Lakers coach JJ Redick had a meeting with Luka Doncic on Wednesday, something he plans to do with each player.
What did they talk about?
Leadership.
“It’s something he’s really excited about,” Redick said at Lakers practice Thursday.
The Lakers belong to Doncic after LeBron James left for the 76ers in free agency after eight seasons in Los Angeles, including leading the Purple-and-Gold to their first championship in 10 years in 2020.
It has now been six long years since the Lakers sat atop the league.
For a 17-time championship franchise, that’s an agonizingly long stretch. Doncic is next in line to carry them back to that lofty position. And to do so, he’s going to have to get a bit uncomfortable.
See, Doncic leads by example. He’s never going to be the loudest guy in the locker room. That’s just not him.
But the Lakers need more out of him.
He needs to be aware of how he carries himself. How he reacts to things. How he responds in tough moments.
Los Angeles Lakers player Luka Doncic (77) poses during media day at UCLA Health Training Center on Monday, September 28, 2026, in El Segundo, Calif. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“I think as a leader you can always grow,” Redick said. “That’s part of most good leaders that I know at least — they have that growth mentality. I think Luka has a growth mentality as a player. And I don’t think there’s any reason to believe that it won’t extend that to leadership.
“He recognizes that the vocal side of things is one thing, the body language — both positive and negative— is another thing. That’s a focus is just having great body language. This group of guys is going to follow him and AR [Austin Reaves]. That’s just the reality. They’re going to follow those two guys, and that’s a huge responsibility for both of those guys.”
Obviously, being the head of a team is nothing new for Doncic. He became the youngest player in EuroLeague history to win the MVP award at age 19 while playing for Real Madrid en route to carrying it to the championship. He led the Mavericks to the Finals in 2024.
But everything is different with the Lakers.
They’re one of the biggest teams in the world. The spotlight is blinding. The microscope is unforgiving.
Doncic is aware of that. He says he’s ready for it.
When asked now that James is gone, how it feels to be the Lakers’ torchbearer, he didn’t hesitate.
“I was in this position in my career a lot of times, so it’s not new to me,” Doncic said. “But I feel great. I feel excited. And like I said, I’m ready to go.”
Austin Reaves, Head Coach JJ Redick, and Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers pose for a portrait during NBA Media Day at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California, Monday, September 28, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
Doncic wants to win his first championship. He wants to make the Mavericks deeply regret stunningly trading him to the Lakers in February 2025. He wants to prove that he’s the best player in the league.
Now is his chance.
He had his fingerprints all over the roster this offseason.
Doncic wanted to keep playing with Reaves. The Lakers signed him to a four-year, $180 million deal, the richest contract in NBA history for a player who went undrafted.
Doncic wanted Walker Kessler as the team’s franchise center. They sent two unprotected first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to Utah to acquire him, signing him to a four-year, $130 million deal.
When asked if Redick has seen anything extra from Doncic in terms of how badly he wants to win this year and his focus on leadership, he flashed a smile.
“I mean, he paid for a private plane for 14 guys or 16 guys to fly to Slovenia,” Redick said, referring to Doncic hosting a four-day minicamp in Slovenia for the first time in his career. “That’s pretty extra.”
Redick said that ever since Doncic came to the Lakers, he has been in a leadership role of sorts, even when he was playing alongside James.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers attends Los Angeles Lakers Media Day at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. Getty Images
“The idea that he wasn’t in a leadership position or didn’t have moments of leadership over the last season and a half that we had him is just false,” Redick said. “I think it’s different without certain people on the team. Naturally, there’s a void. We talked about that all summer.”
Things are different now. And Doncic needs to fill that hole fast.
The Lakers not not only need him to be an offensive wizard, but they need him to pay attention to the small things. He needs to complain less to officials. He needs to hustle on defense. All eyes are going to be on him. The small moments matter the most.
And above all, he needs to be the leader of one of the most heralded franchises in sports.
There’s a long line of superstars who came before him, including Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and James.
He’s next. He’s now.
And Redick believes, he’s ready.
“He’s pretty much seen everything in the NBA at this point,” Redick said. “Beyond just being a vocal leader and being a great teammate, he has a wealth of knowledge to share.”
New York Yankees' Trent Grisham bunts during the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of baseball's American League Wild Card Series, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in New York.
The most memorable swings of the Yankees’ wild-card triumph belonged to Ben Rice, Luis García and Cody Bellinger, whose home runs changed games.
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But the Yankees offense tormented the Red Sox’s pitching staff with lengthy, quality at-bats, timely hitting, simply making contact when contact was required and plenty of speed that Yankees teams of recent vintage did not have.
It was just two games. But they were two games that provided a blueprint for how the attack, particularly if it continues to lack the power of Aaron Judge, operates at its best.
In the two games, the Yankees went 9-for-20 with runners in scoring position and struck out just 14 times. A team that in the past has waited for the knockout blow instead scratched out whatever it could, perhaps best exemplified by Wednesday’s sixth inning.
Against Garrett Crochet, Spencer Jones looked overwhelmed in chasing a strike-three sweeper in the dirt — but then showed off rare speed in reaching first base on a wild pitch that did not get that far away from Adley Rutschman.
New York Yankees’ Trent Grisham bunts during the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of baseball’s American League Wild Card Series, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in New York. AP Photo/Frank Franklin II
Jones then stole second, advanced to third when the throw trickled into center field, and scored on the next pitch because George Lombard Jr., who just needed to put the bat on the ball, singled for a two-run edge.
After a Jazz Chisholm Jr. single that put runners on first and second, Trent Grisham — who had zero sacrifice bunts and zero bunt singles during the regular season — bunted nicely to third base and beat out a poor throw from Caleb Durbin.
With the bases loaded, none out and Garrett Whitlock in the game, the Yankees used more small ball to gain separation. Austin Wells lifted a sacrifice fly that scored a run. Ryan McMahon, who earlier in the at-bat attempted a safety squeeze, only sent a Whitlock changeup 1 foot in the air, but the soft chopper to third base scored another.
And two batters later, Bellinger poked a homer just deep enough to right to remind they can play big ball, too.
“I thought we did a lot of good things offensively,” Boone said, “whether it was obviously a couple big long balls, Spencer legs out a strikeout to start the big inning, the stolen base comes into play, we put some balls in play, a couple of really well-computed bunt situations.”
Among those to make his postseason debut Wednesday was Brent Headrick, who retired the only batter he faced.
David Bednar, who tossed a scoreless ninth inning, owns a 1.29 ERA (seven innings, one earned run) with 10 strikeouts in six career playoff games.
The Yankees are expected to have a workout day Friday in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The Yankees outrighted righty Alexander Cornielle, who had been designated for assignment Tuesday, off the major league roster and onto the roster of the FCL Yankees.
In the midst of a joyous but not raucous celebration in a Yankees clubhouse that was drenched but not flooding, Cody Bellinger provided perspective about what the club had done and had not done.
“We were here last year,” the veteran outfielder said after his three-run home run Wednesday added some late thunder in a sweep of the Red Sox in the wild-card series. “We were at this [upcoming] series.”
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Bellinger did not finish the sentence, but this upcoming series is when their run ended.
The location and opponent will be different, but the Yankees’ next series mirrors the hurdle they could not climb over last year: an ALDS matchup with an AL East champion whom the Yankees could not catch and is built on a contact-hitting approach and also flourishes at home.
Playing the role of the Blue Jays this year are the Rays, whom the Yankees did not solve in the regular season.
Will the 2026 Yankees be any different than the 2025 version?
Beginning Saturday in St. Petersburg, Fla., they will find out.
New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger connects on a three-run home run off the Boston Red Sox in the sixth inning during game two of the 2026 American League wild-card series at Yankees Stadium in The Bronx, New York, Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Jason Szenes for NY Post
“We have, hopefully, a long month in front of us,” manager Aaron Boone said. “And we know the next obstacle is a really challenging one with the Rays, but I love how [we are] playing the game.”
The Yankees are thriving on the backs of a series of aces — Cam Schlittler and Max Fried combined for 12 ¹/₃, one-run, five-hit, 16-strikeout innings against Boston, thus not even requiring Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón to pitch — as well as an offense that, for two games at least, collectively stepped up without Aaron Judge.
But they only played Tuesday and Wednesday because the league-best Rays seized control of the division June 28 and never really were threatened afterward, finishing 4 ½ games clear of the Yankees.
Tampa Bay won the season series, taking seven of the 13 games. The Rays dominated on their home turf — a term here used literally — in winning five of the seven head-to-head contests, including a memorable sweep in April in which the Rays continually put the ball in play and the Yankees continually showed their defense was not up for the challenge.
No team in baseball made as much contact as the Rays (18.8 percent strikeout rate), who play the same brand of baseball as the 2025 Blue Jays who so frustrated the Yankees’ staff — and have more speed, tops in the American League in steals.
Tampa Bay Rays’ Junior Caminero (13) celebrates after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. Getty Images
No team bunted, either for sacrifices or hits, than the Rays, who play their home games at Tropicana Field, where they try to use the hard and fast artificial turf to their advantage, putting constant pressure on the opposing defense.
Where the 2025 Blue Jays had Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the 2026 Rays have Junior Caminero.
Their rotation’s ERA (3.51), anchored by All-Stars Drew Rasmussen and Nick Martinez, only trailed the Yankees’ (3.30) in the AL. Their solid bullpen helped them go 25-14 in one-run games.
For the entirety of the season, they essentially did everything well.
“They’re a good team. Pitch well. Hit for power. Hit for contact,” Bellinger said. “… We’re going to have to play good baseball.”
That will mean the club’s defensive questions — maybe most notably in center, where Trent Grisham’s hamstring or effort level gifted an extra base to Boston on Wednesday — will go under the microscope. Whether Boone favors a platoon bat or a surer defender at several positions will be curious.
New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice reacts after connecting on a grand slam off of the Boston Red Sox in the eighth inning during Game 1 of the 2026 American League Wild Card series at Yankees Stadium in The Bronx, New York, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR NEW YORK POST
Not as curious as whether Judge — two-plus weeks removed from his calf strain and doing “everything I can” to be ready, he said — will talk his way onto a roster that at least did not need him for one round.
In explaining how they knocked around the Red Sox so easily, several Yankees referenced the club’s depth — Ben Rice and Bellinger may have led the team’s attack, but the lineup received contributions from just about everyone — that it will need to lean on with or without Judge.
“Keep playing like we’re playing, and trusting one another,” said José Caballero, who knows the Rays better than anyone. “We know that we have a deep team that we can beat anyone and just keep trusting the guys behind us.”
And if the Yankees are going to get past the Rays — and an ALCS opponent and whoever awaits in the World Series — their rotation would have to continue buzzsawing through opposing lineups.
“It’s always good to celebrate,” said Schlittler, set up to start Games 2 and 5. “Hopefully we get to do it a couple more times.”
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 30: Matt Olson (28) of the Atlanta Braves hits an RBI single in the first inning during the Atlanta Braves versus Philadelphia Phillies game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series on September 30, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Only one game today, but it’s a goodie. Winner-take-all. One team’s season continues on to the next round to take on the Dodgers. The other begins their offseason far earlier than expected. We love do-or-die games here at Athletics Nation, and tonight’s matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies and their division rivals the Atlanta Braves should be a great way to spend your Thursday evening.
Phillies at Braves (5:00 PM EDT)
The Braves have left-handed reliever Ray Ker (0-0, 1.97 ERA) opening the game for them tonight. He’ll likely be only asked to handle the first inning or two before making way for the bulk pitcher, right-hander Grant Holmes (10-6, 3.44 ERA). The former A’s prospect has blossomed with Atlanta over the past couple of years and now will be asked to soak up the middle innings of a must-win contest for his squad. No pressure.
Philadelphia meanwhile has a more standard approach to tonight’s starter. They’re sending out longtime Phillie Aaron Nola for the critical Game 3. The former Cy Young finalist is far past his heyday when he was constantly putting up ace-like numbers. While those days are long behind him he’s still capable of tossing a gem every now and then. The Phillies need vintage Nola tonight if they want to advance to take on the Dodgers.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Alec Bohm #28 of the Philadelphia Phillies runs the bases after hitting a home run against the Atlanta Braves during the tenth inning in game two of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on September 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Wednesday brought an entertaining day of games as most of the Wild Card matchups wrapped up. The Chicago White Sox rolled over the Houston Astros 7-2 to take the series and will head to Cleveland to face the Guardians next. The New York Yankees offense continued to torment the Boston Red Sox 9-2 and will head off to face the Tampa Bay Rays. The San Diego Padres then finished off the Chicago Cubs with a 4-1 victory and will now square off against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The only game slated for today is between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. The Phillies pulled off a 4-3 victory in extra innings to even the series. Now, it’s do-or-die to see which team will move on and face the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Here are the details:
Philadelphia Phillies (1-1) at Atlanta Braves (1-1) — 6:00 pm MDT
Pitching matchup: Aaron Nola (7-12, 4.67 ERA) vs. Ray Kerr (0-0, 1.47 ERA)
TV/Radio: NBC/Peacock, ESPN Radio, MLB Gameday Audio (Phillies and Braves local radio feeds)
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 11: Matt Olson (28) of the Atlanta Braves slaps five with coach Tommy Watkins (84) after hitting a solo home run in the 1st inning of the Friday evening MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies on September 11, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Hello, October. We would like more Braves games this month.
The Braves will don the Friday home red uniforms tonight in order to bring those dominant vibes to this Wild Card series finale. Whatever it takes – just win today.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Alec Bohm #28 of the Philadelphia Phillies runs the bases after hitting a home run against the Atlanta Braves during the tenth inning in game two of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on September 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to OCTOBER BASEBALL.
We have for you another Thursday baseball discussion thread, but this time, featuring 100% more playoffs! Which, of course, means no Royals 🙁
Only one game today as three of the four Wild Card series ended in sweeps yesterday.
First, the White Sox knocked out the Astros. Crane’s Boys are out! No great shock.
The Yankees disposed of the Red Sox last evening. Not much of a series as the nonJudgemental Yankees smoked Boston to the tune of 18-2 over two games.
Lastly, the Padres swept the Cubs, winning last night 4-1. I hope you agree with me that the playoffs just became 10 times more enjoyable with the Cubs eliminated.
The only series left is Philadelphia vs Atlanta. The Braves took game one on Tuesday 5-3 with three runs in the bottom of the eighth. Last night, the Phillies scored twice in the top of the eighth to tie the game at 3-3 before winning it in extras, 4-3. Alec Bohm, somewhat of a local kid—went to high school in Omaha before attending Wichita State—hit a home run in the top of the tenth to give the Phillies a lead it would not relinquish.
The pitching matchup will be Aaron Nola for the Phillies against Ray Kerr for the Braves.
Nola, a 12-year vet, all with Philadelphia, finished the season only 7-12 with a 4.67 ERA (3% below league average) and a 4.87 FIP. He also allowed the most home runs with 37. This will be his 12th career playoff start.
The Braves counter with Ray Kerr, more of an Opener than a Starter. The 31-year-old lefty only opened one game for the Braves this season, which was his last outing against the Marlins. He fared well, going three innings in which he walked one, allowed two hits, but didn’t give up any runs. He only pitched in nine games this season, but in that limited action, which totaled 18-and-1/3 innings, he sported a 1.47 ERA, 3.97 FIP while striking out 11 and walking two.
More importantly, Kerr faced the Phillies twice in September, and held them scoreless over both outings. In those two appearances, he pitched 6-and-1/3 innings, allowed two hits while walking zero batters and striking out five. None of his four inherited runners came around to score.
Kerr has never before pitched in the playoffs.
You can catch the game on NBC or Peacock at 7:00 p.m. CDT.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 26: Rafael Devers #16 of the San Francisco Giants reacts as he rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the fifth inning of their game against the Cincinnati Reds at Oracle Park on August 26, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On March 25, 2026, the San Francisco Giants began what would quickly prove to be the worst season in franchise history. You don’t need me to explain all the things that went wrong, but don’t worry: it’s a long and cold offseason, so I will in due time.
A few hours before that horrific journey got underway, I published an article with 26 predictions for the ‘26 season. Now, more than six months later, I can say with confidence what so many of you have uttered to me in the comment sections of articles over the years: you should not listen to a damn word that comes out of my mouth.
The smartest thing I said in the 5,000 blabbering words came before I even got to the predictions. I stated in the intro that the bulk of the predictions were optimistic, justifying it as such: “Because if you’re a Giants fan who doesn’t have optimism on March 25, when will you have it?”
If only I knew just how true that question would be. Tucked at the start of an article where I look as capable of intelligence as Sam Hentges looks capable of accepting the queer community, I accidentally dropped the smartest sentence I’ve ever written. Go figure.
I thought I should revisit those 26 predictions. Publicly reflecting on past predictions is not something I often dabble in, because 10% of the time it looks braggadocios and 90% of the time I’m just admitting to being bad at my job, which my bosses have informed me I should stop doing. But in a season where the bad news rained down from the ownership suites to the front office to the coaching staff to the players to the broadcast booth, it seemed only fair that I get in on the action.
So here are my 26 predictions, starting with the one I got the most wrong, and ending with the one I got the most right (yes, there were a few accurate predictions).
Feel free to tell me how dumb I am in the comments. Just don’t expect me to learn from it.
Tier 6: Seriously, why do you ever listen to me?
These are the predictions that are so wrong they defy explanation.
For years, my sister and I have had an idea wherein I let her write a game recap for me. To paint a picture of my sister’s understanding of sports: once she texted me from a bar bathroom saying she was being hit on by a college football coach, and wanted to know if there was any intelligent talking point she could bring up. I told her to mention the new rule wherein if the shortstop runs backwards into the goal you get extra points. I figured this was such a ludicrous joke that she would know immediately that I was teasing her. She called me an hour later to berate me for embarrassing her in front of an attractive man. This is a true story.
Anyway, we’ve both long thought it would be funny if she wrote a recap for me, on account of her knowing absolutely nothing about sports. It would be entertaining and, no doubt, stupid. The following predictions are so bad, that I had to stop and think about if I let her moonlight for me in this article. Sadly, she did not.
26. The Giants finish second in the NL West and make the postseason
I’m gonna go make a cup of tea. You can have these 10 minutes to guffaw audibly.
Okay, I’m back. Still laughing? Damn. I deserve that. I’m laughing too, honestly.
The Giants, of course, missed the playoffs. Not only did they miss the playoffs, but they missed the playoffs by 23 games. Worse yet, they missed out on second place in the NL West by 26 games. There were only four teams in the Majors — including the Giants — that were 26 games behind first place, and the Giants were 26 games behind second place, in a division where second place was the second-furthest away from first place.
In other words, this prediction really could not have been more wrong. Let’s move on.
25. Gregory Santos will be their best reliever
My stubbornness really showed itself with this prediction. I was adamant that the Giants signing Santos — once one of their top prospects — to a Minor League deal was one of the best moves of the offseason. I held that stance even when he struggled in Spring Training and even when he started the year in the Minors and even when he struggled in the Minors, and even when he was called up and almost immediately optioned.
And then he was designated for assignment with no corresponding move. Just removed from the 40-man roster because the Giants would rather have 39 players than employ Santos. Not only that, but he didn’t even get to make me look smart, because no one else picked him up.
Santos ended the year with five innings pitched, one strikeout, a 3.60 ERA, a 4.50 FIP, and 0.0 fWAR. Which, in fairness, did make him one of the team’s best relievers.
24. Bryce Eldridge has a distinctly mediocre season
Before you all call me a hater, I contextualized this as a mostly good thing. I ended my blurb on Eldridge by saying, “He’ll see pitches and gameplans that he’s never been exposed to before. He’ll struggle to tread water. And if he holds his own, just at an average level, that will be a sign of how good he is, not how bad he is.”
I stand by that. If Eldridge had posted a league-average wRC+ of 100, I would have been very encouraged and optimistic about who he would be in 2027.
Instead, Eldridge looked more than comfortable. He looked like a veteran in the batter’s box, controlling at-bats, controlling the zone, outsmarting pitchers, drawing walks, and hitting for both average and power. His 131 wRC+ ranked 25th out of 205 Major League hitters (minimum: 400 plate appearances), directly ahead of Fernando Tatis Jr. and Kyle Schwarber.
If I was going to be wrong about a prediction, this was the one. So at least there’s that.
23. Willy Adames and Rafael Devers start the season hot
There was a lot of fear-mongering surrounding Adames and Devers going into the season. Adames has a history of slow starts, got off to a brutal opening to his Giants tenure in 2025, and was having a rough Spring Training. Devers had been fairly awful in his first month with the Giants, and looked lost in Scottsdale.
I thought nothing of it. Spring Training means so little, and I figured these two established sluggers would hit the ground running when the season began.
Instead, when April came to a close, Adames was hitting .197/.240/.352 and Devers .207/.248/.289. And the season was essentially over.
22. Luis Matos has a big year … somewhere
I wrote this shortly after the Giants designated Matos for assignment. My thought was that a bad team would claim him and give him some run. I recognized there was little reason for optimism, admitting that, “This is not rooted in anything analytical: it’s really hard to look at Matos’ stats and underlying metrics and find a reason for optimism. Instead, it’s just a vibes and hope-based bold prediction, that the Matos who has shown flashes over the years finally puts it all together.”
Well friends, I regret to inform you that he did not. Matos was not claimed by a bad team that would give him some steady run, but instead by the playoff-bound Milwaukee Brewers, who gave him all of 21 plate appearance before designating him for assignment. This time he wasn’t claimed, and he was outrighted to Milwaukee’s AAA affiliate, where he posted a measly 77 wRC+ across the year.
Tier 5: No one ever accused me of being smart
These predictions are wrong. Incorrect. Inaccurate. Just plum not right.
But they’re not as brain-meltingly idiotic as the last batch was. Those first five are enough to bar me for life from applying to the BBWAA. These ones are just wrong, but less embarrassing.
21. Logan Webb throws multiple complete game shutouts
In hindsight, this was even bolder than I imagined. Webb entered the season having thrown just two complete game shutouts in his career, and I thought he’d get to that mark multiple times this season alone. Not only did Webb not have multiple complete game shutouts, but no player in the Majors threw multiple complete games, period. Forget the shutout. No one even went nine innings on more than one occasion.
Webb did throw one complete game, but, hilariously, it was a loss in which he only had to pitch eight innings.
20. We get more bullpen heat
As I mentioned, I wrote the initial predictions article on Opening Day, which meant the Giants had already informed me of some of their thinking for the year. They had released the Opening Day roster, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that both Keaton Winn and Caleb Kilian had made the cut. With Joel Peguero rehabbing an injury and Santos tuning up in AAA, I thought this was the year that we see some modern gas from the Giants bullpen.
Instead, they traded Kilian and Erik Miller. They broke Winn by pitching him three games in a row, an atrocity from which he never recovered. Peguero made it through just 11.1 innings before suffering a season-ending injury. Santos never panned out. The closest heat in the Minors, Will Bednar, saw his velocity take a tumble as he was demoted down to AA. Blade Tidwell was used primarily as a starter.
And as such, only the late-late reunion with Camilo Doval left the Giants with any notable heat coming out of the bullpen at the end of the season.
19. Tony Vitello doesn’t get thrown out early on
Before the season began, there was a common thought that Vitello would be quick to get ejected, given the energy and fire that he brings to managing. I thought it would be the opposite: that Vitello would be so conscious of wanting to be in the fight with his players that he would view an ejection as an abandoment.
I’m still not sure I’m wrong, given the quotes he’s had after his ejections. But even if he views it that way, his actions suggest otherwise. Vitello was thrown out in just the 10th game of the season, and led the Majors with seven ejections on the year.
18. They have five 20-homer hitters
This one ended up looking tremendously dumb, as the Giants fifth-best home run hitter this year was Drew Gilbert, who had just 11 blasts. They had only six players clear the double-digit mark, and I thought five would get to 20?!?
You can see the vision. Devers and Adames were locks. Matt Chapman and Heliot Ramos were likely to get there with full, healthy seasons. All it would take was one player popping, be it a leap for Casey Schmitt or Jerar Encarnación, or an early promotion for Eldridge.
As it was, just three players hit the 20-homer barrier, and only just, as Adames and Schmitt both had 21.
17. We see Tim Lincecum
Can you blame a boy for hoping?
16. Someone plays 160 games
This one was trending towards accuracy. Only an out-of-the-blue Devers injury reveal kept him from getting to the mark for the second straight season. As such, he ended up 12 games shy of 160, and this prediction ended up looking dumb. The Giants only had six players who appeared in 100 games, which is pretty jarring.
Tier 4: Wrong, but not idiotically so
I had to make a new tier just to hide how many of these I got wrong. The incorrect predictions take us all the way into the top 10, so I’m hedging on the predictions where yes, I was wrong, but by a slim enough margin that I don’t look foolish. In a few instances, I’m even technically right, but spiritually wrong. It’s a purgatory of sorts.
15. Heliot Ramos rebounds in the right ways
I’ve always been a fan of Ramos, and I’ve always been a believer. One of the things about Ramos’ game that has inspired confidence from me has been his ability to make offseason adjustments.
When he was struggling to make an impact in the Majors, while going outside the zone and hitting balls straight into the dirt, he spent an offseason controlling the zone and lifting the ball. When he broke out as an All-Star on the back of hitting lefties at a historical pace, but struggling against righties, he spent the winter learning how to hit right-handers. And when he came back last year with a renewed ability to hit righties, it was accompanied by a huge step back in his slash line against southpaws, and an even larger step back in his defense.
So I thought this year he would address those things, and improve his defense while getting back to his lefty-mashing ways. And by the letter of the law, I think this prediction was right. He raised his Fielding Run Value from second percentile all the way to … third percentile. Although honestly even that is overselling it, since it’s probably just due to less playing time this year.
Ramos did rebound against southpaws, as he hit posted a 150 wRC+ against lefties. But the performance against same-handed pitchers suffered, and ultimately Ramos was not only a much worse player this year than last year, but he was also traded.
14. ABS has no impact on Patrick Bailey’s defense
ABS definitely impacted Bailey’s defense. After three consecutive seasons of being 100th percentile in both framing and fielding run value, Bailey dipped to 79th and 84th percentile, respectively. I don’t think the new technology hurt the Gold Glover as much as many people feared, and it seems there were other things going on that led to his defensive decline. But ABS certainly had some negative impact.
13. They have three All-Stars
The Giants had two All-Stars, which I guess makes this prediction 66.7% right. Or maybe it only makes it 50% right, since each team is guaranteed at least one All-Star. Luis Arráez was a lock for the team, and Webb made it even though he probably didn’t deserve it.
You can envision a world where they had three All-Stars, though. If Robbie Ray’s heater started a few weeks earlier he could have wiggled his way on. Schmitt and Jung Hoo Lee certainly warranted some consideration, and if Devers had played his season in reverse he would have easily made the team.
12. Rafael Devers is a Gold Glove finalist
MLB hasn’t announced the Gold Glove finalists yet, so technically this one isn’t wrong yet. But given that Devers didn’t grade out very well by any defensive metric, we can put this one in the “wrong” bin.
Still, I think in spirit this prediction had some accuracy to it. Devers had some bad moments, but he also had some excellent moments at first base, and looked like he could hold down the position for years to come (though it still remains to be seen how the Giants will handle time at first with both Devers and Eldridge). Perhaps I’m just desperate to find something to paint in a positive light, but I was impressed by Devers’ defense this season.
11. They figure out second base
On the surface, this one is very, very, very wrong. The Giants traded away their All-Star second baseman, and ended the year by cycling through a combination of five backups who risk being DFA’d this offseason, while mixing in a center fielder here and there.
And yet, no one expects the Giants to pursue a second baseman this offseason, because it does feel like they have all the options they need. Whether it will be Schmitt, Marcelo Mayer, or a rotating cast that includes Jonah Cox remains to be seen. The Giants are a long ways away from figuring out second base, but they surely think they have the answer. Now they just need to figure out what it is.
Tier 3: I’m right … kind of
This small tier has the predictions that I’m not really sure about. They’re kind of right, but they’re kind of wrong. We can debate them … hypothetically speaking, of course. Hopefully we all have better things to do than actually debate these.
10. They swing another big deadline deal
This one is technically correct, but I’m not sure it’s accurate in spirit. The Giants made a number of big deals at the deadline, to make nothing of the Bailey trade in May.
Here’s how I described the prediction: “I don’t expect the Giants to redo the Devers trade this summer, and take Bryce Harper or Fernando Tatis Jr. off someone’s hands, though I’d love to see that. But I still think they make a big trade. Likely that means giving up a few of their best prospects for a young, cost-controlled talent, but if they struggle in the standings, it could mean parting ways with some of their MLB-level players, and really re-upping the farm.”
If you squint they did the latter, but I don’t think the trades they made quite qualify. Ramos, Kilian, and Miller were the only players under contract in 2027 that they traded and, especially with the season Ramos was having, none of those names are particularly notable. I think to call this prediction accurate, the Giants needed to have traded one of their core players, or one of their core prospects, and Bailey was too early to be a deadline deal. We’re dealing with semantics here.
9. Daniel Susac survives the year, but…
I labeled this one as a double prediction: “I think Susac survives the year and plays well, but [Jesús] Rodríguez also becomes a huge part of the team at some point, be it as a second baseman, a third catcher, a fourth outfielder, or a super-utility player. There’s room at the table for both of them.”
Susac didn’t really survive the year in the literal sense, given that he suffered a season-ending injury, but he survived the year in the baseball sense, in that he was not returned to the Athletics as a Rule 5 rejectee. And he even enters the offseason as the team’s starting catcher, though truthfully, I’m not entirely ready to declare that he played well.
Rodríguez, however, did not establish himself this year, in part because of his own injury. It’s a little bit hard to parse this prediction because I was assuming that Bailey would still be the franchise catcher, and Susac and Rodríguez would be battling for a backup role.
8. Adrian Houser is replaced
Houser was, indeed, replaced. In mid-June he was moved from the rotation to the bullpen. But, amid a slew of trades and injuries, he kind of returned to the rotation late in the year. In his fourth-to-last game of the season, he pitched five innings, but the Giants used an opener. In his third-to-last game of the season, he started and pitched six innings. In his second-to-last game of the season, he entered in the third inning and pitched five innings. And in his final game of the season, he started before leaving early with an injury.
So this one is kind of a shrug.
Tier 2: I’m right, but you’re not impressed
I only got seven of my 26 predictions right. That’s a pretty nice batting average though, so I can’t be too upset.
Still, it’s pretty easy to get predictions right if that’s your main goal. All you have to do is hug the trunk of the prediction tree, and never step out onto any limbs. Rafael Devers will hit a home run and Logan Webb won’t get traded and The federal government will intervene with the Giants over inclusive hats were all obvious things. I could have included them in my predictions post and upped my winning percentage.
Instead, I tried to at least be a tiny bit bold. But in a few cases, I took the easy way out. These are the correct predictions that probably elicit a “well, duh” from you.
7. There are more Tommy John surgeries coming down the line
This was my lone prediction that was unequivocally negative. And it brings me no joy that I was correct. It seemed that the Giants unparalleled luck with avoiding Tommy John surgeries couldn’t last forever, and when Hayden Birdsong kicked off the spring by needing TJ, I assumed it was just the first domino falling … or the second one, if you want to go back to Randy Rodríguez late last year.
It took awhile for the other dominoes to fall, but fall the most certainly did. First Trevor McDonald, and then Carson Whisenhunt, and finally Tidwell. You could see it coming a mile away, but it doesn’t make it any more enjoyable.
6. Kyle Harrison dominates them
For a while this year, it started to look like the Harrison-for-Devers trade was backfiring in a big way. Devers spent the start of the season looking like he forgot how to hit baseballs, while Harrison made a very strong bid for the All-Star game.
Their trajectories reversed as the season went on, with Devers being the third-best hitter in all of baseball from the start of May until the end of the season, while Harrison fell apart down the stretch (after his first August start, Harrison had a 2.84 ERA and a 2.91 FIP; he ended the season with a 4.20 ERA and a 4.03 FIP).
But along the way, the most predictable thing happened: Harrison dominated the team he grew up rooting for, and was drafted and developed by.
On June 2, the Brewers hosted the Giants. Harrison took the mound sporting a 6-1 record and a 1.57 ERA. He only pitched 5.2 innings in the game, but still struck out 12 batters, while allowing just six baserunners and one run. And you weren’t even mad.
5. The rotation looks worse entering the offseason than last year
This wasn’t exactly a bold prediction either, what with Ray and Tyler Mahle both set for free agency, even if the Giants hadn’t traded them. The hope was that some of the youngsters would become reliable enough options that San Francisco would have the bones of a solid rotation entering the offseason, but sadly that didn’t happen. Not only that, but Webb took quite a step backwards, while Landen Roupp struggled following a strong start to the year.
Last winter, the Giants entered the offseason with a rotation that had question marks. This winter, they enter it with a rotation in shambles.
4. The bullpen will look dramatically different at the end of the year
This was an obvious one, for two reasons: three key bullpen contributors (Jason Foley, Sam Hentges, and Joel Peguero) all began the year on the Injured List, and bullpens always have a lot of turnover.
But they don’t always have this much turnover. As evidence, I present a blurb from this original prediction: “I think the eight arms in the ‘pen for Game No. 162 will have more than 50% turnover from the octet that will be behind the outfield wall at Oracle Park tonight.”
I said that forgetting that the team gets an extra arm because of the September rules, and I still dramatically undersold it.
Of the eight bullpen arms the Giants started the year with, four ended the year injured (Winn, Brubaker, José Buttó, and Matt Gage); two were traded (Miller and Killian); one was released (Ryan Borucki), and one was in AAA (Ryan Walker). Exactly zero of the Opening Day relievers were available to pitch in the final series of the year.
Tier 1: Even a broken Brady is right three times a year
We’re left with just three predictions. Three out of 26 that make me actually look like I potentially know a thing or two.
And you know what? I’ll take it.
3. They have a top-five farm by the end of the year
This was one of the predictions I most wanted to get correct. And admittedly, it took a lot going right for me to get there. Had I been correct about my most egregious prediction — that the Giants would make the playoffs — then I probably would have been wrong about this prediction, because the Giants don’t climb to the elite ranks of farm systems if they trade away Jhonny Level and Bo Davidson instead of trading for Ramon Marquez, Henry Lalane, Joniel Hernandez, and so many others.
Despite graduating Eldridge, the Giants are widely viewed as a top-five farm system now, and there’s no shortage of reasons why. They’ve made excellent trades, they’ve signed big-name international free agents, and they’ve developed players well. The future is exciting, which is good because the present sure ain’t.
2. Harrison Bader and Luis Arráez go in different directions
It’s hard to imagine a prediction being more right than this one, and I’m not even sure if the No. 1 prediction on this list is more right. The reason this one isn’t a spot higher is simply because I hedged my bets.
I didn’t say that Bader will be awful and Arráez will be great; I just said that one of them will struggle, and the other will excel.
My reasoning was fairly simple. There were reasons to be excited about both players (strong defense and an excellent offensive year in 2025 for Bader; preternatural contact skills for Arráez), and reasons to be exceedingly skeptical (poor underlying metrics with no history of sustained offensive success for Bader; awful defense and downward-trending offense for Arráez). There seemed to be a good chance that one of those gambles would work out, and one would not.
I had no idea how intensely that would be true. Bader’s first (and likely last) season with the Giants could not have been more of a disaster. He was one of the worst players in all of baseball when on the field, posting a 49 wRC+ with mediocre defense, while accruing a whopping -0.4 fWAR in just 30 games. He dealt with multiple injuries, and then officially lost his season when, while rehabbing a foot injury, crashed a scooter into a fire truck in the marina in the middle of the night. The Giants docked his pay for the second half of the season, and will almost certainly look to void his contract for 2027.
Arráez, on the other hand, did the opposite. He rejuvenated his defensive reputation, going from a tire fire at second base to someone who will almost surely be a Gold Glove finalist. His spiraling offensive production course corrected, as he posted a 121 wRC+ with the Giants (though that number went tumbling down the stairs with the Phillies). He led all Giants players in fWAR (3.8) despite playing in just 105 games before being traded. He represented the team at the All-Star Game and brought them back an impressive haul at the deadline.
Bader was the Giants worst player this year and Arráez their best. I’ll pat myself on the back for this one. But not as much as for the next one…
1. The Giants have more debuts this year than last year
In hindsight this doesn’t look like a particularly bold prediction. But if you go back to the start of the year, it was far from obvious. The Giants hadn’t protected a single player from the Rule 5 Draft, and as such had just two players on the 40-man roster — Susac and Jesús Rodríguez — who had yet to debut. Buster Posey had earned a bit of a reputation in his first year for being very cautious with promotions, not just in the lower levels of the Minors but from the Minors up to the Majors. And the bulk of the AAA talent that seemed ready to contribute — Eldridge, Gilbert, Whisenhunt, and Tidwell — had debuted the year prior.
So it wasn’t all that easy to see how the Giants would have more players debut than the six that played their first MLB game in 2025.
But my goodness did they. And I put this prediction at No. 1 on the list because they blew past my prediction entirely, and mocked it as they did so.
In all, the Giants had a hilarious 18 different players make their MLB debut this season (and that number should have been 19, but they did Zach Morgan dirty). 18!
For this year, this prediction made me look smart. Just don’t expect me to try it again next year.
In the Sharks’ first game of the 2026-27 NHL season — and a lively home opener at that — Luca Cagnoni scored the first NHL goal of his career in overtime to give San Jose a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers.
And in the process, he became the first player in franchise history to score his first NHL goal in overtime.
Despite the Sharks blowing a 3-0 lead late in the second period and barely hanging on just to force overtime, Cagnoni sent a raucous SAP Center crowd into a frenzy to open an anticipated campaign for the young squad.
“Unreal,” Cagnoni told Tara Slone on the ice. “The atmosphere tonight is unbelievable, so credit to all the fans here. It’s remarkable.”
Cagnoni entered this season with only nine NHL games under his belt, finally breaking into the primary San Jose squad after spending most of the last two years with the San Jose Barracuda.
And while speaking to reporters postgame in the locker room, he still couldn’t seem to believe what he has just done.
“I’d say that’s probably the best goal of my life,” Cagnoni said with a nervous laugh. “Hard to write one better than an overtime winner, I think, right? … Still kind of dazing off a little bit about it.”
"I'd say that's probably the best goal of my life."
Sharks captain Macklin Celebrini, who along with Will Smith provided the assists on Cagnoni’s game-winner, wasn’t just impressed by the 21-year-old defenseman’s overtime heroics.
“I mean, it’s amazing,” Celebrini told reporters. “We’re all so happy for him. It wasn’t just the goal or the points that he put up today, I think just the way he was skating, making plays, keeping pucks alive — I mean, it was really cool to watch.”
Macklin Celebrini praises Luca Cagnoni's all-around performance in addition to his game-winner 🙌 pic.twitter.com/zYINCSHvh7
Cagnoni wasn’t the only Shark to record his debut goal with the team on Thursday; offseason free-agent signing Mason Marchment lit the lamp for the first time in teal to put San Jose on the board in the first period.
While it’s far from the 31-year-old’s first NHL goal, it still is an extra special one from Marchment, now a second-generation Shark. His dad, Bryan, was a defenseman for San Jose from 1998-2003 then worked for the organization in scouting and player development for several years until his death in 2022.
Of course, for the franchise centerpiece duo of Celebrini and Smith, it’s far from their first time doing this. They posted three points each on the night — Smith scored both short-handed and on a power play in the second period, with Celebrini assisting on both.
Last season, the Sharks had 47 goals that featured both players, which was tied for the third-most ever by a duo in franchise history. After combining on three goals in the first game of the following campaign, Celebrini and Smith look as though they might smash that mark.
ATLANTA – While the Phillies tried to extend their season Thursday night against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park, their Delta 757 charter sat 23 miles away at Hartsfield-Jackson International airport.
A win would send the Phillies west, to Los Angeles and a second straight National League Division Series matchup with the Dodgers.
A loss would send them home, to Philadelphia and another long, cold winter.
It didn’t take long to figure out which way the Phillies would be heading. Aaron Nola was tagged for three runs in the first inning. The Phillies never recovered. Their season came to an end in a 6-2 loss to the Braves in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series.
For just the second time in franchise history, the Phillies qualified for the postseason five years in a row, matching a team-high streak first reached from 2007 to 2011. The Phils won the World Series in 2008, but have not since. They made a surprising run to the World Series in 2022 but were beaten by the Houston Astros in six games. They were a win away from returning to the World Series in 2023 only to collapse and lose Games 6 and 7 of the NL Championship Series at home to Arizona. Since then, they have gone the wrong way, losing in Division Series (their first round of play) in 2024 and 2025 and now in the Wild Card Series.
Meanwhile, their core group of high-priced veteran players has gotten older.
Heading into the offseason, the Phils have many questions, first and foremost: Will Don Mattingly return as manager in 2027? He took over, with an interim tag, for Rob Thomson after the team got off to a 9-19 start in April.
The Phillies played .590 ball (79-55) under Mattingly, but president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski tried to hire Alex Cora when he let Thomson go, and he seems likely to try again in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.
If Cora comes on board, he will be taking over a team of highs and lows, one with an inconsistent offense that is seemingly up one month (see August) and down the next (see September). He will be taking over a team that lacks pitching depth, both in the starting rotation and the bullpen. Both weaknesses reared their head in recent weeks as the Phils had to scramble to make the playoffs, using ace Zack Wheeler on the final day of the regular season, a circumstance that prevented him from starting Game 1 of the postseason.
Jesus Luzardo pitched well in Game 1 and the Phillies held a 3-2 in the seventh. With few trusted arms in his bullpen, Mattingly went to his All-Star closer, Jhoan Duran, in the bottom of the seventh. Duran got through that inning but gave up the lead on a three-run homer in the eighth and the Phillies lost, 5-3.
They bounced back to win a wild Game 2 Wednesday in 10 innings on the strength of three late home runs and the clutch pitching of Cristopher Sanchez, Alex McFarlane and Andrew Painter. They seemed to have momentum heading into Game 3.
But the momentum disappeared quickly as Nola had big trouble throwing strikes.
Just three of his first 13 pitches to open the game were strikes. He fell behind Ronald Acuna Jr., and Matt Olson, the Braves’ Nos. 2 and 3 hitters, with 3-0 counts and eventually walked both. He then fell behind Michael Harris II, 2-0. Harris hit the next pitch, a sinker down and out of the zone, over the right-field wall for a three-run homer.
Nola did not make it through the second inning. Tim Mayza got the final out of the frame before handing off to Wheeler in the top of the third. The Phillies’ brain trust opted not to start Wheeler on three days’ rest. He’d never done that before. They reasoned that Nola’s best chance of succeeding would be to stay in a starter’s role.
“We’re going to need Nola in this game,” Mattingly said before the game. “Starting him gives us the best version of him.”
The Phillies weren’t sure Wheeler would even be able to pitch until he tested himself by playing catch before the game. He ended up pitching four innings but was not particularly sharp. He gave up three hits and walked three. One of those walks turned into a run when Ozzie Albies stroked a two-run homer in the fourth to give the Braves a 5-0 lead.
Later in the game, Olson hit the Braves’ third homer of the night, a solo shot against Jonathan Bowlan in the seventh.
Atlanta used lefty Ray Kerr as an opener. He pitched 3 1/3 innings and did not allow a run. The only hit Kerr allowed was a single to Kyle Schwarber in the first inning. Kerr then struck out Bryce Harper.
Grant Holmes, Robert Suarez, Didier Fuentes, Dylan Dodd and Chris Sale finished off the Phillies. Sale, the Braves’ ace lefty who started Game 1, entered with two outs in the eighth and struck out Harper.
Before the 2019 season, Harper signed a 13-year, $330-million contract with the Phillies. He came looking for a parade down Broad Street. Eight years later, he boarded a flight back to Philadelphia, still looking.
Here’s all the info you need for tonight’s Wild Card Series decisive game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. The series is tied 1-1.
Aaron Nola, RHP vs. Ray Kerr, LHP
The Braves are going with a bullpen game. Kerr, a lefthander, is obviously starting to try to neutralize the LH power hitters at the top of the Phillies lineup. Not sure who their bulk guy will be.
PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 2: Ryan Dunn #0 and Khaman Maluach #10 of the Phoenix Suns high five during the game against the San Antonio Spurs on November 2, 2025 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns announced Thursday they are picking up the team options for Khaman Maluach and Ryan Dunn for the 2027-28 season. Dunn will be entering the fourth and final year of his rookie deal, while it’ll be the third for Maluach.
OFFICIAL: The Phoenix Suns have exercised the team’s third-year option on center Khaman Maluach pic.twitter.com/0gd6J92RRz
The decisions do not come as a surprise. Along with 2026 first-round pick Koa Peat, second-year forward Rasheer Fleming, and third-year big Oso Ighodaro, the two are considered the team’s best prospects with the highest upside. Maluach, Dunn, and Ighodaro were all drafted by the team and had opportunities to start and play meaningful minutes at various points in their young careers.
While Ighodaro has had the most opportunity so far, starting in all of the team’s playoff games and 26 regular-season contests last season, Maluach is considered the prospect with the most upside. The two are competing for the starting center spot with Mark Williams out for at least the first few months of the season. This summer, Maluach dominated in Summer League, averaging 20 points and 13 rebounds per game on 40% shooting from three.
With him being the lone lottery pick out of the five, his 7’1” height, 7’7” wingspan, and willingness and improvement to shoot the three, many view him as a potential long-term fit next to Devin Booker in the starting lineup. He saw limited minutes for most of last season until the end of the year, when he played a backup big role behind Ighodaro with Williams out with a foot injury.
Despite a letdown sophomore season in which his minutes, field-goal percentage, and three-point percentage declined from his rookie year, the Suns remain invested in Dunn, their 2024 first-rounder. A below-average three-point shooter for his position, the forward is a dynamic rim-runner who has started alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker and has the physical attributes to guard other teams’ best forwards. Dunn’s minutes decreased in the second half of last season, but he started the year in the starting five.
With the Suns limited on draft picks for the foreseeable future, the Suns continue to choose to retain their young talent on the roster beyond this season.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Alec Bohm #28 of the Philadelphia Phillies runs the bases after hitting a home run against the Atlanta Braves during the tenth inning in game two of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on September 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Phillies at Braves
First pitch: 8:00 PM EDT TV: NBC/Peacock Probable pitchers: Aaron Nola, RHP (PHI), Ray Kerr, LHP (ATL)
LAIE, Hawaii – Students of BYU-Hawaii lined up for what felt like miles to get a glimpse of the Warriors’ third day of NBA training camp.
They, as well as Warriors families and team sponsors, watched from the bleachers at the George Q. Cannon Activities Center. Traveling media members also got their first real look at this season’s squad, and there was a lot to digest. Thursday was the Warriors’ liveliest and most physical scrimmage of training camp, just a few days from Sunday’s preseason opener against the LA Clippers.
The first sight that stood out was who was wearing which colored jersey. On the floor was a group in blue jerseys, and a group in yellow. The blue group featured Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg, Draymond Green and Al Horford. Wearing yellow were Brandon Williams, De’Anthony Melton, Gui Santos, Gary Payton II and Georges Niang.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr confirmed after practice that those wearing blue on Thursday will be his starting five on Sunday.
“Really good size on the front line,” Kerr first said about what he likes from that five-man lineup. “Good playmaking from obviously Steph and Dray together, but also spacing from Al. All three of those guys – Al, Yaxel and BP – can shoot the three but also make plays.
“It’s a good, well balanced lineup. The question will be, can we do that opening night given the age of Al and the minutes and all that stuff, who knows. But for now, that’s how we’ll start.”
Steve Kerr announces Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg, Draymond Green and Al Horford will start the preseason opener on Sunday @NBCSWarriors
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ scrimmage on their third day of training camp, featuring comments from Kerr and Lendeborg.
Podz Pops
Those who waited in the rain and braced tropical humidity surely were there to see Curry. They saw one 3-pointer go down, a few rattle in and out, a handful of cutting layups fall off the rim and a halfcourt heave barely miss at the buzzer.
The standout player of the day offensively was Podziemski. There wasn’t a close second. Podziemski looked like the player the Warriors are looking to take another leap in Year 4 as he waits on his second contract.
“Three days in, he’s had a great camp,” Kerr said.
Podziemski was loud and vocal defensively and offensively. He was directing traffic with the ball in his hands and found multiple ways to score without hesitation. Podziemski drew four fouls, including two three-point plays, and only missed one free throw.
On back-to-back possessions, Podziemski got a frustrated Charles Bassey to foul him at the rim. Immediately after getting a whistle called on his teammates for the fourth time, Podziemski blew past Dalen Terry on the run for a layup.
“That’s what we like about Brandin: His ability to see the game, attack angles and he understands the officiating,” Kerr said. “He can dribble, pass, shoot. You can put him at any spot out of a timeout. Really versatile and obviously crucial to make the whole thing go.”
His day wasn’t only a display around the rim. Podziemski also hit a step-back three off the dribble and knocked down a buzzer-beating three at the top of the arc after a Curry miss to end the day for the starters.
Podz has been really aggressive in this scrimmage with the starters
“Oh, he’s an elite scorer,” Lendeborg said of Podziemski. “Pretty much every time we’re in a fastbreak drill, he can easily get in there and manipulate the defense, get an and-1, get a couple free throws easily. That’s something I’ve been noticing really, really quickly.”
Lightning Quick
The Warriors saw up close and personal what a difference-maker Brandon Williams’ speed with the ball in his hands can be last season when he dropped 26 points against them on Christmas and 19 a few weeks later. Watching him during Thursday’s scrimmage was quite the reminder.
Williams was blowing by defenders and getting into the teeth of the defense as a playmaker. He dropped dimes to Bassey and Santos, and used his speed cutting to the hoop for layups. That’s a huge part of the Warriors’ new 5-out offense, too.
All five players are aligned around the 3-point line: One at the top, two on the wings and two in the corners. The concept doesn’t call for all five to chuck threes. The goal is to get organized and put the defense at a disadvantage.
Williams’ speed also will be key to the Warriors getting out in transition. When Williams caught an errant pass by Curry, he zoomed down the court in three dribbles and found Santos with a bounce pass for a layup.
He’s quick as a hiccup, and the Warriors badly needed a new wrinkle.
Learning Curve
Bringing in new concepts means teaching moments and adjustments for youngsters and veterans alike. Within the first minute or two of watching practice, a spirited Kerr walked on the court and yelled, “What the f–k are we doing?! Wake the f–k up!” to his starters. Message received.
There were moments where Curry went to run baseline and yelled “Ahh!” as the spacing was wrong. Even he has to rewire his brain to make everything eventually come second nature. So does his longest-tenured teammate.
Kerr has preached how he wants Green to shoot more, and the pass-first forward has been very receptive to the idea. Yet on Thursday, at least in the moments the media was let in, Green didn’t shoot once. Not a layup, not a runner, not a jumper and not a three. Green didn’t pass shots up, but he didn’t let it fly.
“We’re really still chaotic offensively, so we’re nowhere close to where we will be,” Kerr said. “I think the biggest adjustment offensively will come for Draymond, Gary, even for Steph, because we are putting such an emphasis on being better spaced, better organized, playing less out of chaos.
“Steph and Draymond have been here for 12 years, doing things a certain way. We’re asking them to do some different things, so bigger adjustment for them. But once once we’re through these first couple of weeks, I think it’s all going to make a lot of sense because the whole thing is designed for us to still do the things we do best: The ball movement, the spacing, split cuts, high pick and roll, but with much more emphasis on our organization. We have to get organized before we get to that stuff, and that’s what we’re working on.”
Of course, Lendeborg also will go through a handful of learning curves too. His physicality and length on the wing was hard to miss offensively. As was his ability to stretch the floor at his size.
But defensively, Lendeborg is going to be thrown into the fire. Georges Niang hit two corner threes on Green, and the second was a coaching moment for the rookie. Green instantly started talking to him about where he should have been. So did Kerr, assistant coach Anthony Vereen and others.
Once the starters were done, Lendeborg, Green and Vereen all sat together. Even from a distance, it was clear Green and Vereen had a lot to go over with Lendeborg, who was attentive as could be.
“I was talking to Draymond a little bit later on after the scrimmage and stuff, and he was telling me, ‘I need to be a lot more aggressive this year,’” Lendeborg explained. “Just having the confidence to believe in myself and go out there and make the extra play, and not always worry about being a playmaker.”
Through the ups and downs of a rookie year, Lendeborg is guaranteed to be a breath of fresh air.
That was evident as ever when reporters, not coaches, were the ones to break the news to him that the group he was part of will be the starters on Sunday.
“That’s going to be the starting lineup?” Lendeborg replied. “Oh god damn, that’s got me nervous man. No, it’s definitely going to be nice for me to be able to play with them in my first game, learn so much, because I feel like I was a little bit sloppy today. It’s definitely going to be something where I can keep asking questions in live action play, which will definitely help me out a lot more going forward.”
Sep 28, 2026; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez and general manager Sean Marks talk with media at Brooklyn Nets HSS Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Brooklyn Nets are getting bigger without getting slower. At least that’s how it appears Sean Marks and Jordi Fernández will build in Brooklyn.
Say it with us: No more small ball!
The Nets have spent the past year finding and adding players who can handle the rock, shoot the three, pass and create from “positions” that traditionally haven’t demanded all of those skills. They believe that maintaining size — and versatility — without sacrificing some skill or athleticism can give them an advantage.
At Media Day, Fernández offered a glimpse into how that could look with Mikel Brown Jr. and Egor Dëmin in the backcourt this season:
“You guys know that I don’t like to give you my secrets, but I’m pretty sure we’ll see that,” the third year coach said when asked if the two high picks will be starting together. “Going back to the skill set, right? Like, you know, the ability to shoot from both of them, real ability to create, and the positional size… They have been brought here for a reason.”
Surrounding those two ball-handlers, Brooklyn’s roster construction shows a clear prioritization of positional size, versatility, skill … and quick decision-making. Emphasis on quick decision-making. We constantly circle back to this quote from Sean Marks in June 2025:
“It’s 0.5-second basketball, you catch and make a decision. You don’t hold the ball… It’s also where the NBA is going: guys who can play multiple positions, guard multiple positions, and make it hard on the defense,” said the Nets GM.
On the cloudy Monday in Brooklyn, NetsDaily’s Lucas Kaplan asked Marks if Brooklyn’s positional size represented an organizational shift, a goal shift, or simply a case of the players fitting a certain type of mold.
“It’s a combination of all the above,” answered Marks.
“What becomes available, where you’re picking in the draft and so forth, I do think positional size is a factor we look at. Jordi and I are hand-in-hand in that when we discuss who we want to bring in, and what position, and what needs we look for. Sometimes size can make up for some other deficiencies. It’s certainly a factor.”
What’s certain, though, is that the Nets roster for 2026-27 is historically big. At 6’4” in bare feet, Keon Ellis and Nolan Traore are the only players players under 6’6”. The roster also features 13 players, out of the 20 in camp, who top out at more than 6’8”.
Thus, the franchise have a pretty specific idea of the type of player they want. And he and Jordi are “hand-in-hand” on the plan, Marks emphasized. Positional size is the starting point, and Fernández was already a couple steps ahead of the game when he said this in over a year ago:
“Positional size is very important and you guys can see here with your eye test,” Fernández told the New York Daily News in July 2025. “I would play these guys almost 1 through 4, 1 through 5. So that’s a good thing for us. You’ll see length, athleticism, and we’ll keep working on that physicality and communication.”
Brooklyn isn’t collecting tall players for the sake of being tall. It’s giving more players responsibilities that traditionally belonged to a specific position. More versatility. So, it doesn’t necessarily make it “easy” for defenses to adjust. There is an obvious drawback to building around size: size alone doesn’t create an offense. Players need to turn into stars.
Ultimately, everyone has to be able to create with the ball in and out of their hands if they’re operating in this type of system. Moving the ball now becomes more important than the tyranny of 1 through 5.
The importance of Egor Dëmin
The 6’9” sophomore has the physical profile of a wing but the instincts of a lead ball handler. He probably isn’t going to be handling the rock every single possession, but the possession will begin in his hands. Vision — and setting players up for the best look possible — is going to become the identity of the Nets. Fernández has already pointed to the way his size and passing can influence the team’s pace.
“His positional size and his playmaking,” Fernández said in July 2025 about what excited him most about his first lottery pick. “It’s very important that we help each other and we give each other the best shot possible, and we believe that he can do it. Whether playing pick-and-roll or simply making the right play. That’s who he is, and if you watch him play and you get to know him, you can see that right away.”
Dëmin isn’t the only example.
Brown Jr., Nolan Traoré, and Ben Saraf all bring different versions of the same concept — players who can initiate, create or make plays without necessarily fitting the traditional profile of a point guard. Danny Wolf offers it from an entirely different place on the floor, with the challenge now being how quickly his skill set translates to the NBA.
A D’Antoni Connection… and a Euro one
It’s hard not to think about former Nets assistant and Hall-of-Fame head coach Mike D’Antoni when hearing Fernández speak about playing his guys “one through four, one through five.”
“You set up a system where the ball movement and the opposing defense will lead to the option… Everybody’s the No. 1 option. Everybody has the ability to be able to score, pass, and move. That’s when it’s the best. When you single out a person and it’s constantly them, it gets kind of bogged down. It’s easier for the opposing defense to load up.”
The Nets aren’t recreating D’Antoni’s Seven Seconds or Less Suns. But some of the underlying ideas are familiar, and D’Antoni had already begun testing versions of that philosophy in Italy more than two decades ago.
“I was just trying to maximize the point guard, trying to maximize spacing, use the three. And I just went with it. You tweak it every year, you do a little bit different. You have different personnel. But the basics were there. It started in Italy and I just kind of ran with it,” D’Antoni told NBA.com. “I was insecure as a coach coming back to the NBA whether it would work or not.”
That’s where the international piece comes in.
Six players on the Nets roster have significant international backgrounds, giving Fernández, a native of Spain himself, a group that has developed through basketball systems outside the traditional American college-to-NBA pipeline.
Dëmin, born and raised in Russia, developed through Real Madrid’s famous youth academy before playing at BYU.
Nolan Traoré came through France’s famed INSEP developmental system and LNB Pro A.
Ben Saraf, born and raised in Israel, was an MVP at the FIBA U18 European Championship.
Danny Wolf is a 7-foot hybrid big with dual U.S. and Israeli citizenship, having played FIBA ball with Israel’s youth national team.
The team also added Moritz Wagner, a 2023 FIBA World Cup gold medalist with Germany who brings physicality and versatility to Brooklyn.
Finally, there’s Josh Minott, an explosive 6’8” forward who represents the Jamaican national team internationally.
Before taking over in Brooklyn, Fernández built his reputation in international basketball, most notably leading Canada to a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Before that, he was an assistant coach of the Nigerian national team under Mike Brown. That Canadian roster also reflected the philosophy: only one player stood shorter than 6’5” on that Fernandez squad as well — 6’4” Andrew Nembhard.
Fernández understands the international game, but he also understands that international experience alone doesn’t guarantee NBA success.
At Media Day, the Nets coach was asked whether this strategy inherently favors the European developmental pipelines.
“I would not say it favors Europeans, it just tells you how, you know, [how] global this league is, just finding talent everywhere in the world… You got to come here and then you got to prove that you can play. With our international players, obviously we don’t see passports, and our team we see great players with a possibility to develop and so forth.”
… But there is an adjustment which is any job requires time.
“I think we have all been brought here for a reason. You can bring your talents, but at the same time you have to adjust. You have to adjust to a league, you have to adjust to a culture, you have to adjust to many other things. I think that, you know, right now you look at the NBA and, you know, that international power part may be a little loud, but you still got to go through the steps. And once again, I just see good players out there.”
The NBA’s talent pool has never been more global than it is now with 135 players from 43 countries last year, but where those players came from matters less than what they can do. Brooklyn wants players who can handle, pass, shoot, defend and make decisions without being confined to one position.
The blueprint isn’t a secret
Marks has talked about positional size. Fernández has talked about playing players almost “1 through 4, 1 through 5.” Now the roster is starting to reflect it. The Nets want to put five of their best players on the court, with each capable of doing enough different things that the defense can’t easily predict where the advantage is coming from or where the ball will move next.
Mike D’Antoni helped push the league toward five skilled players who could stretch the floor and make decisions. Fernández and Marks appear to be betting on the next step. Expect to see all that flexibility Marks loves to talk about be put to use in bigger and better players.
