Rory McIlroy named Sports Personality of the Year to end golf’s drought

  • Masters champion is first golfer in 36 years to claim award

  • Kildunne finishes second in vote and Norris third

  • Ryder Cup side win team award and Wiegman coach prize

A full-throated “Rory roar” reverberated around MediaCity in Salford as Rory McIlroy became the first golfer in 36 years to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award – and tie a bow on a year for the ages.

It was a fitting reward for the 36-year-old, who completed a career grand slam at the Masters in April and then led Europe to a thrilling Ryder Cup victory in New York, in the teeth of unrelenting hostility from American fans. For good measure, he also won the European Order of Merit too.

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Clay Holmes happy to have ‘special pitcher’ Luke Weaver join the Mets

The Mets brought in another former Yankee on Wednesday, completing a two-year deal with reliever Luke Weaver

Weaver is the latest Bombers closer to be jumping to the other side of town.  

While other additions can be made, he’ll help bridge the gap to Devin Williams for the second consecutive season. 

Weaver will also now have the opportunity to reunite with Clay Holmes, who he set things up for in the later innings with the Yankees two seasons ago. 

The two grew close during their time together in the Bronx, and Weaver actually reached out to Holmes a few times this winter before he ultimately decided to come to Queens. 

“We exchanged some texts,” Holmes said at the Mets Holiday Party. “They had one of those zoom meetings scheduled, and then he texted me saying that he verbally agreed -- things moved fast, but I think there was a lot that he really liked.

“I’m happy to have a friend here and happy how things worked out for him.”

Things certainly worked out nicely for Weaver, as he took advantage of his opportunity after being claimed off waivers by the Yanks and turned it into a $22-million deal with the Mets. 

While he hit a rough patch after returning from a hamstring injury last season, the 32-year-old has been one of the more reliable late-inning relievers in baseball the past two years. 

He’ll look to get back to that dominant form now in Queens. 

“He’s a special pitcher,” Holmes said. “He’s got some spunk, got some character, and just really good energy to him -- Luke has had a lot of success, so I’m happy to see him rewarded for it, and happy to play with him again.”

Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium 'among strong options' as league considers moving NBA Cup finals

Before the NBA Cup finals tipped off Tuesday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was honest about the future of the event in Las Vegas during an appearance on the NBA on Prime pregame show.

"We're talking with Amazon Prime about whether it makes sense to maybe go to some unique locations for the final game. They have suggested, for example, some like storied college arenas. We're just looking at other ways we could do this."

Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium is "among strong options" under consideration to host next year's event, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.

The league's contract with T-Mobile Arena to host the Cup Finals is year-to-year, so there is no hurdle to moving the game.

However, one key challenge in moving the event to Durham and the Cameron Indoor — or to Allen Fieldhouse in Kansas, or Michigan State's Breslin Center in Lansing, or any other college setting — is that the NBA Cup title game lands just as the students that make those venues special are headed home for the holidays (or, the game falls during finals week for the students). Also, some of these arenas are much smaller than the average NBA arena; for example, Cameron Indoor Stadium has a capacity of just 9,314.

The topic of the lack of buzz in Las Vegas around the NBA Cup and the lack of energy in the building has been ongoing for a couple of years, and Amazon Prime has a big stake in making the Cup work — a large part of its massive NBA broadcast package was based around the rights to Cup games. The NBA had already announced that next year the semifinals would move to home-market arenas (for example, this year the Thunder would have hosted the Spurs and the Magic would have hosted the Knicks). While there was good energy at T-Mobile Arena for this year's Cup Finals — Knicks fans will travel, and there are Victor Wembanyama fans everywhere — Prime and the NBA are looking for something more.

In addition to college settings, there had also been speculation about moving the NBA Cup Finals to other non-NBA markets, such as Seattle, Louisville, or Columbus. But just dropping one NBA game in those cities will not necessarily bring the energy the NBA and Prime are seeking.

The NBA Cup has been a success on many fronts. The hard-core NBA fan base has embraced it. It has given more meaning to some early-season games and gotten some more casual fans talking about the NBA before Christmas. The games have motivated players (the $530,000 per player on the winning team will do that). It's worked, but Amazon and the NBA think it can be much more.

Will playing games on a college campus further that goal?

Flyers Cut Egor Zamula; Defenseman Placed on Waivers

The Philadelphia Flyers have finally made a move to clear the burgeoning logjam on defense, cutting Egor Zamula after a series of benchings and poor performances.

As officially announced by the Flyers, Zamula, 25, was placed on waivers Thursday afternoon, exposing him to the other 31 NHL teams if they wish to claim him.

Zamula has played in just 13 games for the Flyers this season, recording one point. The formerly undrafted Russian blueliner has played just two games for the Flyers since Nov. 29, having been usurped by teammate Emil Andrae and rising prospect Ty Murchison.

Now that Rasmus Ristolainen has returned from injury, the Flyers have, as evidenced by this decision, decided to keep journeyman Noah Juulsen as their No. 7 defenseman behind Andrae, Ristolainen, Nick Seeler, Jamie Drysdale, Cam York, and Travis Sanheim.

If another NHL team opts to claim Zamula by 2 p.m. Friday, the Flyers will be rid of the 6-foot-3 defenseman's $1.7 million cap hit.

This Big Flyers Trade Just Keeps Getting BetterThis Big Flyers Trade Just Keeps Getting BetterThe Flyers' decision to bring in this forward is continuing to pay off.

Should Zamula clear waivers and be assigned to the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the Flyers will save a modest $550k against the cap, but still free up a roster spot for themselves.

NBA Minutes Report: Anthony Edwards' injury, Bub Carrington's emergence, and more

Welcome to the Fantasy Basketball Minutes Report. Every week, I will review each team's updated minutes per game to see which players are seeing the court more or less than in previous weeks. With this information in hand, I'll try to discuss any relevant fantasy risers or fallers; players who we should be adding off waivers or removing from our teams.

The charts below are also great for exploring on your own. You can track the minutes over the last three, five, and ten games, and for the entire season, to see which trends stand out to you.

All of this data was made accessible by Kyle Bland, who is incredibly talented and also incredibly generous, so make sure to give him a follow to check out all of his baseball data as well.

NBA: Indiana Pacers at Philadelphia 76ers
While Joel Embiid’s return has been huge for fantasy basketball, so has Paul George’s.

Atlanta Hawks

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Dyson Daniels36.135.336.3
Jalen Johnson35.936.337.4
Onyeka Okongwu33.532.333.3
Nickeil Alexander-Walker32.232.234.6
Vít Krejčí28.426.924.5
Zaccharie Risacher22.524.325.1
Luke Kennard19.719.517.8
Kristaps Porziņģis20.521.1

Trae Young could return as early as Thursday, but we also got a report that Kristaps Porzingis would be out for at least two weeks as he battles an illness. I covered all of that in a video this week.

Boston Celtics

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Jaylen Brown3635.536.7
Derrick White34.832.633.8
Payton Pritchard34.633.232.6
Neemias Queta31.228.124.5
Jordan Walsh25.226.326.1
Anfernee Simons2422.721.6
Sam Hauser17.519.422.6

The Celtics' rotation has been pretty set for much of the year. The minutes really only shift around for some of the fringe guys, like what happened after Sam Hauser left Monday's game with an ankle injury and didn't return. If Hauser misses time, guys like Anfernee Simons could play a bit more, but not much will change in Boston.

Brooklyn Nets

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Michael Porter Jr.31.43232
Nic Claxton29.830.830.8
Noah Clowney28.230.531.6
Terance Mann24.62323.6
Danny Wolf23.124.423
Egor Dëmin22.922.825.3
Ziaire Williams20.52323.5
Ben Saraf20.219.621.3

Cam Thomas has been cleared for on-court work and could return to the lineup next week. That could shake things up, but, in the meantime, Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton are carrying much of the load for the Nets. As we mentioned last week, Brooklyn has incorporated three rookies into the rotation regularly: Danny Wolf, Ben Saraf, and Egor Dëmin. Wolf has been the best of late and has also played the most.

Charlotte Hornets

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Kon Knueppel37.835.834.7
Miles Bridges36.834.234.7
Brandon Miller34.233.131
Sion James29.626.727
Ryan Kalkbrenner25.425.325.8
KJ Simpson24.62119.5
Liam McNeeley19.519.515.4
Moussa Diabaté17.317.620.2
LaMelo Ball24.426
Collin Sexton8.623.3

LaMelo Ball is dealing with an ankle injury, and Collin Sexton is fighting a quad injury, so that has led to more minutes and usage for Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller. There is some thought that the Hornets may try to move Ball in a trade and turn the team over to Miller and Knueppel, so that's something to monitor in the weeks ahead.

Chicago Bulls

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Josh Giddey30.631.933.3
Coby White29.527.929.1
Nikola Vučević27.126.428.9
Isaac Okoro26.926.926.9
Kevin Huerter25.125.122.5
Tre Jones24.524.526.7
Matas Buzelis23.225.828.2
Patrick Williams20.121.420.5
Zach Collins1617.517.5
Ayo Dosunmu27.331.8
Jevon Carter21.914.9

Kevin Huerter and Zach Collins both returned from injuries, which has shifted around some of the playing time for the players on the fringes of the rotation. Additionally, Ayo Dosunmu has been battling a thumb injury, so we've seen consistent minutes for Tre Jones and Isaac Okoro, even with new players joining the rotation. Guys like Mataza Buzeliez and Jalen Smith have seen the biggest hit in minutes.

Cleveland Cavaliers

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Evan Mobley36.234.633.8
Donovan Mitchell35.234.935.1
Darius Garland3534.232.9
Jaylon Tyson3333.231.9
De'Andre Hunter27.127.128
Dean Wade25.424.922.8
Jarrett Allen25.225.226.2
Lonzo Ball24.52424.4
Thomas Bryant13.313.612.4

This Cavaliers team is in dire straits. They just lost to the Bulls on Wednesday night and will be without starting center Evan Mobley for the next 2-4 weeks as he recovers from a calf strain.I covered who could see the biggest bumps in playing time here, but we also saw Jaylon Tyson move into the starting lineup with De'Andre Hunter moving to the bench on Wednesday. Tyson has been really good when given the shot, so that could stick; however, the Cavs also lost that game, so it remains to be seen how long they keep that lineup.

Dallas Mavericks

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Cooper Flagg37.334.534.7
P.J. Washington33.433.433.6
Naji Marshall32.231.830.4
Anthony Davis31.528.829.4
Max Christie2827.826.8
Ryan Nembhard27.428.126.2
Brandon Williams24.821.822.5
Klay Thompson20.721.422.5
Dwight Powell18.915.714.2
D'Angelo Russell12.914.614.3

Last week, we discussed that Dereck Lively II will be out for the remainder of the season after undergoing foot surgery. Daniel Gafford is still working his way back from an injury, so his minutes are a bit limited right now, but we’re seeing Cooper Flagg emerge as a legit star in the NBA. The Mavericks also have seemed to settle on Ryan Nembhard as their starting point guard, but D'Angelo Russell is also battling an illness, which has limited his minutes.

Denver Nuggets

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Cameron Johnson38.136.536.5
Nikola Jokić35.435.435.2
Jamal Murray34.835.735.2
Tim Hardaway Jr.30.529.228.6
Spencer Jones29.125.625.6
Bruce Brown24.426.325.3
Jalen Pickett20.514.211
Peyton Watson19.724.828.7
Jonas Valančiūnas15.313.813.3

The Nuggets were already without Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun, but Peyton Watson is now dealing with an oblique injury as well. That has led to more minutes for Cameron Johnson and Tim Hadaway Jr., and some time in the rotation for Jalen Pickett when the Nuggets are forced to go smaller. Regardless, this team still runs through Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray fairly exclusively and will remain that way until Gordon comes back.

Detroit Pistons

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Cade Cunningham30.232.435.1
Jalen Duren28.727.829.2
Tobias Harris26.428.328.1
Ausar Thompson23.824.426.1
Duncan Robinson23.626.229.4
Isaiah Stewart2321.621.6
Caris LeVert21.220.622
Ronald Holland II19.11917
Jaden Ivey18.416.814.9

Things have remained pretty status quo for the Pistons over the last two weeks since they've gotten back to full strength. You could maybe argue that their rotation is too deep, but I don't see that changing unless there's an injury or a trade.

Golden State Warriors

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Stephen Curry33.833.832.6
Jimmy Butler III33.533.531
Draymond Green29.919.628
Brandin Podziemski28.12526.2
Quinten Post26.227.223.7
Will Richard24.221.721.1
Moses Moody21.821.623.8
Pat Spencer20.723.119.1
Buddy Hield19.321.920.8

The Warriors got back both Steph Curry and Draymond Green this week, which shifted some things around. Then, on Tuesday, head coach Steve Kerr announced a change in the starting lineup that he claimed he would commit to exploring over the next couple of weeks. We'll need to see how that plays out and how long this lineup sticks before we truly know who sees any uptick in value.

Houston Rockets

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Jabari Smith Jr.40.436.735.4
Amen Thompson39.337.337.3
Alperen Sengun39.336.135
Kevin Durant37.435.235.2
Reed Sheppard25.925.328.2
Josh Okogie242320.8
Aaron Holiday18.120.122.3
Jae'Sean Tate17.313.512.5
Steven Adams16.720.319.7

Steven Adams is back but has been fighting an ankle issue, which is why his minutes are down a bit. The rest of the lineup has remained relatively consistent, but Jabari Smith Jr. has seen an uptick in playing time as a result of strong performance. He's been a top-75 fantasy player over the last two weeks, which has fueled some of that added time. Reed Sheppard has seen his usage and his playing time decrease over the last few weeks.

Indiana Pacers

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Andrew Nembhard32.631.832.8
Pascal Siakam32.432.432.2
Bennedict Mathurin32.232.631.9
Ethan Thompson28.124.421.5
Jay Huff27.92624.9
Garrison Mathews19.818.815.5
Jarace Walker19.617.921.6
Isaiah Jackson17.217.318.6
T.J. McConnell16.115.717.5

This Pacers rotation is deep, but the production is really concentrated around four players. All of Andrew Nembhard, Pascal Siakam, Bennedict Mathurin, and Jay Huff have been top 100 players in fantasy basketball over the last two weeks, but nobody else is inside the top 200. We know this is a bit of a rebuilding year for the Pacers, so the fringes of the rotation may change throughout the year.

NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers
The Pacers, Lakers and Thunder are among the teams with lengthy injury reports at the halfway point of Week 2.

Los Angeles Clippers

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
James Harden36.936.634.9
Kawhi Leonard36.335.832.1
Ivica Zubac35.434.835.1
Kris Dunn29.62627.3
John Collins26.427.229.4
Kobe Brown25.419.816.8
Nicolas Batum22.62423.9
Bogdan Bogdanović222222
Jordan Miller21.921.913.7

Bogdan Bogdanović has now been back for over a week and has settled into a full-time role in the rotation, but this remains a three-man team with the top three guys on this list. There's not much excitement coming from the Clippers this season.

Los Angeles Lakers

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Austin Reaves39.538.338
Luka Dončić39.439.437.9
LeBron James35.635.734.3
Rui Hachimura32.632.431.5
Marcus Smart29.929.924.3
Deandre Ayton29.129.327.9
Gabe Vincent17.521.321.3
Jake LaRavia15.719.218.1

DeAndre Ayton is battling an elbow injury, but the Lakers have been relativelty healthy and kept a consistent rotation over the last few weeks. Marcus Smart is the one big change, with him moving into a larger role, which makes some sense since he's far and away the best on-ball defender on the team. Smart has been a top 100 player in fantasy leagues over the last two weeks, so he's certainly somebody that we can consider while his role remains increased.

Memphis Grizzlies

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Santi Aldama33.630.727.9
Jaylen Wells31.229.329.8
Jaren Jackson Jr.30.929.430.3
Jock Landale28.224.421.9
Cam Spencer27.72925.7
Cedric Coward26.626.628.2
Ja Morant23.123.123.1
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope2322.420.5
Vince Williams Jr.19.618.923
Brandon Clarke16.616.616.6

The big news is that Zach Edey is injured again, which my colleague Noah Rubin discussed earlier this week. Ja Morant was also on crutches at the shootaround the other day, so he may still be battling that ankle injury and could miss a few more games. On the other hand, the Grizzlies got Brandon Clarke back on Wednesday for the first game of the season. He should see an uptick in minutes as he gets his timing and rhythm back. Meanwhile, Jaren Jackson Jr. has been on fire lately, which I discussed in a video this week.

Miami Heat

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Davion Mitchell34.631.831.3
Tyler Herro34.533.831.8
Norman Powell31.531.731.3
Andrew Wiggins31.332.232.6
Bam Adebayo3132.231.6
Jaime Jaquez Jr.29.928.927.5
Kel'el Ware20.521.723.3
Simone Fontecchio19.819.318.2

Tyler Herro is battling a toe injury but isn't expected to be out long. Nikola Jokic is week-to-week with an elbow injury, but we've seen Kel'el Ware's minutes decrease a bit with Bam Adebayo back and the rest of the frontcourt pretty healthy. With Herro missing three of the last four games, Jaime Jaquez Jr. has stepped back into a larger role and been a top 100 player over the last two weeks. He's a name to watch whenever a Miami player misses time.

Milwaukee Bucks

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Kevin Porter Jr.32.73432.2
Kyle Kuzma29.127.426.4
Gary Trent Jr.28.426.127.8
Myles Turner25.824.126.3
Jericho Sims23.726.222.2
Ryan Rollins23.728.931.8
Bobby Portis21.123.322
Gary Harris17.518.418.1

With Giannis Antetokounmpo out, this has kind of become Kevin Porter Jr's offense, and he's been the 9th-ranked player in fantasy over the last two weeks. He should be 100% rostered. Ryan Rollins has also continued to produce with Giannis out, and Myles Turner has re-taken his minutes from Bobby Portis Jr.

Minnesota Timberwolves

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Jaden McDaniels36.537.334.3
Donte DiVincenzo35.431.632.3
Julius Randle35.335.234.6
Naz Reid31.730.630
Rudy Gobert30.228.929.3
Bones Hyland24.822.618.3
Terrence Shannon Jr.18.212.612.7
Anthony Edwards37.638.2
Mike Conley16.615.8

Anthony Edwards has now missed three straight games with a foot injury, so we'll need to see how long his absence lasts. Bones Hyland has seen an uptick in minutes, but the impact has mostly been that Naz Reid has seen more usage and been a top-80 player in fantasy leagues. The rest of the usage has been picked up by the usual suspects like Jaden McDaniels, Donte DiVincenzo, and Julius Randle.

New Orleans Pelicans

Trey Murphy III34.234.335.8
Derik Queen30.829.527
Saddiq Bey30.131.433.6
Zion Williamson26.626.629.8
Jordan Poole26.526.526.5
Jeremiah Fears24.628.128.8
Jose Alvarado23.924.826.7
Bryce McGowens22.625.224.3
Herbert Jones202020

Zion Williamson, Jordan Poole, and Herbert Jones are both back, which has changed around the minutes a little bit. Zion has only played in one game and played 27 minutes, so we'll need to see how that usage and minutes share grow as he gets back onto the court more. Perhaps New Orleans will be more cautious with him, given his extensive injury history. Saddiq Bey has also seen his usage take a big hit, which makes him no longer relevant in fantasy leagues.

New York Knicks

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Jalen Brunson38.536.636.2
Mikal Bridges37.633.734
OG Anunoby34.631.631.6
Karl-Anthony Towns3432.432.7
Josh Hart33.733.134.8
Miles McBride21.325.731.3
Mitchell Robinson19.318.517.9
Jordan Clarkson18.821.620.8

The Knicks have moved Josh Hart back into the starting lineup, and Miles McBride has been out with an ankle injury, which has shifted around some of the bench minutes and led to an uptick in usage for Tyler Kolek. OG Anunoby has been tremendous for the Knicks this year, which Noah covered this week.

Oklahoma City Thunder

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander31.731.932.9
Jalen Williams26.827.528.7
Chet Holmgren25.926.227.4
Ajay Mitchell23.925.423.2
Cason Wallace23.624.426.1
Luguentz Dort21.621.625
Kenrich Williams20.819.716
Isaiah Hartenstein20.220.223.6

Isaiah Hartenstein came back from his calf injury this week, so we actually saw the full Thunder roster for the first time all season. It remains to be seen how Hartenstein's minutes increase after he plays a few more games. It's been just one game so far and Hartenstein is out for the next game as the team manages his calf injury, so it may take a couple of weeks before we truly see how the minutes are split up.

Orlando Magic

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Desmond Bane36.435.934.3
Anthony Black33.73231
Wendell Carter Jr.33.231.229.1
Jalen Suggs30.729.628.8
Paolo Banchero30.62828
Tristan da Silva19.221.621.9
Tyus Jones15.71416.4
Goga Bitadze14.116.417

Franz Wagner got hurt last week, and then Jalen Suggs may not be set to miss an extended period of time with a hip injury.I covered that all in a video this week, with Anthony Black seeing the biggest bump in usage and minutes.

Philadelphia 76ers

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Tyrese Maxey38.838.438.3
VJ Edgecombe38.632.829.9
Quentin Grimes35.634.736.1
Paul George32.932.227
Joel Embiid30.829.429.5
Dominick Barlow28.428.428.3
Andre Drummond17.918.718.8
Jared McCain14.817.722.2

The 76ers have been relatively healthy for the couple of weeks, and are getting both Paul George and Joel Embiid in the lineup more regularly. That has led to far less work for Jared McCain and a usage dip for VJ Edgecombe, who is not producing at near the levels he did at the start of the season. Still, Edgecombe, George, Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Quentin Grimes have all been top 100 players for the last two weeks.

Phoenix Suns

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Collin Gillespie31.831.631.4
Devin Booker31.420.632.8
Grayson Allen29.928.928.3
Royce O'Neale27.827.129.2
Dillon Brooks27.229.131.3
Mark Williams25.523.724.7
Jordan Goodwin2121.923.4
Ryan Dunn19.219.319.3

Devin Booker returned, which led to a dip in minutes for Dillon Brooks, Ryan Dunn, and Jordan Goodwin. Booker has only been back for one game, so we'll need a bit of a bigger sample size before we can react for sure.

Portland Trail Blazers

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Jerami Grant32.532.931.9
Deni Avdija31.733.933.9
Shaedon Sharpe28.930.828.4
Toumani Camara28.729.130.8
Sidy Cissoko2826.424.8
Kris Murray25.926.327.7
Donovan Clingan21.923.523.6
Yang Hansen19.212.28.4
Robert Williams III19.224.720.1

Jrue Holiday remains out, and Scoot Henderson will be out til the end of December, so we are seeing how the Portland rotation settles without them. Robert Williams III had entered the rotation, but he's playing a smaller allotment of minutes and seems to be sharing time with Donovan Clingan. Deni Avdija remains a legit star and a should-be All-Star, and Jerami Grant has been a top-50 player over the last two weeks. They and Shaedon Sharpe are carrying this team from a production level.

Sacramento Kings

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Keegan Murray34.634.737.4
DeMar DeRozan32.131.732.9
Russell Westbrook31.73129.7
Maxime Raynaud28.828.721.9
Zach LaVine26.827.931.7
Dennis Schröder25.125.122.6
Keon Ellis23.218.914.7
Malik Monk2222.624.2
Devin Carter21.121.121.1
Precious Achiuwa19.118.521.8

Dennis Schröder returned from injury, and now Zach LaVine will miss at least a week with an ankle injury. It's been nice to see Keon Ellis get an uptick in playing time, and you'd like to think that would continue. Expect Schröder to take most of LaVine's minutes, with the rest of the rotation remaining pretty static.

San Antonio Spurs

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
De'Aaron Fox32.832.132.4
Harrison Barnes31.631.232.2
Devin Vassell30.130.331.1
Julian Champagnie28.129.430.6
Stephon Castle27.827.827.8
Luke Kornet27.727.927.4
Dylan Harper23.723.320.9
Victor Wembanyama20.620.620.6
Keldon Johnson17.620.522.7

For the first time this season, we saw the Spurs fully healthy with all three guards and Victor Wembanyama back in the lineup. Wemby has been on a bit of a minutes restriction, so we've yet to see them truly at full strength, but we'd imagine there will be less time for Julian Champagnie and less usage for players like Devin Vassell. I covered the Spurs rotation in a video last week.

Toronto Raptors

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Brandon Ingram37.235.335.9
Scottie Barnes35.734.935.9
Immanuel Quickley32.932.133.6
Jamal Shead26.424.422.6
Jakob Poeltl26.325.427.3
Ochai Agbaji23.223.216.3
Sandro Mamukelashvili18.921.821.2
Ja'Kobe Walter14.318.521.6

Brandon Ingram has been on a heater of late, which I covered in a video last weekwhere I also discussed the impact of RJ Barrett's knee injury and the increase in playing time for guys like Jamal Shead. The fringe rotation guys here aren't really doing enough in their minutes to warrant much fantasy attention.

Utah Jazz

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Lauri Markkanen37.734.134.6
Keyonte George34.232.433
Kyle Filipowski30.830.727
Ace Bailey29.329.428.5
Svi Mykhailiuk28.525.224.8
Jusuf Nurkić23.722.324.1
Taylor Hendricks21.616.712.7
Isaiah Collier20.419.919.6
Kevin Love18.217.616.5

The Jazz seem to be resting Jusuf Nurkić after he came back from his rib injury, and Lauri Markkanen missed some time with "groin injury management," which has led to a few more minutes for Kyle Filipowski. This is a team that is clearly tanking, so those guys will be impactful when they play, and Keyonte George has been one of the biggest surprises of the early season. Apart from that, there's not much exciting happening here.

Washington Wizards

NameLast 3Last 5Last 10
Bub Carrington38.333.427.8
CJ McCollum35.632.231.6
Kyshawn George32.83231.4
Marvin Bagley III28.227.327.6
Justin Champagnie27.724.421.1
Will Riley21.623.515.8
Jamir Watkins19.919.615
Tristan Vukcevic19.318.217.4
Tre Johnson16.216.217.3

Bilal Coulibaly is out until January with an oblique injury, Alex Sarr has been battling a thigh injury, and Khris Middleton continues to deal with a knee issue, so this team is really banged up. That has led to lots of minutes for other players, and Bub Carrington has really stepped up of late. The 2024 first-round pick is a top-90 player in fantasy leagues over the last two weeks, and his emergence would be a nice development for this team.

Blackhawks Vs Canadiens: Projected Lineup, How To Watch, & More Ahead Of Game 34

The Chicago Blackhawks are going to take on the Montreal Canadiens in game number 34 of the season on Thursday night at Bell Centre. 

This is the second of two meetings between these two Original Six rivals. The first was Chicago's home opener back on October 11th. The Canadiens won that game 3-2. 

Scouting Montreal

The Montreal Canadiens are 17-12-4. Things have slipped a bit for them since their impressive start, but they are still in the mix for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. If the season ended today, they would not make it. However, a win over Chicago could put them above the line for the time being. 

Jakub Dobes will start in goal for the Montreal Canadiens. In front of him, the team is expected to line up like this: 

Caufield - Suzuki - Bolduc

Slafkovsky - Kapanen - Demidov

Texier -Beck - Anderson

Veleno -Evans - Gallagher

Hutson - Carrier

Struble - Dobson

Xhekaj - Engstrom

Dobes

There are some great forwards on this team, even without former Blackhawk Kirby Dach available. Nick Suzuki is a top-20 NHL center, while Cole Caufield is one of the best pure goal scorers around. 

Ivan Demidov, who Blackhawks fans who followed the draft in 2024 know well, is also a difference maker and a threat to score on every shift he takes. This group up front has some depth to it. 

On defense, Lane Hutson is the guy that everything runs through offensively. Noah Dobson is also a difference-making, highly paid player who impacts games. All around, this is a team that could break out at any time because they have so much talent and a solid coach in Marty St. Louis. 

Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago

The Chicago Blackhawks are without Connor Bedard, who won't be back until after the first of the year. He is on the trip with the team, but it's strictly for the camaraderie with his younger teammates.

If it were up to Bedard, he'd already be back, but the Hawks are being cautious with their superstar. Without him, expect a lineup that looks something like this:

Bertuzzi - Nazar - Burakovsky

Moore - Greene - Lardis

Teravainen - Dickinson - Mikheyev

Dach - Toninato - Donato

Vlasic - Crevier

Grzelcyk - Levshunov

Kaiser - Murphy

Knight

This will be another start for Spencer Knight, who had a terrible fate in their last game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Knight and the Hawks looked like they were going to pick up a huge win, but the Leafs scored three unanswered goals in the final ten minutes to pull out with a win. 

In Bedard's spot on the top line, Frank Nazar will play center. Tyler Bertuzzi and Andre Burakovsky are good wingers for Nazar, who is looking to break a long goal drought. He's playing the right way, but the bounces haven't gone his way in a while. If he sticks to his process, the offense will soon return. 

Dominic Toninato and Nick Lardis are expected to play again. Lardis has fit in well through his first two NHL games after a dominating start to the year with the Rockford IceHogs. Now that he's got the nerves of his first game in the NHL and first game in front of his hometown friends and family out of the way, he can just play hockey. It won't be long before his offense arrives. 

Levshunov will return to the NHL lineup after being scratched against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. The 2024 second overall pick missed the game due to being late for practice. He has been one of the best skaters on this team for a while now, so getting him back is a nice boost. 

Original Six

When this game is over, the Blackhawks will have played against four of the five other Original Six teams in a span of 9 days. They are just 1-2 (win vs New York Rangers, losses to Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs) so far, so they'd prefer to even it up with a win here in Montreal.

After this, they won't see another Original Six rival until January 17th when the Boston Bruins visit the United Center. 

How To Watch

The game can be heard on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game, it can be found locally on CHSN. It can be streamed nationally on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 6:00 PM CT. 

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Mike Brown's trust in Knicks bench, plus experimentation paying dividends

When the Knicks hired Mike Brown as head coach this offseason, it was in part to address specific failings from previous seasons. Two in particular were the underutilization of the bench and the lack of experimentation during the regular season.

If you wanted to grade Brown on the job he’s doing, the only metric that will satisfy Knicks fans is whether he wins a championship or not. In the meantime, he’s managed to help secure the city an NBA Cup title, relying on the very things the Knicks had been ignoring before he took over. 

Taking on Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs coming off a victory over the streaking Oklahoma City Thunder would be no easy task. The Knicks found themselves trailing for most of the first three quarters, until Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson turned things around.

The two bench guards closed the third quarter strong, and Brown rode them through the final period, even playing them alongside Jalen Brunson. New York would win the fourth quarter 35-19 to take home the Cup, as Clarkson finished with 15 points while Kolek chipped in 14 points, five rebounds and five assists. 

Brown made a clever in-game adjustment, but Tom Thibodeau had made many of those, so what’s the big deal? It’s that these looks weren’t thrown out there with no prior experience as a desperate last measure, rather they had a foundation of being tried and developed during the season.

Going to the three-guard lineup of Brunson-Kolek-Clarkson was something Brown could do after playing that group together in three games prior and seeing Miles McBride-Kolek-Clarkson over nearly 10 games. For comparison, Thibodeau made a similar adjustment in last year’s playoffs, with a McBride-Landry Shamet-Delon Wright bench unit winning key minutes in the Conference Finals, yet only appeared for 10 minutes in the regular season. 

This was just the primary example. Brown threw out multiple defensive schemes and lineup combinations to keep the Spurs on their toes, backed by trying them out in previous games.  

Not only did Brown have his team ready to play in unique circumstances, but he had end-of-bench players ready to go in the biggest game of their lives. Kolek spent most of his rookie season riding pine, save for the brief garbage time or Westchester appearance. 

This year, Kolek got a fair crack at the rotation to start the season, then another when Shamet went down due to injury. That trust didn’t immediately pay off, but it did in spades on Tuesday night. 

Brown has displayed a level of trust in his depth not seen in previous seasons, both leading up to and during the championship game. That he rode Kolek and Clarkson deep into the fourth quarter when other coaches would have returned their starters was another welcome sign. 

This philosophy won’t always look pretty. Fans were polishing their pitchforks when the team opened 2-3, seemed to be throwing things at the wall, and couldn’t get anything from their bench. 

Slowly Brown’s vision is coming to fruition, with other examples of smaller payoffs before the Cup. Shamet became a viable rotation piece and lit up the Heat to win a group play game, Kolek stepped up when he got hurt, and the offense is beginning to buzz behind some winning lineups. 

What will building off this foundation look like in April and May? It’s a tantalizing thought, with increased glimpses of Mohamed Diawara, Karl-Anthony Towns-Mitchell Robinson lineups, and OG Anunoby breakout scoring nights pointing toward what we might see going forward.

It may not be the title fans ultimately crave, but the Knicks accomplished something in Las Vegas and did it in large part thanks to the vision of the team Brown is trying to build. It’s not the end goal, but it’s a real sign of positive development in pursuit of an NBA championship. 

Mets' Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat tuning out trade rumors, looking to build on debut seasons

The Mets hosted their annual Kids Holiday Party at Citi Field on Thursday, with Clay Holmes, Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, and Jonah Tong all in attendance. 

And while the focus of the day was to spread some holiday cheer to some local children, it also provided a chance for the players to weigh in on the offseason, particularly as it relates to trade rumors. 

While McLean is widely considered untouchable in any trade talks, both Sproat and Tong have had their names floated around in many a trade rumor, but the pair of top prospects both said they aren’t focused on any of the outside noise.

“I really don’t look at it, if I’m being honest,” said Sproat, who made four starts at the big-league level last season while pitching to a 4.79 ERA.

“I love being a Met. It’s truly one of the coolest things I’ve ever done in my entire life,” Tong told SNY. “I also understand that it’s a business, so honestly [I] don’t look at anything, and my focus is to get down to spring training every season, and I’m really excited for next year.”

While Tong’s minor league numbers in 2025 were staggering (1.43 ERA with 179 strikeouts in 113.2 innings), his brief appearance in the majors was largely uneven. The right-hander pitched to a 7.71 ERA and averaged less than 4.0 innings per start.

And despite being mentioned in just about every theoretical Mets trade, the 22-year-old is locked in on continuing his improvement as a player.

“Same focus: one foot in front of the other. I’m not too worried about results, and just more worried about the process,” Tong said. “When I’ve done that in the past, everything else has taken care of itself, and honestly, I’ve had a lot of fun doing it. So, I think doing that with the group of guys that we have is going to be really exciting.”

New York Mets starting pitcher Brandon Sproat (40) prepares to pitch in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park
New York Mets starting pitcher Brandon Sproat (40) prepares to pitch in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park / Katie Stratman - Imagn Images

Sproat is taking a similar approach to his offseason as well, learning from his time in the majors as he heads into the 2026 season with a legitimate chance to break camp in the major league rotation.

“Obviously, I was super blessed to be able to debut last year. It’s been my lifelong dream,” Sproat said. “Just going out there and soaking it all in, and then just taking cues away from it and going into the offseason and working on those. There’s always something that you can work on, whether it’s the mental side or the physicality, pitches. I think there’s always something that you can take away from it.”

McLean, Tong, and Sproat are Joe DeMayo’s first, fourth, and fifth-ranked prospects in the Mets’ system, respectively, so it’s easy to see why they’re so coveted by other teams.

But if the Mets decide to hold on to the talented trio, they could become the foundation of the rotation for years to come.

“Even though we’re young,” Sproat said, “I think we bring a lot to the table.”

Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns named to 2025 NBA Cup All-Tournament team

The Knicks’ one-two punch of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns has been spectacular this season, and on Thursday, the pair were both named to the NBA Cup All-Tournament team. 

New York’s duo joins LA's Luka Dončic, San Antonio's De'Aaron Fox, and OKC's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The All-Tournament Team was selected by a media panel of 20 voters.

OG Anunoby received seven votes as well, but ultimately well three short of the final spot.  

Brunson was also named the tournament MVP following Tuesday night’s championship victory over the Spurs. 

The captain averaged 33.5 points, 6.5 assists, and shot 55 percent from the field. 

Towns was slowed down by an injury during the championship matchup, but still put together a strong showing. 

He averaged 21.1 points and 10.9 rebounds, and had a double-double in six of New York’s seven tournament games. 

Mets’ Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes on joining Team USA for 2026 World Baseball Classic: 'It was an easy yes'

Nolan McLean took the league by storm during his rookie campaign. 

With just eight big-league games under his belt, though, the youngster was surprised to receive the call to join Team USA for the upcoming World Baseball Classic

Once he did, though, the decision was a no-brainer. 

"They called me up and I was passionate about it from the start," McLean told SNY's Michelle Margaux. "I wasn't really expecting to get that nod that early in my career, but it was something I couldn't turn down."

McLean was spectacular for the Mets after cruising his way through the minors. 

He pitched to a 2.06 ERA and 1.04 WHIP while striking out 57 batters over 48.0 innings, which was good enough for him to finish 11th in National League Rookie of the Year voting.

The 23-year-old is expected to be leaned on heavily again during his first full season. 

While much can change over the next few months, McLean is currently the meat on the top of the bone for a Mets rotation that struggled mightily during the second-half last season. 

No matter what additions they make, he is expected to remain one of their top arms.

"I mean I know it's cliche, but pressure is a privilege," he said. "Just to be able to go out there and compete on the highest level, in front of an awesome fanbase, it just means the world to me."

Before that though, he will team up with some of the best arms in the game, including potential Mets trade targets Tarik Skubal, Joe Ryan, and closer Mason Miller.  

Mets right-hander Clay Holmes will also be part of the roster, coming off a strong season transitioning to a starter.

He happily accepted after having discussions with Team USA pitching coach Andy Pettitte

"It's something I've always wanted to do," Holmes told Margaux. "When I saw that some of the build-up and workload stuff would be similar, it was an easy yes. I'm super excited to put the red, white, and blue on and compete with those guys." 

(12-18-25) Rangers-Blues Gameday Lineup

ST. LOUIS – It’s been a week since Jordan Binnington has seen the net for the St. Louis Blues.

Binnington was last in action against the Nashville Predators and received the mercy pull in a 7-2 loss, in which he allowed six goals on 25 shots in a poor effort by those playing in front of him.

Joel Hofer has started the past three games, including a 1-0 shutout win of the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, but it will be Binnington back between the pipes when the Blues (13-15-7) host the New York Rangers (16-15-4) on Thursday in the second of back to back games at 7 p.m. (FDSNMW, ESPN 101.1-FM).

“The team needed a reset, first of all,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “He’s been the negative benefit of our poor play. When we’ve really played poorly, it’s been in front of ‘Binner’ in these last two weeks. I think it’s given him the opportunity to work and to prepare and to get back the right mindset that makes him an elite goaltender in this league along with coach (David) Alexander.”

- - -

The Blues will make a couple skater changes for the game Thursday, including inserting Matt Luff in at forward for Robby Fabbri, and Tyler Tucker will go in for Matthew Kessel.

For Fabbri, he started off the season with an assist in each of his two games but on Wednesday, played in just two shifts in the third period with Alexey Toropchenko taking Fabbri’s spot on the top line and double-shifting protecting a one-goal lead.

“I think that he got here, his first two games were excellent,” Montgomery said of Fabbri. “I think his last two games, and I spoke to him about this, a little less juice in his legs, not being as impactful. And on a back to back, it’s a lot. He wasn’t in a training camp, he’s not in the same hockey shape as everybody else is. It’s just an opportunity, and Luff’s been really good for us. We’re playing a bigger, heavier team tonight on a back to back, a team that’s fresh, so we’ll just get a fresh body in. It really wasn’t a negative of anything of his play. He’ll be back in the lineup soon.”

Toropchenko will start on that top line with Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich. As for how the game progresses, it will be determined if he stays there.

“He’s smart enough to play with anyone,” Montgomery said of Toropchenko, normally a fourth-line winger. “It’s not ideal that he’s in that situation, but we’re playing with a lead (Wednesday). He brings north hockey to playing with 18 and 89, who like to play east-west because they have the creativity and the ability and skill level to do it, and he allows them to be a little bit simpler and the way he reloads and the way he back-checks, his habits, his sticks, creating turnovers in the offensive zone, we just thought it would allow us to close out that game a little bit better, and he’s going to start there tonight.”

Tucker, who sat out Wednesday not necessarily as a healthy scratch but he was banged up from Monday’s loss to the Predators, is an insertion into the lineup to provide beef against a bigger lineup.

“Tucker was a little sore yesterday from the slew-foot that he received at the end of the game in the third period (Monday),” Montgomery said. “It’s just with a back to back, we weren’t going to play Tucker with him being sore. It wasn’t so much of a matchup as it was we’re in a back to back, we’re in the middle of a three in four. Kessel’s been really good for us, his numbers suggest that, we have a lot of confidence in him, but now we’re on a back to back, so we’re going to go back to Tucker. It’s that simple.”

- - -

Montgomery was asked about Otto Stenberg, a first-round pick (No. 25) in the 2023 NHL Draft, and his successful debut in the NHL on Wednesday, playing 13:38. Here is an interesting take on Stenberg’s awareness and ability to read a game by Montgomery.

“He’s a first-round pick not because of his stature, it’s because of his brain, his instincts and his ability to make plays at both ends of the ice,” Montgomery said. “As a coach, you see the things that make a guy very effective right away, stick positioning, angling, little things, always being on the right side of the puck.

“There was a play yesterday in the third period that a defenseman was in, taking a shot off the rush, I believe it was (Philip) Broberg, and he was the last forward back. And the puck went into the corner to where he could have dove at it. He didn’t go because he read numbers. Most young players would dive in and the other team would have a 2-on-1 off his back. As a coach, it’s a confidence-builder as a coach when you see a player read numbers that quickly because the game of hockey, especially when you come to play your first game in the NHL, things happen faster than you’ve ever seen before and he read that instantly. And they got nothing. We actually reloaded above, they turned it over by the red line.”

- - -

Injured players Jordan Kyrou (lower body), Jimmy Snuggerud (wrist) and Nathan Walker (upper body) were on the ice Thursday morning working prior to an optional morning skate.

None will play Thursday, but that’s some encouraging signs that they are on the mend.

“It’s always good when you see guys getting closer,” Montgomery said. “What’s not good is when you win a game, the fist pump line of guys not dressed is about eight long, that’s when you’re like, ‘Holy Jesus, we do have a lot of injuries.’”

Dylan Holloway (high ankle sprain) and Nick Bjugstad (upper body) were not skating.

- - -

The Blues, after wearing their old home uniforms that are now their third jerseys on Wednesday, will don the road whites at home for the first and only time on Thursday, so fans will get to see firsthand -- unless you've seen them on the road -- those sweaters.

- - -

Blues Projected Lineup:

Alexey Toropchenko-Robert Thomas-Pavel Buchnevich

Jake Neighbours-Brayden Schenn-Otto Stenberg

Pius Suter-Dalibor Dvorsky-Jonatan Berggren

Mathieu Joseph-Oskar Sundqvist-Matt Luff

Philip Broberg-Colton Parayko

Tyler Tucker-Justin Faulk

Cam Fowler-Logan Mailloux

Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Joel Hofer will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Robby Fabbri and Matthew Kessel. Jordan Kyrou (lower body), Jimmy Snuggerud (wrist), Dylan Holloway (high ankle sprain), Nathan Walker (upper body) and Nick Bjugstad (upper body) are out.

- - -

Rangers Projected Lineup:

Will Cuylle-Vincent Trocheck-J.T. Miller

Artemi Panarin-Mika Zibanejad-Alexis Lafreniere

Conor Sheary-Noah Laba-Taylor Raddysh

Gabe Perreault-Sam Carrick-Matt Rempe

Vladislav Gavrikov-Braden Schneider

Carson Soucy-Will Borgen

Matthew Robertson-Scott Morrow

Igor Shesterkin will start in goal; Jonathan Quick will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Jonny Brodzinski and Scott Morrow. Adam Fox (upper body) and Adam Edstrom (lower body) are out.

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