When Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton hired Martin St-Louis to take the reins of the Montreal Canadiens, some thought it was a joke. How could a coach with no head-coaching experience in professional hockey find himself in perhaps the most high-profile coaching role in the NHL? Others thought he'd be Hughes and Gorton’s eyes and ears in the dressing room until the end of the season, and that would be it. Needless to say, both groups of people were very wrong.
St-Louis is now coaching his sixth season in town, and while at first he was only relied on to help develop young players, now the Canadiens are playing for keeps. It’s about the results; they want to win and reach their ultimate goal: the Stanley Cup. The bench boss has now been in charge of 384 Canadiens games, and he’s won 175. While that may not seem like a big number, it’s the seventh-most wins a coach has with the Sainte-Flanelle.
With the 5-2 win over the Boston Bruins last night, St-Louis overtook Pat Burns in seventh place. He still has quite a way to go to tie Toe Blake, who has 500 wins, but it’s conceivable he'll be in fifth place by the end of the season. The Canadiens still have 65 games to play, and Cecil Hart, who’s sixth, has 196 wins, while Claude Julien has 201. The Laval native only needs 27 wins in those last 65 games to overtake Julien. He’ll then be able to set his sights on Michel Therrien, who has 271 triumphs.
At this stage, it’s hard to imagine St-Louis leaving this Canadiens team; it looks like a match made in heaven, and the contract extensions keep on coming.
Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks “3 Standouts From The Game.” In this recurring series, The Hockey News’ Canucks team will do a deep dive into three standouts from Vancouver's last game. This article will focus on the Canucks' most recent 5–1 loss to the New York Rangers.
Brock Boeser
Friday’s loss to the Rangers wasn’t all doom and gloom, though it may have seemed like it based on Vancouver’s performance during the final 45 minutes. Brock Boeser hit a career milestone against the Rangers on Friday, registering his 500th-career NHL point off Elias Pettersson’s goal in the first period. He is now up to 18 points on the season as a whole, and has extended his current point streak to six games.
Boeser was also one of only four Canucks to skate in more than 20 minutes last night, logging 21:34 minutes played. In this span of time, he also recorded one shot on goal and one block. He also put up the most scoring chances for his team with a total of 13.
Zeev Buium
Zeev Buium made his mark during the Canucks’ high points in their 5–1 loss on Friday. The defenceman logged the primary assist on Pettersson’s goal and also recorded 24:38 minutes played, making this the fourth time in five games that he has skated in over 24 minutes. He passed the eye test offensively, demonstrating some renewed confidence with the puck both at even-strength and as the second power-play unit’s quarterback.
Where things get dicey, however, is in the numbers department. Both Buium and defensive partner Filip Hronek got caved-in when New York went on their tear, with the young defenceman allowing the second-most scoring chances when on the ice — 17.
Tom Willander
Friday night marked the first game back for Tom Willander, who previously missed Vancouver’s past four games due to injury. Though he played in a more-modest 17:04 minutes in the loss (three minutes less than his per-game season average), the defenceman was still noticeable. Willander managed to tie his season-high in shots in a game on Friday with three.
Numbers-wise, Willander was also the Canucks’ most noticeable defenceman against the Rangers. He logged 11 scoring chances-for, the most of all Vancouver defencemen on Friday, and also registered the least scoring chances against of his team’s defenders with six.
Nov 13, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) defends against Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser (6) in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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Welcome to Inside the Suns, a deep-dive analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team in which the Fantable — a round table of Bright Siders — give their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.
Fantable Questions of the Week
Author’s Note: All questions were sent out to the Fantable members before the Suns/Clippers game was played.
Q1: Offensively, Collin Gillespie is not performing well this season (6.7 ppg, 31.9 FG%, 29.4 3PT%). Are you concerned about this?
zenzino: We got these questions right after the Spurs game. My answer was ‘yes, I am concerned’. Gillespie had a tough final 3rd of last season, and he kinda picked up where he left off. He’s not bad; he’s just not as good as he was the first half of last season.
The other effect of him not shooting well is he’s passing up shots he should be taking, which sometimes leads to ill-advised passes.
I’ve seen some comments to the effect of ‘he’s got his contract, so now he’s coasting’. I call BS. You don’t fight through the things he had to fight through and call it good when you get your first contract. He’s a competitor.
Over the last two games, it seems like he’s finding his range more. It’s only two games, but there is some progress. As the 3s go down more, his confidence will grow. He’ll take shots he should be taking and hopefully hit key shots like we know he can. So, I’m a little less concerned now than I was at the beginning of the week.
Ashton: It is funny in that there are a lot of players not playing offensively well, so just to call out Gillespie is a bit hypocritical. Yes, three-point shooting is abysmal across the board, and Gillespie is not helping his case there. But look at Kennard vs. Charlotte. He went 0-for-5 from the perimeter as the Sun’s backup sharpshooter but still carved a role out facilitating and making mid-court jumpers.
So, I am not overly concerned about Gillespie as long as he finds a role on the team as the games go on. And that role is to probably assist Booker as much as possible. Would a starter role help pull him out of a funk and make him consistent? Perhaps, and the season is still young enough to experiment with
OldAz: I think Collin knew you were asking this and intentionally broke out of his slump the last couple of games. But even before these last couple of games, he had one of the best on/off splits on the team among players that play significant minutes (behind Dunn, of course, who has one of the best on/off splits in the league).
Considering Gillespie plays point guard, I care much more about how the team plays with him on the floor than I do about his individual offensive numbers. The same goes for Dunn, who really needs to start getting more minutes because the Suns play significantly better when he is on the floor despite his lack of counting stats. Really, this goes for all players, as it’s far more enjoyable to watch Suns games when the team is playing well, rather than watching a “fantasy”-style game where individual stats matter more. As it relates to Gillespie, it was only a matter of time before his shots started falling. He is far too good a shooter to stay that low for long.
Rod: He did have me a little concerned until the Clippers game. Before that, he was making less than 30% of his threes and hitting on only slightly better than that from the field…and Oso had a better FT percentage (46.2%) than him (25%)! His percentages are way up in the past two games, which is a relief. Thankfully, his defensive intensity never left, and he seems to be back to having a positive impact on both sides of the court again.
Q2: Some fans are calling for certain Suns players to be traded NOW. Do you believe attempting to trade a player (who hasn’t actually asked for a trade) this early in the season is a good idea?
zenzino: ‘NOW’ would be stupid. There is a reason there is no trade activity this early in the season. After December 15th, many more players become available for trade, so nothing will happen before then.
All these fantasy GMs are trade-happy. It takes (at least) two teams to trade. Another team has to want you; you’ve got to be willing to give up someone you want. These things don’t happen easily.
Who are these ‘certain’ players?
Suspect #1: Jalen Green
By all accounts, a great guy and a better teammate. His playmaking has shown definite improvement, and he has bought into doing the things they’re asking of him. Unfortunately, because he’s being asked to do something completely different, he’s not playing his game, and we’re not seeing how good he can actually be. I’ve been a big proponent of giving it some time. But I’m not super optimistic. I think he can be a pretty great player in the right situation, and the Suns might not be that situation. I would love to see him excel, even if it has to be on another team.
Suspect #2: Miles Bridges
Many fans didn’t want him here in the first place. While he’s been improving, it’s not a steady climb. It still looks a little clunky. This is the first time he’s been on a different team, in a different system, and having to adjust his game. That takes time, and I definitely think it’s too soon to decide if he’s going to work out or not.
Suspect #3: Devin Booker
“He’s playing great. Trade him for picks while his value is high.” Unfortunately, there’s a subset of ‘fans’ who don’t really understand basketball. I invite them to go be Lakers fans. They’ll fit right in.
Honorable mention: Dillon Brooks
I have actually seen several posts saying it’s time to trade Brooks. SMH. Fans can be a fickle bunch.
Bottom line:
Should the Suns be putting out feelers after December 15th? Absolutely. See what’s available. But it has to be a trade that makes a difference. They don’t need to force a trade and settle for what they can get. There is no player on this team that is an ‘addition by subtraction’ player. If there is an opportunity to improve the roster, then they should definitely take it seriously. If nothing good comes to fruition, let it ride.
Ashton: Certain Suns players…eh? Gee, based on board comments, that could be literally anyone. Well, scratch Book. He is literally the only one carrying the Suns on his back. Of course, there are things to consider such as aprons and when players can be traded, but as far as I am concerned, I really do not think anyone on the squad, outside of Book, is untradeable. There has been a lot of focus on Green as the asset to be traded, but once that includes a pick, and don’t even ask me what the status of Sun’s picks is, nope. Pass.
This is my fluffy positive comment that some members on the board say is lacking. This is like a Back to the Future movie where the Suns are doing what they did last season. They are winning the games they should (Houston anomaly aside) and losing the games that probably would have. And to add more cheer to your day, the Suns still have the Kings four times and the Clippers another 3. Suns could be a play-in team!
So no, there is no need for a knee-jerk reaction quite yet. Particularly with the Lakers up next. I am still on the side of letting everyone gel together organically before the fans tear down the team and front office decisions.
OldAz: I believe they should be fielding calls from any team that covets one of the Suns “stars” (outside of Booker), but they also should not be hasty to move anyone just because they have gotten off to a slow start. I would not include any young players or trade more draft picks, but if someone wants to offer the Suns a combination of expiring contracts, young players, and picks for a player like Brooks or Green, I would not hang up the phone.
Rod: Not really. Most teams aren’t looking to make trades this early on, and I think the best return you could hope for might be an expiring contract or two. Giving up on a player this early sends a message to other GMs that you’re likely desperate, and they’re going to lowball the return they’re offering (plus almost every team has at least one or two players that aren’t available to be traded yet). Now if another team calls about making a trade, that changes the equation, giving the Suns a bit more leverage, and they should certainly listen, as it puts them in a better position to bargain.
And we have to keep in mind that the Suns have six players on their roster that currently can’t be traded (Brooks, Williams, Gillespie, Goodwin, Kennard, and Ighodaro), which complicates things.
Q3: Which player (or players) currently glued to the far end of the Suns’ bench would you most like to see get a shot at rotation minutes?
zenzino: Jamaree Bouyea. Hands down. Especially in a game like the Spurs game. I would have liked to see Jamaree in there in the 2nd quarter when it was obvious no one on the team not named Booker could get a bucket. What Goodie does for the defense, Jamaree does for the offense. He brings instant energy on both ends of the floor. And he can score. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in speed and energy.
Like everyone else, I’d like to know what’s going on with Sheer. I know Ott wanted him ready for the Blazers game, but he hurt his ankle. It doesn’t look like the Suns are going to blow out many teams, but they might get blown out more than we’d like. Still, it would be a shame just to see Sheer play in garbage time. It’s hard for young players to get into any rhythm with that kind of playing time.
Ashton: Ryan Dunn only played ten minutes against Charlotte. Does he count? True, he may be injured, and that would explain it. The obvious answer is to give Koa Peat some run, if only to shut me up. It is not like Bridges and Brooks is setting the world on fire, so why not? Peat can clear a path for Booker while facilitating his touches. I mean, common, teams are now throwing triple teams at Booker. This is Koa Peat’s time to shine in a role he knows well from his college days. I figure any other name to throw out there might be in the doghouse or incompatible with Coach Ott’s thinking, but…there is that guy down in G-League named Drew Timme that could be elevated to the end of the bench role and utilized correctly.
OldAz: As noted before, I think Dunn has earned more minutes and fits well when multiple starters are on the court because he does not need the ball on offense and brings energy and effort on defense that the starters lack and can be infectious. However, he technically is getting some “rotation” minutes already.
The only real choices here are Fleming or Peat, based on their positional fit and long-term upside. I would always be happy to see them get a few meaningful minutes per game and expand those as they earn them. More important to me would be seeing current rotation bench players get more minutes when they are playing well, and mixing them in more with the current starters. The Suns have been playing better as of late, so I would not rush to force minutes on Fleming or Peat unless they earn them, but I would totally be in favor of continuing to experiment with lineups and riding the hot hand (on offense or defense) far more than Ott has done in the past.
Rod: Here’s my wild idea for the day…start Jamaree Bouyea at point guard and bench (or trade) Green. I really like the idea of Collin staying on the second unit, and Bouyea actually seems to be the better driver and finisher at the rim than Collin, and is also a little faster and more athletic. I’d just like to see this tried, as I think Bouyea could be a much better fit with Book, Brooks, Bridges, and Ighodaro (or Maluach) than Green. I don’t dislike Green and don’t necessarily want him traded, but I also don’t like the idea of him taking a spot on the 2nd unit from any of the guys already there because they already play well together, and I wouldn’t want to mess that up (which is another reason I’d rather keep Collin there instead of moving him up to the starting unit).
Second, Peat should start getting some meaningful rotation minutes soon. Right now, I wouldn’t bench anyone just to get him those minutes, but if someone just needs some rest (or they have a hangnail, or the sniffles, or…I’m sure you catch my drift here), then sit that player and get Peat into the rotation for at least one game.
Finally, if there’s even the slightest need for Oso or Khaman to sit out a game, activate Timme and get him some minutes with the main team. Sure, his averages in the G League won’t directly transfer to the NBA level, but a guy averaging 32.5 ppg, 13.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists while shooting 42.9% from three on 3.5 attempts per game sounds like someone who should get a chance to me. Reath hasn’t been very impressive as the Suns’ 3rd center so why not let Timme have his shot at earning that slot?
As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!
Quotes of the Week
“We’re bottom 10 in three-point rate. I don’t think that’s where we want to live. I think that we want to live a little bit above that, taking high-quality shots.” – Jordan Ott (following the LAC game)
“I know me and him (Ryan Dunn), we do a lot of the same things, and us being out there together and us being on the same page together, it’s getting kind of scary.” – Jordan Goodwin
“I think the pull-up three opens up everything. I found even when you’re not making it, it makes the defense come out and makes you a threat. So I’m going to keep letting them go when I get some space to hopefully stress their defenses out and open up a lot of opportunities for my teammates.” – Devin Booker
“I feel like as long as we don’t turn the ball over and we make them turn the ball over, and we rebound the ball, we’ll be good.” – Miles Bridges
“We’ve had parts of the game where we looked really good with certain lineups and certain lineups we come in, we just can’t find that flow so… We definitely have some things to clean up. It’s obviously going to be ups and downs throughout the games, but the downs can’t be as bad as they’ve been.” – Devin Booker
On November 17, 2000, Jason Kidd tied the NBA record for turnovers in a game when he turned the ball over 14 times in a 90-85 loss to New York. John Drew of the Atlanta Hawks previously held the record alone after committing 14 turnovers at New Jersey on March 1, 1977. This record still stands today.
On November 20, 1977, the Suns set a franchise record for team steals in a single game with 24 in a 134-112 win against an Antonio. That total is tied for the 4th most in a single game in NBA history. Starters Walter Davis and Alvan Adams both had 4, Paul Westphal and Don Buse getting 3 each, and Gar Heard finished with 1. Rookie Ron Lee had 5 off the bench to lead everyone in steals, though. Lee made a name for himself as a thief on the court and went on to set the Suns’ single-season record for steals (225) the following season, as well as leading the entire NBA in steals that year.
On November 20, 2000, due to various injuries and declining performance, Rex Chapman retired at the age of 32. Chapman spent the final four years of his NBA career with the Suns averaging 12.4 points, 2.5 assists and 2-4 rebounds per game for the Suns while shooting 36.0% from three. He started 154 of the 224 games he played in Phoenix. He is 14th on the Suns’ All-Time list for career 3-pointers made (324), 18th on the All-Time list for threes made per game (1.45), and 50th on the Suns’ All-Time list of leading scorers (2,787 points).
The Week Ahead
Sunday: Phoenix Suns vs. LA Lakers, 2:00 pm AZ time Monday: Phoenix Suns @ Denver Nuggets, 7:00 pm AZ time Wednesday: Phoenix Suns @ Sacramento Kings, 8:00 pm AZ time Friday: Phoenix Suns @ Utah Jazz, 7:30 pm AZ time
Important Future Dates
Dec. 15 – Most players signed to new contracts can be traded Jan. 5 – 10-day contracts may now be signed Jan. 10 – All NBA contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season Jan. 15 – All players signed to new contracts can be traded Feb. 11 – Trade Deadline Feb. 19-21 – NBA All-Star 2027 March 1 – Playoff Eligibility Waiver Deadline April 11 – 2026-27 Regular Season ends (All 30 teams play) April 12 – Rosters set for NBA Playoffs 2027 (3 p.m. ET) April 13-16 – SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament April 17 – NBA Playoffs 2026 begin
SAN ANTONIO, TX - NOVEMBER 13: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs and Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors go up for a jump ball during the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup on November 13, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Last night the Spurs torched the Golden State Warriors. Until then, the two were the remaining undefeated teams in West Group C. As it stands now, each group has one undefeated team. In addition to the Spurs, the Mavericks and Timberwolves are 2-0 in their respective Western Conference groupings.
In the East, the Magic, Heat, and Celtics also have 2-0 records. Of the six undefeated teams, the Spurs and Celtics currently hold 53-point differentials. There are three more days of Group competition — Friday, November 20th, the following Wednesday and wrapping up two days later on Friday, November 27th.
From there, the eight top teams will be determined for the quarterfinals. The top team from each group advance leaving one additional spot. Those with matching records will organized by point differential. The Spurs and Celtics have a distinct advantage at this point in the standings.
The Spurs made it all the way to the Emirates Cup Finals last year. They knocked out the LeBron and Luka Lakers before upsetting the reigning NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder. They did fall short in the Finals to the New York Knicks. Although they outscored the Knicks in the 1st and 3rd quarters and tied the second, they unraveled in the final frame. The same issues plagued them and lead to their demise in the NBA Finals a few months later.
For now, the Spurs seem to have a handle on their competition. But there are always bumps in the road. Fortunately, this season, smoothing the edges has been a key to their success. Making adjustments in real time has given them separation in many games, even allowing a monster comeback last week when the Chicago Bulls started with an uncharacteristic 85% shooting during the first quarter. It is in these moments that the Spurs have been tested and shown they are more ready than ever to rise to the challenge.
The Spurs next Emirates Cup games is Wednesday, November 25 against the Portland Trail Blazers with their final game against the Lakers on Friday, November 27.
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Paul George dribbles against the 76ers. | Getty Images
We’ve all done it. We’ve judged players on various teams around the league based on preconceived notions and false narratives. We’ve jumped to conclusions based on what we think we know about someone rather than what we actually know.
That’s human nature, and it’s not our fault. When we see someone act a certain way once or twice, we assume they act that way all the time. Basketball mirrors life in the sense that one snapshot from the wrong point viewpoint can dictate how we feel about something or someone.
I’ll be the first to admit that I was somewhat skeptical when the Celtics acquired Paul George. It wasn’t that I didn’t respect Paul George as a basketball player or respect him as a person. I did. It wasn’t that I didn’t think he could coexist next to Jayson Tatum. I did. It wasn’t that I didn’t think he still had anything left in the tank. I did.
But I didn’t view George as a winner. I know he has made the Conference Finals three times, but I didn’t view him as someone who could bring a team from very good to great and reach that next level.
I viewed him as someone who could put up stats with the best of them but those stats didn’t carry much value, at least at this point in his career. I didn’t think he could come in and seamlessly replace Jaylen Brown, play just as well if not better than Brown and help the Celtics maintain their perch as a true contender.
I was wrong. He can do all of those things, and he is proving it on a nightly basis. I feel like they should be printing out shirts that read: “I was wrong about Paul George” or “I owe Paul George an apology.”
Every Seinfeld fan out there has enjoyed the Summer of George. Now, we get to enjoy the Season of George. He looks like a new man, both physically and spiritually, and someone who is playing with a freedom and purpose he hasn’t had in years.
He resembles a player good enough to lead the Celtics to the promised land. I know, I know, it’s only mid-November, and George has been injury prone throughout his career.
But, I think the Celtics have the right approach where he isn’t playing every game. He looks fresh and is oozing with confidence and swagger right now. We all hope he avoids a major injury, but regardless of how it shakes out, let’s make sure to enjoy what he’s doing. George has gushed about the Celtics’ culture, and it’s clear the admiration is mutual as long as he keeps hooping.
George is the only player in the NBA averaging at least 22 points and 2 steals per game while shooting at least 44 percent from 3-point range. He has proven he is still a matchup nightmare who is fully capable of taking over a game.
That must have felt amazing to go into his old arena and light up the 76ers and take over a game that was pegged as a Tatum-Brown duel. On a court with those two stars, LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, George was by far the best player.
I could describe George’s style of play in many ways, but the one that comes to mind more than anything else is smooth. He has a fluidity to his game that I personally didn’t fully appreciate watching him periodically on other teams. Part of it is health, obviously, but part of it is natural ability that was on full display in his Pacers days.
George is reminding everyone that he is still a dominant force. He might not be as explosive as he once was, but he is still crafty, versatile and highly skilled. He makes smart decisions, defends at a high level, doesn’t force shots, fits in with the Celtics’ system and is clutch.
I felt similarly about Kristaps Porzingis when he came to Boston. The Celtics have a knack for revitalizing injury-prone players who have (somewhat fairly and somewhat unfairly) developed a mixed reputation.
George is back to his old self, and as long as he keeps this up, the Celtics are very much in the mix to contend for an NBA title.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Justin Crawford #2 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a single against the Atlanta Braves during the fourth 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
Pretty positive that the Phillies won’t be making a big splash prior to the CBA ending and the lockout beginning. There has been a feel around the comments that Dave Dombrowski has been making that maybe the payroll isn’t where we think it might be, even if the words “generous” have been thrown around. I wonder if they’re just going to see what everything looks like once the dust is settled.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 27: William Contreras #24 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts after calling for an ABS challenge in the fourth inning during Game Four of the 2026 World Series presented by Capital One between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Over the next couple weeks, we’re going to take a look around the Brewers’ roster and think about how, or if, the Brewers would consider upgrading at those positions and who might be available via free agency or trade. Before getting into that, though, we should go position-by-position through the Brewers’ roster to examine how things look going into the offseason—particularly in the wake of Jake Bauers’ deal with the Red Sox.
Given that the Brewers just won the World Series and, aside from Bauers, they didn’t have any big losses, we shouldn’t expect any major surprises. But it still gives us an opportunity to look to the future and imagine some unlikely scenarios.
Catcher
The Brewers have picked up the option on William Contreras’ contract, which buys out his last year of arbitration at $15.5 million. Barring an extension, Contreras will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2027 season. The Brewers declined a mutual option on backup Gary Sánchez, so he’s a free agent; other catchers on the 40-man roster include Bo Naylor, who came over in a trade on August 1st but who played only three times with the Brewers, and Jeferson Quero, the former-top-prospect whose 2024 shoulder injury has put his future as a catcher in doubt (though Matt Arnold reiterated this week that they see Quero as a future catcher).
The answer here might be very simple: the Brewers might just go with Contreras on an expiring deal and Naylor as the backup. Naylor struggled badly at the plate in 2026, and he’s always been a pretty bad hitter, but he has well over 1,000 major-league plate appearances and has a lot of experience catching good pitching staffs in Cleveland. Given how much Contreras plays, I suspect the team is okay with Naylor as a backup.
The questions come in when considering the future beyond 2027. After his World Series MVP award, much of the Milwaukee fanbase feels that the team should make Contreras the next Brewer to receive a lucrative contract a la Ryan Braun and Christian Yelich.
With projections coming in around 5 years and $115 million or so, the Brewers could certainly afford it, but two questions follow: first, would Contreras take it? He might be dead set on reaching free agency where richer teams than Milwaukee—notably, the Yankees, who have struggled to find a reliable catcher in recent seasons—could drive up the bidding for his services. Second, signing a catcher, a position that usually doesn’t age well, through his age-34 or -35 season doesn’t seem like a very Brewersy thing to do.
The answer would be simpler if there were an obvious solution in the minor leagues. But Quero’s future is in serious doubt, and Marco Dinges, the other well-regarded catching prospect in the minor-league system, has barely played above High-A and there are questions about his defensive acumen.
It’s something to keep an eye on, with a lot of moving parts. I’m not closing the door on a possible Contreras extension, possibly even before the lockout begins at the beginning of next month. But I also wouldn’t be shocked if a blockbuster trade occurred, perhaps even followed by another blockbuster trade for a replacement. While there are some things to figure out at first base, the longer-term future at catcher makes this the most in-flux position on the roster at the moment.
First Base
I had a whole bunch of stuff written here about different scenarios with first base, whether Jake Bauers would accept the qualifying offer or whether he’d sign elsewhere, and what would happen in either case. Well, we now know that Bauers will not be back with the Brewers next season—so where does that leave the team?
Andrew Vaughn, who made $7.65 million in 2026 and should make slightly more than that next season, will now likely be back. He’s a right-handed hitter and started mostly only against left-handed pitchers last season, but he’s probably got the ability to start more against righties—he wasn’t too bad against them in 2026.
But the Brewers are likely to add another left-handed bat who could do some platoon work with Vaughn. There are two potential exciting-but-unproven answers in the minors: Andrew Fischer, who led the minor leagues with 48 homers last season while hitting .273/.413/.654 in 126 games between High-A Wisconsin and Double-A Biloxi; and Blake Burke, who hit .285/.367/.603 in 96 games at Double-A before struggling in a short stint at Triple-A Nashville to end the season.
Both players come with real questions. Fischer’s swing-and-miss issues are so worrisome that some question whether he even has a future in the majors, despite his prodigious power. Burke also has a lot of swing-and-miss in his game, but he’s also a guy who chases out of the zone a lot, something that Fischer avoids, and something that Bauers was so good at it bordered on being a superpower.
Luke Adams could’ve been an answer here had Bauers stayed. He’s closer to the majors than either Fischer or Burke and had a good season last year, but his fit on the major league roster alongside Vaughn is complicated. I wouldn’t really expect to see him, at least at the beginning of the season.
Spring training could be very interesting for Burke and Fischer, but the Brewers might also choose to bring in another player. The two of them have a lot of potential but have very little experience at the highest levels of the majors (Burke played 15 games and struggled, Fischer has not appeared above Double-A), and a good, veteran platoon option on a one-year deal might be attractive to the front office if they want their prospects to cook a little longer.
Infield
Barring a trade, Milwaukee is pretty set in the infield, not just for next season but for a few years. Brice Turang, a super-two player, just had his first of four arbitration years, and while he’s certainly going to get expensive, he’s under team control until after the 2029 season. Cooper Pratt won’t be a free agent until my daughter, who can’t read yet, is a teenager. Joey Ortiz and David Hamilton, who made up the rest of the infield this season, are both entering their first of three arbitration seasons.
It would be easy to send this group back out there. Pratt’s confidence has to be sky-high after he could easily have won the World Series MVP. Turang finished third in MVP voting. While Ortiz and Hamilton both have their offensive shortcomings, both have, for stretches, looked quite good at the plate, and both are reliable (at worst) defensive infielders; Ortiz is one of the best plug-and-play defensive infielders in the league.
I think the most likely scenario here is that the Brewers start the season with Turang and Pratt in their spots and Ortiz and Hamilton sharing a platoon situation at third base, similar to how it was in the postseason. There’s a big shadow on the horizon in the minors, though: the Brewers’ top prospect, considered by many to be the best prospect in baseball, Jesús Made.
Made is still only 19 and doesn’t turn 20 until May. But he’s looking good in winter baseball, and his career has followed a pretty similar path to Jackson Chourio’s, and when Chourio was at the point in his career that Made is at now, he made the Opening Day roster.
I don’t think that’s likely in this case, and certainly will not happen if no long-term extension is in place, like there was for Chourio. But Made isn’t far off, which means the team is probably going to be probing around on trade interest in Ortiz and Hamilton, just in case. Those two guys aren’t the kinds of players who are going to make a bad team good, but they are certainly the types of players who will make good teams better; smart teams should absolutely be interested if the Brewers are shopping them.
Outfield
Once again, on the surface, this seems pretty straightforward: the Brewers have Chourio and Luis Lara on long-term contracts, and Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick are both in arbitration seasons on affordable deals; Mitchell is under control for two more seasons, Frelick for three.
Ideally, the Brewers would love more production in right field. Frelick had a poor season, and Lara struggled with the bat after coming up. But Pat Murphy loves Frelick and he really does seem to be an integral part of this team’s chemistry, and there’s no reason not to expect at least a modest bounceback in 2027, his age-27 season. Perhaps he won’t get to his 2025 levels, when he had a 111 OPS+, but I’m sure he can eat into the nearly-60-point drop in batting average and OBP that occurred in 2026.
Lara figures to improve as well, as he gets used to major-league pitching. His offensive outbreak at Triple-A Nashville was something to see: he hit as many home runs (9) in 78 games with the Sounds last season as he had in his first three minor-league seasons combined. That power dried up in the majors, though, where his only home run in 212 plate appearances came off a position player. He may never be much of an offensive plus, but with his defensive prowess, he’ll offer plenty of value if he can get up to league average, particularly if he moves to center field in the next couple of years.
Chourio and Mitchell are both primed for big seasons. Chourio could certainly vault himself into MVP discussions next year, and Mitchell, if he’s healthy, seems to be a lock for at least 3-ish WAR, with some potential remaining for a breakout season in there given how he always seems to make solid contact.
Health will always remain a question with Mitchell, but the Brewers figure to be covered if he, or anyone else in their outfield, goes down. Brandon Lockridge remains under team control, but the more intriguing possibility is that of Josh Adamczewski, who put up some crazy numbers in 50 games High-A Wisconsin before moving up to Double-A, where he had a 125 wRC+ at just 21 years old. He looks like a real find, and while the Brewers will certainly want him to get some reps in Triple-A, he could be ready to fill a major-league role by mid-season if the need arises.
Starting Pitchers
This young group looks to be in a solid position headed into 2026, particularly with Quinn Priester primed to return from his surgery to correct his thoracic outlet syndrome. Dustin May, acquired at the trade deadline, is a free agent. That means the Brewers, barring injuries, will have this group to choose from:
Unanimous NL Cy Young winner Jacob Misiorowski, who threw 174 2/3 innings in the regular season and 19 more in the postseason
Logan Henderson, who had a 2.47 ERA in 98 1/3 regular season innings and threw 12 more innings in the postseason
Robert Gasser, who threw 109 1/3 innings in the regular season and 15 more in the playoffs, where he had a 0.60 ERA in three starts
Kyle Harrison, whose second half went poorly but who looked like a co-ace in the first half (he threw a total of 115 2/3 innings in 2026)
Priester, who when last healthy in 2025 went 13-3 with a 3.32 ERA in 157 1/3 innings
Shane Drohan and Chad Patrick, who will likely return to swingman roles
Brandon Sproat, who will probably start the season at Triple-A Nashville trying to figure things out, and Coleman Crow and Colton Gordon, further depth options who will also presumably be in Nashville to start the season
A wildcard option like Aaron Ashby, about whom we heard whispers that he could be in the running for a rotation spot. I’ll always be skeptical of reports like this, especially when it doesn’t seem to be a major need, but anything can happen
That’s a solid, solid group, but it does lack something: every single pitcher on this list is 28 years old or younger. There’s not a ton of experience, and while I’m not convinced that experience is all that important to winning baseball games (the Brewers were rather short on experience in their pitching options during their dominant World Series run in 2026), it would be kind of nice to have another guy around who you could reasonably hope to get 150-ish innings out of, just to take some pressure off of the younger arms.
Bullpen
Bullpens are notoriously hard to predict, but here’s where the Brewers are at:
Trevor Megill is a free agent after the 2027 season and it’s certainly not off the table that he gets traded—Jeff Passan reported that Milwaukee will listen on offers.
Abner Uribe is under team control for four more seasons and has a career 2.20 ERA in 179 2/3 innings. He figures to be a major part of the bullpen for several more years.
Ashby made a star turn during the postseason, and figures to again play a major role.
DL Hall also pitched well in the postseason and had a really solid regular season—he should play a big part in 2026 if he stays healthy. He’s entering his first year of arbitration.
Trade deadline acquisitions JoJo Romero and Antonio Senzatela are both free agents. Romero likely pitched himself into a nice contract during the postseason; Senzatela figures to be on the cheaper side, and it’s possible the Brewers bring him back.
Ángel Zerpa, who the team acquired in a trade before the 2026 season, had Tommy John surgery in May and could be an option in the second half of the season.
Grant Anderson is still around, and will likely make the team, given the relative lack of right-handed options, particularly if Senzatela is not back.
We could see an option from the minor leagues: 25-year-old Cameron Wagoner was awesome in 33 appearances between Double- and Triple-A last season, and one of the team’s more highly regarded pitching prospects, Tyson Hardin, could possibly get some relief work in the majors later in the season, even if he’s viewed as a starter in the long term.
If you assume Megill is back, then I’d say you can consider the Brewers have 12 locks for the Opening Day roster amongst their pitchers: Misiorowski, Henderson, Gasser, Priester, Harrison, Drohan, Patrick, Ashby, Megill, Uribe, Hall, and Anderson. Of course, the likelihood that all 12 of those guys are healthy when the season starts is low. That means there’s room here if the Brewers want to explore the free agent market, though we all know the most likely move is that they’ll acquire someone in some tiny trade who we’ve never heard of who then adds a cutter and turns out to be quite good.
Conclusion
Barring unexpected moves (like what would be a shocking trade of Contreras, or an extension for Made and trade of Ortiz or Hamilton), the lineup looks pretty set everywhere except first base, where Andrew Vaughn will likely welcome a new platoon partner this season. There’s probably a spot in the bullpen up for grabs, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that there could be an addition in the rotation. But it’s also definitely possible that every opening on the roster at the moment is filled internally. Don’t expect a busy offseason at the major-league level for the Brewers.
While the Detroit Red Wings are facing two critical situations involving as many key players, only one of them has a ticking deadline.
Defenseman Simon Edvinsson, who remains a restricted free agent, must be signed to a new contract by the Red Wings (or another NHL club) by 4:00 p.m. ET on Dec. 1 in order to be eligible to play this season.
And according to the latest reports from NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, the Swedish-born blue liner could be prepared to play this season in his native homeland.
"One of the things that some reporters who live in Sweden have told me is that they believe that if this goes past Dec. 1, he's prepared to play there," Friedman said. "That's how strong his resolve is. But we'll see. We won't know that for another 16, 17 days."
A potential Edvinsson departure from the organization would be nothing short of a disaster, in plain terms. Towering, puck-moving defenseman are a prime commodity in the NHL, and the Red Wings managed to draft one.
He's already established himself as the club's second-most important blue liner behind Moritz Seider, and his absence so far this season has clearly been felt.
While the Red Wings are apparently banking on Edvinsson having a change of heart and deciding to accept their offer, the chances of that happening, based on the most recent reports, aren't good.
With time ticking away, interim GM Shawn Horcoff, who has maintained that he has no desire to trade Edvinsson, will have to make an official decision soon.
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The Chicago Blackhawks (5-13-1) are coming off a big overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres two nights prior. They were down 2-1 going into the third period and found a way to win a hockey game. During the second intermission, according to Frank Nazar, they had a plan to come out strong and win.
"We came into the third period down a goal, and we said to everyone that we had to come out with this win," Nazar said. "We worked hard, and we earned it."
This team lacks a lot of things, but they don’t lack character. They believe in themselves, and their willingness to get better speaks to who they are as people. Are they going to rattle off enough wins now to get back in the race? Unlikely. However, their goal of continuing to improve is very much still on the table.
Scouting Winnipeg
The Winnipeg Jets (9-8-3) are a very interesting team right now. They are currently on a 5-game winning streak but are 5-5-0 in their last 10 games. It’s been as up-and-down a season as you can have in the NHL.
The Jets were one of the league’s most talked-about teams at the start of the season because of Connor Hellebuyck’s holdout. They have since traded him to the New Jersey Devils and completely moved on.
Chicago’s season series with Winnipeg is a bit of a schedule quirk. The Jets have already been to the United Center once this year. The Blackhawks beat them 4-3 on October 15th. They will then play two games in Winnipeg on November 30th and December 10th. Before the holidays, they will already be through with seeing each other.
The team that came to the United Center and lost a month ago is drastically different. The Hellebuyck cloud no longer hangs over their head, and their best players are playing like their best players.
Connor - Scheifele - Vilardi
Perfetti - Yager - Mercer
Iafallo - Lowry - Bjorck
Koepke - Barron - Rosen
Morrissey - DeMelo
Samberg - Pionk
Ferraro - Bauer
Skinner
Daws
Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor are the stars up front, but the newly acquired Dawson Mercer, along with Cole Perfetti, Alex Iafaklo, and captain Adam Lowry, help provide great depth. Viggo Bjorck, who is a close friend of Blackhawks forward Anton Frondell, was their 8th overall pick in 2026. He has been coming on strong lately, but is still searching for his first career NHL goal.
On defense, everything starts and ends with Josh Morrissey, who was not available when these two teams met in October. He has game-changing abilities, and he has made a clear difference since his return.
In net, the Jets will run out one of Jeff Skinner or Nico Daws. In a tough situation, they’ve played well. If the team in front of them scores goals and defends the way that they have proven they can, whoever starts won’t have a hard time doing their job.
Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago
The Blackhawks have been without Bowen Byram for most of this season. The Blackhawks won’t say much other than he’s day-to-day. It also sounds like he will be ready to jump in the lineup right when he’s medically cleared to play. For the last couple of days, Byram has practiced with his teammates in a non-contact sweater.
Jeff Blashill would not rule him out for this game against the Jets, but he is day-to-day for now. When Byram returns, he'll have time to get his feet under him in the new system.
Kantserov-Bedard-Bertuzzi
Mangiapane-Frondell-Kane
Moore-Nazar-Donato
Smith-Greene-Greenway
Vlasic-Cole
Del Mastro-Levshunov
Kaiser-Rinzel
Knight
Commesso
If Byram comes in, expect Ethan Del Mastro to come out. Spencer Knight started on Thursday against the Sabres, so we'll see if Drew Commesso gets his first NHL start of the season after starting the year in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs.
When Patrick Kane came back ahead of the Buffalo game, Teuvo Teravainen came out for him. Will the latter come back in for someone? That remains to be seen as well.
Chicago is not holding a morning skate on Saturday ahead of the daytime game, so warmups will clear up some of these decisions. Jeff Blashill will speak at 1 PM as well, which could answer the Byram question, at least.
You can hear the game locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. It can be seen locally on CHSN. Nationally, you can stream it on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 2:30 PM CT.
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SAN ANTONIO, TX -NOVEMBER 13: Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks against Golden State Warriors in the second half of a Emirates Cup game at Frost Bank Center on November 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There are good starts… and then there are very good starts. An 18-0 run to begin the game against one of the best offenses in the league qualifies as an outstanding start. The San Antonio Spurs built a 38-14 first-quarter lead over the Golden State Warriors on their way to a 123-85 win.
The Spurs were led in large part by the stellar offensive play of Stephon Castle. The guard is coming off a stretch of bad play, but turned it around in a major way against the Warriors. Castle had 32 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds. He had it going from deep, hitting a trio of three-pointers in the first quarter, and finished the game shooting 5-for-7 from three.
Castle did more than just hit open threes. The Warriors had no answer for his physical, downhill brand of basketball. With Draymond Green attached at Victor Wembanyama’s hip, Castle and the Spurs guards got to the basket with little to no resistance at the rim. San Antonio outscored Golden State 56-to-28 in the paint.
Castle’s passing was on point against the Warriors. He had no turnovers despite having the ball in his hands for a lot of the game. He was particularly effective on the primary and secondary fast breaks, where Golden State was slow to get back.
Castle and Wembanyama had the Area 51 connection working early and often. Wembanyama wasn’t able to get free in the half-court too often with Green playing physical basketball, but San Antonio was able to get him a few lobs out of the pick-and-roll.
It wasn’t just Wembanyama receiving lobs from Castle; he also delivered them. Sometimes it’s easy to take this stuff for granted because of all the amazing things that Wembanyama can do… but this is your 7-foot-5 center dribbling the ball up and throwing an underhand lob to his point guard for a reverse slam. That is versatility in one play! Wembanyama ended the game with 12 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks.
Early in the game, the Spurs ran a lot of pick-and-rolls with Wembanyama handling the ball, and their guards setting picks. The Warriors sent doubles at Wembanyama on these plays, making it easy for the guards to slip into the paint and create easy looks. Here, Dylan Harper is able to get to the basket and finish over Golden State’s smaller defenders.
Golden State left the paint essentially wide open all game long. It felt like the Spurs could touch the lane whenever they wanted to. Harper carved up the defense with his tight handle for a nifty finish in the second quarter. Harper had a quiet but efficient game, scoring 9 points on 4-of-8 shooting.
Harper also nailed a transition three on one of the most memorable plays of the night. Shortly after the ball went into the basket, Green shoulder-checked Wembanyama into the ground and received a flagrant foul.
Wembanyama finished the game with seemingly no health issues despite the hard hit. He and the rest of the Spurs will get a day off before a rematch with the Utah Jazz on Sunday as they look to win their twelfth game in a row.
SAN ANTONIO, TX -NOVEMBER 13: Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks against Golden State Warriors in the second half of a Emirates Cup game at Frost Bank Center on November 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There are good starts… and then there are very good starts. An 18-0 run to begin the game against one of the best offenses in the league qualifies as an outstanding start. The San Antonio Spurs built a 38-14 first-quarter lead over the Golden State Warriors on their way to a 123-85 win.
The Spurs were led in large part by the stellar offensive play of Stephon Castle. The guard is coming off a stretch of bad play, but turned it around in a major way against the Warriors. Castle had 32 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds. He had it going from deep, hitting a trio of three-pointers in the first quarter, and finished the game shooting 5-for-7 from three.
Castle did more than just hit open threes. The Warriors had no answer for his physical, downhill brand of basketball. With Draymond Green attached at Victor Wembanyama’s hip, Castle and the Spurs guards got to the basket with little to no resistance at the rim. San Antonio outscored Golden State 56-to-28 in the paint.
Castle’s passing was on point against the Warriors. He had no turnovers despite having the ball in his hands for a lot of the game. He was particularly effective on the primary and secondary fast breaks, where Golden State was slow to get back.
Castle and Wembanyama had the Area 51 connection working early and often. Wembanyama wasn’t able to get free in the half-court too often with Green playing physical basketball, but San Antonio was able to get him a few lobs out of the pick-and-roll.
It wasn’t just Wembanyama receiving lobs from Castle; he also delivered them. Sometimes it’s easy to take this stuff for granted because of all the amazing things that Wembanyama can do… but this is your 7-foot-5 center dribbling the ball up and throwing an underhand lob to his point guard for a reverse slam. That is versatility in one play! Wembanyama ended the game with 12 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks.
Early in the game, the Spurs ran a lot of pick-and-rolls with Wembanyama handling the ball, and their guards setting picks. The Warriors sent doubles at Wembanyama on these plays, making it easy for the guards to slip into the paint and create easy looks. Here, Dylan Harper is able to get to the basket and finish over Golden State’s smaller defenders.
Golden State left the paint essentially wide open all game long. It felt like the Spurs could touch the lane whenever they wanted to. Harper carved up the defense with his tight handle for a nifty finish in the second quarter. Harper had a quiet but efficient game, scoring 9 points on 4-of-8 shooting.
Harper also nailed a transition three on one of the most memorable plays of the night. Shortly after the ball went into the basket, Green shoulder-checked Wembanyama into the ground and received a flagrant foul.
Wembanyama finished the game with seemingly no health issues despite the hard hit. He and the rest of the Spurs will get a day off before a rematch with the Utah Jazz on Sunday as they look to win their twelfth game in a row.
MONTOURSVILLE, PA - AUGUST 18: Aaron Judge #99, Giancarlo Stanton #27 and Juan Soto #22 of the New York Yankees walk off the plane during the 2024 MLB Little League Classic airport arrivals at Williamsport Regional Airport on Sunday, August 18, 2024 in Montoursville, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
I hope none of you fine folks were planning on flying anywhere last night. If you were, you have my condolences! I hope you got back home alright, or at least to a hotel. I know it was rough out there.
Today on the site, Josh will talk about the AL MVP voting and how Aaron Judge and others have inadvertently helped doom Bobby Witt Jr. to likely become José Ramírez’s successor as the best current player in baseball who might never win an MVP, and Nick will celebrate the 48th birthday of Xavier Nady, a 2009 World Series champion who could’ve really contributed had his elbow not gone kablooie. Later, Michael will look at the final week of Arizona Fall League action.
Questions/Prompts:
1. What were your first impressions of the Red Sox signing old friend Jake Bauers to a four-year, $58 million contract?
2. What’s the longest that you’ve been stuck at an airport without leaving?
The Islanders got a much-needed, feel-good win with balanced scoring (plus the obligatory Schaefer) Thursday in Los Angeles. Now they need to finish out the trip with a good result in Anaheim. Two points tonight against the Ducks would mean five out of six on the road trip.
This is Part 2 of Bryan Trottier’s podcast with Brett Hull and Kelly Chase. It sucks to hear, but he talks about what it was like to see all of his dynasty buddies traded or waived, how going to Pittsburgh and joining Mario Lemieux gave him new life — and what a contrast that was to Clarke Gillies’ post-Isles life. He talks about the tough decision to retire, too:
Elsewhere
Daniel Briere is the latest to come out and contradict Kevin Weekes’ report that Matvei Michkov wants out. [NHL]
Speaking of B.S.: Connor Bedard insists the Blackhawks “100%” believe in their coach Jeff Blashill. [NHL]
League-wide rumblings on Michkov, Erik Karlsson as a rental and more. [Athletic]
Bill Guerin praised Danila Yurov wbile not denying that he’s included him in trade offers for Dylan Larkin. He also had to deal with more Quinn Hughes questions, which will never end. [NHL]
The Sedin twins say they are sick and sleepless over the Canucks’ bad start. [NHL | Sportsnet]
Both Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar left the Avs’ game vs. the Senators with injuries. [NHL]
At the quarter mark, the Leafs need improvement (and don’t we all?). [Sportsnet]
At the quarter mark, Justin Bourne talks about some themes, like player empowerment and how tearing down/tanking is the easy part, but actually rebuilding is hard. [Sportsnet]
SAN ANTONIO, TX -NOVEMBER 13: Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts after hitting a three against Golden State Warriors in the first half of a Emirates Cup game at Frost Bank Center on November 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Planes were grounded nationwide on Friday night and the San Antonio Spurs grounded the Golden State Warriors from the opening tip in their second NBA Cup game. Fueled by Stephon Castle, the Spurs took a 20-point first quarter lead and never looked back as they defeated the Warriors 123-85 at the Frost Bank Center.
The victory is the 11th straight for San Antonio, who also improved to 2-0 in NBA Cup play and control their own destiny to advance to the knockout stage of the competition. The Spurs would need only one win in their next two Cup games to book a spot in the next round.
Nothing the Stephen Curry-less Warriors tried on Friday worked against the Spurs, who led by as many as 43 points in the game. Stephon Castle rebounded from a few poor outings in the last few games to score a season-high 32 points to go along with six assists and five rebounds. Castle shot 12-of-18 from the field as he scored 13 of the Spurs’ first 26 points.
“He’s in the middle of everything,” Coach Johnson said of Castle. “He’s an unbelievable impact player. He’s never blinked at anything we’ve asked. He’s never shown any poor body language. He just attacks everything. And there are times in this league, that is ridiculously difficult.”
Early on, it was obvious what type of night this was going to be for the Spurs. San Antonio scored the first 18 points of the game and did not allow Golden State to score their first points until there was 5:54 left in the opening period. The Spurs’ defense was swarming all through the first quarter, getting hands into the passing lanes and by the time the buzzer sounded to end the period, the Warriors only had 14 points were shooting 21 percent.
“I think the defense probably ignites the offense more than vice versa,” Johnson said. “So I still lean into the defense. Thought we were pretty on point with some of our game plan execution stuff and attention to detail.”
Golden State’s standout rookie Yaxel Lendeborg struggled, shooting just 1-for-13 and ended with the game just three points. Credit to Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet, who both worked to make life difficult for the rookie.
“Nobody wanted to go into the paint,” Lendeborg said. “Nobody wanted to get their shot blocked by him. So we were all just doing some weak-ass floaters. I don’t know how many of us work on those.
San Antonio won all four quarters, but a 34-27 third quarter forced Coach Johnson to sit the starters and put his bench in with the Spurs comfortably ahead by 37 points. The majority of the fourth quarter saw Tarris Reed Jr., Carter Bryant, Jordan McLaughlin, and Keldon Johnson take the floor in mop up duty.
The win also saw the return of Devin Vassell, who missed the previous two games with adductor tightness. De’Aaron Fox was questionable with soreness, but he also took the floor in the win for the Spurs.
Game Notes
Victor Wembanyama had a quiet 12 points and 12 rebounds, but he was also hit in the throat, poked in the eye, and thrown to the floor by Draymond Green. After the game, Wemby commented on this and said he was “not surprised” by Green’s flagrant foul.
De’Aaron Fox did not have his shot on Friday, going just 1-of-7 from the floor. However, he made up for that by doing the little things. He had five rebounds, four assists to contribute in a different way.
Keldon Johnson is starting to look like the man who won Sixth Man of the Year last season. He scored 18 points off the bench to go along with four rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes. If he can do that consistently, it makes the Spurs even more dangerous than they already are.
Up next:
The Spurs (11-2) will now hit the road to face the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center for the final time this season on Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. central time.
SAN ANTONIO, TX -NOVEMBER 13: Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts after hitting a three against Golden State Warriors in the first half of a Emirates Cup game at Frost Bank Center on November 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Planes were grounded nationwide on Friday night and the San Antonio Spurs grounded the Golden State Warriors from the opening tip in their second NBA Cup game. Fueled by Stephon Castle, the Spurs took a 20-point first quarter lead and never looked back as they defeated the Warriors 123-85 at the Frost Bank Center.
The victory is the 11th straight for San Antonio, who also improved to 2-0 in NBA Cup play and control their own destiny to advance to the knockout stage of the competition. The Spurs would need only one win in their next two Cup games to book a spot in the next round.
Nothing the Stephen Curry-less Warriors tried on Friday worked against the Spurs, who led by as many as 43 points in the game. Stephon Castle rebounded from a few poor outings in the last few games to score a season-high 32 points to go along with six assists and five rebounds. Castle shot 12-of-18 from the field as he scored 13 of the Spurs’ first 26 points.
“He’s in the middle of everything,” Coach Johnson said of Castle. “He’s an unbelievable impact player. He’s never blinked at anything we’ve asked. He’s never shown any poor body language. He just attacks everything. And there are times in this league, that is ridiculously difficult.”
Early on, it was obvious what type of night this was going to be for the Spurs. San Antonio scored the first 18 points of the game and did not allow Golden State to score their first points until there was 5:54 left in the opening period. The Spurs’ defense was swarming all through the first quarter, getting hands into the passing lanes and by the time the buzzer sounded to end the period, the Warriors only had 14 points were shooting 21 percent.
“I think the defense probably ignites the offense more than vice versa,” Johnson said. “So I still lean into the defense. Thought we were pretty on point with some of our game plan execution stuff and attention to detail.”
Golden State’s standout rookie Yaxel Lendeborg struggled, shooting just 1-for-13 and ended with the game just three points. Credit to Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet, who both worked to make life difficult for the rookie.
“Nobody wanted to go into the paint,” Lendeborg said. “Nobody wanted to get their shot blocked by him. So we were all just doing some weak-ass floaters. I don’t know how many of us work on those.
San Antonio won all four quarters, but a 34-27 third quarter forced Coach Johnson to sit the starters and put his bench in with the Spurs comfortably ahead by 37 points. The majority of the fourth quarter saw Tarris Reed Jr., Carter Bryant, Jordan McLaughlin, and Keldon Johnson take the floor in mop up duty.
The win also saw the return of Devin Vassell, who missed the previous two games with adductor tightness. De’Aaron Fox was questionable with soreness, but he also took the floor in the win for the Spurs.
Game Notes
Victor Wembanyama had a quiet 12 points and 12 rebounds, but he was also hit in the throat, poked in the eye, and thrown to the floor by Draymond Green. After the game, Wemby commented on this and said he was “not surprised” by Green’s flagrant foul.
De’Aaron Fox did not have his shot on Friday, going just 1-of-7 from the floor. However, he made up for that by doing the little things. He had five rebounds, four assists to contribute in a different way.
Keldon Johnson is starting to look like the man who won Sixth Man of the Year last season. He scored 18 points off the bench to go along with four rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes. If he can do that consistently, it makes the Spurs even more dangerous than they already are.
Up next:
The Spurs (11-2) will now hit the road to face the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center for the final time this season on Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. central time.
