For the first time since April 27, 2025, Damian Lillard stepped on an NBA court on Wednesday night. He said it felt like home.
Lillard, coming off a torn left Achilles, played 19 minutes and finished with 15 points in his first game back — and his first game as a starting backcourt with Ja Morant. Those two found a little chemistry.
He posted 15 PTS, 3 3PM, & 2 STL in his return to action in Rip City, helping the @trailblazers clinch their first win of the NBA preseason! pic.twitter.com/kuAPk3fZcw
"It felt like I was back where I belong... back home."@Dame_Lillard on what it meant to make his preseason return to Portland and the court! pic.twitter.com/rW7xhK7D5a
Morant finished with eight points on 3-of-8 shooting and had five assists on the night. Both were working both on bal and off at times — especially Lillard — as Portland worked to run some of the offense through Deni Avdija, who had 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting in just 21 minutes on the court.
Scoot Henderson, who will be coming off the bench and in a new role for him, had his own highlight moment.
The Chicago Blackhawks (1-3-0), after just one game at home, are heading back east for one against the New York Islanders (1-2-0). This is a one-game trip.
The Blackhawks are heading into this match after their first win of the season, a home opener on Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues.
Following the win, the vibes surrounding the team are trending up. They didn't win by playing poorly and capitalizing on chances; it was a strong, gritty win they can build on. They weren't flawless, but it was a massive improvement over their first three games.
Scouting New York
The New York Islanders had a surprising start to last season, but ultimately failed to make it to the playoffs. Now, they are going to be a competitive team, but they are not seen as a playoff lock at this point in time.
Everything that the Islanders do starts and ends with Matthew Schaefer, the defenseman they took with the first overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. He has been even better than advertised, showing signs of an elite two-way defenseman. There is a chance that he is considered one of the five best at that position by the end of the season, if he isn't already.
Schaefer will be relied on even more, as Alexander Romanov is going to be out for the season with an injury. They are going to try to manage Schaefer's minutes as much as they can, including keeping him off the penalty kill as much as they can, but it will be harder with Romanov out.
Heineman-Horvat-Palmieri
Schenn-Ritchie-Eklund
Holmstrom-Pageau-Duclair
Palat-Cizikas-Maccelli
Stanley-Schaefer
Pelech-Pulock
DeAngelo-Mayfield
Sorokin
Bo Horvat is the leader of this group and will be the driver of offense without Mat Barzal in the lineup due to a short-term injury. It's not the deepest lineup in the league, but they have already shown the ability to be hard on the forecheck, strong defensively, and give high effort on every shift.
Ilya Sorokin will start in goal for New York. The 31-year-old star goalie is 1-1-0 with a .968 save percentage, a 1.02 goals-against average, and a shutout. He is already on track to have another one of those elite seasons where he competes for the Vezina Trophy.
A couple of keys for the Blackhawks to beat Sorokin: they must take his eyes away, find a way to beat him a few times, and keep the Islanders from scoring too many goals to overcome. In his career against the Blackhawks, Sorokin is 4-2-1 with a 2.42 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage.
Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago
The Blackhawks are going to be without Teuvo Teravainen in this game against the Islanders. His status for Saturday remains unclear, but they called up Dominic Toninato and put Andrew Mangiapane on injured reserve to make room as a result of Teravainen's injury.
The lines had to be changed up as a result, and they will look as follows:
Moore-Nazar-Kane
Bertuzzi-Frondell-Kantserov
Smith-Greene-Greenway
Donato-Toninato-Lardis
Byram-Levshunov
Vlasic-Cole
Kaiser-Rinzel
It is still unclear who will start against the Islanders in net. Spencer Knight is 3-0-0 in his career against New York with a .908 save percentage, while Arvid Soderblom is 0-2-0 with a .925 save percentage. Either choice makes sense.
With Teravainen out and Toninato in, the latter will take the spot of the fourth-line center. Ryan Greene will slot up, while Oliver Moore will move to the wing and play on the top line with Frank Nazar and Patrick Kane.
Anton Frondell is a player to keep an eye on in this game. He's been Chicago's best forward so far this season, as he leads all NHL rookies in assists (3) and points (4). Frondell also made his NHL debut late last season against the Islanders, picking up his first career NHL point with an assist.
Frondell is not the only player with fond memories of playing the Islanders. Against the Islanders, Patrick Kane has 11 career points in 11 career games, Nick Lardis has two goals and two assists in two games, and Alex Vlasic has five assists in his four meetings.
If the Blackhawks are going to turn their home opening win into a streak, some of these big career performances against the Islanders must continue.
How To Watch
The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. It can be seen locally on CHSN. Nationally, it can be streamed on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 6:30 PM CT.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive, and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
The emergence of Alberts Šmits benefits the New York Rangers’ present and future.
The one silver lining of the Rangers’ abysmal 2025-26 season, in which they finished last in the Eastern Conference, is that they landed the fifth-overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft.
With that selection, they had a number of different directions they could have gone in, but they decided to draft Šmits, who was touted as the most pro-ready defenseman in the draft class.
The expectation going into the season was that the 18-year-old defenseman would start the year playing for the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League, but that wasn’t his plan.
Šmits stood out throughout the team’s two-week shortened training camp and the preseason, as he earned a spot on the Rangers’ opening-night roster, something he wasn't surprised about in the slightest.
“Yeah, obviously,” Šmits said of whether he expected to make the team. “That’s why I came here.”
After five games, the Rangers currently hold a 4-1 record, and Šmits has played a large part in the team’s recent success.
For a rookie, Šmits is playing beyond his years, as his high hockey IQ and understanding of the game have been evident in his play.
A lot of that comfort comes from Šmits’ experience playing in the Finnish Hockey League and representing Latvia at the Olympics and World Championship, where he faced off against NHL players.
“I have been in this situation before when you come into the new team and you got to prove yourself,” Šmits said. “I think also the organization has helped me a lot. They’re doing a great job helping me adapt as fast as I can. I'm trying to do my best here to adapt to the game and bring my best performance every night.”
Mike Sullivan has preached adding more balance to the lineup and to their defensive core that was heavily anchored by Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov, lacking the necessary balance.
To go along with the Rangers’ newly-established second pairing of Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson, Šmits and Braden Schneider have formed a strong third defensive pairing for the Rangers, helping further strengthen the team’s balanced attack.
“I think it’s been pretty good,” Sullivan said of the Šmits-Schneider pairing. “I think those guys have worked well together. Scneids is such a great person, he’s a good partner for Smitty to have. Coming back to the bench, having conversations on the bench. We think that pair is only getting better.”
Even through his first few NHL games, Sullivan has not been sheltering Šmits, made evident by his average of 14:50 minutes of ice time per game.
The 2026 fifth overall pick looks comfortable in all situations. He’s defending well in his own zone, with his physical brand of hockey at the forefront while he uses his long reach and quick mobility to make plays.
It’s not always flashy with Šmits, but he’s reliable defensively and isn’t prone to making many mistakes. Those attributes should only continue to grow stronger as the season moves along, given his quick adjustment to the NHL thus far.
“Every game I spend out there, I’m getting more confident,” Šmits said. “I think I just gotta keep going in the right direction and we will see where time takes me.”
That’s consecutive ALDS exits against AL East rivals that were better than the Yanks during the regular season now, so the team must get better. How does that happen? There are important free agents looming, like closer David Bednar, so big decisions must be made. All those will come as the sport sorts through negotiations for a new labor agreement, which will have an as-yet unknown impact on the game’s economics.
Here are five Yankees storylines to follow during the offseason...
The outside debate over whether the Yanks need a new dugout voice rages with every end of season loss (and often long before). Perhaps a culture jolt would be just the thing. But fans’ ire does not fire or hire when it comes to the Yankee manager, so Boone seems likely to stick.
He’s got one year left on his deal. A likely lockout would give a new manager little time to get set and get to know players. Big-name stars such as Aaron Judge and Cam Schlittler backed Boone after the Game 3 loss.
There’s also an easy way for the Yankees to talk themselves into letting Boone proceed -- Judge, probably the best hitter in the world, played only 66 games, none in the postseason. Other stars missed significant time, too. In a season of tribulation, the Yankees weren’t good enough, but they still won 93 games and beat Boston in the Wild Card Series. Boone has missed the playoffs once in nine years guiding the Yanks.
Judge urged the Yanks to go "all-in" and "go out there and get it" to fill whatever holes the team has going forward. How does that happen, especially in a generally-thin free agent market? The Yankees have some well-regarded young big leaguers who helped them get to the playoffs.
Do they get creative on the trade market with them and their prospects? Or do they trade peanuts for some team’s bad contract and hope they snag a player who is re-energized in the Bronx? They’d better do something, especially with a lineup that flagged during the season and then produced, well, that October.
It’s one thing to say that good pitching beats good hitting in the October cauldron, but the Yankees were dreadful on offense against the Rays, batting .130 with a .431 OPS. Even with the team missing Judge, they can’t be that awful. Without Ben Rice, would they have even scored at all? (We’re exaggerating, he only drove in three of the Yanks five runs in the series, but still).
There’s no wiggle room at designated hitter. Rice and Judge, who turns 35 in April, require at-bats there. Giancarlo Stanton has no position other than DH. Maybe they could steal from the Rays playbook and add players with big-time ball-in-play skills to diversify?
Second thoughts
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is a free agent and Anthony Volpe revitalized his career after being sent to Triple-A and returning with vigor. Perhaps Chisholm out, Volpe in is the easiest way to solve second base.
Jul 22, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) and second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) react after winning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Yankee Stadium. / John Jones-Imagn Images
It’s pretty unlikely Chisholm returns -- he did not live up to his big talent in his walk year, heard boos at Yankee Stadium, and was so un-vital to the Yankee cause that Boone didn't start him in Game 3 against a righty.
The Yanks could make him a qualifying offer and get a draft pick when he signs elsewhere. But they’d have to be OK with him returning. He could just grab the $23-plus million and try to reset his free agency with a bigger season on what figures to be a good Yankee team in ‘27.
Finally, the Yanks’ biggest deadline deal brought them Luis García Jr., a thunderous lefty bat. He played only first base for the Yankees and Nationals this season, but spent the previous three seasons as Washington’s second baseman. He’s played second, but can he play second? Especially for a club that just embarrassed itself defensively this postseason?
Pen notes
The Yanks have done a remarkable job discovering and developing useful relievers for years, but that doesn’t mean they should overthink closer this winter. Bednar is a free agent. The Yankees should re-sign him. He recorded 35 saves and a 2.47 ERA in 64 games during the regular season and added three scoreless postseason innings.
He’s proven he can handle the New York market, and his entrance song -- "Renegade" by Styx -- sounds cool.
Beyond Bednar, Paul Blackburn is another key bullpen free agent and he’s coming off an insane platform year -- a 1.69 ERA in 62 games and one hit allowed over six shutout innings in the playoffs. He’s a keeper, too.
Get defensive
We’ll stop short of using the term "run prevention" for obvious reasons, but the Yanks have had two high-profile defensive meltdowns in the postseason in the last three seasons and need to fix their defense. A few Dodgers chirped them after the Game 5 debacle in the 2024 World Series, but that wasn’t humiliating enough to prevent the Yankees from bungling Game 2 against the Rays with another torrent of miscues.
Another early October exit is, sadly for them, becoming familiar territory. But a near-annual blooper-fest in the playoffs can’t be on repeat, too. If it takes new defensive protocols, more infield practice during the season, more accountability or better defenders, it must stop.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 19: Angel Martínez #1 of the Cleveland Guardians hits a two-run home run to center field to give Cleveland a 5-2 lead in the first inning against the Athletics at Progressive Field on September 19, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Russell Lee Verlinger/Cleveland Guardians/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Angel Martinez has had a horrific 2026 ALDS so far… he should still start in left field tonight.
First, let’s stare at the bleak numbers right in the face. Martinez is 0 for 12 with 7 strikeouts. He is chasing everything and whiffing at everything. He has gone 0 for 4 with runners on base and stranded eight baserunners, including three who were on third base. In positive news, he has been solid in left field and ran a mile to catch a pop-up that Brayan Rocchio and Jose Ramirez lost in the lights in Monday’s games. …But, his -100 wRC+ feels about right… he is a clear negative in terms of helping the Guardians win a baseball game at the moment.
So, why shouldn’t Stephen Vogt make a switch today? Maybe put Adell in right, DeLauter in left and let Nate Lowe DH and David Fry play first base, or vice versa? Maybe make Travis Bazzana DH and get Angel Genao a start at second base?
The reason is because Angel Martinez was one of the hottest hitters in baseball August-September with a 152 wRC+ and a .310/.346/.510 slashline. He is more than capable of getting back on track and the way to do so is pretty simple… I am sure every coach and player around him is saying “Just stay patient enough to make them throw you a strike. Force the pitcher to get the ball in the zone and jump on it.” If Angel can take even one walk or get to even one full-count early in the game, he will give himself the potential to unleash his power on this series.
The options behind Martinez are a big part of why he should continue to start. While I thought it might be nice to give him a chance to enter the game off the bench and start Daniel Schneemann yesterday, neither Schneemann, nor Petey Halpin, nor Angel Genao, nor David Fry are offensive threats of particular note. Genao showed some good contact ability yesterday… Martinez has contact ability if he can just lay off a few non-competitive pitches. Fry’s year-long struggles are well-known, Halpin is defense and speed only, and Daniel Schneemann has a career wRC+ under 80. The time to have added another bopper is passed. Martinez gives the team their best chance of impacting the ball with some authority in his role and should get another chance tonight.
Now, if we are sitting here Friday having somehow won the game, and Martinez is now 0 for 16 with 10 strikeouts… I think then it is time to recognize he’s not pulling out of it with the weight of the playoffs sitting firmly on his shoulders and a breather is probably best. Of course, there is no tomorrow. The Guardians have to win today or they are done. So, it’s a risk to continue to start Martinez… but I don’t think there is a preferable risk to exchange his volatility to pursue.
Angel, you’ve got this. You’ve done it all season long. You’ve seen all these pitchers a dozen times. Take a deep breath and remember it’s not all on you. Spit on some bad pitches and pounce on the first thing you see in the zone and you can redeem every bad game that’s happened before like they never existed. We believe in you.
New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change.
Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve got ourselves a rematch.
Just like last year, Shohei Ohtani’s Los Angeles Dodgers and Christian Yelich’s Milwaukee Brewers are meeting in the NLCS.
And, once again, Pat Murphy’s club has home-field advantage. Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 will be at American Family Field in Milwaukee, WI.
Not everything about this Series is the same, though.
“I think it is different this year. … We’re going in to beat them,” Murphy told Fox Sports, referring to his team getting swept in 2025. “We earned it in the regular season to get home-field advantage. We’re going in to beat them, we don’t care who they have.”
If you’d like to be there to see if the Brew Crew really have what it takes to dethrone the defending World Series champion Dodgers, tickets are available for all four hypothetical contests in the Cream City.
At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on seats for any one game in Milwaukee was $224 including fees on Vivid Seats.
Prices start at $144 including fees for fans hoping to attend a showdown at Dodger Stadium.
Ahead of the NLCS, Milwaukee battled with San Diego in a tense, back-and-forth four-game NLDS that saw instantly iconic moments like a clutch Jackson Chourio catch in Game 1, a Jackson Chourio walk-off single in Game 2 and Garrett Mitchell robbing Manny Machado of a home run in Game 4.
As for the Dodgers, the club continued their winning ways in the postseason [Editor’s Note: They haven’t lost a playoff series since the Diamondbacks beat them in the 2023 NLDS] and beat up on the formidable Braves.
Kiké Hernández smashed a home run — the 17th postseason dinger of his career, putting him ahead of Babe Ruth (!) on the all-time list — in the decisive fourth game and stellar offensive performances from Andy Pages and Max Muncy.
We can’t wait to see what comes next.
For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about the Dodgers vs. Brewers 2026 NLCS below.
What do the cheapest tickets cost for NLCS games in Milwaukee?
A complete breakdown of all the best prices on tickets for every hypothetical game at Milwaukee’s American Family Field can be found here:
Brewers home game dates
Ticket prices start at
Game 1 Sunday, Oct. 11
$236(including fees)
Game 2 Monday, Oct. 12
$224(including fees)
Game 6 Sunday, Oct. 18
$235(including fees)
Game 7 Monday, Oct. 19
$277(including fees)
How much are the cheapest tickets for NLCS games in Los Angeles?
All of the cheapest potential Dodgers NLCS home game ticket prices are listed below.
Dodgers home game dates
Ticket prices start at
Game 3 Wednesday, Oct. 14
$160(including fees)
Game 4 Thursday, Oct. 15
$150(including fees)
Game 5 Friday, Oct. 16
$144(including fees)
How can I watch the Dodgers vs. Brewers 2026 NLCS?
For fans who prefer to watch on the tube, you can catch this nervy series on FOX and FS1.
Both providers listed above can be found on the one-stop shop known as DIRECTV.
Huge 2026-27 concerts
Fans hoping to get a concert or three in this year too are in luck.
After a bit of digging, we found that many of the biggest names in music will be on the road this year and next.
Here are just five of the biggest acts and artists we can’t wait to see live in the near future.
• Aerosmith
• Stevie Wonder
• RUSH
• Robert Plant
• Def Leppard with Goo Goo Dolls
Who else is out and about? Take a look at this list of all the biggest rockers on tour in 2026 to find the show for you.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 06: Adou Thiero #1 of the Los Angeles Lakers passes around Yaxel Lendeborg #1 of the Golden State Warriors during their preseason game at Chase Center on October 06, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Through two preseason appearances, Adou Thiero has shot 4-of-5 inside the arc (0-of-3 from deep) and he dished out four assists in Monday’s win over the Sacramento Kings. During those games and throughout the offseason, head coach JJ Redick has seen Thiero display growth in his decision-making once he applies his immense athleticism to create advantages. Thiero will always be one of the most athletic players on the floor but weaponizing those gifts requires much more than simply unleashing them against defenders.
“Some of the improvement that I’ve talked about has been with patience and playing off two feet on a drive, let’s say. He’s done it a number of times. Last night, he made the right read and got assists. But playing off two [feet] when you’re in traffic, you’re still going to be the best athlete nine times out of 10 in the paint. I think he’s doing a really good job,” Redick said after Tuesday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors. “That’s a big improvement from even the games he played in the rotation last year where they were just reckless abandon and got caught in the air against multiple bodies. Even if you are the best or one of the best athletes on the floor, there’s other great athletes on the floor and there’s other great size and length on the floor. So, I think he’s really starting to figure that out.”
As Redick’s previously made clear, he believes Thiero’s continued development stems from a prolonged period of health in which he can refine various parts of game after dealing with a slew of injuries in 2025-26. Thiero feels similarly and believes his decision-making benefits from sustained opportunities, whether they be in games or practice.
“I feel like it’s reps,” he said. “Just going out, starting off getting those reps in practice, already understanding the offense, how I can help the offense and then getting those reps in the game.”
Thiero’s next chance to accrue more in-game reps, further sharpen his skill-set and make a case for potential rotation minutes comes Thursday at home against the Kings at 7:30 p.m.
ATLANTA — Finishing off the Atlanta Braves in four games in the NL Division Series meant more to the Los Angeles Dodgers than avoiding a winner-take-all Game 5.
By ending the series with a 4-1 victory, the Dodgers will have extra time to reset their rotation, bullpen and struggling slugger Shohei Ohtani for the Championship Series opening game.
“It’s important. It was very important,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Once you get to an elimination game, a Game 5 or a Game 7, anything can happen. And to be able to win today, get back, reset, have a day off tomorrow, set the rotation, it’s huge.”
The extra rest means Tarik Skubal likely will be the choice to start against Milwaukee instead of handling a Game 5 against the Braves. Similarly, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow will be well rested for their expected NLCS starts.
Infielder Miguel Rojas may need the extra rest for a sore lower back that kept him out.
Also, Edwin Díaz will have ample time to reset after recording saves on back-to-back days to close out the series against Atlanta. The ninth-inning work showed Díaz is re-established as the closer.
“The team trusts me,” Díaz said. “I think that was the most important thing for me, the team trusts me. They give me the ball every single day. And the last two nights it’s been amazing. That’s why I came here to win games and close games like this one. So I’m really happy right now.”
Despite those advantages, Roberts is preparing for a tough NLCS as the Dodgers try to move closer to their goal of becoming the first NL team to win three consecutive World Series.
“We’ve got our work cut out,” Roberts said, adding extra rest also will be important for such players as Ohtani and Freddie Freeman.
Ohtani was 2 for 13 against Atlanta and hasn’t homered since Aug. 18 while dealing with injuries to his right biceps, left knee and neck that have also kept the two-way player off the mound.
“So kind of enjoy this one, get Shohei a couple of days to get back,” Roberts said. “Freddie, he had a big series, but, again a couple of days will help him. Give our guys in the ‘pen a little reset. So we’ll be ready to go Game 1.”
Díaz pitched a perfect ninth inning in the clinching win. The on-field celebration was a low-key affair, but Roberts and his players, wearing “Take October” T-shirts and goggles to protect their eyes, soon were drenched with champagne.
The Dodgers made the most of their opportunity to celebrate another postseason series win while maintaining their focus on a third straight World Series championship.
“Our goal is to win the World Series, not this series,” Díaz said. “We’ve got eight more wins to go. So our goal is win those eight games. And at the end of the day when we win those eight games, we celebrate.
“Now we’re going back to LA to keep working. I know all the guys are on the same track. Now we just celebrate a little bit, go back to LA, get working and be ready for Sunday.”
Andy Pages’ bases-loaded single in the seventh drove in two runs to give the Dodgers a 3-1 lead. Max Muncy added to the lead with a homer in the ninth, his third blast of the postseason.
“Obviously, we have big teams, big series coming up,” Pages said. “We’re going to face tough teams, so prepare for those moments, but also take advantage of the opportunity of being here and enjoying these moments. And knowing that our ultimate goal is to win the World Series. So focus on that.”
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 28: Jayson Tatum #0 and Paul George #13 of the Boston Celtics pose for photos during Boston Celtics Media Day at Auerbach Center on September 28, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Celtics basketball, how we’ve missed you. It’s been a long, strange offseason, so it feels good to turn the page and learn about a new team and, maybe more fittingly, a new era.
I love preseason because it’s the first real look at where the coaching staff’s heads are at, and who is standing out in training camp. It’s also a tryout for some to show growth or earn their spot.
You can usually get a feel for who’s going to be important, but it’s worth taking things with a grain of salt. Last preseason, Chris Boucher started all four games, then appeared in only nine regular season games before being traded. Xavier Tillman had a similar fate.
So with a dash of skepticism and a loose promise not to overreact, there’s still a lot to learn as the Celtics visit the Cavaliers for game one of the preseason.
BOSTON, MA – FEBRUARY 6: Payton Pritchard #11, Sam Hauser #30 and Baylor Scheierman #55 of the Boston Celtics celebrates during the game against the Miami Heat on February 6, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Who gets the start?
This is one of the more interesting big-picture questions of the season.
Joe Mazzulla recently said three or four starters are etched in stone. That’s slightly cryptic, but we can confidently assume Derrick White, Paul George and Jayson Tatum are the obvious three.
My anticipated starting unit has Payton Pritchard and Neemias Queta rounding out the five. But if only four are locked in, there are two ways to read it. One is that Pritchard is the fourth, and center becomes a matchup call between Queta and Mitchell Robinson. The other is that the center spot is settled, and they value Pritchard more in his bench role.
This game against Cleveland could reveal who that fourth starter is, and it may also tell us what they’re searching for in the fifth spot.
Are they targeting spot-up shooting, defensive activity, playmaking? Even if the answer isn’t permanent, we’ll see who gets the first crack at it, and what type of skills they want to round out the group.
A leap in the wing room?
On a similar note, a breakout from one of the Celtics’ wings could help the lineup take shape.
There is a lot of room in the rotation for change. As we saw last season, Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez were interchangeable. All of them had stretches as a starter or key rotation piece. This year could bring more of the same, but maybe someone breaks through.
Walsh could fulfill his goal of developing into a more versatile offensive player. He spoke at Summer League about wanting to be the answer in any situation, rather than someone who gets subbed out when the team needs a bucket.
Scheierman might carry a strong training camp into the preseason. His blend of shotmaking and ball handling makes him arguably the most natural offensive fit of the three next to their best players.
Boston, MA – March 4: Charlotte Hornets center Ryan Kalkbrenner dunks between Boston Celtics guards Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez in the third quarter. The Celtics played the Hornets at TD Garden on March 4, 2026. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
A sophomore leap from Gonzalez isn’t out of the question either. Between Summer League and the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, he’s had the most real game experience of the group over the last few months.
Which of the three do we see first, and does anyone separate from the others? One of them could even start. If it’s not Pritchard in the first five, any of them makes sense.
Breaking through means getting past Sam Hauser, though. He was counted on more consistently than all three last season and held the fifth starter spot in the playoffs. I’ll be interested to see if that remains the case, or if one of them manages to leapfrog him on the depth chart.
Does the defense feel any different?
Something I wrote about this summer was that the Celtics’ strong defensive rating last season was built more on managing their opponents’ shot profile than on forcing turnovers.
They finished fourth in defensive rating while ranking 29th in opponent turnovers. That’s something to feel good about. They were already elite without forcing turnovers, so closing that gap could push them toward the best defense in the league.
They have the personnel to make takeaways a priority, and the additions of George and Robinson should only help.
What I’m looking for is whether the defense feels different. Do they let their bigs swap some drop coverage for switches or blitzes in the pick and roll? Will we see aggressive nail help and activity in the passing lanes from Tatum and George? Are Gonzalez and Walsh unleashed as point-of-attack defenders, tasked with creating chaos?
Turnover numbers will tell some of the story, but you can see the signs of an aggressive defense forming quickly. With Robinson and Queta (and Derrick White), they have protection on the back line that should allow them to take calculated risks. Additional influence over the possession battle would make them even more dangerous, since they’re typically very good at limiting their own turnovers.
Cleveland is a good first test, giving us some real tape on how they handle two strong creators in James Harden and Donovan Mitchell.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Bryson Stott #5 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates scoring against the Atlanta Braves during the seventh inning in game one of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on September 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Do you remember as a kid when you would go to the Boardwalk and there would be a sketch artist sitting on the pier somewhere and they would ask if you would like to have your picture drawn? Then they would create a picture with an oversized head and a tiny body trying to ride a bicycle or something like that?
The 2026 Phillies were a caricature. They had a big head and a tiny rest of its body.
They entered the 2026 season knowing they were a top-heavy operation. Offensively, Kyle Schwarber ($30 million), Trea Turner ($27.3 million) and Bryce Harper ($25.4 million) were their big-ticket items, high priced veteran superstars whose job it was to carry the team. They were led by a starting rotation featuring Zack Wheeler ($42 million), Aaron Nola ($24.5 million), Jesus Luzardo ($11 million) and Cristopher Sanchez ($5.7 million), as well as a top closer in Jhoan Duran ($7.5 million). J.T. Realmuto signed a big off-season free agent contract, but was never considered someone who would provide a major impact.
The majority of the roster was a mix of returning veteran bats, some bargain basement outfield additions, and a bullpen that seemed to be a strength until it very quickly became apparent it wasn’t.
Turner was a disaster. Harper and Schwarber were fine, ranking 13th and 15th, respectively, in MLB OPS among qualified players. The rotation was as good as advertised, and the bullpen was one of the worst in the league as the playoffs rolled around. Nearly every returning member of the Phillies regressed from 2025 to 2026.
In the end, the Phillies tried to skate through the season with two “great” position players, three elite starting pitchers, and one elite bullpen arm. The rest was a collection of underachieving veterans who were unable to provide enough value to substantially move the needle.
Simply put, there were not enough solid Major League contributors on the 40-man roster this year compared to the other 12 MLB playoff teams.
This year, the Phillies had three position players worth at least 1.5 fWAR on their roster: Bryson Stott (3.8), Harper (3.3) and Schwarber (2.9). That was the fewest of any team in the playoffs. The Brewers and Cubs each had 8. The White Sox had 7. The Dodgers, Guardians, Padres, Yankees and Rays each has 6.
Pitching-wise, the Phillies had 6 pitchers worth at least 1.0 fWAR: Sanchez (6.2), Luzardo (5.5), Wheeler (4.0), Duran (2.9), Nola (1.3) and Andrew Painter (1.1). The Dodgers had TWICE as many, 12, with the Brewers and Red Sox each having 9. The Yankees had 8. The Braves, Padres and Rays had 7 each.
When you add up all the hitters with 1.5+ fWAR and pitchers worth 1.0+ fWAR, the Phillies had 9 such players, the fewest of any postseason team. By comparison, the Dodgers had 18. The Brewers had 17. The Yankees, 14. Four teams had 13.
Dombrowski will have money to spend this off-season. There will be raises to Luzardo and Sanchez thanks to their well-deserved contract extensions, but there is significant money coming off the books. Dead cash for Nick Castellanos and Taijuan Walker, about $38 million, will be freed up. However, there are no star free agents outside of Japanese imports worth spending big bucks on.
The most likely free agent of note the Phils could sign is outfielder Randy Arozarena, who put up a career year in Seattle this season. They will give the soon-to-be 32-year-old a contract that everyone will be uncomfortable with to play left or right field, and it will probably be the right move. But outside of that, Dombrowski’s mission must be to find more 1.5+ fWAR hitters and 1.0+ fWAR pitchers.
He must balance the roster.
Harper is no longer good enough to be at the head of a top-heavy roster. After a 2025 season in which Dave Dombrowski questioned whether Harper was still elite, Harper was actually worth a little less in ‘26 than he was in ‘25:
We now know what Harper is at 33 years old. He’s slightly less than a 3.5-win player. That is a very fine thing to be and right in line with his very reasonable $25.4 million salary. Schwarber, the team’s other big bat, did not have as productive a season as his previous two:
Schwarber is still one of the game’s most feared power hitters, and when he’s on a hot streak, he can carry the team for a solid month. But he can also go quite cold. He had just a .199 batting average in the second half last year, hitting .172/.330/.379 in September. He will be 34 next year.
When your two best players are streaky and, frankly, do not provide elite production, they need to be supplemented with other players throughout the roster who do more things well than what we saw this season.
It’s well past time to have serious conversations about Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh and Alec Bohm. Despite another mediocre year at the plate and his annual disappearing act in the postseason, Stott led the team in fWAR thanks mostly to his defensive versatility and baserunning. He would likely fetch a decent price as a trade chip this off-season. After starting the All Star Game last summer, Marsh finished as a player who was barely above replacement-level, with a 0.3 fWAR in 155 games. He should be traded. Bohm, worth 0.2 fWAR despite a better second half, should not be back.
The Phillies can only hope J.T. Realmuto and Trea Turner figure something out this off-season, because while Dombrowski might want to trade them, he won’t find any takers. And despite what you may have read, it is highly unlikely Harper or Schwarber are going anywhere in trades. They control their destiny, although Dombrowski should be willing to listen to any and all offers and present them to his two veteran stars.
Dombrowski has to rely on his pro and minor league scouts to earn their money. They need to comb through the 40-man rosters of every team in the league, identify players who can contribute at the Major League level, and swing some trades. They need to make smarter free agent decisions. That means no more Adolis Garcia-Max Kepler one-year deals to failing, washed-up veterans. This also means bringing aboard guys who are more well-rounded. Guys who play good defense, don’t chase at the plate, and understand what a professional at-bat looks like.
More importantly, they need to load up their system with bullpen arms and stash as many guys with plus-stuff on their minor league teams and on the 40-man as they can. The only minor league reliever to have any significant impact this year was Alex McFarlane, and they waited until late July to get him on the 26-man roster. Getting even 2 or 3 guys who can provide 1.0+ fWAR out of the bullpen as a middle reliever would be a major victory.
This is where champions are built. If there was a big-money free agent that could take over as the No. 1 star on the team, the Phillies would, and should, go for it. But outside of Japan, that player isn’t out there. So, the Phillies will enter the 2027 season with Harper and Schwarber as the guys they’re building around, hoping that Turner re-joins them in creating a Big 3.
Big game hunting is fun, but in the case of this sinking Phillies team, they simply need more competent big league baseball players in the organization to make the top-heavy roster look less like a caricature and more like a real playoff team capable of winning a World Series.
SAN DIEGO — After yet another businesslike victory in a season full of them, the Milwaukee Brewers celebrated their National League Division Series clincher inside Petco Park amid beer showers, wafting cigar smoke and countless bottles of sparkling wine individually labeled with the names of various Wisconsin cities.
The Brewers are thrilled to head home with another playoff series victory during the best stretch in team history — but they also know the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to meet them in Milwaukee.
A year after the Brewers did not appear to be ready to meet the challenge posed by the intimidating World Series champions while getting unceremoniously swept out of the NL Championship Series, this team is certain it can do better in the rematch.
The Brewers’ tense NLDS win over the San Diego Padres — four games decided by five combined runs — only underlined their growing confidence in their ability to excel in October and to truly fight for this team’s first championship.
“I think we have a different type of confidence and belief in ourselves together as a team,” said center fielder Garrett Mitchell, the Game 4 hero with his bat and glove. “It’s just like a quiet, subtle confidence. It’s not showboaty. It’s just everyone who’s in this clubhouse, from the front office to the staff, everyone believes. ... I also think it’s a year difference. Guys are continuing to mature. We’re all excited to go out and compete and try to get it done.”
With their eighth playoff appearance in the past nine seasons off to a strong start, the Brewers are gradually knocking down the remaining barriers to their ultimate goal.
This group ended Milwaukee’s 12-game road postseason losing streak since 2018 with the clincher in San Diego, executing nearly flawlessly in the process. The Brewers held the Padres to three hits and got timely hits of their own while playing exceptional defense and gradually draining the spirit from the normally frenzied Petco crowd.
“That team right there can beat anybody in baseball,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said of the Padres. “Nobody has a winning record on the road in the postseason — except maybe the Dodgers. It’s just not the way it is. The environments are so tough to play in. Yeah, so that was going to happen at some point if we keep banging on the postseason door.”
And while the Dodgers will be the biggest challenge they’ve faced, the Brewers have never been better positioned to break through.
They won a franchise-record 103 games in the regular season, topping the majors and increasing their win total for the fourth straight season while winning their fourth consecutive NL Central crown. Milwaukee then took down the 91-win Padres, who were arguably the majors’ best team in September while streaking to 19 wins in 22 games.
The Brewers won a competitive series between two teams with no World Series titles to show for 58 seasons of existence apiece. San Diego’s drought stretches on, but Milwaukee is eight wins away from ending its own.
The Dodgers are in the way, but the Brewers believe it’s finally their time.
“Tonight is about us, but tomorrow we’re making a plan,” Game 4 starter Robert Gasser said. “We’re trying to execute and figure out, ‘How do we go in and get two wins at home and head over to LA and take care of business there?’ We’ve played them well this year. We saw them last year in the NLCS, but we’ve got all hands on deck, and we’re ready to go.”
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MAY 30: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball against Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs during Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 30, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When those TV ads for personal injury attorneys run on TV (which is constantly), you will often see a disclaimer that “past results are not a guarantee of future results”. Which is true, especially because the ads only tout the attorney’s big successes, not the losses.
How is this relevant to Pounding the Rock readers? Because this is my annual Overs and Unders predictions for the NBA’s Western Conference – a tradition unlike any other. Oh wait, that’s the Masters.
Anyway, the attorney disclaimer is especially appropriate because (a) I am an attorney (non-personal injury division) and (b) I somehow went 11-4 on my preseason over/under predictions for the 2025-26 season. Yes, 11 wins and only 4 losses. Hence – “past results are not a guarantee of future results”. Note that I did not mention my record in prior seasons. Suffice it say those prior predictions were not as good as 11 and 4.
My biggest win last season was on the Vegas preseason prediction for the Spurs. Vegas said 43.5 wins, my prediction was “OVER, OVER, OVER”, and the Spurs won 62. So I went 11-4 overall and nailed the most important prediction.
But that was last season, and I am not one to rest on my laurels. Indeed, I don’t believe I own any laurels, don’t know what they are, and I don’t know how or where or why one would rest on them. Instead, I will wade into the breach once again and try to repeat last season’s successes (as will the Spurs).
Last season’s preseason article started with teams at the top of the conference and went down.. This season I will flip that and start with the lousy teams, ending with the good ones, thereby cleverly leaving the Spurs until the end. Because the Spurs are finally once again good. Very good.
I am adding one thing: how close the 2025-26 Vegas preseason prediction was to each team’s final win total. I will call that HDVD – How Did Vegas Do?
Remember that my past success is not a guarantee of future results. Especially because I have asked some basketball minds that I respect to weigh in on their favorite teams — you can expect some perhaps unjustified fan optimism. And away we go, starting with the dregs of the Western Conference:
Sacramento Kings
HDVD — Last season, Vegas predicted the Kings would win 35.5 games, a total whiff by the “smart guys”. The Kings won only 22.
Despite great fans, this is a very sorry franchise. At least the Clippers have taken over the spot for saddest NBA franchise. Vegas predicts that this year’s Kings will win 21.5 games, even less than last season’s disaster. Long-suffering fan Kings fan Brent weighed in with this:
“The 21.5 O/U number for the Kings is patently offensive—much like the Kings’ defense. On paper, the Kings have the pieces to blow past 22 wins. On the court, history suggests the Kings will try to win 40 games, but will win exactly 21 games, and somehow not even get a top 3 draft pick in return. It seems like a decade ago that the Kings were the 3 seed in the West, but it seems like yesterday that Robert Horry buried that 3 . As a loyal Kings fan, I’m cautiously optimistic about this season with the promise of Darius Acuff, Jr. I’ll take the over.”
New Orleans Pelicans
HDVD — Vegas predicted the Pelicans would win 30.5 games in 2025-26, but they couldn’t even reach that low goal, winning only 26.
This year, Vegas has the Pelicans winning 28.5 games. Like the Kings, another sorry franchise, though the food is better. Do you remember when people thought Zion Williamson would be a true force in the league? Maybe he should play in a city where the food isn’t so good. I have New Orleans as UNDER, again, as does New Orleans resident Steve:
“Wins and losses are less important than proving Bill Simmons’ speculation about the Pels leaving NOLA wrong. Just a few years ago, the Pels were a promising team that was a fun watch with a growing fan base. Now, it’s hard to see a path to the playoffs for the Pels in a stacked conference. I’ll take the under on 28.5 wins but the over on Simmons being wrong and the Pels staying in NOLA.”
Memphis Grizzlies
HDVD — Vegas’s worst over-confident prediction last season. Predicted to win 40.5 wins, the Grizzlies won only 25.
Vegas may have learned its lesson and now has the Grizz winning only 28.5. Memphis grew tired of tying their future to the mercurial Ja Morant, shipping him to Portland after the season. This was after trading Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah during the season. The new projected starting lineup: Ty Jerome, Cedric Coward, Jerami Grant, Cameron Boozer, and Zach Edey.
That line-up sounds a lot like an UNDER to me.
Los Angeles Clippers
HDVD — Another over-confident Vegas pick: Predicted to win 48.5 wins in 2025-26, the Clips limped in with 42 wins, and then lost to the Warriors in the Play-In round. Of course, news then got worse.
Clippers are the third team that Vegas has at 28.5 wins for this season. That prediction may be the high point for the next four or five years as the Clippers will both lose many games and have already lost all their draft picks for the next five years.The NBA may have done Steve Ballmer a favor by barring him from the arena for a year. I think the overall bad vibes on the team will lead to an UNDER, but Clips fan Adam has an optimistic take for this season:
“OVER. Sure our future has been completely destroyed, but that didn’t affect this year. After an extremely long off season and finally turning the page on trading our future for one Western Conference Finals, Ty Lue has a team with which he typically excels and does have several former All-Stars to utilize. I can see this team fighting for a Play-In spot, but unfortunately our league leading streak of winning seasons is in serious jeopardy. The life of a Clippers fan!”
Dallas Mavericks
HDVD — Vegas predicted the Mavs would win 39.5 games last season, missing badly as the Mavs won only 26 times.
Vegas has Mavs improving to 35.5 wins. Mavs fan Dylan has higher hopes than that:
“I’ll take the over on 35.5. Dallas won 26 games last year, but this team is bigger, longer, and healthier. Dereck Lively II anchors the defense when he’s right (opponents shot 58.5% at the rim against him as a rookie, a mark between Evan Mobley and Bam Adebayo), and Daniel Gafford, Morez Johnson Jr., Santi Aldama, and Zaccharie Risacher add length, plus real shooting, since Aldama and Risacher both shot 35% or better from three last year. Cooper Flagg, now 6’10” barefoot by his own account, is set up for a big second-year leap, and Kyrie Irving is a year and a half removed from his ACL tear. It all hinges on health, but I like Dallas to clear 35.5.”
Utah Jazz
HDVD — The Jazz were predicted to be bad with 19.5 wins, and they were bad, but just not quite as bad as predicted, with 22 wins.
Vegas predicts significant improvement for the Jazz, up to 36.5 wins. I think they will exceed that, so I have OVER. Salt Lake City’s own Steve agrees:
“First: In Danny We Trust
Second: We aren’t trying to tank! Always a big plus when trying to win!
I think we are a 42+ game winner this year. The team is constructed much better and we have more depth than before.
Darryn Peterson is incredible. I watched him live in a couple of summer games and he can flat out play. He is one of the purest shooters I’ve seen. Expect mistakes, but he is a huge boost to the offense.
The “it factor” is that the players love the owner Ryan Smith. He treats them great, he isn’t in it for the personal fame, and the Jazz are a central part of his grand design to build up the state of Utah.“
Portland Trail Blazers
HDVD — Last season, Vegas predicted 34.5 wins. Blazers easily surpassed that, with a winning record at 42 – 40.
Vegas predicts the Blazers will beat that this year with 43.5 wins. Blazers fan Steve takes the UNDER:
“I’ve got the Blazers at 42 wins this year. They have more overall talent than last year, but I just hate how this roster fits together. After a decade of limiting themselves by pairing Lillard with another undersized guard that can’t defend, their big offseason move is putting an even older and slower (and post-injury) Lillard with Ja Morant? Something, something… definition of insanity. At least CJ McCollum could shoot!”
Golden State Warriors
HDVD — Vegas predicted the Ws to win a solid 45.5 games, but injuries to Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry made that impossible. Warriors finished at 37-45.
Vegas has the Warriors below .500 again this year with 39.5 wins. Former college roommate Corey thinks that is an accurate assessment, but leans under:
“Depends when Jimmy Butler gets back. With Jimmy, they’ll be over .500. Without him, they’ll be under .500. Like I said, 39.5 sounds about right. Those Las Vegas guys know their [profanity deleted].”
Phoenix Suns
HDVD — The Suns’ 45 wins vastly exceeded the Vegas prediction on 31.5 wins. Indeed, that was the second biggest over-performance by any team in the conference. We all know which had team had the biggest.
Vegas has the Suns dropping back to 39.5 wins this year. One projection I read said this: “Center Mark Williams is expected to miss roughly the first four months following labrum surgery, opening early minutes for players like Khaman Maluach.” If you are like me, you have never heard of (and cannot pronounce) Maluach. That alone makes the Suns an UNDER for me. Best friend Dave, who lives in Tucson, concurs:
“The Suns are setting on Devin Booker, who has been a high-level scorer his entire career…all of it in Phoenix. The frontcourt isn’t strong enough. The addition of Luke Kennard gives them another shooter to go along with Book and Colin Gillespie. Did they need another shooter? Suns were a nice surprise last year. This year, I say no. Under 39.5 wins.”
Los Angeles Lakers
HDVD — The 2025-26 Lakers outperformed the Vegas prediction of 47.5 win with a surprising 53 – 29 record. They then overcame a bunch of injuries to knock off the Rockets in the first round, before getting swept by OKC in a series that was not as close as 4 – 0 would indicate.
This year Vegas has the Lakers sliding back a bit — good-bye Lebron — to 45.5 wins. Always optimistic Lakers fan Mike disagrees with Vegas:
“Don’t short the Lakers this year boys. Luka and his merry band of young shooters, defenders, rim runners and one very large shot blocker in the middle. I like 50 wins and a 3/4 seed.”
Yup, that is an OVER from Mike. (I think that is Mike’s 27th consecutive “over” for the Lakers.)
Houston Rockets
HDVD — The Rockets 52 wins was slightly less than the 55.5 wins that Vegas projected.
Despite the return of point guard Fred VanVleet, the Rockets are predicted to fall back to 46.5 wins this season. Perhaps Vegas believes that the ageless Kevin Durant will finally start showing his age? If not, having an actual point guard should help the offense, though the defense and rebounding may drop a bit. All in all, I think 46.5 wins underestimates the Rockets. OVER.
Denver Nuggets
HDVD — The best prediction by Vegas last season. The Nuggets’ win over the Spurs in the last game of the regular season put them at 54 wins, right in line with the Vegas prediction of 53.5.
This year, Vegas predicts that the Nuggets will regress a bit to 48.5 games. That regression is probably based on health more than talent because the team still has Jokic, Gordon and Murray, and picked up ex-Spur DeMar DeRozan. DeRozan can still get buckets with the best of them (so long as those buckets, are twos, not threes). Hey, I see the Nuggets also picked up Lonnie Walker IV! I still root for that guy, now in his eighth (!!) year in the NBA. Let’s go OVER on the Nuggets and their two ex-Spurs.
And let’s also root for more Joker passes like this one:
HDVD — Another good prediction by Vegas last season. The Wolves won 49 games, just missing the 50.5 Vegas prediction..
This season’s prediction is similar: 48.5 games. The big news in Minnesota is the team’s pick-up of LeMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga, giving up Naz Reid, Julius Randle and ex-Spur Kyle Anderson. Vegas presumably looked at all the changes, threw up its hands, and said “How many games did they win last year? Go with that.” I did something similar — flipped a coin and it came up “tails”. UNDER.
Oklahoma City Thunder
HDVD — At the start of last season, the consensus was that OKC was an unstoppable juggernaut. Vegas had the Thunder winning 62.5 games, and they beat that with 64 wins — an outstanding season. Happily ,four of the Thunder’s regular season losses were to one team, and that same team then beat the Thunder four more times in the playoffs. Put another way, the Spurs provided 8 of the Thunder’s total of 22 losses for the regular season and playoffs combined.
Vegas has OKC winning 60.5 games this season. OKC hopes Jalen Williams will be healthier this season, and that 7’3″ rookie Aday Mara can stand up to Victor Wembanyama better than Chet Holmgren did in the playoffs. The Thunder need both things to happen, because OKC surrendered valuable rotation guys Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe in the off-season. For me, losing those guys pushes OKC just slightly below 60.5. I have the Thunder as a very slight UNDER.
But the OKC Thunder are still the primary impediment to the Spurs’ quest for the crown.
San Antonio Spurs
HDVD — The Spurs absolutely crushed everyone’s expectations in 2025-2026, including but not limited to Vegas’s 43.5 win prediction. The Spurs’ 62-20 record meant they exceeded the projection by 18.5 “extra” wins — Vegas’s biggest miss of the year, by a lot.
The Vegas 2026-27 prediction for the Spurs is the same as the prediction for the Thunder — 60.5 wins. I don’t think the Spurs will match last season’s 18.5 game over-performance — though a 79 – 3 record would be even more joyous than last season. I am contractually required to say OVER, but this season I will go with just one OVER instead of OVER,OVER, OVER. Let’s bring it on home with a 63-19 record and the number one seed.
Just after Los Angeles beat the Atlanta Braves, 4-1, at Truist Park in Georgia, they hit their locker room for a postgame party that inadvertently showed off more of one their players than the public had seen prior.
As FS1 cameras focused on the team while it prepped to pop champagne bottles to commemorate yet another trip to the NLCS, a player’s naked bottom was shown live on the network’s broadcast.
The unidentified athlete had gotten undressed behind a plastic curtain and his rear was exposed while a videographer was focusing on Shohei Ohtani.
A Los Angeles Dodgers player is seen during a locker room celebration after an NLDS game.Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani, right, celebrates winning Game 4 of baseball’s National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Atlanta. AP Photo/Mike Stewart
The scene went unnoticed by FS1 broadcasters, however, social media users were quick to share it on X.
“Whose cheeks were out, bro?” one said.
It’s hardly the first time locker room cameras have accidentally captured MLB players in the buff. In fact, it just happened last month in San Francisco.
The Giants’ social media team shared a video of rookie Bo Davidson celebrating his MLB debut, and briefly, a naked player was caught by their camera’s lens.
The Dodgers certainly didn’t seem to mind the Wednesday night overexposure, as they dumped alcohol on one another for a significant period of time following their big win.
Up next for the team is a series with the Milwaukee Brewers that will hopefully feature more runs than rumps.
SACRAMENTO, CA - OCTOBER 5: Ziaire Williams #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers plays defense during the game against the Sacramento Kings during a 2026 NBA Preseason game on October 5, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. 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 Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In the Los Angeles Lakers’ 127-103 win over the Sacramento Kings Monday night, head coach JJ Redick praised his team’s defense, particularly its ability to generate 27 turnovers. Helping key that effort defensively were Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle, both of whom received a starting nod. Williams consistently pressed ball-handlers full-court and picked up a steal while Thybulle yielded two takeaways of his own. They were two of the nine different Lakers to record a steal against Sacramento.
Williams also added 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting (3-of-3 from deep) and Thybulle went 2-of-4 beyond the arc. Their play drew compliments from Luka Dončić, who seems quite happy to be playing alongside these defensive-minded wings.
“It felt great. I think we all had fun out there, especially Matisse and Ziaire. Just that beginning of the game, just starting, that’s contagious for everybody,” Dončić said after Monday’s win. “How they started the game was inspirational and the other guys came from the bench and it was amazing just to watch. They were having fun and sharing the ball. I think the whole team had fun today.”
If the Lakers are to be a formidable defensive unit this season, Williams and Thybulle will be integral to their success. One of them will presumably start alongside Dončić, Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes and Walker Kessler, while the other will be a crucial reserve.
For both of them, being viable offensive players is imperative. Both have shown some knack as cutters throughout their respective careers but will need to hit 3s at a respectable clip to maximize their opportunity for playing time and boost Los Angeles’ defense. Williams is a career 32.2% outside shooter while Thybulle is at 34.9%. Thybulle must also stay healthy after playing a combined 45 games the past two seasons.
Dončić recognizes how much the Lakers will benefit if they can replicate performances like Monday’s.
“It was amazing. Like I said, it was contagious for everybody,” he said. “The way they started the game, the way they play defense using their hands, it’s one of the best that I’ve seen. Being teammates with them and going against them makes us better and makes them better. It’s just really fun to have them on the team.”
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 20, 2026: Wilian Bormie #40 of the Texas Rangers throws a pitch during the fifth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Kansas City Royals at Surprise Stadium on March 20, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
One of the rites of the offseason is that, early on, we take a look at the players in the Texas Rangers’ organization who will have to be added to the 40 man roster this winter, or else be eligible to be selected by another team in the Rule 5 Draft. It is usually a lengthy post that talks about guys who are locks (or near-locks) to be added, guys who are potentially on the being-added bubble, guys who are longshots, and analyzes how likely a player who isn’t a lock to be added would be to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft.
I regret to inform you that’s not the case this year. The Rangers have few players who will be Rule 5 eligible who would get serious consideration for being added to the 40 man roster, and the likelihood of the Rangers losing a player in the Rule 5 Draft this offseason* would seem to be slight.
* The last time there was a lockout, in the 2021-22 offseason, they ended up canceling the Rule 5 Draft because of how little time there was between the end of the lockout and the beginning of the regular season. I would be willing to wager that we’ll see the same thing happen this time around…that said, we will assume that is is happening until they say it isn’t.
Let’s go over the Rule 5 rules. A player signed at age 18 or younger — in other words, most (but not all) high school draftees and undrafted free agents and international free agents — are eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft five seasons after they signed if they are not added to a team’s 40 man roster. A player signed at age 19 or older — pretty much every college player, and a few high school and international players — is eligible to be selected after four seasons if they are not added to a team’s 40 man roster. If a player is selected in the Rule 5 Draft,* he has to stay on the major league roster for a full season and accumulate at least 90 days on the active roster before he can be sent to the minors on an optional assignment. Otherwise, the player goes on waivers and, if he clears waivers, has to be offered back to the original team at half of the Rule 5 fee.
* The Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft, anyway. The rules are different for the Minor League portion of the Rule 5 Draft, but you don’t have to add a player to the 40 man roster to protect them from the Minor League portion of the Rule 5 Draft.
The upshot of this is that high schoolers signed in 2022 or earlier, and international free agents signed in 2022 or earlier, will be eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft this offseason if they are not added to the 40 man roster by November 17 of this year. College players signed in 2023 or earlier, as well as IFAs and high schoolers who were 19 or older when they signed, will also be eligible to be selected if they are not added to the 40 man roster.
The Rangers do not have many first-time eligibles this offseason. The Rangers did not have second or third round picks in 2023, due to signing Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom. Their first pick, Wyatt Langford, is already on the 40 man roster. Their fourth and fifth round picks, Skylar Hales and Alejandro Rosario, have been traded. Their sixth round pick, Caden Scarborough, was 18 when he signed, and is thus not Rule 5 eligible.
The best of the rest, as far as 2023 college picks go, are pitchers Izack Tiger, Paul Bonzagni, Josh Trentadue and Michael Trausch. Tiger has a great arm but can’t stay healthy, having thrown just 77.1 innings as a pro, including 27.1 innings with a 6.91 ERA between the ACL and high-A in 2026 after missing all of 2025. Bonzagni missed all of 2026 with an injury after pitching just 5 innings in 2025. Trausch is a reliever in low-A. Trentadue is a reliever in AA who put up a 5.65 ERA. None of them appear to be in danger of being selected.
The 2022 draft also featured missing second and third round picks. First rounder Kumar Rocker is already on the 40 man roster. Fourth rounder Brock Porter was Rule 5 eligible last year as a 19 year old high school draftee, went unselected, and after walking 60 in 76.1 innings in 2026, is almost certainly going be left exposed again this year. Fifth rounder Chandler Pollard didn’t hit in high-A this year. Sixth rounder Tommy Specht was released two years ago. Seventh rounder Luis Ramirez has spent the last two seasons on the injured list. 11th rounder Kohl Drake was traded.
In the 2022 international class, the Rangers’ two big signings were Anthony Gutierrez and Jose de Jesus. Gutierrez hasn’t been able to stay healthy, and his 2026 season ended in the second inning of Opening Day when he tore his ACL for Hub City. De Jesus was released in May of 2025.
The two players who are first time eligible who could possibly get some consideration — though still probably won’t be protected — are relief pitcher Ryan Lobus and first baseman Arturo Disla, each of whom was an undrafted free agent signed in 2023. Disla turns 26 this month and is a bat-only guy who was good but not great in his partial season at AA this year. Lobus is a 26 year old righthanded reliever who put up a 4.90 ERA and 4.24 FIP between AA and AAA in 2026, and whose stuff is fairly pedestrian. I doubt either is going to be added to the 40 man roster, or selected in the Rule 5 Draft.
There are a handful of players who are under team control through at least 2027 and who have been Rule 5 eligible previously, but most of them would not be in serious consideration for a roster spot. We mentioned Porter and Ramirez already. Ian Moller, Yeison Morrobel and Gleider Figuereo have all made it to AA, but none of them have shown enough to believe a team would carry them on the major league roster. Larson Kindreich missed all of 2026 with an injury. Thomas Ireland pitched for Frisco and Round Rock but is pretty much an organizational depth guy. Aaron Zavala finally spent a full season in AAA but didn’t hit much and is a corner outfielder with little defensive value.
Again, its possible that the Rangers will feel like they have 40 man roster spots to spare and feel, say, Morrobel has made enough progress and is young enough that they protect him rather than take the risk that someone chooses to take him, or Porter’s got enough potential that they don’t want to risk losing him now that he’s made it to AA. But it is more likely, I think, that none of this group gets added.
To the extent that the Rangers really have a tough call to make, it is on guys they will have to make the call on before the normal Rule 5 deadline, because it involves guys who will be minor league free agents at the end of the season. Players who were signed in 2020 become minor league free agents the day after the World Series ends.
The 2020 draft was only five rounds because of the pandemic, and the only player from that draft class still in the organization who isn’t on the 40 man roster is pitcher Dylan MacLean, who would not seem to be a candidate for a 40 man roster spot. The Rangers also signed that year, as undrafted free agents, Aidan Curry and D.J. McCarty. Curry has shown flashes, but is probably someone who, like Gavin Collyer last year, will be a priority to re-sign to a minor league deal rather than someone the Rangers will want to put on the 40 man roster.
The other notable UDFA signee from 2020 was Josh Stephan, who was traded to the Blue Jays in the Josh Smith/Adam Macko trade a couple of months ago. Stephan was almost certainly going to be allow to become a free agent, though I imagine the Rangers will have interest in bringing him back on a minor league deal, assuming the Jays don’t roster him.
The Rangers did trade for 2020 draftees Dane Acker and Trevor Hauver, and Acker has shown promise at times, but hasn’t been healthy and was terrible in the limited amount of time he spent on the Round Rock active roster this year.
Finally, we have international signees Wilian Bormie and Bryan Magdaleno, a pair of relievers who are slated to become free agents this winter.
Magdaleno was Rule 5 eligible after both 2024 and 2025. There was some unhappiness over Magdaleno being left exposed in 2024, as he had put up 1 .27 ERA in 42.2 innings, though mostly in low-A, with 68 Ks, 21 walks and just 19 hits. After going unselected, Magdaleno was terrible in Frisco in 2025, then bounced back with a solid, if unspectacular, 2026 season that saw him put up a 3.05 ERA in 56 innings, though with 38 walks against 77 Ks.
Magdaleno turns 26 in February. He’s a lefty, which is nice, but he has struggled to throw strikes, and the Rangers kept him in Frisco all year rather than sending him to Round Rock. He’s a possibility to be added, I guess, but I imagine he’s not getting a major league deal from anyone, and Texas will try to bring him back on a minor league deal if they want to keep him around.
If the Rangers add anyone, I suspect it would be Bormie. The righthander turns 26 in April, and has a quality fastball and slider but (as is often the case with these fringy reliever types) struggles with command. Bormie split the season between AA and AAA, and per Statcast, while at AAA, averaged 98 mph on his fastball. In 49 appearances covering 58.2 innings roughly evenly split between Frisco and Round Rock, he struck out 72, walked 31 and put up a 2.61 ERA, with his ERA being below 3 at both levels.
However, Bormie’s peripherals suffered once he got to AAA. His K rate at AA was 33.6% but was just 24.1% at AAA, while his walk rate went from 9.2% at AA to 15.0% at AAA. The result was a 4.97 FIP and 4.72 xERA in his 29 innings at AAA.
The Rangers faced a similar decision last offseason with Gavin Collyer, who they opted to let enter free agency and then re-signed to a minor league deal. Texas could go the same route with Bormie, betting that no team is going to offer him a major league deal (or a more lucrative minor league deal), or they could decide that there’s room on the 40 to carry him for the time being and eliminate any risk of losing him.
So that’s it. Not much excitement for us, I don’t think, in the run up to November 17. Maybe next year…
