BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 21: Ranger Suárez #55 of the Boston Red Sox speaks during a press conference announcing his contract agreement with the Boston Red Sox on January 21, 2026 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another day, another cold snap that reminds us that the hot stove is probably turned off. Talk to me again when the warm sunshine of Florida is on my screen and I’m whining about how long spring training is.
At least there is the World Baseball Classic this year.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts greets Mookie Betts, Will Smith and Max Muncy during DodgerFest at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
In 1970, two years before he died, Jackie Robinson spoke at his son’s high school graduation.
“In a land where we declare that we have liberty and justice for all,” Robinson said, “it seems that slogan really means liberty and justice for all as long as you do and say what some people want you to do and say.”
Those words ring uncomfortably true today.
Robinson often spoke out on civil rights, challenging both political parties. If you visit the Jackie Robinson Museum, as the Dodgers did when the museum opened in 2022, you see displays on civil rights and economic opportunity and social justice before you get to the baseball showcases.
“Jackie’s passion was civil rights and equality, and more so than baseball,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said then. “It was more of, baseball was just a vehicle for him to use his voice, which is pretty cool to see and actually pretty inspiring.”
In these perilous times, in which “indivisible” has been replaced by “you’re with us, or you’re the enemy within,” Robinson’s team will have the opportunity to celebrate its latest World Series championship at the White House.
Last month in Minneapolis, two American citizens were shot to death on American streets by agents of the American government. In this fragile moment, I asked Roberts if he would feel comfortable visiting the White House as the manager of Jackie Robinson’s team.
“For me, I stand by: I’m a baseball manager,” Roberts told me Saturday at the Dodgers’ fan festival. “That’s my job.
“I was raised — by a man who served our country for 30 years — to respect the highest office in our country. For me, it doesn’t matter who is in the office, I’m going to go to the White House. I’ve never tried to be political. ... For me, I am going to continue to try to do what tradition says and not try to make political statements, because I am not a politician.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts sits on stage during DodgerFest at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
Neither was Robinson. In 1944 — three years before he broke baseball’s color barrier and 11 years before Rosa Parks — Robinson refused an order to move to the back of a bus. He was an Army lieutenant, prosecuted by a military court for insubordination and then acquitted.
In the wake of the killings of Renee Good and then Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, federal officials hurried to television cameras and social media accounts. None of the usual admonitions against leveraging tragedy for political purposes. No thoughts and prayers, even, just a rush to dehumanize the dead with labels such as “domestic terrorist” before any investigation.
The last words of Good, to one of those federal agents: “I’m not mad at you.” The last words of Pretti, to someone needing assistance: “Are you OK?”
Jackie Robinson: “The right of every American to first-class citizenship is the most important issue of our time.”
After the killing of Pretti last week, the BBC exhaustively checked the claims of federal authorities against video evidence from a variety of sources: “None of the videos we have analyzed show Alex Pretti holding a gun. There is no available evidence that he was an assassin who tried to murder federal agents, no available evidence he intended to massacre law enforcement, nor that it was a violent riot, no available evidence that this was an individual who arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.”
In Minnesota, the immigration sweeps proceed unabated. The Star Tribune reported Saturday of a local detention facility so overcrowded that a woman had been locked inside a bathroom with three men.
In a suburban Minneapolis incident captured on video, an agent tells a man he must produce citizenship documentation “because of your accent.”
The Huffington Post reported that four children from an elementary school in a heavily Latino suburb of Minneapolis had been shipped to a detention facility in Texas.
Yet a judge ordered one of those children released Saturday, blasting what he called the “ill-conceived and incompetently implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children.”
Jackie Robinson: “The most luxurious possession, the richest treasure anybody has, is his personal dignity.”
This is not something the Dodgers can dismiss as an out-of-town issue. Federal immigration agents operate in Los Angeles too.
Jackie Robinson: “To build for leadership, one must base his standing on what is right, not what is expedient.”
President Trump greets Dodgers manager Dave Roberts last April during a ceremony to honor the team's 2024 World Series championship. (Mark Schiefelbein / Associated Press)
“I don’t have any news for you on that,” he said Saturday.
To skip the trip could be uncomfortable, but the Dodgers would not have to stand on a Washington street in protest, or issue a blistering statement. All they would need to do is decline a photo opportunity.
The Dodgers are free to make their own decision, of course. They’ll be in Washington for their first road series of the season, in the first week of April. Then they’ll return to Dodger Stadium, for the annual Jackie Robinson Day festivities.
For me, going to the White House would feel more expedient than right. If the Dodgers do go, they ought to skip the tributes to Robinson’s grand courage, since they would not have been able to muster up a fraction of their own.
It’s NBA trade deadline season, and the rumors are swirling faster than a dust devil in the Sonoran Desert. Where is Giannis going to land? What do the Dallas Mavericks do with Anthony Davis? And what, if anything, should the Suns be doing? There are plenty of questions, and they will all be answered soon enough, with the trade deadline set for February 5 at 1:00pm Arizona time.
This is the part of the calendar when whispers start to surface. Little things here and there. For a team like the Suns, one that is competing for a top-four seed in the Western Conference, it would be irresponsible not to listen. Listening does not mean acting. It means being informed.
And here we are again, back in familiar territory. The annual idea that Miles Bridges to the Suns could someday become a thing. The reasoning is always the same. Michigan State. A tidy narrative that never seems to die.
Hornets' Miles Bridges drawing interest from Bucks, Warriors, Suns, others https://t.co/Vcer5jMjLU
For those curious about where I stand on Miles Bridges, I have laid those thoughts out before.
So will the Suns make a run at Miles Bridges? I think there is something to take from a recent interview Mat Ishbia did with Zach Lowe on The Zach Low Show. Quick side note, there are only a few podcasts I listen to religiously, and Zach Lowe is one of them. If you want a real sense of what is happening around the NBA, that is the one I keep coming back to.
During the interview, Zach asked Ishbia about Bridges, not directly, not cleanly, but in a way that clearly invited a response. And Ishbia answered.
“I’ll tell you that I know that guy that you’re referencing, and he’s a great player and a winner on the court,” Ishbia responded. But he added, “There’s nothing to it right now.”
My takeaway from that is this. The Suns are going to stand pat when it comes to Miles Bridges. There is no reason to chase something that could disrupt the energy and chemistry this team has built. That is not what this team is about. That is not what this season is about.
This season is about toughness, about growth, about patience. And based on his comments on the Zach Lowe Show, it sounds like Mat Ishbia sees it the same way.
What will the Suns do? We’ll find out as the week progresses, but I am firmly on #TeamNoTrade Island.
Throughout his first two seasons, there were often statistics showing that he had more blocks that entire teams.
Last Wednesday, Wembanyama played in his 150th NBA game. At the end, his totals evoked the first 150 games of another Spurs center, the legendary David Robinson.
Victor Wembanyama has totaled 3,440 PTS, 1,631 REB and 520 BLK in his first 150 games 📊
In his first 150 games, Victor Wembanyama racked up more points than Kevin Durant. Like Wemby, Durant was Rookie of the Year. KD averaged 20.3 points in his first season and 25.3 in his second. Durant recently surpasses Dirk Nowitzki in all-time scoring. He’s fifth and sure to move beyond Michael Jordan in the weeks to come.
Additionally, Wemby has more rebounds than Charles Barkley over his first 150 games. Barkley averaged 8.6 boards in his rookie campaign and 12.8 in his second season. He is the 20th all-time in NBA/ABA rankings with 12, 546 over his sixteen seasons.
Wemby also bested Nikola Jokic in assists. The Joker had one less, 533, compared to Victor’s 534. Jokic is currently 47th all-time. He’s currently in his second consecutive season averaging double-digit dimes. As far as big men go, Jokic is one of the best when it comes to dishing out assists.
Wemby has more steals than the great Kobe Bryant over their respective sesquicentenary starts. Kobe retired with 1,944 career steals, ranking him 19th on the all-time list.
What about blocks? Well, we know that rejecting shots is Wemby’s specialty. After 150 games, he’s tallied over 70 blocks more than Hakeem Olajuwon did in his first 150 games. “The Dream” is the all-time NBA/ABA blocks leader with 3,830. For measure, basketball-refernce.com lists Nikola Jokic as the 250th ranked NBA all-time with 561 blocks. Wemby is 42 blocks from cracking the top 250. That’s all-time NBA blocking leaders. Let that soak in.
Finally, our dear Victor Wembanyama has more three-pointers made in his inaugural campaign than Steph Curry, the greatest shooter of all time. Granted, in his first couple of seasons Curry didn’t shoot with the volume he hasover the latter half of his career, but he had the accuracy. Curry is the NBA’s all-time three-point shooter with 4,233 (as of this writing) and counting. He’s almost a thousand more than James Harden, the second highest all-time.
Any one of those on its own is impressive, but Wemby is a great player all around. And he’s still developing.
What’s next for Wemby? What will his 200th game stats look like? Will he ever get that coveted quadruple-double? It certainly seems to be within his reach.
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The regular season is already more than halfway complete, and the chase for Larry O’Brien trophy is beginning to heat up. In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets lead the way with the Los Angeles Lakers lurking behind. On the other side of the country, the New York Knicks are among the East contenders again. All four teams will be featured in the star-studded doubleheader on NBC and Peacock.
Here’s everything to know for Sunday Night Basketball this week:
When is Sunday Night Basketball on NBC?
Sunday Night Basketball will debut on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026.
What games are on Sunday Night Basketball tonight?
The evening will begin at Madison Square Garden, as the Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks host Luka Doncic, LeBron James and the Lakers at 7 p.m. ET.
For the second game, it’ll be a playoff rematch in Colorado between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Oklahoma City Thunder and Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets at 9:30 p.m. ET.
How to watch Sunday Night Basketball on NBC and Peacock
Who are the announcers for Sunday Night Basketball?
NBC’s coverage on Sunday will feature a variety of Hall of Famers and award-winners.
BNIA will be hosted by Maria Taylor alongside Hall of Fame analysts Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. WNBA star Caitlin Clark will also join BNIA as a special contributor at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. She’ll return to the crew on March 29, too.
Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Hall of Famer Reggie Miller (analyst), three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford (analyst) and Zora Stephenson (courtside reporter) will call Lakers-Knicks at MSG.
Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Hall of Famer Grant Hill (analyst) and Ashley ShahAhmadi (courtside reporter) will be in Denver for Thunder-Nuggets.
Sunday Night Basketball theme song by Lenny Kravitz
Sunday Night Basketball, like Sunday Night Footballwill begin with an opening song from a Grammy-winning artist.
Lenny Kravitz will provide the tune for the basketball edition, which begins a new era for the NBA on NBC. Here’s a teaser of what to expect:
Sunday Night Basketball full schedule for 2026 NBA season
After this week’s doubleheader, Sunday Night Basketball will return on Feb. 22 through the end of the regular season. Here are all the games to come:
The regular season is already more than halfway complete, and the chase for Larry O’Brien trophy is beginning to heat up. In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets lead the way with the Los Angeles Lakers lurking behind. On the other side of the country, the New York Knicks are among the East contenders again. All four teams will be featured in the star-studded doubleheader on NBC and Peacock.
Here’s everything to know for Sunday Night Basketball this week:
When is Sunday Night Basketball on NBC?
Sunday Night Basketball will debut on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026.
What games are on Sunday Night Basketball tonight?
The evening will begin at Madison Square Garden, as the Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks host Luka Doncic, LeBron James and the Lakers at 7 p.m. ET.
For the second game, it’ll be a playoff rematch in Colorado between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Oklahoma City Thunder and Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets at 9:30 p.m. ET.
How to watch Sunday Night Basketball on NBC and Peacock
Who are the announcers for Sunday Night Basketball?
NBC’s coverage on Sunday will feature a variety of Hall of Famers and award-winners.
BNIA will be hosted by Maria Taylor alongside Hall of Fame analysts Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. WNBA star Caitlin Clark will also join BNIA as a special contributor at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. She’ll return to the crew on March 29, too.
Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Hall of Famer Reggie Miller (analyst), three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford (analyst) and Zora Stephenson (courtside reporter) will call Lakers-Knicks at MSG.
Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Hall of Famer Grant Hill (analyst) and Ashley ShahAhmadi (courtside reporter) will be in Denver for Thunder-Nuggets.
Sunday Night Basketball theme song by Lenny Kravitz
Sunday Night Basketball, like Sunday Night Footballwill begin with an opening song from a Grammy-winning artist.
Lenny Kravitz will provide the tune for the basketball edition, which begins a new era for the NBA on NBC. Here’s a teaser of what to expect:
Sunday Night Basketball full schedule for 2026 NBA season
After this week’s doubleheader, Sunday Night Basketball will return on Feb. 22 through the end of the regular season. Here are all the games to come:
Giants starter Robbie Ray made his priorities clear heading into the 2026 MLB season: health first, consistency next — and if those two boxes are checked, the results should follow.
Speaking to reporters Saturday at Giants FanFest in Sacramento, Ray explained his primary focus is staying on the mound all year and giving his team a chance to win every time he takes the ball.
“I think the biggest thing is staying healthy, making all my starts,” Ray said. “Going out each time and giving my team a chance to win, keep us in ballgames. Obviously, as a starting pitcher, 200 innings is kind of a goal every year. So, if I can stay healthy, I think I can do that.”
The emphasis on durability carries extra weight for Ray, who returned from Tommy John surgery midway through the 2024 season after being acquired by the Giants in January of that year. He made seven starts following his July return before entering 2025 with a full offseason of preparation.
Ray followed that up with a strong 2025 campaign, earning his second career MLB All-Star selection while emerging as a key piece of the Giants’ rotation. He finished the year with 32 starts and more than 180 innings pitched, a workload that put him within striking distance of the benchmark he now firmly has in mind for 2026.
“Personally, I felt like it was a good year to build off of,” Ray said. “My first full season off surgery, being able to throw 182 innings after only throwing 30 innings the past two years for me was huge.”
Ray’s comments come with Opening Day less than two months away, when the Giants are set to host the New York Yankees on March 25 at Oracle Park.
Joel Embiid made no effort to minimize the magnitude of Paul George’s suspension.
“Impossible,” Embiid said Saturday night when asked about replacing George. “I know people have mixed feelings about what he brings to the table, but you can’t replace it. He does everything for us. Defensively, probably our best perimeter defender. Offensively, he can play so many roles — knock down shots, post up, creation, playmaking. Can’t replace it. It’s going to be tough moving forward, but we’ve just got to try.”
One silver lining for the Sixers is that Embiid can make everything around him appear irrelevant when he’s at or near his top level. He scored 40 points Saturday night for the first time in the regular season since January of 2024 and the Sixers pulled out a 124-114 win over the Pelicans.
Of course, life for the Sixers without George isn’t as simple as tossing the ball to Embiid and hoping for the best. The 35-year-old forward was suspended 25 games Saturday for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse indicated he won’t be entirely separate from the team during his suspension.
“He’s still part of the team,” Nurse said. “He can’t play the games but is still allowed in the facility and practices and all that stuff. We’re going to make sure those things continue to happen to get him back. And I just told him listen, as with all our players dealing with this type of stuff, we care about him. We’re here to help him … in any way possible. Got to get through it the best way we can, and then go from there.”
No Sixer shared any further information about the circumstances of George’s suspension. He told ESPN’s Shams Charania he “made the mistake of taking an improper medication” while “seeking treatment” for a mental health issue.
“I obviously don’t have all the details,” Embiid said. “All we know is whatever was tweeted, so it’s hard to comment on it. But I know Paul. He means well. We’re going to hold down the fort until he comes back.”
The suspension has many on-court ripple effects.
Dominick Barlow rejoined the starting lineup Saturday. Trendon Watford and Jabari Walker returned to the rotation. Jared McCain played a major role off the bench, sinking four three-pointers and meshing well with Embiid. After taking just three field goals over 37 minutes in the Sixers’ victory Thursday vs. the Kings, Kelly Oubre Jr. had a strong all-around night with 19 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
“As soon as the news came out, I hit Jared, Justin (Edwards), Trendon: ‘Listen, y’all got to be ready,’” Tyrese Maxey said. “I know Kelly’s going to be ready; that’s just who he is. But Jared, Justin, Trendon … those three guys haven’t played in playoff basketball. And last year we weren’t good, so we didn’t play meaningful basketball.
“Now, going into the All-Star break, we want to be playing the right away. After the All-Star break, we want to be stepping in the right directions and we want to be looking toward trying to get into position for the postseason. So we need those guys to really step up and play good basketball for us.”
Notably, Embiid didn’t rest much against the Kings.
He logged 39 minutes and was fresh enough to nail crunch-time jumpers. The seven-time All-Star’s left knee still requires regular maintenance, but it hasn’t looked problematic lately. Embiid’s averaged 29.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.0 blocks since Dec. 12.
He’s dramatically exceeded his own expectations after playing just 19 games last year and undergoing arthroscopic surgery in April. Embiid on Saturday credited Sixers vice president of athlete care Simon Rice for being “the one guy that’s just kept trying to figure it out” and spoke at length about his gratitude.
“Honestly, it’s surprising,” Embiid said. “Coming into this year, I thought it was going to be more of a tryout year for me. This year has already been successful because coming into the year, it was all about figuring out, ‘What’s the schedule? How are we going to do this moving forward?’
“Trying to figure out how the knee is going to respond every single day. We started the year with at least two days off after every game. Now we’ve been doing it every other day. It’s been going well. … So to me, this year is already a success, but that doesn’t change my mentality as far as wanting to get better every single day. Keep pushing.”
For the teammates who have seen Embiid’s full-blown dominance firsthand, this quality of play isn’t stunning. And with George now out of the picture, the Sixers want their star big man to stay rolling.
“I’ve seen him score 40 countless times,” Oubre said. “I never doubted that he’d be able to get back to that point. Super proud of him. I know that he’s gone through a lot of adversity over these past few years and it’s just good to see him smiling, it’s good to see him happy, it’s good to see him celebrating and trolling. More to come.”
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 15: President of baseball operations Derek Falvey of the Minnesota Twins speaks during the 2024 Grapefruit League Spring Training Media Day at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Thursday, February 15, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Hello everyone! Welcome to our new Daily Question series for the month of February. With Spring Training around the corner, we want to hear from you on what 2026 holds for your Minnesota Twins. Let’s get excited for baseball!
After nine years at the helm of the Minnesota Twins, Derek Falvey and the Twins agreed to mutually part ways (though, further reporting from Dan Hayes and Aaron Gleeman certainly indicates that the decision was more on Falvey’s end after disagreements on the franchise’s future with new owner Tom Pohlad). GM Jeremy Zoll, at least for the 2026 season, will run baseball operations in the meantime
While the timing is certainly suspect, there were arguments on both sides to move on after nearly a decade. Falvey modernized a baseball operations department that was stuck in 1995 under Terry Ryan and turned their longstanding coaching and development issues into a strong suit. Coaches, scouts, and front office personnel went on to prominent positions with some of the best teams in baseball like the Yankees, Dodgers, and Red Sox, among many others.
Perhaps because of the brain drain caused by replacing those poached positions every season, the Twins had definitely plateaued over the past four or seasons. While a lot of that can be laid at the feet of the Pohlads after repeated budget cuts coming off of their elite 2023, Falvey and the Twins also were unable to develop top prospects into productive MLB hitters, with former Top 100 prospects like Royce Lewis, Alex Kirilloff, Austin Martin, Jose Miranda, Brooks Lee, and Edouard Julien unable to live up to their billing. However, Falvey should also get credit for repeatedly developing both starters and relievers above and beyond expectations.
So, was parting with Falvey the right move? And relatedly, what would you like to see Jeremy Zoll improve on as the new head man? Is there enough time for Zoll to feasibly fix the major holes this roster still has? Can he find anyone to take on Trevor Larnach and his uber-redundant role on this roster?
DALLAS, TEXAS - DECEMBER 03: Head coach Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks reacts during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup game against the Memphis Grizzlies at American Airlines Center on December 03, 2024 in Dallas, 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. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Following the Dallas Mavericks’ 111-107 loss to the Houston Rockets, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd went and fulfilled his media obligations in quite an unusual fashion. Kidd, who as we well know, is not typically one to give you much in a press conference setting. Well, Saturday night’s postgame presser was much different than any old postgame presser.
For that, it’s time to open up the quote board for the second time in a week!
I saw a foul. Sean [Wright], Simone [Jelks] and Jason [Goldberg] (the three officials for the game) were awful tonight. It’s unacceptable. It’s a foul and he needs to be at the free throw line. Does he make both? That’s up to the player.
Well, Jason Kidd decided today was the day he is going to open up the checkbook and make one payable to Adam Silver, because this one will likely cost him $25,000. I get it, it’s been a frustrating year and the Mavs have lost a ton of close games. But in fairness to the officials, Cooper didn’t get a ton of contact on that drive. I’d be willing to bet he says the same thing, and would probably like to have that one back. But hey, that’s life in the league as a rookie. You live and learn.
Criticism? That’s your opinion. You guys write that [well written article]. I’ve done this, I’ve played this game. I’ve played it at a very high level, and I know what the [rhymes with firetruck] I’m doing. I don’t give a [fudge] about what you guys write, because you guys have never played the game. I build players, so I know what the [wow, another one!] I’m doing. So, if I take criticism, it only makes me better. Because if I wasn’t doing it right, you guys wouldn’t be poking holes in what I’ve done.
If you’ll allow, I’d like to offer my honest reaction to this set of answers from Jason Kidd.
Because Kidd quite literally never gives anything of substance in pressers, this whole thing just feels like a bit. It screams like he came in pissed off, and was looking for a way to defend himself for his team going 32-50 in the 82 regular season games that have passed since the Luka Doncic trade one year ago (Los Angeles, by the way, is 51-31 in the same time with the 2022-23 Mavericks surrounding Luka). And, in case you forgot, who was sitting up there in Cleveland on Feb. 2, saying that he and Nico Harrison were “aligned” in the vision? Oh yeah, that’d be the head coach of the Mavericks, Jason Kidd. Well Jason, I guess this is a bit more than you bargained for?
<p>ALIGNMENT (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)</p><br> | NBAE via Getty Images
Oh, and another thing. The complaints about the point Flagg experiment all came because Jason Kidd, head coach of the Mavericks, simply had Cooper Flagg bring the ball up, hand it off to someone, and then sit his happy self in the corner while you tried to force feed Anthony Davis. Those same lineups that Kidd ran in the early season games actually work now because Flagg is able to actually run offense with the ball in his hands. Funny how that works!
So spare me the routine when you, Jason Kidd
Were (allegedly) advocating for the Luka Doncic trade
As member of the brain trust, decided that Ryan Nembhard, Brandon Williams and D’Angelo Russell (who has been DNP-CD for weeks now) were the guards you wanted to surround your 18-year-old number one overall pick with
Worst of all, actively made the first 20 games of the Cooper Flagg experience miserable to watch
However, since none of us here played in the NBA, I probably just made it all up, I don’t even understand what good basketball is. So, I offer my congratulations to Jason Kidd, who is now winning at a 47.5% clip in his career without Luka Doncic on his roster. Maybe he’ll parlay all of that knowledge and wisdom into being the GM one day. Frankly, I just fear it’s going to be for this team.
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: An overall view of Yankee Stadium before the Game 4 of the Division Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees on October 8, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hello everyone and welcome to February. We’re trying out something new this month with “Today on Pinstripe Alley” in alignment with many of our fellow SB Nation sites. Instead of getting two occasionally random questions per day at the end of the Today on PSAs, we’ll be choosing one and offering our own answers before turning it over to you all for discussion. We’ll still be detailing what’s ahead on the docket at PSA, but the goal here is to really engage on something of note, so let’s see what happens!
There’s no time to waste! So what’s the strongest reason to believe this Yankees season won’t be a waste? I think there’s a number of ways to approach this. There’s the very obvious, and that’s the 6-foot-7, three-time AL MVP who patrols right field for the Yankees. Anytime you get to pencil Aaron Judge into a lineup, you feel like good things will follow.
The only time the Yanks have missed the playoffs since he broke out as a rookie in 2017 was when the Dodger Stadium outfield fence rudely interrupted another MVP-caliber campaign in 2023. They’ve been one of the last four teams standing in four of those eight seasons, and while the rest of the team wasn’t as sharp last October, Judge was en fuego, shaking off some playoff doldrums. He’ll be another year older in 2026, but it’s not as though 34 is ancient; former teammate Paul Goldschmidt didn’t win his first career MVP until his age-34 season in 2022. Judge can absolutely be as good again, or at least at a highly impressive level.
One player cannot make a team though (ask the Angels). And yet for as much as I would’ve liked to see the Yankees do more this offseason to bolster their championship odds and better safeguard them from potentially ruinous injuries, it’s still a very good ballclub. They have flaws, but ask an opposing fan if their own preferred team has any flaws; trust me, they’ll be sure to find ‘em! (Yes, even on the Dodgers.) The Yankees’ offense easily led the majors last year with 274 homers, and non-Judge players still combined for 221 bombs, which would’ve still ranked six without Judge. Cody Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Trent Grisham, Giancarlo Stanton, and Ben Rice all provided hefty support, and for as frustrating as the “run it back” approach is in some aspects, that’s not really the case for the offense. They should rake again, and for as uneasy as fans were with the non-Gerrit Cole pitching staff last year, they still recorded more strikeouts than every AL team outside of Houston — and Cole will rejoin them eventually.
Is this the rose-colored glasses view? Perhaps, but hope springs eternal. What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
Today on the site, Matt will celebrate a very familiar Yankee second baseman’s birthday as part of our ongoing series and Peter will look into pitcher Nick Martinez as a free agent addition, given the recent news of the Yankees’ possible interest in the erstwhile Reds righty. Later, John will present the weekly Social Media Spotlight.
Oct 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy (49) speaks in a press conference before game four against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Welcome to our new February Daily Question series. Throughout the month, we’ll be posting question articles every day in the hopes that we can start some more conversations within the Brew Crew Ball community. To begin, we’re asking, “What’s the strongest reason to believe this season won’t be a waste?”
Now, I’ll be the first to say that “rebuild year” doesn’t seem to be in the Brewers’ — specifically Matt Arnold’s — vocabulary. But it seems almost too good to be true that Milwaukee can avoid having any rebuild seasons for nearly a decade. That’s typically the stuff of high-payroll franchises like the Yankees and Dodgers.
But that’s exactly what Arnold & Co. have done. The Brewers have played virtually no “meaningless” baseball since 2017 — the only season they’ve missed the playoffs since 2018 was in 2022, when they remained in wild card contention until the last series of the season and ultimately finished just one game back of the Phillies for the last playoff spot.
They can’t keep getting away with it, can they?
With Freddy Peralta just the latest “sacrifice” in a long line of trades to reload Milwaukee’s prospect depth, can Arnold, Pat Murphy, and the Brewers work their magic once again? Is there reason to believe this is the rebuild year, or will the “bites of the apple” approach continue to work?
Weigh in in the comments, and join us throughout the month as we keep these conversations rolling into spring training.
Carlos Alcaraz came from a set down to beat Novak Djokovic in four becoming, at 22 years and eight months, the youngest man to achieve a career grand slam
Our players are ready to come out. This is going to be special.
I keep saying it, but it bears repetition: we’re at the start of a golden age in women’s tennis. Sabalenka, Rybakina, Gauff, Swiatek and Osaka at their peaks, Anisimova coming, Andreeva getting there, then Mboko, Baptiste and Jovic on the match; ooooh yeah.
Jalen Brunson fights over the pick of Donovan Clingan (left) as he defends Jerami Grant during the Knicks' blowout win over the Trail Blazers on Jan. 30, 2026 at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks fought out of their rut and turned their season around primarily due to a dramatic defensive improvement.
And coach Mike Brown praised an unlikely, or little appreciated, part of it — Jalen Brunson.
“Jalen’s a good defender,” Brown said. “Obviously, a lot of people sleep on that. I don’t know why they have for years. He’s competitive, he’s feisty, he’s strong. There was a clip that we used from the Toronto game. We like to make sure we one-two [step] into the ball with a little physicality while leading with your chest — not with your hands — and getting over the screen as the ball comes over the screen.
Jalen Brunson fights over the pick of Donovan Clingan (left) as he defends Jerami Grant during the Knicks’ blowout win over the Trail Blazers on Jan. 30, 2026 at Madison Square Garden. Brad Penner-Imagn Images
“If there was a definition of how to defend the ball in a pick-and-roll situation when you’re on the ball, that play would’ve been it. Because he step-slided, used his chest and because he did that, [Immanuel] Quickley pushed off and he picked up an offensive foul.”
The Knicks have recorded a 92.8 defensive rating during their current five-game winning streak — best in the NBA during that stretch.
“He’s been impressive leading with his chest, showing his hands and trying to play defense the right way with a little chip on his shoulder,” Brown said. “So it’s not just him, it’s all of our guys that have done that. But it’s good to see him doing it, especially with the scoring load that we put him on the other end of the floor.”
After losing nine of 11 games, the Knicks have benefited from some needed rest.
Jalen Brunson defends Jerami Grant during the Knicks’ blowout win over the Trail Blazers. Brad Penner-Imagn Images
These last five games during their streak came across 10 days.
“To be able to spend some time in the gym, where you’re not worrying about playing a game, has benefited us a ton,” Brown said. “We’ve made some changes on both ends of the floor. The more time we have to continue working on it, on them, the better we’ll be at the end of the day.”
