NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Greg Bird #33 of the New York Yankees hits a solo homerun during the seventh inning against the Cleveland Indians in game three of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 8, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the most part, many Yankee fans think of the Baby Bombers era as starting in August 2016, as that is the month when Aaron Judge hit a home run in his first Major League plate appearance and Gary Sánchez unleashed the Kraken en route to a runner-up finish in the Rookie of the Year vote despite playing only 53 games. And yet, in truth, the first two prospects of the era had reached the Bronx the previous year, as Luis Severino and today’s birthday boy, Greg Bird, made a splash and helped lead the Yankees to the 2015 Wild Card Game — their first postseason appearance in three years.
Gregory Paul Bird Born: November 9, 1992 (Memphis, Tennessee) Yankees Tenure: 2015, 2017-2019
Born in Tennessee and raised in Colorado, Bird made a name for himself as a catcher at Grandview High School in Aurora, Colorado, where he was named the Colorado Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year for his performance as a senior. From there, he committed to the University of Arkansas; before he ever made it to campus, he was drafted by the New York Yankees in the fifth round of the 2011 draft.
Bird made his professional debut with a brief cameo with the Gulf Coast League Yankees in 2011, before embarking on his first full season with the Short-A Staten Island Yankees. After he was limited to just 28 games due to a back injury, the Yankees moved Bird out from behind the plate, in an effort to both keep him healthy and ensure that his bat remained in the lineup on a more consistent basis. That decision paid off in a big way in 2013: not only did he post a .288/.428/.511 slash line with 20 homers with the Low-A Charleston Riverdogs, but he caught the eye of Alex Rodriguez when the latter was on a rehab assignment.
On the back of his 2013 performance, Bird climbed up prospect rankings, starting the 2014 season as the seventh-ranked prospect in the Yankees organization. Although he missed time with back injuries, he continued his success in 2014, and then went on to be named MVP of the Arizona Fall League. That winter, he hit his apex as a prospect, as Keith Law — then with ESPN, now with The Athletic — named him the 80th overall prospect in all of baseball.
Bird continued his rapid ascent in 2015, conquering Double-A and Triple-A before getting the call to The Show in the middle of August. Taking advantage of playing time afforded to him by an injury to Mark Teixeira, he seized the first base job and ran with it, posting a .261/.343./.529 line (good for a 135 OPS+) with 11 home runs in just 46 games. As the offseason began, it was clear that the Greg Bird era had begun.
Unfortunately, the Greg Bird Era didn’t even make it to spring training. Right before pitchers and catchers reported in February 2016, the Yankees announced that their young first baseman had undergone season-ending shoulder surgery — the first domino to fall in what would become a disastrous season for the Yankees.
The Yankees entered the 2017 season with the lowest expectation in years, as the team committed to giving playing time to the top prospects. Thanks to his 2015 performance and his strong spring training, Bird began the season as the Yankees’ three-hole hitter on Opening Day, sandwiched between 2016 breakout star Sánchez and the veteran free agent Matt Holliday. However, he never quite got it going at the plate, slashing just .107/.265/.214 before hitting the shelf with a foot injury at the start of May. After a three-month disaster of a rehab that ended with him undergoing surgery to remove a bone in his foot, Bird finally returned to the active roster on August 26th; by this point, he was no longer guaranteed a spot in the starting lineup, as the team had been using Chase Headley at first after acquiring third baseman Todd Frazier in July.
For his part, Bird forced his way back into the lineup, slashing .253/.316/.575 with eight home runs in 29 games down the stretch. Then, when the calendar flipped to October, he came up big when the lights shone brightest: not only did he put up a .938 OPS with five extra-base hits over the course of the postseason, he hit a clutch home run off former teammate Andrew Miller in Game 3 of the ALDS to keep the Yankees’ season alive and kickstart a three-game winning streak that erased an 0-2 deficit.
Unfortunately, that would be Bird’s last real Yankees highlight. Injuries and ineffectiveness plagued him across the next two seasons, limiting him to just 92 games in that stretch. He lost the first base job to 2018 Trade Deadline acquisition Luke Voit, and in November 2019, he was finally designated for assignment.
Bird spent the next few years bouncing around the minors, spending time with the Rangers, Phillies, Rockies, and Blue Jays, before returning to the Yankees farm for a few months at the start of the 2022 season. He never made it back to the Majors, however, and since 2023, he has gone overseas: he spent 2023 in Quebec, the winter of 2023-2024 in Australia, and 2024 in Mexico. While it’s not clear whether or not he’s officially retired, an article in The Athletic from 2024 showed that he is at peace with his inability to build on his strong 2015 season.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
The Washington Wizards (4-6) head to Motown tonight looking to stop a three-game losing streak when they face the Detroit Pistons (6-3) at Little Caesars Arena. The Pistons will also be looking to right the ship after losing their last two games.
Detroit averages 111.7 points while allowing 103.9 per game, compared with the Wizards’ 107.8 scored and 112.5 allowed. The biggest statistical advantage in this game belongs to the Pistons beyond the arc. Detroit is shooting 38.0% from three-point range compared with Washington’s 30.2% from deep.
Washington’s most recent game/loss was by the score of 114-75 at Oklahoma City on Saturday. The 75 points was the lowest scoring output by an NBA team this season. The Thunder led 57-36 at halftime and 90-59 after three quarters as Washington shot just 29.6% overall and 7-for-43 from three-point range. Rookie AJ Dybantsa was one of the few bright spots with 19 points, while Alex Sarr recorded 15 points and 14 rebounds. Trae Young struggled badly, finishing with four points on 1-of-6 shooting, and Anthony Davis missed his second consecutive game because of an ankle injury.
Detroit’s most recent game/loss was competitive but a loss nonetheless last night to the Lakers, 121-116. The Pistons found themselves in a massive early hole, trailing 38-14 after the opening quarter and by as many as 26, before rallying all the way to within one point late in the third quarter. Daniss Jenkins erupted for a career-high 31 points, including eight three-pointers, and Kevin Huerter supplied 24 points off the bench, but Austin Reaves answered with 43 for Los Angeles and hit a difficult three in the final minute to help put Detroit away. The Pistons’ centerpiece remains Cade Cunningham, who had 14 points and eight assists against the Lakers. The Pistons were without Jalen Duren last night and will be without their star center again tonight.
The teams most recently met late last season on March 19, 2026, when Detroit rolled to a 117-95 victory in Washington. With the win, the Pistons took three of four in the season series against the Wizards.
Lets take a closer look at the matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Wizards vs. Piston: Game Details and How to Watch
Date: Monday, November 9, 2026
Time: 7:00PM EST
Site: Little Caesar’s Arena
City: Detroit, MI
Network/Streaming: NBCSN
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Wizards vs. Pistons: Odds
The latest odds as of Monday courtesy ofDraftKings:
Moneyline: Washington Wizards (+376), Detroit Pistons (-490)
Spread: Pistons -10.5
Total: 217.5 points
The Total has been bet down a point since opening at 218.5 as has the Spread which opened at Piston -11.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Wizards vs. Pistons: Expected Starting Lineups
Washington Wizards (2026-27 Scoring Average)
PG Trae Young (18.4PPG)
SG Kyshawn George (18.5PPG)
C Alex Sarr (10.6PPG)
SF AJ Dybantsa (16.0PPG)
PF Bilal Coulibaly (7.2PPG)
Detroit Pistons(2026-27 Scoring Average)
PG Cade Cunningham (22.9PPG)
SG Duncan Robinson (18.2PPG)
C Paul Reed (12.2PPG)
SF Ausar Thompson (9.5PPG)
PF John Collins (9.2PPG)
Wizards vs. Pistons: Injury Report
Washington Wizards
Anthony Davis (ankle) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Reece Beekman (shoulder) is OUT for tonight’s game
Tristan Vukcevic (hip) is OUT for tonight’s game
Justin Champagnie (foot) is OUT for tonight’s game
Detroit Pistons
Jalen Duren (hamstring) is OUT for tonight’s game
Isaiah Joe (hip) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s game between the Wizards and the Piston:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Wizards -10.5
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 217.5
The Best Bet: Kyshawn George Points + Rebounds Over 21.5
The best prop on the board, and the road splits are the reason. George has cleared 21.5 combined points and rebounds in 4 of his last 5 games at a 25.6 average and 7 of his last 10 games at 23.0. George is carrying a 24.1% usage rate with a 58.0% true shooting percentage and 1.18 points per shot attempt — he's efficient and involved. He just posted 14 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three blocks against Oklahoma City, and with Anthony Davis day-to-day with an ankle issue, George's role only grows.
Another Bet to Consider: Wizards +10.5
Detroit's defensive profile — 1st in defensive rating (102.0), 1st in effective field goal percentage allowed (48.5%), 1st in points per possession allowed (103.1), and 1st in transition efficiency allowed (104.0). But the Pistons are 22nd in defensive rebound percentage (0.662) and 22nd in offensive rebound percentage allowed (32.8%), and they're playing tonight without Jalen Duren, who is out with a hamstring injury. That's the interior anchor gone from a team that already struggles on the glass. Washington's edge is exactly there. The Wizards are 30th in offensive rebounds (8.3 per game) — a weakness — but they're 5th in free throws made (22.3 per game) and 4th in free throw rate (27.3), which means they generate points without needing to shoot well. Against a Detroit team that's 14th in personal fouls (22.1 per game), that's a path to staying within this number.
And Yet Another Bet to Consider: Game Total UNDER 217.5
The pace is the argument. Both teams play at 98.93 possessions per game, and Detroit's 98.43 pace ranks 24th in the league — this is a slow, half-court game by design. The Pistons are 1st in halfcourt points per 100 plays allowed (82.7) and 2nd in halfcourt percent of plays allowed (79.0). They force opponents into exactly the kind of grinding possessions that burn clock. Washington's offense is the anchor on the other side. The Wizards are 23rd in points per game (109.4), 23rd in field goals made (39.0 per game), 30th in three-pointers made (9.1 per game), and 28th in field goals attempted (82.0 per game). They're 18th in offensive rating (110.7) and 28th in transition efficiency (101.0) — this is not an offense built to push a total into the 220s.
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DENVER — Ross Colton never wanted his time in Colorado to end. But the Avalanche had other plans.
During the offseason, Colorado dealt the 30-year-old forward and goaltender Isak Posch to the Nashville Predators in exchange for goalie Magnus Chrona and two third-round draft picks. It wasn’t the move Colton wanted, but he’s making the most of his new surroundings.
Ross Colton last year on his favorite pre-game dish.
And so far, Nashville is getting a pretty good return.
Through 17 games, Colton has five goals and eight points. Those numbers might not jump off the page, but consider his role. He’s skating on Nashville’s third line alongside another former Avalanche forward, Jack Drury, who also found himself on the move this offseason.
Even without a spot in the top six, Colton has been productive. His five goals are tied for fourth on the Predators, and his eight points rank fifth. Keep that pace up over an 84-game season, and he’d finish with 25 goals — a new career high.
His previous best came in 2021-22 with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Colton recorded 22 goals and 17 assists for 39 points that season, his first as a full-time NHL player. He had already gotten a taste of winning at the highest level, too.
As a rookie in 2020-21, Colton appeared in 30 games for Tampa Bay, scoring nine goals and adding three assists. The Lightning went on to win the Stanley Cup. He remained a contributor during their subsequent playoff run, finishing the two postseasons with nine goals and six assists across 46 games.
Now he’s trying to build something of his own in Nashville.
Of course, that doesn’t mean he’s forgotten about Colorado.
Colton got his first chance to face his former team on Nov. 5 at Ball Arena. He made it count, scoring against the Avalanche before Nashville pulled out a 3-2 overtime win.
The return was bound to feel strange. Colton had spent time building relationships in Colorado, and suddenly he was on the opposite side of the ice.
“It’s never fun playing against friends,” Colton told reporters before the game. “I feel like it was nice to maybe get one out of the way against these guys. I saw them after the game. Obviously, I miss them a lot. The first five minutes, 10 minutes, it is super weird. You just don’t feel right. Then it just feels like another game.”
Even the morning skate brought back memories.
“It honestly feels so weird, just being back in the building for the morning skate. Obviously, a lot of good memories, so it should be fun,” Colton said.
Leaving Colorado wasn’t his choice. What he does with the opportunity in Nashville is.
And through the first 17 games, he’s giving the Predators plenty of reason to believe there’s another level to his game.
GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 05: Breyson Guedez #18 of the Solar Sox doubles in the fifth inning during the game between the Solar Sox and the Desert Dogs at Camelback Ranch on Thursday, November 5, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Welcome to the start of another week A’s fans!
While major league baseball is in its offseason now, the sport is still being played down in Arizona where team’s younger prospects can get extra work over the winter. It’s a heavily abbreviated mini-season and it’s nearing the end here. With just two more games to go before the playoffs (which feature three rounds), it’s time to take a look back and see how certain prospects in the system have done with the extra work.
The Athletics sent seven players to go play for the Mesa Solar Sox this year. It’s not looking too good for them to advance to the playoffs so they likely only have a couple games left this year. Among the players the A’s sent were four pitchers, two catchers, and an outfielder. And among those seven, four are among the Athletics’ top 30 prospects.
The most notable name among the group is the outfielder, Breyson Guedez. Currently the third-best outfield prospect in the system, Guedez just turned 19 last month but made it to High-A this past season, his first in pro ball. For someone so young there’s still lots of ways his career could go. Not many expect him to have much power, or speed but he’s a quality hitter that’s still extremely young and these at bats he’s been getting in the AFL are exactly what he needs. While he’s been getting the work, the results haven’t been there as he’s slashing just .164/.271/.213 with no home runs, no stolen bases, and a worrying 18-to-7 K-to-BB ratio.
Catchers are something that the A’s have done well developing over the years and the two they’re currently working on both went to the AFL. Considered a top-20 prospect, Davis Diaz looks like he’s on the cusp of making his big league debut after rising from High-A to the Aviators last year. Davis has displayed his quality eye in the batter’s box in recent weeks, walking nearly as much as he’s walked while hitting .271/.400/.391 with one long ball. Already 23, he’s not likely to develop much more power so he’s going to have to rely on his ability to put the bat to the ball in the big leagues, and he’s demonstrated that again. Add in he’s positionally flexible and he’ll be an option for the big league team next year.
Fellow catcher Cole Conn (#21 according to MLB Pipelin) hasn’t played as much as Diaz but he’s had a quality time in Arizona as well. He’s got four doubles in just nine games played, though with no long balls. More impressively, he’s bested Diaz’s eye with a 8-to-6 K-to-BB ratio while adding in four stolen bases. Fast catcher. Conn crushed Triple-A pitching at the end of last year and that could put him ahead of Diaz on the organizational depth chart.
Four pitchers in the system also made appearances for the Solar Sox this year. Right-hander Kenya Huggins has absolutely dominated as he’s pitched 10 1/3 innings of relief and allowed just two runs while collecting 13 strikeouts. Acquired from the Reds for half a season of Miguel Andujar, Huggins looks like a steal at this point but his long-term role is still being determined.
Journeyman right-hander Jared Johnson was also among the contingent sent by the A’s. He’s pitched in seven games and allowed six earned runs. There doesn’t seem to be much upside there but he pitched for the Aviators last year and could be a depth piece at some point next season. Fellow righty Jay Dill is a recent 18th-round pick by the A’s and spent most of last year at Double-A with mixed results. Things continued that way for Dill as he’s been tagged for seven earned runs in just 5 1/3 innings pitched. And finally we have a left-hander in Tucker Novotny. The 23-year-old has turned some heads with a strong AFL. He’s made three starts (five total appearances) and has allowed just five earned runs in 13 12/3 innings. The walks have been an issue but he’s also racked up 16 punchouts. Another 18th rounder, the southpaw only just made it to High-A last year so he’s got a long ways to go before he becomes an option for the big league team.
A mixed bag, to be sure, but not without positives. The two catchers in particular seem like decent bets to make their big league debuts in the coming season, especially if the A’s elect to move star catcher Shea Langeliers. Heck, the A’s do still need a backup catcher as of this moment. Could one of them break camp as Bangeliers’ backup? This AFL made that a real possibility.
Interesting. Shouldn’t really affect the A’s, but still interesting:
Hearing MLB trade candidates with 1 year of control left — Logan Gilbert, Steven Kwan, Joe Ryan, Sandy Alcántara, et al — are unlikely to be moved for prospects this month, because teams aren’t sure what kind of 2027 season to expect.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 11: James Wood #29 of the Washington Nationals talks with CJ Abrams #5 before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Nationals Park on September 11, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When we have discussed offseason additions, most of the focus has been on the pitching staff. That is for good reason, as the pitching was the clear weak point of the team last year. However, I believe that Paul Toboni does not want to just stand still on the offense.
At the end of this season and during this offseason, Toboni has said that they can’t assume the offense is destined to be as good as it was last year. In an interview with the Nats Chat podcast, he made this point again. I think this is a good point, and should be acted upon.
Paul Toboni was our guest on the latest episode of @Nats_Chat. Here’s what he had to say about free agency, fixing the bullpen and where he anticipates CJ Abrams playing in 2027: https://t.co/0QomwhOEmk
It probably does not make a ton of sense to make a huge run at the top position players on the market, with what will not be an unlimited budget. However, if the right opportunity presents itself, Toboni should be willing to jump on it. The offense was very good, but you cannot assume the same sort of success next year.
When the Nats traded Curtis Mead and Luis Garcia Jr., the offense was not quite the same. Both of those trades made sense, but they did leave a mark on this offense. The loss of Garcia was particularly costly, as Abimelec Ortiz did not perform well down the stretch.
If the Nats wanted to make a move on offense, that left handed hitting first base spot would be a place to look. Even if they want to give Ortiz more chances, there should be plenty of guys out there who could compete with him. Spencer Nusbaum wrote an article about the offense, and mentioned a couple targets. Those names included Triston Casas, Kyle Manzardo and Nolan Schanuel.
The Nationals’ offseason will be defined by the status of the pitching staff. That doesn’t mean the lineup will go untouched this winter.
All of those players would be good competition for Ortiz. Each of these guys have had moments of real success, but have also fallen on hard times. The Nats have shown an ability to rehabilitate these sorts of hitters. With that in mind, I would be happy with one of those bats.
We also talked about the idea of a Dylan Crews trade after the Jacob Young extension. If they did trade Crews, a big league ready first baseman could be something the Nats look for in a return. Sean Keys of the Blue Jays is one name that stands out to me. He is a 23 year old who was phenomenal in the minors last year, but struggled in his first taste of the big leagues. That would be great competition for Ortiz.
Adding offense would become an even more pressing need if the Nats do in fact trade CJ Abrams. The Nats shortstop has seen his name in trade rumors for a long time now. There is some logic to trading him if you are thinking long term, but it would leave a massive hole in the offense for 2027. If a trade does happen, I wonder what Toboni would do to fill the void.
The Nats were top 10 in most offensive categories, and top 5 in many of them. However, they did have fairly good injury luck and traded away some key pieces to that offensive machine. Many fans will ignore the offense and focus on the pitching staff, but I think Paul Toboni is aware that he cannot sit still.
The Washington Nationals offense finished third in runs scored, 6th in homers, 3rd in OPS, 3rd in slugging, 8th in OBP, 7th in hits 12th in average and 4th in doubles. What a unit this was in 2026. Crazy what good coaching can do
I still believe the biggest moves need to be pitching related, but the offense should not be ignored. Just because they were a great offense last season does not mean it will happen again. James Wood will be back, but there is plenty of uncertainty after that.
It is an under the radar storyline, but what Toboni does with the offense will be worth watching. Despite having a great offensive season last year, there are some holes. We should see prospects such as Seaver King fill some of those, but I do not think the Nationals will ignore the offense just because it was successful last year. Paul Toboni has proven to be a proactive GM, not a reactive one.
(Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Since teaming up in the fall of 2017, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum forged on in Beantown as the Boston Celtics shuffled through name after name around them.
Kyrie Irving. Gordon Hayward. Kemba Walker. Robert Williams III. Marcus Smart. Al Horford. Jrue Holiday. Kristaps Porzingis.
All of them came and went while Boston pursued a title — and eventually claimed one in emphatic fashion — behind its two young, then budding, and, finally, established stars on the wing.
A year after winning a championship in 2024, the Tatum-Brown-Holiday-Horford-Porzingis core dissolved as the latter three departed. Despite Tatum missing much of 2025-26 while recovering from a torn Achilles, the Celtics pivoted toward a new group around their two pillars. Then, after a bountiful nine-year partnership, Tatum and Brown split.
In exchange for Paul George and two first-round picks (and two swaps), Boston dealt Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers over the summer. Brown’s exit represented the Celtics’ most dramatic roster reshaping in recent years. Sure, the year prior marked a wider exodus of names but none of them helped define Boston’s vision and identity like Brown.
Through nine games, that’s proven true on both ends of the floor. The Celtics have altered how they elect to deploy their offensive figureheads and spotlight George’s defensive splendor — the product of Brown’s absence (for better and worse) and George’s arrival (for better and worse).
Without Brown, Boston does not sport a creator equipped to soak up mammoth on-ball volume beyond Tatum, who sports a career-high 36% usage rate (third league-wide, per Cleaning the Glass) and is averaging 27.9 points, 8.0 assists and 6.3 rebounds per game this season.
But the Celtics have not spiked Tatum’s responsibilities by simply handing him the ball up top and demanding he stir more of their drink. His 27.2% on-ball rate is lower than in 2025-26 (28.3%) and 2024-25 (28.8%) while his 20.0 creation true shot attempts per 100 possessions (pick-and-rolls, isolation, post-ups) align with the previous two years as well (19.0, 19.4), per databallr.
Instead, they’re leveraging his size, strength and fluidity to garner advantageous touches inside, dive to the rim around off-ball screens and attack tilted defenses on the move. A 33% rim frequency is his highest since 2022-23 and tied for the second-gaudiest mark of his career.
Tatum relishes contact these days and will bludgeon through any defender to finish or draw fouls. His .510 free-throw rate is obliterating a previous career-high of .399. Only Luka Doncic (102) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (83) have attempted more free throws than his 80 this season.
He is huge, strong and emboldened. The Celtics are wielding that to their benefit.
Plays like those emphasize another crucial detail in how Tatum’s reached such towering usage: teammates are setting up him more often. Forty-seven percent of all his field goals are assisted, his highest rate since 2022-23, including 53% at the rim and 41% from midrange — also his highest rates since 2022-23, per Cleaning the Glass.
In contrast to their guard-sized contemporaries, wing-sized initiators often incur drawbacks with their burst, handle and flexibility. They are bigger and stronger, so they are slower and less adept maneuvering through tight windows. Yet they are bigger and stronger than their diminutive peers, traits that present their own upshots. As best they can, the Celtics are embracing the upshots to help mitigate the drawbacks while still bestowing Tatum cream-of-the-crop usage.
He is logging plenty of traditional creation reps, though, too. And when he is commandeering Boston’s offense, he’s looked spectacular as a facilitator. His 40.5% assist rate dwarfs his previous career-high of 26.5%.
His 16.7 potential assists per 100 are also a career high, besting his 15.8 in 2024-25. When he returned last season, he was mighty punctual and precise as a distributor, reliably dissecting opponents if they sent too many limbs into his orbit. That’s continued this year.
Most notably, he’s amended his playmaking patterns. Whereas he’s typically erred for kickout passes to shooters against gap help or blitzes — partly because he’s played with many below-the-rim and/or floor-spacing centers — he’s prioritizing more interior reads this season and averaging a career-high 5.2 at-rim assists per 100 possessions (99th percentile).
That shatters last year’s career-high of 3.0, which already trounced his then-career-high of 2.2 in 2024-25. Boston’s rim frequency is 9.3% higher with him on the floor this season (per Cleaning the Glass), the result of his interior-oriented style and preferences as a passer.
Whether he’s playing alongside Neemias Queta or Mitchell Robinson, he’s utilizing his 84-inch acrobats to generate easy shots as the Celtics’ primary initiator. His own height empowers him to disregard extra attention over the top and he’s increasingly manipulating help defenders with his eyes to open up passes inside, particularly when George or Sam Hauser — Boston’s most vaunted off-ball shooters — are stationed in the weak-side corner.
In totality, Tatum receiving newfound off-ball opportunities is a positive for his game. But a focus operating downhill and starting touches inside the arc has somewhat damaged his shot profile. According to Cleaning the Glass, 19% of his field goals are long midrange attempts (14 feet to the 3-point line) and 35% of his field goals fall under the broader midrange designation (beyond 4 feet to the 3-point line). The former is highest since 2018-19 and the latter is his highest since 2020-21.
Of course, there are a handful of voluminous scorers who flourish in the intermediate region. Tatum is not among them. He’s shooting 39% from midrange and has only eclipsed 40% once in his decade-long NBA tenure.
Too routinely, he will catch the ball in the post or against a switch and squander the chance with an arduous pull-up 2, turnaround jumper or fadeaway. He’s shooting 51.5% inside the arc, his worst mark since 2020-21, when he shot 52.4% — last year’s abbreviated, post-injury stretch excluded.
An uptick in looks around the rim and from midrange has seen Tatum’s 3-point rate dwindle to 30%, his lowest mark since 2018-19. And he’s been anemic from deep thus far, shooting 28.6%. That should perk up as the sample swells and 51.5% on 2s isn’t such a deviation from recent years that any long-range pulse, when paired with his premier foul-drawing emergence, should allow him to approximate or exceed the 60% true shooting he accrued from 2022-23 to 2024-25 (a very respectable 58% this year).
If Tatum has not suddenly devolved into a Thompson Twins-level outside shooter, the tweaks to his usage and passing upswing should set the stage for a career-best campaign offensively. And he is not the only Celtics wing embarking on a new offensive journey.
Boston recognizes it requires a substantial role for George offensively but cannot just hand him Brown’s shoes and tell him to fit in them. He is nowhere near the shot creator or explosive driver of Brown but does have some advantages, such as size, versatile off-ball play and passing.
So, head coach Joe Mazzulla is constantly rotating George through various jobs to influence possessions without overtaxing him on the ball — and the early returns are excellent. He’s averaging 19.6 points (58% true shooting), 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.4 steals while shooting 41.3% beyond the arc.
Despite a career-high 75% of his field goals coming via assists, he touts a 27.6% usage rate, his highest since 2022-23, and is averaging 9.1 creation true shooting attempts per 100, his lowest in the stat’s database spanning back to 2013-14; his time of possession is also its lowest since 2017-18, per NBA.com. Similar to Tatum, Boston is granting George touches in favorable contexts by leaning on its blend of elite screening, decision-making and spacing around them.
As George has aged, he’s lost much of his spunk as a driver. That physical decline has resigned him into many challenging midrange jumpers over defenders who he can no longer scoot past or chisel through to the rim. The Celtics don’t want that as a basis of their offense, so they’re implementing plenty of actions that manufacture advantages for George, whether it be off-ball screens to help him pressure the paint, forcing smaller defenders onto him or letting him catch the ball on the move to ease his creation burden.
His .508 3-point rate is a career high and he’s hoisting a career-high 13.0 triples per 100 possessions. They’re also utilizing him as a screener and roller more than any other team has in his career. According to databallr, his 3.7 finishing true shooting attempts (cuts, putbacks, rolls) per 100 is a career-high. Related: a 21% rim frequency is his highest since 2022-23. Boston’s offense is helping George optimize his shot profile and he’s taking his fewest share of midrange jumpers (31%) since 2011-12.
Reinvigorating George and Tatum as forces inside — and Tatum’s playmaking pivot — feels like an intentional effort to replace Brown’s driving prowess. The Celtics’ 30.2% rim frequency is their highest since 2021-22 and ranks 16th league-wide, their highest standing since 2019-20. That 30.2% mark is loftier than anything they posted with Brown on the floor over his final three years in Boston, which isn’t to frame Brown negatively but to underscore the Celtics’ revamped approach offensively.
*Billy Beane voice* Boston is aiming to recreate Brown in the aggregate.
Tatum has commanded a heftier workload and is calling the rim home more often. George is the secondary creator, albeit a lesser one than Brown. Because Tatum’s offensive role has expanded to help replace Brown, the Celtics are asking less of him defensively and calling upon George to fill that void and some of the void Brown left behind.
He’s assuming Brown’s former point-of-attack duties while doubling as an off-ball roamer who can guard bigs (Tatum’s tasks) when Queta ignores a non-shooter to patrol the paint. He’s third in the NBA in deflections per game (5.3) and fifth in steals (2.4), and owns a career-high STOP% of 4.7 (steals, blocks recovered and offensive fouls drawn per 100).
Just as Boston is highlighting Tatum’s enormity on offense, it’s doing the same with George on defense. His blend of size, screen navigation, instincts and off-ball disruption puts him in rare air defensively. He is huge and mobile. The Celtics are wielding that to their benefit.
Despite a 7-2 start with their leading men generally thriving, there is much to still sort out and navigate for the Celtics as the season further unfolds. Although I was higher than most on George’s entire Sixers tenure and his pre-suspension performance in 2025-26, it is undeniable he played much better last year once returning from a 25-game layoff.
An offseason of recuperation offered a similar reprieve. And his scoring numbers since a 38-point barrage to open the year aren’t as rosy: 17.0 points on 53.6% true shooting (37.3% from 3) over the past seven games. How will he fare on both ends as the grind of a long season mounts and transitions to a grueling playoff environment?
As splendid as Tatum’s been offensively and wondrous as George has been defensively, I still believe Boston, to etch a deep postseason run, will need more of its franchise superstar defensively. His rim protection, general activity and rebounding on that end are at career-worst levels, the last of which is bleeding into Boston’s 24th-ranked defensive rebounding rate (it’s never finished worse than 11th in the Mazzulla era).
Perhaps, that is a conscious decision from him and the coaching staff, given his prolific offensive scope. But he is, ideally, capable of more. Will he dial it up at some point? Can he? It’s a ton to ask, particularly because I don’t believe this offensive setting has an off-ramp for him to effectively scale back.
And for as cohesive and cunning as the Celtics’ offense is, I’m unsure of its playoff translation. They win on the margins with early flare screens, back-screens and drag screens that catch less-alert defenses off guard in the regular season — all details Tatum and George have ridden to early success.
When the stakes are raised in the postseason, countering schematic advantages is easier than countering talent advantages. The 2025-26 and 2026-27 Celtics have typically won because of the former, not the latter; their title team merged both components for dominance. This iteration lacks the ball-handling abundance and malleable center play the 2023-24 and 2024-25 squads enjoyed.
It is also possible a championship is not Boston’s utmost goal or one the organization internally deems plausible this year. Building a team unable to do so during its All-NBA superstar’s prime may warrant criticism but is a separate conversation.
This is Tatum’s first full year back from a torn Achilles. George, while still very good, is 36 years old and not an All-Star-caliber player anymore. His lucrative contract will be an expiring deal next summer. Derrick White, while a pillar of Boston’s prosperous last half-decade, is 32 and potentially trending downward.
Maybe, the Celtics are content to see what this Tatum-led group can achieve before parlaying George’s expiring deal and their wealth of first-round picks into a better, younger upgrade over the offseason. Maybe, they continue piling up wins and feel compelled to make a splash at this season’s deadline.
Regardless, this team is good but different than years past and still spearheaded by Tatum — who, for the first time in his career, is flanked by a new running mate on the wing.
All stats accurate prior to games played on Nov. 8.
Major League Baseball's awards season gets going in earnest Monday, Nov. 9 when the winners of the American League and National League Rookie of the Year awards are revealed.
It kickstarts four days of hardware awarded by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, culminating Thursday when the Most Valuable Players for each league are announced.
Balloting will be revealed during an MLB Network broadcast that begins at 7 p.m. ET. Interviews with the finalists and analysis precede announcement of the awards.
AL Rookie of the Year: Finalists
Kevin McGonigle, 22, announced his arrival with authority, notching four hits in his opening day debut, and did not stop from there. The Tigers shortstop led the AL in WAR (7.1) and plate appearances (707), amasssing 168 hits and batting .278 with a .376 on-base percentange His adjusted OPS of 126 was well above league average. McGonigle would be the first Detroit Tiger to win AL Rookie of the Year since pitcher Michael Fulmer in 2016.
Payton Tolle, who turned 24 Nov. 1, debuted with Boston in 2025 but became one of its rotation anchors this past season, striking out 171 batters over 148 ⅔ innings and compiling a 3.03 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. The garrulous southpaw has emerged as a fan favorite in Boston, thanks in part to his carefree mound mentality mixed with an oft-dominant fastball.
Like Tolle, Parker Messick, 26, debuted in 2025 and became a rotation fixture for Cleveland in his full rookie season, starting Game 1 of their AL Division Series after a dominant campaign. Messick struck out 193 batters in 186 ⅓ innings, with a 2.56 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. The Guardians emerged to defend their AL Central championship as Messick, a 2022 second-round pick, joined with Gavin Williams to provide a dominant foundation to their rotation.
NL Rookie of the Year: Finalists
The likely favorite for this award wasn't necessarily on the radar to win it at the start of the year. But Sal Stewart, 22, just never stopped slugging, ripping 32 home runs and driving in 112 runs for the Cincinnati Reds. He finished the season with a .787 OPS and even stole 15 bases as he played in all 162 games.
Carson Benge, 23, likely exceeded the high hopes the Mets harbored for his first season. He hit an opening day home run and didn't stop from there, hitting 20 home runs, stealing 22 bases and solidifying right field for the Mets in an otherwise lost season. Defensively, Benge was slightly above the norm based on outs above average, but his throwing arm ranked in the 99th percentile.
JJ Wetherholt, 24, was the seventh overall pick in the 2024 draft and methodically beat down the door to St. Louis, like Benge debuting on opening day. He hit 17 homers and stole 14 bases, but his biggest impact came defensively. The former shortstop finished second in the major leagues to likely NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong in fielding run value, teaming with shortstop Masyn Winn to give the Cardinals an elite defensive look in their middle infield.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - AUGUST 04: Starting pitcher Randy Dobnak #62 of the Kansas City Royals warms up prior to the game against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium on August 04, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Back on the 4th of August this year, it had been a relatively long time since Kauffman Stadium bustled with the anthill-like activity it takes to put on an event in front of tens of thousands of people. The Kansas City Royals had just wrapped up a 10-game road trip with a pair of off days sandwiched within, and thanks to the All-Star break this game was only the seventh game at Kauffman in almost the month.
But inside the stadium, four hours before first pitch, it was business as usual. A few parking attendants set up at key spots. Half a dozen happy Minnesota Twins fans got an autograph after camping out by the player’s entrance. Food service workers slowly trickled in, some of whom are piloting unwieldy carts into elevators in preparation to feed the many hungry mouths. And inside the clubhouse, players were prepping for the game, the equipment staff placing protein water in some lockers, the media quietly checking their phones in between keeping watch for the players they needed for a story.
For all its glitz and glamor and spectacle, professional sports is a human-intensive endeavor. ChatGPT isn’t prepping the mound and the grass before the game. Gemini isn’t helping people to their seats or directing traffic. Claude isn’t running the graphics or answering the box office phone or staffing the stores. And, of course, there are the players, coaches, and front office staff who were not only present on that day but during the entire road trip…and all the other road trips before.
This is the big gulf between fandom and the production of professional sports: fandom is optional. You can watch the game. You can record the game. You can watch the game, but later, with all the commercials subject to the fast forward button. You can pay to show up to the game in person if you really feel like it. You can also, notably, skip a game, or two, or the whole season. You can turn off the game the moment you get disgusted or bored.
The people in charge of running the baseball operations do not get that option. Lose 15-1 or win 4-3, they have to pay attention. I suppose, technically, front office members don’t have to watch the game like the players or coaches do, but that’s not much of a relief when those same front office members’ jobs depend on the team performing well.
This is especially true for those who are really, really involved—think general manager JJ Picollo, for instance. I’ve seen Picollo walk through the clubhouse before a game more than once to converse with players and coaches. Even beyond Picollo, the number of front office and coaching staff and players is not gigantic. They know lots of information about each other and the game. They certainly know more than pundits or writers or commenters. They are, really, just simple coworkers who go to work together everyday.
And who is truly objective about their coworkers?
I started writing this piece months ago on that night. The Royals won. Randy Dobnak defied gravity again and the top trio of Carter Jensen, Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone got on base a combined seven times. It was a temporary salve at the time because Royals fans were frustrated that nothing much happened at the trade deadline, and they were frustrated that that August 4 victory only brought the team to 20 games below .500.
Obviously, I didn’t end up publishing it. That’s why you’re reading it now with the cool fall air and leaves swirling outside wherever you are right now. I didn’t feel like I had anything to say, really. Some pieces are germs of an idea that just doesn’t work as a full plant. At the time, I made that call. But I really liked how I started this one—still do, that’s why I revisited it—and maybe my subjectivity would have won out if the Royals had lost. I guess it wouldn’t have mattered. This is only sports writing on a free site, after all.
That objectivity, though, is really hard to find when you’re close to something. It’s why you should always step away from a piece of writing if you really want to evaluate how you’re doing. It’s why consultants exist, because they don’t have the emotional attachments. And after my second year of regularly covering Royals games with a credential, I am frankly amazed that the front offices or coaching staffs can handle anything with objectivity.
One time last year, Michael Massey and Vinnie Pasquantino were arguing about Playstation games in the clubhouse, loudly, and everyone there got a kick out of it. These aren’t just names on Fangraphs.
This isn’t to say that front offices and coaching staffs should get a free pass at all times. Evaluating players—evaluating your team—is something that even boring middle corporate managers have to do all the time. Lord knows we’ve all experienced what a bad boss can be like, and there weren’t even millions of dollars at stake. All I’m saying is that the closeness to dirt, as it were, brings a human element into it all that makes decisions (or a lack thereof) more understandable.
Baseball is a people business, in other words. No matter how well or badly it went for the team, they have to go back out there and do it again on the next day, and the day after, and they day after that.
Dec 14, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket beside Charlotte Hornets guard Sion James (4) and center Ryan Kalkbrenner (11) in the first quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to reestablish some positive momentum as they take on an injured and struggling Charlotte Hornets team.
Things aren’t going well for the Hornets. They have been one of the worst teams in the league based on their point differential. It doesn’t help that they’ve been without one of their best players for most of the season, and their second-best player has struggled mightily.
Kon Knueppel will be missing this game with a hamstring injury. He has played just six minutes so far this season for Charlotte. The Hornets will also be without Brandon Miller (hip), who’s gotten off to a rough start to the season as he’s been unable to find his range from beyond the arc (26%).
This is a prime opportunity for the Cavs to pick up a win and start another busy week on the right foot.
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Cavs injury report: Sam Merrill – OUT (elbow) , Jarrett Allen – QUESTIONABLE (knee), Jaylon Tyson – OUT (ankle), Nae’Qwan Tomlin – OUT (back), Khalifa Diop – OUT (G League), Ernest Udeh, Jr. – OUT (G League)
Hornets injury report: Kon Kneuppel – OUT (hamstring), Brandon Miller – OUT (hip), Dennis Schroder – OUT (hamstring), Grant Williams – OUT (hamstring), Moussa Diabate – QUESTIONABLE (quad)
HOUSTON, TX - NOVEMBER 2: Alperen Sengun #28 and Marcus Smart #36 of the Houston Rockets high five during the game against the Boston Celtics on November 2, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Houston Rockets are having an identity crisis.
Think Fight Club (which, as an aside, I only watched for the first time a few years ago, and if you haven’t seen it, don’t bother; it’s been caricatured to the point that it feels like a parody of itself), in reverse. The Rockets were a rugged, fist-wielding Brad Pitt in 2025-26. Pesky social conventions like “getting good shots” and “running offensive sets” were boring and beneath them. The Rockets were winning fights instead of playing games.
In 2026-27, they’re more like the neutered, emasculated Edward Norton. They’ve mostly been doing all the right things, and it’s mostly been working, but they’re just lacking some kind of cliched, overly white-male-privileged (blue wavy baby, we’re back) existential purpose.
Let’s park the analogy. It’s good that the Rockets’ offense has looked more sophisticated in 2026-27. They shouldn’t abandon that. Instead, they need to synthesize last season’s approach with this one.
In their last contest, the old 2025-26 offense reared its ugly (or maybe ruggedly handsome if we’re Brad Pitt) head. The floor shrank. Instead of zipping high post passes to a cutting Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun settled for a bunch of bad floaters that he’s never been proficient with, in large part because the Thompson cuts weren’t coming. The Rockets’ offense fell apart:
Yet, if they’d just dominated the Suns on the glass, they would have won anyway.
Rockets need to get back to their former selves
Rest assured, this offense will fall apart again.
Ultimately, it’s the same old chestnut: The Rockets don’t have an every-night, carry-the-offense, even if he’s missing, he’s making something happen superstar. Sorry, Sengun fans, and Thompson isn’t even close, and it’s just not how the team is using Kevin Durant this year, which makes sense from a longer-term developmental perspective and a shorter-term, preserve him for the playoffs perspective.
Last year, the Rockets compensated for that lack of top-end talent by dominating physically. They were number one by a long shot in Offensive Rebounding %. This year, they’re fourth (36.0%). They’re fifth in overall Rebounding % (52.5th), which they also led the NBA in last season.
Sure, the Rockets are still a great rebounding team. If they have 2026-27 NBA championship aspirations, great isn’t great enough. They need to be the best rebounding team in the NBA, or else they will lose in the playoffs to a team with better players.
It’s not just rebounding, either. The Rockets’ 109.4 Defensive Rating ranks 10th in the NBA. Last year, they had the league’s sixth-best defense (112.1). This year’s mark is actually better, but that feels like a small-sample quirk. Their placement relative to the league seems more relevant.
Of course, they also have the second-best Offensive Rating in the NBA (118.6). Make no mistake: This year’s team looks better than last year’s team. It would also be wise to avoid overreacting to one game, but against the Suns, it felt like some offensive regression was due. If it is, they need to regress to the mean (a confusing phrase when something is improving; it ought to be progress to the mean, why don’t we say that?) in rebounding and defense.
Some of this is due to Steven Adams’ absence, but let’s not make excuses. If Adams can’t regularly play, the Rockets need a new backup five, and he needs to be the best rebounder they can find. The Rockets need to rediscover their identity:
After all, the things you do own, end up owning you.
For as bad as last Friday’s game was in Cleveland, the Sixers probably deserve a mulligan. At 9-2 after Sunday’s win in Chicago, Philly has not only looked the part of a championship contender, but they’ve done it against lots of fellow contenders, Sunday notwithstanding. The schedule is about to lighten up for the Sixers, but they still have two more games this week against playoff teams from last season. They’ll host Boston on Tuesday and Toronto on Thursday.
If the Sixers can get to 11-2, they’ll be set up to face a slew of sub-.500 teams for the rest of November. They’ve already got the attention of the entire NBA world given that they’ve lived up to the preseason hype thus far. Think about what the narrative could be in 3-4 week’s time surrounding this team. The wins should continue to be piled up, and they would have already beaten all the top challengers in the Eastern Conference once already and it wouldn’t even be Christmas yet.
Oddly enough, the Sixers have not had home-court advantage in a playoff series since the 2023 first round when they swept Brooklyn. That means it hasn’t happened in three previous seasons under Nick Nurse. As they continue to stockpile victories early in the season, the reality of a deep playoff run becomes increasingly plausible. In two postseasons under Nurse, the Sixers have had grueling first-round matchups, losing a tight series to New York in 2024 and having to rally from 3-1 down to eliminate Boston in 2026. The drain of having to dig out of the 3-1 hole against Boston clearly showed itself in the second round last spring when the Sixers got whitewashed by the Knicks in a quick four-game sweep.
In 2023, Philly was ahead 3-2 after five games against Boston and on the precipice of making the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001. We all know how the series ended, but the point remains that getting through an easy first-round series would do wonders for getting Joel Embiid — and LeBron James at his advanced age, for that matter — through an entire four rounds of the postseason.
As the Sixers continue to stack victories early in the 2026-27 season, they’ll continue to make the path to an NBA Championship easier for themselves. Not only have they been stacking victories but finishing off such a challenging first three weeks of the season with two more wins this week against Boston and Toronto would only be the icing on a cake that’s already baking pretty good. In addition to making their postseason path easier, Philly could be as selective as possible in determining when to load manage Embiid and James.
The NBA regular season has often come with a label of irrelevance thanks in part to the load managing we see around the league with superstars and their playing time. While it feels like the Sixers have washed away a lot of the negative labels surrounding their ability to make a deep playoff run, there probably is a segment of the fanbase that is still very much in “Wake me up in April” mode and, to some extent, that’s an understandable sentiment to feel.
But the Sixers are doing all they can possibly do now to make fans believe that this could be the year they play into June. They’re beating every contender in front of them. Remember, despite Friday’s drubbing in Cleveland, they came back from a 29-point deficit to beat the Cavaliers earlier in the season. Simply put, it’s a great time to be a Sixers fan, even if it’s only November.
ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 7: Nickeil Alexander-Walker #7, Jalen Johnson #1 of the Atlanta Hawks talk after the game against the Brooklyn Nets on November 7, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It seemed like the past week for the Atlanta Hawks may have been a tough one. After being dominated by the New Orleans Pelicans, the Hawks would be without Jalen Johnson, who went down with a sprained ankle. With four games upcoming, missing their star would not be conducive to shaking their slow start to the year, as the Hawks were 3-4 headed into Monday’s matchup against the Pacers.
While it’s never good when athletes who put their bodies on the line have to miss competition, the Pacers being down to only six players on the roster due to a litany of injuries was a positive omen for the undermanned Hawks, who were looking to get back to .500 on the season with a win. Though the Hawks led 95% of the game and came out victorious, the win didn’t feel as good as it should have.
There was no season a team with only six guys in rotation should have had a second of life in this contest. The 12-point lead over the Pacers at halftime was the saving grace for Atlanta, who was outscored by a depleted Indiana roster in the second half. With under 30 seconds to go, the Hawks only held a two-point lead. If not for recovering a blocked Nickeil Alexander-Walker three-point attempt with 13 seconds left, the game could have had an entirely different outcome.
Despite the close finish, the Hawks overcame their three-point shooting woes that plagued their prior losing streak. The team shot 45% from behind the arc, with Lu Dort shooting 4-for-6 and ‘NAW’ becoming unconscious from deep, shooting an unprecedented 9-for-16 on his way to a game high 34 points.
Corey Kispert was also the light of a struggling bench, who scored 14 on 4-of-7 from three. CJ McCollum was ice cold from the field, shooting 4-of-17, but uncharacteristically turned into the team’s facilitator with 12 assists, tying his career high. These impressive performances were nearly wasted by more subpar interior defense, as the Hawks were outscored 54-22 in the paint.
This performance was not a positive omen heading into back-to-back matchups against the Washington Wizards, led by former Hawk-star Trae Young, Anthony Davis, and the number one pick of his rookie class, AJ Dybansta. Along with the increased competition, Jalen Johnson was still inactive and ultimately missed both matchups.
The first Wizards game featured a new wrinkle in the rotation, as head coach Quin Snyder gave rookie Kingston Flemings his first career start and moved CJ McCollum to the bench. The move proved wise, as Flemings had a stellar night, scoring 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting with four assists. The bench also stepped up, with McCollum and Wiggins combining for 30 points along with the debut of their other first round rookie from this year, Zuby Ejiofor.
The forward from St. John’s contributed with 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting in his debut, providing an additional boost while bench staples Joc Landale and Dorian Finney-Smith were sidelined with injuries. Aided by dominating the boards, another strong team three-point performance, and a horrific deep shooting night for the home team (6-of-26), the Hawks defeated the Wizards on the road, 120-105.
The following matchup against Washington would provide new wave emotions for members of both teams. This occasion was Trae Young’s first time playing against his former team in Atlanta. Though he received a touching tribute while the Wizards played in Atlanta last February as he was still out with an injury, the tune from the crowd was much different in his on-court debut, as Young was serenaded by a sea of boos, letting the point guard know that the lovey-dovey admiration was out the window as he made the transition from fan favorite to a full-blown enemy.
Though he notched a double-double, the Hawks kept Young from taking over the game and forced him to nearly accrue an infamous triple-double, as he had nine turnovers. Anthony Davis was absent from the game along with AJ Dybantsa having another poor shooting night, shooting 3-of-13. A 33-point performance from Kayshawn George wasn’t enough for the Wizards to pull out the victory.
The Hawks were clicking on all cylinders offensively, joining the nightly 50/40/90 club as a team. ‘NAW’ once again led all scorers with 28, but 22 points from Onyeka Okongwu and 25 from Lou Dort on 5-of-7 shooting from three was just too much for the Wizards to overcome. Aaron Wiggins also had a strong night off the bench, contributing 19 points on 8-for-12 from the field. The impressive performance spoiled what Trae Young hoped to be a pleasant homecoming and ultimately led to a clearly defined line in the sand of where Hawks fans stand with him.
Despite the reaction from the fans, Young walked off the court doing his signature handshakes with his former teammates and embracing Quin Snyder and other former staffers.
The week wrapped up with the second of a three-game homestand against the perennially struggling Brooklyn Nets. This matchup hosted the return of Jalen Johnson from his injury, who finished with a game high 30 points. Despite his return, the Hawks hot shooting morphed into an ice rink, shooting an abysmal 26% from deep. The Hawks were also dominated on the glass, being outclassed by 13 boards.
Despite the Nets poor record, they were the better team for most of the game. After finishing the first quarter with a ten-point lead, they maintained their advantage on the scoreboard until the game had just a minute and a half left after a pair of free throws from ‘NAW’ gave Atlanta the lead. Clutch shotmaking and two huge blocks from Kinston Flemings iced the win for the Hawks and certified the team’s newest lottery pick as a mainstay in the lineups going forward. The final score was 124-121.
While the game may have been too close for comfort, the Hawks ultimately came out on top and impressively ended the week 4-0. The regular season is a long, grueling grind, and not all wins are going to be pretty. At the end of the day, what matters most is stacking victories and creating momentum as the season progresses. The Hawks currently sit at fourth in the Eastern Conference standings. Heading into a three-game week, the Hawks will look to build on their win streak and continue to establish continuity.
While the end of the week features matchups against the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks, who are the two worst teams in the conference and have an improbable two combined wins, they begin the week against the Los Angeles Lakers, who will be coming off a back-to-back after beating the Detroit Pistons last night.
Though he sat in last night’s matchup, the Hawks will likely be tasked with the seemingly impossible task of slowing down Luka Doncic, who is on an all-time tear and averaging an eye-popping 40 points per game. While the Hawks are certainly equipped with the bodies to make life difficult for Doncic, the All-NBA guard has been a chore for every team to solve, and he shows no signs of slowing down. If the Hawks are able to minimize his impact and leave with a victory, they could be well on their way to winning seven games in a row and establishing themselves as one of the premier teams in the conference.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 30: Briggs McKenzie #45 of the Atlanta Braves poses for a photo during the 2026 Arizona Fall League media day at Scottsdale Stadium on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Tate Southisene 5-for-13, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 4 K, 3 SB
The Tate shows continued last week as the Braves prospect got on-base nine times again last week. Even crazier, he continues to walk just as much as he strikes out. Then, you add in the fact that he’s also a menace on the bases and it’s hard to temper expectations for him. Tate also played in the AFL Fall Stars game where he went 0-for-2…but also drew a walk and scored a run. Tate has now played in 16 games and is hitting .321/.471/.396, going a perfect 7-for-7 on stolen bases. He has also walked (14) more than he has struck out (12).
Isaiah Drake 3-for-9, 4 K, CS
Isaiah appeared in just three games last week, getting on-base in two of the three games. After missing a big chunk of the season due to injury, Isaiah has adjusted to the league and put together high quality at-bats, making good contact with pitches in the zone. The result is Isaiah hitting .327/.386/.404 in 17 games, going 5-for-6 in the stolen base department.
Owen Carey 2-for-10, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K
Owen appeared in three games last week, going 0-for-4 in his first game and then getting on-base four times in the final two games. After struggling with some injuries this year, Owen has now played in 16 games in the AFL and is slashing .283/.415/.396.
Briggs McKenzie 4IP 3H 0R 2BB 6K
Briggs looked very solid in his single start last week, striking out six across four innings. He did a great job of establishing his slider as his premium offering and using it in-zone very well, and generating whiffs from it. Also appears that Briggs is really working on the two-seam fastball to go with his four-seam. The slider, a pitch he focused on this season, now consistently looks above average. It will be interesting to see if Briggs brings back the curveball, or if the Braves have shelved it completely, but one thing remains 100% true – he knows how to generate spin.
Tanner Bauman 1IP 1H 0R 1BB 0K
After struggling early at the start of the AFL season, Tanner Bauman has done a good job of commanding his pitches – finding himself in-zone much more consistently. While the stuff hasn’t particularly been great, his execution has helped him find zeroes more consistently.
Tyler LaPorte 1IP 1H 0R 1BB 2K
Tyler appeared in one game, striking out two. He continues to show a strong arsenal, unique mechanics, and good command. A former position player who transitioned to pitching only a few years ago, Tyler could be a player to watch should the improved command show next season.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 9: Samy Natera Jr. #52 of the Los Angeles Angels pitching in the bottom of the eighth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on September 9, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Natalie Reid/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good day fellow Mariners fans!
We’ve got another light day of links for you as the offseason remains in the very early stages. Let’s get to it.
In Mariners news…
Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic reports that some Mariners players were involved in their search for a new manager. They apparently wanted Jason Kanzler to get the job. ($)
Congratulations to the Samsung Lions for becoming KBO champions!
Chris Paddack with a strikeout and the Samsung Lions are the champions of the KBO in 2026! It is their first title in 12 years! Samsung becomes just the third team since 2002 to beat the #1 seed in the Korean Series and did it in dominant fashion pic.twitter.com/phBsZV23aq
Agreeing to a deal with a 12-year-old is insane…to say the least.
SOURCE: The Tampa Bay Rays have reached a pre-agreement with 12-year-old Maxuel Rosario for a $4.5 million signing bonus, setting a new franchise record and the largest bonus in the organization's history.
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 26: Brandon Lowe #5 of the Pittsburgh Pirates throws to first during the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Saturday, September 26, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Izzy Rincon/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Orioles have a second base problem. A former University of Maryland standout might be just the guy to solve it.
For the next two weeks, Camden Chat writers will be profiling a dozen players, either free agents or trade targets, that we’d like to see the O’s pursue this offseason. First up is an infield slugger with a local connection, free agent Brandon Lowe.
To be clear, I’m not interested in Lowe solely because #HeATerp. I mean, it sure doesn’t hurt. But as a player, he checks a lot of boxes for the Birds. The two-time All-Star would bring some much-needed left-handed thump to the Orioles’ lineup. He’s a veteran of the AL East who has (mostly) crushed the Orioles’ division rivals. And he’d stabilize a position at which the Orioles were the worst in the league in 2026.
Lowe (pronounced “Lau”) should be a familiar name for O’s fans. Those in the local area might have become aware of him during his College Park career in 2014-15, when he starred for a Maryland team that included five future big leaguers. Lowe also played one summer in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League as a 19-year-old.
Even if you didn’t follow Lowe’s collegiate career, you surely know him from his near-decade as an O’s divisional opponent. After the Rays drafted him in the third round in 2015, he spent the first eight years of his MLB career with Tampa Bay from 2018-25 before a trade last offseason sent him to Pittsburgh. Aside from an abbreviated 2022 campaign, Lowe has been a well above-average hitter for every major league season, posting a career 123 OPS+ and averaging 4.2 bWAR per year. He’s had five seasons of 21+ homers and three seasons of 30 or more. Simply put, he’s one of the best hitting second basemen in the game.
As a Ray, Lowe stepped up his game against division foes. He feasted on Orioles pitching (.857 OPS, 20 homers) and particularly torched the Red Sox (.994 OPS, 21 HRs) and Blue Jays (.918 OPS, 21 HRs) in more than 70 games against each opponent. He was less successful, though, against the Yankees, who held him to a .659 OPS.
Lowe is coming off of his most productive year yet. In his debut season with the Pirates, he tallied 35 homers and 96 RBIs — both his highest totals since 2021 — and posted a career-best 5.3 bWAR. And it’s not just his offense that impressed. With the leather, Lowe pulled off an incredible turnaround after several years of subpar defensive marks. He registered 13 Defensive Runs Saved and 15 Outs Above Average this season after struggling to a -14 DRS and -14 OAA the season before.
Could those numbers, especially on defense, have been a one-year mirage? It’s possible. At 32 years old, it’s unlikely that Lowe just suddenly figured out how to be an elite defender for the first time, so perhaps there’s some sample-size issues at play. Still, even if he can be merely a league-average fielder to go with his potent bat, he’d be a significant upgrade over the Orioles’ current second base options.
Which brings us to the uncomfortable reality we must discuss. I want Jackson Holliday to be good. You want Jackson Holliday to be good. But three years into his career, he simply hasn’t been good. And the Orioles’ lineup suffered for it in 2026. According to FanGraphs, Orioles second basemen — mostly Holliday, but also Jeremiah Jackson — rated as the worst in the American League, and third-worst in baseball, at just a 0.1 WAR (Lowe’s Pirates ranked fourth, at 4.9). The Birds’ second basemen had the worst OBP (.275) and sixth-worst SLG (.349) in the majors. Lowe had a .331 OBP and .493 OPS.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s way too early to throw in the towel on Holliday’s career. He’s 22 years old, an age when many players who turned out to be stars hadn’t even made their MLB debut yet. He’s the former #1 overall draft pick, was once the #1 prospect in baseball, and is the son of a seven-time All-Star. Holliday could well figure things out and be a standout major leaguer for many years to come.
But if the Orioles are serious about trying to be a contender next year, they can’t sit around and wait for Holliday to live up to his potential. The O’s have a real opportunity here to add an established, quality major league player at a position of need, and they should pounce on it. If they add Lowe, they have choices about what to do with Holliday. Maybe they send him back to the minors to try to get him on track. Maybe they move him to a different position. Maybe they even trade him, as recent reports have suggested. Add Lowe first and figure out Holliday later.
Because Lowe is on the wrong side of 30, his contract demands shouldn’t be too exorbitant. ESPN predicts he’ll get a four-year, $80 million deal. MLB Trade Rumors forecasts a more modest contract at three years and $69 million. That looks like a nice deal to me, and the Orioles shouldn’t hesitate to sign him if that’s the salary range that Lowe ends up in.
Lowe, of course, brings his share of risk, as does any free agent. For one thing, he hasn’t exactly been the picture of durability. He played a career-high 150 games this season, but it was one of only three times that he’s topped 109. Lowe has a laundry list of ailments that have plagued him throughout his career, including injuries to his knees, feet, back, elbow, neck, oblique, quadriceps, and…well, basically everything. The O’s would probably have to live with the fact that Lowe will miss some games, but they’ve got depth to replace him with Blaze Alexander available as a utility guy and potentially Jordan Westburg seeing some time at second.
Also, Lowe received a qualifying offer from the Pirates, meaning the Orioles would lose a draft pick if they sign him. Still, sometimes that’s the price you have to pay to land a quality free agent. And the O’s potentially will be receiving a compensatory draft pick of their own if another team signs Trevor Rogers, so it could balance out.
The Orioles’ oft-disappointing 2026 offense could use an upgrade, and Lowe seems like just the guy they need. He has the talent. He brings the experience. And he — and I cannot stress this enough — a Terp.
