After missing out on LeBron James this NBA offseason, there is an unsettling feeling about the Warriors running back a nearly identical roster to last season when Steph Curry is approaching the end of his career.
Former teammate D’Angelo Russell wants to see Curry join a contender in the Eastern Conference to solidify his legacy.
“I would love to see Stephen Curry go to Boston,” said Russell on “The Backyard Podcast.” “Yeah, I would love to see that. I just think he needs that type of help around him now. Who’s taking the load off him in Golden State? The rookie? Healthy Jimmy (Butler)?”
The chances of Curry being dealt to the Celtics aren’t realistic, but it is an interesting hypothetical scenario. Boston has a much more competitive roster and would give the 38-year-old a better chance at a fifth ring on paper.
“I think you have a veteran team that’s going to know how to win the last three minutes of a game,” Russell continued. “They’re going to know how to win. Just getting to the last three minutes is where they’re going to struggle.”
The Celtics lost Jaylen Brown in a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers, but they added draft capital along with forward Paul George. George and Jayson Tatum are seasoned veterans who have been leaders on caliber teams. Adding Curry would only strengthen their odds to win it all.
Russell, who was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in July, played with Curry for 33 games during the 2019-2020 season.
Seeing Curry in green would be off-putting, especially after his jaw-dropping performance against the Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals.
Steph Curry with an INSANE third quarter vs Celtics Game 3 2022 NBA Finals:
The Celtics have a much deeper bench after a busy offseason, but losing Brown still is the headline. Acquiring Curry would take a huge haul, but general manager Brad Stevens never has backed away from big moves.
Assuming Curry stays with Golden State to finish his career, it’s going to take some roster reconstruction to make this team a contender again.
While the peaks of the NHL offseason and free agency are well in the rearview mirror at this point, the Philadelphia Flyers find themselves at the center of things still, represented by some of the best remaining players still on the market.
For example, at the goalie position, veteran free agent Cam Talbot remains one of the top netminders available after an uneven stint on a mediocre Detroit Red Wings team.
Another former Flyers player among the best remaining free agents at their respective position who also played on last year's Red Wings is none other than former Flyers No. 2 overall pick James van Riemsdyk, who has carved out a late-career renaissance as an efficient depth scorer for an aspiring contender.
van Riemsdyk, 37, remains unsigned over one month after the opening of free agency despite scoring a respectable 15 goals, 16 assists, and 31 points in 72 games for the Red Wings, which he managed to achieve even while receiving a career-low average of 11:45 of ice time.
The former Flyers winger isn't quite the same player he was even in his second stint with Philadelphia, as four full seasons have now passed since van Riemsdyk's last 20-goal season, a 24-tally campaign with the Flyers in 2021-22.
Still though, van Riemsdyk is, after all, an NHL veteran of 1,154 regular season games and a seven-time 20-goal-scorer; if he still wants to continue his NHL career, he has the savvy and the experience to benefit a contender.
The Middletown, New Jersey, native has made the rounds in the Eastern Conference over the last few years, playing with four teams in as many years. After leaving the Flyers in 2023, van Riemsdyk has played with the Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Detroit Red Wings.
Even those teams are a step or two removed from the likes of Florida, Colorado, Edmonton, Vegas, and Carolina.
These cap-strapped teams (with the exception of Carolina) could do worse than to nab van Riemsdyk on a cheap one-year deal to offer the wily vet one last chance at the elusive Stanley Cup.
van Riemsdyk played the bulk of his 17-year NHL career with the Flyers, scoring 146 goals, 151 assists, and 297 points in 527 games in the Orange and Black.
The Chicago Blackhawks traded for Bowen Byram ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft and then extended him to a long-term, lucrative contract that kicks in after this upcoming season. They have a lot of faith in him to become a true star.
After becoming the 4th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Byram has spent his entire NHL career in the shadows of other elite defenseman. With the Colorado Avalanche, he was behind Cale Makar, and with the Buffalo Sabres, he was behind Rasmus Dahlin.
Other defenders like Devon Toews and Owen Power were also there along the way in his career, so he never had that chance to shine truly.
The Blackhawks have allowed him to be a number-one defenseman, and it’s on him now to run with that chance. The offensive forwards on the team will be mutually beneficial to his game if everything goes as planned.
Byram is not an old player by any means at 25 years old, but he is older than Wyatt Kaiser, Artyom Levshunov, and Sam Rinzel, among other players who could slot onto the blue line at some point.
On Sunday night, the list of the top 20 defensemen in the NHL was revealed by the league, and it did not include Byram. Cale Makar came in at number 1, Rasmus Dahlin was number 4, and Devon Toews rounded out the top 20, but Byram wasn’t able to crack the list.
NHL Network's Top 20 Defensemen Right Now list has a total of: • 21 total All-Star Game appearances • 11 All-Rookie team honors • Seven Norris Trophies • Seven Olympic Gold Medals • Four Calder Trophies • Two Conn Smythe Trophies • Six Stanley Cups
In 2025-26, Byram had 11 goals and 31 assists for 42 points on a Buffalo Sabres team that went to the playoffs and won a round. He was the number two option when it came to offense from the back end on the power play and at even strength and still put up good numbers, but not good enough to make the list.
So what type of numbers would he have to accumulate to make this list next year heading into his age-26 season? He is not going to be one of the league’s top defensive defenseman, but he’s good enough to complement a strong game offensively from the back end. 15 goals or more along with north of 60 points could get him a nod on the list. Surpassing 70 or more would almost guarantee it.
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BINGHAMTON, NY - AUGUST 08: The Binghamton Rumble Ponies mascot greets fans prior to the game between the Hartford Yard Goats and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at Mirabito Stadium on Saturday, August 8, 2026 in Binghamton, New York. (Photo by Nate Stickney/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Syracuse got on the board first thanks to a Nick Lorusso two-run homer in the bottom of the second, but their lead did not last long, as Ofreidy Gomez allowed a run in the top of the third, right-hander Matt Seelinger allowed two in the fourth and then two more in the fifth. Syracuse appeared poised to make something happen in the bottom of the fifth, loading up the bases with one out, but the best they were able to do was score a run via HBP when Ryan Clifford got grazed by a curveball.
Binghamton logged nine hits in the ballgame but all of their runs came on the longball. Kevin Parada blasted a homer in the bottom of the fifth to put the Rumble Ponies on the board and tie the game at 1-1, and Billy Amick blasted his fourth of the series and his third in as many days in the sixth to make it a 4-1 ballgame. The Yard Goats scored two runs in the seventh on a two-run homer off of reliever Carlos Guzman, but Saul Garcia and Garrett Stratton locked in in the eighth and ninth, each tossing a scoreless inning to lock down the win- Binghamton’s sixth in a row- sweeping Hartford.
Brooklyn rallied late, digging out of an early hole they found themselves in. Trailing 6-4 going into the seventh inning, the Cyclones scored two runs in the seventh to tie things up and then another two in the top of the ninth to take the lead. Juan Arnaud walked a tightrope in the bottom of the inning, allowing consecutive singles and a walk to load up the bases with no outs, but he proceeded to strike out the next three batters in a gutsy showing, locking down the save and the series victory.
Early on, St. Lucie and Daytona found themselves evenly matched, but Joel Lara finally cracked in the fourth, allowing three runs. The right-hander allowed another run in the fifth, and reliever Jean Brito allowed an additional run, giving the Tortugas a big 5-0 lead. The offense would put up a three spot in the sixth and would plate another run in the eighth, but the rally fell just short.
Aug 9, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Baltimore Orioles center fielder Colton Cowser (17) hits a home run during the second inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Miracles do occur: the Orioles actually can score some runs every once in a while. Yesterday they released more than a week’s worth of offensive frustration by putting up a 10-spot on the Rangers, clubbing 15 hits, tied for their third most of the season. Pete Alonso erupted for his first multi-homer game as an Oriole, eight O’s batters had at least one hit, and the Birds averted a three-game sweep with a rare stress-free, blowout victory. Check out Mark Brown’s recap of the decisive win.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that the Orioles’ overall series in Arlington sunk them further out of the playoff picture. They entered the series on Friday just one game back of the Rangers for the third wild card spot, but the Orioles’ no-show offensive efforts in the first two games cost them valuable ground. Because of their flailing, not only are they now two games back of Texas, but they also trail three other teams — the Twins, Guardians, and the Tigers, who leapfrogged the Birds this weekend. Even the Mariners and Blue Jays are closer to catching the Orioles than the Orioles are to catching the Rangers. One team will eventually rise above all the rest in this battle for mediocrity, but it’s increasingly unlikely to be the O’s.
The Orioles are now off to face another one of that crowded field of wild-card candidates, the Twins, in a three-game series in Minnesota starting tonight. Normally this is where I would write, “This is a hugely important series!!!1!1!!” but…honestly, I’m not feeling it anymore. I think we’re at the point where the Orioles’ season is too far gone to save.
Their offensive woes have become the norm rather than the exception. Before yesterday, the O’s had scored only 11 total runs in their seven games in August. A lineup that is missing Samuel Basallo and Blaze Alexander, and that inexplicably continues to employ Gunnar Henderson’s .294 OBP in the top third of the order, is going to continue to struggle to score runs. We can all pretty much agree that a Dean Kremer Revenge Game is coming tonight, right?
Anything less than sweeping the Twins is going to continue to close the door on the Orioles’ 2026 playoff hopes. And even if the O’s do manage to keep their heads above water in Minnesota, their next 10 games are against the two best teams in the American League, the Rays and Yankees. That brutal stretch is almost certain to bury the Orioles if their goose isn’t cooked already.
The postseason math is looking pretty bleak. But I suppose nothing’s over until it’s over. If the O’s can carry the momentum of yesterday’s 10-run outburst into the Land of 10,000 Lakes, maybe they’ve still got a fighting chance. But it’s going to require a stretch of red-hot, winning baseball that we’ve rarely seen from this team.
Speaking of Revenge Games, Grayson had a pretty good one at Oriole Park for the Angels last week, though the Birds managed to win. I’m surprised how few of the current Orioles hitters were ever teammates with him.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Three former Orioles were born on Aug. 10: first baseman Dan Johnson (47), catcher Sal Fasano (55), and the late right-hander Bob Chakales (b. 1927, d. 2010) of the inaugural 1954 Orioles.
On this date in 1963, Boog Powell crushed three home runs against the Washington Senators, but the O’s still lost, 6-5. All three blasts were solo shots. The other two Orioles runs were driven in by utility man Bob Johnson, who was starting at third base, snapping Brooks Robinson’s streak of 463 consecutive starts at the hot corner for the Orioles.
On this day in 1981, a newly promoted 20-year-old O’s prospect by the name of Cal Ripken Jr. made his major league debut, pinch-running for Ken Singleton in the bottom of the 12th inning against the Royals. Fittingly enough, the future Hall of Famer scored the game-winning run in his debut, scoring on John Lowenstein’s walkoff single.
In 1996, Eddie Murray hit his 18th career grand slam, which at the time tied him with Willie McCovey for second most in MLB history. (He now ranks fourth, behind Alex Rodriguez, Lou Gehrig, and Manny Ramirez.) Murray’s salami was part of an eight-run ninth inning for the Orioles, turning a slim 5-4 lead into a 13-4 blowout of the White Sox.
In 1999, the Orioles routed the Rays, 17-1, and they did it without hitting any home runs. The O’s racked up an eye-popping 20 hits, and every batter in the lineup had at least one hit and scored at least once. Six different Orioles had multi-hit games, including Mike Bordick, who went 4-for-6 with two doubles and five RBIs. The game got so out of hand that Hall of Fame third baseman Wade Boggs made a pitching appearance for the Rays, the second (and final) of his 18-year career.
But on this date in back-to-back seasons, the Orioles embarrassed themselves. In 2018, they were mathematically eliminated in the AL East with a gruesome 19-12 loss to the Red Sox that dropped them 46.5 games behind with 46 games to play. It marked the earliest date in baseball history that a team had been mathematically eliminated. The Orioles gave up 16 hits and 10 walks in the game. Starter Dylan Bundy was tagged for eight runs, and three relievers — Miguel Castro, Donnie Hart, and Evan Phillips — each surrendered three or more.
And in 2019, the Orioles were obliterated by the Astros, 23-2. Houston set franchise bests for runs scored (23) and extra-base hits (13) in a game. Yordan Alvarez hit three homers and drove in seven on his way to winning AL Rookie of the Year, and five other Astros also had three or more hits. Orioles pitchers Aaron Brooks (nine runs), Branden Kline (five), and Tayler Scott (six) were hit hard, as was utility man Stevie Wilkerson, who gave up three runs in a mop-up pitching appearance. Woof. That 2019 Orioles team was unwatchable.
Happy birthday to Larry Corcoran and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 1930 – Before 45,000 fans, the Cubs sweep two from the Boston Braves at Wrigley Field to move a game back of Brooklyn. Hack Wilson drives home seven runs on three homers, the last his 39th, to back up Charlie Root‘s three-hit shutout in the opener. The Cubs win, 6-0, beating Bob Smith. Pat Malone completes the sweep. twirling a five-hitter to beat Bruce Cunningham, 11-1, in the nightcap, and other stories as well.
Today in baseball history:
1915 – In Washington, Detroit 3B Ossie Vitt is hit by a Walter Johnsonfastball and, after being knocked out for five minutes, leaves the game with a concussion. A rattled Johnson then allows four runs in the 1st inning, two on a homer by George Burns, and another four through the sixth inning to lose (he will be 17-2 at home this year). Ty Cobb, observing Johnson’s fear of hitting a batter, will begin to crowd the plate on the Washington ace from here on. Cobb will average .435 for the rest of his career against Walter, after topping .222 only once in the previous eight years.
1917 – Babe Ruth beats the Tigers, 5 – 4, giving up just four hits. The Babe’s drive into the CF bleachers, said to be the longest hit at Fenway Park, is the difference. The homer is Babe’s first of the year.
1934 – Babe Ruth announces this is his final season as a full-time player.
1957 – Mickey Mantle blasts a 460-foot homer to become the first player to clear the center-field hedge at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore as the Yankees beat the Orioles, 6-3.
1960 – Ted Williams hits a pair of homers and a double to pace the Red Sox to a 6-1 win over the Indians. Ted has 21 homers for the season. The first of the two today, No. 512, moves Ted past Mel Ott into fourth place on the all-time list. After the game, Williams announces that he will retire at the end of the season.
1971 – Twins’ Harmon Killebrew becomes the 10th player to amass 500 home runs and adds his 501st.
2019 – Another hot-hitting rookie, Yordan Alvarez, also has a three-homer game, scoring five runs and driving in seven as the Astros demolish the Orioles, 23-2. Alvarez now has 51 RBIs in 45 games, beating the previous record of 47 set by Ted Williams in his rookie year.
1908 – Twenty thousand fans, the largest ever to watch a Monday game, crowd the Polo Grounds to see the matchup of Christy Mathewson and the Cubs’Orval Overall. Matty doesn’t disappoint, winning, 3-2.
1776 – News of the United States Declaration of Independence reaches London during the American Revolutionary War.
1893 – Rudolf Diesel‘s prototype internal combustion engine, a single 10-foot iron cylinder with a flywheel at its base, runs on its own power for the first time in Augsburg, Germany.
1897 – German chemist Felix Hoffmann first synthesizes acetylsalicylic acid, which is later patented by his company Bayer under the name “aspirin”.
1943 – US General George S. Patton slaps a battle-fatigued soldier at an evacuation hospital, calling him “cowardly,” and threatens him with a pistol.
1949 – Ezzard Charles TKO’s Gus Lesnevich in the 8th round for the heavyweight boxing title.
1969 – Members of the Manson Family cult, including leader Charles Manson, kill Leno and Rosemary LaBianca in their Los Angeles, California home, completing the crime known as the Tate-LaBianca murders.
1977 – Postal employee David Berkowitz is arrested in Yonkers, NY, accused of being the “Son of Sam” .44 caliber killer.
1984 – The US beats Spain 96-65 to win the men’s basketball gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics; future ‘dream team’ members Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin feature.
Today in music history:
1920 – Mamie Smith and her Jazz Hounds record “Crazy Blues” for Okeh Records, the first significant blues hit by an African American artist.
1963 – “Little” Stevie Wonder‘s single “Fingertips (Part 2)” begins a three-week run, making him the youngest singer to top the charts at age 13.
1970 – Jim Morrison‘s trial for “lewd and lascivious behavior” begins in Miami, Florida.
1972 – Paul and Linda McCartney and their band Wings are arrested in Gothenburg, Sweden, on drug possession charges when customs officials discover a package of hashish.
1976 – Elton John performs the first of seven sold-out nights at Madison Square Garden, NYC, to conclude his North American tour.
1979 – “Off the Wall,” the fifth studio album by Michael Jackson, is released (Billboard Album of the Year 1980).
1993 – Columbia Records releases “River of Dreams,” singer-songwriter Billy Joel‘s twelfth and final studio album (unless he changes his mind).
Aug 9, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Derek Hill (49) celebrates his walk-off RBI single during the twelfth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
What a doozy of a ballgame yesterday. It was pretty normal for 7.2 innings before fully going off the rails and delving into performance art. Regardless, it was a win and hopefully once the Phillies can build off of as they enter the week of the Field of Dreams game.
Aug 9, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio (11) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Last Week’s Results
Monday: Pirates 4, Brewers 3
Tuesday: Brewers 4, Pirates 2
Wednesday: Brewers 4, Pirates 2
Thursday: Brewers 5, Pirates 2
Friday: Twins 8, Brewers 6
Saturday: Brewers 4, Twins 3
Sunday: Brewers 4, Twins 3
Division Standings
Brewers 74-44
Cubs 69-50 (5.5 GB)
Cardinals 59-59 (15 GB)
Pirates 58-62 (17 GB)
Reds 56-61 (17.5 GB)
Last Week
Brewers: 5-2
Cubs: 6-1
Cardinals: 4-2
Pirates: 2-5
Reds: 3-3
Top Pitching Performance of the Week
Let’s give a little bit of love to The Vulture, Aaron Ashby. It hasn’t been a particularly easy season, but Ashby had the goods this week, tossing five shutout innings across four appearances while striking out 11 batters. He picked up his 13th win of the season in Saturday’s come-from-behind victory.
An honorable mention to Kyle Harrison, who threw five excellent innings in his first game back with the Brewers since going on the injured list in early July. Harrison struck out 10 batters in that game, and may have threatened his season- (and career-) high of 12 had he not had to exit with cramping.
Top Hitting Performance of the Week
This is an easy one: Jackson Chourio hit just .250 on the week, but four of his six hits were home runs. He also walked as many times as he struck out (seven), giving him an OBP of .419 to go along with his .750 slugging percentage. The kid was a needed source of punch for an offense that’s going through it.
Jake Bauers was also a big source of clutch offense this week (including Sunday’s game-winning hit) and had an OPS near 1.000 in 13 plate appearances. Gary Sánchez, in limited playing time, went 3-for-6 with a homer and a double.
Injury Notes & Roster Moves
The combination of the trade deadline, a few injuries, and being in the midst of a 17-day stretch without an off day led to a busy week on the transaction front.
The headlines came from the deadline. In the biggest deal the Brewers were involved in, they acquired right-handed starter Dustin May and left-handed reliever JoJo Romero from the Cardinals. May pitched for the Brewers on Thursday, while Romero is on the injured list after an emergency appendectomy but is expected back this month. The trade came with a high cost in the form of well-regarded prospects Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale.
In a smaller deadline-day deal, the Brewers sent two minor leaguers from deeper in the system (Mark Manfredi and Juan Martinez) for Rockies reliever Antonio Senzatela, who pitched three times for the Brewers this week.
To accommodate the moves, the Brewers needed to open some roster spots. One was freed up when Codi Heuer, acquired in last week’s Bo Naylor/Craig Yoho trade, was sent to the Orioles for cash.
To free up another spot on the 40-man roster, Carlos Rodriguez was designated for assignment. He cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Nashville. Thomas Pannone, who’d been DFA’d last week, also cleared waivers and was outrighted to Nashville.
To make spots on the active roster for May and Senzatela, Garrett Stallings and Brandon Sproat were optioned to Nashville.
In order to keep some fresh arms on the team, Bryse Wilson was a somewhat harsh recipient of a designation for assignment on Saturday. He was replaced on the 40-man roster by Lyon Richardson.
Cooper Pratt was placed on the 10-day injured list on Sunday with a hamstring injury. To replace him on the roster, the Brewers signed free-agent infielder Jihwan Bae, who bunted for a hit and laid down a successful sacrifice in Sunday’s game. To make room for Bae on the 40-man roster, Drew Rom was designated for assignment.
Also on the injury front, Kyle Harrison returned to active duty on Wednesday. To make room on the roster, Grant Anderson was optioned to Triple-A Nashville, at least temporarily setting up a six-man rotation.
Looking forward, Sal Frelick joined the Sounds for a rehab assignment, though it sounds like he isn’t yet able to throw and will just be getting at-bats for now. It’s unclear when exactly he’s expected to rejoin the Brewers, especially given that he doesn’t have much value if he can’t play the field.
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 21: New Jersey Devils introduce General Manager Sunny Mehta at Prudential Center on April 21, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI vis Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
“Given Sunny Mehta’s past career as a professional poker player, it makes sense that he talks frequently and confidently about making bets. That mindset shaped his first offseason as New Jersey Devils general manager.” [The Athletic ($)]
“All told, there are three prospects whose rights with their respective organizations expire a week to the day, and all three of them should be appealing for one way or another to the New Jersey Devils. There’s no such thing as too strong a pipeline, and the Devils have the contract space to add a few promising players.” [Infernal Access]
“Seamus Casey still has promise, but is his future as an NHLer with the New Jersey Devils?” [Devils on the Rush]
Hockey Links
A notable offseason storyline:
"I will worry about this if it's not done by the start of the season." 😳@FriedgeHNIC stopped by #NHLTonight to provide the latest on Quinn Hughes and a potential contract extension with the @mnwild.
A look at a few top value contracts around the league: [Sportsnet]
The Kings will retire Anze Kopitar’s No. 11:
ONE OF ONE. The @LAKings will retire Anze Kopitar’s No. 11 and unveil a bronze statue of the franchise’s all-time leading scorer @cryptocomarena on February 24, 2027, against the Montreal Canadiens.
22 Dec 2000: Head Coach Don Nelson of the Dallas Mavericks points down the court during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas. The Lakers defeated the Mavericks 108-103. NOTE TO USER: It is expressly understood that the only rights Allsport are offering to license in this Photograph are one-time, non-exclusive editorial rights. No advertising or commercial uses of any kind may be made of Allsport photos. User acknowledges that it is aware that Allsport is an editorial sports agency and that NO RELEASES OF ANY TYPE ARE OBTAINED from the subjects contained in the photographs.Mandatory Credit: Ronald Martinez /Allsport | Getty Images
The basketball world lost a giant. The great Don Nelson died on Sunday at the age of 86 after suffering a stroke three weeks ago.
Nelson was drafted by the Chicago Zephyrs in 1962. A year later he headed to Los Angeles to join the Lakers and the Zephyrs moved to Baltimore to become the Bullets (modern-day Washington Wizards). He played fourteen seasons in the NBA including eleven season with the Boston Celtics. In his time with the Lakers and Celtics, Nelson accumulated five championship rings. His number 19 was retired by the Celtics.
Immediately upon retirement, Nelson moved to Milwaukee to serve as an assistant coach with the Bucks. After a 3-15 start to the 1976 -77 seasons, head coach Larry Costello resigned and Nelson began a head coaching career spanning thirty-one seasons over thirty-three years. He is the second winningest coach in NBA history behind Gregg Popovich and coached coached the second most games behind Lenny Wilkens.
Nelson was the NBA Coach of the Year in 1983, 1985, qne 1992 and served as head coach in the All-Star Game in 1992 and 2002. He is credited with the creating the “Hack-A-Shaq” during his time with the Dallas Mavericks.
Nelson will be remembered for his accolades both as a player and as a coach. His name will come up again and again for years to come in discussions of the greats for his stellar record, his longevity, and his inspiration.
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Last season, after a tremendous rookie season which saw him put up 66 points, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson landed in 19th place on the NHL Network Top 20 Defensemen Right Now Rankings. After having an even better sophomore season, the Habs blueliner jumped 13 spots to land in sixth place on the same ranking this season. That was the biggest jump on the rankings for players who were included last season, which is hardly surprising. After his first season, many wondered if Hutson could keep it up or if the league was going to adapt with video scouting and solve him, so to speak. He’s now shown that he wasn’t a flash in the pan with a 78-point sophomore season and co-leading the Canadiens in the playoffs with 16 points in 19 games.
The NHL Network ranking also acknowledges that Hutson is more than just a one-way player, since he posted a plus-36 rating in 23:46 of average ice time, led the Habs in takeaways with 43, and was fourth in blocked shots with 137. While many naysayers believed he could never be efficient defensively in the NHL because of his size, Hutson has made it clear that he cares about playing on the other side of the puck. Nobody in the NHL backchecks with as much energy, and he never gives up on getting the puck back.
Another aspect of his game that progressed last season was his shot; he scored 12 goals in his second season after scoring just six in his first year. That’s no surprise given how much he has worked on that before and after practice, often being set up by his partner in crime Ivan Demidov for one-timers and getting plenty of advice from Adam Nicholas. With his work ethic, you can expect that shot to get even better, and that should have a big impact on the Canadiens’ power play. Once he becomes a more respected shooter, opposing sides will have to respect his shot, and they won’t be able to play him like he’ll pass every time, as is the case now.
Interestingly, New York Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer makes his first appearance in the rankings at number seven, taking the rankings by storm. As mentioned earlier, Hutson only started in 19th place after his rookie season. The top of the rankings hasn’t changed in a year; Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, and Zach Werenski still rule the roost. You can see the complete rankings here.
NHL Network's Top 20 Defensemen Right Now list has a total of: • 21 total All-Star Game appearances • 11 All-Rookie team honors • Seven Norris Trophies • Seven Olympic Gold Medals • Four Calder Trophies • Two Conn Smythe Trophies • Six Stanley Cups
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 09: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves looks on before a game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 09, 2026 in New York City. The Braves defeated the Yankees 2-1. in ten innings. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
However, the headlines will instead focus on the bizarre occurrences around Chris Sale, who was ejected on Sunday from the dugout for continuing to argue against the reasons he was called for a balk on Saturday. It seems quite odd that an umpiring crew would go to this extent against one of the game’s true stars, especially when Sale did not appear to do anything out of his normal routine on Saturday. Regardless of whether or not the balk was warranted, it does feel that the involvement of the umpires unnecessarily will overshadow one of the better series of baseball we have seen this season.
There are a few elite teams at the top of the heap who are primarily playing for first-round byes and home-field advantage, but for the rest of the clubs with postseason aspirations, every game could potentially be the difference between having a chance to win a World Series or watching the postseason on television.
With that in mind, we offer up a quick snapshot of where things stand in the American and National League playoff races as the new week gets underway.
Current MLB playoff picture
All records and stats are as of the start of play on Monday, Aug. 10.
The division winners with the two best records in each league earn byes into the division series. Currently, the top seeds are the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago White Sox in the AL, and the Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves in the NL.
The third division winner in each league will have home field advantage in their division series and will host the wild-card team with the worst record. Three teams in each league qualify for wild-card playoff berths.
Note: If two or more teams tie for a division title or a wild-card spot. Ties are broken by head-to-head record first, followed by intradivision record. Beyond that, things can get complicated.
The playoffs follow this format:
Wild-card series: Best of 3
Division series: Best of 5
League championship series: Best of 7
World Series: Best of 7
Key MLB postseason dates
The official 2026 MLB postseason schedule has not yet been released. However, no major changes from last year's schedule have been announced or are expected.
Sunday, Sept. 27: Final day of 2026 regular season
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 08: George Lombard Jr. #96 of the New York Yankees rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the game against the Atlanta Braves at Yankee Stadium on August 8, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees came oh-so-close to a scintillating sweep of the Braves, but the offense sputtered once again in another extra-innings loss yesterday. Even so, the series victory over Atlanta did serve as proof of concept. Thanks to their stellar pitching, this offensively limited version of the Yankees very much can beat the best teams in baseball. It may not always look pretty, but the Yankees have a chance to win every night because of their staff, and it does beg the question: how good can this team be once (if?) the offensive cavalry arrives?
It’ll be a relatively quiet day on the site, matching up with the team’s offday. In the morning, Kevin recaps Sunday afternoon’s American League action, and Matt profiles Gerald Williams, an outfielder and World Series champion with the Yankees. Later, Peter discusses how Paul Blackburn’s sinker has unlocked the rest of his game, and Madison puts out the call for this week’s mailbag.
Today’s Matchup:
Offday
Questions/Prompts:
1. Has Cam Schlittler re-established himself as the AL Cy Young favorite?
2. The Mariners are in town this week. Where does Seattle rank among the most disappointing teams in baseball this season?
