last. Do the Pacers give up meaningful contributors on one-year deals and take on an unfavorable contract for an All-Star who could leave at the end of the year?Probably not. But the thought of Butler and Oladipo on the same team is incredible.What about John Wall?The Pacers like to run, and Wall is as fast as they come. Things in Washington are not working out. How would Oladipo and Wall fare as a back court in Nate McMillan’s up-tempo offense?There’s always a but, though, and Wall’s situation is no different. Last summer, Wall signed a supermax contract extension worth $169.3 million that doesn’t even kick in until next season. Wall hasn’t been the leader the Wizards have needed him to be. Would his nonchalant demeanor follow him to Indiana, or is a change of scenery enough to light a flame under the All-Star point guard?The other thing: Because Wall has already signed his extension, trading for him virtually eliminates all cap space the Pacers would have to sign free agents next summer. That’s a big chunk of change to commit to a player who just hasn’t been able to take the next step into superstardom, for one reason or another. Indiana could also just waitThe Pacers signed both Evans and O’Quinn this summer each to one-year deals. Thaddeus Young Womens att Bosher Jersey , Darren Collison, Cory Joseph, and Bojan Bogdanovic each become free agents next summer, too. With Oladipo, Turner, Sabonis, Doug McDermott, T.J. Leaf, and Aaron Holiday as the only guaranteed contracts on the roster next summer, Indiana projects to have around $40 million in cap space to sign free agents. Barring mid-season contract extensions, Walker and Butler could each be available in free agency. So will guys like Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, DeMarcus Cousins, and Khris Middleton. The options are endless, so long as Indiana preserves its cap space. The Pacers should not burn it down — not even close. They’re a talented team that will make noise in the playoffs. It’s just becoming clear that this Indiana team needs to get its lone superstar some superstar help to get to the next level. There’s no rush, because he’s not going anywhere any time soon.But if the Pacers wait too long, they risk repeating the sad end of the George era.
